Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) articles from October 2008

Daily Record (Baltimore, MD) archives from October 2008

Maryland's 'piggybacking' of state contracts draws criticism from business groups.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen Maryland is increasingly streamlining its commodity purchases through government collectives that buy supplies through large national companies, but the effort to save time and money is drawing criticism from business...

$75M mixed-use Fitzgerald development in Baltimore moves forward.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen One of midtown Baltimore's high-profile residential projects is moving forward, as developers have secured financing for the $75 million Fitzgerald at UB Midtown apartment complex despite an icy credit market. The...

Maryland Legal Aid Web tool walks users through forms for custody and visitation.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Christina Doran Filing for child support, visitation or custody can be a daunting task for a parent who doesn't have a lawyer -- and there is no shortage of them. The state recently estimated that three out of four family-law...

The Daily Record News Briefs: October 1, 2008.
October 1, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Circuit City hires FTI Circuit City Stores Inc. which last week replaced its chief executive officer, has hired FTI Consulting Inc., a Baltimore-based, national provider of business consulting and...

The Daily Record News Briefs: October 2, 2008.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Squeezed by credit freeze The Association for Financial Professionals, of Bethesda, a group representing corporate treasury and finance executives, released a survey that shows companies...

Lawsuit over antidepressant cannot be resolved without a trial, rules federal judge in Baltimore.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Barbara Grzincic A federal lawsuit over plans for a generic version of the antidepressant Effexor XR cannot be resolved without a trial, a federal judge in Baltimore ruled. Pharmaceutical giant Wyeth, which filed the patent...

Report: Maryland State Police surveillance was unjustified.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash An overzealous Maryland State Police force, apparently oblivious to the constitutional rights of peaceful protestors, conducted improper undercover surveillance of anti-war and death penalty opposition groups in 2005 and...

Federal jury in Baltimore awards $1.85M for wrongful firing.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney A federal jury has awarded a Salisbury woman $1.85 million after she was fired from a major pesticide company, allegedly for complaining about gender discrimination. The 12-person panel -- six men and six women...

FedEx Field must provide its deaf clients with "equal access," rules U.S. District Court judge.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Barbara Grzincic FedEx Field must provide its deaf and hard-of-hearing clientele with equal access to aural content broadcast in the stadium, a federal judge has ruled. The decision is a win for three longtime Washington...

Quebec's Cirque du Soleil returning to Baltimore in spring '09.
October 2, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Baltimore is finalizing an agreement with Quebec's Cirque du Soleil to bring the show -- and millions of dollars in business -- back to the city this spring, officials said this week. The troupe's acrobatic show...

Lawyer, former client square off over settlement with U of Maryland Medical System Corp.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney Donald C. Sturgill claims the Baltimore law firm he called to pursue his medical malpractice allegations fraudulently accepted a $15,000 settlement offer on his behalf in June 2003. The Suder Law Firm contends...

Maryland Court of Appeals hears battle over religious billboard.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash The hot-button issue of religious expression came before the Court of Appeals on Thursday, as attorneys clashed over whether local officials violated federal law in rejecting a church's request to erect a large...

Federal judge in Baltimore says probation before judgment bars doctor from federal programs.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Christina Doran A Frederick County doctor was properly disqualified from participating in federal health care programs because of a conviction for molesting two female patients, a federal judge in Baltimore has affirmed. Dr....

Commentary: Charitable Giving: Foundations join with government to support East Baltimore families.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Betsy Nelson The Annie E. Casey Foundation has a bold vision for the children and families in East Baltimore, based on the belief that improving the quality of the environments in which vulnerable children and families live can...

Marylanders On the Move: October 3, 2008.
October 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record ACCOUNTING McLean, Koehler, Sparks & Hammond announced that Diane Bowers has rejoined the firm as an in-charge accountant, Ronald M. Roman Jr. has joined the firm as an in-charge accountant, and Daniela Iacob...

Commentary: It's time to kill Maryland's failed death penalty.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Andrew L. Sonner During my 30 years as a Maryland prosecutor, I saw the death penalty system up close. I sent 12 defendants notices to prepare for a capital trial, tried six of them, and obtained death penalty verdicts in two. The...

