In Other Fun News

Nevada Family Court Judge Frances Doherty chastised Gov. Gibbons and his soon-to-be ex-wife for failure to exchange financial information. The judge threatened to sanction the parties if the information isn't produced. (Las Vegas Now) [this could get really good if the court sanctions the Gov.]

Meanwhile, up in Washoe County, Judge Robert Perry denied the allegations that he used cocaine. (Review-Journal)

Farting at cops constitutes battery?!?

Ladies, tired of your man passing gas without apologizing for being inconsiderate? Well, why not have him arrested.

Nevada Appeal reports:

Jose A. Cruz, 34, who police said passed gas and fanned it toward a patrolman has been charged with battery on a police officer. Cruz, of Clarksburg, W.Va., was pulled over early Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2008, for driving without headlights, police said.

Better be on your best behavior, guys.

Is there any part of Vegas not steeped in corruption?

The Construction Defect world of Vegas law is apparently abuzz over rumors that the FBI is investigating alleged conflict of interest issues with how Home Owners' Associations bring construction defect lawsuits. There are rumors that a few Construction Defect Plaintiff's firms may go down over some insider dealing.

Las Vegas Now reports:

Investigators already see a pattern, whereby the same law firms file
construction defect lawsuits, the same contractors are hired to do the work, the
same management company oversees the whole thing, and the homeowner boards are subjected to something like a political coup.
The elections, homeowners say, are rigged.

Nice. Maybe the Feds won't screw this one up like they did with the Noel Gage trial and the Nevada Bar might get rid of a few of its schiestiest members.

"Evil Ed" Indicted!

Judge Halverson showed up at court this morning to testify against her [alleged] abusive husband, "Evil Ed". The press reports were fairly sympathetic as she appeared to be pretty banged up. Later in the afternoon, the grand jury handed down its indictment.

The Review-Journal reports:

A grand jury issued a criminal indictment today against 49-year-old Edward ["Evil Ed"] Halverson, charging him with one count of attempted murder with use of a deadly weapon and one count of battery constituting domestic violence with use of a deadly weapon resulting in substantial bodily harm.

["Evil Ed"] is accused of beating his wife, District Court Judge Elizabeth Halverson, with a frying pan on Sept. 4. He is in jail on $113,000 bail and is scheduled to enter a plea on Oct. 1

Say it ain't so!?! Will these star-crossed lovers have to part simply due to "Evil Ed"'s attempt to kill Halverson. I'm depressed. I thought it was a match made in heaven.

Breaking News: Casinos don't owe duty to gamblers to stop them from gambling

A New York federal judge did the unthinkable this week, finding that casinos do not, legally, owe a duty to prevent fervent gamblers from gambling.

The Las Vegas Sun reports:

A federal judge has dismissed a $20 million racketeering lawsuit against seven casinos by a former New York City attorney who said they had a duty to stop her
from gambling.

In a ruling issued Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Renee Bumb wrote that Arelia Margarita Taveras failed to support her claim that gambling is a hazardous endeavor worthy of special protections.

"Playing blackjack, roulette or the slots bears no likeness to dumping toxic waste," the judge wrote. "She spent money on the bona fide chance that she might win more
money. In short, she gambled."

Hmmm . . . that's a shame. The plaintiff was a really sympathetic party:

Taveras told The Associated Press she dipped into escrow accounts she maintained for clients to finance her gambling habit. She was disbarred in June 2007 and faces criminal charges stemming from those actions, but said she is trying to work out restitution agreements in order to avoid prison.

Wow. She sounds like a winner all around.

Christen Glaser name change

There's a name change over at Christensen Glaser.

Business Wire reports:

Christensen, Glaser, Fink, Jacobs, Weil & Shapiro, LLP today announced that the law firm name has been changed to Glaser, Weil, Fink, Jacobs & Shapiro, LLP.

Terry Christensen, the firm's managing partner since its formation in 1988, said "I am very proud of the law firm we have built in the last 20 years and I am confident that the partners will continue to prosper and build a great firm. I will be withdrawing from the practice of law."

