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The Sudden Death Of A ‘Remarkable Young Man’ FREE
Michael V. Sage was preparing for an exciting February. He had a skiing trip to New Hampshire planned with a colleague at the New London firm of Suisman Shapiro, and last week was going to mark the first time he handled a personal injury trial on his own. But on Feb. 5, everything changed. Sage, 29, was found unresponsive on the floor of the law firm’s bathroom after apparently collapsing around 10:30 a.m., shortly after he had walked across the street for his usual cup of morning coffee with some fellow lawyers.
Infant Shoulder Injury Suit Doesn’t Pay Off 
Jason Bacco et al v. Obgyn Consultants: Stamford obstetrician Irene Komarynsky won a defense verdict this month in Stamford Superior Court in a case that, according to medical malpractice defense lawyers, illustrates a trend toward fewer jury awards for children who sustain shoulder nerve damage during birth.
Preparing For More Supreme Court Exits
Stories raising the possibility that U.S. Supreme Court Justices John Paul Stevens and Ruth Bader Ginsburg may leave at roughly the same time have suddenly become part of the Washington conversation, fueling scenarios of dragged-out battles between President Barack Obama and a fiercely contentious Senate over possible replacements.
Toyota Litigation At Full ThrottleFREE
After a major car manufacturer admits to defects in its line of automobiles, it’s only a matter of time before the products liability lawyers shift into gear. As such, class action lawsuits are seemingly being filed daily across the country against Toyota after reports of sudden acceleration in many of its popular vehicle models, including the Camry and Lexus.
Smart Phone Users Call Sales Tax Dumb IdeaFREE
The Internet Tax Freedom Act of 1998 seems to clearly state that customers aren’t to be taxed on their Internet service. But are you similarly tax exempt when you check e-mails or surf the Web on your iPhone or Blackberry?
An Informal Approach To Solving Problems
Grains of sand can foul up great machines – and bring down great organizations. Problems that don’t rise to the level of a crime or tort can afflict organizations to their serious detriment. Charles Howard, a partner in Hartford-based Shipman & Goodwin, knows a thing or two about the importance of solving small problems before they have big consequences.
Solo’s Addicted Sister Allegedly Stole From Clients
The old saying is never mix family and business.
Stamford solo attorney Daniel Barber thought he was helping out his sister, Stacey Williams, when he hired her in August 2005 to help run his practice, which focuses on criminal defense work and real estate. Now Barber’s decision has jeopardized his practice.
Despite Pain In Big Toe, Lawyer Keeps KickingFREE
Everyone has days when they’re feeling aches and pains and not operating at 100 percent. Others work through chronic pain by adjusting their working conditions— placing a pillow on their seat or an ankle on a footrest, or taking breaks to stretch muscles.
Usually, the pain doesn’t threaten one’s job.
But a diabetic Hamden lawyer with a foot ulcer nearly had his practice taken away this month because he is unable to spend a full day in court.
Disabled Woman Awarded $1M After Alleged Rape
Jane Doe et al v. Gerald Terry et al: A 16-year-old mentally handicapped girl who claims she was raped in a taxi cab in 2007 was awarded just over $1 million by a jury late last month. According to the victim’s lawyer, Timothy Donahue, of Donahue, Durham & Noonan P.C. in Guilford, the teen attended an after-school program in North Haven for special needs students to help improve her social and adaptive skills. She was transported by Metro Taxi of West Haven several times a week from school to the site of the after-school program and then from that facility back home.
The Year That The Estate Tax Vanished
It’s a complex time to die. Congress surprised most lawyers when it simply allowed the federal estate tax to disappear at the end of last year. How did this happen? A tax-cutting plan endorsed by then-President George W. Bush was phased in beginning in 2001. That year, the value of an estate had to top $1 million before any federal taxes kicked in. By last year, the threshold rose to $3.5 million.
Shaking Up Attitudes About Technology
There probably aren’t many people in their mid-60s who have LinkedIn as the homepage on their computer at work. And certainly not many lawyers that age who are active on the lawyer-rating site Avvo.com or the free legal content site JDSupra.com.
But trust and estate solo attorney Jeffrey L. Crown, 65, sees no reason not to embrace social media.
Court Again Wrestles With Kidnapping LawFREE
In past years, prosecutors often added kidnapping charges to increase the possible punishment for defendants who were also charged with sexual assault or robbery. The theory was that during the commission of the other crime, the victim was detained against his or her will, even if only briefly. Defense attorneys objected to the practice, and in 2008 the state Supreme Court ruled that juries may no longer find someone guilty of kidnapping when the restraint is incidental to the commission of another crime.
