Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from March 2008

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from March 2008

Commentary: Web Watching: Read Print an intriguing alternative to other free, online book sites.
March 1, 2008... Byline: Ben Mook While other web-based repositories of electronic books might have the edge in terms of sheer numbers of volumes and languages available, ReadPrint.com makes up for its smaller offering by offering a user-friendly interface...

Place to Be.
March 1, 2008... Ongoing Starting Feb. 2, 200 real human body specimens will unveiled in Gunther von Hagens’ BODY WORLDS 2: The Anatomical Exhibition of Real Human Bodies, and Maryland Science Center visitors will see a newly added component to this...

Insurer of Glen Burnie distributor claims it has no duty to defend in personal injury suit.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The insurer of a Glen Burnie wholesale distributor that sold the water heater allegedly responsible for a fatal carbon monoxide leak in an Ocean City hotel room two years ago claims it has no duty to defend...

Maryland hospitals targeting MRSA.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Karen Buckelew Maryland's hospitals are banding together to educate the state's residents about MRSA, the infamous antibiotic-resistant bacteria that has become a staple of news reports in recent months. The Maryland Hospital...

City of Baltimore out to charm trade show executives.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Come November, city tourism promoters hope to show about 250 trade show executives and meeting planners exactly why Baltimore earned the nickname "Charm City." "Many of these folks... have been to destinations all...

Maryland techies face uphill battle.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen From the start of this year's legislative session, techies fighting an impending sales tax on computer services have faced an uphill battle. They're asking for the repeal of a tax that is already in law, slated to...

Legal Opinions - Maryland Court of Appeals: March 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Contracts Assignment of claims BOTTOM LINE: Cross-claims assigned during settlement of a civil suit based upon a defective product were to be considered breach of implied warranty claims. CASE: Pulte...

Legal Opinions - Maryland Court of Special Appeals: March 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Contracts Elements of contract BOTTOM LINE: Concurrency management certificates issued to developers were enforceable as contracts, the terms of which were breached by County Commissioners. CASE:...

Legal Opinions - U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals: March 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Bankruptcy Discharge of student loans BOTTOM LINE: Debtors were not entitled to relief from their student loan debt because they failed to demonstrate good-faith efforts to repay their student loans. ...

Legal Opinions - U.S. District Court, Maryland: March 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Torts Federal Tort Claims Act BOTTOM LINE: United States was not vicariously liable for negligence of government employee involved in motor vehicle accident and complaint was dismissed under Federal Tort...

Interrogatory: What's the longest closing argument you've heard - or given?
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record “My longest was 45 minutes. I like to keep my closing argument real short and save my firepower for the rebuttal… I’ve been in basic whiplash trials where defense attorneys have given an...

Maryland Lawyers in the News: March 3, 2008.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Adelberg, Rudow, Dorf and Hendler LLC announced the selection of eight of its attorneys as Maryland Super Lawyers. This selection, showcased in a recent issue of Baltimore magazine, will also be published in...

Commentary: Forget about raising taxes; boost the economy through Civil Marriage.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Editorial Advisory Board Gay and lesbian Marylanders were struck with a devastating legal setback when the Court of Appeals upheld Family Law s.2-201, which precludes same-sex marriages, in the Conaway v. Deane and Polyak case last...

Week in Review - Legal Edition.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Staff and wire reports HABC hit with $5.7M verdict A Baltimore jury Wednesday awarded $5.7 million to a 24-year-old man who was exposed to lead paint in his home more than 20 years ago. The Housing Authority of Baltimore City...

Heard this week.
March 3, 2008... “We’re certainly not out to hurt businesses, but we do need to answer constituents’ concerns.” Delegate Tanya Shewell, R-Carroll, who plans to withdraw two bills which would have fined newspaper publishers $100 a day...

Dan Friedman named attorney general's chief counsel to the Maryland General Assembly.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber Maryland constitutional law expert and litigator Dan Friedman has left Saul Ewing LLP to become the attorney general's chief counsel to the General Assembly. Friedman takes over from Robert A. Zarnoch, who left the...

