Lawyer Resource Blog

Lawyer Who Defended John Hinckley Dies

2006-07-31T09:29:00.000-04:00

Vietnam seeing stable development, says leading European lawyer - Nhan Dan

Vietnam seeing stable development, says leading European lawyer
Nhan Dan, Vietnam - 2 hours ago
Vietnam is on the way to stable development, with an annual growth rate of 7-8%, said Prof. Laurent Marliere, one of the leading law experts in Europe. ...

Lawyer backs club dancer - New Brunswick Home News Tribune

About - News & Issues

Lawyer backs club dancer
New Brunswick Home News Tribune, NJ - 3 hours ago
NEW BRUNSWICK — The attorney for the exotic dancer accused of illegally keeping human body parts in her home said she is being portrayed unfairly as the ...
Lawyer: 'Body Parts' Dancer Not Guilty 1010 Wins
Lawyer says dancer charged in human remains case to plead not ... KAIT
The "Skull Stripper" Wants Her Trophies Back Playfuls.com
New York Sun - all 231 related

Impose a fee: Lawyer - 24 Hours Vancouver

Toronto Star

Impose a fee: Lawyer
24 Hours Vancouver, Canada - 3 hours ago
... Richard Kurland, a Montreal lawyer and immigration policy expert who's spearheading the fee campaign, said the extra cost would apply to those who haven't paid ...
Ottawa urged to levy rescue fee Edmonton Sun
all 6 related

Star lawyer defended man who shot Reagan - Miami Herald

WSBtv.com

Star lawyer defended man who shot Reagan
Miami Herald, FL - 1 hour ago
WASHINGTON - Vincent J. Fuller, a Washington trial lawyer who won a dramatic courtroom victory in the presidential shooting case of John Hinckley Jr. ...
Vincent J. Fuller, 75; Lawyer Defended Would-Be Reagan Assassin ... Los Angeles Times
Lawyer Who Defended John Hinckley Dies ABC News
Lawyer who defended John Hinckley dies Seattle Post Intelligencer
WBAY - Cleveland Plain Dealer - all 108 related

Court to question Thaksin’s lawyer - IHT ThaiDay

Court to question Thaksin’s lawyer
IHT ThaiDay, Thailand - 4 hours ago
The Criminal Court today will summon caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s lawyer, Thana Benjathikul, and Chat Thai party deputy leader Chuwit ...
PM's lawyer, Chuwit to be summoned in contempt case Bangkok Post
Thaksin's lawyer to meet court on charges of contempt of court on ... Nation Multimedia
Chuwit and 17 others to be questioned Bangkok Post
all 5 related

Young black lawyer sues Toronto police for wrongful detention

2006-01-04T22:10:00.000-05:00

Immigration lawyer applauds promises to axe fee

A well-known Winnipeg immigration lawyer is welcoming an election campaign promise to eliminate landing fees. The 5 fee, paid by all adult immigrants once their application has been approved, was introduced by Liberal government a decade ago.

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Young black lawyer sues Toronto police for wrongful detention

TORONTO (CP) - A young lawyer who claims he was subjected to a police takedown only because he was a well-dressed black man driving an expensive car filed suit Wednesday, alleging false arrest and violation of his civil rights.

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Legal offshoring to India growing: study

The availability of law graduates and the similarity between the legal systems of India and major English speaking countries have trigerred offshoring of legal services to the country, accoding to a report on ‘Offshoring legal services to India’ prepared by Valuenotes Databse, a leading research firm.

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Management and Ownership Reunified

We have completed a reunification of managment and ownership of Delaware Intercorp, Inc.
We anticipate that under my new tenure as sole owner and administrator of Delaware Intercorp, Inc; as well as the law office and 3 other related peripheral businesses, we will experience an efficiency improvement for our customers and clients.

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Judge critical of plan for human rights 'tsar'

ONE of Scotland's most respected judges has attacked the Executive's plans to create a Scottish human rights 'tsar'. Lord McCluskey described the proposed £75,000-a-year Human Rights Commissioner as a "gadfly".

Lawsuit Fears Put an End to Lake Belle Pumping

2005-11-12T12:42:00.000-05:00

Legal profession: Patient Safety Authority necessary

according to a leading specialist medical lawyer , isn't just confined to nursing homes but throughout the entire healthcare sector. Ann O'Driscoll says the authority could set and..

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Lawsuit Fears Put an End to Lake Belle Pumping in Lake Wales

BARTOW -- Fears of a potential lawsuit have forced county officials to stop pumping flooded Lake Belle in Lake Wales. Polk County has been pumping the lake into a smaller lake to the south, and then into a ditch leading into the Peace Creek Drainage Canal.

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Pollution Limits Legal, Judge Rules

By Rex Bowman Pollution limits that the state imposed on an Eastern Shore town's sewage-treatment plant are legal, a Richmond Circuit Court judge decided. Judge Melvin R. Hughes Jr.