Commentary: Tech Talk: Social networking's twitter, and 'twittering,' continue march to mainstream.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Larry Fiorino Tweeting is the new linking, which was the new poking. What do all of these terms actually mean?! The words are part of the social networking jargon that millions of people use daily to interact with each other over...

Commentary: The Pursuit of Justice: Our leaders need to take a page from Machiavelli's book.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Steven I. Platt As I write this column, Congress is still struggling with what can best be described as (in order of responsibility) the Paulson-Bernanke-Bush-Pelosi-Reid Wall Street bailout or Financial Rescue (choose one) plan....

Week in Review.
October 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Fitzgerald on track One of midtown Baltimore’s high-profile residential projects is moving forward, as developers have secured financing for the $75 million Fitzgerald at UB Midtown apartment complex...

For Maryland's Public Service Commission chairman Douglas R.M. Nazarian, a 'baptism by fire'.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Douglas R.M. Nazarian's first month on the job took an unexpected turn. Nazarian, 41, officially became chairman of the state's Public Service Commission on Aug. 16. A month later, Baltimore's Constellation...

The Daily Record News Briefs: October 3, 2008.
October 3, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff SBA, MACPA to collaborate The U.S. Small Business Administration's Baltimore District Office announced an agreement with the Maryland Association of Certified Public Accountants to facilitate streamlined...

South Baltimore man files federal suit against police officers for unlawful arrest.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney They came for the dog but left with its owner -- just its owner. So says a South Baltimore man who has filed a federal lawsuit against three city police officers, alleging they unlawfully arrested him after he...

Correction.(Correction notice)
October 3, 2008... In “Deaf fans get key ruling in FedEx Field Case” (Oct. 2, page 1A), the name of the Maryland Stadium Authority’s acting executive director was misspelled. The position is held by David Raith. The Daily Record regrets the...

Standing room only for potential jurors in Exxon leak case in Baltimore County Circuit Court.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs The last of 355 potential jurors to hear a case stemming from a 2006 gas leak at a Jacksonville gas station went through a preliminary screening process Thursday in Baltimore County Circuit Court. A group of 175...

Shaky economy brings problems to Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship in Baltimore.
October 3, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer With a shaky economy and a title sponsor about to be taken over by an out-of-state company, promoting the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship hasn't gotten any easier in its second year in Baltimore. ...

Biking on the C&O Canal.
October 4, 2008... Byline: Associated Press CUMBERLAND, Md. — Can we all just get along? That question ran quietly through my mind as I prepared to lead a dozen workmates on a four-day bicycle ride along the C&O Canal from Cumberland in western...

Place to Be.
October 4, 2008... Byline: Associated Press Ongoing The Pikesville Farmer’s Market opened July 1 on the Walker Avenue side of the Pikesville Library and Senior Center. The market is open l0:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. every Tuesday through October and...

Commentary: Baltimore's downtown spruce-up plan -- Wall Street vs. Main Street?
October 6, 2008... Byline: Joe Nathanson The new Baltimore Hilton Convention Center Hotel was the site of the recent annual meeting of the Downtown Partnership of Baltimore. This latest addition to Pratt Street was also the venue for the public unveiling of...

Maryland PSC urging discussions to address future electricity shortfall.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Maryland is facing an electricity shortfall starting in 2011, and the state's utility regulator is urging the area's grid operator to organize a regional dialogue to tackle the problem. In a letter sent Thursday...

Baltimore's Charles Street sees retailers relocating due to low foot traffic.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan Clayton & Co. Fine Books, an independent bookstore and cafe, is the latest empty storefront on the 300 block of N. Charles St., part of a small commercial strip located roughly halfway between the Inner Harbor and the...

Law Digest.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record 4th U.S. Court of Appeals Bankruptcy: Dischargeability of student loan debt: Bankruptcy court erred in concluding that debtor demonstrated undue hardship entitled her to the discharge of student loans where the...

Legal Opinions - U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals: October 6, 2008.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff 4th U.S. Court of Appeals Bankruptcy Dischargeability of student loan debt BOTTOM LINE: Bankruptcy court erred in concluding that debtor demonstrated undue hardship entitled her to the discharge of...

Legal Opinions - U.S. District Court, Maryland: October 6, 2008.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff U.S. District Court, Maryland Civil Procedure Conflict of laws BOTTOM LINE: District court granted psychiatrist's motion to dismiss malpractice suit where Maryland law applied and patient failed to...