Montgomery County launches police documentary show on local cable.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash The cable police documentary starts off like a 1970s cop show: the dispatcher's voice followed by sirens, a repetitive rock-and-roll beat and a patrol officer's eye view of a car chase reminiscent of the opening credits...

Maryland House Judiciary Committee approves bill barring insurers from requiring binding arbitration.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber The House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill that would bar insurers from requiring their customers to resolve all disputes through binding arbitration. The bill, which now proceeds to the full House of...

Advocates fear side effects of ADR enforcement bill in Maryland.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber A bill standardizing the process of going to court to enforce an arbitration award contains a provision which could hurt victims of identity theft, consumer lawyers say. House Bill 1330, sponsored by Del. Samuel I....

Holding the Line: Companies trying to keep legal expenses at minimum.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber When Computer Sciences Corp. needs work done in New York, it does not always turn to a Manhattan firm. Instead, the company sends lawyers from DLA Piper U.S.'s Baltimore office. "Why use someone in New York...

Baltimore landlord turns tables on tenant who sued over parking spaces.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney An East Baltimore chiropractic practice must pay $173,000 in back rent to its former landlord and is not owed lost profits it claimed were due to a nearby construction project on the site that allegedly limited...

Pro Bono: Maryland lawyer's know-how helps get cash to wounded soldiers.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney N. Garland Miller began giving cash to wounded soldiers after a tile installer working at her Chevy Chase home told her about his nephew who had been badly injured in Iraq and was struggling economically while...

Maryland Court of Appeals says fee-shifting statutes cover appeal of fee award.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash Attorneys who receive court-awarded fees in a lawsuit can recoup additional fees for successfully appealing a too-small award, a unanimous Court of Appeals has held. The decision approves the controversial...

Shore hospital tower to open in Salisbury.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Peninsula Regional Medical Center in Salisbury plans to officially open the first part of its new tower complex on March 26. The four-story, $100 million tower is named for former nurse and hospital president...

Garrett County government stands to reap thousands in royalty payments from wind turbines.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Newly released documents show that the Garrett County government stands to reap tens of thousands of dollars in royalty payments for allowing wind turbines on county land. The disclosure, in documents...

FTI Consulting, of Baltimore, acquires Brazilian firm.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff FTI Consulting Inc., of Baltimore, which advises businesses on litigation, bankruptcies and restructuring, announced its acquisition of TSC Brasil Limitada, of Sao Paulo, Brazil, a systems integrator and...

D.C.-based Pepco Holdings Inc. sees higher earnings.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Pepco Holdings Inc. reported a 25 percent increase in earnings for 2007 over the previous year, due to more power being delivered to Maryland and higher capacity prices. The Washington, D.C.-based utility had...

Film processing plant in Williamsport closing.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The shift to digital photography is a major factor in the decision by a Tokyo-based company to close a plant in Williamsport that employs 125 people. Fujifilm Holdings Corp. said the Fujicolor Processing plant...

Connecticut-based Magellan Health Services warns on profit.(Financial report)
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Magellan Health Services Inc., of Avon, Conn., a managed behavioral health care company, said Friday its 2008 earnings per share may miss Wall Street analysts' estimates. The company said it expects earnings...

Maryland Court of Appeals to hear arguments in State v. Rendelman case.
March 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Among the cases under consideration by the Maryland Court of Appeals on March 6 is State v. Rendelman, in which the state seeks to revive Scott Rendelman's conviction for extortion by economic threat....

Police brutality lawsuits filed against Baltimore officers.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash Two separate lawsuits claiming brutality by Baltimore police officers were filed Wednesday in Baltimore City Circuit Court. Anthony Carter and Mark Antonio Craddock both allege they were beaten while handcuffed by...

Verizon sues Maryland Public Service Commission over assistance order.
March 3, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash Verizon has filed suit against the Maryland Public Service Commission, along with a smaller phone-service company, in the U.S. District Court for Maryland, claiming the agency violated federal law when it ordered Verizon...

Mental Hygiene Legal Service hires information officer.
March 4, 2008... Byline: Danielle Derringer The Mental Hygiene Legal Service hired Lisa Malek-Renfer as an information officer. The Rochester office oversees the agency's affairs in Monroe, Ontario, Steuben, Seneca, Wayne and Yates counties.