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Vines: Officials watching Shelby case

Shelby County commissioners who brought the lawsuit are Walter Bailey, Julian Bolton and Cleo Kirk. Chancellor D. J. Alissandratos made the ruling. The terms of all Knox County

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Governor drops fight with nurses on staffing / He withdraws appeal in legal battle that galvanized union even before

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has abandoned a legal fight with the state's largest nurses' union, ending a year-long court case over nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals that presaged the special election brawl between the governor and labor. Lawyers for...

iPod Nano Lawsuit Filed Against Apple

2005-11-05T08:59:00.000-05:00

Beach Boys lawsuit could end good vibrations

Mike Love is suing his cousin and former Beach Boys bandmate Brian Wilson, but Love's lawyer hopes the lawsuit won't mar their good vibrations...

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Mauro Reyna to run for district attorney

EDINBURG - A former municipal judge and longtime local attorney is introducing himself tonight as a candidate for Hidalgo County District Attorney....

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iPod Nano Lawsuit Filed Against Apple

Jason Tomczak, an iPod Nano owner, has filed a lawsuit against Apple Computers, Inc. alleging the company launched the digital music player despite knowing that it was defective.The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court in San Jose, ...

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Kodiak Assembly wants to reopen oil spill lawsuit

state to reopen the 1991 civil lawsuit stemming from the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The resolution passed 6-1. Of the -billion settlement, 0 million was held back only to be paid

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Attorney General Jay Nixon and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan Warn Missourians of Fraudulent "Sweepstakes Security

Attorney General Jay Nixon and Secretary of State Robin Carnahan urge Missourians to beware of "Sweepstakes Security Commission," an entity purporting to be the primary regulatory and sole licensing body for the sweepstakes industry in the United States.

Homeless Win Lawsuit

2005-10-13T12:50:00.000-04:00

Sad Smyrna Saga

The dispute underlying the Blog case, and the people underlying the dispute, make for yet another Delaware small town feud, as reported by Al Mascitti, of the Wilmington News Journal.

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Homeless Win Lawsuit Over Holiday Roundup

St. Louis agreed to pay 25 homeless people ,000 to settle a lawsuit accusing police of harassing and unjustly jailing them to clear downtown over the Fourth of July weekend last year.

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Rell orders release of HMO records sought by legal aid lawyers

(Hartford-AP, Oct. 13, 2005 7:50 AM) _ Governor Rell has ordered the state social services commissioner to release HMO records sought by legal-aid lawyers who want to know if low-income residents are denied services because reimbursement rates are too low.

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Lawyer: Ailing Vet Deported From Canada

ABCNEWS.com - ... officials, his lawyer says. He then went five days with no medical treatment and only ibuprofen for ... run into another snag here,' the lawyer said. Tuck suffered debilitating injuries ...

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Rell orders release of HMO records sought by legal aid lawyers

HARTFORD, Conn. -- Gov. M. Jodi Rell has ordered the state social services commissioner to release HMO records sought by legal-aid lawyers who want to know if low-income residents are denied services because reimbursement rates are too low.

Lack of revision allows poor bills to pass into law

2005-09-10T00:43:00.000-04:00

Lack of revision allows poor bills to pass into law

THERE IS A popular perception that the legal profession and the Scottish Parliament are two sides of the same coin - mutually supportive pillars of the establishment.

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Legal update

THE Scottish Legal Debate takes place on Wednesday 14 September at the Edinburgh headquarters of The Scotsman.

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Brazil's Dantas Denies Citigroup Claims in Lawsuit (Update3)

Sept. 9 (Bloomberg) -- Daniel Dantas, a fund manager fired by Citigroup Inc. in March, denied allegations against him made in a lawsuit brought by the bank and filed a counterclaim seeking damages.

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Consultation crucial over Sunday hours

THE FORUM THE Court of Appeal's recent decision in Copsey versus WWB Devon Clays Ltd deals with the application of Article 9(1) of the European Convention on Human Rights.

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Torres v. Barnhart, No. 03-6262 __F.3d

The District Court dismissed plaintiff's complaint on the ground that it was time-barred. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff, writing for the Court, says: The doctrine of equitable tolling applies where plaintiff’s sworn affidavit shows that he made all reasonable efforts...

Doctors File Lawsuit Against Merck Over Vioxx Animal Tests

2005-07-29T10:35:00.000-04:00

In defense of legal reality

When producer David E. Kelley, known for his legal dramas such as The Practice, Ally McBeal and Boston Legal, said he was doing a legal reality show, people were shocked.

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Doctors File Lawsuit Against Merck Over Vioxx Animal Tests

In a lawsuit to be filed this week, a group of doctors and plaintiff Nancy Tufford allege that Merck & Company relied on animal tests that showed the pain relief drug Vioxx to be safe while setting aside evidence that Vioxx increases risk of cardiac ...

