Charles Toutant

May 14, 2009 | New Jersey Law Journal

In Englishtown, police officers providing security in the municipal court have been enforcing a ban on briefcases, pocketbooks and other satchels. Some practitioners have complained, and the State Bar Association has taken up their cause.

By Charles Toutant

5 minute read

April 06, 2004 | Law.com

Plenty of retired cops practice law, but it is a rare breed that juggles both jobs simultaneously. Since 1967, the New Jersey Supreme Court has said people can follow the two paths, provided there's no overlap in responsibilities. It's a delicate balance, but if attorneys and police departments are vigilant about avoiding potential conflict-of-interest pitfalls, the dual roles can add up to a most satisfying career.

By Charles Toutant

6 minute read

June 07, 2010 | New Jersey Law Journal

The state is seeking jail time for the former Jersey City chief municipal judge who pleaded guilty in a ticket-fixing scandal that rocked the local bench.

By Charles Toutant

3 minute read

July 14, 2011 | New Jersey Law Journal

It's all too easy — and usually practical — to farm out creation of a law firm's website. But a case before the Disciplinary Review Board underscores the pitfalls of not paying attention to content, even though in this case, the complaint was dismissed.

By Charles Toutant

6 minute read

March 31, 2011 | New Jersey Law Journal

A federal appeals panel affirms dismissal of a suit by former Superior Court Judge Patricia Talbert, who claimed race and gender biases were at the heart of her assignment to inferior positions and ultimately led to her descension from the bench.

By Charles Toutant

4 minute read

January 31, 2007 | New Jersey Law Journal

A law firm that regularly brings summary dispossess actions against tenants for unpaid rent is a "debt collector" under the federal Fair Debt Collections Practices Act.

By Charles Toutant

6 minute read

July 08, 2009 | New Jersey Law Journal

A suit filed in federal court in Camden charges that Campbell Soup Co. routinely passes over black employees in favor of less-qualified whites when promoting account executives.

By Charles Toutant

3 minute read

March 24, 2009 | New Jersey Law Journal

A federal judge in Trenton has dismissed a New York Jets fan's putative class-action suit over the New England Patriots' secret videotaping of rival coaches' signals, holding that tickets carry no guarantee that teams will abide by National Football League rules.

By Charles Toutant

4 minute read

October 12, 2010 | Law.com

Wells Fargo Home Mortgage has agreed to pay New Jersey $3.98 million and 900 residents $67 million in loan modifications over claims subsidiaries deceptively marketed adjustable-rate mortgages. The agreement ends a state investigation into whether "Pick-a-Payment" mortgages violated the Consumer Fraud Act by touting their low monthly payment options without warning borrowers that the minimum payment option often failed to cover the interest on the loan, resulting in an increase in the loan's principal balance.

By Charles Toutant

4 minute read

July 29, 2008 | New Jersey Law Journal

An Essex County judge should have known better than to invoke his summary contempt power to jail a recalcitrant witness whose testimony wasn't needed to keep the trial on track.

By Charles Toutant

4 minute read