Maryland stem cell researchers reeling from proposed 80% fund cut.
March 4, 2008... Byline: Karen Buckelew Cutting the Maryland Stem Cell Research Fund by nearly 80 percent would mean "effectively stopping the program," according to the chair of the commission that oversees it. A Maryland senate subcommittee voted...

Germantown-based Hughes Communications Inc.'s profit doubles.(Financial report)
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Hughes Communications Inc., of Germantown, a provider of broadband satellite communications, said fourth-quarter earnings more than doubled as profit at its North America operations surged. Net income rose to...

Locust Point passer-by seeks $750K for crash near 'Wire' set.
March 4, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs A Locust Point man is suing the production companies behind "The Wire" for a bicycle crash allegedly caused by a worker during filming of the HBO show in September 2005. David Johnson is seeking $750,000 in...

Constellation Energy files federal lawsuit against Maryland.
March 4, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Saying a deal is a deal, two subsidiaries of Constellation Energy Group Inc. filed suit against the state of Maryland Monday to sustain the 1999 deregulation settlement. The suit, filed in federal court, also...

Nearly 16,000 watch bull riding at 1st Mariner Arena in Baltimore.
March 4, 2008... Byline: Ben Mook Nearly 16,000 people packed 1st Mariner Arena over the weekend to watch professional cowboys do their best to stay on top of 1,500-pound bulls with names like "Vampire," "High Test" and "Booger Butt" doing their best to...

Port Deposit woman charged in mother's murder.
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Authorities in Cecil County said a Port Deposit woman who initially reported that her mother was missing has now been charged with her murder. Cecil County Bureau of Investigation spokesman Lt. Bernard...

Allegany and Garrett counties take boundary dispute to court.
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Allegany and Garrett counties are going to court to resolve a boundary dispute. Garrett County Attorney Mike Getty says the issue is not new, but until now the two sides have resolved it informally. Allegany...

EEOC files age-discrimination suit agains Maryland-based Jacobs Technology.
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Monday announced it has filed a lawsuit in the United States District Court against Jacobs Technology Inc., previously operating as Sverdrup Technology...

Machinists OK accord with Bethesda-based Lockheed.
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Lockheed Martin Corp., the world's largest weapons maker, averted a possible strike at eight plants, including one that builds the F-22 fighter, after a union representing about 6,000 machinists voted Sunday...

Ocean City overtime looms large.
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff A list compiled by Ocean City's Finance Department shows some town employees collected overtime last year in amounts up to 25 percent of their base salaries. The list was sent last week to The (Salisbury)...

Lanham-based Integral Systems to repurchase stock.
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Integral Systems Inc., of Lanham, a provider and operator of satellite ground control systems, announced it has entered into a definitive stock repurchase agreement with Fursa Alternative Strategies LLC, of...

Judge denies FTI Consulting bonus.
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Lazard Freres & Co. and FTI Consulting Inc. were both denied bonuses for their work serving as financial advisers for the official creditors' committee in the Chapter 11 reorganization of Northwest Airlines...

Towson-based AmericasBank Corp. sees red ink.(Financial report)
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff AmericasBank Corp., of Towson, the parent company of AmericasBank, reported a fourth-quarter net loss of $2.5 million, or 96 cents per diluted share, compared with a profit of $134,000, or 5 cents per diluted...

Tax change also benefits business.
March 4, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff While many Americans have heard that a new tax change, signed by President Bush, addresses a refund check to taxpayers, what they may not realize is that there is another provision that benefits business...

Busy year for Maryland's Consumer Protection Division.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Maryland Attorney General Douglas Gansler released the top five Maryland consumer complaints from 2007 to highlight the importance of financial literacy during National Consumer Protection Week. The...

Md. Court of Special Appeals gives added weight to black-mold opinion.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Barbara Grzincic Following its January decision affirming a $375,000 black-mold verdict against the Housing Authority of Baltimore City, the Court of Special Appeals reissued it Tuesday it as a reported opinion. The move, which...

