An Old Idea is New Again: Borrow from a Community Bank or Credit Union!

When you pay off that Countrywide/Wells Fargo/Bank of America — you name it — mortgage loan, the one that was re-sold immediately on Wall Street, don’t go back to the same old place. This time, go to a Community Bank or Credit Union, preferably one that keeps its own residential loans in portfolio.

High Official Immunity has a Long History in Pensylvania.

Sometimes a case will turn on whether the public official in question is “high” enough. District attorneys, who make policy, are clearly high public officials. But what about the assistant district attorney? In Durham the Supreme Court held that ADA’s were essential to the DA in doing his job. The immunity was not for the purpose of protecting the official, but benefitting the public. It would serve no public purpose if the DA were immune from suit while the ADA who handled the case was required to defend.

Allegheny County Court Filing Fee Increases: More than Might Meet The Eye.

In 1973, when I filed my first Complaint at the Prothonotary (they called it Prothonotary until 2008) I paid $15.50. I distinctly remember that the impecunious I could afford to advance that trifling cost, and the sheriff’s service fee, too. Now, 36 years later, it costs almost ten times more. For a comparison, this is just about double the increase in the price of residential real estate during the same period. Last summer, Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk reported that a fifty thousand dollar sales price in 1973 translates into $217,837.00 in 2008. Filing fees rose twice that. Too bad you can’t invest in court filing fees futures.

Criminal Law: Ashley Anger is on the Loose!

Posted by Cliff Tuttle Just like in the Wild West, the Allegheny County Sheriff has a rogues gallery of “Most Wanted”. Among this bunch of dangerous dudes did you notice one “Ashley Anger”? Did you notice the charges that earned her a place on the “Most Wanted”? That’s right! She gave the law a false […]

Bizz Bam Buzz: If you are an entrepreneur or wish you were, you may want to check it out.

Entrepreneurship is all about imagination. Sewickley Pennsylvania Lawyer Anthony Ceriminaro exudes both. In this blog, he is part business coach, part house counsel and part gadfly. Nevertheless, if you are the type of person who dislikes surprises, disdains the unusual and considers entertainment a waste of time, this blog is not for you. You should be reading the dense, serious and tedious stuff put out by large law firms ( a.k.a. Big Law in the Blawgs) and their wanabees on their websites. Uptight, Bizz Bam Buzz is not.

Rumpole’s Advice for the Ages: “Never Plead Guilty!”

True, in his fictional time and place, poor Rumpole was little appreciated, except by members of the Timson family, a large and industrious clan of petty criminals who, for all their human shortcomings, recognized effective courtroom advocacy. Most of the barristers at the Bailey, with the exception of a few of Rumpole’s prodigies, demonstrated an astounding absence of energy and devotion to their clients’ cause. This is a arresting idea to ponder, if you happen to be a client. When the trial is about to begin, how do you find out whether you have the dogged and resourceful Horace Rumpole or the hapless and unimaginative Claude Erskine Brown on your brief? There are several ways to obtain the answer to this vital question. The Timsons were informed by the best method, experience.

Links to the Past, and Last Week

While browsing the web, I discovered a few article I wrote years ago popping up. Among them was a pretty interesting 1990 article on sexual harassment in Management Review, the magazine of the American Management Association.

Interesting Links

Posted by Cliff Tuttle Technology savvy thieves can clean you out very quickly. Click here. Pittsburgh-based K&L Gates is growing and posting gains for 2008. But how much is due to frugality in bathroom supplies? Click here. “The parties are advised to chill” and other interesting judicial utterances. Click here. Are rip-off team fight songs […]

Back Talk Requested: Guantanamo — Rhymes with Geronimo.

So, why not (as Conressman Murtha suggests) support the local economy by inviting a few long term guests to inhabit our region? If one of them did escape, it is pretty likely he would had for the border — not stick around to commit acts of terrorism. So what’s the big deal? What am I missing here? Back Talk Requested.

Check out Gadgeteer on the Blogroll

Posted by Cliff Tuttle No, Gadgeteer has nothing to do with Pittsburgh or Legal. But it is a great site worth visiting. The well-written and profusely illustrated reviews will put you on to gadgetry you would never know existed and steer you away from buying some products that are not quite ready for market. Especially […]

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Welcome

CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

Legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus.

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