Verdicts & Settlements

Troutman Partner Settles With DOJ; Firm ‘Supports the Sense of Vindication’

Without admitting liability—and, according to a company press release, without making any monetary contribution—a partner of Troutman Sanders has agreed to participate in a $14 million civil settlement agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice concerning an alleged $50 million health care kickbacks scheme involving a nursing home in which…

Mar 1, 2010 5:59 PM CST

Wielding Sealed TRO, Microsoft Shuts Down 270+ Web Addresses in Ex Parte Botnet Battle

In a litigation tactic that reportedly has never been tried before to combat a global malicious software attack, Microsoft Corp. won a sealed temporary restraining order in an ex parte “John Doe” federal court action in Virginia this week. It allowed the company to shut down, without prior notice to…

Feb 25, 2010 9:47 PM CST

Cop Pleads in Katrina Shootings Probe; ‘Like a Script from Hollywood’

A retired New Orleans police officer pleaded guilty today to conspiring to obstruct justice concerning a cover-up of the shooting deaths of two unarmed civilians on the city’s Danziger Bridge in 2005, in the chaotic aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Lt. Michael Lohman’s plea is the first in an ongoing federal…

Feb 25, 2010 12:16 AM CST

Judge to Compel 2 Rothstein Firm Lawyers to Turn Over Computer Passwords

A judge overseeing the bankruptcy of the dissolving South Florida law firm at the center of a claimed $7 billion Ponzi scheme says he will order two former partners to turn over their passwords to a secure offsite e-mail storage system. Granting a request by trustee Herbert Stettin, U.S. Bankruptcy…

Feb 24, 2010 7:58 PM CST

Former Managing Partner Gets 99 Years in $25M Investment Scheme

When Edward Digges Jr. bilked one of his best clients at Digges Wharton & Levin out of $3.1 million in an overbilling scheme, he served two years in federal prison after pleading guilty in 1990 to mail fraud. He also was fined $1 million and wound up with a $3.6…

Feb 24, 2010 7:17 PM CST

Appeals Court Reverses Death Sentence, Doesn’t Mention Judge-Prosecutor Affair

The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has reversed the death sentence for a convicted double murderer who was nearly executed in 2008 before the state ran of out time to perform the lethal injection. But in determining that Charles Dean Hood should be resentenced, the court makes no mention of…

Feb 24, 2010 6:16 PM CST

2nd-Time Ex-Lawyer Pleads Guilty in 2nd Client Theft Case

Disbarred in1988 after he was convicted and sentenced to prison for felony theft from a client, Marvin Earl “Toby’’ Alback got his law license reinstated a little over a decade later. But now the 62-year-old is an ex-lawyer again, having given up his license last year amidst allegations of unethical…

Feb 24, 2010 1:29 AM CST

Federal Judge Steps Aside, Allows Del. Court to Decide Claimed Cravath Conflict Issue

A federal judge in Philadelphia has stepped aside from a lawsuit seeking to disqualify Cravath Swaine & Moore from serving as counsel to a company seeking to take over a former client of the law firm. Because Delaware Chancery Court is to address the same conflict issue on an expedited…

Feb 24, 2010 12:17 AM CST

Judge Orders Ga. to Pay for Inmates’ Appellate Lawyers, OKs Class Action

A Georgia judge has ordered the state to provide appellate lawyers within 30 days for all indigent prison inmates who need them. Fulton Superior Court Judge Jerry Baxter also granted class action status to a lawsuit filed last year by inmates, some of whom have been waiting years for representation…

Feb 23, 2010 11:26 PM CST

‘Unconstitutional’ Merger of NY Courts Puts 1000s of Misdemeanor Convictions in Doubt

It doesn’t appear likely to be the final answer. But an opinion by a divided appellate panel casts doubt on thousands of misdemeanor convictions in a busy borough of New York City. A dissent in the state Appellate Division opinion, which held that a controversial 2004 merger of state criminal…

Feb 23, 2010 10:46 PM CST

PI Lawyer Takes ‘Honest Services’ Plea; Case Once Thought ‘Massive’ Fizzles

A Nevada personal injury lawyer accused of settling cases to his clients’ detriment has taken a plea, on the eve of a second trial in a federal “honest services” medical insurance fraud case once thought potentially to involve hundreds of professionals. Attorney Noel Gage has agreed to plead guilty on…

Feb 23, 2010 10:02 PM CST

School District in Laptop-Spying Case Ordered to Shut Off Webcams

Seeking to prevent a repeat of the alleged use of a school-issued laptop computer to spy on a suburban Philadelphia student at his home, a federal judge has approved a consent order intended to put a stop to the potential invasion of privacy. It prohibits Lower Merion School District from…

Feb 23, 2010 9:00 PM CST

Judge ‘Reluctantly’ OKs $150M SEC Pact with BofA

A federal judge approved a $150 settlement between the Securities and Exchange Commission over disclosure issues related to Bank of America’s Merrill Lynch takeover. This means that the SEC will not have to go to trial next week over its assertion that Bank of America both misled shareholders about losses…

Feb 22, 2010 6:16 PM CST

7th Cir Stays Infomercial Pitchman’s Jail Term for Crashing Judge’s Computer

A federal appeals court has stayed an infomercial pitchman’s 30-day jail term for urging fans to send e-mails that crashed a judge’s computer. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals gave no reason for the stay, and will hear arguments on Kevin Trudeau’s case on Tuesday, reports the Chicago Tribune.…

Feb 18, 2010 11:54 PM CST

Swiss to Take Vote on Whether Animals Must Have Lawyers in Court

On the cutting edge of animal-rights law, voters in Switzerland are poised to consider a ballot measure that would require each of the country’s cantons (in effect, states) to appoint an attorney to represent the interests of pets and farm creatures in court. The country already is known for its…

Feb 18, 2010 9:29 PM CST