Canadian Lawyer

September 2019

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28 www.lawtimesnews.com LAW TIMES BRIEFS Lawyer arrested after parachuting off roof of courthouse building A lawyer pleaded guilty to trespassing after parachuting from the top of an Illinois county courthouse, The Chicago Tribune reported on July 22. The lawyer jumped from the building at about 1 a.m. and landed in the police department's parking lot, where he was arrested, the Tribune said. "When I first read about this in the paper . . . I thought to myself that has to be the stupidest person I've ever met," the judge reportedly said, issuing a fine and ordering a year of court supervision and 100 hours of community service. Apartment residents warned to close blinds, neighbouring law firm 'witnessed uncomfortable encounters' Washington, D.C. residents at The Apartments at CityCenter received a warning that surrounding buildings — including the offices of major law firms — could see inside their units, according to an email obtained by legal blog Above The Law. The firms, including Covington & Burling LLP, "reported that they have witnessed uncomfortable encounters that aren't appropriate," said the email. Representatives of the apartment building said residents should be careful when opening their blinds, Above The Law reported on Aug. 7. Judge to reconsider jail sentence for woman who fed cats A judge will "take a second look" at a widely criticized decision to issue a 10-day jail sentence to a woman accused of feeding stray cats. The Associated Press said that Nancy Segula, 79, was sent to jail by a city magistrate. The suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, where Segula lives, doesn't let people feed dogs and cats that aren't their own, the AP reported. Now, Judge Jennifer Weiler wants to hear the case, according to the AP's July 31 report. Fired lawyer stalked firm, stole AR-15 The Florida Supreme Court disbarred a BIZARRE BRIEFS lawyer who violated a restraining order filed by his former employer, the Miami Herald reported on Aug. 6. The former lawyer allegedly ripped the doors off the law firm's building by tying them to a Ford F250 truck and allegedly stole a safe, a computer server and a rifle from the firm. He faces two counts of burglary of an unoccupied structure and one count of grand theft firearm, the Herald's report said. Toronto man pretended to be lawyer, found with drugs Police in Stratford, Ont. said that a man representing a defendant on harassment charges in court used a fake name. After the man and the defendant drove off together, police followed and found that "he had a stimulant and a narcotic analgesic in his system," according to The London Free Press. The newspaper reported on July 30 that police had found five grams of meth, one gram of fentanyl, a knife and several pieces of fake ID in the vehicle. The lawyer impersonator now faces 20 charges, including operating a vehicle while impaired by drugs, possession of an illegal substance, identity theft, impersonation, possessing stolen credit card data, possession of a false identity document, unauthorized possession of a weapon, obstruction of justice and breach of recognizance, according to the London Free Press report. Court orders bailiff to tape defendant's mouth closed A Louisiana district court judge ordered the bailiff to tape a man's mouth shut, the Associated Press reported on July 25. During a sentencing hearing, Michael Duhon was admonished several times for bringing motions on his own behalf, instead of through a lawyer. Justice Marilyn Castle ordered that Duhon's mouth be taped shut, reported the Associated Press, citing the Acadiana Advocate's examination of court logs. After an objection from Duhon's lawyer, the tape was removed, the AP's report said. A public defender who recorded the incident is facing contempt charges, according to the AP. Disbarred lawyer caught shoplifting at Home Depot A Florida lawyer who was "disbarred in December 2017 for an unrelated felony charge" and was previously accused of setting fire to a 47-foot yacht is now accused of shoplifting, according to a local news station. The man was arrested for retail theft and drug possession, said Fox 13's report on Aug. 5. The same lawyer made headlines in March after the yacht, outfitted for a special needs child, was destroyed. The lawyer had previously stolen the yacht in 2012, Fox 13 said. Court protects banana-costume maker's 'fruits of intellectual labour' The maker of a full-body banana costume was entitled to an injunction against a rival, the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at Philadelphia decided, according to the ABA Journal's Aug. 2 report. "Because Rasta established a reasonable likelihood that it could prove entitlement to protection for the veritable fruits of its intellectual labour, we will affirm," the court reportedly said. Vandal ordered to paint courthouse with toothbrush A judge in Ohio said a person accused of vandalism could avoid a 10-day jail sentence by re-painting courthouse railings using a toothbrush, according to Cleveland 19 News. The judge ordered the graffiti artist, accused of vandalizing a railroad car, to paint the courthouse steps as community service — and ordered the task be done with a toothbrush to make it a "challenge," the July 19 report said. Porn copyright disputes surge as court tries to crack down Bloomberg Law reported that nearly half the 3,404 copyright lawsuits filed in the U.S. in the first seven months of this year were by companies that make and sell porn. The porn vendors are using a shakedown tactic targeting men in wealthy neighbourhoods where they "file thousands of lawsuits against people for downloading and trading racy films on home computers," Bloomberg reported on Aug. 5.

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