Legal Opinions - Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings: October 6, 2008.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff OFFICE OF ADMINISTRATIVE HEARINGS Information submitted by the OAH Child Support Enforcement Federal Tax Intercept Appellant v. Child Support Enforcement Administration OAH No.: DHR-MONT-FD-08-22045...

Maryland Lawyers on the Move: October 6, 2008.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Eighteen lawyers from Ober|Kaler were recently selected by their peers for inclusion in The Best Lawyers in America 2009. The rankings put Ober|Kaler in first place for health care law and maritime law in...

Week in Review - Legal Edition.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Court hears battle over religious billboard The hot-button issue of religious expression came before the Court of Appeals as attorneys clashed over whether local officials violated federal law in rejecting a...

Commentary: Penalties too punitive under Maryland's new financial reporting law.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Editorial Advisory Board During the ongoing financial and economic crisis, the last thing that the state of Maryland should do is use an overly heavy hand to hurt Maryland companies, but that is precisely what will...

Based on contract language, federal judge dismisses suit over Silo Point construction costs.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs Call it the preposition that prevented a proposition. A federal judge has dismissed a Locust Point condominium developer's request to determine responsibility for cost overruns on the project because the contract...

Pro bono: District public defender for Southern Maryland finds atypical ways to help.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs It's kind of hard to find pro bono work, but it's there. A private practice lawyer in Maryland saying that might not get sympathy from the various pro bono organizations across the state. But when Sheila J....

Federal judge says commercial general liability policy didn't cover award for home repairs.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs A building contractor's insurance policy does not cover the amounts an arbitrator awarded to a Sparks couple for faulty home construction, a federal judge has ruled. Mutual Benefit Group, which issued the...

Stevenson University sends paralegal students to volunteer in legal clinics.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs Anatoly Smolkin does paralegal work during his full-time, paid internship with Gallagher, Evelius & Jones LLP in Baltimore. But for three hours each Friday during the fall, the senior at Stevenson University is also...

Traveling exhibit sheds light on domestic violence in Maryland.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash Domestic violence, a crime discussed little -- let alone charged -- 35 years ago, has in the past decade become vigorously prosecuted in Maryland. While courts have become more attuned to the plight of victims, more must...

Bankruptcy lawyers seeing sharp increase in work due to financial crisis.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber The meltdown in the real estate and financial markets is accomplishing what the passage of time has failed to do: giving bankruptcy lawyers more work than they can handle. Bankruptcies had been down since this time...

Chapter by chapter.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Chapter 7 of the Bankruptcy Code is available to both individual and business debtors. Its purpose is to achieve a fair distribution to creditors of the debtor’s available non-exempt property. ...

According to federal lawsuit, Baltimore-based Catholic Relief Services owes $700K.
October 6, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney Catholic Relief Services still owes more than $700,000 in penalties in connection with a food shipment to India a year ago, according to a federal lawsuit filed against the Baltimore-based humanitarian organization....

The Daily Record News Briefs: October 6, 2008.
October 6, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff No time limit on motion to amend certificate A plaintiff raising a medical malpractice claim can seek more time to file a qualified expert's certificate long after the deadline has passed, the Court of...

Md. doctors spar over in-office MRI facilities.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Steve Lash In a case pitting the state medical board against orthopedists, the state's highest court considered whether patients can receive an MRI test at their physician's office or must be tested at a facility not owned by the...

Plea deal reached in Baltimore County Circuit Court in six cold-case rapes.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs Six years ago, Laura Neuman sat steps away from Alphonso W. Hill as he pleaded guilty to second-degree rape for his October 1983 attack on her in her Baltimore apartment. Neuman again sat steps away from Hill again...

A big win for BACVA as meeting and travel exhibition to come to Baltimore.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer The Baltimore Area Convention and Visitors Association plans to announce Tuesday that the city will be the annual host of a major international convention attracting thousands of visitors and millions of dollars through...

eBay buys online payment firm Timonium-based Bill Me Later for $945M.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen Bill Me Later Inc., the venture-backed Timonium Internet company that has grabbed a big piece of the online payment business since 2000, announced Monday that it would be sold to the digital commerce giant eBay Inc. for...

