CONSTITUTIONAL & CIVIL RIGHTS / RULE-OF-LAW / REIN IN JUDICIAL IMMUNITY / JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY /

 

HELP KEEP
VICTIMS-OF-LAW
ON THE WEB

CLICK & SHOP

OR

CONTRIBUTE NOW

DIRECTORY

HOME

ABOUT / CONTACT

TERMS / CONDITIONS

LEGAL DISCLAIMER

JUSTICE MYTHOLOGY


News & Views

ATTORNEYS & JUDGES

ATTORNEY NEWS

ATTORNEY NEWS REVIEW

ATTORNEYS FEES

JUDICIARY NEWS

BANKRUPTCY COURTS

IMMIGRATION COURTS

JUDICIARY NEWS REVIEW

JUDICIAL ACCOUNTABILITY

JUDICIAL ACTIVISM & INACTIVISM

JUDICIAL ACTIVISM
NEWS & VIEWS

JUDGES SPEAKING OUT
FOR "WE THE PEOPLE"

PERSPECTIVES
 (Personal Observations)

U.S. SUPREME COURT

CURRENT SESSION

GENERAL NEWS & VIEWS


Criminal Law Index

2009 NEWS & VIEWS

Death Penalty

DEATH PENALTY REPORTS
   for 2008

Innocents In Prison

prison reform


DISABILITY LAW

DISABILITY LAW

DISABILITY ARCHIVES


Family Law Index

2009 NEWS & VIEWS

Childrens' rights

Family LAW 

Fatherhood

Motherhood

family LAW articles
 
  Courtesy lawyers weekly

FAMILY LAW REVIEWS


PROBATE LAW

guardianship 2009

GUARDIANSHIP '06-'08


RELIGIOUS PERSECUTION

RELIGIOUS NEWS 2009

RELIGIOUS NEWS 2008

RELIGIOUS NEWS 2007

RELIGIOUS NEWS 2006

FIRST AMENDMENT:
RELIGION & EXPRESSION


Pro Se Index
(Self-Representation)

PRO SE NEWS & VIEWS


REFORMERS

LEGAL ACTIVISTS

LEGAL ACTIVISTS Pg. 2


WHISTLEBLOWER  LAW

LEGAL & COURT BUSINESS

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES


INDEXES
TO SPECIAL
SECTIONS

FEDERAL COURTS INDEX

FIRST AMENDMENT RIGHTS

JUDGING THE JUDGES
INDEX & RESOURCES

STATE INDEXES

FLORIDA

NEW JERSEY

NEW YORK

SOUTH DAKOTA

PRO SE INDEX

REFORMERS INDEX

WHISTLEBLOWER INDEX


LEGAL RESEARCH

LEGAL RESEARCH
(FREE SITES
)

ALSO SEE INDIVIDUAL STATE INDEXES


RESOURCES & REFORM GROUPS

CRIMINAL LAW

DISABILITY LAW

FAMILY LAW

LEGAL REFORM ACTIVISTS

MAJOR REFORM GROUPS

PRO SE (SELF-HELP)


MEDIA LINKS


PETITIONS

PEOPLE WHO HAVE
GONE PUBLIC


 

SEND NEWS RELEASES

VIA EMAIL

 

Victims-of-Law
Open Discussion

Click here to join victimsoflaw_discuss
Click to join victimsoflaw_discuss

Shutterfly.com






Condolences
to all the victims
 of terrorism
in all of its forms
whether
foreign or domestic.

 

Eyes on the Judiciary

CLICK HEADLINES TO READ FULL STORIES
UPDATED MONDAY-FRIDAY
Except Holidays

CLICK FOR PREVIOUS WEEK'S JUDICIARY REVIEW

Judiciary in the News

UPDATES FOR ATTORNEY & JUDICIAL NEWS

Mondays, Wednesdays & Fridays

Click headline for full story


UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

Click for United States Supreme Court Term News (Fall 2008)

Click for United States Supreme Court Current News & Views


Injury Helpline Attorney: If you have been injured, we can help.


June 30-July 1, 2009

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

Will Campaign Finance Case Impact Vote on Sotomayor?

Tony Mauro, The National Law Journal

7-1-09 -- The Supreme Court's unusual order Monday delaying a decision in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission and setting it for reargument Sept. 9 may introduce more pressure on the Senate to confirm Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor and have her on the bench by then. . . . Here's how it works: the Court, for whatever reasons -- and theories abound -- ordered new arguments and wants the parties to file additional briefs on whether the Court should overturn its 1990 decision Austin v. Michigan Chamber of Commerce and part of the 2003 ruling in McConnell v. FEC. Both decisions upheld bans on independent expenditures in connection with campaigns from corporations and unions. The only way corporations and unions can participate in campaigns now is through regulated political action committees.


FEDERAL COURTS

3rd Circuit Recognizes New Cause of Action for Civil Rights Violations at Nursing Homes

Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer

7-1-09 -- In a landmark opinion that recognizes a new category of lawsuits, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that the Federal Nursing Home Reform Amendments give residents of county-run nursing homes the right to bring civil rights claims under Section 1983 to challenge the quality of their treatment. . . . "The language used throughout the FNHRA is explicitly and unambiguously rights-creating," U.S. Circuit Judge Richard L. Nygaard wrote in his 23-page opinion in Grammar v. John J. Kane Regional Centers. . . . "These provisions make clear that nursing homes must provide a basic level of service and care for residents and Medicaid patients," Nygaard wrote in an opinion joined by U.S. Circuit Judge D. Brooks Smith.


Anatomy of a $1.67 Billion IP Verdict

Zusha Elinson, The Recorder

7-1-09 -- News of Monday's record-setting $1.67 billion patent verdict against Abbott Labs had patent lawyers slack-jawed across the country. . . . But perhaps even more surprising to some was the lawyer on the losing side: WilmerHale's William Lee, one of the biggest names in intellectual property litigation. . . . Lee and local co-counsel David Beck of Beck Redden & Secrest were trying to fight allegations that client Abbott's profitable arthritis drug Humira was infringing on rival Johnson & Johnson's IP. On Monday, they faced off in a federal courtroom in Texas in closing arguments with J&J's lawyers: Dianne Elderkin of Woodcock Washburn and local counsel Richard Sayles of Sayles Werbner. . . . The out-of-town lawyers -- Lee is from Boston, and Elderkin is from Philadelphia -- took about half an hour each, with the Texas lawyers finishing the last 15 minutes on folksy notes. With so much at stake, at least one courtroom observer was surprised by the dry style of Lee's closing. . . . "It was more like an argument you'd make to an appellate court than to a group of jurors," said Leon Carter, a Dallas trial lawyer who was one of just about 20 people watching the action from the gallery. . . . Carter, a Munck Carter partner, also said that Lee's body language didn't help him connect with the jurors.



