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Ernest Pitts, Jr., a veteran, claimed that he was entitled to disability benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) based on post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), a psychiatric disorder other than PTSD, a sinus disorder, and a skin disorder, all of which he contends are service-connected conditions. The Board of Veterans’ Appeals found that (1) Pitt’s lower back condition resulted not from service but from a post-service work-related injury; (2) there was no evidence that his psychiatric disorder other than PTSD was linked to his service; and (3) his PTSD claim was not shown to be service-connected because there was no evidence of an in-service stressor....

A “Gumby” robber tried - and failed - to steal cash from a San Diego-area 7-11 on Monday. That’s right; a man in a “Gumby” disguise literally showed up at the convenience store and demanded cash, according to the New York Daily News. Would you take a “Gumby” robber seriously? It’s probably not surprising that the store clerk apparently thought this robbery was actually a prank. “I’m busy, I don’t have time for this,” the clerk reportedly told the costumed “Gumby” robber....

Donald M. Jones, a University of Miami law professor, was arrested for solicitation last September. Prof. Jones teaches Constitutional Law, Criminal Procedure and Employment Discrimination. He’s been a faculty member since 1988, according to the UM website. You’d think that a law professor who teaches criminal procedure would be well-versed in most crimes. In 2007, Jones was arrested after he offered an undercover officer posing as a prostitute $20 for sexual favors....

First you say I do and walk down the aisle with your true love. Then you hang out for a while and say I don’t, and you’re headed for divorce court. Whatever state you are in, you will likely come across some strange marriage and divorce laws. Some make sense if you think about them a little – and we will – and some are less logical. Let’s look at a few funny annulment and divorce rules from around the country....

Vacation time is over and it’s back to work for lawyers and just about everyone else. But getting back to work is easier said than done. Whether you traveled or stayed home, took time for yourself or spent time with family, time off can disrupt your daily schedule. That makes it difficult to jump back in and get to work. No matter how you feel on your first day (or week) back from vacation, your boss is not going to want to hear any excuses....

Pardo-Kronemann v. Donovan, No. 08-5155, concerned an action by an attorney at the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) alleging that HUD retaliated against him in violation of Title VII by transferring him to a non-legal position and by declaring him absent without leave when he failed to report to his new job. The court affirmed summary judgment for defendant in part, on the ground that defendant reasonably concluded that approving plaintiff’s leave under the circumstances would set a bad precedent for other employees....

Alcatraz, a haunting island prison in San Francisco Bay, closed after three prisoners escaped and plunged into the treacherous waters in 1962. It is a true story that became legend because the men were never found. It was made even more famous by the movie, “Escape from Alcatraz,” starring Clint Eastwood. Alcatraz also presents a challenge for swimmers, like young James Savage, who attempt the same “escape” each year. But little did Savage know that he would inspire an older man to take another perilous plunge – the California bar exam....

In US v. Wilson, No. 06-3128, the D.C. Circuit affirmed in part defendants’ drug and RICO conspiracy convictions and sentences, on the grounds that 1) there was no Brady violation because the undisclosed information about an officer under investigation by Internal Affairs would not have been admissible at trial; 2) there was not a reasonable probability that the result of the trial would have been different for any appellant had the information been disclosed; 3) defendants had no Bruton claim because a codefendant’s concessions through counsel did not implicate the Confrontation Clause; and 4) since there was valid consent to the search at issue, defendant’s contention that the FBI lacked sufficient probable cause to support a search warrant was irrelevant....

Baltimore-area priest Father Mark Stewart Bullock was arrested last week after police found him half naked in the back of Bush River Books & Movies – a porn shop. He was hauled in for indecent exposure – a misdemeanor punishable with up to 3 years in prison and a $1,000 fine. When Rev. Joseph Barr later told parishioners about the priest in the porn shop, he assured them that “no adults or children from the parish or our parish school were involved....

