Category: Courts

Courts, Environment, Society

Suing Your Wild Oats: Whole Foods Agrees to Sell Chain in Antitrust Settlement

200px-whole_foods_market_logosvgWhole Foods Market has agreed to a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission in an antitrust case. Whole Foods has been under investigation since its merger with Wild Oats Markets, another high-end organic grocery chain. It was a miscalculation. FTC accused it of violating federal antitrust laws and now, in addition to the litigation costs, Whole Foods will have to sell 32 or 74 former Wild Oats stores.

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Courts, Criminal law, Politics, Society, Torts

Chicago Police Superintendent Jody Weis Held in Contempt For Refusing to Disclose Lists of Officers Repeatedly Accused of Abuse

cpdcrnt-thU.S. District Judge Robert Gettleman in Chicago has held Police Superintendent Jody Weis in contempt for refusing to turn over lists of officers who have repeated complaints filed against them for abuse and violence. Weis insists that such a release of the list would diminish morale.

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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Society, Supreme Court, Torts

Supreme Court Rules In Favor of Patients Against Drug Manufacturers

supreme courtIn Wyeth v. Levine (06-1249), the Supreme Court has rendered an important decision on the right of patients to sue drug manufacturers. The tragic case of Diana Levine has been discussed on this blog earlier. Now the court has ruled 6-3 in favor of Levine, a musician from Vermont, who lost her right arm after being given a anti-nausea drug by Wyeth.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Society

Eleventh Circuit Rules that Video of Officer Repeatedly Tasering a Sobbing Man Sitting By the Road is Not a Constitutional Violation

defaultA man is appealing a recent loss before the United States Court of Appeals in a very disturbing decision. In the video below, Deputy Jonathan Rackard of the Washington County Florida repeated uses of a taser on Jesse Buckley who is merely sitting and crying next to a road. The Eleventh Circuit voted 2-1 that the Eighth Amendment was not violated in the case, reversing a decision from the trial court.
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Congress, Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Politics, Society

CIA Admits to Destroying 92 (Rather Than 2) Tapes of Interrogations

torture -abu ghraibThe Bush Administration previously told a federal court that there were two tapes of interrogations destroyed showing waterboarding and other brutal treatment of detainees. It has now admitted that at least 92 tapes were destroyed in what appears a clear and knowing effort to destroy evidence.
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Courts, Criminal law, Lawyering, Society

“It’s Good Because It’s So Bad”: Court Clerk Charged With Trading Sex For Promises of Leniency

chelseadistrictA Massachusetts court clerk in the Chelsea District Court is facing federal charges after being arrested for allegedly have sex with an accused prostitute in court after promising her to get a charge dismissed. James “Jim” Burke, 41, has been suspended without pay and charged with one count of attempted deprivation of rights under the color of law and one count of deprivation of rights under the color of law.

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Academia, Courts, Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics, Society

New York State Supreme Court Justice and Law Professor Lose Jobs in Scandal

up-p293m41hlko8mnamA bizarre case in New York has snared the careers of New York State Supreme Court Joseph G. Makowski, 55, and former prosecutor and Buffalo Law School professor Anne E. Adams. Adams pleaded guilty to three misdemeanors: drunken driving, offering a false instrument for filing and attempted tampering with physical evidence. Makowski resigned on the same day that Adams was fired by the law school. Makowski was accused of falsely attesting that Adams was not drunk when she left a bar.

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Courts, Lawyering, Society

Judge Kent Pleads Guilty to Obstruction; Faces Maximum of 20 Years in Prison

gavel2U.S. District Judge Samuel Kent pleaded guilty to one count of obstruction of justice today and retired from the bench. In exchange, the prosecution will drop sexual assault charges. He will also avoid impeachment with the plea, though the status of his pension remains unclear.

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Constitutional Law, Courts, Criminal law, Politics, Society, Supreme Court

Obama Administration Sides With Bush Administration on Key Cases Involving Missing Emails, Right to DNA Evidence, and Executive Privilege

220px-barack_obamaIn the last week, the Obama Administration has supported the Bush Administration in a variety of cases to the great disappointment of many civil libertarians, historians, and academics. This includes an effort to kill litigation that has sought millions of missing emails in the Bush Administration.

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Courts, Lawyering, Society

Nevada Lawyer With Gambling Addiction Who Stole $400,000 From Clients is Given a Five Year Suspension

250px-set_of_poker_chips_in_caseA frequent commentator on local television in Las Vegas, Douglas Crawford, 53, admits to stealing roughly $400,000 from his client, charging for work never performed, and violating court orders. Despite 65 violations of the Rule of Professional Conduct, the Nevada Supreme Court declared him to be addicted to both gambling and drug and rejected calls for disbarment. Instead, it suspended him for five years.

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Courts, Criminal law, Lawyering, Politics, Society

Judge Sharon Keller Charged With Five Ethics Violations

keller_sharon_newTexas Judge Sharon Keller is having a bad month. Just last week, there was a move in the legislature to impeach her. Now the state judicial ethics commission has charged her with violating her duty and bringing discredit upon the judiciary. It is hard to be sympathetic with her position, however, given Judge Keller’s decision to told the Clerk’s office to close in 2007 when attorneys were rushing over with an after-hours final death row appeal for Michael Richards — who was then executed.
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Courts, Criminal law, Lawyering, Society

Accused Serial Rapist and Murderer Lunges At Counsel in Seattle Courtroom

2008214233For those of you who believe that you have tough clients, you might want to consider the fate of Seattle attorney John Hicks. He represents rapist Curtis S. Thompson who must be wheeled into court with his chest, wrists and ankles bound due to prior threats against attorneys and a judge. That did not stop Thompson from lunging at Hicks in a recent hearing and screaming “You scared to death, ain’t you punk?” Hence the popularity of transactions law.

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