Circuits Split on Sentencing for Financial Fraud

At issue is whether people who are reimbursed for financial losses from criminal schemes should be counted as victims

Sheri Qualters, The National Law Journal

6-30-09 -- The 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday waded into a growing circuit split over how tough judges can be on defendants accused of financial fraud. . . . At issue is whether judges should count people who are reimbursed for financial losses from criminal schemes as victims when deciding whether to increase a defendant's sentence. . . . In a pair of opinions, Judge Kermit V. Lipez, writing for unanimous 1st Circuit panels, upheld 72-month sentences for defendants who were accused of stealing debit card numbers, personal identification numbers, credit card numbers and ultimately money, from customers of Stop & Shop supermarkets in Rhode Island. The cases are United States v. Stephanian and United States v. Ter-Esayan.



CALIFORNIA  

Calif. High Court Gives Workplace Violation Suits Route Around Class Certification

Mike McKee, The Recorder

7-1-09 -- Employees wanting to sue their bosses for workplace violations were given an alternative route Monday that gets around the arduous task of gaining class certification under unfair competition laws. . . . By unanimous vote, the California Supreme Court ruled in two companion cases that employees need not meet class requirements if they seek civil penalties for themselves and others under the Labor Code Private Attorneys General Act of 2004, commonly called PAGA. . . . That was significant because the court also held -- as parties on both sides expected -- that individuals trying to bring unfair competition suits on behalf of others must qualify them as class actions. Employers have been able to fend off UCL suits through rulings denying class certification.


Judge Peter McBrien found to violate the Judicial Code of Ethics on four counts

Laura Lynn, LA Family Courts Examiner

6-30-09 -- The Commission on Judicial Performance Special Masters' Report found Judge Peter McBrien of Sacramento violated the Judicial Code of Ethics on four counts in regards to a family law matter. . . . A copy of the full report, 147 pages can be emailed by request to this reporter at Bohemian_books@yahoo.com or by contacting the CJP. . . . A summary of the charges included: . . . Judge McBrien terminated a trial in the middle of a parties case-in-chief, without giving the party a chance to complete the presentation of evidence or offer rebuttal evidence, and denied that party his constitutional  right  to due process and a fair trial.


No Regrets on Prop 8, Calif. Chief Justice Says

Mike McKee, The Recorder

6-30-09 -- As much as he might have liked to see his landmark ruling favoring same-sex marriage stand, California Chief Justice Ronald George knew he was doing the "right thing" when he upheld Proposition 8 late last month.

"It was so clear to me that was the only right thing to do," he said in an interview Friday. "I've been on the bench for 37 years and have had to let the law take me where it had to, regardless of my own personal views." . . . George gave his thoughts on the Prop 8 ruling -- Strauss v. Horton, 09 C.D.O.S. 6281 -- during a 75-minute interview with The Recorder in his San Francisco chambers. He agreed to talk only because the ruling had become official on Thursday. . . . The chief justice spoke about his reasoning, the reaction it produced, and noted repeatedly that the public has the option of returning to the ballot box, if it wishes. He dismissed questions about how the same-sex marriage cases will affect his legacy.


CONNECTICUT  

Judging The Judges

Connecticut Law Tribune

6-29-09 -- Not since 1978 has Connecticut judged its judges through a comprehensive judicial performance evaluation. It was in that year that the judiciary lobbied the Connecticut Bar Association leadership to end its nationally acclaimed review program. Judicial Branch officials cited fears of an end to judicial independence and potentially unfair attacks on judicial character. The then-chief justice claimed that the judiciary could review the performance of its own judges and would quickly implement a judicial performance program. . . . The judges did eventually implement a survey that is filled out by those having significant hearings or trials before an individual judge. But this survey is a far cry from that utilized by the CBA in the late 1970s. The surveys are limited to a narrow group of respondents, allow no written comments, and are not disseminated to the public. . . . We are left, then, with a judicial reconfirmation system that resembles the Star Chamber. Critics who come forward to challenge reappointment of a single judge may be mercilessly attacked by the Judiciary Committee for their “temerity” and lack of corroboration. At the same time, a judge who becomes the object of criticism has no means of defense, and is similarly held up to suspicion and standard-less review.


LOUISIANA   

Two months after arrest, St. Bernard Parish Judge Wayne Cresap formally charged in conspiracy with two lawyers

by Chris Kirkham, The Times-Picayune

State District Judge Wayne Cresap.

7-1-09 -- More than two months after being arrested by the FBI in connection with a judicial corruption scheme, St. Bernard Parish Judge Wayne Cresap has been formally charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Two St. Bernard Parish lawyers were indicted along with him Wednesday. . . . Wayne Cresap, 62, was formally charged by the U.S. Attorney's office on a bill of information along with St. Bernard Parish lawyers Victor J. "V.J." Dauterive and Nunzio Salvadore "Sal" Cusimano. . . . According to the bill of information, Cresap allegedly took more than a thousand dollars in cash from each lawyer in exchange for allowing inmates to be released from the St. Bernard Parish Prison without putting up money for the bond. / Read the bill of information


NEW JERSEY  



NEW YORK  

Judge Gives Madoff 150-Year Sentence for 'Extraordinarily Evil' Crimes

Mark Hamblett, New York Law Journal

6-30-09 -- Victims of Bernard L. Madoff broke out in cheers and applause on Monday as Southern District of New York Judge Denny Chin ordered a 150-year prison sentence for Madoff's gigantic Ponzi scheme. . . . "Symbolism is important," Chin said as he hit Madoff with the maximum possible term -- by far the largest ever for a white-collar crime, imposed for offenses the judge called "staggering" in size and scope. . . . "Here, the message must be sent that Madoff's crimes were extraordinarily evil," the judge said. "This is not a bloodless financial crime that occurred only on paper, but one that took a staggering human toll." . . . The sentence was ordered after the judge heard 50 minutes of tearful testimony from nine heartbroken victims of a fraud in excess of $13 billion in investor losses to date. Madoff, 71, reportedly admitted the fraud was in excess of $50 billion when he confessed to his sons and prepared for his arrest on Dec. 11.


