New York

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.25.21

* A lawyer who is raising money for the Oath Keepers apparently likes to cite to Lord of the Rings in legal briefs. Bet he hopes judges don't say "you shall not pass" in response to motions to dismiss filed against him... [Daily Beast] * A Pennsylvania lawyer faces up to decades in prison for identity theft and stealing from clients. [Daily Voice] * California may soon have its first Filipino Attorney General. [NBC News] * The family of a black New York teen, who was falsely accused of stealing a cell phone, has filed a lawsuit. [CBS News] * Check out this article on why Supreme Court proceedings should not be televised. Since oral arguments may have been held from a bathroom during the pandemic, this is a strong position... [Washington Post]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 03.16.21

* A Texas brewery has changed its name after another brewery filed a lawsuit claiming the name was too similar to their own. They should have resolved this with a Beerfest-style competition... [San Antonio Current] * A New York lawyer claims he cannot competently defend his client in court while wearing a mask. [Syracuse.com] * A Virginia lawyer, who allegedly tried to cultivate a romantic relationship with two clients, has been suspended from practice. [Virginia Lawyer's Weekly] * Breonna Taylor's boyfriend has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Louisville Police Department. [Essence] * Check out this article on how the lawyer in the Jurassic Park movie differs from the book. Wonder if he still dies in the same memorable way... [Screen Rant]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.28.21

* A new lawsuit alleges that tuna served at Subway is not really tuna. Guess they knew something smelled fishy... [Washington Post] * A prominent entertainment attorney, who represented novelists like Dan Brown and John Grisham, has passed away at 77. [Variety] * A New York attorney has been charged for allegedly defrauding real estate investors. [Department of Justice] * Investors are suing AstraZeneca for allegedly sustaining losses due to purported issues testing the company's COVID-19 vaccine. [Bloomberg Law] * President Biden's brother supposedly advertised his relationship with the president in a law firm advertisement. Didn't President Carter's brother use his celebrity to sell beer? [NBC News]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 01.05.21

* New York State and a group of restaurants were unable to resolve a lawsuit over the closure of restaurants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Maybe sharing a meal would help the sides reconcile, oh wait... [WIVB] * Check out this article on new laws that are taking effect in 2021. [CNN] * Porn star Aria Lee is defending herself pro se in a defamation lawsuit filed against her. [Page Six] * Lawyers supporting President Trump in election cases may face professional discipline. [Bloomberg] * A new lawsuit alleges that a Maine salmon producer made false claims about sustainability. The plaintiff must have known something smelled fishy... [Press Herald]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.23.20

* A lawyer for a Pennsylvania man, who allegedly pretended to be his dead mother to cast an extra vote, claims his client was engaged in "civil disobedience." Pretty sure Gandhi and MLK didn't use that strategy... [Yahoo News] * President Trump issued a flurry of pardons and commutations yesterday to many individuals in his political circle and others. [CNN] * A Colorado lawyer is accused of allegedly mishandling $2 million earmarked by clients to purchase personal protective equipment. [Denver Post] * Walmart is being sued over allegations that the company helped fuel the opioid crises. [New York Times] * A New York lawyer, who allegedly went on a racist rant at a restaurant in 2018, has been disciplined for his conduct. [New York Post] * Somewhat relatedly, a Texas judge, who allegedly used racial slurs against Mexicans, has been sanctioned. [Texas Lawyer]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.17.20

* Sanctions have been upheld for a lawyer who included a haiku and cited to Bugs Bunny in litigation papers. "That's all folks!"... [ABA Journal] * A New York man, who allegedly posed as a lawyer to bilk elderly victims of money supposedly needed to bail out grandchildren, has been indicted. [New York Post] * A fake immigration lawyer in Florida has pleaded guilty to aggravated identity theft and other charges. Lots of lawyer wannabes in the Morning Docket today! [Tampa Bay Times] * A judge has ruled that the Trump Organization must turn over more documents to the New York Attorney General. [CNN] * Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes is trying to keep documents from the company's lawyers a secret. [Wall Street Journal] * A server at Denny's is suing for back pay. Her lawyers probably think the case is a "grand slam"... [Connecticut Law Tribune]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 12.08.20

* Facebook could be hit with antitrust litigation as soon as this week. Don't get it, people still use MySpace...right? [Washington Post] * A former lawyer and an active attorney have been charged with allegedly writing fraudulent opinion letters. [ABA Journal] * More than 1,500 attorneys from across the country have signed a letter condemning the Trump Campaign's legal team. [Hill] * A New York lawyer is accused of steeling eight properties from unsuspecting clients through deed fraud. [New York Daily News] * Kamala Harris's sister is allegedly advancing the name of Kamala's brother-in-law to be Joe Biden's Attorney General. There is some precedent for nepotism in the Attorney General position... [Politico]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.19.20

