Top Legal News
Opening the Rehnquist Files
Papers released Monday by the Hoover Institution focus on aspects of William Rehnquist's early years on the U.S. Supreme Court, including a domestic surveillance case; an inkling of Rehnquist's perception of Justice William Brennan; and Rehnquist's role as the Court's social animal, who tried to liven things up with improvements in certain procedures. More »
2nd Circuit Says Reports Fail to Warn of Insurance Kickback Scheme
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has issued its latest statement on when news reports of corporate fraud trigger an investor's duty to inquire further before buying stock. The circuit decided that general news reports about kickbacks between insurance companies and brokers were not enough to constitute "storm warnings" for purchasers of stock in The Hartford Financial Services Group. More »
Calif. AG Urges State's High Court to Decide Prop 8's Fate
California Attorney General Jerry Brown urged the state Supreme Court on Monday to offer an immediate and thorough review of three cases challenging Proposition 8 -- a move that cheered the measure's opponents and upset its proponents. Although Brown is obliged to defend Prop 8, opponents of the Nov. 4 initiative that eliminated same-sex marriage called the AG's push for review a significant step and noted that Brown could have asked that the cases be dismissed out of hand. More »
En Banc 3rd Circuit to Hear Key Criminal Appeals
In a pair of en banc arguments on Wednesday, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals will tackle questions that could have a broad impact on how appellate courts review criminal sentences and on the scope of the federal courts' powers in granting relief in habeas corpus petitions. Criminal defense lawyers will be watching both cases, not only for their direct impacts, but for how the 3rd Circuit's newer judges vote. More »
Insurers Jump on the Bailout Bandwagon
The federal bailout plan reminds the Am Law Daily of the classic kid's board game Hungry Hungry Hippos, with financial services firms playing the role of the colorful hippos lunging to gobble up their share of government cash. Hartford and three other insurance companies with no history of banking have joined the parade, scrambling to buy small savings-and-loans, which allows the insurers to qualify as banks and become eligible for the bailout billions. Not everyone thinks the maneuver is kosher. More »
Gregory Craig Named Next White House Counsel
President-elect Barack Obama has picked Williams & Connolly partner Gregory Craig as White House counsel, filling the first major legal position in his administration with a top Washington lawyer who represented President Bill Clinton during his impeachment. Craig was a close adviser to Obama throughout the campaign and among the first lawyers to back his presidential bid. The selection has only fueled speculation about who Obama will tap as attorney general. More »
3 Arrested in Shooting Death of Lawyer
A mortgage lawyer was slain during a botched ambush robbery set up by the man's business partner, who allegedly paid a stripper and her boyfriend to commit the holdup, police said Monday. James DiMartino was shot and killed Oct. 21, after he arrived for what he believed would be a business meeting in a restaurant parking lot in eastern Long Island. The three suspects have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder. More »
SEC Charges NBA Owner With Insider Trading
The owner of the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, Mark Cuban, was charged by the Securities and Exchange Commission with insider trading Monday. The SEC alleges that in June of 2004 Cuban told his broker to sell all 600,000 of his shares of stock in Mamma.com, an Internet search engine company, after he allegedly knew the stock price would become diluted before the company announced it was issuing more shares. The agency estimates Cuban avoided more than $750,000 in losses. More »
Calif. Appeals Court Revives Transgender Inmate's Claim Against Prison System
Breaking new ground in California, a state appeals court has ruled that prison guards owe inmates a special duty of care, potentially exposing prison officials to negligence suits. The subject of Friday's unanimous decision has been addressed by other states and federal courts, but never before in California. The ruling revives a suit by a transgender woman who said she was raped repeatedly while being held in Folsom State Prison in 2006. More »
Defense Community Rallies Behind Attorney Indicted in Money Laundering Case
As indicted attorney Ben Kuehne's legal costs continue to rise, the Miami legal community is hosting a fundraiser and has created a legal defense fund to help out their colleague. Kuehne was indicted in 2007 for alleged money laundering in connection with his vetting of legal fees for attorney Roy Black, who was representing Colombian drug kingpin Fabio Ochoa. The indictment stunned the Miami legal community, where Kuehne is well known and admired. More »