An Alabama fan’s “genital assault” on an unconscious LSU fan has led to criminal charges that could result in a lengthy prison sentence, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports. A grand jury indicted Brian Downing, 32, of Smiths Station, Ala., on charges of sexual battery and obscenity. Downing pleaded not guilty, and “does not acknowledge” being the man seen in a viral Internet video taken after Alabama beat LSU at the BCS national title game Jan....

Enjoying summer yet? We didn’t think so. If you’re a recent law school grad prepping for the bar exam, this summer promises to be anything but fun in the sun. But don’t worry too much; a well planned bar study schedule can help make your bar review summer, if not enjoyable, survivable. So, a few weeks after most bar review courses have begun, where should you be in your bar prep?...

Be careful who you let into your home. Have you ever been wary of a stranger asking to use your cell phone? What’s to stop them from running off with it? If that worries you, you should be extra careful when someone asks to use your bathroom. Bathroom Bandit Last week, Bellevue, Ohio police arrested a woman after residents complained of theft in their homes. Brandy Bean allegedly tricked overly trusting residents into letting her into their home by asking to use their bathroom, use their phone, or have a drink of water....

The California Supreme Court has stayed a voter-approved measure to speed up death penalty cases, giving opponents time to press their case through the court Prop. 66, which was certified for implementation last week, authorizes more lawyers to take death penalty cases and sets a five-year timeline for appeals. Opponents have sued to invalidate the measure. In a one-page order, the court said it was providing “time for further consideration” of a pending legal challenge “to permit the filing and consideration of papers in opposition to the petition....

With summer coming up quickly, many law students are looking for internships. But in an economy that has rocked legal education and employment, many aspiring attorneys do not know what are the chances of getting an internship. Others do not even know where to look. The good news is, opportunities are still out there. The bad news is, the pickings get slim as the season wears on. The inside scoop is, solo and small firms are an untapped source....

As a rule, no silica is good silica. That actually is a rule of the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Or in the words of the U.S Circuit Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, it is “no exposure level below which workers would not be expected to develop adverse health effects.” Industry groups had challenged the zero tolerance rule, which is designed to protect workers from exposure to the chemical compound....

Think sexting is only for overly hormonal teens and adults trying to spice up their passionless marriages? Think again. Detroit has got itself one of the nation’s very first sexting judges. Circuit Judge Wade McCree is accused of intentionally texting a partially nude photo of himself to a married female bailiff. When asked about the picture, he replied, “Hot dog, yep that’s me.” “I’ve got no shame to my game,” he added....

Once upon a time, I read a handful of books on running my own practice. In one of these books, the author recommended taking a daily walk around town to enhance your visibility in the community. The thought was, in sight, in mind, or something to that effect. Except, in certain parts of certain cities, you are far more likely to be mugged than to be hired by a paying client....

To those who failed to get a passing mark on this last administration of the bar exam, your dreams of being able to tack the letters ‘Esq.’ after your name have been delayed a little longer. Whether or not you plan on taking another crack at the bar exam, the truth of the matter is that you’re most likely lawyering already… There’s the popular belief that a good many applicants who entered law school recently did so because they had no set direction with their undergraduate degrees and had no idea what they were going to do with their lives....

The dust is still settling after Hobby Lobby, in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of exempting closely held corporations from the Obamacare contraceptive mandate, but Californians may not feel the aftershock. Why? California has laws in place that require employers to include birth control in their prescription drug coverage. But these laws don’t cover the same legal ground as the healthcare mandate. So how will Hobby Lobby affect Californians?...

In plaintiff’s medical malpractice suit against defendant-doctor who treated plaintiff while he was incarcerated at a correctional facility, dismissal of the suit is reversed as the trial court erred in dismissing the action on the ground that plaintiff failed to appear telephonically at a case management conference and a at a subsequent hearing on an order to show cause, as the record clearly indicates that plaintiff notified the trial court on numerous occasions that prison personnel were not allowing him to communicate telephonically with the court, yet the record does not indicate that the trial court made any inquiry into plaintiff’s contentions....