* This election cycle, we are reminded again that taking ballot selfies is illegal in many jurisdictions. Too bad, with the right insta filter, that ballot would look really good... [New York Times] * A New York federal judge has denied a preliminary injunction to the Catholic Brooklyn Diocese seeking to reopen churches closed due to COVID-19 rules. [CNN] * A lawsuit has already been filed over the forthcoming Borat sequel. [Wrap] * A group in Louisiana has been charged for allegedly staging car accidents in order to generate legal payouts. [Times-Picayune] * A lawsuit in Oregon alleges that a Portland gas station attendant purportedly refused to sell gas to black customers out of fear the gas might be used in rioting. [Fox News] * The owner of a law firm named Legal Genius PLLC has pleaded guilty to defrauding the IRS and other charges. Hate to go for the low-hanging joke here, but the firm might want to change its name to something more accurate... [ABC News]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.16.20

* Peloton has been hit with a patent infringement lawsuit by a competitor. It's not like they "reinvented the wheel" or anything... They must be "cycling" through legal fees... (I can go all day!) [Business Insider] * A federal judge has overruled the rejection of New York residents from programs run by the Department of Homeland Security that make it easier to process through airport security. [Minnesota Lawyer] * A law firm, which bought a practice from a retired lawyer who then passed away, has been approved to use the deceased lawyer's name on its letterhead. Sounds a little like Weekend at Bernie's... [Bloomberg Law] * A U.S. Attorney in New York has announced that he will be stepping up efforts to clamp down on violent crime in New York City because crime rates in the Big Apple have increased due to the COVID-19 pandemic. [Daily News] * A couple has been charged for allegedly attacking a teenage worker at Sesame Place for enforcing a mask policy. People need to stop acting like Oscar the Grouch... [Philadelphia Inquirer]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 10.12.20

* A California family is being sued by an animal rights group for allegedly mistreating their cows. Maybe the farmers were lactose intolerant... Bet they'll file a "moo"tion to dismiss...(I can go all day!). [My Valley News] * A veteran Oregon attorney has surrendered his law license amid allegations of theft and other illicit conduct. [Oregonian] * A woman has been charged with damaging the car of a lawyer representing a former cop allegedly involved in the death of George Floyd. [Minneapolis Star Tribune] * A federal judge has dismissed the Trump Campaign's lawsuit concerning election procedures in Pennsylvania. [AP] * An ethics board has approved of a New York lawyer withdrawing from a representation involving a court appearance out of fear of contracting COVID-19. [Bloomberg Law] * A woman was cited over the weekend for allegedly drunk driving at over four times the legal limit and crashing into a bridge causing a traffic nightmare. Maybe she'll get four times the normal punishment... [Fox News]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.25.20

* A company run by Evel Knievel's son is suing Disney because a character in Toy Story 4 allegedly resembles the late performer. Assuming Disney already has the license for Mr. Potato Head... [AP] * A black British lawyer has received an apology after being mistaken as a criminal defendant instead of a lawyer multiple times in a single day. [New York Daily News] * A New York attorney has been disbarred for sending "disturbing" emails to the New York City Bar Association and then failing to respond to ethics inquires. [New York Law Journal] * A defamation lawsuit filed against Tucker Carlson by Karen McDougal, an alleged paramour of Donald Trump, has been dismissed. [Hill] * A well-known immigration lawyer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has been killed following an altercation with a bicyclist. [Milwaukee Journal Sentinel] * An NCIS investigator has won a lawsuit for unpaid overtime pay. Since NCIS is entering its 18th season, everyone involved with that show probably deserves some overtime pay as well... [Bloomberg]

By Jordan Rothman
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.04.20

* A judge has ruled that Kanye West will not appear on the presidential ballot in Virginia. Maybe Kanye had his attention on West Virginia anyways... [Hill] * A former doctor has been convicted of attempted murder for purportedly trying to kill a lawyer who opposed the doctor in two lawsuits. [ABA Journal] * A Loyola University law student is accused of torching his New Orleans apartment after a heated dispute with her landlord. [Times-Picuyane] * A disbarred New York lawyer has been charged for allegedly stealing money meant for 9/11 first responders. [New York Law Journal] * A New Jersey lawyer has been charged with fraudulently obtaining $9 million in COVID-19 relief money and using the funds to buy a mansion and other luxury items. [New Jersey Law Journal] * The top lawyer for an online retailer has pleaded guilty to stealing around $6 million from his company and used the money to fund his lavish lifestyle. Lots of lawyers behaving badly in the Morning Docket today! [New York Daily News]

By Jordan Rothman