Attorney Adam Wiensch meant well, but did it wrong. Wiensch was trying to help clients transfer wealth to their children free of estate and gift taxes, which is possible in estate planning. But he crossed the line when he falsified documents and sent them to the Internal Revenue Service. He should have known the IRS has estate tax attorneys, too. It cost Wiensch his job, his reputation, and his license – for now....
This week, the State Bar of California sent out a mass email to the lawyers in the state to beware of phishing emails sent from the “California Bar Association.” The phishing emails advise attorneys that they must pay a license renewal fee, and to click a link in order to pay that fee. This is a common scam that the state bar has warned lawyers about previously. If you receive(d) such an email, the real state bar advises not to click the link....
In line with recent rulings limiting the reach of Bivens claims, the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, in Liff v. Dept. of Labor, reversed a lower federal court, and refused to extend Bivens to a federal contractor’s claim. Stewart Liff, who ran Stewart Liff and Associates, was, at one time, a successful human resources expert and government contractor. However, he alleged that he was the subject of a reputation assassination that resulted in him essentially losing all his government contract work, which made up about 90 percent of his business....
To what degree must federal agencies consider alternatives when building energy infrastructure? A little bit, said the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday in Minisink Residents for Environmental Preservation and Safety v. FERC. Just because an agency considered an alternative, however, doesn’t mean it’s obligated to use the alternative. The Federal Energy Regulation Commission (FERC) approved construction by Millennium Pipeline Company of a natural gas compressor station in Minisink, New York – a tiny town of 4,490 people about a two hours’ drive from New York City....
Ronald Washington admitted it was dumb to leave a stash of nearly four ounces of marijuana in his son’s Elmo backpack. Police arrested Washington, 33, after he called the school to ask if his son arrived because something was accidentally left in his Elmo backpack, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. When Washington arrived at the school, state troopers were waiting to arrest him. The Pennsylvania man was arrested for allegedly showing up at an elementary school to retrieve nearly four ounces of pot from his son’s Elmo backpack....
A Kansas murder suspect wants to cover up his “MURDER” neck tattoo prior to trial, but there are some legal and logistical problems in his way. Jeffrey Chapman has been charged with the 2011 murder of Damon Galliart, whose body was found by hunters, reports Wichita, Kansas’ KWCH-TV. Chapman and his attorney worry that the tattoo may prejudice jurors in his upcoming murder trial. While it may be difficult to muster up sympathy for a murder defendant whose tattoo literally screams “MURDER,” Chapman isn’t without options....
Orange County defense attorney James Crawford suffered contusions on his face and a very obvious black eye after getting involved with a physical tussle with the local district attorney’s investigator. It appears that the investigator confronted Crawford and physically battered him. The investigator’s attorney told local newspapers that Mr. Crawford’s account of the incident didn’t capture both sides of the story. “There are two sides of every story and that is certainly true here,” he said....
Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte Stallworth pleaded guilty to DUI manslaughter today for hitting and killing a pedestrian (read more background here) and headed off to jail to serve the 30 day sentence he received as part of the bargain. He also will be serving two years of house arrest, and eight years of probation. Noteably, the AP story reports that Stallworth “also reached a confidential financial settlement to avoid a potential lawsuit from the family” of the victim, 59-year-old Mario Reyes....
When an investigation into your ability to properly parent a child is dropped, a celebration is likely in order. But if the celebration takes the form of the exact reason that prompted the investigation, then maybe it is not such a good idea. Take 27-year-old Jamie Riley. When Riley got word that the local Department of Children and Family Services dropped their case against her, she began celebrating with vodka. Specifically, she told police she took to the bottle, “because DCFS dropped their investigation....
Some students will always opt for the path of least resistance when it comes to nutrition. Fortunately, fast food and delivery services have come a long way over the past decade. So when it comes time for exams, you might want to rethink your usual dinner spread of chicken wings and hummus. Just because you can get your favorite foods delivered to your door, you might want to consider eating some of those coveted brain foods, staying well rested and hydrated, as well as eating more frequent, smaller meals, in order to avoid a food coma....
