http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/index.jsp Updated daily en-us 02/09/2010 Copyright 2008 ALM Properties, Inc. All rights reserved. http://www.law.com/service/terms_conditions.shtml http://www.law.com/img/pa/alert/pa_rss.gif http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/index.jsp With a recession still lingering and a year-old administration still settling into place in Washington, labor and employment law is busy nationwide and could get even busier over the next year. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202443010551&rss=pa Gov. Edward G. Rendell, in his budget address today, called for the elimination of the sales tax exemption on legal services, along with the elimination of most of the other 74 exemptions for goods and services. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442998736&rss=pa Though it didn't come in the form of a complaint, a former solicitor for the Luzerne County Controller's office told the Judicial Conduct Board's deputy counsel as early as 2005 that he had concerns about two of the county's judges and a private juvenile detention center being built there. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442983052&rss=pa The addition of nearly 90 laterals coupled with a substantial contingency-fee payout significantly boosted Cozen O'Connor's revenues and profits in 2009. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442697850&rss=pa Before police take a breath sample from a suspected drunken driver, they are required by statute to read a standard statement about the stiff consequences of refusing the test. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442983208&rss=pa Peter A. von Mehren, a Spector Gadon & Rosen attorney in the firm's litigation group, passed away unexpectedly on Feb. 1. He was 55. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442983247&rss=pa The first prosecution witness is finished testifying in the public corruption trial of a former state representative and three former House Democratic aides. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442996395&rss=pa Gov. Ed Rendell on Tuesday presented lawmakers with a $29 billion spending plan that would devote more money to schools, prisons and health care for the poor while taxing the sale of many services for the first time. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442992062&rss=pa Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell says he will decide in the coming days when to schedule a special election to replace U.S. Rep. Jack Murtha. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442992027&rss=pa I pumped my fist in the air at the news federal prosecutors gave notice they wanted to appeal the powder puff sentence U.S. District Judge Ronald L. Buckwalter gave to convicted former state Sen. Vincent Fumo. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202433037475&rss=pa As an update to my last blog, I want to remind everyone that the Philadelphia Bar Association Bar-News Media Committee will host "How and When to Share Your Opinion with the Press - Submitting to Editorial Pages" at noon Feb. 11. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202443000703&rss=pa For the past few months, I have been perusing comments folks make about jury duty as @mmgjury on Twitter. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442010746&rss=pa Are Twitter tweets, all 140 characters or less, intended to be taken seriously? Or is the microblogging site just one big forum of hot air, where nothing can be taken seriously and nothing is capable of defamatory meaning? http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202441892529&rss=pa Click here for a collection of articles on the corruption scandal in Luzerne County Court. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202428035822&rss=pa Click here to view the full text of the February 1, 2010 Litigation Supplement to The Legal Intelligencer. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202439655615&rss=pa Legal consultant Ward Bower, principal of Altman Weil Inc., believes that partner cuts may be on the horizon for some law firms. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202437823997&rss=pa LOS ANGELES (AP) ? A federal judge has upheld a requirement that Los Angeles gang and drug officers disclose their personal financial information. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442992262&rss=pa SAN DIEGO (AP) ? A state appeals court has struck down a San Diego curfew law for teenagers, calling it unconstitutionally broad. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442992214&rss=pa FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) ? A Fort Wayne man whose wife was fatally injured in a natural gas explosion at their home is suing the gas company, saying neighbors reported fumes before the blast. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442992817&rss=pa Legislation has been enacted (Act 48) to establish the Pennsylvania Tax Amnesty Program. The amnesty program begins on April 26 and will end on June 18, 2010. All taxes owed to the commonwealth of Pennsylvania and administered by the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue are eligible for amnesty. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442990199&rss=pa Pursuant to the Pennsylvania Support Guidelines, the guidelines shall be reviewed at least once every four years. After the most recent review, which began in 2007, the new Support Guidelines were adopted on Jan. 12. The effective date is May 12, 2010. http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442990380&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442082812&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442697850&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202423602657&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442082511&rss=pa http://www.law.com/jsp/pa/PubArticlePA.jsp?id=1202442082404&rss=pa