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Legal update

HARPER MACLEOD will hold a series of Employment Matters seminars in August. The events will take place at The Radisson in Glasgow.

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Duluth lawyer accused of client misconduct

The Minnesota Office of Lawyers Professional Responsibility has filed a petition seeking to suspend a Duluth lawyer from practicing law because of unprofessional conduct.

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Joburg municipal workers' strike is legal

Striking workers affiliated with the South African Municipal Workers Union and the South African Local Government Association were allowed to demonstrate outside the Johannesburg civic centre today after their protest was declared legal.

Lawyer to take over for Blouin

2005-07-07T10:17:00.000-04:00

Pfizer Says No Risk of Blindness for Viagra Patients

Pfizer Inc., the world's largest drug maker, said Tuesday that a review of its impotence drug Viagra found no evidence of increased risk of blindness among patients taking the drug."After more than 10 years of rigorous clinical study and ...

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Home Buyer Tip

If you are purchasing land with your fiance, retitle the deed after the marriage.
This is a fairly inexpensive way to avoid a major hassle in probate. Be sure and do this with a licensed attorney however, or you will be compounding the hassle.
So many times I have heard people say, "you don't need a lawyer for this, just fill out a form and file it". I am here to tell you, there is no surer way to make extra money for the attorneys than prepare your own legal documents. It is being penny wise and dollar foolish.

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Lawyer to take over for Blouin

Gov. Tom Vilsack selected Mary Lawyer, the state's deputy economic development director for six years, as acting director hours after receiving Michael Blouin's resignation.

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Monaco's Prince Albert admits to child with flight attendant: lawyer

Prince Albert II, the ruler of Monaco, has publicly acknowledged he is the father of a 22-month-old boy born out of wedlock to a French-Togolese former flight attendant, his lawyer said.

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Blankenship Files 0 Million Lawsuit

According to this report at WVNS, Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship is "striking back at people and organizations he said he believes tried to hurt his reputation and harm the coal company[.]" He has filed a 0 million lawsuit in state court in Fairfax County, Virginia, naming as defendants the United Mine Workers of America, Cecil Roberts, president of UMWA, West Virginia Consumers for Justice, an independent political group that was active in the 2004 election season, Kenneth Perdue, chairman of West Virginia Consumers for Justice, and The Charleston Gazette, a newspaper being sued only by Blankenship and not Massey, according to the article.

State Supreme Court revokes Opelousas lawyer's license

2005-06-01T22:43:00.000-04:00

Attorney general to track down unregistered sex offenders

HOUSTON — Attorney General Greg Abbott has a message for convicted sex offenders: register or be arrested. Abbott announced Wednesday he would make a priority of tracking down sex offenders who fail to register or update their registration with local law enforcement.

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State Supreme Court revokes Opelousas lawyer's license

An Opelousas lawyer who admitted he used 0,000 in client and third-party funds for his personal use had his license to practice law revoked by the Louisiana Supreme Court Wednesday.

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Comment Period Reopened for Proposed Rules Regarding Ethical Conduct of SSA Employees

From the Summary: On February 11, 2005, SSA, with the concurrence of the Office of Government Ethics (OGE), published a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in the Federal Register (70 FR 7192-7196) that would supplement, for officers and employees of...

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Alderman Confirmed and Sworn

Newark Aldermans Court was the first (ever) Aldermans Court in Delaware to have its judges nominated by the Governor (The Honorable Ruth Ann Minner) and confirmed by the Delaware Senate (no filibuster needed).

This past Monday night at the Newark City Council meeting, Alderman Anthony Forcina and Deputy Alderman Larry D. Sullivan were sworn in by Mayor Vance Funk under their new commissions as State approved judicial officers.

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State Supreme Court revokes Opelousas lawyer's license

NEW ORLEANS An Opelousas lawyer who admitted he used 150-thousand dollars in client and third-party funds for his personal use had his license to practice law revoked today by the Louisiana Supreme Court.

Fraud lawsuit against former bank president dismissed

2005-05-16T11:42:00.000-04:00

Deported woman's lawyer flies to Philippines

Deported woman's lawyer flies to Philippines (1:45 p.m.) SYDNEY, Australia -- A lawyer for an Australian woman wrongfully deported to the Philippines in 2001 flew to Manila on Monday to investigate a possible compensation claim against the Australian government.

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AIG directors agree to legal reimbursement agreement

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) - American International Group agreed to pay the legal costs of its board of directors, according to a regulatory filing made Monday.

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Fraud lawsuit against former bank president dismissed

SIOUX CITY, Iowa A fraud lawsuit against a former U-S Bank president in Sioux City is being dismissed. Bank officials say William Kahler approved 650-thousand dollars in loans to a soybean marketing company that employed him as a sales representative.

