Wisconsin

Wisconsin Supreme Court Justice Reprimanded by Colleagues

A Wisconsin Supreme Court justice has received a reprimand from her colleagues for presiding over cases on a trial court involving a bank where her husband served as a paid director. The court said Justice Annette Ziegler should have recused herself in the 11 cases involving the bank, the Milwaukee…

May 29, 2008 11:32 AM CDT

Actuaries Face Lawsuits for Underestimating Pension Liabilities

Actuaries who advise governments about pension fund obligations are facing lawsuits when shortfalls arise. Suits have been filed over rosy economic assumptions made by actuaries advising the state of Alaska, San Diego, Milwaukee County and Evanston, Ill., a suburb of Chicago, the New York Times reports. The story outlines some…

May 21, 2008 1:03 PM CDT

Law School Cancels ‘Sex Toys 101’ Seminar; Students Want Apology

A student group at the University of Wisconsin law school wants an apology for the abrupt cancellation of its “Sex Toys 101” seminar. Students for Reproductive Justice learned on the day of the planned event that associate dean Walter Dickey had called it off because student organizations are not allowed…

May 1, 2008 11:37 AM CDT

Prayerful Wisconsin Parents to be Charged in Death of Diabetic Daughter

The parents of an 11-year-old Wisconsin girl who went into a diabetic coma and died as her parents prayed for her for days rather than seeking medical attention will be charged with second-degree reckless homicide, officials said at a news conference today. If convicted, Dale and Leilani Neumann face up…

Apr 28, 2008 9:12 PM CDT

Ex-Quarles Partner Suspended For Not Reading Partnership Fine Print

The Wisconsin Supreme Court has suspended a former Quarles & Brady partner who kept $230,000 in trustee fees because he says he didn’t realize his partnership agreement required him to turn over the money. The nine-month suspension of Jeffrey Elverman is tougher than the one recommended by a referee, who…

Apr 22, 2008 2:23 PM CDT

Trucker’s City Parking Spat Lands in Federal Court

A truck driver who has accumulated more than a 100 parking tickets in a years-long battle with Milwaukee over where he can park his rig when at home will be taking his case to federal court. But it wasn’t Nick Stojsavljevic who asked for the higher court. City lawyers requested…

Apr 9, 2008 5:31 PM CDT

Wisconsin Justice Dubbed ‘Loophole Louis’ in TV Ads

When Wisconsin voters decide whether to retain Justice Louis Butler on the state’s top court in the April 1 election, they may be swayed by a critical TV ad. It dubs the justice “Loophole Louis” for rulings favoring defendants in criminal cases. Not to be outdone, Butler supporters are running…

Mar 24, 2008 2:27 PM CDT

Worried Lenders Watch for Appellate Ruling in Mortgage Class Action

A federal appeals court will soon decide a closely watched case that seeks to undo mortgage loans that are based on mistakes in disclosure documents. A Wisconsin couple is seeking class action status for their suit filed a few years ago against Chevy Chase Bank. Worried lenders fear a negative…

Feb 27, 2008 4:46 PM CST

Some Suggest Justice Ethics Probe Led to Wis. Supremes Slowdown

The pace of rulings by the Wisconsin Supreme Court has slowed, and some suspect an ethics investigation of one of the justices could be to blame. So far the court has issued 10 rulings this term, compared to its normal pace of 20 rulings, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reports. Some…

Feb 26, 2008 6:23 PM CST

Some States Seek to Limit Judicial Power to Regulate Lawyers

Legislators in a handful of states are trying to limit the traditional power of their states’ supreme courts to regulate the legal profession. In South Carolina, for instance, a Republican legislator and physician, Dr. Kristopher “Kris” Crawford, is proposing legislation that would eliminate the state supreme court’s power to regulate…

Feb 5, 2008 5:02 PM CST

Lawsuit Question: Is Stray Voltage or Lack of ‘Cow Comfort’ Thinning Herds?

At least six lawsuits in southern Minnesota contend stray voltage from overloaded power lines is harming cattle. Electricity needs to run in a complete circuit, but sometimes it can’t return to its source because of power line disrepair or overload, the Associated Press reports. When blocked, the electricity goes into…

Jan 10, 2008 7:23 PM CST

Judge Fit to Be Tied Over Ascot-Wearing Lawyer

A Milwaukee judge known as a fastidious dresser held up a sentencing hearing for three hours yesterday because a prosecutor came to court wearing an ascot. Judge William Sosnay said the ascot violates a court rule that requires lawyers to wear neckties and “borders on contemptuous,” the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel…

Jan 9, 2008 2:02 PM CST

Supreme Court Reverses 7th Circuit’s Speakerphone Lawyer Ruling

Updated: The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled against a man who contended his lawyer’s participation by speakerphone in a key hearing amounted to ineffective assistance of counsel. The Chicago-based 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had ruled (PDF posted by SCOTUSblog) for Joseph Van Patten, whose lawyer had participated by…

Jan 7, 2008 4:49 PM CST

$1.2M Paid in R.I. Lead Paint Suit

More than two years after DuPont agreed to pay $12 million and clean up 600 homes in order to settle a lead paint lawsuit brought by the state of Rhode Island, the first of the money is being distributed. Several children’s health and educational projects will split $1.2 million of…

Dec 18, 2007 11:26 PM CST

Judge Awards $4.2M Fees in Microsoft Case, a Fraction of the Request

A judge in Wisconsin ruled this week that Microsoft owes a Minneapolis law firm $4.2 million in fees and expenses. The underlying case involved one of the last antitrust lawsuits Microsoft was fighting, the Minneapolis-St. Paul Business Journal. The case settled in 2006, but the fee continued on. The Business…

Nov 27, 2007 10:53 PM CST