PENNSYLVANIA  

Board trial for district judge accused of altering records

By Larry King, Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

6-30-09 -- Accused of altering records in a case involving her grandson and using "indecorous language and behavior" toward a police officer, a district judge faces formal charges before a state disciplinary board. . . . Judge Susan E. McEwen, who has held court in Feasterville for more than 22 years, is accused of misconduct in a complaint filed yesterday afternoon by the state Judicial Conduct Board. . . . McEwen, 60, now faces a public trial on the charges before the state Court of Judicial Discipline. If found guilty, McEwen could face sanctions ranging from reprimand to removal. . . . The charges were made public late yesterday afternoon. McEwen has an unlisted home phone number and could not be reached for comment.


TEXAS  

Keller Files #10: Judge’s trial is only the first step

By Chuck Lindell | Austin American-Statesman

6-30-09 -- The August trial on misconduct charges against Sharon Keller kicks off a potentially lengthy process that will determine whether Keller keeps her job as presiding judge of the state’s highest criminal court. Here’s how it works. . . . Step 1: The special trial . . . Slated to begin Aug. 17 in San Antonio and last about a week, these proceedings will resemble a civil trial — with opening statements, closing arguments and in between, witnesses called and cross examined. . . . But instead of rendering a verdict, state District Court Judge David Berchelmann Jr. — appointed by the Texas Supreme Court to oversee Keller’s trial as “special master” — will issue findings to the State Commission on Judicial Conduct. That’s the 13-member investigative agency that charged Keller with misconduct. . . . Berchelmann has no time limit to produce his findings other than a state rule that requires him to act “promptly.”


http://www.filitrac.com/Click.aspx?fltrid=xeXQEy98aegSKXkjmBQFotMOzNJqOb2EYXq53VohLtQ%3d&FiliAff=7730&sid=filitrack


June 27-June 29, 2009

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

Newtown Square mom may take case to Supreme Court

By Kristin E. Holmes , Philadelphia Inquirer Staff Writer

6-29-09 -- The decision that Donna Kay Busch and her attorneys must make by Aug. 31 could put the Newtown Square mother of three before the U.S. Supreme Court. . . . She is considering whether to continue with a case that tackles issues of free speech and separation of church and state. If she goes forward, Busch says, the only cause she wants to strike a blow for is her son Wesley. . . . "I am his advocate," said Busch, 47, a business consultant. . . . In a 2005 lawsuit against the Marple Newtown School District and its officials, Busch contends that her and her son's right to religious expression was violated when she was not allowed to read from the Bible during an exercise in Wesley's kindergarten class at Culbertson Elementary School in Newtown Square.


Inside the Supreme Court Confirmation Process: Q&A With Sen. Ted Kaufman

David Ingram, The National Law Journal

6-29-09 -- Sen. Ted Kaufman, D-Del., worked behind the scenes on Supreme Court nominations for much of the last three decades, as an adviser and chief of staff to then-Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del. Biden, for part of that time, organized the confirmation process as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Now, as Biden's successor and a member of the Judiciary Committee, Kaufman will have the chance to question and vote on a nominee when the Senate weighs in on Judge Sonia Sotomayor. . . . Kaufman recently wrote about "judicial activism" for The National Law Journal. He also sat down to reflect on his experiences on Biden's staff. What follows is a transcript of the interview edited for length and clarity.


FEDERAL COURTS

Civil Rights Laws Don't Insulate Against 'Innuendo,' Judge Rules

Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer

6-29-09 -- Ruling there is no constitutional right to be free from "innuendo," a federal judge has dismissed a civil rights suit brought by a police chief who claimed his reputation was damaged when borough officials posted an Internet notice that said he had been suspended. . . . "A truthful statement that damages one's reputation simply does not trigger any constitutional concerns," U.S. District Judge J. Curtis Joyner wrote in his 28-page opinion in McCarthy v. Darman. . . . Plaintiff Albert McCarthy claimed in the suit that he was defamed because notice of his suspension with pay pending the outcome of an investigation was published on the Internet as part of the minutes from a borough council meeting.



Madoff is sentenced to 150 years

Boston Globe Legal Team

6-29-09 -- Bernard Madoff was sentenced to 150 years in prison for his multibillion-dollar fraud scheme in a court room here today. . . . "I cannot offer an excuse for my behavior," said Madoff, 71, who also told the court, "I will have to live with the pain and torment for the rest of my life." . . . In handing down the sentence, US District Judge Denny Chin said, "The message must be sent that Mr. Madoff's crimes were extraordinarily evil." . . . Madoff was arrested late last year after confessing to his sons that his secretive investment advisory business was a "big lie." . . . He pleaded guilty to securities fraud and other charges in March and has been jailed since. . . . Madoff's victims included Boston-area investors and nonprofits. . . . Saphira Linden, the artistic director of the Omega Theater in Jamaica Plain, was closely monitoring news reports this morning about Madoff's sentencing. . . . According to previous Globe coverage, the Omega Theater lost its entire $70,000 endowment with Madoff. . . . Linden added that she personally lost money as an individual investor as well. / Read the government's sentencing memorandum (pdf).


Free Credit Report


ARIZONA  

The People Speak: Dismiss judge in child rape case from bench

Sharon Tidwell, Council Hill / published in Muskogee Daily Phoenix

6-27-09 -- I couldn’t disagree more with the opinion stated in the June 21 article of “Editorially speaking” regarding the Pittsburg County child rape case. The punishment Judge Bartheld imposed on David Earls is shameful. It is high time that people (yes, even judges) are held accountable for their actions. . . . Regardless of who initiates the action of removing Bartheld, public opinion is clear and stands firmly on the side of right. I applaud the resolution Reps. Mike Ritze and Mike Reynolds have submitted. These gentlemen are elected officials who are speaking for and acting on my behalf. Since I don’t have the resources to voice my concerns to the Council on Judicial Complaints, I am thankful they are making an effort to correct what is wrong with our society and judicial system. . . . Why not let of the people, for the people, and by the people work for a change?