Lawyer sues city, Trigen in Baltimore City Circuit Court over fall into steam pit.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney A North Baltimore lawyer who suffered serious burns over almost half her body when she fell into a downtown construction hole exactly three years ago has sued the city and the contractors involved. Arianne...

U.S. Supreme Court won't hear Balto. County LNG challenge.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Ben Mook In a major legal victory for energy company AES Corp., the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from Baltimore County challenging a liquefied natural gas facility planned for the former Bethlehem Steel...

Six Baltimore-based Doracon projects under investigation include at least $66M in public subsidies.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan The six projects at the heart of an investigation into connections between Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon and local developer Ronald H. Lipscomb represent at least $562 million in investment, with at least $66 million...

The Daily Record News Briefs: October 7, 2008.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff MAIF rate decision delayed The Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund has been granted a 45-day deferral of a decision that might have allowed it to reduce rates by nearly 5 percent, the Maryland Insurance...

With its new leadership in place in Md., sports commission getting in gear.
October 7, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer As Maryland finalizes its bids to host the NCAA lacrosse Final Four and the Army-Navy football game in the coming years, it does so this time with a professional sports marketer at the helm. Now we have a point...

Baltimore County Council kills bill to ban scrolling advertisements.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer The Baltimore County Council abandoned legislation Monday night that would have banned all portable signs such as mobile billboards and scrolling advertisements on trucks, bringing a sigh of relief to owners of such...

The Daily Record News Briefs: October 8, 2008.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff Legg's debt rating cut Baltimore-based Legg Mason Inc.'s debt rating was lowered one level to A3 by Moody's Investors Service because of expenses to support money-market funds and outflows from its stock and...

Roundtable in Baltimore seeks innovative solutions to housing crisis.(Discussion)
October 8, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Lenders have gone through an evolution to try to mitigate the financial losses attached to unpaid mortgages, and the next step could be reducing the principal that homeowners owe. There are two ways to get out of...

New trade show promises to introduce Baltimore to the world.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer Get ready, world -- there's a new Baltimore coming at you next year and it's nothing like you remembered. That's the message international trade show guru Paul Kennedy said he aims to bring when his global meeting...

New Baltimore Magazine editor has big plans to modernize the publication.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Anne Riley At the helm of Baltimore Magazine's editorial staff for less than three months, an animated Max Weiss has big plans to modernize the lifestyle journal she's worked at for nearly 15 years. And how does one add that extra...

Baltimore County Circuit Court rules same-sex ex to win visits.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Caryn Tamber In perhaps the first decision of its kind since Maryland's top court nixed the de facto parent doctrine, a judge has ruled that a woman has the right to visit her ex-girlfriend's son. An attorney for the child's...

FDIC proposal would double insurance cost.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Ben Mook Starting in April, the cost to Maryland banks to provide Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. coverage could easily double under a proposal by the agency to bolster its deposit insurance fund. On Tuesday, the FDIC released...

Md. Court of Special Appeals faults judge's coercive questioning.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney The Court of Special Appeals has issued a rare rebuke to Baltimore's chief judge, saying he tipped the scales of justice in the prosecution's favor while asking witnesses more than 125 questions during a jury trial...

Baltimore County Circuit Court allows delay of parents' trial in starvation case.
October 8, 2008... Byline: Danny Jacobs The trial of a Rodgers Forge couple accused in the December starvation death of their 2-year-old son, scheduled to begin later this month, has been postponed so the defense can obtain a medical file related to the...

Md. Court of Special Appeals revives homeowners' suit over hidden cemetery.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Christina Doran A Clarksville couple can sue the developer who allegedly concealed the existence of an 18th-century cemetery on their lot, even though they were not the original purchasers of the property. The Court of Special...

The Daily Record News Briefs: October 9, 2008.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Daily Record Staff and Wire Reports Price joins money-fund plan T. Rowe Price Associates Inc., of Baltimore, an investment management company, said its board of directors, and the boards of the T. Rowe Price money-market funds,...

Baltimore Board of Estimates approves demolition contract for Uplands housing project.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan Facing pressure to begin work immediately on Uplands, a 100-acre, $300 million residential redevelopment project in West Baltimore, the city approved a demolition contract Wednesday over the protests of critics who...

