States

Top NJ Judge Joins 2—Yes, 2—Family Firms

When it came time to retire from the bench and return to law practice, former New Jersey Chief Justice James Zazzali had a hard time making a choice between two family law firms. So he didn’t. Zazzali is now counsel at both a Newark, N.J., law firm started by his…

Oct 4, 2007 7:05 PM CDT

Cops Bag Arrests, Vehicles in ‘Friendly’ Contests

Los Angeles County police have been participating in some unusual contests. There was “Operation Any Booking,” in which cops competed to see how many people they could arrest in a day. Or “Operation Vehicle Impound,” which boosted vehicle impoundments from 4.7 a day in July to 37 on the day…

Oct 4, 2007 6:27 PM CDT

Judge: Sen. Craig Can’t Withdraw Guilty Plea

Updated: In a ruling that could sound the death knell for Sen. Larry Craig’s career in office, a Minnesota judge has ruled that the Idaho Republican can’t withdraw his guilty plea to a disorderly conduct charge. However, Craig reportedly says he won’t resign, despite the urgings of many members of…

Oct 4, 2007 6:16 PM CDT

Judge Allows NASA Background Checks

A federal judge has refused to halt background checks for 28 workers at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory. U.S. District Judge Otis Wright of Los Angeles refused to issue an injunction after the government said information about past drug use would not be used in criminal cases against the workers, the…

Oct 4, 2007 6:04 PM CDT

In Tight Market, Law Grads Seek Work in OK

A tight legal market for law students who aren’t graduating from the nation’s most elite law schools or at the top of their class is apparently prompting many to seek work in Oklahoma. Some may also think—correctly—that law firm jobs there offer good long-term opportunities for training and growth, as…

Oct 4, 2007 4:32 PM CDT

Arson Fire Destroyed Home of TX Justice, Marshal Says

A June fire that gutted the home of Texas Supreme Court Justice David Medina was arson, the fire marshal has concluded. Investigators have subpoenaed cell phone records of the judge’s family members and friends, six of whom have been identified as “people of interest,” the Houston Chronicle reports. Family members…

Oct 4, 2007 3:21 PM CDT

A Denial and a Low-Budget Defense in RIAA Trial

The woman accused of sharing a couple dozen copyrighted songs on the KaZaA file sharing service says she didn’t do it, but she can’t afford an expert to explain why the computer evidence suggests otherwise. Jammie Thomas testified yesterday that she has never even heard of KaZaA, the Duluth News…

Oct 4, 2007 2:51 PM CDT

Stubborn Juror Won’t Vote

“What do we do when a juror refuses to vote?” That was the handwritten note submitted yesterday to the federal judge overseeing the Holy Land Foundation terrorism financing case, the Dallas Morning News reports. U.S. District Judge A. Joe Fish of Dallas sent the jurors back for more deliberations with…

Oct 4, 2007 2:22 PM CDT

Stents Help Patients’ Hearts, Lawyers’ Bottom Line

Coronary artery stents are big business—not only for the companies that make them but also for lawyers. Litigation over patent rights may be hindering development of new products and forcing small companies to sell out to bigger competitors, experts told the New York Times. “The stent business is an unusually…

Oct 4, 2007 2:07 PM CDT

Lawyer Chases BB Gun Assailants

Burton, Mich., lawyer Michael Breczinski chased down two teens who shot him with BB guns in a mall parking lot Tuesday, even as they fired additional shots at him. The first pellet hit Breczinski in the neck below his ear. By the time he tackled one of the teens, he…

Oct 4, 2007 1:07 PM CDT

Rush Limbaugh Divorce Details Secret, But Salary Isn’t

Details of Rush Limbaugh’s 2004 divorce settlement will remain secret because of a Florida appeals court ruling yesterday. The court denied a motion for rehearing (PDF) by the Palm Beach Post, which is seeking to unseal the file, the Daily Business Review reports. A dissenter argued that the agreement is…

Oct 4, 2007 12:27 PM CDT

Focus on Day Casebeer in Discovery Probe

New court filings put the spotlight on a Silicon Valley law firm in a judge’s effort to find out why Qualcomm Inc. failed to turn over hundreds of thousands of discovery documents. Declarations filed yesterday focused on 21 potentially damaging e-mails that were withheld from Broadcom Corp. in a patent…

Oct 4, 2007 11:08 AM CDT

Wal-Mart Workers Win $141 M in OT Case

In the latest judgment in ongoing class actions against the world’s largest retailer, a Pennsylvania judge is requiring Wal-Mart to pay $62.3 million to 125,000 workers who didn’t receive required overtime pay for overtime work. The award today by Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Mark Bernstein supplements a previous $78.5 million…

Oct 3, 2007 11:06 PM CDT

Defense Lawyer Acquitted in Heroin Case; Inmate’s Mom Admits Hiding Drugs in Legal Brief

Updated: A federal criminal defense lawyer has been arrested on charges he tried to smuggle heroin into a Massachusetts state prison. Kevin Barron, 46, was released on his own recognizance after being charged with delivering drugs to a prisoner, possession of a Class A substance and possession with intent to…

Oct 3, 2007 9:46 PM CDT

Wanted: New Spector Defense Lawyers

Although Phil Spector’s defense counsel deadlocked the jury at his Los Angeles murder trial, he wants another legal team to represent him at retrial. Six attorneys are interviewing for the job of lead counsel, according to the Associated Press. Many of Spector’s current lawyers are stepping aside after months defending…

Oct 3, 2007 8:11 PM CDT