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Spanish king's son-in-law makes court appearance
Court Watch |
2013/02/27 00:20
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Protesters jeered the Spanish king's son-in-law before he was questioned Saturday by a judge about allegations he and a partner funneled away millions of euros through fraudulent deals.
The investigation has deeply embarrassed the monarchy in a country hard hit by a financial crisis and sky-high unemployment. The scandal ranks among the worst public relations mishaps the royal household has experienced in the 37-year reign of King Juan Carlos.
Inaki Urdangarin, who has not been charged with a crime, made his way into a courthouse in Palma de Mallorca amid tense street scenes where a contingent of around 170 police kept several hundred protesters away from the building. Urdangarin, married to the 75-year-old king's second daughter, Princess Cristina, has denied any wrongdoing.
Urdangarin, facing his second appearance in court, did not stop to say anything, but wished about 100 journalists accredited to cover the event a curt "good morning" as he walked in, accompanied by his lawyer Mario Pascual Vives.
The Duke of Palma, the title held by Urdangarin, had been called to answer questions behind closed doors at a courthouse on this Mediterranean island about whether he used his high-profile status to secure lucrative deals for a nonprofit foundation he ran and then fraudulently diverted money for personal gain. |
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Appellate court to consider Calif. paparazzi law
Legal Spotlight |
2013/02/08 08:54
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A judge has declined to reconsider his ruling dismissing charges filed under California's ant-paparazzi law which will trigger a full appeal before a panel of judges who have indicated they believe the law is constitutional.
Superior Court Judge Thomas Rubinson issued a notice on Monday declining to reconsider his decision to dismiss two charges against photographer Paul Raef, court records show. The judge ruled last year that the 2010 law was overly broad and violated the First Amendment, but Los Angeles prosecutors appealed the decision.
A three-judge appeals panel asked Rubinson to reconsider his ruling and indicated in a filing Jan. 28 that it believes the law is constitutional. The filing was issued based on a brief filed by prosecutors.
Raef was charged after authorities accused him of being involved in a high speed chase of Justin Bieber last year. He is the first person charged under the 2010 law that increased penalties for reckless driving by people trying to get photos for commercial gain.
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Wilchins Cosentino & Friend LLP
Legal Business |
2013/02/05 07:05
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Wilchins Cosentino & Friend LLP, formerly associated as Seegel Lipshutz & Wilchins, is committed to providing the best possible legal experience available. Wilchins Cosentino & Friend LLP is organized into six major practice areas – Private Client, Litigation, Family Law, Real Estate, Corporate and Financial Services Litigation. Within those practice areas, we offer a wide range of services that help our clients reach their business and personal goals.
Our attorneys are dedicated to providing sophisticated legal services to our clients promptly, efficiently and economically. We serve a wide spectrum of clients, including major corporations, financial institutions, individual entrepreneurs, closely held private companies, not-for-profit corporations, families and individuals. We strive to learn as much as possible about each client’s business and the industry in which each client operates.
Wellesley Office Park
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Ex-Mass. chemist pleads not guilty in lab case
Law Firm News |
2013/02/04 21:18
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A former Massachusetts chemist accused of faking test results at a state drug lab has pleaded not guilty at her sixth and final arraignment.
Annie Dookhan was arraigned Monday on a charge of misleading a grand jury prosecutor and judge. She and her attorney declined to comment after the brief hearing. She has been free on $10,000 bail and prosecutors did not ask the judge in Salem to increase it.
Dookhan is accused of falsely claiming she holds a master's degree in chemistry while testifying as an expert witness. She has already pleaded not guilty to a string of charges in five other counties.
Dookhan was indicted in December on a total of 27 charges related to her alleged misconduct at the lab.
The scandal could jeopardize thousands of criminal cases. |
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Law firm: Phoenix lawyer dies from shooting wounds
Attorneys in the News |
2013/02/01 14:13
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A lawyer wounded by a gunman in a Phoenix office shooting this week has died, the second of three people hit by gunfire in the attack, the publicist for his law firm said Friday.
Mark Hummels, 43, had been on life support at a Phoenix hospital after Wednesday morning's shooting that killed a company's chief executive and left a woman with non-life threatening injuries.
Colleagues of Hummels described him as a smart, competent and decent man who was a rising star in his profession and dedicated to his wife, 9-year-old daughter and 7-year-old son.
The gunman — Arthur Douglas Harmon, 70 — was found dead early Thursday in the Phoenix suburb of Mesa from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said.
Harmon opened fire at the end of a mediation session at a north-central Phoenix office building over a lawsuit he filed last April.
Steve Singer, 48, a father of two and CEO of Scottsdale-based Fusion Contact Centers LLC, died hours after the shooting.
Harmon targeted Singer and Hummels and "it was not a random shooting," police said. A 32-year-old woman not involved in the mediation was caught in the gunfire near the building entrance and suffered a gunshot wound to her left hand.
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Ex-Mass. chemist pleads not guilty to obstruction
Court Watch |
2013/01/30 09:02
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A former Massachusetts chemist accused of faking test results at a state drug lab has pleaded not guilty to four counts of obstruction of justice in a scandal that could jeopardize thousands of drug convictions.
Annie Dookhan was indicted on a total of 27 charges accusing her of fabricating test results and tampering with drug evidence while testing substances in criminal cases.
The 35-year-old Dookhan was arraigned Wednesday on four obstruction counts in Brockton Superior Court. She was scheduled to be arraigned later Wednesday on additional charges in Fall River Superior Court.
An estimated 200 convicted defendants have been released from jail and had their cases put on hold while their legal challenges are pending.
Authorities shut down the lab in August.
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Court says Obama appointments violate constitution
Court Watch |
2013/01/29 22:50
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President Barack Obama violated the Constitution when he bypassed the Senate last year to appoint three members of the National Labor Relations Board, a federal appeals court ruled Friday in a far-reaching decision that could severely limit a chief executive's powers to make recess appointments.
The decision of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit marked a victory for Republicans and business groups critical of the labor board. If it stands, it could invalidate hundreds of board decisions over the past year, including some that make it easier for unions to organize.
When Obama filled the vacancies on Jan. 4, 2012, Congress was on an extended holiday break. But GOP lawmakers gaveled in for a few minutes every three days just to prevent Obama from making recess appointments. The White House argued that the pro forma sessions — some lasting less than a minute — were a sham.
The court rejected that argument, but went even further, finding that under the Constitution, a recess occurs only during the breaks between formal year-long sessions of Congress, not just any informal break when lawmakers leave town. It also held that presidents can bypass the Senate only when administration vacancies occur during a recess.
White House press secretary Jay Carney said the administration strongly disagrees with the decision and that the labor board would continue to conduct business as usual, despite calls by some Republicans for the board members to resign. |
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Class action or a representative action is a form of lawsuit in which a large group of people collectively bring a claim to court and/or in which a class of defendants is being sued. This form of collective lawsuit originated in the United States and is still predominantly a U.S. phenomenon, at least the U.S. variant of it. In the United States federal courts, class actions are governed by Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule. Since 1938, many states have adopted rules similar to the FRCP. However, some states like California have civil procedure systems which deviate significantly from the federal rules; the California Codes provide for four separate types of class actions. As a result, there are two separate treatises devoted solely to the complex topic of California class actions. Some states, such as Virginia, do not provide for any class actions, while others, such as New York, limit the types of claims that may be brought as class actions. They can construct your law firm a brand new website, lawyer website templates and help you redesign your existing law firm site to secure your place in the internet. |
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