'Bucket List' Police Chase Costs Man $1K FineJohn Hughes -- no, not that John Hughes -- wondered what it would be like to be in a high-speed police chase. The 55-year-old led police on a car chase through Butte, Montana early Thursday morning, hitting speeds of over 100 mph. He wasn't drunk, on drugs, or wanted for
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Child Porn Trafficking Life Sentence Upheld by 11th CircuitConvicted members of an international child-pornography ring will spend the rest of their lives in prison, but a lower court will reconsider a child victim's restitution award, a federal appeals court has ruled. The Eleventh Circuit on Tuesday affirmed life sentences for seven men convicted in a widespread child-porn operation
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DVT Study May Clot 'Economy Class' LawsuitsStaying seated on long plane flights may be hazardous to your health, according to a new study that seems to debunk some claims in so-called "economy class syndrome" lawsuits. The study and the lawsuits involve deep vein thrombosis, or DVT -- when a blood clot forms in a vein, usually
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How a Blogger Can Do $2.5M in Damage to a CompanySometimes you may want to sue a blogger for what they write about your company or your products. Obsidian Finance did just that, and prevailed. They sued blogger Crystal Cox. During the trial, Obsidian alleged she defamed the company with some of her Internet posts. Obsidian won $2.5 million in
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M.I.A.'s NFL Contract: Rapper Pays Any FCC FinesGuess what, M.I.A.? A FCC fine may be all yours if the NFL or NBC get fined for your middle finger during halftime. It seems that liability for M.I.A.'s NBC middle finger snafu may have been addressed in her contract. The NFL reportedly had her sign a contract that mentions
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Broncos' Knowshon Moreno Busted for DUI in 'SAUCED' BentleyDenver Broncos running back Knowshon Moreno's lead foot led to his arrest last week for DUI in a construction zone, according to police. Moreno, 24, was pulled over for speeding Feb. 1 in a Bentley convertible with personalized license plates that read "SAUCED," Denver's KDVR-TV reports. Moreno was going 70
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State Court Strikes Down Georgia Assisted Suicide LawThe First Amendment protects an individual's right to advertise assisted suicide services, according to a unanimous Georgia Supreme Court. The justices came to this conclusion in a suit brought by four members of Final Exit Network, a "death with dignity" advocacy group. The plaintiffs were prosecuted after helping a 58-year-old
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Prop. 8 Decision Avoids Issue of Same-Sex Marriage's ConstitutionalityProp. 8 is unconstitutional. But is same-sex marriage a constitutional right? Maybe not. The 9th Circuit has upheld a lower court ruling, striking down California's same-sex marriage ban on equal protection grounds. But the court focused only on the law's purpose -- not on the constitutional right to same-sex marriage
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How Are Hookah Bars Still Legal?Are hookah bars legal? That's the real question you should be asking, as the law treats hookah smoking and cigarette smoking the same, as they are both tobacco products regulated by the same statutes. As cigarette smoking decreases, hookah use seems to be rising, particularly amongst the younger generations, possibly
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Crime Push App Can Cut Crime Via Your SmartphoneEver wish you could report crime on your smartphone? Now you can. The Crime Push app offers a new way to get in touch with police. With a few simple taps, you can send officers a wide array of information. The application will allow you to include the location of
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Denver Suncor Employees Could Sue Over BenzeneDenver-area refinery Suncor's benzene problems have some employees worried. The Suncor refinery's water may have been contaminated with a potentially carcinogenic substance. Small amounts of benzene were detected in two faucets in the facility. The other faucets were determined to be clean. The problem may have spread to areas even
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UVA Lacrosse Murder Trial Begins for George HuguelyJury selection in the George Huguely trial began Monday after the former University of Virginia lacrosse player pleaded not guilty to murder. He's being charged in the 2010 death of his ex-girlfriend, lacrosse star Yeardley Love. The murder shocked the college town of Charlottesville, Va., where Love was found beaten
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Why the Tea Party Loves the 10th AmendmentThe 10th Amendment, the darling of the Tea Party, supports states' rights. You've likely heard some version of this phrase invoked by presidential candidates and other politicians recently. It's referenced in debates about medical marijuana, gun control and health care reform. It's brought up when pundits speak about abortion legislation
