Michigan

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.30.21

* Michigan and other states saw a lot more fraudulent claims where people asked the government for financial assistance. Probably wouldn't be a thing if there was UBI, but hey. [NPR] * Playing both sides partnered well for her legal career. Maybe you should do the same? [Law.com] * California wants businesses to open their black boxes. Maybe this is a sign we should all be more transparent come 2022. [Marketplace] * Florida judge found love in a hopeless place and got his license suspended for it. Is recusal not a thing down there or something? [Tampa Bay Times] * High hopes for equity could mean abolishing the bar. I can't wait for last call on unnecessary testing. [The Hill]

By Chris Williams
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 06.01.21

* A Michigan lawyer, who allegedly gave his adversary the middle finger during a virtual court hearing, has purportedly been fined $3,000. That's one expensive bird... [Detroit Free Press] * Unvaccinated workers at a Houston hospital are suing over their employer's vaccination mandate. [Washington Post] * A Philadelphia-area attorney passed away last week hours after he was pulled from a bay in Longport, New Jersey. [Fox News] * Johnson & Johnson is asking the Supreme Court to hear an ovarian cancer case that resulted in a $2 billion judgment against the company. [NBC News] * A retired attorney is now the oldest person to have scaled Mount Everest. [Chicago Tribune]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 05.03.21

* A lawsuit about the Alienstock festival, which was supposed to take place near the famous Area 51 site, has been settled. Hope the settlement amount wasn't out of this world... [Review Journal] * A Kentucky judge is taking action to purge cases filed by a lawyer who was allegedly involved in social security fraud. [Hill] * Newsmax has settled a case filed against it by Dominion Voting Systems over allegedly false statements made by the media company about election fraud. [Forbes] * Blue Cross Blue Shield has settled a class action alleging the company used anti-competitive tactics that harmed consumers. [Duluth News Tribune] * A Michigan law firm is accepting cryptocurrency, including Dogecoin, as payment. Elon Musk was right, Dogecoin is useful for something... [Click On Detroit]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.14.21

* A Michigan lawyer is accused of taking money his dead client meant to give to the Michigan Humane Society. Guess it's a dog-eat-dog world... [Michigan Live] * A class action has been filed against Whole Foods over the labeling of its "Lemon Raspberry Italian Sparkling Mineral Water" which purportedly did not contain enough lemon or raspberry ingredients. [National Law Review] * The Pennsylvania prosecutor caught allegedly delivering food with DoorDash during the work day has resigned from his job. [Courier Times] * A New York attorney has had his bank accounts frozen after clients alleged that the lawyer stole money from them. [Crain's New York] * A Pennsylvania law firm is moving to a new space after 118 years in the same building. Hope they at least got a pretzel day for that loyalty... [WPXI News]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.08.21

* A lawsuit alleges Florida police used excessive force after mistaking Star Trek memorabilia for weapons. They should have set their phasers to stun... [Hill] * The Trump Organization has hired a criminal defense lawyer. [Wall Street Journal] * A public defender is suing her boss for allegedly being told to dress more modestly to avoid the sexual interest of male prisoners. [Daily Mail] * Three Michigan lawyers have been charged in a scheme to collect debts on money that was allegedly never owed. [Fox News] * Check out this article on how Originalism is being used by state court judges. [Juris Lab] * A man's death after participating in a taco-eating contest has spawned a lawsuit against a minor-league baseball team. [Washington Post] * The Biden Administration is asking a judge to dismiss a climate change lawsuit filed on behalf of kids. Hope they can handle the heat... [Hill]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 02.02.21

* A Michigan lawyer is giving away a free divorce for Valentine's Day. How romantic... [Fox News] * Google is paying millions to resolve allegations that it discriminated against female and Asian job applicants. [Bloomberg Law] * A paralegal in Texas is accused of embezzling around $40,000 from her former employer. [ABC News] * A settlement has been reached in a lawsuit about the alleged lack of Spanish-language voting materials in Florida. [NBC News] * Quinn Emanuel is apparently operating an office in Atlanta out of a former partner's home. Since everyone is working from home anyways, this seems completely normal. [Bloomberg Law]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.01.20

