News & Politics

The Florida Supreme Court has disbarred an attorney who filed meritless racial bias employment cases as a form of “extortion.” He also allowed a paralegal (who happens to be a convicted felon) to practice law and shared fees with him, according to this.

The 69-page opinion contradicts the Fifth Circuit and an Opinion of the U.S. Attorney General. Lining up the ducks for Supreme Court review? Read an article about the opinion here, or read the opinion itself (PDF format).

Here’s an interesting article about the psychology of coerced confessions, relating to the Central Park “wilding” case and its aftermath. UPDATE: Manhattan DA moves to dismiss the 1989 convictions of all five “wilding” defendants. Read about it here.

Okay. I admit that this story has nothing to do with law. But it was so bizarre that I just had to link to Reuters’ coverage of it.

Read Dahlia Lithwick’s report on the oral arguments at the Supreme Court on this issue today. (Sometimes even I start to think that this blog is little more than a mirror site to Lithwick’s Supreme Court reporting on Slate. But you’ve got to admit: She’s good, baby. Damn good!) UPDATE: Read CNN’s somewhat less amusing (but still interesting) report on the arguments here.

The Contra Costa Times is running a relatively long article about the incident that quotes a professor who says the alleged victim sought her advice months before the scandal surfaced. You can read it here.

A Federal District Court Judge in Chicago awarded $1 million in damages and $10 million in punitives each to 46 male college athletes who were secretly taped in their locker rooms, restrooms, and showers. The defendants were eight companies and three individuals who marketed the videos on the internet at sites advertising “hot younger dudes.” ESPN is reporting on it here.

The prosecution has asked for 3 years probation and $26k in restitution and fines at the sentencing hearing this Friday Dec. 6 on Winona Ryder’s shoplifting conviction. The Sentencing Memorandum also reveals for the first time that Winona had eight (count ’em, eight!) different kinds of narcotic pain killers on her when arrested. (I personally require a maximum of only six pain killers, all labeled “Budweiser,” even on bad days.) (Thanks to thesmokinggun for the link.)

Musician George Michael was sued for slander by Los Angeles police officer Marcelo Rodriguez after Michael alleged that Rodriquez had entrapped him in Michael’s 1998 arrest for lewd behavior in a Beverly Hills public restroom. Michael stated publicly that Rodriguez had “induced” him to misbehave because Rodriguez had exposed himself to and masturbated in front of Michael before Michael got nasty. The trial court dismissed the case for failure to state a claim, but now the Ninth Circuit says Officer Rodriguez can have his day in court. Justice Reinhardt dissents. (PDF format) (Cudos to How Appealing for the link.)

In a ruling directly contradicting a recent California Court of Appeals decision (review denied by Cal. Supreme Court), the Ninth Circuit today said punitive damages for actions beyond a state’s borders cannot be awarded by a state court, according to this article. You can read the Ninth Circuit’s opinion in White v. Ford Motor Company here (PDF format).