Don’t Post Anything on Facebook that You Wouldn’t Want To See as Exhibit A In Court.
Bloggers say this all of the time. Plenty of people don’t listen. Here’s A Pennsylvania Common Pleas case that illustrates what can happen. The judge ordered discovery of the entries on the Facebook page of a plaintiff in an auto accident. It included entries about a supposedly seriously injured person going to the gym, etc. The Court stated that no court has ever held that there is an expectation of privacy on Facebook. On the contrary, the court noted, Facebook is for sharing.
Thank You Real Estate Agents
No. 731 Thanks to the great group of real estate agents that took the continuing professional education class I gave at CCAC North this past week. They asked plenty of great questions and added a great deal to the discussion. I will be giving the class at least four more times in the Spring at [...]
The Art of the Objection.
Like so many things that lawyers do, stating objections in court requires preparation, experience and skill. If you don’t state your grounds quickly, the damage may be done, even if the objection is sustained.
Superior Court Holds that Unauthenticated Text Messages Are Inadmissible.
The police had found text messages containing evidence of a drug deal on a defendant’s cell phone. The Court held that it was hearsay without the same kind of authentication that is required for other documents.
Pitt Law and Age Discrimination.
William Brown, 73, stated in his U S District Court complaint that he has been passed over for a woman in her thirties because the law school administration was concerned that the average age of the faculty was too old.
Facing Up to the Reality of Social Media.
No. 691 What ethical issues are there for lawyers who do or don’t invade adversary’s Facebook pages looking for evidence? I have heard various pronouncements that it may be malpractice for a lawyer to fail to investigate the opponent’s Facebook Page. But what about the subterfuge that might be required to gain access? I am [...]
Small Task, Big Damages
Those of us who have zoning practice are required to do it all of the time: make a list of the names and addresses of all property owners whose land is adjacent to the property in question. Not too difficult. Yes, you should include properties across the street. And if the tax map shows properties almost touching, include them too. But other than that, its just a little map reading exercise.
Goldbeck Case Update
In the post reprinted mmediately below you will find the Post from December discussing the case of Loughren v. Bair, GD 10-021437. Since the post below was written in December, PO’s were filed, followed by an amended complaint whereby Loughren, who filed the original complaint, became the representative party in a class action. Robert F. Dailey of Pierce & Pierce has taken over as counsel for the plaintiff. The Defendants are represented by James Schadel of Weinheimer Schadel & Haber, Pittsburgh.
Westmoreland County Suit Against Rex Energy, Inc. Settled.
No. 658 A group of landowners who executed leases with Rex Energy, Inc. have reached a settlement on their claims for bonuses on leases which the driller had obtained but never accepted. Many leases, not just those from Rex, were written in such a way that the lessee could accept or reject the lease after [...]
Don’t use Google Scholar, use Google Scholar Advanced Scholar Search.
No. 632 If you’ve been disappointed by Google Scholar for legal research, try the advanced version. It enables you to select jurisdictions, such as Third Circuit and Pennsylvania Courts. Once you find a case you like, click on the “How Cited” tab. Of course, there is no statute search, but you may be able to [...]
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