Sex Offender Confinement Poses Tough QuestionsFREE
In December, an anonymous veteran corrections officer in Connecticut wrote a letter to state officials voicing his concern over the then imminent release of Brian Wright, who has been in prison the past 25 years for sexual assault. The officer claims Wright committed six “male-on-male sexual assaults” while in prison and expressed fear he would be a threat to both men and women when released from prison. “He is notorious in the prison system,” wrote the officer. “I fear that he will offend again, this time with more serious consequences.”
Antique Car Touring A Real Blast—Of Steam FREE
With all of the talk about automobiles running on alternative fuels, Hartford attorney John Linderman wonders what has taken everyone so long to catch on. For several years, Linderman has been driving around in a ’10 model car that runs on steam—a 1910 model, that is. Linderman, a partner at intellectual property firm McCormick, Paulding & Huber, has owned his Stanley Steamer since 1997, shortly after he visited the Big E fair in Massachusetts and learned about the technology associated with some of the earliest cars.
Trial-Settlement Hybrid Satisfies All Four Parties
John McGrath v. Bantam Sheet Metal LLC, et al.: Three contracting companies ended up paying nearly a quarter-million dollars to settle a lawsuit filed after a drywall finisher fell off a scaffold at a work site. John McGrath was working in Litchfield on May 31, 2005 in a room being renovated.
Despite Pain In Big Toe, Lawyer Keeps Kicking
Everyone has days when they’re feeling aches and pains and not operating at 100 percent. Others work through chronic pain by adjusting their working conditions— placing a pillow on their seat or an ankle on a footrest, or taking breaks to stretch muscles. Usually, the pain doesn’t threaten one’s job. But a diabetic Hamden lawyer with a foot ulcer nearly had his practice taken away this month because he is unable to spend a full day in court.
Hospital Settles Claims That It Overcharged MedicareFREE
The U.S. government and Johnson Memorial Hospital in Stafford Springs entered into a civil settlement agreement late last month to resolve allegations that the infirmary violated the False Claims Act. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut alleges that Johnson Memorial Hospital overcharged Medicare for infusion therapy, chemotherapy administration, and blood transfusions between 2000 and 2005.
Struggling To Care For Young And Old AlikeFREE
It’s called the sandwich generation. And it has nothing to do with anyone’s eating habits. Rather, the phrase is used to describe adults who now have responsibilities to their elderly parents as well as their children. “At the same time you’re giving your teenager the keys to the car you may be wondering, ‘Is it time to take away my dad’s car keys?” said attorney Sallie Kraus
‘Country Lawyer’ Eyes Attorney General’s Post
Litchfield County is the birthplace of the nation’s first law school, and has a long tradition of sending statesmen to Hartford to help govern Connecticut. In the historic display of Connecticut’s political history at the state’s Legislative Office Building, one large panel chronicles “The Roraback Era.” It refers to the early 20th century “Old Deal” politics of rock-ribbed Republican Party Boss J. Henry Roraback, who used politics and hydropower to become a dynamo of power in many forms.
Justices Throw Twist Into Jury Polling Rule
It only takes a minute or two. After the verdict is announced, each juror is asked one by one if they agree with the decision.
It’s the one last ray of hope for the defeated side’s lawyer, a last-ditch effort to learn whether there was some coercion in the jury room or dissension in the ranks that could lead to a new trial.
Better Behavior Or Less Money To Steal?
A year after dire predictions and preparations for the worst, the Client Security Fund is in decent financial shape. But don’t say that to Christopher Blanchard, the Judicial Branch attorney who oversees the fund that reimburses clients wronged by lawyers who steal and embezzle their money. He knows one lawyer’s move can lead to a disastrous draining of money from the fund.
A Move To Decriminalize Teen Prostitution FREE
Just last week, the feds indicted a Connecticut couple for allegedly forcing two 14-year-old girls to engage in commercial sex acts at a Hartford hotel. The couple face sex trafficking charges and could go to prison for a long time. The underage girls, meanwhile, will be treated as victims and receive appropriate help, including counseling. That’s standard operating procedure in juvenile sex trafficking cases handled by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Connecticut. But in the state courts of Connecticut, the outcome for minors involved in prostitution could conceivably be different.
For Outside Counsel, It’s Judgment Day
Law firm leaders that may have felt their ears burning since October can now get some relief by finding out what in-house counsel have been saying about them. A new ratings system launched last year by the Association of Corporate Counsel aims to collect evaluations of law firms from corporate legal departments around the world. It’s called the ACC Value Index and is part of the association’s aggressive push to help in-house lawyers get more value for their money from outside counsel.