Judge Hinson admits guilt, resigns Sept. 30

By Bruce Colbert, Sun Shopper Reporter

6-25-09 -- Yavapai County Superior Court Judge Howard D. Hinson Jr. is resigning effective Sept 30. . . . His impending resignation will resolve misconduct charges against him. . . . Under his agreement with the Commission on Judicial Conduct he admitted to charges against him and agreed to resign his job Sept. 30. . . . Based on a complaint from an unidentified source this past February, the commission started investigating Hinson. The complaint alleged that Hinson exceeded the required 60-day time limit to rule on cases, that he filed inaccurate monthly certifications declaring that he did not have any cases more than 60 days old pending before him, and that he did not institute a comprehensive administrative case tracking system to ensure his compliance with ruling on cases within the 60-day timeframe. . . . The conduct commission issued a press release Thursday afternoon explaining the resolution of the charges. . . . According to the commission, Hinson admitted that he did not comply with the 60-day ruling time limit for 25 cases during the past three years and that he submitted inaccurate ruling certifications 11 times.


ARKANSAS  

Arkansas Judge Faces Firing For Alleged Relationships With Defendants

Associated Press, FOXNews

6-26-09 -- The Arkansas Judicial Discipline and Disability Commission on Friday recommended that a Pulaski County circuit judge be removed from the bench for having too close of a relationship with some defendants who were on probation. . . . The commission unanimously found that Judge Willard Proctor violated judicial rules 16 times through his work with the Cycle Breakers probation program. The decision now heads to the Arkansas Supreme Court, which will determine whether he should be removed from office. . . . Proctor, who won office in 2000 by defeating judge who was fighting his own removal from office, was investigated for financially benefiting from the program and his relationships with probationers.


ILLINOIS  

Nothing is more disgusting in Chicago than the lack of justice
By Ray Hanania, Southwest News-Herald

6-26-09 -- Had Anthony Abbate been Black, he would have had the book thrown at him. But Anthony Abbate is an arrogant fat pig of a Chicago cop who was caught on tape in a drunken stuper beating the crap out of a young female bartender. I don’t mean “fat” as just some kind of pejorative adjective, although that certainly hangs easily around Abbate’s dirt bag neck. . . . At 250 pounds, he’s overweight and that only added to the disgusting video scene as he pummeled, pounded, beat, kicked and dragged mercilessly the 125-pound Karolina Obrycka as she tended bar where she was working in February 2007 and where Abbate was drinking himself into an alcoholic stupor. ***** Instead of throwing that fat dirt-bag cop in to jail, Cook County Circuit Judge John Fleming gave the 40-year-old Anthony Abbate, a slap on the hand: home curfew of 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. and 130 hours of “community service.” . . . Who is this Fleming? Here’s his bio from one of those legal web sites:

Legal Experience: 1980-83, assistant general attorney, Chicago Park District (in house counsel); 1983-91, assistant state's attorney, Cook County (traffic 4th Municipal District and Felony Trial Divisions); 1991-94, deputy general attorney, Chicago Park District (supervise the Litigation Division); 1994-1995, ALJ, City of Chicago (Personnel and Parking departments); 1996-1996, Director of Administrative Adjudication, City of Chicago. . . . . Judicial Experience: Judge Fleming was first elected to the bench in November of 1996. He was originally  assigned to the 1st Municipal District of the Circuit Court of Cook County. He served in Traffic Court, Domestic Violence and Misdemeanor sections. He is currently assigned to Felony preliminary hearings and Central Bond Court at the Criminal Courts Building.

He has the “culture of corruption” stamp padded all over him.


Judging The Judge in the Cop Beating Case

Dennis Byrne, Chicago Daily Observer

6-26-09 -- For more than 20 years as a columnist, I’ve kept my mouth shut whenever a judge or a jury makes a decision that I don’t believe is right. Even when every opinionizer in the country was fuming over the jury’s acquittal of O.J. Simpson of murder charges, I didn’t write in disagreement, although I was mightily shocked. . . . The reason is that I wasn’t in the courtroom, hearing all the facts and law. I wasn’t in the jury room, listening to peers shift through the evidence. Second guessing the justice system is a dangerous sport, weakening our respect for the law and criminal proceedings. . . . This self-imposed silence on my part is now challenged by one Cook County Circuit Judge John J. Fleming, who sentenced a big cop to two years probation for beating up a tiny woman bartender, as shown on a security camera tape that circulated digitally around the world. The 250-pound cop, Anthony Abbate, also was ordered to perform 130 hours of community service at a homeless shelter, attend anger management classes, observe a strict 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew during the probation period and undergo drug and alcohol evaluations. . . . Sounds like a lot, but it’s not much compared with the licking he handed out to the bartender, Karolina Obrycka. Fleming could have sentenced Abbate to as much as five years in prison, but the judge said, “If I believed sentencing Anthony Abbate to prison would stop people from getting drunk and hitting people, I’d give him the maximum sentence. But I don’t believe that’s the case.” Well, judge, deterrence, is supposed to be a part of it.


Click for Peoples' Perception of the Courts


LOUISIANA   

BR judge escapes court sanctions

By Steven Ward, Advocate staff writer

6-27-09 -- The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled Friday it will not discipline a Baton Rouge judge who ordered drug court defendants to pay more than $83,000 in fines to an anti-substance abuse group the judge was affiliated with at the time. . . . The Judiciary Commission of Louisiana issued a report in April accusing state District Judge William Morvant of violating the state’s code of judicial conduct by “misusing the prestige and authority” of his office in improperly sentencing defendants to pay fees of $50 to $100 to the I Care program. The program was created for the East Baton Rouge Parish school system to help students avoid the use of drugs, alcohol and tobacco. . . . I Care is not certified by the state for drug treatment. . . . The Judiciary Commission wanted the state’s high court to censure or publicly reprimand Morvant and have the judge pay $2,353.54 for the cost of its investigation.


NEW JERSEY  

NJ Supreme Court justice gets tenure

The Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer

6-27-09 -- Lawmakers have confirmed the reappointment of New Jersey Supreme Court Justice Barry Albin. . . . The state Senate voted 27-11 early Friday to grant tenure to the 56-year-old Albin, meaning he will be eligible to serve until age 70. All 23 Democrats supported his reappointment, as did four Republicans. . . . All 11 votes against Albin were cast by Republicans who said they did not dispute his qualifications for the post, but believe the overall court takes too active a role in directing matters such as school funding and affordable housing. . . . Albin, who turns 57 on July 7, was first appointed to the court by former Democratic Gov. Jim McGreevey. The Warren Township resident is one of four Democrats on the seven-member court.