Why change the name? Well, there's the conviction of Terry Christensen in the private eye spying case. (LA Observed) Well, that's nice.

The Endoscopy Victims are getting screwed

We all suspected it could happen: that procedural delays and defense strategy could end up screwing over the Endoscopy victims.

Las Vegas Now reports:

Time is running out for possible victims of the hepatitis C scare to file a medical malpractice lawsuit. But time isn't the only issue patients face, hundreds of patients still don't have access to their medical records.

Attorneys for these patients have been trying for several months to get a hold of theses medical records so their clients could be part of this lawsuit. But attorneys say they're getting the runaround, potentially affecting hundreds of victims.

"I'm not getting a clear answer. What is available and where is it?" asked Special Hearing Master Floyd Hale. "This litigation is over half a year old." Patience is running thin, not only for Hale, but for attorneys who want their client's medical records.

"Everybody is pointing the finger at everybody else and they are playing ping pong with patient's rights," said attorney Ed Bernstein.

Time to step up Plaintiff's attorneys! You're going to have to out-lawyer Lewis Brisbois and the other firms rep'ing Endoscopy doctors if there's going to be any justice.

Things not to say in court

A teenager/attempted murderer offered an example for future defendants of what not to say to the judge right before your sentencing.

According to the Review-Journal the teenie-bopper attempted murderer stated:

"(Expletive) the detectives, you know what I mean? (Expletive) the police, you know what I mean? (Expletive) the judge, you know what I'm saying?" Tatum said while addressing District Judge Michael Villani.

So eloquent, I'm sure Judge Villani granted the teen some leniency in sentencing. I hope so, this guy's a winner.

Weekend Roundup

Senior District Judge Charles McGee is in the ethical spotlight again with a potential conflict of interest, after he ruled on the property tax ballot issue on behalf of the schools and his wife was apparently a former school employee. (Review-Journal)

Judge Halverson is out of the hospital and soon to testify against her husband "Evil Ed" Halverson. (Review-Journal)

Congratulations to Linda Norcross, who was hired as an associate in the Las Vegas office of Lewis and Roca. (Review-Journal)

Meanwhile, the doctor caught with a crack pipe outside of the O.J. trial has surprisingly lost his job. (Review-Journal)

O.J. Editorial Decision/Roundup

Sorry about the delay in posting. We've been bogged down in a four day long editorial meeting over whether there is anything worth reporting about the O.J. trial. The editorial board's verdict: No. There's not much worth reporting.

As a result, the blog will now only provide the most absurd and idiotic moments from the Juice trial [pt 2].

Under such an editorial edict, we offer this nugget about the courtroom circus from the Review-Journal:

If District Judge Jackie Glass had a gavel, she might have snapped it in half Tuesday.
On day two of testimony in the O.J. Simpson armed robbery trial, the judge frequently found herself playing the role of exasperated parent to a courtroom of bickering children, holding multiple bench conferences with lawyers and refereeing a number of verbal jousting matches.

"Stop! Stop! Stop!" Glass yelled at prosecutors and defense lawyers after a round of objections during cross-examination of sports memorabilia dealer Bruce Fromong.
"This isn't going to become a free-for-all," she said.

Later during Fromong's testimony, District Attorney David Roger started asking a question that ignited another round of courtroom fireworks, all televised live on cable channel truTV, formerly Court TV.

"At the time the defendants came in with a bunch of guns and took your property ... ," Roger began before being cut off by Simpson lawyer Yale Galanter, who jumped from his seat and shouted, "Objection!" in true Hollywood style.

"Sit down!" Glass yelled at him before returning calm to the courtroom. "The last thing you want me to do, as a judge, is to lose my temper in front of the fine ladies and gentlemen of the jury and having to deal with all of you," Glass said to the lawyers.

Enjoy. We'll only bring you the Vegas-centered highlights.

Meanwhile, Saturday Night Live offered an amusing view of voir dire for O.J. (available here via Harmful Error)

File under innovative pleading: suit against insurance companies in Endoscopy case

Not a lot has been going on in the Endoscopy case. All the medical professionals have pled the 5th or threatened to, and as a result, have avoided being deposed. Dr. Needles had himself a stroke. And, oh yeah, the patients/victims of Endoscopy Center have seemingly been screwed out of suing the insurance companies covering Dr. Needles' clinics.

