Top Legal News
3rd Circuit Issues One Win for Prosecutors, One for Defense
The rule that prohibits a jury from hearing about a criminal co-defendant's confession doesn't apply in a non-jury trial because judges are capable of applying a rule of limited admissibility, the 3rd Circuit has ruled. In a second opinion authored by the same judge, the 3rd Circuit overturned a federal conviction for illegal gun possession after finding that the prosecutor's "repeated injection of prejudicial drug evidence into the trial testimony constituted prosecutorial misconduct." More »
1st Circuit Upholds Law Barring Marketers From Using Data on Doctors' Prescriptions
The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a New Hampshire state law forbidding marketers from using information about doctors' prescription information that is patient- or prescriber-identifiable for certain commercial purposes. The ruling rejected the argument that the law violated the First Amendment by illegally restricting commercial speech. More »
Ex-Thelen Lawyers Find New Home at Reed Smith
One of the last significant groups from Thelen has been picked up by Reed Smith. Thelen labor and employment Chairwoman Linda Husar and Los Angeles managing partner Thomas Hill, a member of Thelen's dissolution committee, will join Reed Smith along with three other partners and four associates, the latter firm said Wednesday. Husar and Hill have been said to split a book worth between $5 million and $10 million, with Kaiser Foundation Health Plan as a significant client. More »
Secret Guantanamo Camp Opened to Defense Lawyers
For the first time, defense lawyers were allowed to see a section of the Guantanamo prison that is so restricted, even its location on the U.S. base is secret. Two military lawyers for Ramzi Binalshibh, an alleged plotter of the Sept. 11 attacks, were granted 90 minutes to view Camp 7, a section for "high value" detainees that opened two years ago. The lawyers, who are determining if their client is competent to stand trial, said they were barred from revealing what they saw on the tour. More »
N.Y. Panel Weighs 'Actual' Versus 'Threatened' Harm on Judge Pay
Members of a New York appeals panel reacted skeptically Tuesday to claims that judges protesting the lack of a pay raise must demonstrate actual harm to the operations and independence of the judiciary. Although "no one disputes" that New York state judges deserve a pay raise, "[n]o one can credibly say that the functioning of the judiciary has been impaired," said a lawyer urging the court to overturn an order directing the Legislature and governor to raise the pay of the state's judges within 90 days. More »
Marc Jacobs Design House Pays $1M to Settle Fashion Week Scandal
The design house affiliated with fashion star Marc Jacobs has paid $1 million to resolve allegations that it secured a prime location for its celebrity-studded New York City Fashion Week shows by bribing a state worker. "New York City is a global epicenter for fashion and cultural events," New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in an announcement Wednesday, "and we will not allow corruption and greed to tarnish one of our most lucrative industries." More »
New FMLA Rules Will Create More Confusion and Litigation, Attorneys Warn
The Family Medical Leave Act, which has long been a source of litigation and confusion in the workplace, has undergone major changes for the first time in its 15-year history. But those changes may cause still more confusion and litigation, attorneys note. The new rules, which take effect on Jan. 16, were a response to complaints by employers who say workers are abusing FMLA and employees who claim they're unfairly being denied FMLA and are often retaliated against for taking it. More »
N.Y. Jury Convicts Opera-Loving Philanthropist
Opera-loving philanthropist Alberto Vilar was convicted on fraud charges Wednesday for swindling investors, including the mother of actress Phoebe Cates, out of millions of dollars. Federal prosecutors accused Vilar and a business partner of falsely telling investors their money would be safe. Instead, the men poured money into risky technology stocks that later crashed, prosecutors said. The verdict represented a spectacular fall for Vilar, who gave away millions to cultural institutions and opera houses. More »