Open Records

E-Mails on Govt. Computers Not Necessarily Public Records

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

E-mails are not public records under the state's Right-to-Know Law simply because they were sent or received through a government agency's e-mail address or because they are housed on a government computer, a divided Commonwealth Court ruled in an apparent case of first impression.

Family Law

Child's Recorded Statements to Police Ruled Hearsay

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A 4-year-old's testimony alleging that her father performed numerous sexual acts on her - captured as a DVD interview - was not an "exceptional case" where uncorroborated hearsay was solely sufficient to find abuse had taken place, the Commonwealth Court has ruled

Energy and Natural Resources

Oil and Gas Lease Valid Despite Vagueness, Superior Court Says

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The state Superior Court has denied what it called a "creative" attempt by a landowner in Bradford County, Pa., to get out of an oil and gas lease in what appears to be the first published state court opinion in a case involving a challenge to the state Supreme Court's 2010 decision in Kilmer v. Elexco Land Services Inc.

Motor Vehicles

No License Suspension Because of Parental Liability

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A woman facing a $2,500 default judgment under the Parental Liability Act can keep her driver's license, the Commonwealth Court has ruled, after the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation attempted to suspend her license for failing to pay an award she incurred when her son crashed a vehicle that he took without the owners' permission.

Attorney Fees

Judge Refuses to Award Fees, Expenses to Defense for Texas Deposition

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The estate of a woman suing a Scranton doctor for malpractice does not have to pay the attorney fees and travel costs of the doctor and the hospital it is suing stemming from an out-of-state deposition of the estate's medical expert, a Lackawanna County judge has ruled.

PLW - People in the News - January 31, 2012

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Jacqueline M. Reynolds, a shareholder of Marshall Dennehey Warner Coleman & Goggin, was named president of the trial lawyers section of the Montgomery County Bar Association for the 2012 term.

Verdicts & Settlements

Boeing Settles Whistleblower Suit

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Boeing Co., the world's largest combined manufacturer of commercial jets and military aircraft, has agreed to pay nearly $4.4 million to settle a Federal False Claims Act whistleblower lawsuit.

Verdicts & Settlements

Jury: Car Did Not Strike Woman With Buttock Contusion

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

An Allegheny County jury has returned a defense verdict in a case where a woman claimed she was struck by a car in a dark, rainy parking facility.

Capitol Report

Recent Action

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Following is a listing of executive and legislative action for the week of Jan. 23. Members of the General Assembly were set to return to session on Jan. 30.

Capitol Report

Proposal to Close 'Delaware Loophole' Could Make Its Way Into Budget

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

A bipartisan legislative proposal to collect taxes from businesses that establish a mailing address in Delaware in order to avoid paying Pennsylvania corporate taxes could make its way into the state budget, said state Rep. Mike Turzai, R-Allegheny, the majority leader in the state House of Representatives

Capitol Report

Scientists Investigating Fracking Wastewater Disposal's Link to Earthquakes

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Scientists are assessing whether injecting wastewater from fracking can cause earthquakes, and if it can, whether the quakes are severe enough to cause surface damage.

Ethics Forum

Questions & Answers on Professional Responsibility

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Lawyers who are discharged by a client must protect themselves with fee letters.

Commentary

Proposed Workers' Compensation Reforms Could Harm Claimants

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry's workers' compensation executive committee has submitted its latest proposal to further limit the rights of injured workers.

Commentary

Why a Handshake Does Not Mean What It Should in Pennsylvania

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

We have all seen the game show "Deal or No Deal" on television, rife with models, suitcases filled with cash and quirky hosts.

Litigation

A Clean Slate: Ways to Ease Stress and Improve Your Practice

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The Legal Intelligencer

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Another new year has come and 11 more months stretch out in front of us until the next one. It's still a clean slate and there is plenty that can be accomplished in the year ahead in terms of reducing stress and improving one's enjoyment and success in the practice of law.