Great moments in criminal defense, as revealed at a murder trial in Washington, D.C. [WaPo] Eric Turkewitz has many more links on the story, and also is put in mind of a lawyer advertising angle.
Author Archive
April 10 roundup
- Civil libertarian Wendy Kaminer on feminism and the Yale speech complaint [Atlantic, earlier]
- Baylen Linnekin’s Keep Food Legal organization is having a membership drive;
- Bounty-hunting West Coast lawyers can now sue employers for large sums over temperature and worker-seating violations of the California Labor Code [Cal Labor Law]
- Current set of urban, suburban parking policies amount to “another great planning disaster.” [Donald Shoup, Cato Unbound]
- $7500? Tennessee lawyer charged with rape of client released on $7500 bond [WMC via White Coat]
- Stella Liebeck hot coffee case: Abnormal Use suspects that Cracked never read its FAQ on the subject (or for that matter many of our own postings);
- Baltimore public housing refuses to pay lead poisoning awards; “too strapped” [Baltimore Sun]
- “Mr. Potato Head” contest cited in discrimination lawsuit charging anti-Irish bias [Lowering the Bar]
The value of a liquor license moratorium
A moratorium on new liquor licenses in Washington, D.C.’s popular Adams-Morgan neighborhood might account for why an existing license appears curiously valuable. [Matthew Yglesias]
Libel reform in Britain, finally?
At long last it may be moving forward [Arthur Bright, Citizen Media Law] More: Alison Young.
Turnabout in demon-nurse case
St. Luke’s Hospital in Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley is suing a lawyer and law firm “for proceeding with cases that the attorneys [allegedly] knew were ‘baseless and lacking in evidence,'” and is also suing an expert for allegedly filing a “boilerplate” certificate of merit. The cases in question are among many filed claiming that patients were killed by notorious “Angel of Death” nurse Charles Cullen; hospitals say that while some of the suits were filed on behalf of actual Cullen victims, others piled on seeking compensation for bad outcomes that had nothing to do with the murderer. Damages for wrongful litigation are notoriously hard to win in American courts. [White Coat]
“Character” and law licenses
Ontario’s Law Society has rejected a would-be lawyer despite strong academic credentials because of concerns about his character, specifically episodes in which he harassed fellow apartment owners during a condo leadership fight and forged a letter supposedly from an owner. “Character” screening was once a common prerequisite for admission to the American bar, but fell largely into disuse following complaints that it could be subjective and applied unevenly. [Toronto Star]
Plaintiff drops Pennsylvania ADA complaints
After questions are raised about the timing of her claimed visits, a serial ADA plaintiff — represented by a law firm we’ve had occasion to mention before, Schwartz Zweben & Associates — drops complaints against several restaurants and other small businesses in Pennsylvania [Sunbury Item]
More Schools for Misrule mentions
From probate-reform blog Estate of Denial, Division of Labour (Mike DeBow), Scott Greenfield again, Tarlton law library (University of Texas), Alan Caruba, and from my Cato colleague Ilya Shapiro in a post on academic freedom and the Widener controversy (on which earlier). And Prof. Bainbridge updates his reading list.
Older siblings banned from middle school pickup
Because you can’t be too safe. [Free-Range Kids]
UK: “‘No-win, no-fee’ changes announced by Ken Clarke”
England has been experimenting in recent years with versions of contingent and conditional fees previously barred by ethical rules; following widespread discontent about the results, including high insurance rates, the Cameron government plans a new wave of tinkering. [BBC]