tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-55209245466481118052024-03-19T01:48:22.485-07:00COURTBEAT: NYCOURTS- NEW YORK AND U.S. COURT CORRUPTIONThe information on this blog about the corruption in America's courts will disgust and frighten you and propel you into a world of racketeering, greed, larceny, malicious prosecution, and outrageous disdain for due process, the Rule of Law, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and Professional Responsibility Standards, Rules and Statutes. This is the Unified Court System of New York State. You will be a victim unless you speak up and protest. by Betsy CombierBetsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.comBlogger463125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-58858593088020024582024-03-14T18:33:00.000-07:002024-03-14T18:33:11.270-07:00Judge Orders That Floyd Bennett Field May Be Used as a Migrant Center<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe02Mrx19p9Hd_F18cUEoAOKC4Mm2wPMLOPNyIxIyEHvNM0wBqlTzR64gilb_hFK3A7j_dlbggK1B4v7u1lh1KZxWuNqcjEz37xqM6sg-Mk9jVwVp2REhzeSbiwELk4SSbGdJ3HyZXxRrvj8RwEJi8C2gGkpSMeU-tCrH_wT5AHjqzUkFen0Bpe_7E2fYD/s1017/Floyd%20Bennett%20Field.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="546" data-original-width="1017" height="215" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe02Mrx19p9Hd_F18cUEoAOKC4Mm2wPMLOPNyIxIyEHvNM0wBqlTzR64gilb_hFK3A7j_dlbggK1B4v7u1lh1KZxWuNqcjEz37xqM6sg-Mk9jVwVp2REhzeSbiwELk4SSbGdJ3HyZXxRrvj8RwEJi8C2gGkpSMeU-tCrH_wT5AHjqzUkFen0Bpe_7E2fYD/w400-h215/Floyd%20Bennett%20Field.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Floyd Bennett Field's migrant shelter</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px;">NYS Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato said, </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; color: #212529; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px;"> “I participated in this lawsuit because federal parkland should not be used for housing anyone, let alone parkland that is in a recognized flood zone with nearly no resources. This is a federal problem and no matter how you feel, it is clear that Floyd Bennett Field is an inhumane location to house migrants and should not be allowed.”</span></div><div><span style="color: #212529; font-family: Roboto;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #212529; font-family: Roboto;">I agree. Taxpayers should have a voice in where and how our taxes are spent. </span></div><div><span style="color: #212529; font-family: Roboto;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #212529; font-family: Roboto;">I hope the almost 40 elected officials and civic leaders who filed the lawsuit will appeal.</span></div><div><span style="color: #212529; font-family: Roboto;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #212529; font-family: Roboto;"><i>Just sayin</i>'...</span></div><div><span style="color: #212529; font-family: Roboto;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #212529; font-family: Roboto;"><p style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif">Betsy Combier</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"></span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; padding: 0px;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="color: #1a222a;">betsy.combier@gmail.com</span></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: quot;">Editor, </span><span style="color: #582995;"><a href="http://advocatz.com/" style="color: #843ddf; text-decoration-line: none;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">ADVOCATZ.com</span></a></span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Editor, <span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="https://advocatz.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; text-decoration-line: none;">ADVOCATZ Blog</a></span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nycrubberroomreporter.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Rubber Room Reporter</a></span><br /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor,</span><a href="http://www.parentadvocates.org/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Parentadvocates.org</a></span><br /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://newyorkcourtcorruption.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Court Corruption</a></span><br /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">National Public Voice</a></span><br /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nycpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Public Voice</a></span><br /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor,</span><a href="http://rubberroom3020-a.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials</a></span></b></div></span></div></span><h1 class="article__heading" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><a href="https://www.rockawave.com/articles/floyd-bennett-field-bennett-lawsuit-dismissed/">Floyd Bennett Field Lawsuit Dismissed</a></h1><h1 class="article__heading" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0.67em 0px;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Bt John Schilling, The Wave, March 13, 2024</span></h1><h1 class="article__heading" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Montserrat; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.2; margin: 0.67em 0px;"> <span style="font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px;">After months of court proceedings, the Floyd Bennett Field migrant camp lawsuit has been dismissed by Judge Peter Sweeney, NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola’s office announced on Wednesday, March 13.</span></h1><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">The lawsuit, which stemmed from a Sept. 19 injunction filed by NYC Councilwoman Joann Ariola, NYS Assemblywoman Jaime Williams, NYS Assemblywoman Stacey Pheffer Amato and 36 other elected officials and civic leaders, challenged New York State’s authority to house migrants on Floyd Bennett Field, a national park site.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">“We are extremely disappointed to learn of Judge Sweeney’s decision to dismiss our case in the Floyd Bennett Field lawsuit,” Ariola said. “We ask that Judge Sweeney publish the memorandum explaining exactly why he has decided this way, and we will continue to do what we can to push for an immediate closure of the tent complex at Floyd Bennett Field.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">“I am appalled by Judge Sweeney’s decision to dismiss our case, and disgusted to learn that he did so without notifying either party or the public,” Williams added. “We would love to know why he feels it is prudent to place 2000 human beings in a flood zone in the middle of a National Recreation Area. This is a disgrace and an insult to every tax paying citizen whom resides in the area around Floyd Bennett Field, and a disservice to the people who are being forced to live in this compound.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #212529; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5em; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">“I believe Judge Sweeney made the wrong decision by dismissing our case against the poorly planned and ill-conceived housing for migrants at Floyd Bennett Field,” Pheffer Amato said. “I participated in this lawsuit because federal parkland should not be used for housing anyone, let alone parkland that is in a recognized flood zone with nearly no resources. This is a federal problem and no matter how you feel, it is clear that Floyd Bennett Field is an inhumane location to house migrants and should not be allowed.”</p><div><br /></div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-36809258084452112342023-05-06T18:56:00.001-07:002023-05-06T18:56:04.298-07:00U.S. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor Did Not Recuse Herself From Cases Involving Her Own Publisher, Penguin Random House<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjmKH4rAFPJUZpuzNIzzcacQUp-TvZb11LtczjEfGg-LuI8O_ZbhOlJIzAhHHuAanEIRnEqs6DJFVWpzgZA6_xBjlPNg-bMciscvR-jQ-HCQtsj8xadrF1QiKCWRfwkJLTXHk7NhemM3yZ8ddPBNYvkyMLFGfjpoCNhjwOnYNw0hSAanMHZnWYxUAfA/s794/Sonia%20Sotomayor%20book.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="724" data-original-width="794" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjmKH4rAFPJUZpuzNIzzcacQUp-TvZb11LtczjEfGg-LuI8O_ZbhOlJIzAhHHuAanEIRnEqs6DJFVWpzgZA6_xBjlPNg-bMciscvR-jQ-HCQtsj8xadrF1QiKCWRfwkJLTXHk7NhemM3yZ8ddPBNYvkyMLFGfjpoCNhjwOnYNw0hSAanMHZnWYxUAfA/w400-h365/Sonia%20Sotomayor%20book.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><figcaption style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caption-side: bottom; color: #585858; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.14; margin: 0.625rem 0px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor failed to recuse herself from several <span style="font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: -0.01em;">cases involving her publisher, according to a report.</span></figcaption><figcaption style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; caption-side: bottom; color: #585858; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 0.875rem; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.14; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="credit" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-e); display: block; font-size: 0.75rem; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.17; margin: 0px; padding: 0.5rem 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">penguin random house</span></figcaption></td></tr></tbody></table><br />This seems to be a case of a conflict of interest in the highest Court in America.<div><br /></div><div>Quite shocking.</div><div><br /></div><div><p style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Betsy Combier</p><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="color: #1a222a;">betsy@advocatz.com</span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span face=""arial" , "tahoma" , "helvetica" , "freesans" , sans-serif" style="color: #1a222a;"><br /></span></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: quot;">Editor, </span><span style="color: #582995;"><a href="http://advocatz.com/" style="color: #843ddf; text-decoration-line: none;"><span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif">ADVOCATZ.com</span></a></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;">Editor, <span face=""arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif"><a href="https://advocatz.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; 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line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://newyorkcourtcorruption.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Court Corruption</a></span><br /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot;"><span style="color: #1a222a; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">National Public Voice</a></span><br /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot;"><span style="color: #1a222a; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nycpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Public Voice</a></span></b></div><div style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot;"><span style="color: #1a222a; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor,</span><a href="http://rubberroom3020-a.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials</a></span></b></div><h1 style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://nypost.com/2023/05/04/supreme-court-justice-sonia-sotomayor-didnt-recuse-herself-from-cases-involving-book-publisher-that-paid-her-3m-report/" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: var(--fontsize,var(--h1fontsize)); font-weight: var(--fontweight,var(--h1fontweight)); letter-spacing: var(--letterspacing,var(--h1letterspacing));">Supreme Ethics Conflict: Radical Justice Took $3M from Book Publisher, Didn’t Recuse from Cases</a></h1><div>by Victor Nava, May 4 2023, NY POST</div><div><br /></div><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor didn’t recuse herself from multiple cases involving a book publisher – Penguin Random House – which paid her more than $3 million since 2010, according to a report. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The copyright infringement cases, in which Penguin Random House stood to suffer financial damage if the court ruled unfavorably, were not taken up by the high court but justices voted on whether or not to hear the cases. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Altogether, Sotomayor earned $3.6 million from Penguin Random House and its subsidiaries for agreeing to let them publish her 2013 memoir, “My Beloved World,” and numerous children’s books since then, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/liberal-scotus-justice-took-3m-from-book-publisher-didnt-recuse-from-its-cases" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">the Daily Wire reported</a> on Thursday. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The same year that her memoir came out, Sotomayor voted on whether the high court should take up Aaron Greenspan v. Random House.</p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Her liberal colleague at the time, Justice Stephen Breyer, recused himself from the case, having also received money from Penguin Random House. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; letter-spacing: -0.16px;">The court does not reveal how justices vote in deciding whether to hear arguments in a case. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In 2020, Sotomayor also took part in deciding on a petition filed by fellow children’s author Jennie Nicassio, who argued that Penguin Random House was selling a book nearly identical to one she had already written and published. On the same day that the petition was delivered to the justices, Penguin Random House cut Sotomayor a check for $10,586, according to the Daily Wire. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Again, Breyer recused himself from the case that the court declined to take up. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><figure class="wp-block-image size-large" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #585858; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><button aria-label="Open the image in a modal." class="button button--modal-trigger " data-modal-image="26906824" style="align-items: center; border-radius: 50%; border: 3px solid var(--wp--preset--color--white); box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8) 0px 3px 6px, rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.4) 0px 3px 6px inset; cursor: pointer; display: block; font-family: neue-haas-grotesk-display, sans-serif; font-weight: 700; height: 2.375rem; justify-content: center; outline: none; overflow: visible; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: 0.625rem; text-transform: uppercase; top: 0.625rem; width: 2.375rem;"><svg class="icon-plus" fill="#fff" height="1em" viewbox="0 0 1033 1000" width="1em" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><path d="M380 364V0h273v355h380v290H653v355H380V645H0V355h380v9z"></path></svg></button></figure><p></p><p style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); display: block; font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; orphans: 2; padding: 0px; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">Sotomayor, an appointee of former President Barack Obama, disclosed the income from her book publisher on her annual disclosure forms. <span style="color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); letter-spacing: -0.01em;">The report on Sotomayor’s possible conflict of interest on the bench comes amid an effort by lawmakers on Capitol Hill to </span><a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/25/chief-justice-john-roberts-declines-democrats-invite-to-testify-before-senate-on-court-ethics/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; letter-spacing: -0.01em; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">force the high court to revamp its code of ethics</a><span style="color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); letter-spacing: -0.01em;">. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee have vowed to establish a new code of ethics and conduct for the Supreme Court justices if they refuse to come up with one themselves. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The push for ethics reform comes after several media reports related to conservative Justice Clarence Thomas and his close friendship with Republican megadonor Harlan Crow. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Last month, Thomas <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/04/07/clarence-thomas-admits-he-and-wife-took-trips-with-gop-donor-harlan-crow-as-friends-do/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; vertical-align: baseline;">confirmed reports</a> by ProPublica that he had repeatedly accepted travel from Crow over their more than two decades of friendship without disclosing it. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Thomas contends that he did not have to report the gifts on annual financial disclosure forms. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The outlet also reported that Crow purchased property from Thomas and his relatives. </p><p style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--wp--preset--color--gray-g); font-family: Arial, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: -0.01em; line-height: 1.5; margin: 0px 0px 1.25rem; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On Thursday, ProPublica published another report alleging that Crow also paid for the private school tuition of Thomas’ grandnephew. </p></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-15379187465373234022022-10-03T10:11:00.005-07:002024-03-14T18:38:15.234-07:00Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals Judge James Ho Says He Will No Longer Hire Yale Law Students<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUrmrXSuFKOnqu_ID4nilt98UHIxSHgPRlKxv0OSoxrxhKQMGsomE6pXBjyg1_JNN-jxw2r7RXY3FatmsW_1JGQmn7hui8dQtYtFEExD1Aw3VNsAjWLnakAbkP0B8MP3F3ebS1S-HcDZHhcMja_U-5jqp2eC48SJd6xnYApeQt_T5BIEhJwFNcQQZfbw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="810" data-original-width="1200" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhUrmrXSuFKOnqu_ID4nilt98UHIxSHgPRlKxv0OSoxrxhKQMGsomE6pXBjyg1_JNN-jxw2r7RXY3FatmsW_1JGQmn7hui8dQtYtFEExD1Aw3VNsAjWLnakAbkP0B8MP3F3ebS1S-HcDZHhcMja_U-5jqp2eC48SJd6xnYApeQt_T5BIEhJwFNcQQZfbw=w400-h270" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://info.breakingmedia.com/e3t/Ctc/48%2B113/c2-f404/VXjL2D115njVW55gwjK1w8dm1W5g6HvJ4QJvd2N7Hm8wG5nCT_V3Zsc37CgZ94W208Y-n5JyRSFW77S9y95-FyGKW9dg9N687trYXN1bYm5F9YHDNW1SYhZv4Bkz8SW3-vJFq12WT_CW5HcTPv3rh-65W8HhXJd8MWw7tW1X0tTF8Fg2R_W10dLMj6cfRWPW4ZGT5n5GwYbwW2sG9kB52ZSpfW9fvchr2sX6mpW9cJbg-95tTlsW1Ll7WW9kny5DW7Lygks8D76RHW1_q4Kt4XbLkPW6T0m6V2SqvSsN2HKDgSpwtk3W3S-x6m68-F2YW6bH6cv3NF7XDVs24Sn4-3wSgW17_hDH7ykspMW6dKxJ23vhxX-W1s7khg5W93VNW3RMltd87XhJkW3TGrwQ5BPs03VtRYdz5b6Cx3W4-cskR2mznGNW1ZZ_Tn32TMNLW2J9NXw6JYwpzW7fSL-86wSRc6W3LPqsW5TxVLyVxJ3tz6yF0353hxQ1&source=gmail&ust=1664895889657000&usg=AOvVaw3lJ8zInxdYyF3gmie5ouri" href="https://www.law.com/2022/09/29/in-slamming-cancel-culture-judge-james-ho-boycotts-yale-law-clerks/" style="color: black; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank"><b>James Ho Cancel Cultures Yale Law FedSoc Because Other Students Are Mean To Yale Law FedSoc Students</b></a></p><br /><a href="https://www.law.com/author/profile/avalon-zoppo/">Avalon Zoppo <img src="https://www.law.com/assets/master-template/images/CCA-images/see-more-link.png" /></a><a href="https://www.law.com/author/profile/brad-kutner/">Brad Kutner <img src="https://www.law.com/assets/master-template/images/CCA-images/see-more-link.png" /></a><a href="https://www.law.com/author/profile/christine-charnosky/">Christine Charnosky <img src="https://www.law.com/assets/master-template/images/CCA-images/see-more-link.png" /></a><br />Law.com, September 29, 2022<div><br /></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">A federal judge who said he will no longer hire clerks from
Yale Law School garnered criticism from the <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: large;">legal community, one of whom said his comments could create ethics problems.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;">Legal ethics adviser and University of Miami Law professor
Jan Jacobowitz said comments from Judge James </span><span style="font-size: large;">Ho of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
criticizing Yale could create recusal problems in the future.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: large;">At a speech Ho gave Thursday to the Kentucky Chapters
Conference of the Federalist Society, he pledged not to hire students who “want
the closed and intolerant environment that Yale embraces today,” referencing a
March event hosted by Yale’s Federalist Society chapter that featured Kristen
Waggoner of the Alliance Defending Freedom. Conservative outlets claimed
protestors, who opposed Waggoner for her anti-LGBTQ views, were so loud and
violent that police needed to be called. Other reports suggest the scene was
less dramatic.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">Calling Ho’s refusal to work with Yale grads because of the incident “irony 2.0,” Jacobowitz said future Yale Law graduates who go before Ho for hearings could fear the judge is biased against them.</span></div><div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />“Any party who retains a Yale law school graduate or happens to be a Yale graduate might reasonably believe that they would get a fair trial in the judge’s courtroom,” she explained.<br /><br />Ho’s talk about resisting cancel culture accused Yale of tolerating and actively practicing the cancellation of opposing views. The judge has himself hired at least two clerks who graduated from Yale Law School in the past, according to a LinkedIn search and a Claremont Institute announcement. In his speech, Ho said his pledge wouldn’t apply to current Yale students.<br /><br />Former U.S. District Judge Jeremy Fogel of the Northern District of California, who is the executive director of Berkeley Judicial Institute, said that while there are issues that need to be addressed on civility, Ho’s efforts will be viewed as partisan.<br /><br />“The speakers to whom Judge Ho refers are identified with conservative or libertarian viewpoints, and he singles out Yale Law School as a particularly intolerant environment with respect to those views,” Fogel said. “In that context, the boycott he proposes inevitably will be seen as partisan.”<br /><br />“At the same time, there is an underlying reality that our law schools and society generally need to address, which is our growing inability to deal civilly with deeply-felt differences,” Fogel said. “Law schools can be leaders in making a serious commitment to inclusion and respect for differences of all kinds and in helping students to develop the concrete communication skills that can make that possible.”<br /><br />“Sometimes that means being able to listen to things that are upsetting, and sometimes it means making a genuine, thoughtful effort to understand why people are upset,” Fogel added.<br /><br />Yale Law declined to comment.<br /><br />In his speech, Ho said his refusal to hire Yale clerks is no different from standing orders that some judges have issued stating they will give more oral argument time to younger lawyers, or a <a href="https://www.law.com/2022/04/21/im-a-black-man-attorneys-of-color-make-inroads-in-mdl-leadership/">push from jurists</a> to appoint diverse attorneys for lead counsel in class action litigation. Ho also appeared to reference a “statement” from Justice Samuel Alito in the denial of review in the 2013 case Martin v. Blessing, where the justice criticized a trial judge’s “highly unusual” practice of using race and sex when picking class counsel.<br /><br />“If judges can tell litigants which lawyers they should hire—and presidents which judges they should appoint—then surely I can say whose graduates I will hire as law clerks in my own chambers,” Ho said Thursday.<br /><br />But those who would be impacted by Ho’s threat were unimpressed by his musing.<br /><br />“Judge Ho has always been free to make hiring decisions as he sees fit,” a Yale law student, who wished to remain anonymous, said. “I very much doubt that any liberal-leaning students had any desire to clerk for him, so his decision ironically only adversely impacts conservative-leaning Federalist Society members who agree with him ideologically.”<br /><br />“Yale Law School is still the No. 1 ranked law school in the country and I fully expect that my peers and I will have no trouble finding prestigious clerkships and high-paying jobs,” they said.<br /><br />Ho is not the first judge to criticize Yale. Senior Judge Laurence Silberman of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit sent an email in March to all Article III judges suggesting that student-protestors who interrupted an on-campus Federalist Society event should be <a href="https://www.law.com/2022/03/18/appalling-or-absolutely-correct-divided-reaction-to-judges-call-to-block-yale-law-protesters-from-clerkships/">identified and disqualified</a> from federal clerkship positions.<br /><br />Also among those to criticize Ho for his comments was Georgia State University law professor Eric Segall. He called the jurist’s comments “insanity” before suggesting Ho failed to realize that cancel culture impacts both sides of the political spectrum.<br /><br />“His arrogant view that this decision will somehow hurt Yale Law School is as unpersuasive as his judicial opinions,” Segall said.<br /><br />Some questioned the irony of Ho’s comments, saying he is canceling Yale at the same time he condemns cancel culture. But the judge said in his speech that such observations miss the point.<br /><br />“I would say that I’m doing the exact opposite of what Yale is doing. Cancel culture is about excluding people. I want institutions of higher learning to include people,” he said.<br /><br />“I don’t want to cancel Yale. I want Yale to stop canceling people like me,” Ho added a short time later.<br /><br />Ho was appointed to the bench in 2018 by former President Donald Trump, and is known for writing some fiery writing, including one concurrence last year where he accused his colleagues of applying a “woke Constitution.” Some <a href="https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2022/02/16/judge-james-hos-affirmative-action-comments-spark-debate-among-legal-academics/">ethics experts criticized</a> a speech he gave earlier this year in which he said affirmative action policies that aren’t color-blind are “offensive and un-American.”<br /><br />But he isn’t without supporters. Among those who lauded a <a href="https://reason.com/volokh/2021/11/17/conservative-and-libertarian-law-students-at-yale-law-school-should-transfer-out-en-masse/">Yale boycott</a> is South Texas College of Law professor Josh Blackman.<br /><br />“One judge cannot make a difference, but a critical mass of judges could force Yale to change its ways,” he said. “That school (Yale) lives on the prestige of federal clerkships, and will only respond when there is a threat to that prestige.”<br /><br />Among those Ho lauded during his speech was Ilya Shapiro, senior fellow and director of constitutional studies at the Manhattan Institute.<br /><br />“Ilya is not the only legal scholar to face campus vitriol, for doing nothing more than standing up for mainstream principles,” the jurist said of the conservative commentator who was embroiled in a hiring controversy with Georgetown Law before taking a job with the institute.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Shapiro called Ho “brave” after the speech was made public.<br /><br />“Something has to be done to disrupt the toxic atmosphere polluting too many law schools,” he added.</span><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 20px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 60px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Supreme Court reporter Marcia Coyle contributed to this report.</em></p></div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-88839240561106756162021-09-30T06:51:00.000-07:002021-09-30T06:51:09.581-07:00Texas Judge Rodney Gilstrap Violated Judicial Ethics By Using His Office For Financial Gain<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuOoBF0JByAuy-tb3GFTEcu-uBJyFyOhXEz4fK0rehpOf0jyhNxirWvRJb_KO1HAXo2flVDuHjaw2twreRRAFNNuatWW7EAARgiPA_sFW45ass5soRVyx1f7oP_6ucj-PNNfgR_LqTRjK/s365/Judge+Rodney+Gilstrap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="365" data-original-width="317" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXuOoBF0JByAuy-tb3GFTEcu-uBJyFyOhXEz4fK0rehpOf0jyhNxirWvRJb_KO1HAXo2flVDuHjaw2twreRRAFNNuatWW7EAARgiPA_sFW45ass5soRVyx1f7oP_6ucj-PNNfgR_LqTRjK/w348-h400/Judge+Rodney+Gilstrap.jpg" width="348" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge Rodney Gilstrap</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/judge-rodney-gilstrap-sets-an-unwanted-record-most-cases-with-financial-conflicts-11632920541" style="font-size: x-large;">Judge Rodney Gilstrap Sets an Unwanted Record: Most Cases With Financial Conflicts</a></p><div>By Joe Palazzolo, James V. Grimaldi and Coulter Jones, Wall Street Journal<time class="timestamp article__timestamp flexbox__flex--1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: var(--color-nickel); display: block; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Sept. 29, 2021 9:02 am ET</time><time class="timestamp article__timestamp flexbox__flex--1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: var(--color-nickel); display: block; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><br /></time><time class="timestamp article__timestamp flexbox__flex--1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; display: block; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 4px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><h2 class="bigTop__dek" itemprop="description" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; color: var(--color-nickel); font-family: Retina; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.3; margin: 8px 0px 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-align: left; vertical-align: baseline;">The patent-law expert took on 138 cases involving companies in which he or his spouse had a financial interest, a Wall Street Journal investigation found</h2><div style="color: var(--color-nickel); font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></div><div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">No federal judge in America has heard more patent-infringement lawsuits in the past decade than Rodney Gilstrap, who presides over a small courthouse in Marshall, Texas.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He also holds another record: Judge Gilstrap has taken on 138 cases since 2011 that involved companies in which he or a family member had a financial interest, more than any other federal judge, a Wall Street Journal investigation shows.</p><div class="paywall" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The companies included Microsoft Corp. (53 cases), <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/WMT" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Walmart</a><span class="company-name-type" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Inc.</span> (36 cases), <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/TGT" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Target</a><span class="company-name-type" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Corp.</span> (25 cases) and <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/IBM" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">International Business Machines</a><span class="company-name-type" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Corp.</span> (9 cases).</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A 1974 federal law requires judges to disqualify themselves from cases if they, their spouse or minor children hold a financial interest in a plaintiff or defendant, including the interest of a beneficiary in assets held by a trust.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Journal investigation, which compared judges’ financial-disclosure forms against their court dockets,<a class="icon none" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/131-federal-judges-broke-the-law-by-hearing-cases-where-they-had-a-financial-interest-11632834421?mod=hp_lead_pos5&mod=article_inline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"> found that 131 federal judges violated this law from 2010 to 2018, in a total of 685 cases</a>. Judge Gilstrap had several dozen more violations than the runner-up, Judge Janis Sammartino of California, who heard 54 cases involving companies held in her family’s trusts. She has since directed court clerks to inform the parties in most of the cases that she should have recused herself.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap, the chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas, also disclosed one of the largest holdings in a conflicted company. He oversaw a patent-infringement case against a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/DIS" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Walt Disney</a><span class="company-name-type" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Co.</span> unit while he or his wife reported holding between $100,001 and $250,000 of Disney stock. The plaintiff later withdrew its claim.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The 64-year-old Judge Gilstrap, one of America’s most prominent district judges, said he believed he didn’t need to recuse himself from some cases because they required little or no action on his part, and in other cases because the stocks were in a trust created for his wife without her stock-picking input. Legal ethics experts disagree on both counts.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap declined interview requests. “I take my obligations related to potential conflicts/recusals seriously,” he said in one of seven emails to the Journal. “Throughout my judicial career, I have endeavored to comply with all such obligations, and I will continue to do so.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Beyond violating law and ethics, the judges’ handling of lawsuits filed by and against companies in which they have financial interests threatens the federal courts’ hard-earned and crucial reputation for fairness, impartiality and objectivity.</p><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-placement" id="imm_ad_1_placement" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 100%; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: -350px; top: -600px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><div class="wsj-responsive-ad-wrap" data-google-query-id="COeJgqrepvMCFbcqAQodG2UBIQ" id="AD_imm_ad_1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 25px; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_0__container__" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" data-google-container-id="1" data-is-safeframe="true" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://124ef390ba90bfee0072cf8a712f6499.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div></div></div></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Federal district judges have considerable discretion on matters of fact-finding and other pretrial issues, and this can be especially important in patent litigation, a complex area of law. “The more important questions in any given patent case are the small discretionary, often procedural questions that the judge resolves before trial,” said Paul Gugliuzza, a law professor at Temple University.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Friends and other lawyers said they couldn’t imagine that Judge Gilstrap would ever be swayed by his or his family’s investments in making court rulings. “That man is as pure as the driven snow in terms of his ethics and personal responsibility,” said Brad Toben, the dean of Baylor University Law School and a longtime friend of the judge.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">An unusually large role in patent litigation has made the Eastern District of Texas a lightning rod for criticism from some academics, corporations and think tanks.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">These critics say its rules encourage patent holders to bring suits there because they are dispatched swiftly, often with quick settlement payouts to the plaintiffs. A 2016 article in the Southern California Law Review described how it said the court engaged in “forum selling,” a pejorative twist on “forum shopping,” the practice of lawyers seeking out friendly legal venues.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some have lauded the court’s efforts to cater to patent litigants. A 2011 article in Southern Methodist University’s Science and Technology Law Review said the patent rules in East Texas “provide structure and a default schedule for the efficient, effective, and more predictable administration of patent cases.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">It is in patent suits where 85% of Judge Gilstrap’s recusal violations identified by the Journal occurred. In one, a McKinney, Texas-based company called Biscotti Inc. alleged that Microsoft’s Xbox One services infringed a patent covering live video-chat capabilities. A jury found in Microsoft’s favor in 2017.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Biscotti sought a new trial, citing numerous reasons, including an assertion that a video shown to the jury about videoconferencing calls violated evidentiary rules.