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Clay County Attorney Resigns

Des Moines, May 16th, 2005 - The Clay County attorney, who may be publicly reprimanded, is resigning. Michael Zenor announced his resignation last week, two days before a Supreme Court panel recommended that he should get a public reprimand.

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Legal Finger Frenzy

According to CNN.com, a man in Wilmington, North Carolina found a finger in his frozen custard. This time, officials have confirmed that this incident was no hoax. Officials from the agricultural department said that the owner of the ice cream shop confirmed that one employee lost a finger in a food processing machine.

Saunders announces bid for attorney general

2005-05-03T07:02:00.000-04:00

Attorney Suggests Officer Talked Victim Into Filing Complaint

NORMAN, Okla. -- An attorney for a former Nebraska football player accused of assaulting an Oklahoma spirit squad member suggested Monday that a police officer talked the victim into filing the felony complaint.

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Saunders announces bid for attorney general 2-term senator says he's been considering state post for months

TALLAHASSEE Sen. Burt Saunders, R-Naples, will run statewide for the attorney general's post, Saunders said Monday. The two-term senator said he's been considering the bid for several months even before he first ran for the state House in 1994.

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ERISA Statement of Rights Is Not A Forum Selection Clause

MetLife was no doubt shocked when it removed a claim for disability benefits under an employee benefit plan to federal court on the basis of a federal question and had it remanded to state court. The district court relied on language in the STATEMENT OF ERISA RIGHTS which provides in part, "If you have a claim for benefits which is denied or ignored, in whole or in part, you may file suit in a state or federal court." Interpreting this as a contractual forum selection clause, the court held that MetLife was bound by an agreement that the case could be heard in state court. Since MetLife had copied a model form provided by the DOL for compliance with ERISA, it was less than pleased. Fortunately, the 7th Circuit had jurisdiction to hear the appeal of the remand since it was based on a choice of forum clause rather than a lack of jurisdiction.

And all is well that ends well, if of course you omit the judicial time and attorneys fees and expense caused by the erroneous decision. The 7th Circuit quickly found (less than 1 month after oral argument)what seems obvious, that this language was just a statement of rights, not a contractual agreement. Cruthis v. Metropolitan Life (7th Cir. 2/2/04) [pdf]. The denial of coverage was in 2001, the motion to remand was in April of 2003, and now in February of 2004, the case gets sent back to the district court for a ruling on the merits.

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LIL' KIM HIT WITH MORE LEGAL WOES

Troubled rapper LIL' KIM has been slapped with another legal hassle - two songwriters claim she owes them cash. The hip-hop diva, real name KIMBERLY JONES, is currently awaiting sentencing on a separate perjury charge and now has a new lawsuit hanging over her.

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A report card of sorts for W.Va. circuit judges

WOWK runs this piece entitled "Justice Delayed, Justice Denied" which reports that "[a]n analysis by The State Journal showed that 16 of the state's 65 circuit judges had not processed civil cases as quickly as the West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals recommends. The court suggests that circuit courts try to resolve civil cases within 18 months."

I'm not going to repeat the names of the judges on the "naughty list." You can read for yourself. The report notes that Professor Jim McLaughlin from the WVU College of Law said that "he can barely think of any reasons why a judge would take years to decide a case." I had Professor McLaughlin for a few classes in law school, and I like him a lot, but I think he's a little out of touch. In modern toxic tort cases, a year or two is hardly enough time to conduct discovery, let alone a trial. These cases can involve hundreds of thousands of pages of documents that need to be reviewed. Not only will cases like these last more than 18 months, they can consume so much of a judge's time that they cause other cases on his or her docket to last more than 18 months. The article alludes to that as well.

18 months to disposition is a worthty goal, but judges have good reasons for not meeting that goal other than just being "dilatory."

Living Wills, in light of Shiavo

2005-04-09T18:29:00.000-04:00

Living Wills, in light of Shiavo

We have experienced a surge of client inquiries about Living Wills, Durable Powers of Attorney, Medical Powers of Attorney, and such related documentation in the last several weeks.

Many of these inquirers make reference to the Shiavo case, and say that they are making these plans because they don't want their family to go through what Terri Shiavo's family has been going through.

If there is any good to come from the disaster of the situation in Florida, perhaps it is that it has encouraged others to avoid it.

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New Internet Law Blawg

Ernie The Attorney pointed out to me that Evan Brown, Esquire has set up a new blog at InternetCases.com. It looks great Evan!

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Spitzer subpoenas 3 drug wholesalers / McKesson included in New York attorney general's probe (San Francisco Chronicle)

New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has issued subpoenas to the nation's three largest drug distributors, including San Francisco's McKesson Corp. Observers said the action appears to be a probe into the way the companies buy drugs from other...

