Georgia

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.08.21

* All nine Supreme Court justices are now fully vaccinated. Hopefully they'll continue phone oral arguments for awhile, they can be more entertaining... [CNN] * President Biden has fired a Trump-appointed lawyer who refused to resign. [Hill] * Dolce & Gabbana has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against two fashion bloggers. [New York Daily News] * The Georgia District Attorney investigating Donald Trump has hired a lawyer with experience in racketeering cases. [CNN] * President Biden's pick to be Associate Attorney General would be the wealthiest member of the Biden administration. Bet she didn't gain that wealth on a government salary... [Yahoo News]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.22.21

* A Georgia lawyer, who some believed may have been the inspiration for the "Matlock" character, has passed away. Wonder if he wore Matlock suits himself... [WSB TV] * A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit that alleged James Franco created a sexually exploitative environment at an acting school. [New York Times] * Authorities say that the man who killed the son of Judge Esther Salas last year may have also targeted Justice Sonia Sotomayor. [NBC News] * A lawsuit has been filed against a Texas utility over the death of a child during the winter weather and power failures that hit Texas last week. [Hill] * A federal judge has dismissed a defamation lawsuit Congressman Devin Nunes filed against CNN. [Politico] * Democratic lawmakers are suggesting that President Biden steer clear of candidates with Ivy League educations when considering possible Supreme Court picks. Happy to still be eligible... [New York Times]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.19.21

* Prosecutors are allegedly expected to file federal weapons and drug charges against a former member of the band Panic! At The Disco. Bet he's hoping to be "victorious"... [Court TV] * Court filings allege that Facebook knowingly provided less accurate data about the reach of potential advertisements on the platform. [NBC News] * Former wrestlers are asking the Supreme Court to hear a case they filed against the WWE. Would be interesting if the justices ordered them to resolve their issues in the ring... [New York Post] * A former Georgia attorney is facing felony charges for wiring money from a title company to his personal account. [CBS News] * Michael Avenatti and Michael Cohen are apparently feuding. They should know how to settle their dispute in the yard... [Daily Beast]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.06.21

* Kim Kardashian has purportedly hired an all-star lawyer to pursue a divorce against Kanye West. Too bad, this could have been her first case as a legal professional and some might call her a gold digger... [Page Six] * President Trump is seeking to dismiss a fraud lawsuit filed by his niece. [Reuters] * Over 1,000 law graduates have become attorneys through emergency licensure programs recently without taking a bar exam. [Bloomberg Law] * A lawyer who lost an election to Josh Hawley at Yale Law School is urging the senator to accept the results of the last presidential election. [Yahoo News] * Michael Jordan was awarded $46,000 in damages from a Chinese company that allegedly used a word that translates into "Jordan" to brand products. Jeeze, Jordan is a great name, wish it was worth more money... [CBS Sports]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.24.20

* Netflix has defeated libel claims related to The Laundromat, a film about the "Panama Papers." Maybe the judge was moved by Meryl Streep's performance... [Hollywood Reporter] * A lawsuit has been filed over alleged abuse of migrant women in detention centers run by ICE. [NBC News] * A typo in a Georgia election lawsuit says the lawyer verified the allegations under "plenty of perjury" instead of "penalty of perjury." [ABA Journal] * Judges of the Southern District of New York exercised a rarely used power to keep the acting U.S. Attorney in Manhattan on the job until Joe Biden is inaugurated. [New York Times] * A report alleges that some law firms took Payroll Protection Program money and banked the cash rather than used it on payroll. Don't think anyone should be surprised... [ABA Journal]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.04.20

* A man in prison for tax fraud is accused of using a smartphone to continue committing more tax crimes. Hope he wasn't doing the guards' taxes like Andy Dufresne... [New York Times] * A Florida lawyer is in hot water for allegedly telling people to move to Georgia to vote in the upcoming runoff elections. [Fox News] * Sources say that President Trump has not ruled out firing Attorney General Barr before the end of his term. [NBC News] * A Maryland attorney has been charged for allegedly trying to steal funds from the Somali government. [U.S. News] * A lawsuit alleges that a newly-hired correctional officer was fired for wearing a "Black Lives Matter" shirt after guards wore "Police Lives Matter" shirts. [Seattle Times] * A new lawsuit against coffee-maker Folgers alleges that the plaintiff can't make the cups of coffee advertised on the container. If true, maybe Folgers will change their jingle to "the best part of waking up is Folgers in your mini cup"... [Crain's Chicago Business]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.29.20

