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Law links, Easter edition

April 24th, 2011, 8:43 am by

Here are some interesting court stories for a cold gray Easter.

First, here’s an interesting post from the law blog of the Minneapolis St-Paul Business Journal about a lawsuit filed over a sports reporter’s tweet during a basketball game.

Next, an interesting story in the New York Times that poses the most basic of questions: What is a man?

Here’s a trial story by my SPJ colleague Ron Sylvester in Wichita. Notice the way he weaves a short narrative out of the traditional story of opening statements.

And finally, from my SPJ colleague Ben Winslow in Salt Lake City, here’s a story about a bizarre incident in which a pregnant girl allegedly paid a teenager to punch her in the stomach.

Happy reading and happy Easter.

John C. Ensslin

Legal Affairs Reporter

The Gazette

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Law links

April 2nd, 2011, 8:30 pm by

Here are a few interesting court stories for your weekend reading:

You may recall, the El Paso County District Attorney’s office has dealt with cases of teenagers sending sexually explicit text-messages. Here’s a recent story in the New York Times on the topic.

Also in the Times, there was this blog post on a dispute over whether to allow reporters to tweet from the courtroom during a hearing for Wikileaks founder Julian Assange.

My friend and former Rocky Mountain News colleague Sara Burnett had this interesting story in the Denver Post about federal prosecutors seeking the death penalty against two men accused of killing fellow inmates at the Supermax prison in Florence.

And finally, my friend and colleague Andrew Cohen had this analysis in The Atlantic on a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision.

Happy reading.

John C. Ensslin

Legal affairs reporter

The Gazette

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Law links

March 27th, 2011, 12:24 pm by

Here are links to some interesting court stories for your weekend reading:

First, my friend Andrew Cohen had this interesting analysis for The Atlantic on the litigation over the federal health care law reaching a mid-point.

Next, an interesting personal story about immigration law from a website called Orange County.

Here’s an interesting story on an experiment with cameras in the courtroom in Minnesota.

And last, a very good story by the New York Times’ Joe Nocero on one of the few cases to result in someone being sentenced for their role in the financial meltdown (but not the sort of person you might expect.)

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Law links

February 26th, 2011, 9:02 am by

There were plenty of great court stories this week. Here are a few for your weekend reading:

First, my Society of Professional Journalists colleague (she’s the national president) Hagit Limor had this troubling report on a court case in Ohio that could result in malpractice fees being passed along to taxpayers.

Next, something you might have expected to see in Baghad instead turns up in Peoria, Arizona: a man accused in the honor killing of his daughter. Here’s the story from the Arizona Republic.

The Washington Post had this interesting story about a call for an ethics code for U.S. Supreme Court justices.

My Gazette predecessor and SPJ colleague Dennis Huspeni had this excellent story in Denver Magazine on the victims of two recent Ponzi schemes.

This New York Times story on a lawsuit filed by the former lawyers of a former editor reads more like the inside dish of a gossip column than a court story. It  opens an amazing window onto some bad behavior by several public figures.

And finally, this Denver Post story about an Adams County trial that involved murder, money and Scientology. The defendant was later found guilty after the jury deliberated for about two hours.

Happy reading,

John C. Ensslin

Legal Affairs reporter

The Gazette

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Law links…

February 19th, 2011, 7:48 pm by

Here are some interesting court stories for your Presidents’ Day weekend reading.

First, here is a collection of stories by my friend and SPJ colleague Ron Sylvester on a case where some key DNA evidence was lost or destroyed.

Note the interesting way in which Ron organized this investigative story by using  various social media to display video and documents related to the case. It’s old school investigative journalism augmented by new media tools.

Next, the New York Times had this bizarre story on what the law might look like in a post-apocalyptic New York. The presumption behind the story seems a bit optimistic to me.

This next post by Westwood’s Michael Roberts is perhaps more of interest to journalists than the general public. The lawsuits he writes about are reminiscent of the suits the music industry filed against individuals in the early days of Napster.

Michael also had this interesting post on radio talk show host and columnist Mike Rosen plariarizing himself.

And last but far from least, my favorite court tale of the week, this New York Times story on superstitious lawyers. My favorite: the lawyer who gives out $20 bills to homeless people while in trial. I wonder if the homeless folks around the courthouse have figured this out.

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Law links

February 12th, 2011, 1:27 pm by

Here are some interesting court stories for your weekend reading:

While I was in Philadelphia last weekend, the Inquirer had this front page story on an abortion doctor facing criminal charges. Note the rather casual demeanor of the defendant.

In Salt Lake City, my SPJ colleague Ben Winslow had this interesting story on a lawsuit over a bear attack.

In Montana, my friend and former RockyMountain News colleague Gwen Florio had this story on controversy over a state lawmaker’s remarks on HIV-positive inmates.

The New York Times had this fascinating story on a lawsuit brought by a former CIA who filed a lawsuit alleging that his family was made sick by the home that they lived in.

