Robert Cicale

Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.30.19

* In a series of tweets (because where else would this happen), President Donald Trump demanded to meet the Ukraine whistleblower, accused the person who gave information to the whistleblower of being a spy, and said he wanted House Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff “questioned at the highest level for Fraud & Treason.” [The Hill] * In related news, the Ukraine whistleblower is expected to testify before Congress “very soon,” and he’ll be given all of the protection he’s due, including the concealment of his identity (especially considering the fact that the president recently warned that he’d face “big consequences” for his actions). [Wall Street Journal] * According to a recent poll, more than half of Americans now approve of the Trump impeachment inquiry, but there’s division across political lines over whether the president actually deserves to be impeached. [CBS News] * Jones Day has filed a motion to dismiss against the married former associates who sued over the firm’s parental leave plan, claiming their policies are “sex-neutral in every respect” and calling the the lawsuit “legally meritless.” [American Lawyer] * Here’s an update on Robert Cicale, the judge who pleaded guilty to a felony after breaking into a former intern’s home and stealing her underwear: His suspension will now be without pay, and he’ll lose his license to practice upon sentencing. [New York Law Journal] * Plato Cacheris, a premier member of Washington’s defense bar who played prominent roles in the Watergate, Iran-contra, and Clinton/Lewinsky affair scandals, RIP. [Washington Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 09.18.19

* The Judicial Conference of the United States convened yesterday, but not one word was said about the allegations against Justice Brett Kavanaugh or the procedures in place to address misconduct for those of his ilk (i.e., appellate judges who are elevated to the Supreme Court). So much for that... [National Law Journal] * "He does not want to sue the New York Times. That's going to open up a Pandora's box for him." But if he did, could Justice Kavanaugh sue the Times for libel and win? Unlikely. [Fox News] * The Justice Department filed suit against NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden for failing to turn over his book to the government for clearance before it was published, and now the DOJ wants all proceeds earned from sales to be turned over instead. [CNBC] * Did you think law school was full of jerks? Think again. According to the results of the latest Law School Survey of Student Engagement, law students are actually quite nice, thank you very much. [Law.com] * In case you missed it, Robert Cicale, the Long Island judge who allegedly broke into a former intern's home to steal her panties, pleaded guilty to attempted burglary and will have to register as a sex offender. [New York Post]

By Staci Zaretsky
Morning Docket

Morning Docket: 04.02.18

* Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie is a little worried about President Trump's flair for hyperbole, saying that Trump should never "walk into that room with" special counsel Robert Mueller, because when you make "false statements to federal agents, that's a crime, that can send you to jail." [The Hill] * This is not an April Fools' joke. On April 1, Foley & Lardner finalized its Tex-Mex merger with Gardere Wynne Sewell. We repeat, this is not an April Fools' joke. Foley will maintain its headquarters in Milwaukee Wisconsin. Best of luck to the combined firm! [Texas Lawyer] * Long Island Judge Robert Cicale was arrested after allegedly breaking into a former intern's house to steal a pair of her panties. At his arraignment, he admitted that he'd done it before, and in his confession, he said "he has urges to steal women's underwear." We'll have more on the alleged panty thief later. [NBC New York] * According to a new report by Fairfax Associates, law firm mergers are set to meet (or perhaps beat) 2017's record. Twenty tie-ups have been completed in 2018 thus far, with another 13 announced mergers set to close later this year. [American Lawyer] * New York firm Morrison Cohen recently launched the "MoCo cryptocurrency litigation tracker," a tool investors can use to monitor when doing due diligence on crypto assets. There are currently 63 cases in the U.S., and some of the industry's biggest players have been named as defendants. [Brave New Coin]

By Staci Zaretsky