Try Angie's List Today!


NEW YORK  

Judge Calls Frivolous Suits Against Attorneys a 'Disturbing Trend'

Mark Fass, New York Law Journal

6-29-09 -- A Staten Island, N.Y., judge has thrown out a small claims action over a broken furnace filed by the buyer of a house against the seller's attorney. . . . Civil Court Judge Philip P. Straniere (See Profile) commended the claimant for admitting that after he learned that the seller had moved out of state, he pursued the action against the seller's attorney pursuant to his own attorney's advice. His own attorney denies that claim. . . . The judge nonetheless dismissed the action and scheduled a hearing to determine the damages, if any, from the claimant's frivolous action. . . . "This is another case of what appears to be a disturbing trend of litigation being brought by persons suing attorneys who did not represent them for that attorney's proper representation of his or her client," Judge Straniere wrote in DeFelice v. Costagliola, 81/09. "The theory behind bringing these baseless legal actions being that owing to the small amount of money involved, the lawyer would pay the claim rather than engage in the cost of litigation." . . . Pro se claimant Joseph DeFelice purchased a house in Rossville, Staten Island, in December 2008 from seller Catherine Able, who was represented by solo-practitioner Jon Costagliola.


Editorial: Poor judgment

Kingston Daily Freeman Editorial

6-28-09 -- SO, THE STATE Commission on Judicial Conduct has a problem with Kingston City Court Judge James Gilpatric. . . . Again. . . . For the second time in four years, Gilpatric is under disciplinary proceedings for his actions on the bench. . . . Or, more properly, for his inaction on the bench. . . . Gilpatric, previously disciplined by the commission for being drunk on the bench, admits he allowed cases that by law were to be decided in 30 days to languish for up to three years. . . . Not his fault, he says. Was doing the best that he could under the circumstances, he says. . . . Unconvincing, we say. . . . The time in question is a three-and-a-half-year period beginning in November 2004, two months after his public drunkenness on the bench. . . . The commission cites Gilpatric for failing to render judgments within 30 days of final submissions on small claims and summary proceedings as required by law, “delaying for as long as 10, 11, 12 or 14 months in some cases. In one case ... (failing) to render a decision for at least 30 months.”


OHIO  

West Virginia case is a warning against mixing judges, money and politics

The Plain Dealer Editorial

6-29-09 -- The U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that a West Virginia Supreme Court judge should have recused himself from a case involving a big campaign contributor raises a caution sign for many states, including Ohio. . . . The five-justice majority didn't set a hard and fast standard for how much monetary influence was too much, and that bothered the four-justice minority. . . . The dissenters fear that the nebulous nature of the ruling will invite many more challenges to elected judges' integrity. If that proves true, the blame should be fixed where it belongs -- not on the court's majority, but on states such as Ohio, whose insistence on the popular election of judges cannot fail to politicize their courts.


PENNSYLVANIA  

Editorial: Toss this judge off the bench

Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial

6-27-09 -- Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Judge Willis W. Berry Jr. should be removed from the bench and stripped of his pension for brazenly running a real estate business out of his chambers with city court staff. . . . A state judicial-disciplinary court on Thursday made the compelling case for Berry's ouster from an elected post that pays him nearly $162,000 a year. It concluded that Berry broke the law by using city workers and office equipment. . . . That allegation should be pursued by city and state prosecutors. If nothing else, prosecutors' inquiries will serve as a warning against other city officials' using taxpayer-paid staff to conduct personal business dealings. . . . To restore public confidence in the courts, the most important move will be to strip Berry, 66, of his judicial robes.


WISCONSIN    

To recuse or not to recuse

By Steve Jagler, Milwaukee Small Business Times

6-28-09 -- Should a justice on the Wisconsin Supreme Court recuse himself or herself from cases involving litigants who donated $1,000 or more to the judge's election campaign? . . . The court has the authority to amend the state judicial code without having to run it past the state legislature. . . . Justices on the court are pondering dueling petitions on the issue of recusal. . . . The first petition was filed by the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin Education Fund, with full support from the Wisconsin Democracy Campaign and Common Cause in Wisconsin. . . . In a joint statement, the three organizations called for recusals when litigants contribute $1,000 or more to a justice's campaign "or tried to influence a campaign through mass communications," i.e. bogus television "issue ads" that always end with a phrase such as, "Tell Justice So-and-So to (fill in the blank for whatever cause)."


State lawyer office files complaint against judge Kessler

By Marie Rohde of the Journal Sentinel

6-26-09 -- Appeals Court Judge Joan Kessler lied about her role in obtaining information used against her opponent in a hotly contested campaign five years ago, according to a complaint filed by the Office of Lawyer Regulation. . . . In a statement released this week by her lawyer, Kessler called the complaint meritless and politically motivated. . . . "Because I have done nothing wrong, I previously rejected an offer to resolve this with a private reprimand," Kessler said. . . . In 2004, Kessler defeated incumbent Charles Schudson for a seat on the1st District Court of Appeals in Milwaukee. . . . Schudson complained that Kessler was behind a smear campaign in the run-up to the election. Someone had filed a complaint with the Judicial Commission alleging Schudson had violated an ethical tenet that prohibits judges from using their positions to influence others when he wrote a letter in support of a friend being sentenced in federal court. Less than a month before the election, the complaint was leaked to the Journal Sentinel.


Get your FREE Last Will & Testament from RocketLawyer.com!