And finally, the Washington Post had some excellent coverage in the sentencing of a man convicted of killing a U.S. Congressman’s aide.

Happy reading,

John C. Ensslin

Legal Affairs reporter

The Gazette

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Law links

February 5th, 2011, 3:02 pm by

Here are some interesting court stories for your weekend reading:

First my SPJ colleague Ron Sylvester had this post on a talk by U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on his always very readable blog “What the Judge Ate for Breakfast.”

My friend Andrew Cohen posted this interesting analysis at Atlantic.com on a federal judge’s ruling that found the new health care legislation unconstitutional.

Here’s an interesting story from the New York Times on lawsuits that have resulted from some rather unethical behavior by journalists in England.

My former Rocky Mountain News colleague Kevin Vaughan had this story in the Denver Post on an unraveling scandal involving paving contracts in Adams County.

And finally, New York Times reporter Adam Liptak had this amusing post on his Sidebar blog about an analysis of humor on the U.S. Supreme Court. The most humorous justice? Antonin Scalia.

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Law links

January 22nd, 2011, 12:01 pm by

Here are some interesting court stories for your weekend reading:

First, a  story from the New York Times about companies that make loans to plaintiffs in civil lawsuits. Note the Colorado connection: a lawsuit by the attorney general’s office against two of these firms.

Next, here’s a fascinating story by my SPJ colleague Ben Winslow on a group in Utah that is seeking to decriminalize polygamy.

Here’s a story I’ve been following for some time: a former Chicago cop accused of torturing suspects, mostly African-Americans. Here’s an interesting column from the Chicago Sun-Times on the fall out from his sentencing this week.

Next, an interview in Film Maker Magazine with a lawyer who has made a new documentary called “Hot Coffee.” It’s about the case in which a woman in Albuquerque, N.M. sued McDonald’s after being scalded by a cup of hot joe. The film screens this month at the Sundance Film Festival.

Here’s an amusing post on the ABC News blog, “The Note” on Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan getting called for jury duty. I take it she didn’t get picked.

I love the lead on this Los Angeles Times story about a big mafia bust this week.

And last but not least, my former Rocky Mountain News colleague Al Lewis had this amusing column poking some barbed fun at a lawyer who is drawing on literary forms as part of his client’s defense.

Happy reading.

John C. Ensslin

Legal Affairs reporter

The Gazette

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Law links

January 15th, 2011, 9:57 am by

Here are some interesting law and court stories for your weekend reading:

First, my colleague Andrew Cohen had this interesting column on a divorce in which home school has been a point of contention.

Next, law professor Jeffrey Rosen wrote an interesting column in the New York Times on Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia’s world view . I met Rosen several years ago when the Denver Press Club hosted a talk on his book “The Unwanted Gaze.”

One of the funniest court stories of the week comes from Boston television station WHDH which aired this story on a cat who was drafted for jury service. Seems to me a cat could help a jury in its deliberations.

Reporters often come across suits filed by so-called “jail house lawyers”, inmates who make extensive use of a jail’s law library. Few of them ever get very far, but here’s an amazing story in the Wall Street Journal about one inmate who managed to free himself. Sounds almost like a movie script.

My friend and colleague Bill Johnson at the Denver Post had this interesting column on Gov. Bill Ritter’s pardon of long time anti-gang activist Rev. Leon Kelly. Leon is a friend of mine. I’ve admired the work he’s done over the years and I’m glad to see he was able to deal with this difficult part of his past.

And finally, here’s one of the strangest court stories of the week, this post on a lawsuit over a practice I’d never heard of before: ear candling.

Enjoy your weekend,

John C. Ensslin

Legal Affairs reporter

The Gazette

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Law links, Christmas edition

December 25th, 2010, 10:36 am by

Merry Christmas court watchers,

After the presents are all unwrapped and dinner is done, here are some interesting court stories for your weekend reading.

First, my friend and SPJ colleague Ron Sylvester of the Wichita Eagle posted this story  on his court blog under the hearing “what were they thinking.” As often is the case with crime stories, thinking had nothing to do with it.

Ron also had this story about a fatal beating that started as a fight over a video game.

My friend Andrew Cohen had this law story year-in-review for the Atlantic.

And my friend and former Rocky Mountain News colleague Gwen Florio had this fascinating glimpse into community attititudes toward marijuana in a story she wrote for The Missoulian.

The Montrose Daily Press had this bizarre story about a district attorney, already facing criminal charges, digging the hole a bit deeper.

This is the season for pardon’s by governors. Here’s a New York Times story about one of the more controversial pardons by New York Gov. David Paterson in a racially charged fatal shooting of an unarmed teenager

And finally, here a report by a Las Vegas television station on an usually long  jury service. Apparently in Vegas, the casinos are not the only thing to operate around the clock.

In this holiday season, I consider myself blessed to know so many good writers covering the court beat.

Here’s wishing you and yours a bright and merry Christmas

John C. Ensslin

Legal Affairs reporter

The Gazette

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