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Legal brief

MORTON Fraser has announced some key changes. Adrian Bell, one of the firm's corporate partners, will run the rapidly growing Glasgow office from 1 May 2005, when John Urquhart moves to become a consultant within the firm.

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Public Citizen Calls on FDA to Ban Cylert Over Liver Toxcity Risk

Cylert or pemoline, made by Abbott Laboratories, for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactive disorder (ADHD) should be taken off the market immediately because of its risk of liver toxicity, a consumer advocay group wrote in a petition to the ...

RIM stock up 21% after lawsuit settled

2005-03-16T17:29:00.000-05:00

RIM stock up 21% after lawsuit settled, AOL, Yahoo instant messengers added

WATERLOO, Ont. (CP) - Shares in Research In Motion Ltd., best known for its BlackBerry e-mail device, shot up more than 21 per cent Wednesday morning after the company said it has agreed to pay 0 million US to NTP Inc. of Virginia to settle a three-year-old patent lawsuit.

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Lawyer for UK Hospital compliance indicted on assault charge

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. - A grand jury has charged a Lexington lawyer who works for the University of Kentucky Hospital with assault in connection with the shooting of her husband.

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SSA's Take on Privatization

The Social Security Administration answers your questions about private investment v. paying Social Security tax:Why can't I invest my Social Security taxes into an IRA plan? Question: I think I could do better if you let me invest the Social...

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Delaware's Coastal Zone Law and Interstate Commerce

A recent ruling under the Delaware Coastal Zone Act to refuse to grant permission to build a liquified natural gas delivery point on the New Jersey side of the Delaware River may hinge upon revisiting the Interstate Commerce Clause of the US Constitution.

Or it could reveal a desire by the federal government to grab control over the ability to make determinations on where liquified natural gas distribution points are located. Such a ruling could be a taking, by the federal government, of control over this controversial topic. And a slippage of state power to the federal government.

The Wilmington News Journal reports on the subject in their article, BP ruling may set stage for battle. This quote from the article is interesting:

"I'm not happy about the decision. I'm resentful of Delaware imposing its very narrow Coastal Zone Act and impacting what is very clearly a New Jersey issue," Burzichelli, a Democrat, said. "Based on a William Penn Border of 250 years ago, we're stymied from introducing new technology in the region to answer energy issues."

The border between the States is on the New Jersey shoreline rather than in the deepest part of the channel between New Jersey and Delaware, and the strict development requirements of the Delaware law does permit Delaware a great amount of power over what gets developed on New Jersey's coastline.

I can't say that I'm upset with the result as it stands now, though.

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FDA Halts Distribution of Paxil and Avandamet

The Food and Drug Administration on Friday halted distribution of supplies of antidepressant Paxil CR and diabetes drug Avandamet because of concerns about manufacturing and quality.FDA officials said manufacturing practices for the two drugs, ...

Northrop Grumman Settles Lawsuit

2005-03-08T21:00:00.000-05:00

Attorney General Bruning to seek second term

LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) - Republican Attorney General Jon Bruning said Tuesday that he will seek a second term - ending speculation about whether he would seek re-election next year or run for governor or the U.S. Senate.

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Legal Brief

JOE Beltrami tells us of an incident many years ago with a feared judge of large build and gruff voice who allegedly found it difficult to be impartial and frequently sided with the Crown...

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The Problems with Disability Insurance in President's Privatization Plan

A short article in the New York Times by Alan B. Krueger, Professor of Economics and Public Affairs at Princeton University, discusses the Social Security disabliity program and privatization: Integrating the disability program into a system of personal accounts is...

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New e-filing blog

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Electronic Filing & Service for Courts is a new blog that tracks development and implementation of electronic filing projects nationwide. David Darst of LexisNexis File & Serve is the blog's author, and he does a good job of collecting news items from around the country related to electronic filing projects.

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Northrop Grumman Settles Qui Tam (Whistleblower) Lawsuit

Military contractor Northrop Grumman Corp. agreed Tuesday to pay million to settle a 16-year-old whistleblower lawsuit, alleging that Northrop in the 1980s overcharged the government on several defense programs.The lawsuit, Rex Robinson v. ...

Pa. election reform is a welcome test for area lawyer

2005-02-06T16:15:00.000-05:00

M lawsuit filed over tainted milk: report

A class-action lawsuit has been filed on behalf of a Toronto-area man and others who got sick after drinking Sealtest brand chocolate milk that was contaminated with a cleaning chemical.

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Pa. election reform is a welcome test for area lawyer

Wilkes Barre Times-Leader, PA
... "I'ma lawyer and I love my job, but elections and the political process is my avocation," said Gelb, an attorney with Cefalo and Associates law firm in ...

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Lawyer sees both sides, questions changing US law

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO
... But after all the hard work that the commission had put into the case, it was local trial lawyer Stephen Tillery who filed a class-action case against ...