June 25-June 26, 2009

UNITED STATES SUPREME COURT

Congressional Research Service on Sotomayor: Hard to Categorize

Tony Mauro, The National Law Journal

6-26-09 -- The nonpartisan Congressional Research Service has produced a report on the opinions of Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor, drawing conclusions that lend support to her advocates' assertions that she is far from an extreme liberal. . . . "As a group, the opinions belie easy categorization along any ideological spectrum," states the report, which became available online Thursday. "Perhaps the most consistent characteristic of Judge Sotomayor's approach as an appellate judge has been an adherence to the doctrine of stare decisis, i.e., the upholding of past judicial precedents. Other characteristics appear to include what many would describe as a careful application of particular facts at issue in a case and a dislike for situations in which the court might be seen as overstepping its judicial role." . . . In her respect for precedent, the report adds, Sotomayor's approach "would be in line with the judicial philosophy of Justice [David]Souter," the justice she is in line to replace. The report also says a common characteristic of her opinions on the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is "a meticulous evaluation of the particular facts at issue in a case, which may inform whether past judicial precedents from the circuit are applicable. Her approach to statutory interpretation seems similarly nuanced." In a story this week we also looked at her meticulous opinion-writing style.


The Supreme Court nominee who can't write

By Carey Roberts, Renew America

6-24-09 -- Supreme Court opinions are words for the generations that can affect the lives and welfare of millions. No one doubts that Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor has a compelling life story. But more to the point, we need to inquire about her aptitude to draft thoughtfully-reasoned, well-crafted legal opinions. . . . On this count, there is reason for worry. . . . Sotomayor herself has admitted, "Writing remains a challenge for me even today...I am not a natural writer." Reporter Stephanie Mencimer has characterized Sotomayor's legal opinions as "good punishment for law students who show up late for class." . . . A cursory pass of Sotomayor's writings reveals them to be clumsy to the point of being impenetrable. This comes from her "wise Latina" speech: "I also hope that by raising the question today of what difference having more Latinos and Latinas on the bench will make will start your own evaluation."


FEDERAL COURTS

No Bail for Blogger Accused of Threatening Judges

David Porter, The Associated Press, Law.com

6-26-09 -- A judge denied bail Thursday to a New Jersey blogger charged with threatening to assault or murder three Chicago-based federal judges. . . . U.S. Magistrate Michael Shipp ordered Harold "Hal" Turner transferred to Illinois to face the charge, which carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years. . . . According to a federal complaint, the 47-year-old Turner threatened three Chicago appellate judges who refused to overturn handgun bans. . . . "These judges deserve to be killed," Turner wrote on his blog, www.turnerradionetwork.com, according to the complaint, and he also provided a map showing the Chicago courthouse where the judges are based and said a map showing their homes would be added.


Blogger Charged With Threatening to Kill Three Federal Judges

Internet radio host's Web posting said Posner and two other 7th Circuit judges 'deserve to be killed' for their ruling on handgun laws

Lynne Marek, The National Law Journal

6-25-09 -- A blogger and Internet radio host was arrested by the FBI in North Bergen, N.J., on Wednesday after urging the killing of three Chicago-based federal appellate judges who earlier this month declined in a court ruling to overturn laws banning handguns in Chicago and a nearby suburb. . . . The blogger, Hal Turner, in a June 2 Web posting on the same day of the ruling, called the decision an "outrage" and said that the judges "deserve to be killed." The complaint charged him with threatening to assault and murder the judges in retaliation for performing their official duties. . . . In a second posting on June 3, Turner provided the names, work addresses, phone numbers and photos of the three judges on the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago who were on the panel that made the decision. Chief Judge Frank Easterbrook, Judge Richard Posner and Judge William Bauer were the three judges named. National Rifle Association v. City of Chicago (pdf), nos. 08-4142, 08-4243 and 08-4244. Turner said the judges "ignored" the Second Amendment's right to bear arms and disregarded U.S. Supreme Court rulings. . . . "We take threats to federal judges very seriously. Period," said U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald in a press release announcing the arrest of Turner and the criminal complaint filed against him (pdf) in the Northern District of Illinois.


N.Y. Federal Judge Delays Restitution Order in Madoff Case

Larry Neumeister, The Associated Press, Law.com

6-25-09 -- Financier Bernard Madoff will not be ordered to pay restitution at his sentencing next week, a judge said Wednesday, citing the complexity of the multibillion-dollar fraud. . . . U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said in an order that the sentencing will proceed as scheduled on Monday. . . . But he granted a request by prosecutors to delay for three months deciding whether to order restitution or to order victim compensation through forfeiture laws and related regulations. . . . "I find that the number of victims, the difficulties posed by the lack of proper record-keeping, and the scope, complexity and duration of the fraud make it impossible, at this stage, to determine whether restitution is practiceable," Chin wrote.



3rd Circuit Mulls Pre-emption of Class Action Over Snapple's Nutrition Claims

Shannon P. Duffy, The Legal Intelligencer

6-25-09 -- A panel of the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals appears likely to revive a consumer fraud suit that accuses the popular Snapple line of beverages of misleading the public by proclaiming it was "All Natural" even though it was sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS -- an ingredient the plaintiffs' lawyers have labeled "synthesized" and "unnatural." . . . In a series of pointed questions from all three judges during a lively hour-long argument Wednesday at the Newark, N.J., federal courthouse, there seemed to be strong hints that the case would become part of a recent trend in the courts to allow such consumer or products liability suits -- and to reject the arguments of manufacturers who contend that the private suits risk havoc by conflicting with or frustrating federal regulations. . . . A lower court judge had tossed the Snapple case in June 2007, concluding that such state-law consumer claims were pre-empted by the Food and Drug Administration's labeling regulations.


Home Depot Product Liability Suits Advance

Federal judge rules plaintiffs can't seek damages under federal Consumer Product Safety Act

R. Robin McDonald, Fulton County Daily Report

6-25-09 -- A federal judge in Atlanta is permitting dozens of product liability suits against Home Depot and the makers of a tile grout cleaner to proceed to trial on negligence claims, but he has stripped away other claims that sought damages for violating federal consumer product safety laws. . . . Ten of those suits, filed by an Atlanta attorney on behalf of Home Depot customers who were hospitalized after using Tile Perfect Stand 'N Seal Spray-On Grout Cleaner, are among approximately 50 suits that have settled, according to a Home Depot attorney. The settlements are confidential, said Frank A. Ilardi of Houck, Ilardi & Regas, who shared lead counsel duties with Texas attorney William J. Maiberger Jr. until Ilardi negotiated the settlements.