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The video does not present the sort of prejudice that would justify a new trial,” Judge Gilstrap said in rejecting Biscotti’s claims in 2018. “A plethora of other evidence in this record supports the jury’s verdict in this regard.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">For most of the nearly five years he oversaw the case, Judge Gilstrap’s disclosure forms listed between $15,001 and $50,000 of Microsoft stock.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In another instance, Judge Gilstrap took unusually strong action in a 2015 case that he shouldn’t have overseen because of stock held in his wife’s trust.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A firm called Iris Connex LLC sued Microsoft and 17 other technology companies alleging that their computer and smartphone devices infringed its patent for videoconferencing. In a 2016 ruling, Judge Gilstrap said that “no reasonable juror could find the accused camera system” with fixed cameras violated a patent held by the plaintiff that called for a movable camera.</p><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-placement" id="imm_ad_2_placement" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 100%; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: -350px; top: -600px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><div class="wsj-responsive-ad-wrap" data-google-query-id="CO-Jj8XepvMCFYE6AQodafQCLQ" id="AD_imm_ad_2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 25px; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_1__container__" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" data-google-container-id="2" data-is-safeframe="true" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://124ef390ba90bfee0072cf8a712f6499.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div></div></div></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The judge granted summary judgment, though the defendants hadn’t requested it. In doing so, he cited court precedent that said disposing of the claims at such an early point in the infringement case was highly unusual “but entirely appropriate at an early stage in a case where...the issues are cut and dry.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In a later ruling, Judge Gilstrap also called Iris Connex’s lawsuit “exceptionally bad,” said the company was a shell meant to insulate the true owner of the patent against sanctions for filing frivolous cases, and ordered him to pay attorneys’ fees and expenses to one of the defendants.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lawyers for Iris Connex and a spokesman for Microsoft declined to comment.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap said he removes himself from cases involving plaintiffs or defendants in which he or his wife hold stock—but not when those stocks are held in a trust created for his wife and her descendants.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap said that a trustee makes investment decisions for the trust and holds legal title to its assets and that the trust will continue to exist after his wife’s death.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap said he checked the trust’s characteristics against ethics guidance provided to other federal judges and believes that “its structure, the limitations it imposes, and the Trustee’s discretion place it in a category of trusts which would not require recusal.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Legal experts told the Journal that Judge Gilstrap’s wife has an interest in the trust’s stocks, even if she doesn’t hold legal title to them.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Federal law defines a “financial interest” in a party as either a “legal or equitable interest,” such as a beneficiary’s interest in a trust.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“The judge must recuse if the trust for the spouse has even one share of stock in a party,” said Stephen Gillers, a New York University law professor and author of a judicial ethics casebook, who reviewed the filings for the Journal. “It does not matter that the spouse or child have no say in the investment choices.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Investments in his wife’s trust should be disclosed if she either is the legal owner of the trust or has an equitable interest, said Ben Johnson, a law professor at Pennsylvania State University, who published <a class="icon none" href="https://scholarship.law.unc.edu/nclr/vol99/iss1/2/" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">research on recusal failures among district judges</a>. “He would have to recuse.”</p><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-placement" id="imm_ad_3_placement" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 100%; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: -350px; top: -600px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><div class="wsj-responsive-ad-wrap" data-google-query-id="CM-yi9bepvMCFZI6AQodd70PHQ" id="AD_imm_ad_3" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 25px; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_2__container__" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" data-google-container-id="3" data-is-safeframe="true" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_2" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://124ef390ba90bfee0072cf8a712f6499.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div></div></div></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap’s financial disclosure forms make no distinction between the trust’s assets and stocks the judge and his wife hold in other investment accounts.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In emailed statements, he declined to provide an accounting of the stocks in the trust but confirmed that Microsoft was among them, reiterating that he believed he had no duty to recuse himself in cases involving the company.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap also initially said he had no duty to recuse himself from some cases involving parties in which his family’s other investment accounts held stock because the cases identified by the Journal were handled by a magistrate judge or required only “ministerial” actions by Judge Gilstrap.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After the Journal contacted him, he sought counsel from the federal judiciary’s ethics committee. The panel said he was mistaken.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Sept. 2 opinion by the committee, provided to the Journal by Judge Gilstrap, said the Code of Conduct for U.S. Judges “requires recusal when a judge has a financial conflict, regardless of the substance of the judge’s actual involvement in the case,” and “encompasses a situation where the Clerk’s Office assigns you a case, even where you do not act.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In sharing the opinion with the Journal, Judge Gilstrap said he would follow the panel’s guidance. “In hindsight and considering the attached opinion from the Committee, I now understand that, despite my lack of any involvement or action, such cases result in a need for me to recuse,” he said.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He declined to say whether he sought an opinion from the committee on whether he was required to recuse in connection with his wife’s trust.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Court dockets in the cases identified by the Journal give no indication that Judge Gilstrap or the court clerk has notified parties that he held a disqualifying interest while assigned to the cases.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">On Tuesday, another federal judge notified by the Journal about recusal violations directed a court clerk to make public alerts to parties in 16 lawsuits saying he shouldn’t have heard the cases. That brought to 57 the number of judges who have told clerks to issue similar court notices, in 345 lawsuits.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap joined the federal bench in 2011, nominated by former President Barack Obama and recommended by two Republican senators from Texas. “He has earned the support of people of all political stripes in East Texas and around our great state,” Sen. John Cornyn said at the confirmation hearing.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When nominated, he reported that he or his family owned a total of nearly $1.8 million in shares of more than three dozen companies. In a more recent accounting, his 2018 disclosure form, Judge Gilstrap reported holding $3.7 million in stocks, among total assets of more than $8 million.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The shares he disclosed owning when nominated included $16,521 of Microsoft, $6,915 of JPMorgan Chase & Co. and $1,756 of <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/CSCO" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Cisco Systems</a><span class="company-name-type" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Inc.</span> Within days of his confirmation, his docket filled with more than 100 cases, including suits that named Microsoft, JPMorgan and Cisco as parties.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">By the end of the year, he had more than a dozen cases that involved companies in which he or his wife owned stock, the Journal found.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mr. Gilstrap faced no questions about his investments at his confirmation hearing. But senators asked him about “patent-troll” litigation, a derisive term for suits by plaintiffs—often firms that make no products but own patents—to enforce rights against alleged infringers far beyond the patents’ value.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">He vowed to be fair. “I’ve heard it said that to be an effective district judge, you have to be willing to disappoint your friends and astound and please your detractors sometimes,” he said at the hearing.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap is known around Marshall for meeting with students for civics lessons, singing in a church choir and handing out jars of homemade honey he has branded “Sweet Justice.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A magna cum laude graduate of Baylor with a degree in religion, Mr. Gilstrap went to Baylor Law School before starting to practice law in Marshall. In 1984 he co-founded a firm there specializing in intellectual property and patent law.</p><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-placement" id="imm_ad_4_placement" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 100%; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: -350px; top: -600px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><div class="wsj-responsive-ad-wrap" data-google-query-id="CIPQzuvepvMCFdBvAQodavMNdg" id="AD_imm_ad_4" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 25px; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_3__container__" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><iframe allow="attribution-reporting" data-google-container-id="4" data-is-safeframe="true" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_3" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://124ef390ba90bfee0072cf8a712f6499.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div></div></div></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Court rules at the time allowed plaintiffs to file patent-infringement suits anywhere the defendant’s product was sold. When Dallas-based <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/TXN" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Texas Instruments</a> sued competitors based in Asia to defend its semiconductor patents In the late 1980s, TI’s lawyers brought the cases not in Dallas but in Marshall, which had acquired a reputation for having juries sympathetic to plaintiffs and where suits could go to trial quickly.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A series of judges in the Eastern District of Texas adopted local rules that promised a “rocket docket” for patent cases. In a patent case before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2006, when an attorney complained of a pro-plaintiff bent at the court in Marshall, Justice Antonin Scalia referred to it as being among “renegade jurisdictions.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“Why Do Patent Trolls Go to Texas? It’s Not for the BBQ,” the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a libertarian digital-rights group that opposes patent trolls, said on its website in 2014. The pro-defendant American Tort Reform Association in 2016 deemed the district among “judicial hellholes” because of its plaintiff-friendly reputation.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Marshall community benefited from the local court’s being a center of patent litigation. Law firms needed hotels. Some companies opened local outlets to facilitate filing cases in the district.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">“These attorneys are coming to small-town Texas for cases, often bringing a team of 20 lawyers,” said Prof. Gugliuzza of Temple, who has studied the court.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Before joining the federal bench, Judge Gilstrap served for a dozen years as the local Harrison County judge. That made him a top county politician, in a role concerned with local economic development as well as with the local court.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When tapped for a federal judgeship, he committed to taking on what by then was a bulky patent-suit caseload in Marshall. Since 2011, Judge Gilstrap has heard nearly 15% of the more than 47,800 patent cases filed in federal courts.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The assets reported by Judge Gilstrap and his family include companies that are typically defendants in patent-infringement suits.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap has retained or enhanced rules that made the local court attractive to plaintiffs’ lawyers seeking to enforce patents rights, who often seek to settle their suits quickly.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the period before patent cases got to trial, Judge Gilstrap’s court has proved somewhat plaintiff-friendly, according to data analyzed for the Journal by Lex Machina, a legal analytics provider. Of 6,929 patent cases in front of Judge Gilstrap, 83% were resolved with a settlement before trial, compared with 69% of patent cases nationally since 2011.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Once litigants got to trial, however, the data analysis shows Judge Gilstrap’s rulings have favored defendants more often than in patent suits nationwide. Since 2011, he has found that defendants infringed patents in 34 cases and didn’t infringe in 35. Nationwide, judges have found infringement in 277 cases and none in 204 cases, according to Lex Machina, which also counted more patent suits handled by Judge Gilstrap than any other judge in the past decade.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap didn’t respond to requests for comment on these findings.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The tort-reform association said that in 2015, Judge Gilstrap threw out 168 suits filed by what the association labeled “a serial patent troll” that sought small settlements from numerous companies.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Over the years, Judge Gilstrap has championed the Eastern District of Texas on the legal-lecture circuit. In 2018, he made two dozen trips, many to speak at national and international conferences about patent litigation, paid for by the U.S. court system, bar associations and universities, his financial disclosure form shows. All this was permissible.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Eastern District’s outsize role in patent litigation has eased since 2017, when the Supreme Court limited plaintiffs to bringing their suits where defendants have an established place of business. The district now is only the third-busiest, of 94 federal court districts, in patent cases. Judge Gilstrap, though, is still one of the busiest patent judges and has been since his earliest days on the federal bench.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap disqualified himself from a patent case weeks after his Senate confirmation in 2011, but he kept the case when it boomeranged back to him after brief stops in the courtrooms of two other judges.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the suit, the plaintiff alleged its patent was infringed by a tool on the websites of <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/MCD" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">McDonald’s</a><span class="company-name-type" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Corp.</span> and several other companies to help people find stores near them. Judge Gilstrap recused himself in January 2012 without explanation.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Asked recently about it, he said, “This was a long time ago, but I suspect the presence of McDonald’s Corp. (which I hold in a personal brokerage account) would have prompted” him to bow out.</p><div class="article-content article-center " style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="paywall" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The judge to whom the case was reassigned retired after about two months. The district court assigned it to another judge, but later took it away from that judge in a rebalancing of caseloads. The case landed on Judge Gilstrap’s docket again in January 2013. This time, he didn’t recuse himself.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">McDonald’s was no longer a defendant, having settled. The plaintiff, however, had filed more suits alleging that various retailers, banks and big-box stores were infringing its patent. Judge Gilstrap consolidated these suits.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Of the more than two dozen companies that were by then parties, Judge Gilstrap’s disclosure forms showed investments in five: <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/HD" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Home Depot</a><span class="company-name-type" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Inc.</span> and JPMorgan (each $15,001 to $50,000 worth) plus Microsoft, Target and Walmart (each up to $15,000).</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Walmart and the plaintiff, LBS Innovations LLC, entered into an agreement to dismiss the claims against the retailer in September 2013. Judge Gilstrap discarded some of LBS’s infringement claims against the remaining companies in a January 2014 ruling. Settlements with Home Depot, JPMorgan, Microsoft and Target quickly followed.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judge Gilstrap said the stocks in the five companies were assets of his wife’s trust and didn’t require his recusal.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Eric Buether, a lawyer who represented LBS in the case, said, “My experience is that he’s a fastidious judge who holds all parties and lawyers to obey the rules and [I] would not expect this to be anything other than an innocent error if there even were one.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Mr. Buether has a trial in Judge Gilstrap’s court starting next week.</p><p class="articleTagLine" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; font-style: italic; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">—Header illustration by Art Lien for The Wall Street Journal</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Write to </span>Joe Palazzolo at <a class="icon " href="mailto:joe.palazzolo@wsj.com,%20James%20V.%20Grimaldi%20at%20james.grimaldi@wsj.com" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">joe.palazzolo@wsj.com, James V. Grimaldi at james.grimaldi@wsj.com</a> and Coulter Jones at <a class="icon " href="mailto:Coulter.Jones@wsj.com" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Coulter.Jones@wsj.com</a></p></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; left: -15000px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; position: absolute; top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; z-index: -1;">Copyright ©2021 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8</p></div><p class="printheadline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Appeared in the September 30, 2021, print edition as 'Texas Judge Leads Tally of Cases With Financial Conflicts.'</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfFJOaFThfUmi2NhtVhiCuPPVjdkuNygnEVK0qcNItjnbRAu10IYp8sjkC7QqZ35CFQt_TGjImw6JjMx5sLczRNJlTyXNPSZ_0NUiDxUdpC0E_3j1V5x8JpcHtYq2oA0k3P_Ef9pvxL8D/s640/Gilstrap.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="619" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMfFJOaFThfUmi2NhtVhiCuPPVjdkuNygnEVK0qcNItjnbRAu10IYp8sjkC7QqZ35CFQt_TGjImw6JjMx5sLczRNJlTyXNPSZ_0NUiDxUdpC0E_3j1V5x8JpcHtYq2oA0k3P_Ef9pvxL8D/w388-h400/Gilstrap.jpg" width="388" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #555555; font-family: Retina, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: right; text-transform: uppercase;">PHOTO ILLUSTRATION: DAVE COLE/WSJ; PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="printheadline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/dozens-of-federal-judges-broke-the-law-on-conflicts-what-you-need-to-know-11632922140" style="font-size: x-large;">Dozens of Federal Judges Had Financial Conflicts: What You Need to Know</a></p></div><div class="paywall" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Wall Street Journal investigation finds 131 federal judges unlawfully ruled in cases involving companies in which they or their families held shares</i></span><br /><br />Wall Street Journal, By Michael Siconolfi, Coulter Jones, Joe Palazzolo and James V. Grimaldi</div><div>Sept. 29, 2021, 9:29 am ET</div><div><br /></div><div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">A Wall Street Journal investigation found that federal judges around the nation have violated U.S. law and judicial ethics by overseeing nearly 700 court cases involving companies in which they or their family-owned stock.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">As a result of the Journal’s reporting, judges in more than 300 cases have notified courts that they presided in the lawsuits improperly and that the cases are eligible to be reopened.</p><div class="paywall" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HOW MANY JUDGES ARE WE TALKING ABOUT?</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In the most expansive investigation of judicial stockholdings in the U.S., <a class="icon none" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/131-federal-judges-broke-the-law-by-hearing-cases-where-they-had-a-financial-interest-11632834421?mod=hp_lead_pos11&mod=article_inline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">the Journal revealed that 131 federal judges improperly heard 685 court cases between 2010 and 2018 in which they or their family members owned shares of companies that were plaintiffs or defendants</a> in the litigation. Two of the judges sat on appellate courts; the other 129 were district judges, also called trial judges. The Journal’s review examined civil cases.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">About two-thirds of federal district judges disclosed holdings of individual stocks and nearly one of every five of those who did improperly heard at least one case involving a company in which they or their families owned a stake.</p></div></div><div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WHAT’S THE LAW?</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Nothing bars judges from owning stocks, but <a class="icon none" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/a-post-watergate-law-some-judges-overlook-11632834199?mod=article_relatedinline&mod=article_inline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">a 1974 federal law</a> prohibits any “ownership of a legal or equitable interest, however small,” in a party to a case before a judge. That law and the Judicial Conference of the U.S., the federal courts’ policy-making body, require judges to avoid even the appearance of a conflict.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The ban on holding even a single share of a company while presiding in a case involving the firm means judges must be vigilant about their assets, including informing themselves about stockholdings of spouses and minor children.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Judicial Conference requires courts to use conflict-checking computer software to help identify cases where judges should bow out. Judges needn’t disqualify themselves from cases involving banks where they have mortgages or checking or savings accounts, nor do they need to recuse because of any mutual-fund holdings.</p><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-placement" id="imm_ad_1_placement" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 100%; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: -350px; top: -600px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><div class="wsj-responsive-ad-wrap" data-google-query-id="CIfGj9TfpvMCFWES-QAdxq0NpA" id="AD_imm_ad_1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 25px; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_0__container__" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><iframe data-google-container-id="1" data-is-safeframe="true" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://37c8f77c7e24bd7bf70a8783c4b95552.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div></div></div></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HOW PERVASIVE IS THE PROBLEM?</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Journal found judges failing to disqualify themselves as required in every region of the country. They included judges appointed by nearly every president from Lyndon Johnson to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/topics/person/donald-trump" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Donald Trump</a>.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">When there were contested motions in cases involving companies the judges had a financial stake in, two out of three of their rulings on the motions were in favor of those companies.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Dozens of judges or their families not only owned shares in companies in their courtrooms but traded the shares while the judges were presiding in the cases.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Legal experts said the activity the Journal found amounts to a pervasive disregard for the judicial conflict-of-interest laws. Indiana University Law Professor Charles Geyh said that, in isolation, a violation could be viewed as an oversight. But the Journal’s overall findings raise “a more systemic problem of judges chronically neglecting their duty to disqualify in such cases.”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">HOW DID THE WSJ DO IT?</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The Journal reviewed hundreds of financial disclosure forms filed annually from 2010 to 2018 with the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts. The forms, filed by federal trial and appellate judges, aren’t online. The Journal used the courts’ data as obtained and digitized by the Free Law Project, a nonpartisan legal-research nonprofit.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Then <a class="icon none" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-the-journal-found-judges-violations-of-law-on-conflicts-11632833775?mod=article_relatedinline&mod=article_inline" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">the Journal compared judges’ stockholdings to tens of thousands of court dockets</a>, finding 685 violations. Scholars who reviewed the Journal’s analysis said its methodology was sound.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WHAT HAVE JUDGES SAID?</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Judges offered a variety of explanations for the violations. Some blamed court clerks. Some said their lists of companies to avoid had misspellings that foiled the conflict-screening software. Some said they had only nominal roles in the cases, such as confirming settlements, though there is no legal exemption for such roles.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Some judges misunderstood the law, saying erroneously that they didn’t have to recuse themselves because their stock was held in accounts run by professional money managers.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One judge who had 36 recusal violations, after initially saying he “never really paid much attention” to his stockholdings and wasn’t familiar with the ethics law, told the Journal: “I am embarrassed that I did not properly understand and apply the stock ownership rule.”</p></div><div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WHAT’S BEEN THE FALLOUT?</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">After being alerted to violations by the Journal, 57 judges have directed court clerks as of Sept. 29 to notify parties in 345 lawsuits that they should have disqualified themselves and that cases could be reassigned and reopened.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">One of those cases was a violation in a New York federal court involving <a href="https://www.wsj.com/market-data/quotes/XOM" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Exxon Mobil</a><span class="company-name-type" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> Corp.</span> Lawyers for the losing party that had sued a unit of the oil company now have asked an appeals court to toss out the ruling and order a review by a new judge because of “the inevitable appearance of partiality that results from these unfortunate circumstances.” The court clerk said the judge’s Exxon holdings didn’t have a bearing on his ruling in favor of the company.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In another case, in an Alabama federal court, a judge ruled against two homeowners in a foreclosure case against Wells Fargo & Co. The judge had bought Wells Fargo stock about two weeks after receiving the case. “This is outrageous,” one of the homeowners said when told the judge held the bank shares. “How am I supposed to know she owns stock in Wells Fargo?”</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">The homeowners asked the court to reopen the case. The court has assigned a new judge to their suit. The court clerk said the judge’s stockholding didn’t affect her decisions in the case.</p><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-container" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Retina, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative; vertical-align: baseline;"><div class="wsj-immersive-ad-placement" id="imm_ad_2_placement" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 100%; padding: 0px; position: absolute; right: -350px; top: -600px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><div class="wsj-responsive-ad-wrap" data-google-query-id="CML6lNbfpvMCFQEB-QAd_KsGHA" id="AD_imm_ad_2" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; min-height: 25px; min-width: 100%; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><div id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_1__container__" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0pt none; display: inline-block; height: 250px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 300px;"><iframe data-google-container-id="2" data-is-safeframe="true" data-load-complete="true" frameborder="0" height="250" id="google_ads_iframe_/2/interactive.wsj.com/usnews_1" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" name="" sandbox="allow-forms allow-popups allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox allow-same-origin allow-scripts allow-top-navigation-by-user-activation" scrolling="no" src="https://37c8f77c7e24bd7bf70a8783c4b95552.safeframe.googlesyndication.com/safeframe/1-0-38/html/container.html" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="3rd party ad content" width="300"></iframe></div></div></div></div><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">WHAT CAN YOU DO IN YOUR CASE?</span></p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If a judge notifies a court clerk of a recusal violation, parties have the option to ask the court to rehear the case with a different judge.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If you have a pending case involving a company, you can ask your lawyer to contact the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts for the latest financial disclosure forms of the judge to determine whether he or she has any conflicts or violations. But disclosures are filed only annually.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">If anyone requests to see judges’ financial disclosures, the judges are told who asked. Some lawyers say this creates a disincentive for them to ask, out of concern about annoying judges in whose courtrooms they frequently appear.</p><p style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: var(--font-serif); font-size: 17px; line-height: 27px; margin: 0px 0px 17px; overflow-wrap: break-word; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Write to </span>Michael Siconolfi at <a class="icon " href="mailto:michael.siconolfi@wsj.com" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">michael.siconolfi@wsj.com</a>, Coulter Jones at <a class="icon " href="mailto:coulter.jones@wsj.com," style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">coulter.jones@wsj.com,</a> Joe Palazzolo at <a class="icon " href="mailto:joe.palazzolo@wsj.com%20and%20James%20V.%20%20Grimaldi%20at%20james.grimaldi@wsj.com." style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: 0% 0%; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: 30px 30px; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">joe.palazzolo@wsj.com and James V. Grimaldi at james.grimaldi@wsj.com.</a></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></time></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-89036304836890971442021-09-14T08:21:00.008-07:002021-09-14T08:21:56.651-07:00Attorney General James and DOI Commissioner Garnett Announce Indictment of Four Asbestos Investigators for Filing Fraudulent Inspection Reports<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEW3aURQ9pzjUtq5JtUXOTp0o-_dBHMPgrfEdYtEPKBSFZGuvw9ATiO-Wl5JKEMb5jYqCB9H0Bnzwv8TA5BoyQiXZ_x-Q5KC-adia8yrz6v3aQY_UMlFpAMFv0t0U872Pb5ixwOLBg8hXF/s390/Letitia-James.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="220" data-original-width="390" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEW3aURQ9pzjUtq5JtUXOTp0o-_dBHMPgrfEdYtEPKBSFZGuvw9ATiO-Wl5JKEMb5jYqCB9H0Bnzwv8TA5BoyQiXZ_x-Q5KC-adia8yrz6v3aQY_UMlFpAMFv0t0U872Pb5ixwOLBg8hXF/w400-h226/Letitia-James.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">NY State Attorney General Letitia James</td></tr></tbody></table></p><br /><br />FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br />September 2, 2021 <br />Attorney General’s Press Office/212-416-8060 <br />nyag.pressoffice@ag.ny.gov<p><span style="font-size: large;"><b>Attorney General James and DOI Commissioner Garnett Announce Indictment of Four Asbestos Investigators for Filing Fraudulent Inspection Reports </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Defendants Filed Reports Claiming to Be Inspecting Residential and Commercial Sites While They Were Out of the State and Country, Jeopardizing New Yorkers’ Health and Safety</i></span></p><span style="font-size: medium;">NEW YORK- New York Attorney General Letitia James and New York City Department of Investigation (DOI) Commissioner Margaret Garnett today announced the indictment of four Certified Asbestos Investigators (CAI) for repeatedly filing false asbestos inspection reports, putting the health and safety of workers and New York City residents at risk. A joint investigation conducted by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) and the DOI found that over several years, the defendants — who were independent contractors certified by the New York State Department of Labor (DOL) and the New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) — submitted fraudulent reports for inspections that took place on days when they were out of the state and country. </span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The defendants — Valentino Buono (50), Jeff Ezulike (48), Russell Goss (42), and Kostas Kamberis (54) — were arraigned before Supreme Court Judge Toni Cimino in Queens County on a total of 19 counts, including Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, a Class E Felony, which carries a maximum jail sentence of up to four years. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">“By filing these blatantly false health and safety reports, the defendants violated the public trust, as well as the law,” said <b>Attorney General James</b>. “These individuals failed to do their jobs to properly inspect sites for asbestos, putting the health of New Yorkers at risk, while exploiting the state and the system. No matter how big or small, we will continue to root out corruption at every level. I thank the DOI for its commitment to this cause.” </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">“Filing fraudulent asbestos reports with New York City is a crime and, as these charges show, can also threaten New Yorkers' health and safety,” said DOI Commissioner Garnett. “The reason the city requires certified asbestos inspectors to file reports with the city is to confirm that dangerous asbestos is identified and abated correctly. The DEP reported allegations of potential fraudulent filings to DOI and we worked hand-in-hand with the state attorney general to uncover this charged illegal conduct. This kind of collaboration within the city and with our law enforcement partners is crucial in holding accountable those who seek to defraud New York City.” </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Asbestos is a naturally occurring mineral that is hazardous to human health and is known to cause a type of cancer known as mesothelioma. The DOL authorizes CAIs to conduct field inspections of residential and commercial sites to determine if dangerous asbestos is present, where it is located, and how much there is. Upon conducting their inspections, CAIs are required to file an Asbestos Assessment Report with the DEP. The report requires the inspector to certify that the inspection took place at the location, date, and time listed on the report and whether asbestos was present. Asbestos survey records must accurately reflect the site conditions at the time of the investigation. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">In February 2020, the OAG and the DOI began the investigation following the DEP identifying and reporting potentially fraudulent filings to the DOI. The investigation uncovered the fraudulent reports by comparing inspection dates to domestic and international travel dates recorded by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. The OAG and the DOI then reviewed airline records, such as ticket purchases and boarding documentation, as well as bank records, to confirm the discrepancies. On days that the defendants claimed to have inspected sites throughout the city for asbestos, Buono was actually in Mexico, Ezulike was in Nigeria and Texas, Kamberis was in Italy and Greece, and Goss was in Bermuda, Denmark, Puerto Rico, and Italy. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Attorney General James and DOI Commissioner Garnett would like to thank the New York City Department of Environmental Protection and the New York State Department of Labor for their assistance during this investigation. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">“Our mission is to protect the health and safety of all New Yorkers, and we have zero tolerance for those who jeopardize others and put them at risk,” said New York State Department of Labor Commissioner Roberta Reardon. “We are fortunate to have law enforcement partners like the Office of the New York Attorney General and the New York City Department of Investigation to help us reinforce those protections. I commend them for their efforts to upholding the safety of all New Yorkers.” </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">“Rigorous enforcement of New York’s asbestos rules is absolutely necessary to protect both the public health and the safety of workers,” said New York City Department of Environmental Protection Commissioner Vincent Sapienza. “Our enforcement team first identified these four individuals and brought them to the attention of our law enforcement partners, and we thank them for this successful indictment.” </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The investigation was conducted by DOI Investigators Alaina Infantino, John Bourke, and Katherine O'Toole, under the supervision of Deputy Inspector General Michael Antolini and Inspector General Andrew Brunsden. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">The criminal case is being prosecuted by Assistant Attorneys General Russell Satin and Aida Vernon, of the OAG’s Public Integrity Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Gerard Murphy. Additional investigative support was provided by Legal Support Analyst Crystal Bisbano. The Public Integrity Bureau is a part of the Division for Criminal Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General José Maldonado and is overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.</span></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-56224530452500009032021-09-01T07:29:00.000-07:002021-09-01T07:29:03.134-07:00Tanner Cross, Teacher in Loudoun County, Wins Court Ruling Allowing Him To Refuse To Use Transgender Students' Pronouns<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O3Bq7tKnu-wJtpQXXPBvU_4JOVM5xVJiGnaQyKm-64V5z3YI93rc1qHksSigbcuttPc34YKK9L0ganElfHD-4zLgRiZ1cUXJwEtlM2G6la-LN0dnoEhcWdAvAmvSDBycQczly56acqvV/s427/Tanner+Cross.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="342" data-original-width="427" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_O3Bq7tKnu-wJtpQXXPBvU_4JOVM5xVJiGnaQyKm-64V5z3YI93rc1qHksSigbcuttPc34YKK9L0ganElfHD-4zLgRiZ1cUXJwEtlM2G6la-LN0dnoEhcWdAvAmvSDBycQczly56acqvV/w400-h320/Tanner+Cross.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Byron "Tanner" Cross</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/08/31/1032929550/virginia-teacher-transgender-pronoun-supreme-court" style="font-size: x-large;">Court Backs A Teacher Who Refused To Use Transgender Students' Pronouns</a></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">August 31, 2021, AP</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: medium;">RICHMOND, Va. — The Supreme Court of Virginia has upheld a lower court ruling that ordered the reinstatement of a northern Virginia gym teacher who said he won't refer to transgender students by their pronouns.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Loudoun County Public Schools appealed to the state Supreme Court after a judge ruled that the school system violated the free speech rights of teacher Tanner Cross by suspending him after he spoke up at a school board meeting.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/virginia-teacher-sues-after-saying-he-wont-use-transgender-students-chosen-pronouns/2689359/">Cross, a teacher at Leesburg Elementary, cited his religious convictions</a> at a May board meeting in which the school board debated proposed changes to its policies in treatment of transgender students. Cross said he would not use transgender students' pronouns.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">School boards across the state have been revising their policies to be more inclusive of transgender students in accordance with a new state law. But Loudoun County, outside the nation's capital, has been a particular flashpoint in the debate over not just transgender students but also how students learn about racism and race relations.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">The school system said it suspended Cross in part because his comments caused a disruption at the school. But the lower court judge, James Plowman, and the state Supreme Court agreed that the handful of calls fielded by school administrators did not cause the type of disruption that warranted a suspension.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Tuesday's ruling leaves in place a temporary injunction that bars the school system from suspending Cross. A trial is scheduled for next week in Loudoun County to settle the issue permanently.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">Since Cross filed his lawsuit in May, two additional teachers in Loudoun County have joined him as plaintiffs.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Mlxnp87pcJ2OAIr1FBmUvF9v0hyphenhyphenPR2gw7w6S94q6TMdGTV2V554lh19VM0vYLbRKHj7djwkxwBvCSHrirKvlpsk16U0K4DzJ1-CtH7XroMy-mMUQyEayGdrw0Oe2vWRwsEIktKyS484L/s676/Ron+DeSantis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="559" data-original-width="676" height="331" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_Mlxnp87pcJ2OAIr1FBmUvF9v0hyphenhyphenPR2gw7w6S94q6TMdGTV2V554lh19VM0vYLbRKHj7djwkxwBvCSHrirKvlpsk16U0K4DzJ1-CtH7XroMy-mMUQyEayGdrw0Oe2vWRwsEIktKyS484L/w400-h331/Ron+DeSantis.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="caption-wrap" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;"><div aria-label="Image caption" class="caption" style="background: transparent; border-bottom: 0px; border-image: initial; border-left: 0px; border-right: 0px; border-top: none; box-sizing: border-box; font: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; width: 763.062px;"><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 2px; max-width: 55.7em; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">In this April 30, 2021, file photo, Florida Gov.Ron DeSantis speaks at </p><p style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: inherit; font-size: 1.2rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: inherit; line-height: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 2px; max-width: 55.7em; padding: 12px 0px 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the end of a legislative session at the Capitol in Tallahassee, Fla.</p></div></div><span aria-label="Image credit" class="credit" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: block; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.7; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: start; vertical-align: baseline;">Wilfredo Lee/AP</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/06/02/1002405412/on-the-first-day-of-pride-month-florida-signed-a-transgender-athlete-bill-into-l">On The First Day Of Pride Month, Florida Signed A Transgender Athlete Bill Into Law</a></span><div>June 2, 2021, AP</div><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: medium;">TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida's Republican governor signed a bill Tuesday barring transgender females from playing on public school teams intended for student athletes born as girls, plunging the state into the national culture war over transgender rights.<br /><br />"In Florida, girls are going to play girls sports and boys are going to play boys sports," Gov. Ron DeSantis said as he signed the bill into law at a private Christian academy in Jacksonville that would not be subject to the law. "We're going to make sure that that's the reality."<br /><br />The new law, sure to be challenged as unconstitutional, inflames an already contentious discussion unfolding nationally as Republican-controlled states move to limit the rights of LGBTQ people, whose advocates were particularly annoyed that the legislation was signed on the first day of Gay Pride Month.<br /><br />The NCAA, which oversees college athletics, has said it has "a long-standing policy that provides a more inclusive path for transgender participation in college sports." The NCAA currently requires transgender women to get treatment to lower their testosterone levels before they can compete in women's sports.<br /><br />When the Florida Legislature was considering the measure in April, the NCAA said it would commit championship games to "locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination."<br /><br />High-profile athletic events, such as football bowl games and basketball tournaments, generate millions of dollars for local communities.<br /><br />The measure approved by the GOP-led Legislature takes effect July 1. It says a transgender student athlete can't participate without first showing a birth certificate saying she was a girl when she was born. It's not clear whether all females must show their birth certificates, or only those whose gender is questioned. The proposal allows another student to sue if a school allows a transgender girl or woman to play on a team intended for biological females.<br /><br />The final wording of the "Fairness in Women's Sports Act" stripped away some of its most contentious elements, including a requirement that transgender athletes in high schools and colleges undergo testosterone or genetic testing and submit to having their genitalia examined.<br /><br />But the legislation signed by the governor advances an underlying principle asserted by supporters: Biological differences between males and females make it unfair for athletes identified as boys at birth to compete on teams for girls and women. The law would not bar female athletes from playing on boys' or men's teams.<br /><br />Human Rights Campaign President Alphonso David said the new law would not only harm transgender girls. "All Floridians will have to face the consequences of this anti-transgender legislation — including economic harm, expensive taxpayer-funded legal battles, and a tarnished reputation."<br /><br />Democrats and LGBTQ advocates said the law is discriminatory and will be challenged in court as unconstitutional.<br /><br />"This is yet another hate-driven attack from the governor and Republican legislators, and it's insulting that they've staged this morning's photo-op on the first day of Pride Month," said state Sen. Shevrin Jones. "At the end of the day, transgender kids are just kids."<br /><br />The ban was tucked at the last minute of the legislative session into a measure allowing public universities and colleges to sponsor charter schools — a point the governor did not mention during the bill signing. It was the transgender athletes provision that was front and center in Tuesday's rhetoric.<br /><br />"This bill is very simply about making sure that women can safely compete, have opportunities and physically be able to excel in a sport that they trained for, prepared for and work for," said state Sen. Kelli Stargel, a Republican who championed the bill.<br /><br />"This is nothing about anybody being discriminated against," she said. "It's solely so that women have an opportunity to compete in women's sports."<br /><br />The Florida law mirrors <a href="https://www.npr.org/2020/07/04/886316168/new-idaho-laws-target-transgender-residents">an Idaho law</a>, the first of its kind when enacted last year, that is now mired in legal challenges. GOP governors in Arkansas, Mississippi and <a href="https://www.npr.org/2021/03/27/981913132/tennessee-becomes-3rd-state-this-month-to-enact-restrictions-for-transgender-ath">Tennessee</a> recently signed similar measures.<br /><br />Efforts by conservatives to restrict rights of gay, lesbian and transgender people have spawned numerous battles in key arenas — not only in legislatures and courtrooms but also across the economy, and critics warned of looming consequences.<br /><br />According to a 2017 Associated Press study, North Carolina stood to lose $3.8 billion over a dozen years because of a so-called "bathroom bill." Those losses were averted when a 2019 settlement kept the state from barring transgender people from using bathrooms that conformed to their gender identity.<br /><br />"Let me say very clearly: In Florida, we're going to do what's right to stand up to corporations, they are not going to dictate the policies in this state," DeSantis said while flanked by students at the religious school. "We will stand up to groups like the NCAA who think that they should be able to dictate the policies in different states. Not here, not ever."<br /><br />A Connecticut track athlete, Selina Soule, joined the Florida governor at the news conference to talk about how she failed to advance in competitions because she competed against transgender athletes. She called it unfair.<br /><br />That Soule was from out of state was not lost on critics who contend that the matter was not an urgent one for Florida, noting that just 11 athletes applied for screening by the Florida High School Athletic Association since adopting its transgender participation policy in 2013.<br /><br />"This is not out of need or necessity," said Orlando Gonzales, the executive director of SAVE, a South Florida gay rights advocacy group, during a news conference. "This is really just to throw red meat out there to really rally the base of people who are anti-LGBT."</span>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-24261799299750179362021-08-27T12:31:00.002-07:002021-08-27T12:31:32.323-07:00As Elizabeth Holmes Goes To Trial, The Issue of David Boies' Attorney-Client Privilege Looms<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFqkNjStHU0RDoUX4HaOWhLrPTkDAfYANjlPoDJP_w4jRdkP3Qkv_7NwjYZHtprpdjmE1CWoHO-uULNlJ-GnleizEoxT-2CpX7-Hsu9Qmq-gNe5q6BwhYQoBggLvCwv-Nro928VOmA5HR/s366/Elizabeth+Holmes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="366" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdFqkNjStHU0RDoUX4HaOWhLrPTkDAfYANjlPoDJP_w4jRdkP3Qkv_7NwjYZHtprpdjmE1CWoHO-uULNlJ-GnleizEoxT-2CpX7-Hsu9Qmq-gNe5q6BwhYQoBggLvCwv-Nro928VOmA5HR/w400-h376/Elizabeth+Holmes.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Elizabeth Holmes</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.law.com/therecorder/2021/08/27/what-other-firms-can-learn-from-boies-schillers-role-in-the-elizabeth-holmes-saga/" style="font-size: x-large;">What Other Firms Can Learn From Boies Schiller's Role in the Elizabeth Holmes Saga</a></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">Law.com, August 21, 2021<br /></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>An attorney-client privilege dispute between Elizabeth Holmes and Boies Schiller Flexner looms over the Theranos founder’s criminal fraud trial set to kick off Aug. 31, but attorneys say the saga also serves as a cautionary tale for the legal community.<br /><br />In a trial expected to last about 13 weeks in the San Jose courtroom of U.S. District Judge Edward Davila of the Northern District of California, lawyers from Williams & Connolly and a San Francisco solo practitioner are set to defend Holmes against the government’s allegations that the former executive defrauded investors, doctors and patients with faulty blood-testing technology.<br /><br /><a href="https://apnews.com/article/harvey-weinstein-ronan-farrow-jodi-kantor-movies-north-america-f548d2e1877a4e729f89c9306266672e"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslwmi67bX6YopKSO0XIno1VGa5FYslYXLGEhM1n7Ishc09mLzvXQwlvq9Wvdpux5EvGOuRzpnA2nQWlzar0-AmIcwUxjySC2CAPwuzZRdqLFoHKOHahvxvQDyYg3WYl_XrNe8odM-PjvQ/s620/David-Boies.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="372" data-original-width="620" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgslwmi67bX6YopKSO0XIno1VGa5FYslYXLGEhM1n7Ishc09mLzvXQwlvq9Wvdpux5EvGOuRzpnA2nQWlzar0-AmIcwUxjySC2CAPwuzZRdqLFoHKOHahvxvQDyYg3WYl_XrNe8odM-PjvQ/w400-h240/David-Boies.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">David Boies</td></tr></tbody></table><br />David Boies</a>, Boies Schiller’s managing partner and chairman, and partner Heather King could also be central players in the courtroom drama. Boies and King, Theranos’ former general counsel, are listed as possible witnesses in <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.327949/gov.uscourts.cand.327949.928.0.pdf">court documents</a>. A magistrate judge found that 13 emails on the government’s exhibit list were not protected by Holmes’ attorney-client privilege with the firm.<br /><br />Some lawyers say the haziness of the high-profile firm’s relationship with Holmes has caused the rest of the industry to sit up and stress the fundamentals. Schiff Hardin partner Adam Diederich in Chicago said the attorney-client privilege dispute certainly got the attention of attorneys, who expect the advice and information they provide clients to remain confidential.<br /><br />“It’s pretty clear something fell through the cracks, but it’s not directly known exactly what happened here,” Diederich said. “So I think most law firms and lawyers who are aware of this are going to be more careful, with this in mind, to document the scope of the relationship.”<br /><br />Holmes argued that Boies—who also served on the defunct company’s board of directors—and his firm had acted as counsel not just to the company but to Holmes in an individual capacity. She claimed they had represented her starting in 2011 in an intellectual property dispute, according to <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.327949/gov.uscourts.cand.327949.619.0_1.pdf">case filings</a>. In a 2018 interview in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in San Francisco, Boies told federal investigators he represented solely the company up until the summer of 2016, according to a memo on the docket.<br /><br />Boies represented Theranos as it came under fire from reporting by The Wall Street Journal’s John Carreyrou, who unwound the alleged scheme at the center of the government’s case against Holmes and Theranos’ former president and chief operating officer, Ramesh “Sunny” Balwani, who is set to stand trial beginning Jan. 11.<br /><br />Federal prosecutors asserted that Holmes could not pass the circuit court’s test to show that counsel was communicating to her in an individual capacity or that the communications’ dealt with matters particular to Holmes instead of the general affairs of the company, whose assignee had waived Theranos’ corporate privilege to specific documents.<br /><br />Noticeably absent from the record is a Boies Schiller <a href="https://www.law.com/litigationdaily/2021/06/07/a-privilege-lesson-from-elizabeth-holmes-have-a-look-at-your-engagement-letter-at-the-very-least-have-one/">engagement letter</a>—with Theranos or Holmes. Boies himself had told investigators he was “virtually certain” that there must be an engagement letter establishing the legal relationship with Theranos, as required by the firm. Holmes has admitted in court documents that she has no knowledge of an engagement letter directed toward her or Theranos, or one delineating or limiting Boies’ representation to Holmes or the company.<br /><br />In a <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.cand.327949/gov.uscourts.cand.327949.812.0.pdf">June order</a>, U.S. Magistrate Judge Nathanael Cousins of the Northern District of California found Holmes was “unable to point to any documents supporting this allegedly obvious joint representation.”<br /><br />Emily Ward, a white-collar associate at Smith, Gambrell & Russell in Atlanta, said if she were to merely speculate about the possible effects of the 13 emails on the trial, the communications—which have been described in filings as related to Theranos’ response to the media, investors and regulators—it’s possible the testimony of Boies and King could speak to the intent or aspects of the alleged scheme to defraud.<br /><br />“If there were any sort of false or misleading omissions in communications to investors and regulators, that could be part of the prosecution’s case, but of course, we’re just guessing until we know what’s in those emails,” Ward said.<br /><br />Ward said the lack of any engagement letter is a little surprising, “especially for parties that are as sophisticated as one of the more preeminent law firms in the country and Theranos.”<br /><br />On the other hand, she said, not having an engagement agreement with regard to each specific area in which a law firm is offering advice is not that surprising. “When senior executives or officers within a company have a question, they might just run down the hall to their in-house counsel or call up their friend who’s the outside counsel, and there’s not going to be an engagement agreement for each one-off situation where legal advice is given,” she said. “So you can see how something like this may have organically developed, but it is definitely a risk to not have an engagement agreement when you do have both the corporate and personal legal interest at issue.”<br /><br />Kevin Allen, of Eckert Seamans Cherin & Mellott in Pittsburgh, said the lack of an engagement letter was uncommon but not unheard of. “To the extent that it happens, it’s my experience, typically, just a delay, where the engagement letter would just catch up to the actual engagement,” he said. “A firm may be doing work for some finite period of time without an engagement letter yet having been issued, but I think particularly in larger law firms and prominent law firms that have systems in place, in my experience, it’s unusual.”<br /><br />Allen said that Boies’ role on the board and the “multiple hats” he wore in connection to Theranos further complicated the privilege issue. “Then the question becomes, ‘OK, person who holds a law degree but is on the board of directors, when you were talking and there were communications with you, which hat were you wearing?’” he said. “It doesn’t mean that a lawyer who is on the board can never have confidential, privileged communications, but it just makes it more complicated.”<br /><br />To maintain clear lines of communication when an attorney is acting both as a business adviser and legal representative, Ward suggested keeping a separate email account or only discussing certain personal matters when that person is physically in their law office.<br /><br />Ward said prior to <a href="https://www.law.com/therecorder/2021/08/26/theranos-trial-to-reopen-uncomfortable-moment-in-boies-schillers-past/">its representation of Theranos</a>, Boies Schiller was regarded as one of the top law firms in the country—and still is—but it <a href="https://www.law.com/therecorder/2021/08/26/theranos-trial-to-reopen-uncomfortable-moment-in-boies-schillers-past/">has lost</a> more than hundred attorneys since.<br /><br />“I think this is a cautionary tale because it’s just a quick reminder that whether it’s the most powerful law firm in the country, or a solo practitioner that hung up their own shingle, all types of lawyers and all types of law firms need to make sure that they are documenting everything having to do with attorney-client privilege and making sure their clients understand who they represent, especially when you’re talking about a corporation that has founders, executives and other employees,” she said.<br /><br />When a company is built around a founder, as was the case with Theranos, it can be even more difficult to have a clear demarcation between individual representation and the company, Ward said.<br /><br />“I think that that’s something that we will continue to see litigated over the next 10 or 20 years with all of these dot-com and app companies,” she said. “There’s going to be a question as these companies grow: When did lawyers start representing the company as opposed to the founders who were just trying to make it work?”</div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-14578005997037963152021-08-13T18:54:00.004-07:002021-08-13T19:16:55.514-07:00Dominion Voting Systems File Lawsuits Against Conservative Media Outlets Accusing It Rigged the 2020 Presidential Election Against Donald Trump<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj731vleEids9TrcVEMKE-80vc399m35pnLkLy-RU_M36BYcPYA9GHYy9GohXoKUXm2BSAsIYQu4e4K51nTycf6oy5uNdNFRn06p19JWcSh3LQ5cYe0JFqiZgHoul4ig_pyQw2xo-6IcXKw/s984/Dominion+voting.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="584" data-original-width="984" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj731vleEids9TrcVEMKE-80vc399m35pnLkLy-RU_M36BYcPYA9GHYy9GohXoKUXm2BSAsIYQu4e4K51nTycf6oy5uNdNFRn06p19JWcSh3LQ5cYe0JFqiZgHoul4ig_pyQw2xo-6IcXKw/w400-h238/Dominion+voting.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">In this Jan. 4, 2021, file photo a worker passes a Dominion Voting ballot scanner while <br />setting up a polling location at an elementary school in Gwinnett County, Ga. <br /> (AP Photo/Ben Gray, File)</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 0px;">minion files $1.6B lawsuits against Newsmax, OAN, former Overstock CEO</span></div><p><span face="proximanova-regular-webfont" style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 0px;">Dominion files $1.6B lawsuits against Newsmax, OAN, former Overstock CEO</span></p><p><span face="proximanova-regular-webfont" style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 0px;">Dominion files $1.6B lawsuits against Newsmax, OAN, former Overstock </span><b style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; text-indent: 10px;">What You Need To Know</b></p><h5 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px;"><ul style="box-sizing: border-box; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Dominion Voting Systems on Tuesday continued its suing spree against conservative media outlets and other prominent figures it says spread baseless claims about it rigging the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump</li><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><li style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Denver-based voting machine company filed three separate defamation lawsuits against the cable TV networks Newsmax and One America News and against former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne</li><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Citing lost profits and other damages, the lawsuits each seek more than $1.6 billion</li><br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /><li style="box-sizing: border-box;">Dominion says its reputation has been damaged so badly by the false claims that it has lost at least $70 million in profits as a result of contracts that have been canceled or not awarded since the presidential election</li></ul></h5><p><a href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2021/08/10/dominion-files--1-6b-lawsuits-against-newsmax--oan--former-overstock-com-ceo" style="font-size: x-large;">Dominion Files $1.6B Lawsuits Against Newsmax, OAN, former Overstock CEO</a></p><div>BY RYAN CHATELAIN NATIONWIDE<br />PUBLISHED 2:38 PM ET AUG. 10, 2021<p><span face="proximanova-regular-webfont" style="background-color: white; color: #042d4d; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px;">Dominion Voting Systems on Tuesday continued to file lawsuits against conservative media outlets and other prominent figures it says spread baseless claims about it rigging the 2020 presidential election against Donald Trump.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The Denver-based voting machine company filed three separate defamation lawsuits against the cable TV networks Newsmax and One America News and against former Overstock.com CEO Patrick Byrne. Citing lost profits and other damages, the lawsuits each seek more than $1.6 billion.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">"The defendants in today's filings recklessly disregarded the truth when they spread lies in November and continue to do so today,” Dominion CEO John Poulos said in a statement. “We are filing these three cases today because the defendants named show no remorse, nor any sign they intend to stop spreading disinformation. This barrage of lies by the Defendants and others have caused—and continue to cause—severe damage to our company, customers, and employees. We have no choice but to seek to hold those responsible to account."</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The <a href="https://hamiltonps.app.box.com/s/hxqooccq8e3j28rrk5mrgnny898obtov/file/844757968736" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088ce; text-decoration-line: none;">Newsmax</a> and <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.234315/gov.uscourts.dcd.234315.1.0.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088ce; text-decoration-line: none;">OAN filings</a> borrow much of the same language. In them, Dominion’s lawyers wrote that the networks “helped create and cultivate an alternate reality where up is down, pigs have wings, and Dominion engaged in a colossal fraud to steal the presidency from Donald Trump by rigging the vote.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Dominion alleges the networks “manufactured, endorsed, repeated, and broadcast a series of verifiably false yet devastating lies about Dominion.” The claims included that Dominion’s software and algorithms manipulated vote counts to help Joe Biden, that the firm is owned by a company founded in Venezuela to rig elections for the late dictator Hugo Chavez and that Dominion was involved in voting irregularities in cities where its machines are not even used.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">In a statement to Spectrum News, Newsmax said it had not yet reviewed Dominion’s complaint but asserted that the network “simply reported on allegations made by well-known public figures, including the President, his advisors and members of Congress.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">“Dominion’s action today is a clear attempt to squelch such reporting and undermine a free press,” the statement said.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The OAN lawsuit also names as defendants Herring Networks CEO Robert Herring and President Charles Herring, as well as reporters Chanel Rion and Christina Bobb. Herring Networks is OAN’s parent company.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">OAN has not responded to an email from Spectrum News seeking comment.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Byrne <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.dcd.234316/gov.uscourts.dcd.234316.1.0.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088ce; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">is accused of bankrolling false “forensic” reports</a> that claim Dominion’s machines were intentionally designed to create systemic fraud and influence election results. Dominion says he also enlisted and promoted conspiracy theorists and misrepresented their credentials.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Byrne, who has previously said he did not vote for Trump, has not commented publicly on the lawsuit.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Dominion says its reputation has been damaged so badly by the false claims that it has lost at least $70 million in profits as a result of contracts that have been canceled or not awarded since the presidential election, a trend the company predicts will continue to play out over the coming years. Dominion claims some election officials have told its representatives that the company is losing business “because of the ‘Dominion’ name.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The lawsuit against Newsmax was filed in state court in Delaware, while the other two cases were filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Trump and some of his prominent supporters continue to push false claims that widespread election fraud cost him re-election in November. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">All but one of the more than 60 legal challenges filed by Trump and his allies have failed in the courts, including two tossed out by the Supreme Court.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and the National Association of State Election Directors described the election as "the most secure in American history.” And before resigning in December, Attorney General William Barr said the Justice Department found no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could have changed the outcome of the election.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Dominion says it’s impossible to program its voting software to switch votes because the machines print a paper ballot, which is reviewed by the voter and can be used to audit election results.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The company has previously filed a number of other $1 billion-plus defamation lawsuits against those who have accused it of working to fix the election, including Fox News, lawyers Rudy Giuliani and Sidney Powell, and MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">In a call with reporters Tuesday, Dominion attorney Stephen Shackelford did not rule out suing Trump, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/dominion-sues-newsmax-one-america-news-network-others-over-election-claims-wsj-2021-08-10/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #0088ce; text-decoration-line: none;">Reuters reported</a>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">"We are still exploring options as to how to hold other participants in the campaign of lies accountable," Shackelford said.</p><h3 class="__reporter_name" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 500; line-height: 26px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 10px; text-transform: uppercase;">Ryan Chatelain - Digital Media Producer</h3><p class="__reporter_bio" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #143957; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Ryan Chatelain is a national news digital content producer for Spectrum News and is based in New York City. He has previously covered both news and sports</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDUpfVfnpk9N9jJOolgI0aIznjmLEUFry66_jt4b9NFh8obm8V1nVI3uoLK58qw7ii1VXwkJicTu7LPoO4w2Yr6cjCV0laxO-9thbI9bxYW69G2CFR3cQAJEtTEp7gTg81RDM3MwjhVl0/s874/Giuliani%252BPowell.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="532" data-original-width="874" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcDUpfVfnpk9N9jJOolgI0aIznjmLEUFry66_jt4b9NFh8obm8V1nVI3uoLK58qw7ii1VXwkJicTu7LPoO4w2Yr6cjCV0laxO-9thbI9bxYW69G2CFR3cQAJEtTEp7gTg81RDM3MwjhVl0/w400-h244/Giuliani%252BPowell.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption">FILE - Sidney Powell, right, speaks next to former Mayor of New York Rudy Giuliani, as <br />members of President Donald Trump's legal team, during a news conference at the Republican <br />National Committee headquarters on Nov. 19, 2020, in Washington.<span style="background-color: #f2f5fa; color: #333333; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 16px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; text-align: start;"><br /></span> (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, File)</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p class="__reporter_bio" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #143957; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 14px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="color: white; font-size: 0px; letter-spacing: normal;">Judge rules Dominion case can proceed against Trump allies</span></p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/queens/ap-top-news/2021/08/12/judge-rules-dominion-case-can-proceed-against-trump-allies">Judge Rules Dominion Case Can Proceed Against Trump Allies</a></span></div>BY ASSOCIATED PRESS WASHINGTON, D.C.