But wait . . . innovative lawyering to the rescue. The Review-Journal reports:

A 70-year-old woman who has tested positive for hepatitis C filed a lawsuit today against Pacificare of Nevada for referring her to a physician associated with the Endoscopy Center of Southern Nevada for treatment.

Alynne Griffiths, who underwent two procedures at the Shadow Lane facility where health officials have linked eight hepatitis C cases due to unsafe injection practices, claims Pacificare won't pay for her to see a hepatitis specialist outside her network.

Not sure that's gonna fly, but you have to give it to Plaintiff's counsel for trying to reach the insurance company since Dr. Needles' coffers will soon [hopefully] be dry, leaving him destitute on the streets of Vegas.

What the f**k goes on in the Halverson household (nevermind, don't want to know)

The Halverson attack/attempted murder/beating with a frying pan/whatever the hell happened is beginning to sound more and more like an episode of COPS filmed live in a trailer park.

The 911 call tapes have been released and some f'd up sh*t is going down in that house. The tapes have Judge Halverson calmly asking her husband to clean up and get some ice while she is on the phone with the 911 dispatcher. (audio of 911 call available here)

Here are the highlights from the Review-Journal:

The judge dials 911 and is heard talking to her husband. "You might want to clean the floor, too," the judge said calmly.

"Yes, dear," her husband responded matter-of-factly.

"Are you going to help me? Because I'm bleeding a lot from my head," she said. Elizabeth Halverson then directed her husband to get some ice. When he left the room, she finally spoke to the dispatcher.

"Please, help. Please, help me now," she whispered in a panic. "He's beating me with a frying pan."

Evil Ed is overheard showing his gentle side when Halverson complains that she can't see out of her right eye. "Awww man, it's terrible. Ooooh," her husband said, after apparently looking at her eye. Finally, shortly before police arrived, Halverson becomes more with Evil Ed:

"Why did you kill me?" she asked. "Well, you murdered me. Why did you do that?"

What was the incident that provoked the argument that led to the fight? Get ready for this . . . seriously:

Judge Halverson's friend said the judge could not navigate the home on her
scooter because her husband blocked rooms with boxes.

C'mon. I'd like to have some human decency about this situation, but wtf? Calmly telling Evil Ed to clean up and get her some ice? And . . . [giggle] . . . seriously? Evil Ed was preventing her from getting around the house by blocking off rooms with boxes? Were the COPS cameras filming during this entire scene?

Try not to be a dick if you're on jury duty . . . especially in Judge Leavitt's courtroom

Nevada District Court Judge Michelle Leavitt had to put the smackdown on a potential juror in her courtroom on Friday morning who got aggressive with the courtroom marshal.

The Review-Journal reports:

A judge jailed a dismissed potential juror in the Jane "Cordova" Doe murder trial Friday morning after the juror became combative.

District Judge Michelle Leavitt ordered that the juror be jailed for 25 days after he swore and became aggressive toward a marshal, said court spokesman Michael
Sommermeyer.

The juror, when leaving the courtroom, shouted, "This is (expletive)," Sommermeyer said. The trial was in the jury selection phase at the time of the incident.

Ouch. Aggressive towards a marshal . . . not the smartest thing to do in a court of law. However, it would be interesting to find out what "aggressive" means. Judge Leavitt is not really known for her patience, understanding or courtesy. Probably not a good idea to act like a dick in her courtroom.

O.J. Roundup

Lots of fun in O.J. world at the end of the week:

First, the cast of characters just got more colorful since it came out that the lawyer representing the O.J. co-defendant, Clarence "C.J." Stewart, is apparently under indictment in Louisiana for tax evasion charges. (Las Vegas Now)

Speaking of colorful characters, it was revealed that the media reporter who inappropriately approached O.J. jurors for information was none other than the "Naked Boy" blogger, who likes to post video reports on the Internet while wearing very little. (Review-Journal)

Then there's the fact that the O.J. judge, District Court Judge Jackie Glass won't be releasing the jury questionnaire that was used. (Sign On San Diego) The Nevada Supremes don't appear to be too impressed by this decision, ordering Judge Glass to explain her refusal to release the questions. (Review-Journal) [do you think O.J. will make Judge Glass will become as famous as he did California District Court Judge Ito?]

