Verdicts & Settlements

Whitey Bulger guilty of multiple counts in split verdict, likely will spend rest of life in prison

After 30 hours of deliberation, a federal jury in Boston has reached a split verdict in the case of accused gangland murderer James J. “Whitey” Bulger, who reportedly escaped criminal consequences for decades with the help of cash gifts and helpful relationships with authorities. He was found guilty of conspiracy,…

Aug 12, 2013 7:15 PM CDT

Hospital cannot ban all service animals from psych ward, federal judge rules

A California hospital can’t unilaterally ban all service animals from certain areas, such as a psychiatric ward, a federal judge has ruled. Siding with a disabled woman who said she had to choose between getting the treatment she needs for her bipolar disorder and getting the help she needs from…

Aug 8, 2013 8:20 PM CDT

Military judge says Hasan can choose own trial strategy, orders defense lawyers to stay on standby

A U.S. Army psychiatrist in a capital case over the 2009 shooting spree that killed 13 at Fort Hood is sabotaging his own defense in a deliberate effort to get the death penalty, a standby attorney for Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan told a military judge on Wednesday at his court…

Aug 8, 2013 4:00 PM CDT

Judge won’t enforce ‘usurious’ retainer pact, blasts law firm for ‘condescending’ tone of filings

Finding that a law firm’s retainer agreement in a divorce case was “usurious” and calling its billing practices “facially outrageous and certainly bereft of reasonableness,” a New York judge on Thursday refused to vacate his earlier ruling dismissing the firm’s lawsuit seeking to collect about $53,000 from a former client.…

Aug 8, 2013 3:20 PM CDT

SEC has power to regulate Bitcoin investments, federal judge rules

Rejecting an argument by a Texas defendant that Bitcoin investments are not within the regulatory purview of the U.S. Securities Securities and Exchange Commission, a federal magistrate judge has given a green light to a SEC civil suit against Trendon Shavers. The Bitcoin Savings & Trust operator had contended that…

Aug 7, 2013 9:45 PM CDT

Partner reprimanded after taking plea in attorney email hacking case, has also settled lawsuit

Originally charged with multiple felonies, a partner in a Michigan law firm took a misdemeanor plea in a case in which he was accused of hacking into a fellow attorney’s personal email account and has been reprimanded by a state attorney discipline board for his conduct. Steven F. Spender also…

Aug 7, 2013 6:15 PM CDT

No talking about fracking, settlement gag order says; were kids bound too?

A natural gas company has apparently parted ways with an outside lawyer after controversy erupted over a settlement agreement that included a lifelong ban on talking about fracking that may have bound two children. Details of the nondisclosure agreement were uncovered by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which requested a transcript of…

Aug 7, 2013 4:15 PM CDT

Trial begins for final lawyer charged in judicial bribery scheme; convicted ex-judge is star witness

A convicted former South Texas judge testified Wednesday in federal court against an Austin attorney accused of participating in a “cash for court favors” scheme. Eduardo “Eddie” Lucio, who is charged with extortion and racketeering, is the 12th defendant in the case to have his day in court. His case…

Aug 7, 2013 3:55 PM CDT

Judge orders EEOC to pay $4.7M in legal fees in Jenner & Block case

In the latest chapter of a litigation saga that has proven expensive for the feds, Jenner & Block has won what could be a record $4.7 million in attorney fees and costs from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. At issue was an employment discrimination case brought by the EEOC against…

Aug 6, 2013 8:31 PM CDT

Judge cuts Bradley Manning’s maximum sentence in WikiLeaks case to 90 years

A military judge has agreed to merge some of the counts on which Pfc. Bradley Manning was convicted in a court-martial last week, reducing the maximum prison term to which he could be sentenced in the espionage and theft case from 136 years to 90 years. The Associated Press, Reuters…

Aug 6, 2013 6:55 PM CDT

Gunman fired over 20 rounds at municipal meeting, killing 3; police say he hoped to slay lawyer, too

Updated: A 59-year-old man who had recently been evicted from his home after it was condemned for code violations reportedly opened fire at a Pennsylvania municipal meeting on Monday night, killing three and injuring at least three others. The alleged killing spree by Rockne Warren Newell at the Ross Township…

Aug 6, 2013 4:35 PM CDT

Ex-prosecutor fired after testifying against boss can assert 1st Amendment claim, 7th Circuit says

A former assistant prosecutor in suburban Chicago can assert a First Amendment claim concerning his allegation that he was fired for cooperating when he was subpoenaed by a special prosecutor to testify against his then-boss, a federal appeals court has ruled. Reversing a district court judge, the Chicago-based 7th U.S.…

Aug 5, 2013 10:50 PM CDT

Judge says 2 cities can maintain pit bull bans that accommodate service animals

Two Colorado cities have done enough to accommodate the disabled owners of pit bull dogs that are also service animals, a federal judge in Denver has ruled. After a 2011 federal court decision that found flat-out bans of the entire breed violated the Americans with Disabilities Act, the city of…

Aug 5, 2013 8:45 PM CDT

Report: Judge bans law firm he blames for not getting court appointment

An Indiana judge has reportedly banned from his courtroom a prominent law firm he blames for not getting a coveted juvenile court appointment. Lake Superior Court Judge Nicholas Schiralli is transferring all cases of Thiros & Stracci to other courts, unidentified court officials say, because a lawyer in the firm…

Aug 5, 2013 5:30 PM CDT

Man uses 7,500 pounds of quarters to pay judgment in wrongful death case

The father of a teenager killed in a 2001 auto accident has paid a $150,000 of a judgment in a wrongful death case to two Illinois law firms, entirely in quarters. They weighed 7,500 pounds, WSIL reports. Roger Herrin wound up owing other victims in the crash more than $500,000,…

Aug 2, 2013 3:21 PM CDT