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U.S. attorney breaking law, memo says

The U.S. attorney's office in Nashville, charged with enforcing federal statutes, is itself breaking anti-discrimination laws, according to the lawyer who helps ensure that the office has fair job practices.

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Daley defends city's lawsuit over porch collapse

Mayor Daley on Saturday defended the city's civil lawsuit against two men it alleges were jumping up and down on a Lincoln Park porch just before it collapsed nearly two years ago, killing 13 young partygoers.

SEC accuses Spiegel of securities breach

2005-01-04T22:29:00.000-05:00

US SEC charges HealthSouth, CEO with fraud

The US Securities and Exchange Commission said on Wednesday that it has charged healthcare services group HealthSouth Corp. and its Chief Executive Richard Scrushy with accounting fraud.

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Suing over everyday mishaps

2004-12-25T11:58:00.000-05:00

Bar association to offer free legal advice sessions

Ian Greensides sees landlords and tenants make certain mistakes year after year. Landlords often serve eviction notices riddled with legal blunders that won't hold up in court. And tenants often don't realize they have a few months to fight an eviction.

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Suing over everyday mishaps

MIND THAT pavement, handle your coffee with care and beware that hanging basket above your head. Everyday life is out to get you, but it can also earn you a tidy sum.

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Former Saddam Aide Meets Defense Lawyer

Tariq Aziz, a former senior aide for Saddam Hussein who has been in jail since April 2003, met with his defense lawyer for the first time, the attorney said on Friday.

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Pfizer Says New Study Affirms Cardiovascular Safety of Celebrex?

Pfizer, the world's largest drugmaker, today said the National Institutes of Health has reported in an Alzheimer's Disease prevention study that there was no increased cardiovascular risk seen in elderly patients taking its blockbuster arthritis and ...

Google Wins Major Legal Victory

2004-12-15T23:10:00.000-05:00

Comparison Charts for New Neoplastic Disease Listings

Here are links to two charts (for adults and children) comparing the old listings for malignant neoplastic diseases to the new listings. The new listings were published in the Federal Register on November 15, 2004 and are effective on December...

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Google Wins Major Legal Victory in Trademark Dispute

Google won a major legal victory today when a federal judge said the search engine could continue to sell ads triggered by searches using trademarked company names.

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Women to take lion's share of legal profession jobs by 2015

Women will outnumber men in the legal profession as it grows by 40 per cent, firms get bigger and the average salary rises to 2,000.

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Stalking Suspect's Attorney Says Client Not Guilty

VAN BUREN, Ark. -- The attorney for a Van Buren man facing stalking charges said Wednesday that his client is not guilty. Christopher Elrod was arrested in November and charged with stalking and harassing a teenage boy.

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Attorney Objects To 10 Commandments On Judges' Robe

An Alabama judge has rejected an attorney's objections to his judicial robe, which has the Ten Commandments embroidered in gold on the front. Lawyers say the commandments are big enough to be read by anyone sitting close to Covington County Judge Ashley McKathan.

EU to Pursue Legal Action Against Greece

2004-12-02T02:46:00.000-05:00

Vioxx Lawsuit Filed Against Merck in Michigan

A national Vioxx class action lawsuit was filed against Merck & Company on behalf of people who were injured by the arthritis drug, Attorney J. Douglas Peters, a senior shareholder with Charfoos & Christensen, P.C. in Detroit, Michigan, said on ...

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EU to Pursue Legal Action Against Greece

The European Union's executive commission said Wednesday it would open legal proceedings against Greece for sloppy bookkeeping and underreporting its budget deficit by billions of euros since 1997.

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Judges Debate the Merits of a Ninth Circuit Splitation

Via How Appealing: Ninth Circuit Judges Diarmuid F. O'Scannlain and Richard C. Tallman have written a letter to the editor of the Wall Street Journal, responding to an op-ed piece by their colleagues, Judges Alex Kozinski and Sidney R. Thomas....

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A Novel Theory - And What A Potential Can of Worms - Justify Your Settlement Amount

Sometimes the information you get on line is sketchy, but the following report of a lawsuit filed in the Southern District of Texas this week makes one marvel at the potential for abuse if this lawsuit does not quickly get quashed. As summarized by a reporting service it is:

Racial discrimination case in which the defendant offered the plaintiff ,000-,000 in compensation for a carpal tunnel injury when similarly situated whites were offered more.

First there was Batson, and now called to task to explain why we settled this lawsuit for more than another one?

Merck Faces 375 Vioxx Lawsuits

2004-11-11T08:03:00.000-05:00

Controller s lawyer says proceedings are polluted

Impeachment: Defense lawyer refuses to call any witnesses. TESTIFYING: Jennifer Normington, former executive assistant to Controller Kathy Augustine, talks to legislators Wednesday.

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U.S. Embassy's legal attache shot, injured in Mexico City

MEXICO CITY (AP) — The legal attache for the U.S. Embassy was shot as he got out of his car in what appeared to be a botched robbery attempt, an embassy spokeswoman said Wednesday.