<br />PUBLISHED 10:46 PM ET AUG. 11, 2021<div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge cleared the way Wednesday for a defamation case by Dominion Voting Systems to proceed against Sidney Powell, Rudy Giuliani and Mike Lindell, allies of former President Donald Trump who had all falsely accused the company of rigging the 2020 presidential election.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">U.S. District Judge Carl Nichols ruled that there was no blanket protection on political speech and denied an argument from two of the defendants that the federal court in Washington wasn't the proper venue for the case.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">“As an initial matter, there is no blanket immunity for statements that are 'political’ in nature,” the judge wrote in the 44-page ruling.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">While courts have recognized there are some hyperbolic statements in political discourse, “it is simply not the law that provably false statements cannot be actionable if made in the context of an election,” Nichols wrote.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The judge also rejected Powell and Lindell’s arguments that Dominion had failed to meet a legal burden that their statements were made with “actual malice.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">He outlined several instances where the trio made outlandish and blatantly false claims, including when Powell stated that the company was created in Venezuela to rig elections for the late leader Hugo Chavez and that it can switch votes.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">In allowing the lawsuit to go forward, Nichols said Dominion had adequately proved that Powell made statements that could lead to a lawsuit "because a reasonable juror could conclude that they were either statements of fact or statements of opinion that implied or relied upon facts that are provably false.” Dominion has sought $1.3 billion in damages from the trio.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The judge used similar language against Lindell, the founder and CEO of MyPillow, saying Dominion proved Lindell had "made his claims knowing that they were false or with reckless disregard for the truth.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Powell and Giuliani, both lawyers who filed election challenges on Trump’s behalf, and Lindell, who was one of Trump's most ardent public supporters, made various unproven claims about the voting machine company. Many of those statements came at news conferences, during election rallies and on social media and television.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">There was no widespread fraud in the election, which a range of election officials across the country, including Trump’s attorney general, William Barr, have confirmed. Republican governors in Arizona and Georgia, key battleground states crucial to Biden’s victory, also vouched for the integrity of the elections in their states.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Nearly all the legal challenges from Trump and his allies were dismissed by judges, including two tossed by the Supreme Court, which includes three Trump-nominated justices.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The judge’s ruling came just a day after the vote-counting machine maker filed defamation lawsuits against right-wing broadcasters Newsmax Media Inc. and One America News Network, as well as Patrick Byrne, a prominent Trump ally and former chief executive of Overstock.com.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #042d4d; font-family: proximanova-regular-webfont; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.6px; line-height: 1.42857; margin: 0px 0px 10px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.</p></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-42476897474411605022021-08-08T07:49:00.003-07:002021-08-08T07:49:44.055-07:00Ninth Circuit Rules That Sharing Your Password in a Federal Crime<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOdIKrQbrTqsYuC2fiCc0PF6VebO95qpl5aYzHwSpxpRRYbMZDl3OJ0KLpQ6ojfJoTXS2-I2oE7XGnxNhmufFbleezU1OsPp4czlktDmzNfWVak548IC9yBQ67vU4MHmIsIN0G6MDNwZZ/s864/Federal+Crime.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="379" data-original-width="864" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdOdIKrQbrTqsYuC2fiCc0PF6VebO95qpl5aYzHwSpxpRRYbMZDl3OJ0KLpQ6ojfJoTXS2-I2oE7XGnxNhmufFbleezU1OsPp4czlktDmzNfWVak548IC9yBQ67vU4MHmIsIN0G6MDNwZZ/w400-h202/Federal+Crime.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p> I bet you didn't know that in the <a href="https://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/">Ninth Circuit</a> ruling you cannot share your passwords is valid in:</p><p><br /></p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Alaska" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the District of Alaska">District of Alaska</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Arizona" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the District of Arizona">District of Arizona</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Central_District_of_California" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States federal judicial district">Central District of California</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Eastern_District_of_California" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="">Eastern District of California</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Northern_District_of_California" style="background: none; color: #faa700; outline-color: rgb(51, 102, 204);" title="">Northern District of California</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Southern_District_of_California" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the Southern District of California">Southern District of California</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Hawaii" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the District of Hawaii">District of Hawaii</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Idaho" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the District of Idaho">District of Idaho</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Montana" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the District of Montana">District of Montana</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Nevada" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the District of Nevada">District of Nevada</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_District_of_Oregon" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the District of Oregon">District of Oregon</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Eastern_District_of_Washington" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the Eastern District of Washington">Eastern District of Washington</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_District_Court_for_the_Western_District_of_Washington" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States District Court for the Western District of Washington">Western District of Washington</a></li></ul><p style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0.5em 0px;">It also has appellate jurisdiction over the following <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_territorial_court" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="United States territorial court">territorial courts</a>:</p><ul style="background-color: white; color: #202122; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; list-style-image: url("/w/skins/Vector/resources/common/images/bullet-icon.svg?d4515"); margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.6em; padding: 0px;"><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Court_of_Guam" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="District Court of Guam">District of Guam</a></li><li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Court_for_the_Northern_Mariana_Islands" style="background: none; color: #0645ad; text-decoration-line: none;" title="District Court for the Northern Mariana Islands">District of the Northern Mariana Islands</a></li></ul><p><a href="https://blogs.findlaw.com/ninth_circuit/2016/07/sharing-your-password-is-a-federal-crime-9th-circuit-rules.html" style="font-size: x-large;">Sharing Your Password Is a Federal Crime, 9th Circuit Rules</a></p><div class="authorbyline authorByLine parbase" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 17px; margin: 25px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">By <a href="https://www.findlaw.com/company/our-team.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #005da2; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;">Jonathan R. Tung, Esq.</a> on July 12, 2016 6:59 AM</div><div class="toptextarticleheadin topTextArticleHeading parbase" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><h1 style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d4d4d; font-size: 1.75rem; font-weight: 400; line-height: 1.4; margin: 0.8rem 0px 1.2rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"></h1></div><div id="calloutmodule" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">The final decision from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Court_of_Appeals_for_the_Ninth_Circuit">Ninth Circuit </a>case of <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">United States v Nosal II</em> <a href="http://cdn.ca9.uscourts.gov/datastore/opinions/2016/07/05/14-10037.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #005da2; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="US v. Nosal II">has finally been filed</a> and should make casual users of this thing we call the internet a little nervous. <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Nosal II</em> involved accusations that a former employee who'd used other current employees' password information to access company information had violated the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act. Sounds harmless enough and even intuitive. That is, until you listen to the judge's language. This has all the eerie import of <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;"><a href="https://blogs.findlaw.com/technologist/2016/06/fbi-can-hack-your-computer-court-rules.html" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #005da2; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="FBI Can Hack Your Computer, Court Rules">Matish III</a></em>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">This ruling has petition written all over it. In the short term, we doubt this means that anyone within the Ninth Circuit will have to worry about sharing their email passwords with their friends. But the faintest hint of precedent is enough to send a chill down our spines.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit;">Clear Shenanigans Leads to Slippery Slope?</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">The facts of <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Nosal I/II</em> have been outlined simply by <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/volokh-conspiracy/wp/2016/07/06/password-sharing-case-divides-ninth-circuit-in-nosal-ii/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #005da2; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="Password-sharing case divides Ninth Circuit in Nosal II">Orin Kerr of Volokh Conspiracy</a>, so we won't really go into great detail here. The relevant gist is that a former employee (Nosal) got tired of his job and wanted to create a competing company. But he wanted to bring some proprietary information with him, so he conspired with other current employees within the company to access information. Two techniques were employed: getting the current employees to do the dirty work for him, and then later asking them for their login and access information so he and other conspirators could access the company database themselves.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">The issue of the case hung on the following issue: Who "authorizes" access as envisioned under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act? Was it Nosal's employer who owned the database? Or was it the employee who foolishly said, "Sure, go ahead"? The dissent thought that the employees' consent cleaned Nosal's actions of fraud under the CFAA. Too bad the majority thought otherwise.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;"><span style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: inherit;"><em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Brekka</em> Revisited</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">The Ninth Circuit majority relied on a previous case it heard called <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Brekka</em> in which it ruled that an account cannot be lawfully accessed again after the license to use it is revoked. It's <em style="box-sizing: inherit; line-height: inherit;">Brekka</em> all over again, the circuit said.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Obviously, the circuit anticipated what a lot of practitioners were thinking, so it got right to the point. Allowing after-access by a former employee would create havoc:</p><blockquote style="background-color: white; border-left: 0px; box-sizing: inherit; color: #4d4d4d; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0.5625rem 1.25rem 0px 1.1875rem;"><p style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: inherit; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">[A]n employee could willy nilly give out passwords to anyone outside the company -- former employees whose access had been revoked, competitors, industrious hackers, or bank robbers who find it less risky and more convenient to access accounts via the Internet rather than through armed robbery.</p></blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Intuitively, consumers understand this. This would be tantamount to having a key to an old building one has moved out of. There is a reason former tenants are required to return keys as a condition of their return-deposit.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">But the opinion's less than clincher language still leaves open the disconcerting possibility that your use of your cousin's Netflix login information <a href="http://fortune.com/2016/07/10/sharing-netflix-password-crime/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #005da2; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="Sharing Your Netflix Password Is Now a Federal Crime">could be criminal under the CFAA</a>. The Ninth Circuit addressed this, but didn't appear too worried. In its view, letting your roommate use your Prime account bore "little resemblance" to the admittedly more dastardly ex-employee scenario.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 0px 0px 1rem; padding: 0px; text-rendering: optimizelegibility;">Related Resources:</p><ul dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #666666; font-family: Roboto, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: initial; margin: 0px 0px 1rem 1.25rem; padding: 0px;"><li style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><a href="https://www.techdirt.com/blog/?company=korn%2Fferry" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; color: #005da2; cursor: pointer; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="Appeals Court Says That Sharing Passwords Can Violate Criminal Anti-Hacking Laws">Appeals Court Says That Sharing Passwords Can Violate Criminal Anti-Hacking Laws</a> (TechDirt.com)</li></ul>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-28575983826012590492021-08-03T12:55:00.005-07:002021-08-03T12:55:45.229-07:00Attorney Joseph George Costello Resigns After Practicing Law For 60 Years<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjR7ztktnm6eXckGuPIlrUwBV6YtTURUIQaIGB36JpQSjTXh0Kl7yi-_inBLMVUJ8aIM4QaHqHsKClAzFpxLuVkj4LzVzrX78mgxuqZoZEIo36uuf6053G-njptigPBAwKsBJYJ7DGq5O7/s336/Attorney+Costello.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="138" data-original-width="336" height="164" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjR7ztktnm6eXckGuPIlrUwBV6YtTURUIQaIGB36JpQSjTXh0Kl7yi-_inBLMVUJ8aIM4QaHqHsKClAzFpxLuVkj4LzVzrX78mgxuqZoZEIo36uuf6053G-njptigPBAwKsBJYJ7DGq5O7/w400-h164/Attorney+Costello.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2021/08/02/brooklyn-lawyer-who-practiced-nearly-62-years-disbarred-after-appeals-panel-accepts-resignation-lawyer-said-he-couldnt-defend-against-escrow-account-allegations/" style="font-size: x-large;">Brooklyn Lawyer Who Practiced Nearly 62 Years Disbarred After Appeals Panel Accepts Resignation; Lawyer Said He Couldn't Defend Against Escrow Account Allegations</a></p><div><span style="font-size: large;">Law.com., Jason Grant, August 2, 2021</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">An Appellate Division, Second Department panel wrote that the professional misconduct investigation arose from a client’s complaint, and that allegations included veteran lawyer Joseph George Costello’s alleged failure to safeguard funds as a fiduciary held on behalf of an estate, including an approximate shortfall of at least $170,000 that happened in the account.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">A state appeals court has accepted the resignation of a Brooklyn-based attorney who practiced law for more than 60 years, after he admitted that he can’t defend against allegations he failed to safeguard funds held in an escrow account on behalf of an estate and that he disbursed at least one check from the account after he’d <a href="https://law.justia.com/cases/new-york/appellate-division-second-department/2019/2016-07639.html">already been suspended for a year</a> because of professional misconduct in the matter.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">The lawyer, Joseph George Costello, was admitted to the New York state bar in 1959 and, according to an earlier 2019 disciplinary decision, practiced law in more recent years with his son at the Brooklyn firm of Costello & Costello. Legal website listings say his practice included business law, real estate law, landlord and tenant law and surrogate’s court practice, among other specialties. One site, Lawyers.com, listed him as also having worked in private practice serving Howell, New Jersey.</p><div id="gpt-mobile_middle" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular;"></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">In <a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/courts/ad2/Handdowns/2021/Decisions/D67057.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #454545;">an opinion</a> from a per curiam panel of the Appellate Division, Second Department that accepted the resignation of the elder Costello, and disbarred him immediately, the justices wrote that Costello had acknowledged he was under investigation by the state attorney grievance committee for the Second, Eleventh, and Thirteenth Judicial Districts, covering Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">The panel further explained that the investigation arose from a client’s complaint, and that there were allegations of attorney neglect and Costello’s failure to safeguard funds he’d held on behalf of an estate, including an approximate shortfall of at least $170,000 that happened in the account.</p><div id="gpt-mobile_middle1" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular;"></div><p></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Moreover, the allegations said Costello disbursed at least one check from the account in his capacity as an attorney after he’d been suspended from practicing law for one year by the Second Department in 2019 for what appear to have been related allegations, according to the justices disbarment opinion issued July 28 and the 2019 suspension opinion.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">In a June 2019 opinion from a Second Department, the Costello & Costello firm was retained in 2011 to represent a party in a real estate closing. After the closing, wrote the panel, $680,388 was deposited into the escrow account on behalf of that client. The Costello firm later issued the client three escrow checks for $250,000, $200,000 and $1,638.70. Two of the checks cleared when presented to a bank by the client, but when the $200,000 check was presented months later in June 2012 for payment, the escrow account balance was $106,878.23.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">The elder Costello explained in testimony, wrote the 2019 Second Department panel, that after the firm issued the $200,000 check, the firm was under the mistaken belief the check had cleared, and that he had used funds in the account to pay the firm’s bills. Because of overdraft protection, the $200,000 check did clear but the 2019 Second Department panel of justices, in deciding to suspend Costello’s law license for one year, wrote in part that “although the respondent [elder Costello] restored those funds to the escrow account once his son alerted the respondent to the shortage, notably, he has not explained, nor made any serious effort to determine, the cause for the substantial shortage.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">In the disbarment opinion issued last week, that Second Department panel wrote that Costello has provided proof that he paid back a $170,000 shortfall in the estate account. Still, the panel also said Costello acknowledges that his resignation is “submitted subject to any future application by the Grievance Committee for an order directing he make restitution or reimburse the Lawyers’ Fund for Client Protection.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">Mark Longo, a partner at Abrams, Fensterman, Fensterman, Eisman, Formato, Ferrara, Wolf & Carone in Brooklyn was listed in the July 28 opinion as representing Costello in the professional discipline matter. Longo didn’t return a call Monday seeking comment.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: ProximaNova-Regular; font-size: 24px; line-height: 30px; margin-bottom: 1rem; margin-top: 0px;">An effort to reach the elder Costello for comment was not successful.</p></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-11579513179265103372021-07-09T09:52:00.001-07:002021-07-09T09:52:11.473-07:00Former Fox News Anchor Ed Henry Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Network<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9bcKn48hoMkagQZ7NfJ97-RcySp6dMnmaZJDqcozaGjjv8_-hBM85zs5bTXHM1JAv_O7Pxqm6dJklaFj6Vpk4bKb9VGqDlaVR70yJ8gtcfp7wP9ZCc78J9XVknHWaZzgXct7nBCbvntg/s391/Ed+Henry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="391" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP9bcKn48hoMkagQZ7NfJ97-RcySp6dMnmaZJDqcozaGjjv8_-hBM85zs5bTXHM1JAv_O7Pxqm6dJklaFj6Vpk4bKb9VGqDlaVR70yJ8gtcfp7wP9ZCc78J9XVknHWaZzgXct7nBCbvntg/w400-h398/Ed+Henry.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ed Henry</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/former-fox-news-anchor-ed-henry-files-defamation-lawsuit-against-network/482277/">Former Fox News Anchor Ed Henry Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Network</a></span><div><span style="font-size: large;">ADWEEK, June 30, 2021</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">Former Fox News anchor and correspondent <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Ed Henry</span> <a href="https://www.adweek.com/tvnewser/fox-news-has-fired-ed-henry-for-willful-sexual-misconduct-in-the-workplace/446783/" rel="noopener" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff2a13; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s, background-color 0.3s ease 0s, border-color 0.3s ease 0s, box-shadow 0.3s ease 0s;" target="_blank">was fired by the network</a> on July 1, 2020 for “willful sexual misconduct in the workplace.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">Nearly one year to the day later, the former TV newser, who has vehemently denied the allegations of sexual misconduct. has filed a defamation lawsuit against <a href="https://video.foxnews.com/v/5786331856001#sp=show-clips">Fox News chief executive officer <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Suzanne Scott</span> </a>and is making a number of explosive claims in the process.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">Through a statement from his attorney<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"> Ty Clevenger</span>, Henry claims that Scott “publicly smeared” him, and that he was fired “in order to divert attention from Scott’s long history of covering up actual misconduct.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">Henry expounds on that statement, accusing Scott of “covering up other incidents involving Fox News senior executives and program hosts, including an extramarital affair between Fox News President <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Jay Wallace</span> and a subordinate.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">The former Fox Newser goes on to claim that the subordinate ended up getting a “plum assignment” at the company.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">Henry states in his <a href="https://u7061146.ct.sendgrid.net/ls/click?upn=ziOAalYvj2xK2Ffv4A39azAFtBc17XWhfwSIe7ohLkMsz1nDtwxYSViMk4B4i76VD49dAKd732oV-2BrJ5ybgp4deByd4SQvrwcZQwIozUvUITjtq-2Bg6IZrxyPOLJTodpRf54e_RHap3DYqd9BaoOQRylFwDHt9B5d5p83kZMzmAwnwWIrPxnJCSFx6XHt5B8GX2knRWoC93QwYKBq9nl5dnHNVb6Ink7mwttXuS9kGTG54aHBkfH07b0CXri8Z1GBD9ntYjeABhxPj7zl14DrOmSLn6txZcocJ2sai94l7hSgkd37jYXNJ-2F8K4Z31zM8Cpj105cBYFIFTRgR9i2hVIG8lw1e8EqzIBikt1QiJo4jhU1emD1-2B-2FAL8X-2FguNRE7QR-2FXR8AKIBr6EFJ4jWLpNOBAKT81EwvYkmLy8A3aEH5n16HXH-2FTmqdWoGrp-2BM-2BZdMQGpCbNFaw1-2B-2BNLn48ycql-2BveZFeFOZnczGcL-2FwDs-2BREnHH3M-3D" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #ff2a13; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.3s ease 0s, background-color 0.3s ease 0s, border-color 0.3s ease 0s, box-shadow 0.3s ease 0s;">lawsuit </a> that Fox Business Network president (formerly Fox News morning programming chief)<span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;"> Lauren Petterson</span> told him that Scott was tired of “carrying water” for then-President Trump during the 2020 campaign. His lawsuit also alleges that Scott instructed producers at the network to rein in coverage of the national anthem controversy that Trump had been pushing about NFL players kneeling during the anthem. His lawsuit further alleges that Scott shut down the story because Fox Sports was trying to secure a multi-billion-dollar contract with the NFL.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">“As we stated one year ago, Fox News Media conducted a thorough independent investigation into Ed Henry immediately after we were made aware of a serious misconduct claim against him by a former employee,” said a Fox News spokesperson via statement. “Based on the results of those findings, we promptly terminated Mr. Henry’s employment for willful sexual misconduct and stand by the decision entirely. We are fully prepared to vigorously defend against these baseless allegations as Mr. Henry further embarrasses himself in a lawsuit rife with inaccuracies after driving his personal life into the ground with countless extramarital affairs in a desperate attempt for relevance and redemption.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">The network spokesperson also addressed the claims being made about Scott: “Under the leadership of CEO Suzanne Scott, Fox News Media has worked tirelessly to transform the company culture, implementing annual, mandatory in-person harassment prevention training, creating an entirely new reporting structure, more than tripling the size of our HR footprint, conducting quarterly company meetings and mentoring events, as well as executing a zero tolerance policy regarding workplace misconduct for which we engage outside independent firms to handle investigations. No other company has enacted such a comprehensive and continuous overhaul, which notably, earned Fox News Media recognition as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the first time in its existence, a testament to the many cultural changes that Ms. Scott has instituted during her incredibly successful tenure as CEO.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px 0px 1.5em;">The network put out a third statement, this one concerning the claims Henry has made about Wallace.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; margin: 0px;">“Fox conducted a full and independent investigation of the claims against Jay Wallace — he was cleared of any wrongdoing and the allegations are false,” said the spokesperson.</p></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-9985004433199755982021-07-09T08:52:00.000-07:002021-07-09T08:52:08.561-07:00Michael Avenatti Sentenced To 21/2 Years In Prison For Attmepting To Extort NIKE and Defrauding His Client<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5_bYgRoDhyphenhyphenvU6_VWNrSxVcnLavk_BgfO2REZhXg1JQ1ed7267hLT82m0bA0_Z7WmYrjoJhXXQsSd40UE2rcsiYHpCdTnlZSxl1ThAM15KlQ3kPRdV0uE5oMjw4xZSQW9UyXl0TnCMkUS/s536/Michael+Avenatti.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="536" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM5_bYgRoDhyphenhyphenvU6_VWNrSxVcnLavk_BgfO2REZhXg1JQ1ed7267hLT82m0bA0_Z7WmYrjoJhXXQsSd40UE2rcsiYHpCdTnlZSxl1ThAM15KlQ3kPRdV0uE5oMjw4xZSQW9UyXl0TnCMkUS/w400-h256/Michael+Avenatti.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", times; text-align: left;">FILE - In this Dec. 12, 2018, file photo, attorney Michael Avenatti, speaks outside <br />court in New York. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File) </span><em style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Source Serif Pro", times; opacity: var(--o-opacity); text-align: left;">The Associated Press</em></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><h1 class="node-title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.25em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><div class="department" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; padding-bottom: 10px;">Department of Justice</div><div class="agency" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; padding-bottom: 10px;">U.S. Attorney’s Office</div><div class="agency" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-size: 14px; font-weight: 400; padding-bottom: 10px;">Southern District of New York</div></h1><h1 class="node-title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.25em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">Michael Avenatti Sentenced To Over Two Years In Prison For Attempting To Extort Nike And For Defrauding His Client</h1><div class="field field--name-field-pr-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(109, 109, 109); box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Audrey Strauss, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that <a href="https://www.boston.com/news/crime/2021/07/08/michael-avenatti-sentenced-to-2-1-2-years-in-prison-for-extortion/">MICHAEL AVENATTI</a> was sentenced today in Manhattan federal court by United States District Judge Paul G. Gardephe to 30 months in prison for attempting to extort NIKE, Inc., and for defrauding a client. AVENATTI was previously found guilty on February 14, 2020, following a three-week jury trial.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said: “Michael Avenatti used illegal and extortionate threats and betrayed one of his clients for the purpose of seeking to obtain millions of dollars for himself. Not only did Avenatti attempt to weaponize his law license and celebrity to seek to extort payments for himself, he also defrauded his own client. Avenatti will now serve substantial time in prison for his criminal conduct.”</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;">According to the Complaint, Superseding Indictment, court documents, and evidence presented at trial:</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In a scheme that unfolded in less than a week, AVENATTI used threats of economic and reputational harm to seek to extort NIKE, Inc. (“Nike”), while defrauding his client (“Client-1”), by promising to settle potential claims by Client-1 against Nike if Nike agreed to make extortionate payments to AVENATTI. AVENATTI threatened to hold a press conference on the eve of Nike’s quarterly earnings call and the start of the annual National Collegiate Athletic Association (“NCAA”) basketball tournament at which he would announce allegations of misconduct by employees of Nike. However, AVENATTI stated that he would refrain from holding the press conference and harming Nike only if Nike made a payment of $1.5 million to Client-1, who was in possession of information potentially damaging to Nike, and further agreed to “retain” AVENATTI and another individual to conduct a supposed “internal investigation” – an investigation that neither Nike nor Client-1 requested – for which AVENATTI demanded to be paid, at a minimum, between $15 million and $25 million. Alternatively, in lieu of such a retainer, AVENATTI demanded a total payment of $22.5 million from Nike to resolve any claims Client-1 might have and to buy AVENATTI’s silence. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;">AVENATTI never told Client-1, among other things, that AVENATTI planned to and did threaten Nike that, unless Nike paid AVENATTI, he would hold the press conference, or that AVENATTI planned to and did seek money for himself separate from, and to the financial detriment of, Client-1.</span></p><p class="rtecenter" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">* * *</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In addition to the prison sentence, AVENATTI, 50, of Venice Beach, California, was sentenced to three years of supervised release. The Court deferred a determination as to restitution for a later date. </span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Ms. Strauss praised the work of the FBI and the Special Agents of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.</span></p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Podolsky, Daniel C. Richenthal, and Robert B. Sobelman are in charge of the prosecution.</span></p></div></div></div><div class="pr-fields" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; column-count: 2; column-gap: 50px; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="field field--name-field-pr-topic field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above" style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: hidden;"><div class="field__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Topic(s): </div><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Financial Fraud</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-pr-component field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above" style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: hidden;"><div class="field__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Component(s): </div><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a datatype="" href="http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6c511e; text-decoration-line: none;" typeof="skos:Concept">USAO - New York, Southern</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-pr-contact field--type-text-long field--label-above" style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: hidden; white-space: pre-line;"><div class="field__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Contact: </div><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;">NICHOLAS BIASE, JIM MARGOLIN
