A low-key judge fed up with disrespectful behavior and alleged lies by an attorney created a stir with a courtroom ban on the lawyer from a nationally known San Francisco-area law firm that handles asbestos-related lawsuits coast-to-coast.
The case before Judge Harry Hanna and his response gave a rare look into the workings of a legal system where $400-an-hour attorneys, many traveling cross-country on a case-by-case basis, argue the hazards of asbestos and who’s to blame for debilitating lung ailments that can result from exposure to the insulating material.
