Paul Elias

January 27, 2000 | Law.com

A California prisoner representing himself managed to convince nine different federal appeals court judges that the crime he was convicted of -- conspiracy to commit second-degree murder -- doesn't exist. Yet he sits behind bars today. "This conclusion is nothing short of bizarre," 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals Judge Alex Kozinski wrote, dissenting from his court's refusal to hear the prisoner's case en banc.

By Paul Elias

4 minute read

September 28, 2006 | Law.com

While it's likely that the E. coli outbreak leading to a nationwide recall of bagged spinach will affect the California produce company at the center of the investigation the most, companies up and down the food chain are taking a financial hit. "It should have pretty far-reaching implications on the whole bagged salad industry," said Tom Weir, executive editor of a monthly grocery-industry publication. Salinas Valley growers and processors have announced plans to adopt new food safety guidelines.

By Paul Elias

5 minute read

October 20, 1999 | Law.com

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said a class action attorney, Lawrence Schonbrun, is entitled to $48,775 for convincing a federal judge to cut $2 million from a fee award, despite the fact that his client had no standing to object. District Court Judge James Ideman awarded the Los Angeles plaintiffs' firm Weiss & Yourman $2.97 million in 1993 for settling a securities class action against Occidental Petroleum Corp. Schonbrun, who represented a class member, objected to the fees approved by Ideman.

By Paul Elias

3 minute read

May 04, 1999 | Law.com

The media converged on the open deposition in U.S. v. Microsoft of Michael Popov, a vice president with Sun Microsystems Inc. But the reporters' hopes of coming away with juicy insights were soon disappointed. When the questioning touched on trade secret issues, Popov's counsel, John Young, moved to kick the press out of the courtroom. Then the building was evacuated due to a bomb scare. From there things went downhill for the few stalwart reporters who stayed to the bitter end.

By Paul Elias

3 minute read

September 29, 2010 | Law.com

A federal judge on Tuesday blocked what would have been California's first execution in nearly five years. Judge Jeremy Fogel canceled the execution of rapist-murderer Albert Greenwood Brown after the 9th Circuit ordered him to reconsider his decision using different legal standards. Fogel said he halted the execution because he didn't have enough time to decide the weighty constitutional issues Brown raised before his scheduled execution at 9 p.m. Thursday.

By Paul Elias

3 minute read

April 29, 2002 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Steven Potter is attempting to grow kidneys in his laboratory in hopes of someday saving the lives of patients who now die awaiting organ transplants.

By PAUL ELIAS Tech Tribune Wire Services

5 minute read

March 07, 2000 | Law.com

Reversing an appellate court's reinstatement of a $17.5 million race discrimination verdict awarded to two former Hughes Aircraft employees, the California Supreme Court ruled Monday that a trial judge's authority to act as a "13th juror" must be reviewed with a highly deferential standard. Concluding that the evidence at trial could have supported a verdict in Hughes' favor, the Court reversed the court of appeal and reinstated the trial court's order for a new trial.

By Paul Elias

3 minute read

September 18, 2007 | The Legal Intelligencer

It is impossible to determine to what extent automakers are responsible for global warming damages in California, a federal judge ruled in tossing out a lawsuit filed by California against the world's six largest automakers.

By Paul Elias

4 minute read

September 13, 2011 | Legaltech News

The computer hackers, chat room denizens, and others who comprise the loosely affiliated internet collective Anonymous have increasingly turned to questionable tactics, drawing the attention of the FBI and Department of Homeland Security. What was once a small group of pranksters has become a potential national security threat, security officials say.

By Paul Elias

6 minute read

April 30, 2002 | Connecticut Law Tribune

Steven Potter is attempting to grow kidneys in his laboratory in hopes of someday saving the lives of patients who now die awaiting organ transplants.

By PAUL ELIAS Tech Tribune Wire Services

5 minute read