Wayne County Circuit Judge Annette Berry had a jury form that only a prosecutor would love: it had not option for a verdict of “not guilty.” The error has resulted in the Michigan Court of Appeals overturning the conviction of Michael Jess Wade, 50, a former security guard who was convicted of shooting and killing a suspected thief.
Continue reading “Michigan Verdict Overturned After Judge Gives Jury No Option For a Finding of Not Guilty”
Category: Torts
The Texas Supreme Court has overturned the verdict in a major torts case based on a nine-word note from a juror. During the second-day of jury deliberations in a rollover cases against Ford, a note was sent to the judge from forewoman Cynthia Cortez of the jury asking, “What is the maximum amount that can be awarded?” Cortez even put a smiley face on the note which sent Ford’s attorneys into a panic to settle the case. They quickly agreed to a settlement of $3 million. It was not until after the jury was dismissed that they learned that Cortez allegedly sent the note without the approval of the jury and that the jury was siding with Ford in its deliberations.
Continue reading “Texas Supreme Court Overturns Verdict Based on Nine-Word Note From Foreperson”
Madonna Constantine, the former professor of the Teachers College of Columbia University who reported a noose found on her door, has filed a lawsuit against Columbia for $200 million after she was fired for plagiarism.
Continue reading “Former Columbia Professor Sues University for $200 Million”
This may make for a better movie than a torts case, but Sandrina Purdum, 31, alleges that Jennifer Angevine ruined her wedding in Queens, New York, by telling guests that she had been sleeping with her new husband, Harold Purdum, 31. She is alleging slander, infliction of emotion distress, and battery.
Continue reading “The Wedding Plaintiff: New York Woman Sues Guest Over Wedding Outburst”
The lawsuit against KBR by the families of civilian drivers killed in an ambush in Iraq in 2004 have been strengthened by internal memos showing that KBR officials knew of the insurgent activity and high level of danger before sending them into harm’s way.
Here is today’s column in USA Today concerning the argument today before the United States Supreme Court in the case of April Redding.
Continue reading “Lockdown High: Zero-Tolerance Policies and Authoritarian Learning”
There is an interesting slip and fall case out of New York. Peggy Egar alleged that injured on March 31, 2003 at 12:00 P.M., when she tripped and fell down at the ramp of the Hospital’s teaching center located at 327 Beach 19th Street, Far Rockaway, New York. Despite an incident the prior year, the court found that there was no constructive notice that the eruv constituted a dangerous condition.
Continue reading “Divine Slip and Fall: Court Rejects Fallen Wire of Jewish Eruv as Dangerous Condition”
Jerome Kenneth Kingzio, 28, received a remarkably light sentence for a truly disgusting crime of assault. On a Continental flight from Los Angeles to Honolulu, a 66-year-old woman was watching an in-flight movie when Kingzio stood up in the seat behind her and urinated on her. For this assault, he received just three weeks in jail.
Continue reading “Man Urinates on Woman During Flights — Receives Only Three Weeks in Jail”
The English police have beens struggling to explain a video by an American businessman showing a police officer attacking 47-year-old newspaper vendor, Ian Tomlinson, after denying that they had no contact with him. Now, a second autopsy has shown that Tomlinson did not die from a heart attack but internal bleeding. The officer is now under investigation for manslaughter.
For those lawyers seeking to establish that fast food is a dangerous product, they may have the perfect clients in Russell and Carolyn Janke, who had the Golden Arches literally land on them. The giant sign blew off its base on the Navajo Nation reservation and crushed their Chevy Trailblazer.
Continue reading “You Deserve a Break Today: Elderly Couple Trapped in Car By Falling Golden Arches”
Coming soon to torts and contracts text books: two law professors have sued West Publishing for releasing a supplement to their text book that wrongly listed them as authors. Professors David Rudovsky of the University of Pennsylvania and Leonard Sosnov of Widener Law School say that the supplement was a poor job and embarrassed them by association. They are demanding an injunction.
Continue reading “Textbook Lawsuit: Law Professors Sue West Publishing”
American Apparel over the use of his image in ads for the company. The company ran a picture of Allen from the movie Annie Hall where he is dressed as a Hasidic Jew. They are now claiming that he is entitled to little of the $10 million that he sought in the lawsuit because he already destroyed the value of his reputation. Instead, it is suggesting that he is trying to get an Annie “Hull” by overstating the value of the image from the movie. It appears that the company does not agree with Allen that “Eighty percent of success is showing up.”
Continue reading “Annie Hull: Company Challenges Value of Woody Allen’s Endorsement in Tort Case”
A federal appellate court has tossed out the lawsuit by Staff Sgt. Frank Wuterich sued Rep. John Murtha for defamation after the congressman said that his Marine unit killed Iraqi women and children “in cold blood” in Haditha.
Continue reading “Appellate Court Throws Out Murtha Defamation Lawsuit On Immunity Grounds”
Thomas A. Rich was an anonymous blogger on www.fbcjaxwatchdog.blogspot.com who complained to other parishioners about such things as First Baptist Church Pastor Mac Brunson’s huge $300,000 salary, his construction of a lavish office for himself, and his putting his wife on the payroll. The church turned to Detective Robert Hinson who not only works for the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office but is on the payroll of the church. Hinson allegedly opened a criminal investigation that identified Rich and then informed the church. Rich and his wife were promptly banned from the church.
Happy Easter to Everyone on the Turley Blog. The Easter Bunny came as expected this morning, bringing sugarly foodstuffs . . . and even edible grass this year!