Casey Anthony's Lawyers Are Breaking Bad

San Diego AttorneyTodd MacalusoI recall putting on my shirt and tie for court while watching GMA two years ago and seeing one of my law school acquaintances, Todd Macaluso, being interviewed as the newest member of Casey Anthony's so-called "dream team" of defense lawyers.  The interview in Florida was surprising to me, as I thought Todd was a product liability lawyer in California.  Hey, headlines are headlines, right.Todd comes from a wealthy family out east and he married well; very well.  Not interested in Harvard, NYU, or any of the tony east coast law schools, Todd collected his sheepskin right here in the "D" from the University of Detroit School of Law; class of 1987.Before...

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Posted in: Casey Anthony,criminal defense attorney,defense lawyer,Justice Antonin Scalia,Nancy Grace,Todd Macaluso,Tot Mom,University of Detroit School of Law

Cooley Law School Files Defamation Lawsuit Against Internet Foes

What is it about Cooley Law School's reputation that makes the folks over there so hyper-sensitive about how that veritable lawyer factory is portrayed?  Cooley just cannot seem to avoid repeatedly shooting itself in the foot on the Internet.Yesterday, Cooley Law School President Don Leduc announced defamation lawsuits against a New York City law firm and several John Doe bloggers.  The lawsuits are splashed all over the law school's website.The complaint against the bloggers (apparently a disparate group of highly dissatisfied former students) alleges the unknown defendants published false statements that Cooley law school representatives were committing fraud and other criminal acts in...

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Posted in: Cooley Law School,defamation,Don Leduc,Havard Law School,Ingham County,Ingham County Circuit Court,Kurzon Strauss,law school,lawyer,tort

Five Red Flags that Your Divorce Attorney is on the Wrong Road

Divorce lawyers are expensive; far too expensive for what most families need in a divorce proceeding.  If you are involved in a divorce, here are some warning signs to help you determine whether you are getting your money's worth for this important service.1.  Lack of Communication.  A breakdown in communication is the number one cause of client dissatisfaction with their divorce attorney.  If a lawyer does not return your call within a reasonable time, she is either too busy or does not care about your case.We all know in this era of smart phones that our lawyers get our calls, emails, and text messages within minutes of pushing the send button.  Has your lawyer provided a cell phone contact; do you have...

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Posted in: attorney fees,divorce,divorce lawyer,family law lawyer

New Jury Rules Could Sway Trial Verdicts

Photo: ReutersMany comparisons have been drawn between the O.J. Simpson murder trial in the early 1990s and Casey Anthony's infanticide trial from this summer.  Like the Simpson trial, the Anthony jury's verdict left most Americans scratching their heads, wondering about the state of the criminal justice system in America, and in their local community.  Unlike the Simpson case, however, the Orlando, FL trial was placed on the fast-track and, fortunately for everyone, the judge delivered.In the Anthony case, the accused mother was acquitted of all murder charges, but convicted on four counts of lying to the police.  She has been incarcerated for about two years; she could get maxed-out on Thursday...

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Posted in: Casey Anthony,criminal defense attorney,criminal law,junk science,jury trial,Michigan Rules of Court

New Court Rules Expand Jury's Role in Michigan Trials

This week, the Michigan Supreme Court integrated one of its pilot projects, involving the specific tasks of trial jurors, into the Michigan Rules of Court.  The significant changes take effect September 1st.The MSC order, with only Justice Diane Hathaway dissenting, essentially revolutionizes the role of the jury.  Trial lawyers will note a sea change under the new rules.  Some of us have already utilized these rules by conducting trials in Oakland Circuit Judge Potts' courtroom.The new rules are significant in that, for the first time, standard jury instructions will be supplemented with legal theories of the issues, submitted to the court by the opposing lawyers, distilled by the judge, then supplied...

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Posted in: criminal law,jury trial,Law Blogger,Michigan Rules of Court,Michigan Supreme Court,Wall Street Journal