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Bill Aims to Simplify 1099-Ks for Small BizThe IRS' new 1099-K form is seen by some as so burdensome for small businesses, two lawmakers are pushing for a new federal law to scale it back. The 1099-K Overreach Protection Act would prohibit the IRS from fully implementing the 1099-K form, the website TheStreet.com reports. Rep. Aaron Schock,
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'Sister Wives' Utah Bigamy Lawsuit Will ProceedKody Brown and his four wives -- Meri, Janelle, Christine and Robyn -- have overcome the first hurdle in a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of Utah's bigamy law. A federal judge has ruled that the Sister Wives lawsuit may proceed against Utah County Attorney Jeffrey Buhman. Buhman had threatened to
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CA Prop. 8 Gay Marriage Ruling Set for TuesdayA federal appeals court is set to release its long-awaited ruling Tuesday on California's Proposition 8, a ballot measure that barred same-sex marriage in the nation's most populous state. But the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' Prop. 8 ruling, set for release at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, will likely not
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Alberto Contador Stripped of 2010 Tour de France Title by CourtSpanish cyclist Alberto Contador's doping charges were upheld on Monday. He was stripped of his 2010 Tour de France title and banned from the sport for two years. The decision was handed down by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The three-man panel held that Contador was guilty of taking
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Josh Powell Case Ignites Custody QuestionsA Washington state agency is set to review Josh Powell's child-custody case after a scheduled visitation ended in a deadly house explosion. Powell and his sons, ages 5 and 7, were killed. "We really look at the service delivery with the case. Was there anything we can learn about what
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2nd Miramonte Elementary Teacher Arrested for Child AbuseA second Miramonte Elementary teacher has been arrested days for child abuse days after Mark Berndt's arrest. Now Martin Bernard Springer, 49, was arrested on suspicion that he fondled two girls. Berndt's arrest shocked Los Angeles after charges he made children play a "tasting game" with his semen while blindfolded. Springer,
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Randy Travis Arrested for Public Intoxication in Front of ChurchCountry crooner Randy Travis is likely singing the blues after his arrest for public intoxication outside a Texas church early this morning. Police in Sanger, Texas, about 50 miles north of Dallas, responded to a call about a suspicious vehicle in front of the town's Baptist church, the website TMZ.com
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9th Circuit Sides With Gay Couples in 2-1 Ruling on Prop 8Taking a narrow approach in deciding the blockbuster challenge to California's ban on gay marriage, a split 9th Circuit panel on Tuesday found Proposition 8 unconstitutional. The majority punted on the broader question of whether marrying a partner of the same sex should be a fundamental right -- a move that scholars said was designed to help the opinion withstand review by the U.S. Supreme Court.See related story: ProtectMarriage.com GC Sees 'Clear Path' to Supreme Court for Prop 8
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Challenge to State Ban on Equity Investors Faces Uphill BattleNew York federal Judge Lewis A. Kaplan said Tuesday he would either dismiss for lack of standing Jacoby & Meyers' challenge to a New York state ban on law firms accepting equity investors, or he would abstain from hearing the matter.
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Pepper Hamilton Hires Nonlawyer CEO to Run FirmPepper Hamilton has made the rare move for an Am Law 200 firm of hiring a nonlawyer chief executive officer to take over management of the firm. Scott Green, who has served as executive director of Wilmer Cutler Pickering Hale & Dorr since 2007, will serve as Pepper Hamilton's first CEO in a newly created position.
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Court Finds Invalid Standard Defense in Obstetrical Malpractice CasesIn what may be a national first, a New York panel has rejected as scientifically invalid a standard defense in obstetrical medical malpractice cases, holding that the "maternal forces of labor" theory was based on a "small number of articles" by authors who based conclusions partly on writings by "other members of that small group."
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DOJ Considers Abandoning Its FCPA Sting ProsecutionAt a hearing Tuesday, a Justice Department attorney asked a D.C. federal judge to hit the "pause button" on the prosecution in a high-profile foreign bribery case, as top DOJ officials examine the case's continued viability following two unsuccessful trials that included three acquittals.