Finally, the jury that will convict O.J. . . I mean, hear the case has been chosen. Not sure what was on that jury questionnaire, but the D.A.'s office got their jury make-up wish: an all-white jury! (San Franciso Chronicle) It's a Chris Rock bit in the making (Youtube)

$4 Million in CD verdict ain't peanuts . . . but . . .

When is a $4 million verdict embarrassingly low? When it's a Construction Defect verdict where Plaintiffs' attorneys had been requesting $70 million.

The Review-Journal reports:

What trial attorneys once billed as the largest construction-defect lawsuit in Nevada's history posted less-impressive results after a jury delivered its verdict Wednesday.
A $70 million case filed against Del Webb Communities in 2003 yielded just $4 million in damages, with a jury in Clark County District Court deciding that only 70 of nearly 1,000 homeowners named in the lawsuit merited compensation.

Ouch. Who was the big "losing" firm only garnering $4 mil for the Plaintiffs? That would be Los Angeles-based firm Wolf Rifkin Shapiro Schulman & Rabkin:

When Wolf Rifkin Shapiro Schulman & Rabkin filed the case five years ago, the lawsuit involved more than 1,400 homes in Sun City Summerlin. The plaintiffs alleged that Del Webb failed to install metal screeds that would protect homes from water damage, and that cracked stucco, mold and weakened walls resulted. Plaintiffs' attorneys said each home would require $50,000 in repairs; they also sought class action status involving all 7,800 homes in Sun City Summerlin, a move that could have led to damages of "several hundred million dollars," they said. But they didn't win class action status. So nearly 1,000 homeowners sued individually, and most of them received no damages.

Another L.A. firm goes down in flames in a Nevada court. Hmm . . . not to take away from the excellent CD defense work in this matter, but I'm thinking there may still be some home court advantage for Vegas attorneys.

End of the Week Roundup

Don't piss off your wife. She might install internet filters and report you for watching child porn. (Review-Journal) [come to think of it, maybe you just shouldn't watch child porn]

Apparently, kidnapping children (even if the motive is to teach a school a lesson about child safety) will get you jailed. The two women who engaged in their version of impact litigation through kidnapping (see crazy-looking picture of one on the right) had bail set at $50k. (Review-Journal)

The Nevada Supremes are giving criminal defense attorneys more leeway to prove their clients are crazy. (Las Vegas Sun)

Meanwhile, good news: strip clubs in casinos may not be far off! (In Business)

Congratulations to Alyssa Fischer and Jonathan Blum, who were hired as Associates by Santoro, Driggs, Walch, Kearney, Holley & Thompson. (Inside Business)

If you're gonna go to a media circus trial, don't bring your crack pipe

What is going on with Las Vegas doctors? Dr. Needles Desai seemed to have set a new low by [allegedly] handing out free Hepatitis C infections to his patients, but now Las Vegas Now reports:

A doctor from the Clark County Detention Center was arrested while trying to take a picture of O.J. Simpson leaving the courthouse Wednesday.

Doctor James Zinser is facing a misdemeanor charge for narcotics paraphernalia possession. Officers say he was acting suspicious. When they approached him, they noticed a crack pipe by his foot . . . Police say the pipe had warm foil in it, and no drugs were found.

Hurray for the medical community! The only group of people that make lawyers feel better about themselves.

Wednesday Roundup

Two crusaders for children kidnapped a child in North Las Vegas in order to show how easy it would be to kidnap a child. (Fox 5 News)

Meanwhile, in O.J. land, talk of a mistrial has already arisen after potential jurors informed the court they were contacted by someone who identified himself as a member of the press. (Las Vegas Now)

Bail set for Evil Ed: Halverson update

Chief Judge Douglas Smith hosted the bail hearing of Judge Halverson's husband, "Evil Ed", today and set bail at $113k.

