Category: Attorney

2 min read

Attorney General Bonta Secures Court Decision Against Los Angeles Retail Chain for Defrauding Customers | State of California – Department of Justice

  • September 21, 2024
OAKLAND – California Attorney General Rob Bonta today issued a statement on a judgment by the Los Angeles County Superior Court finding that Curacao, a retail store chain with 10 locations in Southern California, unlawfully profited from the chain’s largely Latino immigrant customer base. The court ruled that Curacao and its owner, Ron Azarkman, illegally sold insurance through unlicensed, unqualified salespeople and barred Curacao and Mr. Azarkman from future misconduct. Additionally, the Court imposed $7,970,175 in civil penalties against both the company and its owner for illegal sales of insurance products. “Curacao’s unlawful business practices were targeted, pervasive, and showed…
2 min read

NY Appellate Court Affirms Denial of Area Variances Based on Neighborhood Character and Because the Requested Variances were Substantial

  • September 16, 2024
This post was authored by Amy Lavine, Esq. The petitioner had requested variances from several different zoning requirements, including the regulations for lot area, lot frontage, front yard setbacks, rear yard setbacks, and minimum and total side yard setbacks, which it needed so that it could build a single faming home. The board of zoning appeals (BZA) denied its request for area variances, however, and the Second Department confirmed the BZA’s denial on appeal. As the court explained, there was sufficient evidence to support the BZA’s determination that there would be an undesirable impact on the character of the neighborhood…
1 min read

No classified papers found at Biden’s home, says attorney – World

  • September 13, 2024
WASHINGTON: A search by US law enforcement of President Joe Biden’s Delaware beach house turned up no classified documents, the president’s lawyer said on Wednesday. “No documents with classified markings were found,” attorney Bob Bauer said in a statement after the latest search of the president’s possessions for improperly stored documents. Agents did however take “for further review of some materials and handwritten notes that appeared to relate to his time as vice president.” Biden’s personal attorney, Bob Bauer, said in a statement that the search was planned and conducted with the president’s “full support and cooperation.” The search by…
2 min read

Former LA Power Attorney Tom Girardi Charged In $15 Million Embezzlement Scheme

  • September 6, 2024
Hi, I’m Aaricka! If you’re enjoying this article, you’ll love my daily morning newsletter, How To LA. Every weekday, you’ll get fresh, community-driven stories that catch you up with our independent local news. Topline: Disbarred lawyer Tom Girardi, 83, allegedly embezzled more than $15 million from his clients between 2010 and 2020. Girardi was a high-profile figure whose cases include the one that inspired the film Erin Brockovichand is the estranged spouse of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills reality TV star Erika Jayne, who filed for divorce in 2020. Why it matters: Girardi owned downtown LA law firm Girardi Keese.…
4 min read

Judge declines to block appointment of Orleans County state’s attorney

  • September 1, 2024
A Northeast Kingdom defense attorney had sought to prevent Farzana Leyva from being sworn in to a four-year term as county prosecutor. But Superior Court Judge Daniel Richardson declined to take immediate action. Photo courtesy of the governor’s office A Northeast Kingdom attorney is challenging Gov. Phil Scott’s appointment of Farzana Leyva as Orleans County state’s attorney, argued that a full-term vacancy can only be filled by special election. But in an order issued Wednesday, shortly before Leyva was sworn in, Superior Court Judge Daniel Richardson denied the request to block Leyva from taking office. Instead, Richardson gave the attorney,…
5 min read

Attorneys for ‘Rust’ armorer say she was pressured to work in an unsafe environment

  • August 26, 2024
Attorneys for the “Rust” film armorer charged with involuntary manslaughter Tuesday said she felt “extreme pressure” to work within an irresponsible culture that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and actor Alec Baldwin were both charged Tuesday with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in New Mexico. First assistant director David Halls has already agreed to plead no contest for the negligent use of a deadly weapon. Attorney Jason Bowles said Halls “rushed” Gutierrez-Reed “all the time,” which did not allow her to do a full safety check on the gun held by Baldwin that…
5 min read

Attorneys for ‘Rust’ armorer say she was pressured to work in an unsafe environment

  • August 25, 2024
Attorneys for the “Rust” film armorer charged with involuntary manslaughter Tuesday said she felt “extreme pressure” to work within an irresponsible culture that resulted in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021. Hannah Gutierrez-Reed and actor Alec Baldwin were both charged Tuesday with two counts of involuntary manslaughter in New Mexico. First assistant director David Halls has already agreed to plead no contest for the negligent use of a deadly weapon. Attorney Jason Bowles said Halls “rushed” Gutierrez-Reed “all the time,” which did not allow her to do a full safety check on the gun held by Baldwin that…
2 min read

MA Land Court Interprets Overlapping Zoning Definitions for Hot Tubs and Swimming Pools

  • August 19, 2024
This post was authored by Amy Lavine, Esq. A Massachusetts case decided in August considered the Town of Nantucket’s zoning definitions for “hot tub/spa” and “swimming pool.” Specifically, the zoning code defined a “hot tub/spa” as a structure with less than 150 square feet of surface area and more than two feet of depth, while a “swimming pool” was defined as a structure either with more than 150 square feet of surface area or containing more than 1,000 gallons of water. The definition created a dilemma because of the structure “could at the same time have less than 150 square…