(212) 637-2600</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-pr-number field--type-text field--label-above" style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: hidden;"><div class="field__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Press Release Number: </div><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;">21-167</div></div></div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-27957597134114949042021-07-04T07:10:00.001-07:002021-07-04T07:13:06.544-07:00Thomas More Law Center Wins a Landmark First Amendment Case Against Former California Attorney General Kamala Harris<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFksI89UHuu3-iTnUz7_qd3oE-4UxKhcbpYMBJ80zBlfYSbINWUeciKBfPNlED71yrGvIdOsCENZW4lPyMEsitwzz5HaUIlHvyBXG9hi10nj77g7Sa-v0_SvCRIiy2MI1a2o0wrwe3gvCq/s633/Kamala+Harris.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="386" data-original-width="633" height="244" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFksI89UHuu3-iTnUz7_qd3oE-4UxKhcbpYMBJ80zBlfYSbINWUeciKBfPNlED71yrGvIdOsCENZW4lPyMEsitwzz5HaUIlHvyBXG9hi10nj77g7Sa-v0_SvCRIiy2MI1a2o0wrwe3gvCq/w400-h244/Kamala+Harris.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Kamala Harris</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #111111; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 29.9px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><a href="https://www.thomasmore.org/press-releases/thomas-more-law-center-wins-landmark-first-amendment-case-for-every-american-in-the-u-s-supreme-court/">Thomas More Law Center Wins Landmark First Amendment Case for Every American in the U.S. Supreme Court</a></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Press Release July 1, 2021<br /><br />Today, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) issued a landmark First Amendment decision holding that Americans are free to support nonprofit organizations without fear of harassment. In 2015, a federal lawsuit was filed against then-California Attorney General (AG) Kamala Harris, who had threatened severe sanctions against the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Thomas More Law Center (TMLC)</a> if names and contact information of its major donors were not disclosed to her office.<br /><br />In a 6-3 decision, the U.S. Supreme Court sided with TMLC, a leading national public interest law firm based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in its case Thomas More Law Center v. Bonta. In doing so, SCOTUS held that California’s law requiring donor disclosure was facially unconstitutional.<br /><br />“When it comes to the freedom of association,” Chief Justice Roberts wrote in the Court’s opinion, “the protections of the First Amendment are triggered not only by actual restrictions on an individual’s ability to join with others to further shared goals. The risk of a chilling effect on association is enough, because First Amendment freedoms need breathing space to survive.”<br /><br />Richard Thompson, TMLC’s President and Chief Counsel, hailed the Supreme Court’s ruling as a “landmark victory for the First Amendment.” He said, “Today’s victory is attributable to the superb legal work of attorney John J. Bursch and the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF) legal team who represented TMLC in the Supreme Court, as well as San Francisco-based attorney Louis H. Castoria, who singlehandedly tried the case in the federal district court against a phalanx of California assistant district attorneys.”<br /><br />Bursch, ADF senior counsel and Vice President of Appellate Advocacy, said, “The Court has confirmed that every American is free to peacefully support causes they believe in without fear of harassment or intimidation.”<br /><br />On March 24, 2015, then-California AG Harris threatened in a letter to TMLC that if the Law Center did not provide her office with a list of its major donors within 30 days, the Law Center could lose its right to solicit donations in California and TMLC’s officers and tax preparers could be held personally liable for any penalties. Rather than comply under threat, TMLC filed a federal case claiming the AG was violating TMLC’s and its donors’ First Amendment rights of free speech, freedom of association, and the free exercise of religion, citing the 1958 SCOTUS ruling in NAACP v. Alabama as precedent.<br /><br />A 3-day bench trial was held by Federal District Court Judge Manuel Real beginning on September 13, 2016. Auditors and investigators from the AG’s office testified that they never had a complaint against TMLC; they have never investigated TMLC; and they do not normally use major donation reports to start investigations.<br /><br />On November 16, 2016, Judge Real permanently enjoined the AG from requiring TMLC to file a copy of its major donor list. The AG appealed Judge Real’s decision to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which vacated the injunction. On August 26, 2019, TMLC asked the U.S. Supreme Court (petition for certiorari) to review the Ninth Circuit’s ruling. The Supreme Court agreed, and on April 26, 2021, the Court heard oral arguments on the case.<br /><br />In the Internet Age, where doxing one’s opponents has led to job loss, boycotts, ostracization, and violence, the fear of such repercussions should one’s charitable contributions become public could be enough to stymy giving, leaving the personal beliefs of many Americans to go unrepresented in the public square. While TMLC is considered by the media as a conservative Christian organization, an array of organizations across the political spectrum filed amicus briefs in support of the First Amendment arguments being made by the Thomas More Law Center.<br /><br />To read the full opinion, <a href="https://bit.ly/3qLYJP5">click here</a>.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><div class="release_content" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px;"><div class="release_content" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px;"><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">SOURCE Thomas More Law Center</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">CONTACT: Tom Lynch, 734-707-5160, <a href="mailto:tlynch@thomasmore.org" style="color: #008db8; text-decoration-line: none;">tlynch@thomasmore.org</a></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9_zWqK94is-dcgmKAP46fddz5JW2FmGeOstDQPwSWjvub0akKvtafK4Y-Ylfmroap_Yqqb4UNBoIZGWB5ofGQz86ykyAwtCm7fCt5pXALtjWJCGr70XqQsgpntvpEkRRX-LFyRGZtQRC/s524/Kamala+Harris2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl9_zWqK94is-dcgmKAP46fddz5JW2FmGeOstDQPwSWjvub0akKvtafK4Y-Ylfmroap_Yqqb4UNBoIZGWB5ofGQz86ykyAwtCm7fCt5pXALtjWJCGr70XqQsgpntvpEkRRX-LFyRGZtQRC/s320/Kamala+Harris2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><em style="background-color: #fffff6; box-sizing: inherit; color: black; font-family: adobe-caslon-pro, serif; font-size: 19.5px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">Photography via Creative Commons</em></p></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: inherit; font-size: 13px;"><a href="https://gal-dem.com/kamala-harris-record/" style="background-color: transparent; font-size: x-large;">Kamala Harris’ appointment is historic but don’t ignore her problematic past</a></p></div><div class="release_content" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px;"><div><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The vice president-elect’s record as a prosecutor is more than troubling.</span></div><div><a href="https://gal-dem.com/author/shahed/">Shahed Ezaydi</a>, 11 NOV 2020</div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After endless days of international anxiety, the United States </span><a href="https://gal-dem.com/thank-fuck-trump-lost-the-election-how-we-make-biden-president-revolution/" style="font-family: arial;">finally elected a new president</a><span style="font-family: arial;">. Yet it’s his vice president-elect, Kamala Harris, grabbing the headlines around the world. The former prosecutor and attorney general of dual Black and South Asian heritage, has made history by becoming the first woman and person of colour to be America’s VP. And everyone is overjoyed – news outlets and social media are heralding her as the queen of feminism,</span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHVfB2ygA6E/" style="font-family: arial;"> the ultimate Girl Boss</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and an icon of representation. But beneath all the jubilation, there are people like me, wary of painting her as the epitome of progressiveness, given that Kamala Harris’ record is uncomfortable at best.</span></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember all </span><a href="https://theslot.jezebel.com/did-the-kamala-is-a-cop-meme-help-tank-harriss-campaign-1840056843" style="font-family: arial;">the memes about Kamala Harris being a cop?</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> Though the sources of their dispersal were questionable at the time, it did highlight people’s legitimate concern around the senator’s tenure as San Francisco’s District Attorney and California’s Attorney General. The memes aptly summarised her problematic years of working in the criminal justice system, and told voters that she often used the law to harm people of colour, rather than helping them. Let’s not forget that she also once </span><a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-us-2020-53770654" style="font-family: arial;">called herself a ‘top cop’</a><span style="font-family: arial;">.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">“Let’s not forget that she once called herself a ‘top cop'”</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">During her time as District Attorney, she brought in an </span><a href="https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/jan/31/kamala-harris-laughed-jailing-parents-truancy" style="font-family: arial;">anti-truancy programme</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> criminalising the parents of children who skipped school, knowing full well that communities of colour would be hit the hardest. Instead of looking at the causes of truancy, Harris decided that the children would benefit from more disruption, in the form of their parents possibly going to prison.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: arial;">It gets worse. Harris also fought to keep people in prison, even after their innocence was proven. The most well known example is the case of </span><a href="https://californiainnocenceproject.org/read-their-stories/daniel-larsen/" style="font-family: arial;">Daniel Larsen</a><span style="font-family: arial;">, who was serving a life sentence under California’s Three Strikes Law. However, a court later found that Larsen was innocent and ordered his release. A “progressive prosecutor” would probably just accept this ruling and go home, but Harris chose to appeal on technical grounds that he filed his petition too late. The court denied Harris’ appeal, but this also happened in </span><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/17/opinion/kamala-harris-criminal-justice.html" style="font-family: arial;">a number of other cases.</a></div><div class="release_content" style="border: 0px; margin: 0px auto; padding: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Unsurprisingly, Harris <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ff-federal-judges-order-state-to-release-more-prisoners-20141114-story.html">fought to release fewer prisoners</a> in the past. California’s prisons, like most US prisons, are overcrowded, and the federal courts ordered the state to establish a new parole programme that would release some non-violent prisoners. The courts even called the overcrowding <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/1/23/18184192/kamala-harris-president-campaign-criminal-justice-record">“unconstitutional cruel punishment”.</a> But Harris wasn’t happy with this, stating that <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ff-federal-judges-order-state-to-release-more-prisoners-20141114-story.html">“prisons would lose an important labour pool”</a>, as though retaining labour is a good enough reason to ignore horrendous, overcrowded conditions.<br /><br />There’s more. Harris also <a href="https://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-ff-prison-board-approves-parole-for-sexreassignment-inmate-20150521-story.html">defended California’s decision to deny a trans woman</a> incarcerated in a men’s prison the surgery for her diagnosed gender dysphoria, arguing that the surgery wasn’t necessary.<br /><br />And of course, with Black people significantly more likely to come into contact with the American criminal justice system, the positions she’s taken are in direct opposition to what racial justice and civil rights groups are fighting for. She even <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/08/12/inside-kamala-harris-polarizing-record-as-a-prosecutor/">rejected calls from these groups to investigate deadly police shootings</a> in Los Angeles and San Francisco, following the killing of Micheal Brown in 2014. Even though she’s been vocal about racial justice following the Black Lives Matter protests this year, she’s also been accused of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/09/us/politics/kamala-harris-policing.html">frequently siding with the police unions and not pursuing aggressive enough reforms</a>. It’s safe to say she won’t be joining in the chants to abolish the police any time soon.<br /><br />“With Black people significantly more likely to come into contact with the American criminal justice system, the positions she’s taken are in direct opposition to what racial justice and civil rights groups are fighting for”<br /><br />During her presidential campaign, Harris said she’d <a href="https://jacobinmag.com/2019/09/foreign-policy-kamala-harris-hawk-2020-presidential-campaign-iran-north-korea-russia">“end the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and protracted military engagements in places like Syria, but she’ll do so responsibly”</a>. She’s also not denounced the possibility of future US invasions, evidenced in the fact <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-joint-resolution/11/cosponsors?searchResultViewType=expanded">she hasn’t co-sponsored the bill which would prohibit US intervention in Venezuela</a>. This “responsible” rhetoric echoes Barack Obama’s stance, who <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/blog/2014/05/27/bringing-war-afghanistan-responsible-end">promised a “responsible end” to the war in Afghanistan</a>, whilst continuing the US intervention in the region.<br /><br />A Black American president didn’t stop the mass bombing of countries in the Middle East or bring an end to imperialism. Just like <a href="https://gal-dem.com/boris-johnsons-brownwashing-is-more-sinister-than-it-seems/">a partially brown Tory cabinet in the UK </a>hasn’t suddenly reformed the immigration system or stopped the high levels of stop and search against Black communities, highlighting that representation <a href="https://gal-dem.com/black-right-wing-spokespeople-do-not-speak-for-me/">doesn’t always equate to progress.</a><br /><br />Another area Harris doesn’t fare particularly well in is around sex work. In 2008, she was a vocal opponent of <a href="https://www.nswp.org/timeline/event/proposition-k-goes-the-ballot-san-francisco">Proposition K</a> – a measure to decriminalise sex work – and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jan/19/kamala-harris-2020-election-top-cop-prosecutor">led operations against the ‘Backpage’</a>, a site sex workers could safely use for adverts. For someone who prides herself on fighting for marginalised groups, she made life for sex workers more difficult and risky. However, <a href="https://www.theroot.com/exclusive-kamala-harris-calls-for-decriminalization-of-1832883951">in a 2019 interview</a>, she stated she would be open to decriminalising sex work. Harris still seems to support criminalising the act of purchasing sex, which is a position that would <a href="https://www.them.us/story/kamala-harriss-record-on-trans-and-sex-work-issues">negatively impact sex workers</a>, by increasing surveillance and policing around their work.<br /><br />“It feels as though she’s being perceived as progressive because she’s a biracial woman, and not because of her politics”<br /><br />The vice president-elect has <a href="https://www.vox.com/future-perfect/2019/1/23/18184192/kamala-harris-president-campaign-criminal-justice-record">argued that during her presidential campaign, </a>she’s fought for racial justice reform, the reversal of incarceration and putting a stop to the death penalty. And she did manage a few policies that would be considered “progressive”, such as bringing in a scheme that would allow first time drug offenders to get an education and a job, instead of time in prison. Plus, she also <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/bayarea/article/AK-47-cop-killer-gets-life-2600660.php">refused to pursue the death penalty in a case where a police officer was shot</a>, even when it was a widely unpopular stance.<br /><br />However, we need to be careful in painting her as the beacon of progress and instead focus on her actions. It feels as though she’s being perceived as progressive because she’s a biracial woman, and not because of her politics. Yet we all know that not all Black and brown people are liberal by nature – <a href="https://gal-dem.com/everything-horrible-priti-patel-has-smirked-at-said-and-done/">look at Priti Patel.</a><br /><br />Kamala Harris has made history, and that is something we should absolutely celebrate. Representation of women of colour in top positions is really great to see, and to be honest, long overdue. But representation alone doesn’t help the communities being represented if they there aren’t policies in place to support them. Black and brown faces in politics won’t solve the deep-rooted and systemic issues that people of colour face every day, especially if those faces support policies that uphold white supremacy.<br /><br />As we celebrate this historic milestone, we shouldn’t lose sight of Harris’ track record. Instead, let’s hold her accountable and allow her to prove to American society that she’s fighting for progress.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://nypost.com/2020/08/12/inside-kamala-harris-polarizing-record-as-a-prosecutor/">Inside Kamala Harris’ polarizing record as a prosecutor</a></span><div><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://nypost.com/2020/09/03/kamala-harris-rampant-prosecutorial-abuses/">Kamala Harris’ rampant prosecutorial abuses</a></span></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-63199044106408461902021-07-03T12:34:00.001-07:002021-07-03T12:34:50.665-07:00Ohio Judge Strikes Down Biden's Ambiguous Tax Mandate in $1.9T Relief Package<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheyHN1YSC2nSTgM3WWz4hXyns0id9ZTDZbSyMvetS9pacAqvYVvYKGvZ9g9uT-frkKqa1SrKj3_c-2ngDjXifAk8icIlqiBy0LHcaV6oiwPGcmRVEo8Au_2q845Q9__5Yy4jTQfGCtk-B/s393/Dave+Yost.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="393" data-original-width="377" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgheyHN1YSC2nSTgM3WWz4hXyns0id9ZTDZbSyMvetS9pacAqvYVvYKGvZ9g9uT-frkKqa1SrKj3_c-2ngDjXifAk8icIlqiBy0LHcaV6oiwPGcmRVEo8Au_2q845Q9__5Yy4jTQfGCtk-B/w384-h400/Dave+Yost.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: D-DIN, Arial; font-size: 14px; text-align: start;">Then-Republican candidate Dave Yost gives his victory speech after winning the Ohio Attorney General race at the Ohio Republican Party's election night party at the Sheraton Capitol Square in Columbus, Ohio, on Nov. 6, 2018. (Justin Merriman/Getty Images)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/federal-judge-strikes-down-ambiguous-tax-mandate-provision-in-bidens-1-9-trillion-relief-package_3885643.html" style="font-size: x-large;">Federal Judge Strikes Down Ambiguous Tax Mandate Provision in Biden’s $1.9 Trillion Relief Package</a></p><div><div class="author" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: D-DIN, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-transform: uppercase; vertical-align: text-bottom;">BY <span class="author_name" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/author-ming-zhong" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: black; text-decoration-line: none;">ALLEN ZHONG</a></span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px;"> </span><div class="date" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; font-family: D-DIN, Arial; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: text-bottom;"><span class="publish" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">July 3, 2021</span> <span class="update" style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Updated: July 3, 2021</span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: D-DIN, Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">A federal judge issued a permanent injunction on Thursday to block the ambiguous tax mandate in President Joe Biden’s $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief package.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole from the District Court for the Southern District of <a href="https://www.theepochtimes.com/t-ohio" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Ohio</a> ruled that the tax mandate in the America Rescue Plan Act (ARPA)—which seems to tie the relief fund to the states’ authority to reduce tax—exceeds the Congress’s authority under the <a href="https://constitution.congress.gov/browse/essay/artI_S8_C1_2/">Spending Clause due</a> to its ambiguity.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The Interim Final Rule (IFR) issued by the Treasury Department intended to clarify the tax mandate “does not cure that constitutional violation,” the judge stated.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">“Accordingly, this Court GRANTS Ohio’s Motion for a Permanent Injunction (Doc. 38), and enjoins the [Treasury] Secretary from seeking to enforce the Tax Mandate, 42 U.S.C. § 802(c)(2)(A), against Ohio,” reads the ruling (<a href="https://www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov/Files/Briefing-Room/News-Releases/Tax-Mandate.aspx" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">pdf</a>).</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The judge also expressed concerns that the tax mandate has breached the separation-of-powers principles laid down by the framers.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost applauded the ruling and criticized the Biden administration for overreaching.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">“The Biden administration reached too far, seized too much, and got its hand slapped,” Yost said. “This is a monumental win for the preservation of the U.S. Constitution—the separation of powers is real, and it exists for a reason.”</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The Epoch Times reached out to the White House and the Treasury Department for comments.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">A stipulation in the $1.9 trillion sweeping relief package has caused considerable disputes between red states and the Biden administration.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">“A State or territory shall not use the funds provided under this section … to either directly or indirectly offset a reduction in the net tax revenue of such State or territory resulting from a change in law, regulation, or administrative interpretation during the covered period that reduces any tax (by providing for a reduction in a rate, a rebate, a deduction, a credit, or otherwise) or delays the imposition of any tax or tax increase,” the bill reads.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Several red states argued that this paragraph may deprive their authorities to reduce tax after receiving the relief.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Ohio became the first state to sue Biden’s administration over his pandemic rescue plan, arguing on March 17 that the provision holds a “gun to the head of states” by blocking them from cutting taxes, and exceeds the authority of Congress.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Thirteen states followed Ohio and launched legal action against the tax mandate provision.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The lawsuit (<a href="https://ago.wv.gov/Documents/2021.03.31%20Yellen%20Complaint%20FINAL%20As%20Filed.pdf?csf=1&e=7HQ83Y" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">pdf</a>) by the 13 states says the provision is “one of the most egregious power grabs by the federal government” in the nation’s history. It argues that the provision, by stipulating how states use federal funds with regard to tax cuts, is akin to forcing states to relinquish control of their taxing authority, which is not allowed under the Tenth Amendment.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The lawsuit also accuses the federal government of violating the conditional spending doctrine and the anti-commandeering doctrine.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The tax mandate “disables States from decreasing taxes on their citizens for a period of over three years” and in doing so, “usurps” the ability of the states to reduce their tax burdens, the states alleged in the lawsuit.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">Treasury Secretary <a href="https://twitter.com/GeneralBrnovich/status/1374526796368998402" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Jenet Yellon</a> asserted back in March that the American Rescue Plan Act doesn’t prevent states from enacting a broad variety of tax cuts.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">“That is, the Act does not ‘deny States the ability to cut taxes in any manner whatsoever.’ It simply provides that funding received under the Act may not be used to offset a reduction in net tax revenue resulting from certain changes in state law,” Yellen wrote in a letter responding to 21 attorneys general. “If States lower certain taxes but do not use funds under the Act to offset those cuts—for example, by replacing the lost revenue through other means—the limitation in the Act is not implicated.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;">The Treasury Department issued an IFR (<a href="https://home.treasury.gov/system/files/136/FRF-Interim-Final-Rule.pdf" style="box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">pdf</a>) accordingly on May 7, 2021.</p><p style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: 0px 0px 25px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: break-word;"><em style="background: transparent; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Isabel Van Brugen and Mimi Nguyen Ly contributed to the report.</em></p><div class="one_author_twitter" style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: Vollkorn, Georgia, Palatino; font-size: 18px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: -0.1px; margin: auto; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Follow Allen on Twitter: <a class="author_twitter_link" href="https://twitter.com/AllenZM" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #ec0000; display: inline-block; margin-bottom: 20px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">@AllenZM</a></div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-27789676744033555692021-06-23T18:27:00.004-07:002021-06-23T18:27:43.829-07:00Plaintiffs Lose Case Against Assisted Living Center in Schoengood v Hofgur<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 18px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Plaintiffs neither sufficiently alleged they were discriminated against because of their disabilities, nor that they sought reasonable accommodations which were denied because of their disabilities. The court dismissed plaintiffs' disparate impact and reasonable accommodation claims under the ADA and RA.</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-size: 18px;"> </span> <span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">Plaintiffs lost their case because, the Court ruled, "...<span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; letter-spacing: 0.2px;">the plaintiffs’ contention that Title III or</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Section 504 requires QACC to provide different and additional services than it allegedly currently provides would not appear to be an issue that Title III or Section 504 was meant to regulate."</span></span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 40.5pt; margin-bottom: 7.5pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 15.0pt; margin: 15pt 0in 7.5pt; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 40.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Schoengood v. Hofgur
LLC<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 19.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt; mso-outline-level: 4;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #888888; font-size: 16.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Disabled Assisted
Living Residents Do Not State ADA, RA Claims Against Facility Over Covid<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #0079c2; font-size: 27pt; letter-spacing: -0.75pt; text-indent: -0.25in;">Case
Digest Summary</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 22.5pt; margin-bottom: 11.25pt;"><span face=""Arial","sans-serif"" style="color: #333333; font-size: 13.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Defendants operate the
Queens Adult Care Center. Plaintiffs, disabled QACC residents, alleged
defendants violated the Americans with Disabilities Act and Rehabilitation Act
by not complying with regulations and guidelines issued by the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Health and Human Services
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, thus leading to a rapid increase in
Covid-19 cases at QACC. They claimed defendants permitted substandard
conditions at QACC during the pandemic. Plaintiffs neither sufficiently alleged
they were discriminated against because of their disabilities, nor that they
sought reasonable accommodations which were denied because of their
disabilities. The court dismissed plaintiffs' disparate impact and
reasonable accommodation claims under the ADA and RA. Finding amendment futile,
it ordered plaintiffs' case closed. Plaintiffs did not show that defendants'
facially neutral acts or practices caused significantly adverse or
disproportionate impact to either residents in defendants' assisted living
programs, or psychiatric residents. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Despite significant legal obstacles, on May 4, 2020, a group of plaintiffs filed a class action complaint alleging the Queens Adult Care Center (QACC) violated Title III of the Americans with Disabilities Act (Title III) and its precursor, Section 504 of Rehabilitation Act (Section 504), by failing to provide a level of care to safeguard their health and safety at its assisted living facility during the COVID-19 pandemic.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The plaintiffs seek to certify a class under Federal Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 23(b)(2) or (b)(3) of all current or future residents of QACC during the course of the COVID-19 pandemic who have disabilities that require assistance with activities of daily living.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The proposed class action lawsuit, <u><a href="https://www.jacksonlewis.com/sites/default/files/docs/SchoengoodvHofgurLLC-Complaint.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: rgb(27, 81, 124) !important; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none !important;" target="_blank"><em>Schoengood, et al. v. Hofgur LLC d/b/a Queens Adult Care Center and Gefen Senior Group</em></a></u>, No. 1:20-cv-02022 (E.D. N.Y.), is the first of its kind seeking to hold a place of public accommodation liable under Title III or Section 504 for not taking adequate measures, in the plaintiffs’ estimation, to prevent or mitigate the spread of COVID-19.</p><h4 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.3em !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em !important; margin-top: 1.3em !important;">Plaintiffs’ Claims, Relief Sought</h4><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Title III prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability “in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation.” 42 U.S.C. § 12182(a). Title III applies to virtually any business that sells its goods and services directly to consumers.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Section 504 prohibits discrimination on the basis of a disability, providing that “[n]o otherwise qualified individual with a disability … shall, solely by reason of her or his disability, be excluded from the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance or under any program or activity conducted by any [federal] Executive agency ….” 29 U.S.C. § 794.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The plaintiffs base their claims on two more specific obligations under Title III and Section 504. The first requires a public accommodation to make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures when the modifications are necessary to afford goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations to individuals with disabilities. The second prohibits the use of criteria or other eligibility standards that have the effect of discriminating on the basis of a disability.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The plaintiffs seek declaratory and broad injunctive relief, as well as the appointment of a Special Master at the defendants’ cost to oversee the facility and to make recommendations on preventing the spread of COVID-19 at the facility. They also seek reasonable attorneys’ fees and costs, which are generally mandated by these statutes to a prevailing plaintiff. While damages are not available under Title III, compensatory damages are available under Section 504. The plaintiffs have not expressly claimed relief in the form of awards for compensatory damages.</p><h4 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.3em !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em !important; margin-top: 1.3em !important;">Potential Problems with Claims</h4><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The plaintiffs appear to face an uphill battle with their novel claims. They contend Title III requires QACC to adopt policies or have better policies during the COVID-19 pandemic to safeguard the health and safety of its disabled residents.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">However, Title III has not been held to require public accommodations to adopt any policies, let alone the litany of policies the plaintiffs cite in their complaint, including testing, social distancing, isolation measures, and other policies recommended or required by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Department of Health and Human Services Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), and other federal and state regulations governing long-term care facilities, nursing homes, and assisted living facilities.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Section 504 regulations require covered entities and programs to have anti-discrimination policies, grievance procedures, and other procedural requirements in place. <em>See,</em> <em>e.g</em>., 45 C.F.R § 84 (HHS Section 504 regulations). However, the applicable regulations do not expressly impose the kinds of policies and procedures the plaintiffs contend Section 504 requires.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Further, to the extent that the complaint alleges QACC has policies concerning COVID-19, it does not allege a policy resulted in the denial of the services QACC offers based on an individual’s disability status.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Likewise, the plaintiffs’ contention that QACC used eligibility criteria that violates Title III and Section 504 would appear to fare no better. The complaint does not appear to allege what eligibility criteria QACC applied to the residents other than the eligibility criteria required by applicable New York law.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The complaint also does not appear to allege that any eligibility criteria screened out or tended to screen out persons with disabilities from using the services QACC offers, which is a requirement to establishing a Title III violation based on the use of unlawful eligibility criteria. The complaint appears to allege precisely the opposite. QACC provides its services mainly to disabled residents and, therefore, the plaintiffs contend that Title III and Section 504 require the facility to provide certain services the plaintiffs allege QACC does not currently provide.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">However, by its plain terms, Title III’s prohibition against discrimination on account of disability “in the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation” regulates <em>access</em> to the goods and services of a public accommodation, but not the <em>type</em> of goods or services offered by the public accommodation. <em>See McNeil v. Time Ins. Co</em>., 205 F.3d 179, 188 (5th Cir. 2000); <em>Weyer v.</em> <em>Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp</em><em>.</em>, 198 F.3d 1104, 1115-16 (9th Cir. 1999); <em>Doe v.</em> <em>Mut. of Omaha Ins. Co</em><em>.</em>, 179 F.3d 557, 560 (7th Cir. 1999); <em>Lenox v. Healthwise of Kentucky, Ltd</em>., 149 F.3d 453, 457 (6th Cir. 1998); <em>Ford v.</em> <em>Schering-Plough Corp</em>., 145 F.3d 601, 613 (3d Cir. 1998); <em>Funches v. Barra</em>, No. 14-cv-7382, 2016 WL 2939165, at *4 (S.D.N.Y. May 17, 2016). An owner denies the full and equal enjoyment of offered goods or services if they deny or inhibit access to those goods and services. However, “[t]he goods and services that the business offers exist <em>a priori</em> and independently from any discrimination. Stated differently, the goods and services referred to in the statute are simply those that the business normally offers.” Thus, the plaintiffs’ contention that Title III or Section 504 requires QACC to provide different and additional services than it allegedly currently provides would not appear to be an issue that Title III or Section 504 was meant to regulate.</p><h4 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.3em !important; margin-bottom: 0.5em !important; margin-top: 1.3em !important;">Potential Problems with Class Certification</h4><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Regarding the plaintiffs proceeding as a putative class, Rule 23(b)(2) classes are well-known to civil rights lawyers and apply where the party opposing the class certification has acted or refused to act on grounds generally applicable to the class, <em>so that final injunctive relief or corresponding declaratory relief is appropriate respecting the class as a whole</em>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Certification under Rule 23(b)(2) is unique in its requirements, as compared to other bases for class certification under Rule 23. A plaintiff seeking to certify a 23(b)(2) class must establish, in addition to the Rule 23(a) prerequisites (numerosity, commonality, typicality, and adequacy), that a <em>single</em> injunction can be issued that applies to the whole class and complies with Rule 65(d) — namely, the injunction “state its terms specifically; and describe in reasonable detail … the act or acts restrained or required.” <em>See</em> <em>Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. v. Dukes</em>, 564 U.S. 338, 360 (2011) (“Rule 23(b)(2) applies only when a <em>single</em> injunction or declaratory judgment would provide relief to each member of the class. It does not authorize class certification when each individual class member would be entitled to a <em>different</em> injunction or declaratory judgment against the defendant.”).