Virginia Abortion Restriction Is Upheld

U.S. Appeals Court Votes 6-5 to Back 'Partial Birth' Ban

By Josh White, Washington Post Staff Writer  

6-25-09 -- A sharply divided federal appeals court ruled constitutional yesterday a Virginia law banning "partial birth" abortion that was overturned four years ago, bringing the state in line with a federal ban on the controversial procedure. . . . A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit overturned the Virginia law in 2005 by a 2 to 1 vote, finding that it did not allow for exceptions to safeguard a woman's health. The Supreme Court ordered the appeals judges to revisit the issue when it upheld the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act two years ago, a law passed by Congress in 2003 that is similar to Virginia's ban. . . . Although the Virginia law permits women to choose various abortion procedures, it specifically makes it a crime for doctors to perform a rare midterm abortion that involves partially delivering the fetus before crushing its skull to ease removal. . . . William G. Fitzhugh, a Richmond doctor who challenged the law, argued that the procedure can be necessary to protect the life of a patient and that banning it could prevent doctors from performing legal procedures out of a fear of prosecution. Opponents of the procedure liken it to infanticide.


ALABAMA  

Court: no settling in case of Hale judge

By Dana Beyerle Montgomery Bureau Chief

6-25-09 -- The Court of the Judiciary has rejected a proposed settlement of ethics charges against Hale County Circuit Judge Marvin Wiggins. . . . A joint motion to resolve the charges failed to earn the approval of at least six of the nine court members as required by the court's rules, according to an order filed Wednesday. . . . A May 4 complaint filed with the court by the Judicial Inquiry Commission alleges that Wiggins violated seven of the Alabama Canons of Judicial Ethics in handling a voter fraud investigation involving three of his relatives. . . . The court on May 27 issued a delay of the requirement that Wiggins respond to the charges within 30 days, pending a joint motion to settle the case. The court lifted the delay Wednesday and gave Wiggins 10 days to respond to the ethics charges.


CALIFORNIA  

Calif. Trial Courts May Get $41 Million IOU

Cheryl Miller, The Recorder

6-25-09 -- California's judicial branch could receive a $41 million IOU from the state next week if lawmakers don't close a $24 billion budget deficit within days, Controller John Chiang said Wednesday. . . . "Next Wednesday we start a fiscal year with a massively unbalanced spending plan and a cash shortfall not seen since the Great Depression," Chiang said in a prepared statement. . . . Without enough cash on hand, the state will start withholding $3.36 billion in payments as soon as next Thursday for student aid, assistance to the poor and disabled, mental health services and trial court operations, Chiang said. . . . The controller's office was quick to add that judges and state employees, including those working in California's courts, will continue to be paid as required by state law. But payments for court operations will be held, Chiang spokeswoman Hallye Jordan confirmed, although neither she nor judicial executives could immediately say what programs or services would be affected.


GEORGIA  

Hustler could appeal ruling on nude photos of Benoit’s wife

By Megan Matteucci, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

6-25-09 -- Hustler Magazine had no right to publish nude photographs of Chris Benoit’s deceased wife, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday. . . . The family of the late Nancy Benoit filed a federal suit against Larry Flynt Publishing Group last year after Hustler published nude photographs of the professional wrestler’s wife. . . . “When this came out, it was like she had been murdered all over again. It was just horrible,” said Richard Decker, the family’s lawyer. “These photographs would have never made it to Hustler because they just weren’t raunchy enough without the notoriety.” . . . The magazine featured front nudity of Benoit, along with other suggestive poses, Decker said. . . . A spokesman for Hustler said Thursday he had not seen the suit and could not comment. . . . Nancy Benoit, of Fayette County, posed nude for still photographs and a video in 1983. At the time, she was an aspiring model and not married to the wrestler, according to the lawsuit.


ILLINOIS  

Justices: 'No reasonable person' could adopt Bailey's ruling in Buske case

By Steve Korris, St. Clair Record 

6-25-09 -- Madison County Associate Judge Duane Bailey unreasonably prevented household product maker S.C. Johnson from pursuing a Wisconsin judgment in Wisconsin, Fifth District appeals judges ruled on June 18. . . . "Because the trial court's ruling had no basis in the pleadings and the facts of this case, no reasonable person could adopt the view taken by the trial court in this case," Justice Stephen Spomer wrote. . . . S.C. Johnson seeks to block a pending divorce between trucking company owner Thomas Buske and wife Sara Buske, calling it a sham. . . . S.C. Johnson alleges that the divorce would keep it from collecting a judgment it won against Thomas Buske in Racine, Wisc., the company's home. . . . In December Bailey enjoined S.C. Johnson from collecting the Wisconsin judgment.


Civil justice group criticizes ruling on judges' mandatory retirement age

By Chris Rizo Legal Newsline

6-24-09 -- The Illinois Supreme Court's recent ruling against a mandatory state law barring judges from running for retention after age 75 has drawn criticism from the state's leading civil justice group. . . . The Illinois high court last week ruled in favor of Cook County William Maddux, 74, who argued that state law should not keep him from running for retention after he turns 75. . . . Maddux is the presiding judge of the law division of Cook County Circuit Court. His current judicial term expires in fall 2010. . . . The state's Compulsory Retirement of Judges Act says that a jurist is "automatically retired at the expiration of the term in which the judge attains the age of 75." . . . The law would have allowed Maddux to run in a contested election in which his name would appear in a long list of judicial aspirants. . . . The state Supreme Court ruled that the law discriminates against judges who turned 75 on the bench because they would be barred from seeking election because person who was never a judge and was older than 75 could run.



INDIANA  

Ethics panel admonishes Walkerton town court judge

By Jeff Parrott ,WSBT-TV Tribune Staff Writer

6-24-09 -- The Indiana Commission on Judicial Qualifications has publicly admonished Walkerton’s town court judge for employing his wife as clerk and effectively acting as both judge and prosecutor in a traffic violations case. . . . The commission determined that Judge Roger L. Huizenga violated judicial rules by employing his wife as clerk from 1995 through 2009. In 1998, the commission issued an advisory opinion stating that a judge should avoid “nepotism and favoritism,” and that “employment or appointment of a spouse likely will never be appropriate.” . . . Once the opinion was issued, Huizenga failed to contact the commission and ask about the propriety of his wife’s continued employment with the court, the commission concluded. . . . She resigned once she became aware of the commission’s investigation. . . . Huizenga also violated judicial rules when he discussed how to resolve misdemeanor traffic infractions against a woman who had approached him about receiving tickets for speeding and having an expired license plate. The judge told her she would have to pay the ticket but could have the license plate ticket dismissed if she paid to have it renewed within 30 days. . . . When she later failed to renew her license plate, her license was suspended.


