Some Charges are dismissed against Brooklyn family court judge

Judge Garson, a matrimonial judge in Brooklyn, has been charged with corruption. In a case that has received national press, Judge Garson, not to be confused by his brother, Kings County Supreme Court Judge Michael Garson, has been accused of accepting "money and gifts in exchange for giving preferential treatment" to a lawyer. Today, the judge presiding over the case dismissed six felony counts of receiving awards for official misconduct. However, the court ruled that he must still stand trial for the most serious charge of receiving bribes.

Bloomingdales opens in Soho

George Packer, in his critique of bloggers in Mother Jones, notes that they "are ... nearly without exception men."

Perhaps blogs are not focusing enough attention on attracting female readers. I will attempt to correct this by providing this public service announcement. According to this month's New York County Law Association E-News bulletin, Bloomingdale’s SoHo opened on April 24. The six-story store, which is located at 504 Broadway (between Spring and Broome Streets) and occupies a full city block, is one of the few department stores in the neighborhood.

Bullied New York City student is awarded $195 million

A preppy 11 year old boy was teased for three years. The city did nothing to stop the abuse. Finally, on June 9, 1999, the boy was tripped at a Public School and suffered head injuries and a broken wrist. A Queens jury awarded $195 million dollars to the boy who was bullied. The jury found the city liable because they did nothing to stop the abuse.

Anyone who has been teased for a number of years in public school in New Yorik and the school did nothing to stop the teasing should contact my law office immediately.

New test program gets tough with immigrants

Currently, immigrants who have an immigration appeal are free to remain in the United States. Under a new pilot program conducted in Atlanta and Denver called Operation Compliance, those who are awaiting appeal must either post a bond or be held in detention. Do you think this is fair?

NYC new lead paint law to take effect in August

Lead poisoning causes harm to hundreds of children in New York City each year. A new law, to take effect in NYC in August, requires tougher standards for removal of lead paint, including dust. According to the New York Times, owners of building built before 1960 must identify all children under the age of 7 living inside their premises. The Bloomberg administration states that the law will be costly, requiring the city to pay an estimated $315 million dollars over the next four years to accommodate the new law.

Understanding Arab Anti-Americanism

Hosni Mubarek, the Egyptian president since the assassination of Anwar Sedat over 25 years ago, believes that "because of the war in Iraq and Washington's continued support of Israel, hatred of Americans in the Arab world had reached new heights." Do the Arab's dislike America any more now than in 1958?

Dennis Kennedy's tech weblog roundup

Dennis Kennedy, posts in his weblog today an excellent summary of law tech blogs.

Is the U.S losing its technological edge because of its immigration policies?

The Department of Homeland Security has made it tougher for foreigners to obtain work visas. Talented foreigners, rather than coming to America are now studying in Western Europe and even China. Thomas Friedman, in the New York Times argues that immigration policy is leading to a two-fold disaster. The US talent pool is being diminished because the cream of the crop of foreign students are no longer studying here. The next techological Yao Ming may stay in China instead of bringing his skills to the US. Additionally, foreigners who work and/or study in the US, when they return home, usually take American ideas back home.

Therefore, it appears that the Department of Home Security needs to do a better job in screening applicants for visas. For example, there is little national security risk in permitting Indians from working in the U.S. in the technology sector.

Helpful Websites for Personal Injury Litigation in New York

The New York Trial Lawyers Institute provided a helpful list of websites that are useful for plaintiff's personal injury litigation:

Isonet is a fee based service that provides background information regarding your client. For example, you can ascertain whether they have been involved in any prior lawsuits, the insurance carrier involved and more.

New York City Housing Preservation and Development provides a wealth of information on owners of buildings, violations and tenant complaints.

New York City Department Buildings website provides a veritable cornucopia of information regarding various types of complaints in New York City Buildings. This site is helpful for lead paint violations.

Public Data Corporation provides a database for New York City Real Estate Records. Here, if you or your client tripped on the a sidewalk, you can find out who is responsible for the sidewalk.

Wherever repair work is being conducted throughout the City of New York, chances are that the City hired an outside contractor. The Department of Design and Construction lists work being repaired by the City of the New York.

Follow up on Coor's liability following a drunk driving accident

Anthony Sebok, a law professor at Brooklyn Law School concludes in Writ that there is probably no legal basis for the mother to sue Coor's based on her son's death. He believes that the suit serves the "useful purpose" to remind society that advertising is powerful. I think that the useful purpose of the lawsuit was to provide the mother's attorney free publicity.

Rocco DiSpirito and Jeffrey Chodorow: What is reality? What is publicity?

Rocco DiSpirito and his financier, Jeffrey Chodorow are currently embroiled in litigation involving their restaurant, Rocco's on 22nd Street. This week's New York Magazine provides a colorful background piece regarding the feud. For more information on the dispute, look at my April 6 post.

Amtrack, LIRR Trains Collide in Penn Station: 130 Injured

An empty Amtrack train came into contact with the rear of a LIRR (Long Island Rail Road) train during the beginning of the morning rush yesterday. If you were injured during this accident, and you hired my office to represent you, we would certainly bring an action against both Amtrack and the LIRR. Do you know who insures Amtrack and/or the LIRR?

Should Immigrants be permitted to vote?

Should Immigrants be permitted to vote? Yes or No? Why can't Arnold Swartzenegger run for President?