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The wide-ranging and evolving recommendations and guidance offered by the CDC and other state and local governmental agencies, makes crafting a single injunction applicable to hundreds of residents with varying medical impairments and care needs problematic.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Given the individual nature of care residents typically need and their varying disabilities the complaint alleges they have, individual questions also appear more likely to predominate over common questions. This makes the plaintiffs’ claims unsuitable for class certification under Rule 23(b)(3) and failing to provide a superior method over proceeding and adjudicating on their individual claims.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Moreover, under the Rules Enabling Act, the plaintiffs’ decision to proceed as a class action cannot diminish the defendants’ substantive right to prove their defenses under Title III and Section 504 with respect to any member of the class. <em>See</em> 28 U.S.C. § 2072(b). Certain defenses, such as undue burden or fundamental alteration of the nature of services offered, tend to be fact-specific and may raise individual issues sufficient for a court to deny class certification.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">This is not to suggest that the plaintiffs can establish all Rule 23(a) prerequisites. Numerosity would appear problematic for the plaintiffs because joinder of absent putative class members would not be impracticable. They are all residents at the facility, readily identifiable, and the court likely has personal jurisdiction over each of them. Aggrieved residents presumably have incentives to bring an individual action like the one filed by the plaintiffs given the potential individual stakes and the availability of an award of attorneys’ fees and costs if they prevail.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Merely identifying a common contention is insufficient for a plaintiff to establish commonality under Rule 23(a)(2) after <em>Dukes</em>. The U.S. Supreme Court explained in <em>Dukes</em>:</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-left: 40px; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">[The] common contention … must be of such a nature that it is capable of class-wide resolution — which means that the determination of its truth or falsity will resolve an issue that is central to the validity of each one of the claims in one stroke. “What matters to class certification … is not the raising of common questions — even in droves — but rather the capacity of the classwide proceeding to generate common <em>answers</em> apt to drive the resolution of the litigation.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">In order for a “contention” to constitute a “common question,” it must yield the same answer with respect to each member of the proposed class. Even if the plaintiffs pled valid claims under Title III or Section 504, the answer to the common question of whether QACC committed discrimination under these statutes may be that it <em>depends</em> on the resident, given a host of individual factors, including the resident’s care needs, disability, and level of assistance with daily activities. The resolution of such individual issues has a higher probability of yielding different answers for each of the putative class members, thereby defeating commonality.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-align: center;"><span style="font-weight: bolder;">***</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #292929; font-family: georgia, serif; font-size: 18px; letter-spacing: 0.2px; line-height: 1.618em !important; margin-bottom: 1em !important; margin-top: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word;">This case has potentially far-reaching implications for all places of public accommodation and we will continue to monitor it.</p><p></p>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-87554920819260692482021-06-01T06:51:00.001-07:002021-06-01T06:51:37.630-07:00The Impeachment Of Governor Andrew Cuomo Goes Nowhere - No Surprises Here<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33JZ4bdS289eNqS2a1-m6xUr5pNM0jZs1l191oBS1D92ZJV_M6hgIEV34vxfKRNQH3x9m4c8FhJSLhcgmdUBMmXspItNqkwbpjgGP4ZWzCmvt6rX5PiVlcBzWEBKLE8SquNYxsxvItnim/s540/Heastie-Cuomo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="364" data-original-width="540" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg33JZ4bdS289eNqS2a1-m6xUr5pNM0jZs1l191oBS1D92ZJV_M6hgIEV34vxfKRNQH3x9m4c8FhJSLhcgmdUBMmXspItNqkwbpjgGP4ZWzCmvt6rX5PiVlcBzWEBKLE8SquNYxsxvItnim/w400-h270/Heastie-Cuomo.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Speaker Carl Heastie and Gov. Andrew Cuomo</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></p><p>In New York State, did anyone really believe that <a href="https://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/search?q=Andrew+Cuomo">Governor Andrew Cuomo</a>, son of former Gov. Mario Cuomo, would be held accountable for any of his actions, <a href="ttps://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/former-cuomo-staffer-says-the-new-york-governor-sexually-harassed-her-for-years/ar-BB1bTBy1">including sexual harassment of women who worked for him?</a></p><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/reporter-cuomo-recounts-past">Reporter who covered Cuomo for years recounts governor's 'checkered, bullying, spiteful' past</a></span><p>Nope.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"> <span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Betsy Combier</span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://advocatz.com/" style="color: #582995; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="new_external">ADVOCATZ.com</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://advocatz.blogspot.com/" style="color: #582995; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="new_external">ADVOCATZ</a><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;"> blog</span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://www.parentadvocates.org/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="new_external">Parentadvocates.org</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://newyorkcourtcorruption.blogspot.com/" style="color: #582995; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="new_external">New York Court Corruption</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nycrubberroomreporter.blogspot.com/" style="color: #582995; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="new_external">NYC Rubber Room Reporter</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://nycpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #582995; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="new_external">NYC Public Voice</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #582995; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="new_external">National Public Voice</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://rubberroom3020-a.blogspot.com/" style="color: #582995; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;" target="new_external">Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials</a></p><p><a href="https://nypost.com/2021/05/31/even-the-impeachment-of-gov-cuomo-is-just-grist-for-corruption/" style="font-size: x-large;">Even the impeachment of Gov. Cuomo is just grist for corruption</a></p><div>NY POST Editorial Board, May 31, 2021<br /><p><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: medium;">The charges against Gov. Andrew Cuomo won’t be real until Speaker Carl Heastie says they are.</span></span></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; margin-top: 0px;">Assemblyman Charles Lavine, who’s nominally in charge of the supposed Cuomo impeachment inquiry, admitted last week that there’s no end anywhere in sight. Nor will there be, until Speaker Carl Heastie decides he wants it.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; margin-top: 0px;">At just the third Judiciary Committee meeting to even pretend to address the issue since the ball supposedly started rolling in March, Lavine merely <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/05/26/assembly-dem-insists-250k-for-cuomo-impeachment-just-for-starters/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #cc3333; text-decoration-line: none;">announced</a> that the $250,000 for outside lawyers at Davis Polk & Wardwell is just the start; the Assembly will spend as much “as needed” on its investigation.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; margin-top: 0px;">Meanwhile, <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/05/26/cuomo-used-heastie-in-bid-to-silence-critic-as-post-found-covid-coverup/?utm_source=url_sitebuttons&utm_medium=site%20buttons&utm_campaign=site%20buttons" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #cc3333; text-decoration-line: none;">The Post’s Bernadette Hogan reported</a> that Heastie dutifully played middleman when Gov. Andrew Cuomo wanted Assemblyman Ron Kim to walk back his truth-telling about the <a href="https://nypost.com/2021/02/11/cuomo-aide-admits-they-hid-nursing-home-data-from-feds/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #cc3333; text-decoration-line: none;">admission by top Cuomo aide Melissa DeRosa</a> that Team Cuomo had intentionally kept legislators in the dark about the true COVID death toll in state nursing homes.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; margin-top: 0px;">At the gov’s behest, Heastie had an aide “relay” Cuomo’s request that Kim deny what he’d already told the press. “I came to the conclusion that if I put out this statement, that I would be complicit in the coverup,” Kim told The Post.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; margin-top: 0px;">And Heastie had his staff convey that invitation to help deceive the public, not the first time he’s <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/11/13/cuomo-briefed-on-secret-ethics-talks-amid-vote-on-percoco-case/" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); color: #cc3333; text-decoration-line: none;">had staff relay the gov’s threats</a>.</p><p style="background-color: white; color: #2a2a2a; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; margin-top: 0px;">So it stands to reason the Assembly’s impeachment probe won’t get very far until Cuomo tells Heastie it’s time to wrap it up. And, sadly, all Cuomo has to do in return is let the speaker have his way with public policy — the public interest be damned.</p><div class="article-header" style="background-color: white;"><div class="entry-content entry-content-read-more" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 1rem; line-height: 24px; margin-bottom: 40px; margin-top: 0px;"><p style="font-size: 1rem; line-height: 1.5; margin-bottom: 1.25rem; margin-top: 0px;">Pretty sordid, isn’t it, that even the effort to hold a governor to account for horrific abuse of his office is just grist for another corrupt bargain?</p></div></div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-19735410385232193152021-05-18T08:49:00.002-07:002021-05-18T08:49:30.960-07:00Report of The Special Advisor on Equal Justice in the Courts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0Dq7r42CmDcQ1YZU3NYaKRboIYe0i-zENaHuXF-g_nFQ-bbFbM8y_-gJvZP-9AO24hGKDAKB4HTA3Nckw6U5JeTFL-oYQkFiDuZe595TmQEwZsQBOb3vy6cWT9hyKk1rUFAHZPH6dfqq/s550/Special+Advisor-Court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="398" data-original-width="550" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit0Dq7r42CmDcQ1YZU3NYaKRboIYe0i-zENaHuXF-g_nFQ-bbFbM8y_-gJvZP-9AO24hGKDAKB4HTA3Nckw6U5JeTFL-oYQkFiDuZe595TmQEwZsQBOb3vy6cWT9hyKk1rUFAHZPH6dfqq/w400-h290/Special+Advisor-Court.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Recommendations from the <a href="http://www.nycourts.gov/whatsnew/pdf/SpecialAdviserEqualJusticeReport.pdf" style="background-color: white; color: #2e2eaf; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; text-decoration-line: none; white-space: pre-wrap;">Special Adviser on Equal Justice in the Courts</a> </p><p>From: <a href="https://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/2021/05/new-york-state-fights-racism-in-state.html">National Public Voice</a></p><div class="post-body entry-content" id="post-body-3131869412964415474" itemprop="description articleBody" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.4; position: relative; width: 506px;"><a href="https://queenseagle.com/all/new-yorks-courts-continue-efforts-to-combat-racism" style="color: #2e2eaf; font-size: x-large; text-decoration-line: none;">New York’s courts continue efforts to combat racism</a><p></p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 24px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;"><strong style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><em style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">By Rachel Vick, Queenseagle.com, May 17, 2021</em></strong></p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 0px 0px 24px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Just six months after the release of <a href="https://queenseagle.com/all/independent-review-details-institutional-racism-throughout-new-yorks-court-system?rq=jeh%20johnson" style="color: #0322aa; overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="overflow-wrap: break-word; text-decoration-line: underline;">a report outlining racism in the state’s court system</span></a>, leaders shared an update on the steps they are taking to eliminate system-wide bias.</p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 24px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">The dozen recommendations made by the <a href="http://www.nycourts.gov/whatsnew/pdf/SpecialAdviserEqualJusticeReport.pdf" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;">Special Adviser on Equal Justice in the Courts</a>, former <a href="https://www.dhs.gov/jeh-johnson" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;">U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson</a>, were issued in October 2020 to mitigate pervasive racism within the courts by declaring a zero-tolerance policy and implementing bias training. </p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 24px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">“There is no greater priority for the court system than the implementation of the Special Adviser's recommendations,” <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chief_Administrator_of_the_Courts" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;">Chief Administrative Judge Marks</a> said on Monday. “I am gratified by the significant progress made these past few months and look forward to further developments in our pursuit to combat racial and other bias systemwide.” </p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 24px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Marks described the task force’s ongoing efforts as a “critically-important undertaking” and “a wide-ranging endeavor that relies on the collaboration and support” from all parties involved. </p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 24px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">To date, the courts have taken steps including improving high ranking court official’s outreach, mandatory training for all judges and nonjudicial staff on racial bias and implicit bias, mandatory name tags for court personnel, updating the court system’s juror orientation video to address juror bias, increasing visibility of the Franklin H. Williams Judicial Commission and Office of Diversity and Inclusion, increasing language access and the inclusion of diversity in a new Unified Court System mission statement.</p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 24px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">“In the service of our mission, the UCS is committed to operating with integrity and transparency, and to ensuring that all who enter or serve in our courts are treated with respect, dignity, and professionalism,” the new statement reads. “We affirm our responsibility to promote a court system free from any and all forms of bias and discrimination, and to promote a judiciary and workforce that reflect the rich diversity of New York State.” </p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 24px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">They are also working to increase awareness of the Inspector General’s office, including its Bias Matters Unit, where court system employees and court users can file complaints, and increase access through an intermediary. </p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 24px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">Judge Edwina Mendelson, who is overseeing the overhaul, is launching a website to highlight the vision and ongoing work of the Equal Justice in the Court's Initiative in the coming weeks. She is also in the process of organizing court officer community outreach programs and a community affairs appointee in each courthouse to improve public trust.</p><p class="" style="color: #151414; font-family: "PT Sans"; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: 0.4px; line-height: 1.2em; margin: 24px 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space: pre-wrap;">“It is a professional and personal privilege for me to oversee implementation of the Special Adviser’s recommendations for eliminating racial bias in the courts and promoting meaningful diversity, equity, and inclusion at all levels,” Mendelssohn said. “I have deep faith in the strength of our commitment and a strong belief in our collective will to meet this moment – and to fulfill our obligation to provide equal justice in all our courts.”</p><div style="clear: both;"></div></div><div class="post-footer" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 1.6; margin: 1.5em 0px 0px;"><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-1"><span class="post-author vcard" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 1em;">Posted by <span class="fn" itemprop="author" itemscope="itemscope" itemtype="http://schema.org/Person"><a class="g-profile" data-gapiattached="true" data-gapiscan="true" data-onload="true" href="https://www.blogger.com/profile/04775243858742937706" rel="author" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;" title="author profile"><span itemprop="name">Betsy Combier</span> </a></span></span><span class="post-timestamp" style="margin-left: -1em; margin-right: 1em;">at <a class="timestamp-link" href="https://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/2021/05/new-york-state-fights-racism-in-state.html" rel="bookmark" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;" title="permanent link"><abbr class="published" itemprop="datePublished" style="border: none;" title="2021-05-18T07:20:00-07:00">7:20 AM</abbr></a> </span><span class="post-comment-link" style="margin-right: 1em;"></span><span class="post-icons" style="margin-right: 1em;"><span class="item-control blog-admin pid-730747721" style="display: inline;"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=4723093536436719391&postID=3131869412964415474&from=pencil" style="color: #2e2eaf; 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width: 20px;" target="_blank" title="Share to Pinterest"><span class="share-button-link-text" style="display: block; text-indent: -9999px;">Share to Pinterest</span></a></div></div><div class="post-footer-line post-footer-line-2"><span class="post-labels" style="margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px;">Labels: <a href="https://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Jeh%20Johnson" rel="tag" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;">Jeh Johnson</a>, <a href="https://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/NY%20State%20courts" rel="tag" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;">NY State courts</a>, <a href="https://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/racism" rel="tag" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;">racism</a>, <a href="https://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/search/label/Special%20Advisor%20on%20Equal%20Justice" rel="tag" style="color: #2e2eaf; text-decoration-line: none;">Special Advisor on Equal Justice</a></span></div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-55742261594850876782021-05-15T07:18:00.001-07:002021-05-15T07:18:16.347-07:00Cornell Law Student Defends Blogger's First Amendment Rights in Anti-SLAPP Case<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Xwg2FRw_clGrjelAWESrMvjuEAbXzenMyHBlKsmteTA6rHGP9RFWr-WFJQb7GXH5lmNDCCofsf3UMZv1sHj6fvIbEvgUn5iAdLbBnGhw9k9sK4vPFQfUsYFJnZZzE6n5ZcOGhOQK9nDa/s300/FirstAmendment.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="234" data-original-width="300" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0Xwg2FRw_clGrjelAWESrMvjuEAbXzenMyHBlKsmteTA6rHGP9RFWr-WFJQb7GXH5lmNDCCofsf3UMZv1sHj6fvIbEvgUn5iAdLbBnGhw9k9sK4vPFQfUsYFJnZZzE6n5ZcOGhOQK9nDa/w400-h312/FirstAmendment.gif" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><a href="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2021/05/law-student-plays-key-role-bloggers-defamation-defense" style="font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 36px;">Law student plays key role in blogger’s defamation defense</a></p><h2 class="byline" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; display: inline-block; font-family: freight-sans-pro-n5, freight-sans-pro, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 200; line-height: 1.125; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: 28px; text-align: right; white-space: nowrap;">By <span style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a class="taxonomy-term taxonomy-term--type-story-contacts taxonomy-term--view-mode-label ds-1col clearfix" href="mailto:jad534@cornell.edu" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #595959; display: inline-block; text-decoration-line: none;" title="Email James Dean
">James Dean</a>, May 14, 2021</span></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">A decision in a defamation case argued primarily by a <a href="https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/">Cornell Law School</a> student is one of the first in New York state court to address a legal question spurred by recent legislative changes strengthening free speech protections.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">On May 10, a New York Supreme Court judge in Ontario County dismissed a construction company’s lawsuit against James Meaney of Geneva, New York, publisher of the <a href="http://www.genevabeliever.com/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #255a76; font-weight: 600;">Geneva Believer</a> watchdog blog, who was defended by the Law School’s <a href="https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/Clinical-Programs/first-amendment-clinic/About-us.cfm" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #255a76; font-weight: 600;">First Amendment Clinic</a> and co-counsel Michael Grygiel of Greenberg Traurig LLP.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNC1eUfj-KcIJloJObCv_cZUuIyu1Kiwt6VCOY_lGjig6YFM2xuArVgQinlFwswprBN3RODde4LkddDmILPOTHvfVtJmO3F1pLJEqJO-hjVXB6WgfUFrCLCMuF_hvIsWVykDBzv1_Glft/s378/Brian+Dennis.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="378" data-original-width="292" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjNC1eUfj-KcIJloJObCv_cZUuIyu1Kiwt6VCOY_lGjig6YFM2xuArVgQinlFwswprBN3RODde4LkddDmILPOTHvfVtJmO3F1pLJEqJO-hjVXB6WgfUFrCLCMuF_hvIsWVykDBzv1_Glft/w247-h320/Brian+Dennis.jpg" width="247" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Judge Brian Dennis</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;"><br />During a virtual hearing on Dec. 9, 2020, third-year law student Rob Ward led the defense team’s argument for why the amended anti-SLAPP laws – short for <a href="https://anti-slapp.org/what-is-a-slapp/">Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation</a> – should apply retroactively. Judge Brian Dennis agreed that amendments approved in November to New York’s so-called “anti-SLAPP” statutes, which seek to deter use of the courts to silence criticism in public matters, should apply to the case retroactively. But he also found that the previous version of the statute would have applied as well and that Massa Construction Inc. could not meet its statutory burden to show that its claims had a substantial basis in law and fact. Dennis ruled that Meaney’s challenged articles were comprised of true facts and constitutionally protected opinions, rejecting Massa’s theory of defamation by implication and holding that satirical images in the articles were non-actionable.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">State and federal judges have recently reached that conclusion in unrelated cases, but at the time of the hearing no courts had weighed in on the matter.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">Ward pointed to legislative history revealing state lawmakers’ intent to clarify the original purpose of statutes enacted in 1992, which was for the statute to apply more broadly than courts have previously interpreted it, and for the amendments to take effect immediately.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">“New York has a long history of being at the forefront of expansive definitions of free expression,” Ward said. “This decision helps build on that tradition and will help protect journalists and other citizens trying to make their voices heard in their communities.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">The victory was the First Amendment Clinic’s second on Meaney’s behalf since Massa filed its defamation claim in January 2020. Last June, the same court on First Amendment grounds <a href="https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/06/law-school-clinic-scores-first-amendment-win-geneva" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #255a76; font-weight: 600;">denied Massa’s request</a> for a temporary restraining order demanding Meaney take down articles reporting on the company’s ties to the Geneva city council, which according to Meaney’s reporting has awarded Massa more than $4 million in contracts since 2010.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">Meaney’s articles highlighted potential conflicts of interest involving a city council member who was also a Massa employee, and a former council member whose son worked part-time for both the company and the city. He reported on missing bid records – revealed by his Freedom of Information Law requests – and questioned the rationale for certain projects.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">The First Amendment Clinic said the defamation case lacked merit broadly, including the fact that Meaney’s reporting – based on public meetings and public records – was accurate. The company claimed the allegedly defamatory statements implied wrongdoing and corruption – a disfavored legal theory, according to First Amendment Fellow <a href="https://www.lawschool.cornell.edu/faculty/bio_clinical_fellows.cfm?id=1049" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #255a76; font-weight: 600;">Tyler Valeska</a>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">Meaney’s reporting on and criticism of the city’s spending “is protected at the core of the First Amendment and the New York Constitution as speech on a matter of public concern,” the defense team argued in requesting the case be dismissed.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">Valeska was thrilled with the comprehensive victory. He emphasized the court’s conclusion that Meaney would have been protected even under the narrower prior version of New York’s anti-SLAPP law. And he noted that the amended laws, applied retroactively, made the case a slam dunk. Application of the anti-SLAPP law increased Massa’s burden of proof, facilitated the case’s early dismissal and entitled Meaney to collect attorney’s fees.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">The case was part of the First Amendment Clinic’s Local Journalism Project, which supports newsgatherers and media outlets lacking the resources to defend themselves against expensive, potentially frivolous litigation. Associate Director Cortelyou Kenney and a group of students including Michael Mapp were also part of the clinic team handling the case.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">“The clinic believes that such threats have a dangerous chilling effect on local journalism and must be fought to ensure that the public receives newsworthy information,” said Mark Jackson, the clinic’s director and adjunct professor of law.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">For Ward, helping to shape a novel aspect of state law was a rewarding opportunity, one that is relatively rare for a law student.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">“I was grateful to play a role in defending this journalist who, if the clinic weren’t here, might have had to stop publishing,” Ward said. “Getting to not only write on his behalf but to argue before a judge on his behalf was an amazing experience.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">Ward said the skills and courtroom experience gained during his three semesters in the clinic will serve him well in a career that will start in tax law, and that First Amendment issues will remain a passion. Meaney’s challenges in Geneva, a city of 13,000, resonated personally with the native of Broadalbin, New York, a town of 5,000 about an hour northwest of Albany in Fulton County.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: freight-text-pro-n4, freight-text-pro, serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 16px;">“This case hit close to home,” he said. “It was really appealing to me to work with someone who cares about his upstate New York community and is trying to report on it and make it a better place.”</p>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-10447224099403860162021-03-28T12:17:00.001-07:002021-03-28T12:17:41.312-07:00Federal Courts Need Transparency of the Perks Offered Judges<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EU61hMoCfFsUEr5LT2ksOIKgJrVqac5vgEgTYS-Fhmn34DsAGdpZ8OI7kkuX1lvzHmqDNkXFKme2lvOBdDxmL9vEyQNaDWKYhd6-tWYBA-35YXKO6T5fc6_2ufibdm-Vrv1IOlJyX8Tq/s644/USSupreme-Court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="356" data-original-width="644" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8EU61hMoCfFsUEr5LT2ksOIKgJrVqac5vgEgTYS-Fhmn34DsAGdpZ8OI7kkuX1lvzHmqDNkXFKme2lvOBdDxmL9vEyQNaDWKYhd6-tWYBA-35YXKO6T5fc6_2ufibdm-Vrv1IOlJyX8Tq/w400-h221/USSupreme-Court.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://www.law.com/nationallawjournal/2021/03/19/the-federal-courts-have-a-transparency-problem-heres-how-we-can-fix-it/" style="font-size: x-large;">The Federal Courts Have a Transparency Problem. Here’s How We Can Fix It.</a><p></p><h4 class="article-description" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #888888; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 22px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">The third branch says it’s the most transparent when it comes to its work, but it’s the least transparent when it comes to the perks.</h4><div class="social-byline" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", HelveticaNeue, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition: height 0.25s ease-in-out 0s;"><div class="byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; transition: height 0.25s ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="top-info" itemprop="author" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By <span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Gabe Roth, Law.com, </span></span><span class="top-info" style="box-sizing: border-box;">March 19, 2021 at 12:19 PM</span></div><div class="byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; transition: height 0.25s ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="top-info" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></div></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Every odd-numbered year, during the mid-March open government festival called “Sunshine Week,” members of Congress <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/822/text" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;">introduce</a><a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/770/text" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;"> bills</a> that would require the U.S. Supreme Court and lower federal courts to broadcast their proceedings live to the public. This year has been<a href="https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Cameras%20Courtroom%20Act%202021.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;"> no different</a>.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">It’s a worthy endeavor, but it obscures the fact that a lack of live broadcast is not, by a long shot, the most hazardous transparency deficit that faces the federal judiciary today. This is especially true in 2021, when the U.S. Supreme Court and all 13 federal appeals courts <a href="https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NEwDbPODehKWEMg0CvjOiXg9JpAuvdD_THFWiFTthhA/edit#gid=1614431294" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">offer</a> live audio access to their hearings.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">The black box is not judicial proceedings but what judges and justices do away from the bench. Federal jurists are treated like “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2016/02/19/what-supreme-court-justices-do-and-dont-disclose/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">rock stars</a>,” receiving all sorts of benefits when they leave the confines of their chambers and step out across the U.S. and the world. They are feted with luxury box football<a href="https://www.courthousenews.com/from-jets-to-juleps-scotus-perks-arent-always-reported/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> tickets</a>, blocks of hotel<a href="https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/SS-number-of-rooms-for-security.png" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> rooms</a>, gift<a href="https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Stein_Lecture__Redactions_3.10_Redacted_compressed.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> blankets</a> and gift<a href="https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/Roberts-Gift-from-UM.png" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> baskets</a>, free hunting<a href="https://www.statesman.com/NEWS/20160904/Antonin-Scalia-was-invited-to-West-Texas-resort-for-a-hunting-weekend" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> trips</a> and fishing<a href="https://fixthecourt.com/2020/06/final-two-2019-disclosures-alito-gorsuch-arrive/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> equipment</a>. They fly to<a href="https://www.nhpr.org/post/chief-justice-roberts-jokes-hes-headed-impregnable-fortress#stream/0" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> Malta</a> and<a href="https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/law/about/news/news-archives/2017-news/us-chief-justice-john-roberts-to-visit-victoria-universitys-law-school" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> New Zealand</a> and<a href="https://www.jifa.uct.ac.za/news/judicial-leaders-retreat-24-28-july" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> South Africa</a>. They accept $2,000 <a href="https://ktar.com/story/214013/sotomayor-still-getting-gifts-from-the-public/amp/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">prizes</a> and $1 million <a href="https://www.berggruen.org/news/annual-berggruen-prize-for-philosophy-culture-awarded-to-u-s-supreme-court-justice-ruth-bader-ginsburg-for-her-work-in-pioneering-gender-equality-and-strengthening-the-rule-of-law/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">prizes</a>. They make<a href="https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/Breyer-SG-J3.-SC_SR-19.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> $1.5 million</a> and<a href="https://legaltimes.typepad.com/blt/2013/06/sotomayor-reports-19-million-in-income-from-book-royalties.html" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> $1.9 million</a> in book royalties and<a href="https://fixthecourt.com/2020/12/recent-times-justice-failed-recuse-despite-clear-conflict-interest/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank"> fail to recuse</a> when their publishers have cases before them.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">What’s most dispiriting about these details is that they were uncovered months or even years after the fact, long past when they may have been relevant to the work that we, the public, entrusted to them. The third branch says it’s the most transparent when it comes to its work (judicial opinions), but it’s the least transparent when it comes to the perks. Attempts to detect conflicts of interest in real time rely on conjecture.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">This lack of transparency cuts both ways: Greater disclosure can sometimes show justices in a more ethical light. For example, on Jan. 15, 2016, Chief Justice John Roberts <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/search.aspx?filename=/docketfiles/15-457.htm" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">weighed in</a> on a Microsoft petition to the high court, which raised eyebrows, since his last disclosure showed he owned Microsoft shares, and federal law states a judge can’t consider a case if he owns stock in a litigant. But by law, Roberts was not required to disclose his early 2016 stock status until June 15, 2017, some 500 days later. (Turns out he <a href="https://fixthecourt.