States

Saggy Pants Ban Fails in CT Town

Saggy pants are getting the attention of town councils that want to stop the epidemic of exposed underwear and buttocks. The Connecticut town of Stratford yesterday rejected a proposed ordinance that would have fined people whose “pants which fall below the buttocks” the New York Times reports. The proposal would…

Aug 28, 2007 3:49 PM CDT

Lawyer Quits Spector Murder Trial

Five months of testimony in Phil Spector’s murder trial ended with a bang-up finale yesterday, as his best-known lawyer withdrew from the case after the legendary music producer decided to have another defense attorney spearhead the upcoming closing argument. Spector, 67, said during a lunch recess that he had decided…

Aug 28, 2007 3:29 PM CDT

Judge Blocks Abortion Law

A federal judge has barred enforcement of a Missouri law requiring abortion clinics to upgrade their surgery facilities. U.S. District Judge Ortrie Smith issued a temporary restraining order and scheduled a hearing for Sept. 10 to hear arguments on a permanent injunction, the Kansas City Star reports. The law, which…

Aug 28, 2007 2:57 PM CDT

Lawyer Switches Sides, Faces Suit

A Houston lawyer who represented four plaintiffs who settled with BP over an oil refinery explosion in Texas City is encountering some problems now that he wants to represent the energy company as it fights suits by other plaintiffs. A Texas appeals court refused to boot lawyer Ronald Krist from…

Aug 28, 2007 1:10 PM CDT

Federal Judge Wants State Seat

A large caseload may have taken its toll on a San Francisco federal judge. The National Law Journal reports that U.S. District Judge Martin Jenkins is seeking a seat on the California State Court of Appeal. Jenkins didn’t explain why, but associates said the huge trial workload may have played…

Aug 28, 2007 12:47 PM CDT

Small Attorney Fee Grows

A fight to collect $28,000 in attorney fees will cost Houston lawyer Robert S. “Bob” Bennett more than $250,000, according to a Texas appeals court. The 1st Court of Appeals has affirmed an award of more than $150,000 to Houston lawyer Kelly Coghlan for his attempts to collect a judgment…

Aug 28, 2007 12:39 PM CDT

Dewey & LeBoeuf Is Born

It’s official: Dewey & LeBoeuf is the new mega law firm created through the merger of two New York powerhouses. The firms Dewey Ballantine and LeBoeuf, Lamb, Greene & MacRae announced the merger yesterday, confirming early reports of the pending deal. The new firm will have 1,300 lawyers and revenues…

Aug 28, 2007 11:23 AM CDT

No Jury Duty for Janet Reno

These days, it isn’t all that unusual for a lawyer, or even a judge, to serve on a jury. But there are still a few justice system figures who apparently can still expect to be eliminated from the prospective panel pretty quickly. Among them: former U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno,…

Aug 27, 2007 10:15 PM CDT

Lawyer Fights Armed Intruder & Wins

A 37-year-old partner at Faegre & Benson in Minneapolis isn’t just a tough competitor at the table in corporate transactions. Keith Radtke battled a rifle-toting intruder who broke into his Lakeland, Minn., home on Friday—and won—even after he was shot in the lower back with a .45-caliber handgun. The battle…

Aug 27, 2007 8:45 PM CDT

Visa Squeeze Sparks Legal Creativity

A land rush on coveted visas permitting skilled foreigners to work in the U.S. legally is prompting alternative approaches by those who don’t win the lottery. Some denied the so-called H-1Bs—three-year visas for skilled workers with college degrees—are going back to school or applying for other types of visas. But…

Aug 27, 2007 8:28 PM CDT

Lawyer Sues Over Court Entry Fee

If Illinois put attorneys’ photos on their law licenses, life would be easier for those who regularly go to court. Picture identification is required to stand in the fast-lane entry that many courthouses maintain for lawyers as well as court workers. But, in the absence of a statewide attorney ID…

Aug 27, 2007 7:57 PM CDT

Receiver Shakes Up CA Prison System

Lawsuits and legislative committees haven’t had quite the impact of the man named to be a federal health-care receiver for the California prison system. Robert Sillen was appointed last year as the result of a class action lawsuit that revealed 65 inmate deaths each year could be avoided by better…

Aug 27, 2007 6:52 PM CDT

Did ‘Kid Nation’ Abuse Children?

It almost sounds like a law school exam question. Forty children, ages 8 to 15, are reportedly transported, without their parents, to a ranch in the New Mexico desert near Santa Fe. There they live and work together for 40 days, building a town and a society, supervised only by…

Aug 27, 2007 5:31 PM CDT

Law Hushed Va. Tech Gunman’s Disorder

Federal privacy and disability laws prohibited high school officials from revealing that the Virginia Tech gunman suffered from a social anxiety disorder. Fairfax County created a special education plan for Seung Hui Cho that allowed him to decline to participate in class discussions at his high school, the Washington Post…

Aug 27, 2007 4:44 PM CDT

Judge Fines PD: 1 Day OK for Trial Prep

Saying that a 20-minute talk with one’s client and interviewing witnesses during one’s lunch hour is sufficient preparation to allow a lawyer to try a case, an Ohio judge reportedly upheld his own earlier contempt-of-court citation and fined an assistant public defender Friday. Brian Jones refused to try a misdemeanor…

Aug 27, 2007 3:37 PM CDT