The Las Vegas Sun reports:

Edward Lee Halverson, 49, wasn't released from jail and a judge set bail at $113,000 today on domestic violence-related charges after he allegedly beat his wife, Judge Elizabeth Halverson, with a frying pan last week.

Edward Halverson will have a public defender appointed. He asked to be released to his cousin, Scott Lewedag, who lives in Las Vegas, but the judge refused based on his prior felony record, including felon in possession of a gun. Smith also banned Halverson from going closer than half a mile from his wife, who has 100 staples closing her wounds.

He has been charged with attempted murder, battery with substantial bodily harm and battery with a deadly weapon, Metro Police said.

Thank god his release was denied. The streets of Vegas are safe from the frying pan attacks of Evil Ed, at least for now.

O.J. day 1

Nothing very interesting occurred as part of O.J. day 1 as it was all voir dire all day.

Outside, it was also a slow day, with most of the looneys [with the exception of the national media] staying away. The Review-Journal reported about one woman dressed as Wonder Woman and a man wearing only a barrel and carrying a sign blasting his grievances with the judicial system, who shouted "Power to the people! Power to the people!". (Review-Journal)

It would have been a day unworthy of even gossip-reporting except for the actions of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ("ATF"). According to the R-J, one of the security measures taken for the Simpson case involved a sweep using ATF bomb-sniffing dogs, which was fine until the dog smelled something in the bed of the Simpson judge's truck. (Review-Journal)

The L.A. Times explained the incident:

A dog "showed interest" in a judge's pick-up truck. And not just any judge -- the very judge whose courtroom is being used for jury selection. Checking the truck bed, law enforcement discovered a bag of dry dog food.But what makes this story really funny is that when Kihara contacted the ATF for comment on the obvious, the agent in charge of the Las Vegas field office insisted the dog did not react to the dog food. According to Kihara, the agent "Instead...surmised the dog might have smelled something on the ground or even the remnants of a firecracker."

Ugh. I've resorted to reporting about a dog sniffing dog food. This is going to be a boring trial.

Halverson update: more on the acts of Evil Ed

UPDATE: Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron declined to hear the District Judge Elizabeth Halverson beating case today, citing a possible conflict of interest from when Halverson went insane trying to keep her seat on the bench and subpoenaed several Clark County Judges. (Review-Journal)

More gory details from the Halverson [trailer park] incident:

According to Las Vegas Now:

Police say when they were called to the home, Edward "Evil Ed" Halverson [pictured right] met them at the door wearing only shorts that were covered with blood. [police report available here]

His 50-year-old wife was found in a rear bedroom of her Las Vegas home. "They observed Halverson was bleeding profusely from the head with large gaping wounds in her head, having severe head trauma," according to the report. She told police that her husband had beaten her and tried to kill her.

Meanwhile, the police also reported that the first officers on the scene "discovered an empty bottle of bleach in a master bedroom trash can." (Review-Journal) The police report includes Judge Halverson's statement to officers that Evil Ed "was using the bleach to clean up all the blood that was splattered in the bedroom from him striking and beating her".

Evil Ed was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on charges of attempted murder, battery with substantial bodily harm and battery with a deadly weapon and is scheduled to appear before Justice of the Peace Karen Bennett-Haron at 8 a.m. today.

The O.J. Circus has finally arrived

Yes folks. Today is Day 1 of the O.J. trial part 2. (Review-Journal) At this point, the Juice has probably figured out that compared to strippers, prostitutes, a two ton judge in the hospital, corrupt Plaintiff's attorneys and all the other fun Vegas has to offer, the second trial of O.J. Simpson needs to work a little harder for attention.

So to generate some publicity, O.J. went and got himself stopped by the Nevada Highway Patrol on his way into town. (Review-Journal) Turns out someone called the state patrol and suggested O.J. was driving juiced up on something (alcohol, narcotics, etc). [see what I did there? "O.J." was "juiced". ahh . . . Monday morning puns].