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Roberts-2016-Financial-Disclosure-Report.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">sold</a> his shares on Jan. 5, 2016, allowing him to participate.)</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">If Roberts were, instead, a member of the U.S. House Committee on Science, Space and Technology and similarly decided to sell his Microsoft stock as he weighed an issue of import to the company, the public would know about the transaction within a couple of weeks.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">This raises the critical point: The easiest way to bring sunshine to the third branch would be to hold our judges and justices to the same ethical standards that members of Congress already abide by—the same travel, gift, stock ownership and financial disclosure rules.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Senators and representatives must file, within a month of their return, a disclosure form whenever they travel on a third party’s dime. Judges and justices, on the other hand, file travel disclosures once per year and can omit the dollar amounts of their perks—airline tickets, lodging, meals and the like.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Members of Congress have strict rules on accepting gifts and in nearly all circumstances must refuse gifts from lobbyists and foreign agents. Yet these rules by and large do not exist in the judiciary, and judges and justices are free to accept certain gifts from individuals with cases in their courts.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Any time a senator or representative buys or sells a stock, they must report that transaction within 45 days. In the third branch, you only need to report once per year, which, as mentioned earlier, can mean a lag of a year and a half before that information reaches the public.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Finally, all these disclosures—whether travel or stocks or gifts—are posted online if you’re a member of Congress. Judicial disclosures, however, are not automatically posted. <a href="https://fixthecourt.com/2019disclosures/" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">Those</a> that are online today got there because a transparency group asked for them, waited in some cases several years and uploaded them themselves.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">There were a few bills introduced in the last Congress that would move us in the right direction. The Judicial Travel Accountability <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/senate-bill/2632/text" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">Act</a> would require certain transportation, lodging and meal disclosures, and the 21st Century Courts <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/116th-congress/house-bill/6017/text" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">Act</a> would shine a light on judges’ and justices’ conflicts of interest and automatically post annual financial disclosure reports within 90 days.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">But both bills died before enactment, and neither has been reintroduced this year.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">At a time when faith in all three branches of government is low, government officials should favor more sunshine. There’s no better time than Sunshine Week to enact changes in judiciary policy—shedding light where there’s been none for far too long.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gabe Roth is executive director of <a href="https://fixthecourt.com/">Fix the Court</a>, a national nonpartisan organization that advocates for a more open and accountable federal judiciary.</em></p>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-45271398139048092372021-02-24T09:03:00.002-08:002021-02-24T09:04:53.203-08:00Jeffrey Parker of Rincon Georgia is Sentenced to Six Months in Federal Prison For Making False Statements<p> </p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDINUgoCf_tabIYZ54GCiavsd33p2Fej2yVzPMmEpV_Y2hol-uIVf_MNE3tDE5S7OWKV5X2gNM1_NIfQUPJI-ciNm5z9CfXU0zf9yW4Gkxs9DB_j8Lmor4zCg8VHHMKn-p6r5SVbhACh8e/s420/Jeffrey+Parker.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="420" data-original-width="371" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDINUgoCf_tabIYZ54GCiavsd33p2Fej2yVzPMmEpV_Y2hol-uIVf_MNE3tDE5S7OWKV5X2gNM1_NIfQUPJI-ciNm5z9CfXU0zf9yW4Gkxs9DB_j8Lmor4zCg8VHHMKn-p6r5SVbhACh8e/w354-h400/Jeffrey+Parker.jpg" width="354" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jeffrey Parker<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;">People who believe in the cancel culture philosophy of making up false statements to defame someone are going to have their moment in court when more cases similar to that of Jeffrey Parker are fought by victims in criminal or civil cases filed in state or federal courts.</span><p></p><div class="card collection-item" data-type="text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="card-content card-article" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 0px;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;"><span style="font-family: arial;">We are starting to mend as a society when the rampant posting of anonymous and false statements on the internet is stopped.</span></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span face="proximanova-regular-webfont" style="color: white; font-size: 0px;">City Has Lost Contact With 2,600 Students Since Mar</span><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px; font-weight: 700;">Betsy Combier</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; font-weight: 700;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: quot; font-size: 14.85px;">betsy.combier@gmail.com</span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: quot; font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><span style="color: #582995;"><a href="http://advocatz.com/" style="color: #843ddf; text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">ADVOCATZ.com</span></a></span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, <span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="https://advocatz.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; text-decoration-line: none;">ADVOCATZ Blog</a></span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nycrubberroomreporter.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Rubber Room Reporter</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor,</span><a href="http://www.parentadvocates.org/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Parentadvocates.org</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://newyorkcourtcorruption.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Court Corruption</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">National Public Voice</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nycpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Public Voice</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor,</span><a href="http://rubberroom3020-a.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials</a></span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><br /></b></div></div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.wtoc.com/2020/01/08/richmond-hill-man-charged-with-creating-scheme-cause-hipaa-violations/">Richmond Hill man pleads guilty to creating scheme to frame former acquaintance with violations of patient privacy</a></span><section class="col col-no-gutter desktop-11 tablet-12 mobile-12 spaced spaced-top spaced-sm" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; flex: 0 0 91.67%; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, sans-serif; margin-top: 10px; max-width: 91.67%; padding: 0px;"><div class="wrapper clearfix full pb-feature pb-layout-item pb-f-article-byline" id="f0z3yJ5Xz0ktKr" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="card" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="byline spaced spaced-bottom spaced-md card-content display-inline" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.4; margin-bottom: 15px; padding: 0px;">By <a class="color-blue hover-link" href="https://www.wtoc.com/authors/wtoc-staff/" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #be0002; outline: 0px; text-decoration-line: none;"><span class="font-bold" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">WTOC Staff</span></a> <span class="font-bold" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">|</span> <span class="timestamp" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">January 8, 2020 at 5:36 PM EST - Updated September 30 at 7:06 PM</span></div></div></div></section><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;"><br /></p><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;">RICHMOND HILL, Ga. (WTOC) - A Richmond Hill man has admitted that he created fake email addresses and concocted other information to falsely accuse a former acquaintance of committing violations of patient privacy, according to the South District of Georgia.</p></div></div><div class="card collection-item" data-type="text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="card-content card-article" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 0px;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;">Jeffrey Parker, 43, pled guilty in U.S. District Court to one count of false statements. The charge carries a possible sentence of up to five years in federal prison.</p></div></div><div class="card collection-item" data-type="text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="card-content card-article" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 0px;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;">According to court documents, Parker used an intricate scheme to claim a former acquaintance had violated privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).</p></div></div><div class="card collection-item" data-type="text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="card-content card-article" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 0px;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;">In the news release from the Department of Justice, it states that Parker is accused of creating email addresses using names of real people and pretending to be them to make it appear as if his acquaintance committed a crime. Parker sent the emails to the hospital, the DOJ and to the FBI.</p></div></div><div class="card collection-item" data-type="text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="card-content card-article" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 0px;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;">Parker claimed to have received threatening messages in retaliation for blowing the whistle, and FBI agents took steps to ensure his safety and investigate the alleged crime.</p></div></div><div class="card collection-item" data-type="text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="card-content card-article" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 0px;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;">After an FBI agent interviewing Parker found inconsistencies in his story, Parker admitted the statements he made and emails he sent were false, according to the DOJ.</p></div></div><div class="card collection-item" data-type="text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="card-content card-article" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 0px;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;">“Jeffrey Parker tried to portray himself as a ‘whistleblower’ while attempting to frame a former acquaintance,” said U.S. Attorney Bobby L. Christine. “This fake complaint not only caused potential harm for an innocent victim but it also unnecessarily diverted resources from federal investigators whose diligent work shredded his web of lies.”</p></div></div><div class="card collection-item card-border-bottom card-border-bottom-thick card-border-bottom-dark" data-type="text" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; color: #282828; font-family: Oswald, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><div class="card-content card-article" style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; padding: 10px 0px;"><p style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "PT Serif", Helvetica, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.47; margin: 0px;"><i style="-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; box-sizing: border-box;">Copyright 2020 WTOC. All rights reserved.</i></p></div></div><p><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/crime/doj-rincon-whistleblower-sentenced-to-federal-prison-in-health-care-privacy-law-scheme/ar-BB1dX1VF" style="font-size: x-large;">DOJ: Rincon 'whistleblower' sentenced to federal prison in health care privacy law scheme</a></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.9rem; padding: 0px;">A Rincon man who portrayed himself as a 'whistleblower' while falsely accusing a former acquaintance of violating patient privacy has been sentenced to federal prison, the U.S. Dept. of Justice (DOJ) said Tuesday. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.9rem; padding: 0px;">Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, David Estes, said Jeffrey Parker, 44, of Rincon, was sentenced to six months in prison after pleading guilty to one count of false statements. Estes said Parker also was fined $1,200 and after completion of his prison term must serve three years of supervised release. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.9rem; padding: 0px;">There is no parole in the federal system.</p><blockquote style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to protect the community by solving real crimes, and cases like this only divert time and resources from critical tasks,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Jeffrey Parker’s fake complaint needlessly alarmed the victim and health care workers, but his scheme ultimately unraveled under the questioning of a perceptive FBI agent.</blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.9rem; padding: 0px;">According to court documents and testimony, Parker admitted that he “engaged in an intricate scheme” in October 2019 when he contacted the DOJ to claim that a former acquaintance had violated privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.9rem; padding: 0px;">The DOJ said Parker created email addresses using the names of real individuals and pretended to be these individuals to make it appear as if the acquaintance committed a crime. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.9rem; padding: 0px;">The DOJ said he sent the emails to the hospital where the acquaintance worked, to the DOJ, and to the FBI, and then claimed to have received threatening messages in retaliation for acting as a whistleblower. </p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.9rem; padding: 0px;">The DOJ said FBI agents quickly responded by acting to ensure Parker’s safety and investigate his allegations, and following questioning, Parker admitted putting together the scheme in an attempt to harm the former acquaintance.</p><blockquote style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Many hours of investigation and resources were wasted determining that Parker's whistleblower complaints were fake, meant to do harm to another citizen,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Before he could do more damage, his elaborate scheme was uncovered by a perceptive agent and now he will serve time for his deliberate transgression.</blockquote><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Segoe UI", "Segoe WP", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 20px; margin: 0px 0px 1.9rem; padding: 0px;">The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Schwedler.</p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px;">FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE</span></p><div class="pr-info" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; overflow: auto; padding: 0px;"><div class="field field--name-field-pr-date field--type-datetime field--label-hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; float: right; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><span class="date-display-single" content="2021-02-23T00:00:00-05:00" datatype="xsd:dateTime" property="dc:date" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Tuesday, February 23, 2021</span></div></div></div></div><h1 class="node-title" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0.25em 0px 1em; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">Fake whistleblower sentenced to federal prison for trying to frame a former acquaintance for violating patient privacy</h1><h2 class="node-subtitle center" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 15px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: center;"><div class="field field--name-field-pr-subtitle field--type-text field--label-hidden" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Man created fake email accounts, used others' identities</div></div></div></h2><div class="field field--name-field-pr-body field--type-text-long field--label-hidden" style="background-color: white; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(109, 109, 109); box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;">SAVANNAH, GA:</b> A Rincon man who portrayed himself as a whistleblower while falsely accusing a former acquaintance of violating patient privacy has been sentenced to federal prison.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;"><b style="box-sizing: border-box;">Jeffrey Parker</b>, 44, of Rincon, Ga., was sentenced to six months in prison by U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood after pleading guilty to one count of False Statements, said David H. Estes, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. Parker also was fined $1,200 and after completion of his prison term must serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“Our law enforcement partners work tirelessly to protect the community by solving real crimes, and cases like this only divert time and resources from critical tasks,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Estes. “Jeffrey Parker’s fake complaint needlessly alarmed the victim and health care workers, but his scheme ultimately unraveled under the questioning of a perceptive FBI agent.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">As outlined in court documents and testimony, Parker admitted that he “engaged in an intricate scheme” in October 2019 when he contacted the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to claim that a former acquaintance had violated privacy provisions of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA).</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">Parker created email addresses using the names of real individuals and pretended to be these individuals to make it appear as if the acquaintance committed a crime. He sent the emails to the hospital where the acquaintance worked, to the DOJ, and to the FBI, and then claimed to have received threatening messages in retaliation for acting as a whistleblower. FBI agents quickly responded by acting to ensure Parker’s safety and investigate his allegations, and under subsequent questioning, Parker admitted concocting the scheme in an attempt to harm the former acquaintance. </p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">“Many hours of investigation and resources were wasted determining that Parker's whistleblower complaints were fake, meant to do harm to another citizen,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Before he could do more damage, his elaborate scheme was uncovered by a perceptive agent and now he will serve time for his deliberate transgression.”</p><p style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #171e24; margin: 0px 0px 1em;">The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick Schwedler.</p></div></div></div><div class="pr-fields" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #242424; column-count: 2; column-gap: 50px; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 14px;"><div class="field field--name-field-pr-topic field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above" style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: hidden;"><div class="field__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Topic(s): </div><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Cyber Crime</div><div class="field__item odd" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Identity Theft</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-pr-component field--type-taxonomy-term-reference field--label-above" style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: hidden;"><div class="field__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Component(s): </div><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a datatype="" href="http://www.fbi.gov/" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6c511e; text-decoration-line: none;" typeof="skos:Concept">Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)</a></div><div class="field__item odd" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><a datatype="" href="http://www.justice.gov/usao-sdga" property="rdfs:label skos:prefLabel" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #6c511e; text-decoration-line: none;" typeof="skos:Concept">USAO - Georgia, Southern</a></div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-pr-contact field--type-text-long field--label-above" style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: hidden; white-space: pre-line;"><div class="field__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Contact: </div><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;">Barry L. Paschal, Public Affairs Officer: 912-652-4422</div></div></div><div class="field field--name-field-pr-number field--type-text field--label-above" style="box-sizing: border-box; break-inside: avoid; margin: 0px 0px 1em; overflow: hidden;"><div class="field__label" style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;">Press Release Number: </div><div class="field__items" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><div class="field__item even" style="box-sizing: border-box;">29-21</div></div></div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-48688014580966466762021-02-14T12:05:00.001-08:002021-02-14T12:05:08.141-08:00Alexandra Murphy, Daughter of New York's Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, Takes Seat as a Judge in the 9th District<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiho3PJG41C5_wVvyE8i189rVENDqdlWBJCsDat2SbprLVk8Kzzbw6fwtQ2LpO1GgQWDlQMYVaexXTTxvjfrcOsjUhqOwNJ6K9Y1d1Lam1CfACNjNfj-2ZFJSupBAU9tgN-On6op5dH9WF9/s440/Alexandra+Murphy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="440" data-original-width="409" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiho3PJG41C5_wVvyE8i189rVENDqdlWBJCsDat2SbprLVk8Kzzbw6fwtQ2LpO1GgQWDlQMYVaexXTTxvjfrcOsjUhqOwNJ6K9Y1d1Lam1CfACNjNfj-2ZFJSupBAU9tgN-On6op5dH9WF9/w371-h400/Alexandra+Murphy.jpg" width="371" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Alexandra Murphy. <span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 15px; text-align: left;"><b style="color: #666666; font-style: italic;"> </b>She is a state Supreme Court judge in the New York State’s <br />9th Judicial District.</span></td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/2021/02/11/difiores-daughter-secured-judicial-post-in-wake-of-cuomo-move/">DiFiore’s Daughter Secured Judicial Post in Wake of Cuomo Move</a></span><p><span style="background-color: white; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: large;">When a main opponent was elevated to a judgeship on the Court of Claims, attorney Alexandra Murphy sailed to a state Supreme Court seat in the Hudson Valley, political insiders say.</span></p><div class="social-byline" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", HelveticaNeue, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; transition: height 0.25s ease-in-out 0s;"><div class="byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; transition: height 0.25s ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="top-info" itemprop="author" style="box-sizing: border-box;">By <a href="https://www.law.com/newyorklawjournal/author/profile/Ryan-Tarinelli/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: 700;">Ryan Tarinelli</span></a> </span><span class="pipe" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 7px; padding: 0px;">|</span> <span class="top-info" style="box-sizing: border-box;">February 11, 2021</span></div><div class="byline" style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; transition: height 0.25s ease-in-out 0s;"><span class="top-info" style="box-sizing: border-box;"><br /></span></div></div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">The daughter of New York’s top judge sailed to a state Supreme Court seat last fall after Gov. Andrew Cuomo elevated one of her main opponents to a separate judicial post, political insiders say.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Alexandra Murphy, 36, has quietly started a 14-year term as a state Supreme Court judge in the Ninth Judicial District, which covers five counties in the mid-Hudson region.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy, who is the daughter of Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, is set to make a salary of $210,900.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">The governor nominated one of Murphy’s main competitors, court attorney Veronica Hummel, as a judge for the state Court of Claims in July 2020, according to party insiders. That move cleared the path for Murphy to receive the Democratic party nomination less than three weeks later, which earned her a spot on the ballot under the party line, they said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“I felt that was an embarrassment to the party,” said one judicial delegate, weighing in on the maneuver that allowed Murphy an easier track to the nomination.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy went on to receive more than 557,000 votes in the November general election, coming in second overall and securing one of the four open state Supreme Court judgeships.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy, who was rated as “well qualified” by two county bar associations, had a 10-year career as an assistant district attorney in Manhattan. She worked in a part-time role for more than half of her time there, according to a spokesman for the district attorney’s office.</span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Running for the Bench</span></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Democratic Party nomination is key for state Supreme Court candidates running in the Ninth Judicial District, where Democrats hold a wide voter registration advantage over Republicans. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy had the least amount of legal experience among candidates vying for the Democratic nomination, even though she was qualified for the spot, according to several Democrats with knowledge about the race who spoke to the Law Journal under the condition of anonymity.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">As a lawyer, she had only worked as an assistant district attorney but was running for a judicial position that dealt with a wide variety of civil cases, they said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">In the district, there’s a process for getting the Democratic nomination for a state Supreme Court seat, several insiders said. In general, past Democratic candidates spent several years attending political party events and interviewing with local political committees, they said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">That timeline appeared to not apply for Murphy, who gained the party nomination less than a year after becoming legally eligible for the judicial post, they said. Under state law, a person must be admitted to practice law in the state for at least 10 years before serving as a state Supreme Court judge.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Lucian Chalfen, a state court system spokesman, acknowledged that Murphy handles matrimonial and civil matters in Westchester County as a judge. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“It is not unusual for a newly elected or appointed Judge to be assigned by court administrators to a new practice of law,” he said in a statement to the Law Journal.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy’s campaign gained the endorsement of many local political committees and several party leaders, including Reginald Lafayette, a former Westchester County Democratic party chair.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Also endorsing Murphy was Kristen Zebrowski Stavisky, who is the chair of the Rockland County Democratic party. She described Murphy as someone who was smart, dynamic and perfectly capable of serving as a state Supreme Court judge.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">The Westchester County Bar Association rated Murphy as “well qualified” for the position, as did the Dutchess County Bar Association.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy did not run under her mother’s last name and many Democrats, even those who raised eyebrows about her campaign, said she never brought up her mother’s position during their interactions with her.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Some party members said the high-profile status of Murphy’s mother was unavoidable, raising questions over how her mother’s public prominence impacted the race.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">There is no indication that DiFiore played a direct role in Murphy’s campaign, or the move that placed Hummel on the Court of Claims.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“The Chief Judge neither appoints nor anoints Judges, including her daughter,” Chalfen said in a statement.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">DiFiore, who herself was nominated by Cuomo, is the head of New York’s judicial branch and the state’s top court. She also oversees a multibillion-dollar budget and a sprawling court system that includes judges and nonjudicial employees across the state.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Her reputation runs deeper in Westchester County, where she previously served as a county court judge and spent many years as the county’s district attorney, said one judicial delegate.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">DiFiore and Murphy did not make themselves available for an interview.</span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Prosecutorial Career</span></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">A graduate of Fordham University law school, Murphy spent more than 10 years as a prosecutor for the Manhattan district attorney’s office—an experience she highlighted during her run for state Supreme Court.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy, who started as an assistant district attorney in September 2009, worked in a trial bureau for years before working in a quality of life unit, according to office spokesman Danny Frost.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy worked in a part-time role for most of her employment at the office and had transitioned to that status in 2014, he said. When she left the office in early 2020, Murphy had less than five years as a full-time prosecutor, according to Frost.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Chalfen said Murphy went to part-time status when she had her first child and she did work as a supervisor at one point during her part-time status.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Knowing how to balance work and life, he said, allows her to have more empathy for litigants and to be part of a more inclusive judiciary. He implied Murphy “should be commended” for wanting to emulate her mother’s decades-long career.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">In a campaign video, Murphy appeared to reference her prosecutorial experience and said she had dedicated her career to public service.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“The knowledge and experience I have gained over the last decade practicing in one of the busiest courthouses in the country have prepared me to serve in this next capacity,” she said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">The former prosecutor ran on the Democratic and Conservative party lines during last year’s general election.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Murphy was boosted by a well-funded campaign and received a $10,000 loan from her father, Dennis Glazer, in February 2020, according to campaign filings. Glazer is also DiFiore’s husband.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Chalfen said the $10,000 loan was used to kick off Murphy’s campaign. DiFiore and Glazer “maintain separate checking accounts,” he said in a statement.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Stephen Gillers, a law professor at New York University who focuses on legal ethics, said DiFiore as chief judge has limitations on her political activity, but those do not apply to her husband. Glazer, he said, does not give up his rights as a citizen due to his relationship with DiFiore. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Gillers also commended Murphy for not running under her mother’s last name.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Now that Murphy is on the bench, DiFiore should not sit on any case in which her daughter was a lower court judge, he said.</span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 24px; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: 24px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Political Jockeying</span></h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">There were four open judicial spots in the Ninth Judicial District during last year’s general election. But before the Democratic party nominations were settled, political insiders say the main competition came down to three candidates—Murphy, Hummel and Robert Ondrovic—for two open state Supreme Court seats in Westchester County.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Another candidate, E. Loren Williams, was expected to fill an open position in Orange County and Judge Sam Walker in the Ninth Judicial District was an incumbent, making him likely to win reelection, they said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Before the general election, Democrats in the Ninth Judicial District hold a judicial convention where they nominate candidates for state Supreme Court.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Last year, the Democratic judicial convention appeared to be headed for a contested convention, with Murphy, Ondrovic and Hummel competing for the two open positions, two judicial delegates said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hummel had been principal court attorney in White Plains for a state Supreme Court judge, according to a press release.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">She had also served as the principal court attorney for a Westchester County Court judge and worked as the principal court attorney for a state Supreme Court judge in New York City, the release said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Ondrovic conducted more than 300 jury trials and practiced for more than three decades in state Supreme Court, according to campaign material. Attempts to reach Ondrovic for this article were unsuccessful.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Many people wanted to back Murphy because they saw her as a younger candidate who was personable, said one judicial delegate from the district. It’s possible that Murphy could have come out with one of the two spots even with competition, the judicial delegate said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“So what happened took away any risk from anybody,” they said, referring to Hummel’s nomination to the state Court of Claims.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Less than three weeks from the judicial convention, Hummel announced on Facebook that she was confirmed as a judge on the Court of Claims and expected to become an acting Supreme Court judge in the Bronx. </span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“</span><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">While my application was first filed last year, this opportunity suddenly presented itself,” read the July 2020 post on her Facebook page.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Hummel expressed interest in a Court of Claims judgeship during the summer, according to the judicial delegate, and it was known that a Court of Claims nomination could resolve the issue of three candidates running for two open Westchester judgeships.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“In the heat of battle, it may seem like a consolation prize. But it’s not,” the judicial delegate said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">Yet Tina Volz-Bongar, a district leader with the Peekskill Democratic City Committee, said she couldn’t help but feel disheartened over Hummel taking the Court of Claims position—even though the move did get her on the bench.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">To Volz-Bongar, it felt like the party didn’t do its job. Democratic voters trust the party to follow a process that puts forward the best candidate, she said.