Welcome to your Thursday morning round-up of stories in today’s edition of The Legal Intelligencer. All of the links below will take you directly to today’s stories, or you can head straight over to The Legal’s homepage. (Some stories may require registration or a paid subscription.)
The top story this morning is a federal judge recommending the release of convicted cop shooter William Barnes from state prison. Reporter Zack Needles writes that U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy R. Rice issued a report recommending that Barnes, who is 75, be released immediately. Barnes was found guilty of attempted murder after shooting Philadelphia Police Officer Walter Barclay in 1966 and served 16 years for the crime, then was re-incarcerated following Barclay’s death in 2007, despite being acquitted of the new murder charges brought against him.
Above the fold on Page 1, Michael A. Riccardi writes that an Eastern District of Pennsylvania judge has ruled that the use of decade-old district lines in this year’s election for seats in the state General Assembly is permissible as an emergency measure. Judge R. Barclay Surrick ruled that the public interest in the election requires that the state remain on track to hold its primary on April 24.
Below the fold on Page 1, reporter Gina Passarella writes that a federal judge in Philadelphia has tossed some cases in the multidistrict asbestos litigation. U.S. District Court Judge Eduardo C. Robreno of the Eastern District of Pennsylvania wrote in a footnote to his opinion in Conner v. Alfa Laval Inc. that the group of defendants couldn’t be held liable for the fact that their asbestos-free products were used in asbestos-containing products handled by the plaintiffs.
In more Regional News on Page 3, reporter Jeff Mordock writes that a defamation lawsuit filed by a former Widener University School of Law professor against the school’s dean has been settled. Lawrence J. Connell had filed suit against Linda L. Ammons in April after he was placed on administrative leave for allegedly making offense statements regarding women and minorities in his criminal law class.
As always, our People in the News section is on Page 2, and the top stories from our sister publications across the country make up the Page 4 National News section.
As it is Thursday, this week’s Young Lawyer column is on Page 5, as Michael J. Newman writes about finding his comfort zone in the kitchen and the ways in which is newfound hobby of cooking has translated into making him a better lawyer.
In a Litigation column on Page 7, Shayna Slater writes that mandatory arbitration clauses are a sneaky secret of nursing homes that need to be examined closely when admitting a loved one into such a facility.
If you have questions or comments about any of today's stories, or our coverage as a whole, we invite you to e-mail any of the reporters directly. We hope you'll enjoy today's Legal.
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