KENTUCKY  

Central Ky. family court judge faces misconduct charges

By Shawntaye Hopkins - Kentucky.com

6-26-09 -- The state's Judicial Conduct Commission has charged a family court judge with misconduct in relation to three incidents in Scott and Woodford counties. . . . Family Court Judge Tamra Gormley, who was appointed in 2007 to a district that covers Scott, Woodford and Bourbon counties, is scheduled to appear in Fayette Circuit Court for a hearing at 9 a.m. Sept. 28. . . . The three sets of charges could result in separate or collective penalties including public or private reprimand, suspension without pay or removal or retirement from judicial office, according to documents obtained from the Judicial Conduct Commission. The commission, which investigates and reviews complaints against judges, is the only entity authorized to discipline a sitting Kentucky judge, according to state law.


MISSISSIPPI  

Feds want to block judge from saying rulings legal

Associated Press    Picayune Item

6-25-09 -- Mississippi Judge Bobby DeLaughter, facing federal corruption charges, has said his rulings followed the letter of the law. Federal prosecutors don’t want a jury to hear that when his trial begins in August. . . . He is accused of giving an unfair advantage to once-powerful attorney Richard “Dickie” Scruggs in a lawsuit between Scruggs and another attorney over millions of dollars in legal fees from asbestos litigation. . . . Prosecutors asked a judge in a pretrial motion filed Monday to block DeLaughter from giving any testimony that his rulings followed the law, claiming it would take weeks during the trial. . . . “Because it would ‘convey no useful information,’ the government respectfully suggests that such evidence would be both irrelevant and immaterial and should therefore be excluded,” the motion said. . . . DeLaughter’s attorney, Thomas Anthony Durkin of Chicago, said if the government’s own witnesses in the case are honest, “we are quite confident that they will admit that all of Judge DeLaughter’s rulings followed both the letter and spirit of the law.”


Diaz countersues ex-U.S. attorney

Former state justice alleges charges brought against him were libelous

Jimmie E. Gates • clarionledger.com

6-24-09 -- Former Mississippi Justice Oliver Diaz Jr. and former U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton could face off in a federal courtroom again. . . . But this time, it would be a civil case. . . . Diaz and Jennifer Diaz have filed a counter federal lawsuit against Lampton accusing him of bringing libelous charges against the then-justice to try to get him removed from office. . . . Lampton, who retired earlier this year as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Mississippi, called the lawsuit baseless in court papers filed by his attorney, Dennis Horn. . . . The legal complaint, unsealed this week in federal court in Jackson, alleges Lampton illegally obtained income tax and bank records of Jennifer Diaz, invaded her privacy and abused the process by conspiring with a member and a staffer of the state's judicial watchdog group, the Mississippi Commission on Judicial Performance, in an effort to have Diaz removed from office. . . . The lawsuit says the private records of Jennifer Diaz, who was the judge's ex-wife at the time, were used to bring false charges against Oliver Diaz before the Commission on Judicial Performance.


NEW JERSEY  

Initial Talks Created Attorney-Client Relationship, Court Rules

A lawyer's discussions with a potential client are found to bar his firm's representation of an existing one

Mary Pat Gallagher, New Jersey Law Journal

6-26-09 -- Construction lawyer Robert Peckar has good cause to regret his talks with architect Scott Keller in 2005 about a possible suit against William Paterson University over the renovation of its student center. . . . A New Jersey appeals court ruled Wednesday that an implied attorney-client relationship resulted, disqualifying Peckar and his firm, Peckar & Abramson, from representing an existing client that became embroiled in the ensuing litigation. . . . No retainer agreement was signed, no file opened and no fees billed, but "these formalized trappings of retention are not dispositive as to whether an implied attorney-client relationship was formed," a three-judge panel wrote per curiam in Gruzen Samton v. William Paterson University , A-1922-08.


PENNSYLVANIA  

Panel: Philly judge guilty of theft of services

The Associated Press, Philadelphia Inquirer  

6-26-09 -- A state disciplinary panel says a Philadelphia judge ran a real estate business out of his court office for more than a decade, with taxpayers footing the bill. . . . The Court of Judicial Discipline ruled on Wednesday that Common Pleas Judge Willis Berry Jr. committed theft of services and put the judiciary in "disrepute." . . . According to the panel, Berry operated a string of North Philadelphia apartments "with absolutely no overhead" by using court computers, equipment and supplies, and the labor of his secretary.


TEXAS  

Federal Jury Awards $5M to Texas Man Convicted on Bad Crime Lab Evidence

By Martha Neil, ABA Journal

6-25-09 -- After wrestling with the concept of deliberate indifference, a federal jury in Texas today awarded $5 million to a man wrongfully convicted in a kidnapping and rape case more than two decades ago. . . . George Rodriguez, 59, was incarcerated for 17 years, based on false testimony by an employee of the troubled Houston Police Department crime lab, before DNA evidence exonerated him, reports the Houston Chronicle. . . . Although satisfied with the verdict, Rodriguez tells the newspaper: "No money could replace what I have lost." . . . After deliberating for about six hours, the five-woman, three-man jury sent U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore a note yesterday. It said they couldn't decide whether police chief Lee Brown was deliberately indifferent to a lack of training and supervision at the lab and the consequent possibility that a suspect's constitutional right to a fair trial would be violated, the newspaper reported in another article. . . . It isn't clear how the jury got past this impasse.


Top

Win Without a Lawyer
Step-by-step tutorials show how.
Legal self-help that works!

Written by an attorney!

Order from
Jurisdictionary today!

When placing an order please use this website to link to Jurisdictionary.


Injury Helpline Attorney: If you have been injured, we can help.



Get paid for your opinion.

Get $50 Cash Back from Discover!



Thanksgiving smidgens!  The perfect Thanksgiving treat!


PETsMART



2009 Horoscope

“Political language…is designed to make lies sound truthful and murder respectable, and to give an appearance of solidity to pure wind.”
--George Orwell


United Civil Rights Councils of America

"Gender neutral. Child positive. Constitution mandatory."

Click for
10 Main Focus Areas


N

 

Hit Counter

INAUGURATED ON: September 26, 2004
Updated on 07/04/2009