</span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;"></span></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box;">“And it didn’t happen that way,” she said. “It’s so disappointing to me.”</span></p>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-31729758804587059842021-02-04T08:29:00.001-08:002021-02-04T08:29:05.893-08:00Law Firms Hired By Washington State Are Given Civil Immunity From Retaliatory Litigation<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOzqcL5Rf-LtYRKBn4lkNXx_vXcG_jrsUS9A1qkBh8f0GsMrFh46uq5Zg0Ytjp71c_cAFc4t7U5N_k6Kr3uwry4IpAaptsPzXX056DfOxeWazXgh8Yl8hVRiHGpK7xjcQQtWEEAHP72_o/s622/Washington+State+Supreme+Court.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="622" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUOzqcL5Rf-LtYRKBn4lkNXx_vXcG_jrsUS9A1qkBh8f0GsMrFh46uq5Zg0Ytjp71c_cAFc4t7U5N_k6Kr3uwry4IpAaptsPzXX056DfOxeWazXgh8Yl8hVRiHGpK7xjcQQtWEEAHP72_o/w400-h179/Washington+State+Supreme+Court.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Washington State Supreme Court</td></tr></tbody></table><br />The action by the <a href="https://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/SupremeCourt/?fa=supremecourt.justices">Washington State Supreme Court </a>in <a href="https://www.leagle.com/decision/inwaco20210128g22">Leishman v Ogden Murphy Wallace</a> that law firms hired by the government are "persons" under the State's anti-SLAPP statute and are immune from retaliatory litigation draws attention once again to the subject of placement of anyone, at any time, and for any reason, above the law.</p><p>We should be very careful to not overuse this placement, which allows agencies/groups/law firms who may abuse their obligations and responsibilities to protect the innocent to "get away with the malfeasance".</p><p>See more:</p><a href="https://columbialawreview.org/content/local-sovereign-immunity/">LOCAL SOVEREIGN IMMUNITY</a><div><br /></div><div><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sovereign_immunity_in_the_United_States">Sovereign Immunity in the US</a></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/qualified_immunity">Qualified immunity</a></span><p style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: 14.85px; font-weight: 700;">Betsy Combier</span></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; font-weight: 700;"><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: quot; font-size: 14.85px;">betsy.combier@gmail.com</span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="font-family: quot; font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><span style="color: #582995;"><a href="http://advocatz.com/" style="color: #843ddf; text-decoration-line: none;"><span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif">ADVOCATZ.com</span></a></span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, <span face="arial, helvetica, sans-serif"><a href="https://advocatz.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; text-decoration-line: none;">ADVOCATZ Blog</a></span></b></div><div style="color: #333333; font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><b style="color: #1a222a; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nycrubberroomreporter.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Rubber Room Reporter</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor,</span><a href="http://www.parentadvocates.org/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Parentadvocates.org</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://newyorkcourtcorruption.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Court Corruption</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">National Public Voice</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor, </span><a href="http://nycpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Public Voice</a></span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span style="color: #2a2a2a; font-family: quot; font-size: 16px;"><span style="color: #1a222a; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px;">Editor,</span><a href="http://rubberroom3020-a.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-family: arial, tahoma, helvetica, freesans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px; line-height: 20.79px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials</a></span></b></div></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br />State High Court Ruling Gives Law Firms Hired by Government Agencies Immunity</span><div><span class="top-info" itemprop="author" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", HelveticaNeue, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">By <span style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;"><a href="https://www.law.com/author/profile/Suzette-Parmley/" style="background-color: transparent; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;">Suzette Parmley</a>, LAW.com, </span></span><span class="top-info" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", HelveticaNeue, sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">February 03, 2021</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><div><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">A split Washington state Supreme Court ruled that a government contractor—in this case, a law firm that was hired to perform an independent investigation of the Washington Attorney General’s Office—qualifies as a "person" under the state’s 1989 anti-SLAPP statute and is entitled to civil immunity from retaliatory litigation.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">A split Washington state Supreme Court ruled that a government contractor—in this case, a law firm hired to perform an independent investigation of the Washington Attorney General’s Office—qualifies as a “person” under the state’s 1989 anti-SLAPP statute and is entitled to civil immunity from retaliatory litigation.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">In a 5-4 ruling <a href="https://www.courts.wa.gov/opinions/pdf/977348.pdf" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); box-sizing: border-box; color: #337ab7; font-weight: 700; text-decoration-line: none; transition: color 0.15s ease 0s, background-color 0.15s ease 0s, border-color 0.15s ease 0s, opacity 0.15s ease 0s;" target="_blank">filed Jan. 28</a>, the majority reversed the Court of Appeals and reinstated the trial court’s judgment in <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">Leishman v. Ogden Murphy Wallace. </em>The court was asked whether to exclude an otherwise covered individual or organization from immunity under the state’s anti-SLAPP law—RCW 4.24.510—because it was paid under a contract with the government to conduct an investigation and report the findings to a government agency. SLAPP stands for “Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">“We hold that a government contractor hired to speak to a government agency is a ‘person’ under the statute,” Justice Raquel Montoya-Lewis, who delivered the 21-page majority opinion, said. “RCW 4.24.510’s immunity unambiguously applies to organizations and individuals, and there is no language in the statute limiting its application when an organization or individual communicates under a contract with a government entity.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">“We reverse the Court of Appeals and find that [defendants] OMW and [Patrick] Pearce are entitled to a reinstatement of the trial court’s grant of reasonable attorney fees and costs, as well as attorney fees and costs for their appeal,” Montoya-Lewis said.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Associate Chief Justice Charles Johnson and Justices Mary Yu, Mary Owens, and Sheryl Gordon McCloud join Montoya-Lewis’ opinion.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Justice Barbara Madsen issued a separate eight-page dissent, joined by Chief Justice Steven Gonzalez and Justices Debra Stephens and G. Helen Whitener.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Madsen argued that the majority gave too broad of a definition of “person,” instead of narrowly construing the immunity law.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">The anti-SLAPP statute was meant to blunt or prohibit such lawsuits, that the Legislature deemed are designed to intimidate the exercise of First Amendment rights and rights under Article I, Section 5 of the Washington state Constitution, when it passed the law in 1989.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">“I disagree with the majority’s decision to give a broad meaning to the term ’person’ and extend protection to a government contractor that is neither exercising its First Amendment rights nor petitioning the government for redress of grievances,” Madsen wrote. “Precedent has established that immunities are to be narrowly construed.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Plaintiff Roger Leishman, who represented himself, could not be immediately reached for comment.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Robert Sulkin and Malaika Eaton of McNaul Ebel Nawrot & Helgren in Seattle, represented Ogden Murphy Wallace, one of two defendants in the case. Sulkin was also not available to comment.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">The entities in question, in this case, were Ogden Murphy Wallace (referred to as OMW in court documents) and Patrick Pearce, the law firm’s lead investigator, who were hired as outside counsel to conduct an independent internal investigation of Leishman’s allegations of discrimination against his employer. The investigation also would include, unbeknownst to Leishman, his workplace conduct with a supervisor.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Leishman, an openly gay man, began working at the Attorney’s General Office in Bellingham as chief legal adviser to Western Washington University in June 2015.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Shortly after starting the job, Leishman began exhibiting serious trichotillomania, anxiety, and other symptoms, which he disclosed to his employer. In November 2015, Leishman’s physician diagnosed him with post-traumatic stress disorder and co-dependency. Leishman informed the office about his new diagnoses, according to court documents.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">In January 2016, Leishman learned he did not receive a $3,000 raise given to other assistant attorney generals because of complaints his supervisor made about his conduct at work. Leishman contended his supervisor’s complaints were based on homophobic beliefs.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">In February 2016 Leishman made a formal request for reasonable accommodation of his disability, which the office denied. A month later Leishman drafted a discrimination complaint.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">During a March 1, 2016 meeting with his supervisor over the complaint, the supervisor denied wrongdoing in connection with her statements, accused Leishman of faking his disability, and refused to support his then-pending accommodation request.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Leishman admitted that during this meeting he became angry, restless, and agitated, and he raised his voice. Leishman formally submitted his discrimination complaint to the Attorney’s General Office.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Leishman’s supervisor complained to the office about Leishman’s conduct during their meeting, and the office placed Leishman on home assignment, where he remained until his termination three months later.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">The office retained Ogden Murphy to conduct the independent investigation but never informed Leishman that it was also investigating his alleged behavior during the March 1 meeting with his supervisor.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">The law firm’s report concluded that “Leishman has not established support for his complaint of discrimination against him based on sexual orientation” and that “Leishman’s conduct during the March 1 meeting violated expected standards of conduct for his position as reflected in his job description.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">The office moved to terminate Leishman on June 1, 2016, and Leishman subsequently sued the law firm and Pearce for negligence, violation of the Consumer Protection Act, misrepresentation, fraud, and discrimination. Leishman alleged that neither Pearce nor Ogden Murphy was acting as the Attorney’s General Office’s agent and, therefore, his claims against the law firm and Pearce are not barred by the settlement.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">Ogden Murphy filed a motion for judgment on the pleadings, under CR 12(c), arguing that it and Pearce had immunity under the anti-SLAPP law. The trial court granted Ogden Murphy’s motion, and Leishman appealed.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">The Court of Appeals reversed, holding that “government contractors, when communicating to a government agency under the scope of their contract, are not “persons” entitled to protection under RCW 4.24.510.” The high court was asked to review.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">In her dissent, Madsen contended the type of work the law firm conducted wasn’t covered by the anti-SLAPP law.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">“RCW 4.24.510 does not contemplate the type of conduct OMW engaged in here,” Madsen wrote. “Rather, the communication was sought and contracted by the government. OMW was acting as the government and not in a personal capacity.”</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">But Montoya-Lewis and the majority disagreed: “It is not for this court to narrowly construe an unambiguously broad statute in order to make it comport with our vision of who anti-SLAPP statutes should protect.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #333333; font-family: "Open Sans", sans-serif; font-size: 18px; line-height: 30px; margin: 0px 0px 15px;">“If OMW and Pearce are ’persons’ under RCW 4.24.510, then they are immune from Leishman’s suit based on their communication to the [Attorney's General Office], and the case must be dismissed,” Montoya-Lewis wrote in the Jan. 28 opinion.</p></div></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-9747669613066436962021-01-12T08:31:00.002-08:002021-01-12T08:31:34.944-08:00N.Y.P.D. Concludes That Deputy Inspector James F. Kobel Wrote Racist Posts Under Pseudonym<p> <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1m3rYpbgJytJ-WpKmjRCqyvptphn_W76q5FoXa9JTnBB5K-ao-40GHi3fdyZrXUiXZwtvyc8jyHJcuGzT5KwZBKn05bmsfvpkkxwgc7cf85AW6eEAg4ysPbgiWA5Hyvje83F84HGezBXL/s469/James+F.+Kobel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="469" data-original-width="462" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1m3rYpbgJytJ-WpKmjRCqyvptphn_W76q5FoXa9JTnBB5K-ao-40GHi3fdyZrXUiXZwtvyc8jyHJcuGzT5KwZBKn05bmsfvpkkxwgc7cf85AW6eEAg4ysPbgiWA5Hyvje83F84HGezBXL/w394-h400/James+F.+Kobel.jpg" width="394" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">James F. Kobel</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/11/nyregion/nypd-james-kobel-racist.html" style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;">N.Y.P.D. Concludes Anti-Harassment Official Wrote Racist Online Rants</a></p><div class="css-vp77d3 epjyd6m0" style="-webkit-box-align: center; align-items: center; background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; display: flex; font-size: 16px; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: inherit; margin: 0px 0px 15px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"><div class="css-1baulvz" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><p class="css-4z5zii e1jsehar1" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; font-family: nyt-franklin, helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 0.9375rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant: inherit; font-weight: 700; line-height: 1.25rem; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="byline-prefix" style="border: 0px; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">By </span><a class="css-brehiz e1jsehar0" href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/william-k-rashbaum" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><span class="css-1baulvz" style="border: 0px; display: inline-block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">William K. Rashbaum</span></a> and <span class="css-1baulvz last-byline" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline-block; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); text-decoration-line: underline; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;"><a class="css-brehiz e1jsehar0" href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/alan-feuer" style="border: 0px; color: #333333; display: inline; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-line: none; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;">Alan Feuer</a>, NY TIMES, Jan. 11, 2021</span></p></div></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The official, James F. Kobel, who will now face a departmental trial, filed for retirement as the inquiry was winding down.</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">After two months of investigation, police officials have concluded that a high-ranking officer responsible for combating workplace harassment in the New York Police Department wrote dozens of virulently racist posts about Black, Jewish and Hispanic people under a pseudonym on an online chat board favored by police officers.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">The officer, Deputy Inspector James F. Kobel, filed his retirement papers late last week as the departmental inquiry was winding down. But the officials said on Monday that they still planned to bring administrative charges against him as soon as this month for falsely denying that he had written the offensive messages.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">“The evidence is strong,” said one senior police official who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a personnel matter. “We have no doubt that it’s him.”</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">The downfall of Inspector Kobel, who oversaw the department’s Equal Employment Opportunity Division, began over the summer when an investigator with the City Council’s Oversight and Investigations Division stumbled across a series of disturbingly racist posts on the Rant, an infamous chat board.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">Even by the Rant’s vitriolic standards, the messages, written by a poster who called himself “Clouseau,” were particularly vicious and racist.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">One referred to former President Barack Obama as a “Muslim savage.” Another labeled Dante de Blasio, the Black son of Mayor Bill de Blasio, as “brillohead.”</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">By October, the council’s oversight division, led by then-Councilman Ritchie Torres, managed to identify “Clouseau” as Inspector Kobel. In a painstaking bit of online sleuthing, the investigators matched up hints that “Clouseau” had left online about his life with details about the inspector’s personal and professional biographies that were publicly available.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">On July 1, 2019, for example, “Clouseau” left a message describing how he joined the Police Department on June 30, 1992, recalling it as an “unbelievably hot” night. Using city payroll records, the investigators determined that Inspector Kobel had joined the force on that same date.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"><br /></p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">Then last January, “Clouseau” wrote that he had once worked “in Housing” under “JJ,” whom he referred to with an obscene slur for women. According to Inspector Kobel’s LinkedIn page, he too served in the department’s Housing Bureau — from 2012 to 2014, at a time when it was run by a female chief, Joanne Jaffe.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">In November, <a class="css-1g7m0tk" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/nyregion/james-kobel-nypd-racism.html" style="border: 0px; color: #326891; font: inherit; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration-color: rgb(50, 104, 145); text-decoration-style: solid; text-decoration-thickness: 1px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline;" title="">The New York Times presented police officials with a draft report of the council’s findings</a>, prompting the internal investigation. At the time, Inspector Kobel denied the allegations and said he did not post on the Rant.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">Inspector Kobel was placed on modified assignment. If he is convicted at his departmental trial, he could be fired. He will keep his pension unless he is convicted of a felony. He did not respond to a message seeking comment on Monday night.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">Captain Chris Monahan, who heads the Captains Endowment Association, the union that represents the inspector, defended him in a statement, saying he had served the city and the Police Department for 29 years.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px 0px 0.9375rem; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">“Given the current political climate and anti-police sentiment, D.I. Kobel did not see it as possible to get a fair administrative trial and decided to avail himself of the opportunity to file for retirement,” the statement said.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">At the outset of the inquiry, conducted by the Internal Affairs Bureau, Inspector Kobel voluntarily provided investigators with his personal cellphone and computer, and they believed the postings were not in keeping with his public persona and reputation.</p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;"><br /></p><p class="css-axufdj evys1bk0" style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: nyt-imperial, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 1.25rem; font-stretch: inherit; font-variant-east-asian: inherit; font-variant-numeric: inherit; line-height: 1.875rem; margin: 0px; max-width: 100%; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%; vertical-align: baseline; width: 600px;">See also:</p><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/05/nyregion/james-kobel-nypd-racism.html">N.Y.P.D. Anti-Harassment Official Accused of Racist Rants</a></span></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-16918408181247293152021-01-02T08:56:00.006-08:002021-01-23T07:48:44.312-08:00Defamation and Network Smearing Election Machine Manufacturers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3zNXh3ILbOAur2hxonE6SImHX42lh_svZd04eb8vWy-cA8HUVMfi00TciWIOXqMfxj1VeVO6KQHKqMZrRhD69hSDK92hgwcgAJkTMh9xp6Z9zOPusFrlTDBiX7SOuSz2zI9mS0K2Bj-g/s367/Defamation.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="290" data-original-width="367" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw3zNXh3ILbOAur2hxonE6SImHX42lh_svZd04eb8vWy-cA8HUVMfi00TciWIOXqMfxj1VeVO6KQHKqMZrRhD69hSDK92hgwcgAJkTMh9xp6Z9zOPusFrlTDBiX7SOuSz2zI9mS0K2Bj-g/w320-h253/Defamation.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>What is defamation? One definition is character assassination:</p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">the malicious and unjustified harming of a person's good reputation.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">"all too often they discredit themselves by engaging in character assassination".<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Currently, it looks to me like major social media service providers make statements that they "hope" will be taken as factual, but are not.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Facebook and Twitter should not be able to censor what people say because they - the people who have the power to click truth away at these media conglomerates - don't want anyone to read something that contradicts their beliefs. Their beliefs are their right to have, but not to force on others.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><b style="background-color: white; color: #1a222a; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.85px;"><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Betsy Combier, betsy.combier@gmail.com</span><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://advocatz.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">ADVOCATZ.com</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://advocatz.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">ADVOCATZ Blog</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://nycrubberroomreporter.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Rubber Room Reporter</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor,</span><a href="http://www.parentadvocates.org/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Parentadvocates.org</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://newyorkcourtcorruption.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">New York Court Corruption</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://nationalpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">National Public Voice</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor, </span><a href="https://nycpublicvoice.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;">NYC Public Voice</a><br style="font-size: 14.85px;" /><span face="Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif" style="font-size: 14.85px;">Editor,</span><a href="https://rubberroom3020-a.blogspot.com/" style="color: #843ddf; font-size: 14.85px; text-decoration-line: none;"> Inside 3020-a Teacher Trials</a></b></p><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-how-defamation-law-is-supposed-to-work-20201229-5d3bm5shmbat3k7ddnpzkxhj64-story.html">How defamation law is supposed to work: Networks couldn’t </a></span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://www.nydailynews.com/opinion/ny-oped-how-defamation-law-is-supposed-to-work-20201229-5d3bm5shmbat3k7ddnpzkxhj64-story.html">get away with smearing election machine manufacturers</a><br /></span><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoNormalTable" style="background: white; border-collapse: collapse; mso-padding-alt: 0in 0in 0in 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; width: 666px;"><tbody><tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;"><td style="padding: 0in; width: 499.5pt;" width="666"><p><br /></p><p> <span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">Edward Steinberg, NY DAILY
NEWS, December 29, 2020</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The late New York Sen.
Daniel Patrick Moynihan famously said that “Everyone is entitled to his own
opinion, but not his own facts.” <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Last week, right-wing “news”
networks <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">Fox
News</a>, Fox Business, <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">Newsmax </a>and
OAN got a painful, awkward lesson in the legal meaning of Moynihan’s
phrase. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Since the election, these
networks have broadcast their opinion, and that of President Trump’s, that the
2020 election was stolen. Of course, they have a First Amendment right to state
this. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">But, lacking any evidence
whatsoever, Trump, our fabulist-in-chief, in tandem with these Trump-echo
networks, made up “facts” to lend support to this opinion: conspiracies
involving George Soros; midnight ballot dumps; biased poll workers; and
electronic voting systems from Dominion Voting Systems and Smartmatic that
supposedly switched votes from Trump to Biden in swing states. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">These conspiracy theories
even forced one election systems worker into <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">hiding</a> because
of death threats. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And here is where the
networks crossed a line. Moynihan’s famous aphorism actually describes
defamation law perfectly. False statements of facts, even if mixed with
opinion, can give rise to lawsuits by those reputationally injured, even
against the press. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And so, <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">Smartmatic</a> and <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">Dominion</a> merely
threatened defamation lawsuits — and many of these networks caved, issuing not
only specific retractions but also admissions that they possessed no evidence
of ballot switching or of the dark conspiracies that they had been
advancing. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Normally, one would not
think of corporations as the go-to defenders of truth and democracy, but in
this case, it was their threat of defamation lawsuits that brought forward
truth, and that hopefully will increase confidence in the outcome of our
election. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">In the famous story, it’s a
child who calls out the emperor for having no clothes; today, it’s voting
machine companies. Tomorrow, it may be poll workers falsely accused of
improperly scanning ballots, voters falsely accused of illegal registrations,
not-for-profits falsely accused of illegal ballot harvesting and anyone in a
news story, or a widely-circulated Facebook post or Tweet, who is falsely
accused of illegal activity in connection with an election. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Smartmatic and Dominion are
on to something. The explosion of falsity by propagandist networks must be met
with a flood of defamation suits. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">And while social media
companies themselves might be — for now — able to escape such suits because of
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996, individual users of
Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram with large followings should know that they
might be held liable for spreading specific lies that sully the reputation of
businesses or individuals. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Lawsuits for intentional
infliction of emotional distress can be another tool in the fight for truth
against right wing-conspiracies. Fox News found this out when the Second
Circuit <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">held
that</a> the parents of murdered DNC staffer Seth Rich could sue over a segment
purporting to link Rich to WikiLeaks in furtherance of an alt-right theory that
his death involved leaked DNC emails. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Legislators, too, can help.
New York should consider laws to extend the statute of limitations for
defamation suits, mandate double or treble damages in egregious instances, and
protect whistleblowers who bring forward evidence of malicious and deliberate
false reporting. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">The First Amendment would
not be implicated by any of these laws, nor would there likely be much increase
in the number of defamation suits filed. Falsely yelling “fire” in a crowded
theater has never been protected by the First Amendment; falsely yelling that
someone burned ballots is not protected either. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Steinberg is the president
of the New York State Trial Lawyers Association. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">Visit our COVID-19 Response
page <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">here</a>, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">join the NYSTLA
COVID-19 <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">Listserver</a>, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">or please contact Nick Novak
at 212-349-5890 Ext. 800 <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;">or at <a href="https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/5520924546648111805/1691840818124729315">nnovak@nystla.org</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-right: .4in;"><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p></td></tr></tbody></table></div>Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5520924546648111805.post-44006986375431052482020-12-30T11:54:00.001-08:002021-01-02T08:20:07.142-08:00U.S. Army National Guard Reservist Wins Case of Employment Discrimination Against Jeweler Harry Winston<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kpdePxdQ2AUPU79IYvuUBrD0tceLBt2boFtxNguRED950Woxz-VrJzsLH6kXMPWL70S4ww4ZgQiBrgS5WdVNKRf9HMsupKLcRu6AXFVxyOJco2RZuL1klrEaYIgZptwf5IISwqhD15mJ/s940/USERRA.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="940" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9kpdePxdQ2AUPU79IYvuUBrD0tceLBt2boFtxNguRED950Woxz-VrJzsLH6kXMPWL70S4ww4ZgQiBrgS5WdVNKRf9HMsupKLcRu6AXFVxyOJco2RZuL1klrEaYIgZptwf5IISwqhD15mJ/w400-h174/USERRA.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></blockquote>Department of Justice<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>Office of Public Affairs<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>Wednesday, December 30, 2020<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>Justice Department Secures Relief for U.S. Army National Guard Reservist on Employment Discrimination Claim Against Luxury Jeweler Harry Winston<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>The Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas announced today that they resolved a claim that luxury jeweler Harry Winston Inc. violated the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act of 1994 (USERRA)</a> by refusing to offer full-time employment to U.S. Army National Guard Reservist John A. Walker because of his military service obligations.<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>“Discrimination against members of the National Guard or Reserve because of their service to our country is intolerable, violates the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act, and the Department of Justice will not stand for it,” said Assistant Attorney General Eric S. Dreiband of the Civil Rights Division. “We honor all service members for their service to our nation, and this settlement signals the Justice Department’s ongoing commitment in protecting the rights of our men and women in uniform.”<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>“Our soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines fight for us. Fighting for their legal rights is the least we can do,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Patrick for the Southern District of Texas. “All service members, including members of the National Guard and Reserve, need to know that employers cannot discriminate against them based on their military service obligations. This settlement sends a strong message to employers that the U.S. Attorney’s Office will protect the rights of our service members.”<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>In December 2017, reservist Walker applied for a job with Harry Winston, Inc., which denied his application. Walker alleged that Harry Winston, Inc. refused to hire him because of his military service obligations. Under the terms of the settlement, Harry Winston, Inc. has agreed to fully compensate Walker for his back-pay and non-wage damages.<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>Congress enacted USERRA to encourage non-career service in the uniformed services by reducing employment disadvantages; to minimize the disruption to the lives of persons performing military service, their employers and others by providing for the prompt reemployment of such persons upon their completion of such service; and to prohibit discrimination against persons because of their service in the uniformed services or if they pursue a claim under USERRA.<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>The U.S. Department of Labor (DOL) referred this matter following an investigation by their <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Veterans’ Employment and Training ServiceTraining Service</a>. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and the Employment Litigation Section of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division handled the case and work collaboratively with the DOL to protect the jobs and benefits of military members.<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>This investigation was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Edward Wyatt and Annalisa Cravens and Paralegal Specialist Raymond Babauta of the Southern District of Texas, along with Assistant Director Andrew Braniff of the <a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Department of Justice’s Servicemembers and Veterans Initiative </a>and Senior Trial Attorney Alicia Johnson of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section.<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"> </blockquote>Topic(s):<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"> </blockquote>Servicemembers Initiative<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>Civil Rights<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>Component(s):<br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"> </blockquote><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Civil Rights Division</a><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">Civil Rights - Employment Litigation Section</a><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><a href="https://www.blogger.com/#">USAO - Texas, Southern</a><br />Press Release Number:<br /> 20-1399Betsy Combierhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16854478415247528997noreply@blogger.com0