Mother sues Coors for death of her underage son

A 19 year old man drinks more than a few Coors beers at a party. He then takes his girfriend's car and dies when he hits a pole driving 90 mph. The mother brings an action against Coors blaming them for the death of her son. Should Coors be responsible for the death of underage drinkers because they "glorify the culture of youth, sex and glamour while hiding the dangers of alcohol abuse and addiction?"

Man has heart attack in New York City while being issued a parking summons

The City of New York has recently been sued by a family who blames a "meter maid" for failing to help a man who was suffering a heart attack while issuing a ticket. Does the City of New York have a duty to help the man if they were aware of his condition?

Can Howard Stern Sue the Government?

Howard Stern has recently been fined by the FCC for "indecent" content on his popular radio show. Are the shock jock days on the radio numbered? Can the self-proclaimed "King of all Media" sue the government for violating his constitutional rights?

Batmobile subject to recall

Do you or your children enjoy playing with batman's batmobile? Tell Robin to watch out when Batman is driving because the right tail may be hazardous to young children. Mattel is recalling batman's batmobile because four children have received medical treatment due to this defect.

Is the internet a powerful force for democracy?

The internet has been available to the masses since the mid 1990's. Academics, world leaders and business people, among others, have argued that spread of information through the internet has been a powerful force in democracy. But has the internet been successful in toppling tyranny?

RACIAL PROFILING: IS IT EVER ACCEPTABLE?

In 2000, the United States Civil Rights Commission found that the New York Police Department used racial profiling. However, is Racial stereotyping ever acceptable? Matt Herrington explores the issue in his new book "Profiles, Probabilities and Stereotypes."

NEW YORK SUNDAY REAL ESTATE ROUNDUP

In the business section of today's New York Times, there is an interesting report on the ongoing debate regarding whether there is a housing bubble. This article fails to address the issue regarding a potential bubble in the New York City region.

On the Commercial front, the "gray lady" reports that rents in Times Square have been skyrocketing.

The New York Post reports about Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, some see as the "new" Park Slope. However, there is a lack of true deals in the area, and the commute can often take more than an hour into Manhattan.

Newsday reports that there has been a slight upturn in interest rates. The article states that "experts" do not believe that this is a sign of an accelation to come.

Difficulty with RSS

I have attempted to make this site RSS compatible. Unfortunately, I have been unable to do so. Please email me with any suggestions.

Planes or Trains?

Many who travel between New York City and Washington D.C. face a decision whether to journey by plane or by train. But which mode of transportation is safer? The answer is in today's Slate.

Most valuable word on the internet

According to Yahoo, American Idol is the most popular search on the internet. However, the popular Fox talent show is not the most valuable words on the internet. The A.P. reports that Mesothelioma may be the most valuable word on the Internet. Mesothelioma is a type of cancer that is linked to asbestos exposure. Personal Injury lawyers have been paying top dollar to be placed high on search results for this type of cancer.

In Iraq, the United States have been hiring independent contractors that work within a gray area, performing both civilian and governmental duties. These contractors are not included in U.S. casualty lists. Recently, four of these contractors in Iraq were murdered. Are the perpetrators of this crime subject to the death penalty if they are tried in Iraq? Philip Carter doesn't think so.

According to the World Health Organization, road crashes are the second leading cause of death globally among young people aged five to 29 and the third leading cause of death among people aged 30 to 44 years. In a report released today,the WTO predicts that car accidents will be third leading cause of death and disability in the world by 2020. The study places blame on the increase in the number of drivers in developing counties.

The trial of two Tyco executives concluded last week in a mistrial. Many blame juror number 4. Legal experts weigh in on the Tyco trial’s infamous obstructionist, Juror No. 4. Below the fold, on the front page of the New York Times, is an interview with Ruth B. Jordan, former lawyer and Juror No. 4. Learn more about reprosecution following a mistrial here.

Litigation at Rocco's on 22nd in New York City

The legal dispute between Rocco DiSpirito and the investor's of his restaurant, Rocco's on 22nd, is heating up. The investor's claim that they lost over $3 million charging Rocco DiSipirito with having "failed to provide food and service of sufficient quality" at his new Italian red sauce eatery. Today, in a typical legal maneuver. Mr. DiSpirito, celebrity chef, tv personality,and cookbook author countersued "accusing them(his investors) of cooking the eatery's books and then cutting him out of the business in a dispute over earnings."

In this week's episode of the Soprano's, the FBI asked for permission to place a "bug" on an informant, Adriana. Is this legal? John Gotti's lawyer discusses his answer here.

Donald Trump is attempting to register the trademark for the phrase "You're fired" that he uses in his "reality" show "The Apprentice." According to the National Law Journal, The Donald does not appear to be the first to claim ownership to the phrase. Do you think that the United States Patent and Trademark Office should grant ownership for such a common phrase?

Law, Current Events and Culture is reviewed in Ernie the attorney's weekly roundup of new blogs.

In my practice as a personal injury lawyer, I often represent clients who are in need of cash. Personal Injury attorneys are prohibited from loaning money to clients in contigency fee cases. Companies are now filing the void and are loaning money in such cases, often taking a huge payment when settlement is received. My Shingle dissects the following report: Firms Lend Money to People in Legal Disputes; Repayment Contingent on Outcome

In London, one of the latest trends is pubs serving inventive food for punters out for a bender. These pubs are called "Gastro-Pubs." New York magazine favorably reviews Spotted Pig, Manhattan's first gastro pub.

On March 19, 2004, this blog raised the issue as to whether the FCC's rules regarding indecency apply to Oprah. The New York Post reports today that the FCC is probing a recent episode of Oprah dealing with the sexual practices of teenagers.