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Merck Faces 375 Vioxx Lawsuits and Twin Probes from SEC and DOJ

Merck & Company said on Monday that the Justice Department has launched a criminal investigation related to the Company's research, marketing and selling activities with respect to Vioxx, the arthritis drug that it pulled from all worldwide markets ...

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An Age Case With No Mention of Age - A Jury Verdict Survives

It is somewhat unusual to read a case where the sole issue is a claim under the ADEA and there is no mention of the age of either the individual hired or the plaintiff. Since the primary liability issue raised by the defendant challenging an adverse jury finding was whether the plaintiff was qualified, it was not important to the decision, but still funny not to find it. Aside from that oddity, Potence v. Hazelton Area School District (3rd Cir. 2/2/04) [pdf] is primarily educational as to the evidence sufficient to support a jury verdict. Here, stories of why Potence was not hired which changed over time (including one refuted by a postal receipt) plus what the court calls "ageist" comments by an individual with influence in the hiring decision is enough. And of course, as frequently happens, the amount owed was doubled as the violation was found to be willful.

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Ex-AG Testifies for Lawyer in Terror Trial

Testifying in defense of a lawyer accused of helping terrorists by helping a radical Islamist communicate with his followers, former U.S. Attorney General Ramsey Clark said Wednesday that he did some of the same things prosecutors have criticized Lynne Stewart for.

Lawyer gives up big salary to join Army

2004-10-31T16:01:00.000-05:00

R. Kelly Considers Legal Action

Lawyers for singer R. Kelly were filing a criminal complaint against a member of rapper Jay-Z's entourage and considering other legal action after the platinum-selling stars' joint tour came to an abrupt end.

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Lawyer gives up big salary to join Army

A chance meeting in Subway restaurant with an Army recruiter changed the life of Michael Brown, a Dallas lawyer.

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SSA Announces 2.7 Percent Increase in Benefits for 2005

Social Security and SSI benficiaries will receive a 2.7 increase in their monthly benefits in 2005, SSA announced yesterday:Social Security and Supplemental Security Income benefits increase automatically each year based on the rise in the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Consumer...

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ERISA Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Marsh & McLennan

A class action lawsuit was filed on October 22, 2204 against Marsh & McLennan on behalf of all persons who, as of October 14, 2004, were participants in or beneficiaries of one or more of the retirement plans offered by Marsh, the law firm Lasky & ...

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Report: Patients Taking Crestor Have Higher Rate of Kidney Damage

Patients taking the cholesterol drug Crestor have a higher rate of kidney failure or damage than patients taking all other statin drugs (Lipitor, Zocor, Lescol, Pravachol and Mevachor), according to a Public Citizen analysis of government ...

Disney Lawsuit Comes to Georgetown

2004-10-21T09:20:00.000-04:00

GAO Report Says SSA Should Strengthen Efforts to Detect and Prevent Disabilty Overpayments

The Government Accountability Office (GAO), at the request of the Senate Committee on Finance, looked at the Social Security disability program to determine the amount of overpayments attributable to earnings or work acitvity and to identify "vulnerabilities" in SSA's policies...

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Disney Comes to Georgetown

I'm reminded of the plot of a movie in which a high-powered executive is forced, for one reason or another, to spend some time away from a grand metropolis, and encounters small town America and all of its charms, and experiences a life-changing adventure.

It's the type of plot that may have even run in a Disney movie or two. In the real life version of this vision, Disney is coming to Georgetown, Delaware. I don't know how Delaware's small town ambience will affect the litigants, and the executives involved, but the residents of Georgetown may experience a media circus that could last anywhere from a few weeks to a few months.

The lawsuit is one which questions the severance package that had been given to former Disney executive Michael Ovitz. Since the action is on behalf of the shareholders of the company, and Disney is incorporated in Delaware, the venue for the case is in Delaware, within Delaware's Chancery Court.

As the folks at CNN point out, the Disney hearings in Georgetown will be under a microscope. It's possible that in addition to the severence monies paid to Michael Ovitz, some of the issues discussed will involve the topic of compensation of executives for large corporations. An article from the Quad-City Times last month (reprinted from the LA Times), Disney struggles with CEO choice today, mentions some of the concerns that share holders may have had in the choice to hire Ovitz, and the negotiations surrounding his firing and severence.

The case starts on Wednesday, and while it might not be showing on the movie screens, it may have an impact upon what does in the years to come.

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Oceanside council spars over severance pay for city manager, attorney

OCEANSIDE ---- Severance pay for Oceanside's city manager and city attorney was a source of contention at Wednesday's council meeting, as the council upped the severance packages of both in a split vote just two weeks before Election Day.