Meanwhile, local attorney James "Bucky" Buchanan chimed in with his expert opinion on O.J.'s chances. He told Eyewitness News he thinks there are going to be problems seating an impartial jury because most people in the potential jury pool think he got away with his murdering ex-wife in L.A. (Las Vegas Now) [wow . . . he really worked overtime coming up with that opinion].

Finally, O.J.'s co-defendant [a.k.a. soon to be found guilty by association] lost another appeal to the NV Supreme Court to delay the trial. (Review-Journal)

Halverson update

Judge Halverson is still at the hospital but doing better according to a friend. She underwent surgery for skull fractures [allegedly] cause by her husband "Evil Ed" striking her with a frying pan. (Review-Journal) Reportedly the judge's head is bandaged and she can't see from the swelling. (Review-Journal)

In honor of Halverson managing to get herself back into the spotlight, Las Vegas Now has put together a timeline on the "Strange Saga of Judge Halverson" (complete with video!). (Las Vegas Now)

We here at WWL thought it was appropriate to refrain from mean or bitchy comments due to the seriousness of the injuries. Then, with profound relief, we realized that Halverson's ability to stay in the spotlight with increasing levels of white-trash antics produces its own humor and we don't really have to comment for it to be funny.

Weekend Roundup

Note to anti-tax crusaders: if you refuse to pay federal taxes based on your interpretation of the U.S. Constitution, make sure you don't represent yourself in Federal Court. (Mercury News)

Meanwhile, nightclubs on the strip are getting litigation-happy. (Review-Journal)

The Nevada Supremes continued their quest to have NV Public Defenders at least know their client's name before proceeding with a hearing. (Review-Journal) And new PD standards may be coming soon. (Reno Gazette-Journal)

Apparently working for the Nevada DMV doesn't pay enough; but making fake IDs can help supplement your income. (Las Vegas Sun)

The SEC has filed a complaint against Jason Landess, a candidate for Judge Halverson's seat, alleging that Landess helped set up an improper stock scheme that netted him and six others $3.91 million. (Review-Journal) [wow . . . apparently that judicial seat is reserved for real winners]

No Slot Machines for Strip Club

The Glitter Gulch strip club may have lost its chance to be the first strip club with slot machines in Vegas. Why? Gaming regulators who visited the topless club were solicited for sex and drugs.

The Review-Journal reports:

State gaming agents entered the Fremont Street club undercover twice to investigate the property. On their first visit, they were solicited for prostitution. The second time, the agents were asked whether they wanted to purchase illegal narcotics.

Friday morning's hourlong hearing in front of the Gaming Control Board spiraled downward after that revelation. "This is a very troubling application because I have a lot of concerns about this location," control board chairman Dennis Neilander said toward the end of the hearing.

Apparently, Glitter Gulch also has the second-highest number of calls for service by the Las Vegas Police Department. Sounds like such a nice place. Too bad they couldn't clean up their act for the gaming regulators. Slots and sluts would go well together.

Halverson to Hospital from Domestic Abuse

If you haven't read it by now, suspended Judge Elizabeth Halverson is in the hospital after she was assaulted by her husband. Her injuries are not life threatening.

The Review-Journal reports:

Police were called to her house late last night to respond to a domestic
violence call. Police said her husband, Edward Halverson, 49, hit her with a frying pan.

Edward "Evil Ed" Halverson was booked into the county jail on one attempted murder count, one count battery with substantial bodily harm and one count battery with a deadly weapon.

Wow. Maybe Halverson's baliff really should have accepted the judge's request that he kill her husband . What a bastard. He hit her with a frying pan. That's cruel. It's not as if she's agile and could get out of the way.

To Burn or Not to Burn in protest

My new favorite NV Defendant:

The convicted sex offender who is charged with attempting to light the Nevada Supreme Court Building on fire in June to protest a change to sex offender registry laws pled not guilty to fourth-degree arson.