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DLA Piper's Browning Marean on E-Discovery ProportionalityBrowning Marean, senior counsel at DLA Piper, speaks to LTN magazine's editor-in-chief, Monica Bay, about the challenges of fashioning responses to discovery requests that are appropriate -- and proportional -- to a case.
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Judge John Facciola on E-Discovery Training at a CrossroadsD.C. District Judge John Facciola speaks with LTN magazine's editor-in-chief, Monica Bay, about how e-discovery training is at a crossroads, constrained by limited financial resources at the governmental level. He proposes several solutions to address these challenges, particularly when individuals are unable to meet face to face.
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Litigator of the Year Winner - David BoiesThe Boies, Schiller & Flexner founder explains how he prepared for the key cross-examinations in the Proposition 8 case.
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Intel's Jerone English on Leveling the EDD Playing FieldJerone English, director of e-discovery for Intel, speaks to LTN magazine's editor-in-chief, Monica Bay, about how rank-and-file lawyers can get up to speed on the latest electronic data discovery policies and procedures.
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Oracle Gambles on Retrial in SAP Copyright Infringement CaseInstead of accepting a judge's decision to cut more than $1 billion from Oracle's record $1.3 billion copyright infringement verdict against SAP, Oracle and its lawyers at Bingham McCutchen and Boies Schiller have opted to risk winning an even smaller award in a new damages trial.
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Fox Sports counsel joins throng fleeing ailing firmPaul Laurin, lead counsel for Fox Sports in the Los Angeles Dodgers bankruptcy, has joined Barnes & Thornburg, becoming the latest attorney to depart from imploding Rutter Hobbs & Davidoff, which began dissolving after a jury issued a $10 million verdict against it and two senior attorneys.
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Patent Merchant Ocean Tomo Accuses Former Executive of Trade Secret TheftPatent merchant Ocean Tomo is suing a former managing director for the alleged theft of trade secrets and confidential client information. Ocean Tomo says a forensic analysis of a company laptop Steve Lee returned after he resigned found that more than 10 gigabytes of data had been copied.
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ABA report finds cause for concern regarding women's roleThe ABA has advocated for more inclusion of women, but the organization's leadership remains largely male. A report by the ABA's Commission on Women in the Profession found a few causes for concern, including the 10 percent drop in the percentage of women serving as section or division chairs.
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Judge OKs Majority of 'Bad Acts' Evidence in Priest Abuse CaseAt the request of prosecutors, a judge has ruled that all but six instances of priests who were reported to have committed sexual abuse or other improprieties can be admitted into the unprecedented trial of a high-ranking church official in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
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Kaye Scholer Helps Juniper Networks Win Dismissal of Bizarre Dubai Patent CaseAfter nearly five years of litigation, a Dubai court has dismissed patent claims that a Saudi citizen filed against Juniper Networks in 2007. A Saudi inventor suing an American company under an American patent in Dubai? As Juniper's senior director for IP litigation and patents said, "There was no playbook for this one."
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Renegade Toyota lawyer loses bid to overturn arbitration lossDimitrios Biller, the former in-house attorney for Toyota Motor Sales USA who accused the automaker of discovery violations in products liability cases, has lost a 9th Circuit appeal to overturn a $2.5 million arbitration award against him.
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The Am Law 100: the Early Numbers: Revenue, Profits Up at Schulte RothHalting a two-year slide, Schulte Roth & Zabel saw gross revenue inch up by 1.2 percent to $377.5 million in 2011, while profits per partner rose 5.1 percent to $2.12 million. The firm's lawyer head count fell by 8.6 percent last year, helping to drive a 10 percent increase in revenue per lawyer.
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No Punitives for Talking on Cellphone While Driving, Judge SaysA Pennsylvania trial judge has found that talking on a cellphone while driving is not egregious enough to warrant punitive damages in a car accident case. The state Legislature passed a law that will ban texting while driving when it takes effect later this year, but it doesn't outlaw talking on a cellphone.
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Judges to Mull Impact of Madoff on DivorceNew York state's high court will grapple this term with the issue of whether a woman must return what her former husband claims is a multimillion-dollar windfall that she received as a result of Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme. The case arose from two attorneys' divorce after 33 years of marriage.
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