States

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

Judge Sanctions Lawyers Up to $5 Million

In a blistering rebuke of some of Philadelphia’s most prominent lawyers and law firms, a federal judge has sanctioned them—and their clients—for failing to cooperate with discovery in a medical insurance coverage class action. Among those being required to pay up to $5 million in plaintiffs costs by U.S. District…

Oct 3, 2007 5:15 PM CDT

L.A. Courthouse Evacuated

Police ordered the evacuation of the federal courthouse in Los Angeles this morning because of an item described as a briefcase or possibly a travel bag left outside. A bomb squad removed the “suspicious item” and found no explosives, KNBC.com reports.

Oct 3, 2007 5:02 PM CDT

Dog Gets Its Day With Order of Protection

A Connecticut judge has issued an order of protection for a dog named Riley. Cassandra Reynolds must stay 100 yards away from the golden retriever after her arrest for allegedly kicking the dog in a dispute with her ex-husband, the New York Times reports. The judge issued the order Sept.…

Oct 3, 2007 4:44 PM CDT

Former Top Judge Regains Law License

The former chief judge of New York’s highest court has regained his law license, 15 years after he was arrested for harassing socialite Joy Silverman. The 77-year-old Sol Wachtler told the New York Post he is delighted. He plans to do legal work for the poor and mentally ill, the…

Oct 3, 2007 2:29 PM CDT

Ex-Big Firm Lawyer Pleads in Teen Sex Case

A former mergers and acquisitions lawyer with Cravath, Swaine & Moore has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from allegations he had sex with three teenage girls. James Colliton was accused of paying a woman to have sex with her two daughters and having sex with a third girl, the New…

Oct 3, 2007 2:10 PM CDT