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Chris Brown released on assault charge in DC court
Press Release |
2013/10/29 11:51
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Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Chris Brown was freed from custody Monday after facing a judge on a charge that he punched a man who tried to pose in a photograph with him.
Prosecutors reduced a felony assault charge to a misdemeanor as a District of Columbia judge released Brown, who exited the courthouse to cheers and flashed a peace sign to supporters after more than a day and a half in custody. There was scattered applause in the packed courtroom as the judge set the singer free.
Even with the reduced charge, the assault case represents the latest legal trouble for Brown, who remains on probation for assaulting his on-again, off-again girlfriend Rihanna just before the 2009 Grammy Awards.
The 24-year-old singer and his bodyguard, Chris Hollosy, were arrested early Sunday in front of the the W Hotel in Washington.
A Maryland man told police he had tried to be part of a picture Brown was taking with a woman and her friend when Brown told him, "I ain't down with that gay s---t" and "I feel like boxing," according to charging documents in the case. The man, identified by police as Parker Isaac Adams, 20, of Beltsville, Md., said he was punched by both Brown and Hollosy before Brown boarded his tour bus.
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Colombia court nixes military justice overhaul
Attorney News |
2013/10/25 14:57
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In a stiff blow to the government, Colombia's highest court for constitutional questions on Wednesday struck down an expansion of the military justice system that human rights activists had said would lead to greater impunity for war criminals.
In a 5-4 decision not subject to appeal, the Constitutional Court nullified a constitutional amendment and pursuant statute that would have placed under the jurisdiction of an expanded military justice system all but seven types of violations of international humanitarian law involving armed forces personnel.
Currently, all human rights cases are supposed to be tried in civil court.
Magistrate Jorge Ivan Palacio read a statement saying the court found "procedural defects" in the change's journey through Congress, accepting the arguments of opposition lawmakers and a top human rights lawyer. The decision was not released.
Defense Minister Juan Carlos Pinzon called the ruling "a blow to the morale of the military forces that without doubt will affect Colombians' security." He said the government would consider submitting a revised military court overhaul, but gave no details.
President Juan Manuel Santos was seen as having pushed the change through Congress to win the backing of military leaders for peace talks that began last year with the country's main rebel group in Cuba.
Santos repeatedly insisted the legal change would not lead to impunity in war crimes, but such arguments did not persuade members of the U.S. Congress, which withheld at least $10 million in military aid in objection to the measure. |
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Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Attorneys
Attorney News |
2013/10/25 14:57
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Los Angeles Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) Claims Attorneys
Newport Beach Disability insurance, life insurance, annuity, health insurance attorneys can help you resolve your claims and disputes involving the Employee Retirement Income Security Act f 1974, also commonly known as ERISA. McKennon Law Group's main attorney Robert J. McKennon as recognized and awarded the "2013 Top Rated Lawyer in Labor & Employment” by American Lawyer Media and Martindale Hubbell, leading providers of news and rating information to the legal industry.
ERISA is a very complex area of the law and it is important you have an attorney who understands it. ERISA claims are the most common cases litigated in Federal Court, a court in which most lawyers are uncomfortable. ERISA involves mandatory administrative appeals and strict deadlines and it is crucial that you know your rights and that you hire an attorney early in the process after your claim has been denied and before your appeal is administered. Our experience in litigating ERISA cases are the top in the nation and in the Orange County regio. We will be the aggressive advocate for your case to obtain maximum success involving all manners of insurance disputes.
We have over 25 years of experience litigating ERISA cases involving life, health, disability and pension claims. Call or email us to schedule a free consultation. |
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Josef Cowan | Civil Litigation Construction Law Firm Los Angeles
Attorney News |
2013/10/25 14:57
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Josef Cowan founded our firm over 20 years ago. The following are some questions and answers that discuss his unique qualities and why so many individuals and businesses trust our firm with their legal and business needs.
Q. Why did you become a lawyer?A. I’m the youngest of 6 kids raised by a single mother. We didn’t have much money, so I started working in the construction industry at a very young age. In fact, I started a construction business when I was 17 years old, and that company is still in existence and has over 400 employees. The construction industry involves a huge number of legal issues in a wide variety of different areas. I always found the legal issues fascinating and believed that a solid understanding of the law and ability to resolve complex issues is a huge advantage in business.
