There is a disturbing case out of Orlando, Florida involving a curious ruling on child support. John Nelson is a father who had lost his six-figure salary as a software executive. Nelson secured a lower paying job as a teacher to support himself and pay his child support. He waited a year to get a hearing before Family law Judge Julian Piggotte to reduce his $2200 monthly payments in light of his lower income. Instead, Piggotte increased the payments and left Nelson with just $200 a month to survive. She then recused herself because her husband works with Nelson’s ex-wife at the state attorney’s office.
Continue reading “Father Loses Job, Seeks Reduction in Child Support So Florida Judge Increases Payments By $300 and Then Recuses Herself for a Conflict”
Category: Lawyering
The entertainment world is quite familiar with the “casting couch” where aspiring actresses and actors are expected to grant sexual favors for parts. Now an attorney has been suspended for 180 days after being accused of using a “restitution couch” for clients to pay for legal services with sexual services. Michigan attorney Murdoch Hertzog pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor assault and battery in exchange for dismissal of charges of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct in 2001. Now, a panel has shown Hertzog the sofa of suspension.
Continue reading “The Sofa of Suspension: Michigan Attorney Suspended Following Criminal Plea and Allegations That He Used a “Couch of Restitution” To Solicit Sex From Clients”
San Diego Superior Court Judge John Einhorn has found a way to reduce his caseload. District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has told prosecutors to block any criminal cases that go before the judge. Yet, when asked about the boycott, Dumanis insists that Einhorn is a “well-respected jurist” — just a jurist whom she doesn’t want to rule on any criminal case.
Continue reading “No Cases for You: San Diego District Attorney Boycotts Judge”
For those who have fought to introduce religious symbols like the Bible and the Ten Commandments in courthouses in Alabama (here and here), the decision of Judge Clyde Jones could not be more poignant. This week the Birmingham judge literally threw out Jesus Christ from the courtroom. That is the name adopted by Dorothy Lola Killingworth, who appeared as a juror but proceeded to be as disruptive as her namesake in temple market.
Continue reading “Court Throws Jesus Christ Out of Court as Disruptive”
Officer Adam Stoddard of the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has added contempt of court to his prior violation of attorney-client confidentiality. At the urging of his boss, Sheriff Joe Arpaio, Stoddard has refused to apologize to defense attorney Joanne Cuccia after he swiped handwritten notes from her papers — caught in the videotape above. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe ordered Stoddard to either apologize or report to jail — a remarkably light sentence. However, Arpaio encouraged his officer to go to jail — just the latest outrageous act by Arpaio who has been widely accused of acting more like a petty dictator than a police officer in Arizona.
Continue reading “Court Orders Arizona Deputy to Jail After He Refuses to Apologize for Swiping Attorney’s Notes in Court”
The moment has come. For the last twelve months, we have basked in the glory as the Top Law Professor and Legal Theory Blog. Now, the ABA has started the Third Annual Competition. The good news is that we once again made the top 100 blogs. However, the ABA has mixed things up a bit with new categories. We have been moved to the Opinion category (IMHO- in my humble opinion slot). The ABA editors, however, have put us up against one of the oldest and most popular legal sites, Althouse. To vote, click here.
Continue reading “TURLEY BLOG MAKES TOP 100 — RACE BEGINS FOR TOP SPOT IN IMHO (OPINION) CATEGORY”
The Nobel Prize Committee has issued a formal complaint against the Iranian government after the Nobel medal and diploma of human rights activist and lawyer Shirin Ebadi was taken by officials from her bank safety deposit box. Ebadi has been routinely harassed by the Iranian government since she was selected for fighting for the rights of activists, children, and women in the repressive regime.
Continue reading “Iranians Confiscate Nobel Medal and Diploma of Shirin Ebadi”
Michael Sampson, 41, succeeded in turning a minor driving with a suspended license into a charge of threatening a judge and intimidating a witness — all without uttering a word.
Continue reading “Motion to the Court: Kansas Man Charged With Threatening Judge and Witness”
Harold Warren Sr., 77, a Missouri funeral home director has pleaded guilty to intentionally giving three families the wrong cremated remains. This includes leaving a woman’s body in an electrical room for 10 months without embalming or refrigeration. What is interesting is that Circuit Judge Gary Oxenhandler indicated that he might not honor the plea bargain for no jail time for Warren, who is a prominent political figure in the area. There are questions of whether the prosecutors cut Warren a remarkably light deal due to his political connections and standing in the community.
Continue reading “Funeral Director and Missouri Politician Pleads Guilty to Mishandling of Corpses”
Donald Giles would appear to have the trifecta of mental incompetence arguments against execution. He is a paranoid schizophrenic with an IQ of 61 and a history of suicide attempts and depression. However, Jefferson County Circuit Judge Martin McDonald has ruled that Giles, 41, may be put to death if the jury so rules in his trial for the 2003 murder and robbery of Charles Goodlett.
Continue reading “Court: Paranoid Schizophrenic with IQ of 61 and Manic Depression is Eligible for Execution”
There has been a ruling in the Arizona case where an officer, Officer Adam Stoddard with the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office is clearly shown on this videotape reading and then swiping the confidential papers of defense attorney Joanne Cuccia in court. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Gary Donahoe found against Stoddard and ordered him to either apologize or report to jail — a remarkably light sentence. However, his boss is Sheriff Joe Arpaio who has said that his officer will defy the order.
Continue reading “Court Rules Against Arizona Deputy on Swiping Lawyer’s Note — Arpaio To Defy Court”
This afternoon, the Plaintiffs in the World Bank/IMF protest case filed a notice with the Court of the receipt of an affidavit in the case from a police detective, who contradicts the sworn testimony of former D.C. (and current Philadelphia) Police Chief Charles Ramsey. As lead counsel in one of the two cases (with my colleague Daniel Schwartz of Bryan Cave), I am limited in what I can say on the case. However, to reduce calls to my office, I am posting the filing below.
Continue reading “Detective Offers Conflicting Testimony in World Bank Case”
Here is today’s column in USA Today on the continuing trend toward shaming or creative punishments.
Continue reading “Shaming Undermines Justice”
Here is today’s column from the Washington Post on the benefits of a new type of “good-faith” defense. While “religious convictions” are usually a reference to personal faith, it turns out that it has a distinct and disturbing meaning for criminal sentencing.
Continue reading ““Religious Convictions”: When Children Die, Religion Is No Defense”
First there were the Knights Who Say Ni! (below). Now we have the problem of the lawyers who say Meep! After reading the recent publications over the decision of the principal of Danvers High School banning students from saying the word “Meep,” Entertainment lawyer Theodora Michaels decided to act and wrote a letter using the four-letter word to Principal Thomas Murray, who comes across as a high school version of Dean Vernon Wormer from Animal House. She was immediately reported to the police for investigation by the school.
Continue reading “The Lawyers Who Say Meep! High School Calls Police After Attorney Says Meep to Principal”