Owner Of 18 Dogs Loses Suit Against Town
Gladys Kronovitter et al. v. Richard Doyle et al.: A woman who claimed her civil rights were violated when police searched her residence and seized her dogs was unable recently to convince a jury she had been wronged. Gladys Kronovitter, 78, had lived in a decrepit home on Flat Rock Road in Easton for more than 60 years. The home, since condemned, was infamous among her otherwise well-to-do neighbors; it had holes in the roof, but no electricity or plumbing.
‘All You Want In A Judge’ FREE
As a Hartford lawyer, Robert N. Chatigny never shied away from the high-profile case. He built up his white-collar criminal defense practice from 1983 to 1994 by representing some powerful names in the world of business and entertainment.
As a federal judge, Chatigny found himself presiding over heated debates about the execution of a serial killer.
In his nearly 30-year legal career in Connecticut, Chatigny has been in the middle of some of the biggest legal stories in the state. Now, he has the opportunity to take his career to a larger stage.
Second Nominee For 2nd Circuit? FREE
Unlike the selection of a new pope, there is no white puff of smoke to signal when a Circuit Court of Appeals judge is being nominated. But the letter of inquiry from the American Bar Association has a similar portent.
Just weeks after U.S. District Court Judge Robert N. Chatigny was the subject of ABA and FBI questionnaires and interviews, top Connecticut state and federal judges began to receive inquiries about Susan L. Carney, the deputy general counsel at Yale University. A relative unknown in Connecticut legal circles, Carney appears to be on track for a seat on the Second Circuit Court of Appeals -- considered by many to be the second most prestigious court in the nation, right after the U.S. Supreme Court itself.
Giving Legal Advice By The Book FREE
It was the most shocking moment of Alexander Maresca’s professional life. He sat in the New Haven library answering people’s questions about their legal troubles as part of Ask-A-Lawyer, a volunteer program run by the New Haven County Bar Association. Then a woman came up to him and began pulling off her clothes to show him her injuries. A chemical spill at her job had burned her skin, and her questions were focused on how to get proper medical treatment more than seeking some type of legal solution.
Blog Becomes Overnight Sensation
A few months ago, East Hartford attorney Ryan C. McKeen was a fairly typical lawyer-blogger. He launched A Connecticut Law Blog in December 2007 because it “seemed like a cool idea,” and he has been filling his site with posts about his life and his practice at Leone, Throwe, Teller & Nagle. For instance, frequent trips to the courthouse in Litchfield led him along officially designated “scenic roads,” so he posted on the law that defines those roads. Other posts have looked at Connecticut Turkey Law Week, a spoof of McKeen’s creation, as well as judges who despise Halloween. As an ardent Boston Red Sox fan, McKeen also mixes in baseball and the law whenever possible.
Standing Up For Students Who Get In Trouble FREE
The past decade has seen the emergence of “zero tolerance” policies in public schools. A student who brings in drugs or alcohol automatically faces expulsion. Same goes for a kid who brings in a knife or other weapon. In fact, more than 1,200 schoolchildren get expelled from Connecticut schools every year. But before anyone gets kicked out, they have the right to a hearing with an attorney representing them.
Prosecutor’s Illness Caused Disputed MistrialFREE
Perhaps the most common reason for a mistrial is a hung jury. And from time to time a judge might cite improper evidence or misconduct by an attorney or juror. But even veteran trial lawyers couldn’t recall the last time a mistrial was declared due to the prolonged illness and absence of one of the lawyers. That’s exactly why a criminal trial was interrupted in the summer of 2007, in a case that raised questions of double jeopardy and was recently considered by a divided state Supreme Court.
Ross Case May Hurt 2nd Circuit Nominee FREE
Was U.S. District Judge Robert Chatigny out of bounds in 2005 when he criticized a defense attorney for failing to take steps that might delay the execution of convicted serial killer Michael Ross?
In 2006, a judicial oversight panel said he was not. But others in the Connecticut legal community remain unconvinced.
Learning The ABCs Of Helping StudentsFREE
Alyssa Cunningham leads the life of a busy professional. As an associate with Wiggin and Dana’s health care practice, she routinely works into the night at her Hartford office. Then she drops by a house on Hopmeadow Street in Simsbury to see seven teenage boys and make sure they’re keeping up with their studies and chores. For Cunningham, it feels like she’s the mother of the teenagers. But they’re not her own flesh and blood. The Simsbury boarding house is operated by A Better Chance program.
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