Strange behaviors should set off scam alarms, experts say.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Fraud can be hard to detect, but some telltale signs of workplace scams should set off red flags, said experts at a fraud prevention seminar Tuesday. Perpetrators of fraud often exhibit strange behaviors, like...

University of Maryland Law honors Manekin, class of '36.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs Bernard Manekin, co-founder of the eponymous commercial real estate firm, is the first to admit he was not the best student when he attended the University of Maryland School of Law in the 1930s. "There was this...

Proposals before Baltimore City Council would offer big tax breaks to 'green' buildings.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan Two bills before the Baltimore City Council would provide hefty tax credits to home and business owners who go green. Introduced by Councilman Jim Kraft at the City Council meeting on Monday night, both pieces of...

4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals: Hotline call gave grounds to take guns.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash Citing recent killing rampages in the United States, a federal appeals court on Tuesday threw out a Maryland firefighter's claim that Gaithersburg police unreasonably searched his home and took his collection of 41 guns...

Towson's Burger Bros. bucking big boys, and history.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Sandwiched between a pizza shack and a bagel place on Allegheny Avenue in downtown Towson, a family-run burger joint is still waiting to turn a profit -- and if history is any guide, they may have a long time to wait....

Competing bills put Maryland PSC on both sides of power reform debate.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen The Public Service Commission found itself on both sides of the power reform debate Tuesday as lawmakers considered ways to make Maryland's electric system cheaper and more reliable. Two bills before the House...

Theft of student newspapers at Washington College in Chestertown sparks college debate.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports The recent theft of student newspapers at Washington College in Chestertown has sparked a campus debate about free speech and the school's honor code. About 1,000 copies of the Feb. 8 edition of...

Maryland State Police seize 22 pounds of marijuana on I-81.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Maryland State Police say troopers from Hagerstown seized more than 22 pounds of marijuana, with an estimated street value of more than $23,000, during a traffic stop on Interstate 81 near...

Germantown-based MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals Inc. narrows 4Q loss.(Financial report)
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports MiddleBrook Pharmaceuticals Inc., the Germantown-based maker of the antibiotic Keflex, reported fourth-quarter revenue of $10.5 million in fiscal 2007, up 117 percent from $4.8 million the year...

U.K. law firm taps Metastorm Inc. of Baltimore.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff Report Metastorm Inc., of Baltimore, a developer of business automation and Web-based workflow software, said its Metastorm BPM platform has been selected by British law firm Addleshaw Goddard to streamline its...

CFO, CIO hiring outlook for Baltimore area.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Baltimore-area chief financial officers and chief information areas surveyed by Robert Half International Inc. expect to hire professionals in their respective areas during the second quarter,...

Micros Systems Inc. of Columbia selected by Las Vegas Sands Corp.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Micros Systems Inc., of Columbia, a provider of information systems to the hospitality and retail industries, said its 9700 Hospitality Management System has been selected by the Las Vegas Sands...

General Physics Corp. of Elkridge acquires Colorado company.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports General Physics Corp., of Elkridge, a provider of training, e-learning, management consulting and engineering services, announced it has acquired Performance Consulting Services Inc., of Montrose,...

W.R. Grace & Co. of Columbia to expand La. facility.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports W.R. Grace & Co., of Columbia, a specialty chemical company, announced plans to increase its manufacturing capacity with the expansion of its facility in Lake Charles, La. The expansion will enable...

JetBlue picks Sourcefire of Columbia.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Sourcefire Inc., of Columbia, a developer of network security technology, said its Sourcefire 3D system has been selected by New York-based JetBlue Airways to replace a first-generation intrusion...

Maroon PR of Marriottsville to publicize Major League Baseball games.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Maroon PR, of Marriottsville, a full-service public relations firm, said it has been chosen by Atlanta-based Turner Broadcasting System to assist in promoting the cable network's new Sunday...

Maryland power plant project sold to Virginia's largest utility.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Dominion Resources Inc., of Richmond, Va., owner of Virginia's largest utility, said it bought a power plant project from Competitive Power Ventures Inc., of Silver Spring. A natural gas-fueled...

