Everyone makes mistakes, but when attorneys misstate facts in court the ramifications may be serious for themselves, their clients and their firms.
On May 19, 2016, Judge Andrew Hanen of the District Court for the Southern District of Texas issued a scathing order criticizing the conduct of several Department of Justice (DOJ) attorneys defending the federal government against a suit brought by a group of 26 states. The court found that the attorneys representing the DOJ made several misstatements of fact in response to inquiries from the court during hearings and in pleadings regarding the government’s compliance with prior orders or rulings.