The defendant allegedly said he wanted to blow up the Supreme Court and hurt people in the government and [my favorite part], he also allegedly called Reno radio station 104.5 recently and demanded they record him as he ranted about the government. (Nevada Appeal)

Thursday Roundup

An editorial suggests that the backslapping of the Vegas legal industry is coming to an end and attorneys will now be prosecuted for ethics violations. (Review-Journal) [ahem . . . did they forget about the outcome of the Gage trial?]

U.S. District Judge Kent Dawson gave a convicted sex offender a break at sentencing after the man’s lawyer suggested the treatment received by Defendant in federal custody at the North Las Vegas jail was “worse than Guantanamo Bay in some cases.” (Reno Gazette-Journal)

Hey new 1Ls, having trouble figuring out what constitutes an "offer"? Well you can study this multi-million dollar public utilities case where counsel for Nevada Power argued a proposal to sell his company a power plant did not constitute an offer. (Review-Journal)

Congrats to Ryan Works of McDonald Carano Wilson who was recently appointed by the American Bar Association to its Litigation Pretrial Practice & Discovery committee. (Las Vegas Business Press)

Finally, enjoying using Blockshopper.com, to see what kinds of properties in the Vegas valley have been purchased by lawyers? Live it up, because a lawsuit brought by law firm Jones Day is asking the court to require websites to seek permission from the linkee before posting a link to another site. (Prairie State 2.0) Come to think of it, this and every blog that attempts to cite to a source would be destroyed by such a ruling.

No More Heavy Hitter: Lerner's Trademark Dispute

The 4 ft 10" "Heavy Hitter" may soon only be known as the dwarf attorney. Yes, Glen Lerner is in a dispute over the licensing arrangement to use the name "Heavy Hitter". (Las Vegas Trademark Attorney) Lerner has apparently refused to pay the agreed-upon licensing fee and is now challenging the company’s trademark rights in court (a copy of the complaint can be downloaded here).

Las Vegas Trademark Attorney details the litigation over the Heavy Hitter trademark on his blog (post available here). Apparently, the fight has arisen because two companies hold rights to the moniker "Heavy Hitter". Lerner is trying to stop the company with the legitimate right to the use of the "Heavy Hitter" moniker in a legal arena. At the same time, Lerner is trying to void the contract he signed with the other company because it does not hold a legitimate trademark right to the "Heavy Hitter" name.

LV Trademark Attorney's blog gets into the nitty gritty details of the trademark suit, but let's just say it's another example of a t.v. lawyer's due diligence.

County War: drunk D.A. v. Legal Sex Clubs

People living in Southern Nevada for a number of years may tell you that there's an ongoing war between Nye County and Clark County for which county can host the most absurd events. Well, it must be sweeps month because the stars are coming out to shine:

The [allegedly] drunk driving D.A. of Nye County, Bob Beckett, has pled not guilty to a drunken driving charge stemming from two crashes he was involved in during a six-hour span on the same California highway. He previously issued a public statement in which he took "full responsibility". You gotta love Nye County. (Review-Journal)

Not to be outdone, Clark County's District Court will host the debate over whether rejecting a sex club a business license violates the U.S. Constitution. (Las Vegas Sun) The lawsuit is being brought by 39-year-old swinger David Cooper who's license application to run a swingers club called Sextasy in Commercial Center was rejected while other sex clubs are allowed to operate in the same shopping center.

As a result, Cooper will be arging that failure to approve his sex club is a 14th Amendment violation.

Weekend Roundup

The RJ reports about the Innocence Project at the Boyd School and the law student, Lucy Flores, who helped start it. (Review-Journal) Through the program, students investigate the crimes for which a defendant has already been convicted in the hopes of proving the person's innocence.

Meanwhile, one defendant who was pronounced innocent, but most people think is guilty (O.J.) is ready for his second trial. (Review-Journal). His co-defendant, however, is appealing to the NV Supremes for a separate trial or a delay in the hopes that either procedural maneuver would prevent his being found guilty by association with O.J. (Review-Journal)

Congratulations to Jason Jeskey, who was hired as an associate by Brownstein Hyatt Farber Schreck (Review-Journal) and Deanna Brinkerhoff who was hired as an associate by Holland & Hart (Review-Journal).