Financial backing for Telkonet of Germantown.
March 5, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff & Wire Reports Thermo Credit LLC, of New Orleans, a financial services company focused exclusively on the telecommunications industry, announced an agreement with Telkonet Inc., to provide $2.5 million in...

The Daily Record announces 2008 Top 100 Women winners.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff One hundred women throughout the state with a wide variety of occupations and accomplishments have been named to The Daily Record's 13th annual Maryland's Top 100 Women list. The award was created to recognize...

Letters to the Editor.(Letter to the editor)
March 7, 2008... Jim Doyle will be missed in Annapolis  The sad death of James J. Doyle Jr. tolls the passing not only of a consummate lawyer and Annapolis personage, but also those times in both arenas of his professional life, now but a fading...

Commentary: The Pursuit of Justice.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Steven I. Platt The Republican presidential primary season has just ended. However, Senator John McCain, the Republican nominee for president, has already been playing the role by rhetorically attacking the man he believes he will...

On the Move.
March 7, 2008... ACCOUNTING Gross, Mendelsohn & Associates P.A. announced that Tricia Love Thomas has joined the firm as a partner. Thomas, who specializes in providing audit, accounting, tax and business advisory services to construction contractors,...

Commentary: Tech Talk.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Larry Fiorino Spam in our inboxes is an inconvenient reality for most of us. Even with the most sophisticated spam filters, the possibility of receiving superfluous e-mails can exist. As a result, the government has taken steps...

Week in Review.
March 7, 2008... Battling lawsuits The rift between the state and Constellation Energy Group Inc. widened when both sides lobbed lawsuits at each other. Both lawsuits stem from the General Assembly's 1999 decision to deregulate the power industry. First...

Columbia's COPT turning Fort Ritchie in to a Fort Suburbia.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan During World War II, the hills around this tiny Western Maryland town rang with the sounds of gunfire and explosions produced by German-made small arms. No, it wasn't a sneak attack by Bund members or fascist...

News Summary - 3/07.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Staff and wire reports Royal Ahold’s earnings rise Royal Ahold NV, the Netherlands-based owner of the Stop & Shop and Giant Food supermarket chains in the United States, reported a 9.2 percent rise in fourth-quarter...

GBC, Tech Council starting advertising campaigns to target computer tax in Md.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen Business groups are turning up the heat on lawmakers to repeal a controversial sales tax on computer services before the General Assembly adjourns for the year. Two high-profile advocates are launching advertising...

Md. COSA rules investigative subpoena was illegal under LEOBR, but remedy is limited.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs In what it admitted "may turn out to be a Pyrrhic victory" for a beleaguered police officer, the Court of Special Appeals agreed that his cell phone records were illegally subpoenaed during an internal investigation...

Battling lawsuits facing Md. and Constellation Energy.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff The rift between the state and Constellation Energy Group Inc. widened when both sides lobbed lawsuits at each other. Both lawsuits stem from the General Assembly's 1999 decision to deregulate the power industry....

Maryland Hospital Association targeted.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff The Maryland Hospital Association has rallied its members to coordinate a series of community forums on Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, in hopes of sidestepping a panic over the infection...

Md. Court of Appeals weighs scope of extortion law.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash A lawyer for the state came under sharp attack from several Court of Appeals judges when he urged them to reinstate the extortion conviction of a man who sent expletive-laden letters to a former boss and his attorney,...

U.S. District judge lifts CPA requirement in Westboro case.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs A Kansas church that's challenging a $5 million verdict for picketing a Marine's funeral will not have to provide a financial statement from a certified public accountant in its quest to forego an appeal bond -- in...

Charming the planners in Baltimore.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff Come November, city tourism promoters hope to show about 250 trade show executives and meeting planners attending the Fastest 50 Convention exactly why the host city of Baltimore earned the nickname "Charm City."...

Power debate in Maryland.
March 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff The Public Service Commission found itself on both sides of the power reform debate Tuesday as lawmakers considered ways to make Maryland's electric system cheaper and more reliable. One bill before the House...

Bullish market in Baltimore?
March 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff The Professional Bull Riders Inc. brought back its Baltimore Invitational to the 1st Mariner Arena last weekend for the first time in five years. The rapidly growing sport that, like the name implies, centers on...