Legal Ethics

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

A Texas judge recently resigned after it was discovered that she had been texting a prosecutor during the trial. Not only was the judge texting the prosecutor, which constitutes ex parte communications, meaning communications without the defense side being present, but the content of the communications were intended to assist the prosecution’s case. The judge… view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

First, what is a transcript? A transcript is a written copy of what people testified to in court. When one party loses in court, the party generally has the right to file an appeal to have a higher jurisdiction court review the decision. In many appeals, the appellate court does not hold a brand new… view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

Edgar Snyder made the phrase “no fee unless we get money for you” known throughout the state of Pennsylvania.  Many personal injury lawyers charge contingency fees, meaning that the attorney does not charge the client any money up front and only gets paid a portion of any settlement or verdict upon conclusion of a trial…. view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

I believe that everyone has heard that judges are to avoid “any appearance of impropriety.” This often means that if the judge has a personal relationship with attorneys, victims, police officers, or witnesses in a case, the judge discloses the relationship to the attorneys and considers recusing or removing him or herself from the case…. view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ A San Diego Superior Court judge recently presided over a jury trial at which a man was convicted of murder, and the judge imposed a sentence of 53 years to life. After the victim’s family was escorted from the courtroom, the judge switched roles from punishment to love as she… view more

Posted in Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

As a State College criminal defense lawyer since 2004, I have heard many stories of lawyers, both prosecutors and defense attorneys, and judges behaving badly and violating ethical rules, but the recent actions of a prosecutor surprised even me. A prosecutor wanted to ensure a victory in a murder case that he was  handling, and… view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ In a relatively routine situation in Pennsylvania, a woman was charged with driving under the influence, and she met with a DUI attorney to discuss representation. The current DUI was a second offense because the woman had previously completed the Pennsylvania Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition (ARD) program. At the meeting, the… view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ In another recent example of justice being blind and the law applying to everyone, a Pennsylvania magisterial district judge was charged by the Attorney General with violations of the criminal law that also probably constitute violations of legal ethical rules as well.  The judge is accused of preventing a police… view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

By Jason Dunkle on G+ I still remember attending my first day of ethics class at the University of Pittsburgh, and the professor, the Honorable Judge R. Stanton Wettick, Jr., of the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas, posed the following question to the class, “Can you have sex with a client?” While almost everyone… view more

Posted in General, Legal Ethics on January 12, 2015

THe criminal defense lawyers for former Penn State Administrators Tim Curley and Gary Schultz are trying to prohibit former General Counsel for Penn State, Attorney Cynthia Baldwin, from testifying against them in their upcoming preliminary hearings.  The criminal defense lawyers claim that Curley and Schultz believed that Baldwin was  representing them when they appeared before… view more