* Looks like Netflix will be picking up the upcoming Lincoln Lawyer series. Not too newsworthy, but very excited about this! [What's on Netflix] * A federal judge may soon rule if Apple's App Store runs afoul of antitrust rules. [Wall Street Journal] * A Georgia court is allowing a couple to sue a sperm bank for allegedly misrepresenting the background of a sperm donor. [ABC News] * A Massachusetts law firm is being sued for allegedly accepting money from a pharmacy in exchange for referring personal injury clients to the business. [Insurance Journal] * A lawyer for President Trump's campaign previously worked for Al Gore. Maybe this attorney can double as a climate change advisor... [NPR]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.31.20

* A music composer for The Simpsons can move forward with his lawsuit over being dismissed from the show. Maybe his response when he heard the news was "Woo Hoo!" [Yahoo News] * A lawyer for the alleged Kenosha shooter claims his client was acting in self defense. [New York Post] * Ghislaine Mawell, a former associate of Jeffrey Epstein, is allegedly the first person in a New York City federal lockup to see a lawyer since the COVID-19 pandemic began. [Independent] * A Georgia lawyer was shot in his right shoulder during a dispute at a real estate closing last week. [August Chronicle] * The Estate of Leonard Cohen may take action against the RNC for using the song "Hallelujah" during fireworks after President Trump's acceptance speech last week. [Vanity Fair]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 08.14.20

* A lawsuit challenging New York's quarantine has been dismissed partly because an Arizona woman did not suffer harm by not being able to help a New York friend move. The judge obviously doesn't know how fun assembling Ikea furniture can be... [New York Daily News] * Georgia's governor has withdrawn a lawsuit challenging a mask mandate instituted by the Mayor of Atlanta. [CNN] * Claims of sexual impropriety are roiling the Texas Supreme Court. [Texas Lawyer] * An Ohio lawyer has been granted the green light to provide financial planning services along with legal representation in certain circumstances. [Bloomberg Law] * Carole Baskin of Tiger King fame has been served with papers related to a lawsuit about her missing former husband. Baskin took a selfie with the process server, maybe "service selfies" will trend on insta one day... [CBS News]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.14.20

* A New Jersey lawyer has been suspended from practice for posting a client's criminal history in a negative online review. Guess the disciplinary review board told the lawyer: "you're not 'Yelp'ing"... [ABA Journal] * Tons of my fellow Garden State attorneys in the Morning Docket today. Another New Jersey lawyer is in hot water for "friending" a litigant on Facebook to collect dirt. [New Jersey Law Journal] * Paul Manafort is the latest high-profile figure released from prison early because of COVID-19. [Fox News] * A paralegal for a U.S. Attorney's Office is accused of giving information to a drug cartel. Her brother-in-law is allegedly the head of a drug-trafficking organization; seems like background checks could have been better. [CBS News] * A staff attorney for the Cobb County, Georgia Magistrate Court was shot and killed while confronting a gunman last week. [Atlanta Journal Constitution] * Hackers are demanding $21 million from a law firm or they may release materials related to the firm's clients, which include Elton John, Madonna, and Lady Gaga. Hope the firm has a good "poker face." [Variety]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.29.20

* New lawyers in Texas are now being allowed to take their attorney oaths through Zoom and other teleconferencing apps. Hopefully they aren't shirtless and in bed when they are sworn in. [Houston Chronicle] * Former New Orleans mayor Ray Nagin is the latest high-profile figure to be released from prison early because of COVID-19. [NBC News] * The SEC has scored a slam dunk against an attorney who allegedly defrauded NBA star Charles Barkley of millions of dollars. [Bloomberg Law] * A New Jersey petting zoo operator has been charged with animal cruelty for allegedly abusing dozens of pigs. Wonder if he calls himself "Pig King," although the name doesn't have a ring to it. [New Jersey Herald] * Former presidential candidate Andrew Yang has sued the New York State Board of Elections for canceling New York's Democratic presidential primary. [Politico] * The Supreme Court narrowly held that Georgia could not place its entire state code behind a paywall. Along similar lines, hopefully the Supreme Court will soon find that PACER fees should be eliminated. [New York Times]

By Jordan Rothman