It might be a bit of a far cry from Arlo Guthrie being asked if he’d rehabilitated himself after being a litterbug so that he could be drafted into the Vietnam War, but Reginald Betts, an ex-con like the most famous Guthrie, is being asked to prove his good moral character in order to be admitted to the state bar of Connecticut. You see, Mr. Betts was convicted of something quite a bit worse than being a litterbug, and rather than being drafted, he is seeking to become a licensed attorney....
For NASCAR champion Tony Stewart, who struck and killed fellow race-car driver Kevin Ward Jr. in August, his future in criminal court lies in the hands of a New York grand jury. Ontario County District Attorney Michael Tantillo announced this week that his office would be submitting the case to a grand jury “in the near future,” reports The New York Times. The grand jury’s determination could mean the difference between a murder indictment and avoiding criminal charges altogether....
Ever been stuck on the side of the road? Wanted to get the authorities’ attention? For one Fresno woman, a brush fire did the trick. She exited her car, and tried to call for help using the callbox on the side of the highway, but to no avail. She then discovered that she had accidentally locked her keys in her car, reports the Times. Let us take this moment to reflect upon what her possible choices of actions were....
If you thought that the only way the Oakland Raiders could shake up March Madness would require not just inter-league, but also inter-sports, play, then you’ve had your head buried too deep in your bracket. The big news out of the NFL could have massive ripple effects throughout the entire professional and collegiate sports industry, or maybe just the sports gambling industry (which for many is synonymous with March Madness)....
If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then behold the beauty of diversity in law school admissions. Yale Law School is celebrating the most diverse entering class in its history. The law school reported that 53 percent are women and 48 percent are people of color. That’s quite a difference for a law school that faced student protests over a lack of diversity several years ago. It also represents a sea change in legal education, and law schools are proud of it....
When it comes to attorney-client privileged information: if you don’t ask, don’t tell. That’s a rough translation of a professional rule that led to the disbarment of Jodi Arias’ former attorney, who wrote a book about his client’s infamous murder trial. Rule of Professional Conduct 1.9(c)(2) explains that a lawyer has a duty not to reveal information relating to the lawyer’s prior representation of a former client. Lawrence “Kirk” Nurmi probably never read the disciplinary footnote, which goes even further:...
In the eyes of Independence, Missouri police officers, the difference between a burglar and a fake alligator may just be limited to each entity’s penchant for ignoring the law. Unable to fight off the fugitive beast on Saturday evening, officers shot the fake alligator in the head. The bullet bounced off. So they tried again. Independence, located in the suburbs just outside Kansas City, is not known for its alligators. In fact, it’s too cold and too far north for the gator population to survive, reports Reuters....
A loving New York mom french-kissed her son in jail – and then got busted for illegally passing drugs to an inmate. In an elaborate (and icky) smooching scheme, Kimberly Margeson, 54, allegedly popped two Oxycodone pills into her mouth when she visited her son, William Partridge, at a jail in Yates County, New York, reports the New York Daily News. During the visit, the affectionate mother appeared to french kiss her 30-year-old son....
The Dwyane Wade custody battle is getting ugly. The NBA star and his ex-wife Siohvaughn Wade reached a divorce settlement in early June, but the child custody issues are far from over. The high school sweethearts have two children together, Zaire, 8, and Zion, 2. According to Black Voices, Wade is not only seeking full custody of his two sons, but also petitioned the court to force Siovaughn to undergo a full psychological evaluation....
When much of America swung to the right on Election Night, the Bear Republic tacked left. California voters approved a host of progressive ballot propositions, legalizing recreational marijuana, taxing tobacco, and upholding a ban on plastic bags. Among the victorious state propositions was Prop 63, which requires background checks for ammunition purchases and closes loopholes to the state’s large-capacity magazine ban. Now, after running a muted opposition campaign, gun advocates, including the California affiliate of the National Rifle Association, are planning to take their battle to court....