* A Long Island lawyer has filed nearly 100 lawsuits alleging that companies are falsely claiming their products contain vanilla. He should go after restaurants unfairly advertising they sell New York-style pizza and bagels... [Inside Edition] * A Florida lawyer, who dressed as the Grim Reaper on beaches to promote social distancing, is facing legal setbacks in his lawsuit against Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis over COVID-19-related measures. [News Service of Florida] * A number of court proceedings in Durham County, North Carolina, have been canceled because a substantial amount of local prosecutors are quarantining after being exposed to COVID-19. [WRAL.com] * A Michigan funeral home recently settled a lawsuit that led to a major LGBT ruling at the Supreme Court. [Star Tribune] * Massachusetts is paving the way for marijuana delivery, which may prompt legal action from retailers. Guess Mr. Nice Guy might soon be legal in the Commonwealth... [Mass Live]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.06.20

* A lawsuit has been filed over the rights to Breakfast at Tiffany's. "And I said, 'what about Breakfast at Tiffany's?'"... [Deadline] * An Ohio lawyer is facing ethics charges because he allegedly offered to exchange legal services for a client cleaning the lawyer's home in the nude. [ABA Journal] * An purported extra-marital affair of the Attorney General of Texas is being connected to criminal allegations against the official. [U.S. News and World Report] * Check out this article on the latest status of election lawsuits filed by the Trump Campaign. [Fox News] * The Michigan Attorney General pleaded with residents to stop telling election officials to shove sharpies in their butts. Michigan residents sure are creative. [New York Post]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.05.20

* The Attorney General of New Jersey needed to reiterate that it was still illegal to use pot in the state after a legalization ballot initiative passed. Harold and Kumar was filmed in NJ, the Garden State has a long history with cannabis... [NJ Advance Media] * A Michigan woman who allegedly pretended to be a government lawyer to defraud immigrants has been sentenced to prison. [Michigan Live] * A former convict turned lawyer has become the first formerly incarcerated person to win elected office in Washington State. [ALM] * A Minnesota lawyer has been sentenced to prison for allegedly colluding with a chiropractor to bilk insurance companies with false claims. [Twin Cities Pioneer Press] * Michigan's Secretary of State said an election lawsuit filed by the Trump Campaign is "frivolous." Other Trump lawsuits have been similarly labeled in the past... [CBS News]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 11.04.20

* Michael Cohen, President Trump's former lawyer, suggested he voted for Joe Biden. No surprise there. [Hill] * Police have released video of vandals tagging the home of a prominent New York City attorney. [New York Post] * Major companies are urging law firms to enlist more diverse legal teams to handle client work. [Wall Street Journal] * A Michigan attorney has been arrested for obtaining signatures for a petition opposing the emergency powers exercised by Michigan's governor. [Michigan Live] * A South Florida attorney has been disciplined for posing as her adversary's client online and writing a fake negative review. This lawyer may have too much free time... [Miami Herald]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.15.20

* A Texas judge has been disciplined for posting Facebook congratulations to attorneys who won jury verdicts in her courtroom. Should have saved that conduct for LinkedIn... [Texas Lawyer] * An attorney representing Anheuser-Busch in a lawsuit involving a Bud Light Super Bowl ad has requested a new oral argument date because he tested positive for COVID-19. [Bloomberg Law] * Michael Sussman, the attorney for the alleged Monsey stabber (and a former adversary of mine), is requesting an autopsy of the victim even though autopsies run counter to Jewish burial traditions. [Forward] * Jeff Sessions has stated that he has no regrets about leaving the Senate to serve as the Attorney General of the United States. [Hill] * The owner of a strip club in Flint, Michigan, has filed a lawsuit claiming that the Payroll Protection Program improperly excludes businesses in the sex industry. This story is kind of reminiscent of another "Flynt"... [Michigan Live]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket 02.21.20

* Kevin Hart is trying to dismiss a sex tape lawsuit by alleging that a process server merely threw papers out of a car window while driving by his house. It would be pretty awesome if there was a drive-by method of service... [TMZ] * A Michigan man has been arrested for threatening to "bleed [out]" the lawyer who represents the whistleblower at the heart of the Trump impeachment investigation. [NBC News] * A lawyer has plead not guilty to charges related to the murder of a Connecticut mom. [New York Daily News] * A Texas lawyer needs to pay $40 Million in taxes after losing a lawsuit against the IRS. [Texas Lawyer] * Former New York politician Sheldon Silver has formulated a new strategy to keep himself out of jail for an even longer period of time. With tactics like this, Silver doesn't need a presidential pardon... [New York Post]

By Jordan Rothman