Six Links You Have to See to Believe!
ABA Magazine Highlights and Lowlights
#1
Judge refuses to wear face mask and has ordered lawyers to remove theirs, public defender group says.
A Philadelphia family court judge has refused to wear a face mask during in-person court hearings amid the COVID-19 pandemic and has sometimes ordered lawyers to remove their face masks, according to a letter by a public defender group.
The judge is 72-year-old James Murray Lynn, according to the letter sent last week to Margaret Murphy, the administrative judge for the family division. The Philadelphia Inquirer obtained a copy of the letter, written by Alan J. Tauber, first assistant at the Defender Association of Philadelphia.
Read more here.
#2
Law prof sues over N-word suspension and says being white led to different treatment.
A professor at the Emory University School of Law in Atlanta, who was suspended over his use of the N-word, alleges in a lawsuit that he was treated differently because he was white.
Law professor Paul J. Zwier II contends that he was subject to disparate treatment because of his race, and he was defamed in emails that failed to provide context about his use of the word.
When Zwier complained about discrimination, the school retaliated by moving, unsuccessfully, to fire him, his Aug. 6 lawsuit alleges.
Read more here.
#3
Netflix’s new Jeffrey Epstein docuseries explores conspiracy theories and crime cover-ups.
I honestly can’t count how many memes I’ve received via text message or social media regarding convicted sex offender and financier Jeffrey Epstein’s apparent suicide. Each photo or image that I see presents the opportunity to relay a specific message in an unexpected context. The message is almost always the same: Epstein didn’t kill himself.
The thrust of the phrase centers around the questionable circumstances surrounding Epstein’s death in a jail cell Aug. 10, 2019, as he awaited prosecution for federal sex trafficking and conspiracy to traffic minors for sex.
Read more here.
#4
Judge accused of referring to juror as ‘Aunt Jemima’ should get interim suspension, commission says.
The Pennsylvania Judicial Conduct Board is seeking the interim suspension of an Allegheny County judge who allegedly referred to a juror as “Aunt Jemima.”
The board sought the interim suspension of Judge Mark Tranquilli in an Aug. 12 petition—the same day that it filed ethics charges against the judge. A press release is here.
The ethics charges refer to the alleged Aunt Jemima comment, along with other alleged inappropriate comments and insulting remarks.
According to the charges, Tranquilli allegedly:
• Criticized a prosecutor in chambers over selection of jurors who acquitted a defendant on a drug dealing charge. Referring to a Black juror who wore a kerchief, Tranquilli allegedly asked the prosecutor why he put “Aunt Jemima” on the jury. Tranquilli said the juror’s demeanor showed a negative attitude toward the prosecution case. He allegedly told the prosecutor, he “knew darn well” that when the juror “goes home to her baby daddy, he’s probably slinging heroin, too.”
Read more here.
#5
Lawyer who called female judge’s opinion ‘succubustic’ sues over potential ethics charges.
A California lawyer contends that he was advocating within permissible bounds when he called a female judge’s opinion “succubustic,” a reference to a female demon that has intercourse with men in their sleep.
San Diego lawyer Benjamin Pavone filed an Aug. 11 federal lawsuit against the State Bar of California after he received a draft notice of disciplinary charges that contends that his wording displayed “manifested gender bias.” The notice also said Pavone failed to maintain respect to court officers when he accused the judge of intentionally refusing to follow the law.
Law360 and Bloomberg Law have coverage.
Read more here.
#6
Neil Young sues to stop Trump campaign from using his songs; will consent decrees stand in the way?
Consent decrees designed to stop anti-competitive conduct by music licensing organizations could pose a problem for musician Neil Young, who is trying to stop President Donald Trump’s campaign from using his music.
Young filed a federal lawsuit in New York last week that alleges copyright infringement by the campaign, report the New York Times and the Hollywood Reporter.
The campaign was using “Rockin’ in the Free World” and “Devil’s Sidewalk” over Young’s objection.
“Plaintiff in good conscience cannot allow his music to be used as a ‘theme song’ for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate,” the suit says.
Most compositions are licensed by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers, known as ASCAP, or Broadcast Music Inc., known as BMI. Political campaigns use artists’ songs through blanket licensing deals with the ASCAP and the BMI, leading Young to at first conclude that he could do nothing to stop the music.
Read more here.
That reminds me of a song! :)