Q. What inspired you to found the Cowan Law Group?A. When I originally went to law school, I intended to use my legal training to help me with the construction business I started. However, I found I have a real passion for helping individuals and small to medium-sized companies resolve their legal and business problems in ways that make good business sense.
Q. How is the Cowan Law group different from other law firms?A. There are far too many firms that provide little to no value to their clients, and many that create more problems than they resolve. In many instances, the attorneys are good, smart people, but they don’t have the background or business savvy necessary to provide truly strategic, cost-effective legal solutions to their clients. This is a real problem because a good attorney who understands not just the legal issues, but also his client’s business challenges and objectives, is a tremendous resource and strategic advantage. With that in mind, I created the Cowan Law Group, whose main mission is to provide legal services that are smart, creative, and practical.
Q. So what makes you a good lawyer and advisor?A. I have benefitted greatly from a first class college and legal education. What I believe is even more important, however, is my life experience. Starting at a very young age, I have had to overcome many challenges both personally and in business. As a lawyer and advisor, these experiences have been invaluable because, through them, I have developed an ability to look at problems and challenges and know how to navigate through them in ways that are smart and effective.
But what is most telling is what my clients say. Over the course of my legal career, I have successfully resolved over $700 million of legal disputes in many different areas, including general business, real estate, construction, employment, and trade secret litigation, and I have handled a large number of business transactions. My clients often tell me that I provide counseling that is practical and mindful of business priorities, and that I handle it all well.
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High court to look at death row inmate with low IQ
Court Line News |
2013/10/23 11:32
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The Supreme Court will take up a Florida case over how judges should determine if a death row inmate is mentally disabled, and thus ineligible for execution.
The justices said Monday they will review a Florida Supreme Court ruling that upheld the death sentence for a man who scored just above the state's cutoff for mental disability as measured by IQ tests.
Freddie Lee Hall was sentenced to death for killing Karol Hurst, a 21-year-old, pregnant woman who was abducted leaving a grocery store in 1978.
Florida law prohibits anyone with an IQ of 70 or higher from being classified as mentally disabled, regardless of other evidence to the contrary. Hall's scores on three IQ tests ranged from 71 to 80.
In 2002, the Supreme Court banned the execution of mentally disabled inmates. But the 6-3 decision in Atkins v. Virginia essentially left it to the states to determine how to measure mental disability.
Florida is one of nine death penalty states with a strict IQ limit, said Florida Supreme Court Justice Barbara Pariente. The others are: Arkansas, Delaware, Idaho, Kentucky, North Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and Washington.
Pariente voted with the majority to uphold Hall's sentence, but noted there is no national consensus on how to determine mental disability.
Hall's case is legally complicated. In 1989, the Florida Supreme Court threw out Hall's original death penalty and ordered a new sentencing hearing. A judge then resentenced Hall to death, but declared he was mentally disabled. That took place before the 2002 U.S. Supreme Court ruling and before Florida passed a law setting the IQ limit.
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Justice's wheels slowed as shutdown hits courts
Legal News |
2013/10/14 13:33
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The government shutdown is slowing the wheels of justice in federal courts by delaying civil cases, forcing prosecutors to operate with skeleton staffs and raising uncertainty about the system's immediate future if the stalemate continues past Thursday.
That's when federal courts officials expect the reserve funds they have been using since the Oct. 1 start of the shutdown will run out.
Criminal cases, which are required by law to go to a speedy trial, are still moving ahead, as are most bankruptcy cases and appeals. Civil cases and those in immigration court, however, are feeling the greatest impact from the shutdown.
"The Constitution tells us what we have to do and we can't control our workload. It walks in the door, whether we're funded or not funded," said U.S. District Court Chief Judge Loretta Preska in New York, who has put all civil cases except those already in trial on hold at the request of the U.S. Attorney there.
She said the nearly 450 district court employees that serve the New York metro area will report to work to keep criminal cases on track even if funds run out. Officials at courts based in San Francisco, Philadelphia and St. Louis, Mo., also say their employees will work. |
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