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Acquitted cops must pay own legal bills

Taxpayers will not pay the substantial legal bills for five Cook County sheriff's deputies accused in 1999 of firing shots, while off-duty, at a Blue Island couple.

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Indonesia's new attorney general vows war on graft

Indonesia's new attorney general Thursday vowed to "lead a war" against the country's thousands of crooked judges and make the prosecution of high-profile corruption cases a priority.

Vioxx Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Merck in Illinois

2004-10-13T06:41:00.000-04:00

Merrill Lawyer Disliked Barge Deal

An in-house Merrill Lynch & Co. lawyer didn't support the brokerage's harried $7 million investment in Enron Corp.-owned barges at the end of 1999 and would have blocked it had she known of an alleged verbal promise to buy back that interest within six months, she testified Tuesday.

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U.S. Attorney Charges 6 Men in 2 Long Island Gang Killings

Six men who prosecutors say are leaders of a violent Long Island gang were charged yesterday with the killings of two gang associates last month, said Roslynn R. Mauskopf, the United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York.

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Legal delays put Peterson defense case off until Monday

The first day of Scott Peterson's much-anticipated defense case was put off until Monday because of unknown legal delays, the judge in the double-murder case told the jury this morning.

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Pro-gay Republican group to file lawsuit over 'Don't ask, don't tell'

WASHINGTON (AP) — A pro-gay Republican group plans to file a lawsuit asking a federal court to overturn the U.S. government's "don't ask, don't tell" policy covering gays in the military.

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Vioxx Class Action Lawsuit Filed Against Merck in Illinois

ILLINOIS - Attorneys for a Madison County resident on Tuesday announced the filing of a class action lawsuit against Merck & Company, alleging that the company defrauded consumers by promoting Vioxx as a safe painkiller. The plaintiff claims ...

Lawyer guilty in ticket cover-up

2004-10-07T08:23:00.000-04:00

Caught in the crossfire of mistaken identity

CAMPBELL DEANETHE COURTS have done everything in their power to prevent disclosure of the whereabouts of Maxine Carr, the former girlfriend of Soham murderer Ian Huntley.

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Lawyer guilty in ticket cover-up

A prominent Philadelphia defense lawyer yesterday pleaded guilty to helping a city official cover up a ticket-fixing scheme that prosecutors say cost the city hundreds of thousands in lost revenue.

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Creating PDFs for e-filing

As most of you are probably aware, the Northern District of West Virginia is moving toward e-filing next year. This post over at the PDF for Lawyers blog gives some good details regarding PDF creation for the unitiated.

I highly recommend Acrobat 6 for PDF creation. Even though other programs can produce PDFs, no other program has Acrobat 6's ability to manipulate PDFs (combine them, rearrange pages, search them, etc.) so easily. The article mentions that Acrobat 6 produces PDFs in the version 1.5 format, but it does not mention that by default, it produces PDFs in the 1.4 format (the same format used by Acrobat 5). In other words, you don't have to change in settings to produce court-compatible PDFs out of the box. A fresh install of Acrobat 6 Standard will have the proper settings to produce a version 1.4 PDF.

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The NewsHour Examines the Election's Impact on the Federal Judiciary

Margaret Warner interviews Ted Olson, former Solicitor General in the Bush administration, and Eleanor Acheson, former assistant Attorney General in the Clinton administration, for their views on how the upcoming presidential election may impact the federal judiciary and, in turn,...

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US SEC charges HealthSouth, CEO with fraud

The US Securities and Exchange Commission said on Wednesday that it has charged healthcare services group HealthSouth Corp. and its Chief Executive Richard Scrushy with accounting fraud.

Vital Records Resource

2004-09-30T13:50:00.000-04:00

Socialists deny plans to remove central bank head through legal amendment

Budapest. (Interfax-Europe) - The governing Hungarian Socialist Party (MSZP) categorically denied a report Wednesday by the daily Magyar Nemzet that the party is preparing legal modifications that would allow the removal of Zsigmond Jarai, governor of central bank MNB.

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U.S. Drafts Anti-Prostitution Rule for National Forces

In an effort to stem the increase in human trafficking near U.S. military bases around the world, the Department of Defense has declared a zero tolerance policy for national forces participating in prostitution and human trafficking."In recent ...

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Dems cross line for county attorney

Well, it looks as if Mayor Phil Gordon is no longer standing alone to face the onslaught of angry Democrats critical of his decision to endorse Republican candidate Andrew Thomas in the Maricopa County attorney's race.

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State's Attorney Terry Trono dies

MONTPELIER, Vt. Washington County State's Attorney Terry Trono has died. Trono died last night at his home in East Montpelier after a nearly two-year battle with cancer. He was 56 years old.

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Vital Records Resource

From Lawsites:Vital Records Information tells where to obtain vital records — birth, death and marriage certificates and divorce decrees — from anywhere in the United States. It lists sources for each state, territory and county, and most cities and towns,...