Baltimore students get a crash course in how to run a credit union.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Danielle Ulman Kierra Sanders wants to be an accountant, but she's questioning the reliability of a job in that field because of the country's distressed economy. Sanders, a senior at the National Academy Foundation High School...

BRAC funding plans may get caught in Maryland's fiscal squeeze, Lt. Gov. Brown warns.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen Lt. Gov. Anthony Brown warned Wednesday that programs related to the U.S. military's Base Realignment and Closure process are vulnerable to a round of spending cuts expected to come next week just as other spending...

Maryland's circuit and district courts wonder where panel attorney money will come from.
October 9, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney For now, Maryland's circuit and district courts will divvy up the cost for private attorneys to represent the indigent criminal defendants the state Office of the Public Defender cannot handle due to conflicts of...

Maryland Court of Appeals says state lawsuit can come after federal appeal fails.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Christina Doran The state's highest court has revived a former physician's lawsuit against Montgomery County over the treatment she received during her arrest and detention more than eight years ago. Reversing two lower-court...

Here we go again: Crisis hammers firms in Maryland market.
October 10, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record

Marylanders On the Move: October 10, 2008.
October 10, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff ACCOUNTING Regional accounting and consulting firm Katz, Abosch, Windesheim, Gershman & Freedman P.A. (KAWG&F) announced that Michael J. Agetstein has joined the firm as chair of the tax department....

Commentary: Tech Talk: Google celebrates 10th birthday with Project 10^100.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Larry Fiorino Celebrating one's birthday is a big deal. As Google, one of the world's most well-known startups, prepares to commemorate its 10th birthday, big simply does not quite convey the size of celebration. Instead,...

Week in Review.
October 10, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record eBay buying Bill Me Later Bill Me Later Inc., the venture-backed Timonium Internet company that has grabbed a big piece of the online payment business since 2000, announced Monday that it would be sold to the...

Correction.(Correction notice)
October 10, 2008... CORRECTION In “Dividing the Cost of Defense” (page 1A, Oct. 9), the categories of cases in which the Office of the Public Defender will pay for panel attorneys were misstated. The office will continue to provide panel attorneys...

SE Baltimore faces gridlock onslaught as developments take shape.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Andy Rosen and Robbie Whelan Heading west on Fleet Street through Fells Point on a typical Friday afternoon, traffic is mostly clear. During morning rush hour, cars move eastward from the bottom of Interstate 83 at a brisk 30 mph....

Federal U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reverses Johns Hopkins' win on clot-busting device.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney A New Jersey company's bloodclot-buster does not infringe three patents the Johns Hopkins University licensed to a medical device manufacturer, a divided appeals court has held. The decision by the Federal U.S....

Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival entries up 23 percent over '07.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Liz Farmer As the mob that takes to the Baltimore streets each October gets bigger every year, the Under Armour Baltimore Running Festival will continue to grow -- as organizer Lee Corrigan puts it -- until the streets can't handle...

The Daily Record News Briefs: October 10, 2008.
October 10, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Staff GSA picks preferred SSA site The U.S. General Services Administration said it has selected state-owned land in Northwest Baltimore as the preferred site for relocating Social Security Administration...

Baltimore Development Corp. looking to redevelop mansion owned by bottle cap inventor.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Robbie Whelan The Baltimore Development Corp. is seeking a developer for the Inn at Government House, a historic mansion in Mount Vernon that was once home to William Painter, inventor of the bottle cap. A request for proposals...

U.S. District Court: Pikesville methadone clinic can stay for 2 years.
October 10, 2008... Byline: Brendan Kearney The Pikesville methadone clinic that has, since its founding, beaten back Baltimore County's efforts to force it to relocate, may remain where it stands for another two years, a judge has ruled in U.S. District...

Letters to the Editor.(Letter to the editor)
October 10, 2008... Byline: The Daily Record Railroads can ease our road woes, spur development Railroads are a vital component in the economic development of the Baltimore region. Businesses need transportation options and solutions. Yet, the pressure...

Maryland's winter offseason at the beach has its own charm.
October 11, 2008... Byline: Karen Nitkin A winter getaway in a beach town can be magical. You can't help but feel like you have the place to yourself as you walk along the wind-whipped sand, admiring the churning gray sea. Many shops and restaurants stay...