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John Council

John Council

Senior reporter John Council is a native Texan who covers litigation and appellate courts in his home state. Contact him at [email protected]. On Twitter: @john_council

December 14, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

Corpus Christi Judge Reprimanded for Groping Fellow Judge and Staffers, Removing Children From Mothers

Three women complained that the judge touched them without consent during an Aug. 9, 2017, function honoring a municipal court judge in Corpus Christi.

By John Council

6 minute read

December 14, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

Litigator of the Week: Wills Point Attorney Helps Civil Rights Litigator Out of Disciplinary Jam

Prater Monning was introduced to S. Lee Merritt, a high-profile civil rights lawyer from Philadelphia who'd gotten into trouble with Texas' Unauthorized Practice of Law Committee on charges that he illegally represented clients in the state.

By John Council

5 minute read

December 12, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

Texas Court of Appeals Affirms Conviction of 'Dr. Death'

In a split decision, Dallas' Fifth Court of Appeals has affirmed the unusual criminal conviction of a medical doctor who was sentenced to life in prison last year for intentionally or knowingly causing serious bodily injury to an elderly patient during surgery.

By John Council

5 minute read

December 11, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

Three Dallas Democratic Judges Announce Bids for Fifth Court of Appeals

Emboldened by their party's 2018 general election victory in which candidates took eight seats away the from the GOP on the all-Republican Fifth Court of Appeals, three sitting Dallas Democratic state district judges are already announcing planned runs for the appellate court in 2020.

By John Council

4 minute read

December 10, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

5th Circuit Finds US Magistrate Pursued Relationships With Attorney, Court Staffer, But Won't Reprimand Him

"The special committee determined that the subject judge was insensitive to his position of power over both women and the difficulty they would feel in turning down his repeated invitations to dinner and drinks,” according to the order.

By John Council

4 minute read

December 07, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

Death Penalty Rejected Again for Killer of Pioneering Dallas Civil Rights Attorney

For the second time in eight years, Texas' Court of Criminal Appeals has reversed the death sentence of a man who was convicted for the brutal killing of pioneering Dallas civil rights attorney Fred Finch, one of the first African-American graduates of Harvard Law School, because a jury was not properly instructed about the defendant's intellectual disability.

By John Council

4 minute read

December 06, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

Greenberg Traurig Seeks Dismissal of Claim It Aided Stanford Ponzi Scheme

Greenberg Traurig is asking a Dallas federal judge to dismiss an allegation that the law firm aided and abetted R. Allen Stanford in his massive Ponzi scheme, contending that the claim under which it was sued no longer exists in Texas.

By John Council

3 minute read

December 05, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

Texas Appeals Court Affirms Sanctions Against Dallas Lawyer Seeking to Reopen Divorce Case to Get Fees

A Texas court of appeals has denied a Dallas attorney's attempt to reopen a couple's divorce case to collect his fees, and affirmed sanctions imposed against him for pursuing what the court said was a groundless matter brought in bad faith and for the purpose of harassment.

By John Council

5 minute read

December 05, 2018 | Legaltech News

Lawyer Drops $100 Million Lawsuit Against Online Critic Who Called Him 'Nazi'

After the plaintiff and defendant exchanged several profanity-laced emails, a Texas lawyer has decided to dismiss his $100 million defamation suit against an online critic.

By John Council

4 minute read

December 04, 2018 | Texas Lawyer

Lawyer Drops $100 Million Lawsuit Against Online Critic Who Called Him 'Nazi'

After the plaintiff and defendant exchanged several profanity-laced emails, a Denton County lawyer has decided to dismiss his $100 million defamation suit against an online critic.

By John Council

4 minute read