Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) articles from February 2003

Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) archives from February 2003

2002 Top ten most important cases on sexual predator law.
February 1, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess The process for involuntary confinement of sexual predators after their prison sentences have ended became clearer last May, when the Missouri Supreme Court held that offenders must be found as having a mental illness...

Benton County ban on nude dancing upheld by Court of Appeals.
February 1, 2003... Byline: Deborah Fauver A county ordinance banning nude dancing was upheld last week by a unanimous panel of the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which cited both zoning and public indecency cases in rejecting First Amendment claims...

Missourians in the News Feb. 1, 2003.
February 1, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess Erik O. Solverud has been elected partner at the law firm Spencer Fane Britt & Browne L.L.P. He practices in the litigation practice group, and his practice areas include general civil litigation and complex commercial...

Grandparent visitation ruling significant despite new law.
February 4, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter Missouri grandparents enjoyed a short-lived victory last summer when the Missouri Supreme Court deemed constitutional the law that allows grandparents to sue even married parents for visitation rights. The high...

Case centers on rights of unborn child's supposed father.
February 5, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess The question of the rights of the unborn is always a sticky question, but when it comes to the rights of the unborn child's supposed father, the question becomes even stickier. Last October, the Missouri Court of...

Large jury verdicts upheld in copter crash lawsuit.
February 6, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter A wrongful death lawsuit against the electric cooperative that failed to mark power lines over the Osage River was finally completed last year -- four years after the original jury trial was held in the city of St....

Missouri legislators learn about juvenile court system.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter Missouri legislators were given a crash course in juvenile justice and the state's foster care system on Monday afternoon at the first Juvenile Justice Symposium for Missouri Legislators. The symposium, held at the...

Recycling plan promotes remodeling environmental benefits.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon Economic belt-tightening has many corporations putting some construction plans on hold and others investing their dollars into refurbishing and remodeling existing physical plants. In an effort to encourage in-house...

Ruling clarifies procedures in child relocation cases.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter Family law attorneys welcomed a Missouri appellate court decision last December that allows parents to move out of state with their children when the nonmoving parent fails to object to the move within 30 days of...

Licensing bill promoted to secure safety, wages.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon A Missouri state Senate bill being considered this session would require crews that build, set up and install manufactured homes to be licensed by the state and undergo specific training requirements. Sponsored by state...

Juvenile Justice Symposium for Missouri Legislators held.
February 7, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter Family court judges and social services personnel fielded questions from area legislators in small group sessions held Monday afternoon as part of the Juvenile Justice Symposium for Missouri Legislators. The breakout...

Ruling clarifies workers' compensation last exposure rule.
February 8, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess Last June, the Missouri Supreme Court settled the dispute as to which employer is responsible in repetitive motion injury cases when multiple employers are involved under the "last exposure rule." While some have lauded...

Missourians in the News Feb. 8, 2003.
February 8, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess Michael Morris, a partner in the business litigation practice area of the law firm Thompson Coburn L.L.P., has been named to the BTI Consulting Group's Client Service All Star Team. His practice encompasses antitrust,...

Inventor of the Year Banquet to be held.
February 8, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess This month, the Patent, Trademark & Copyright Section of the Bar Association of St. Louis will be toasting St. Louis' premier inventors at its Inventor of the Year Banquet, to be held on Tuesday, Feb. 18, at BAMSL's new...

Admin. law judges must investigate further questions of witness credibility.
February 11, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess Administrative law judges may not discount witnesses' testimony as not credible without further probing expert witnesses and without the consideration of additional evidence, ruled a unanimous panel of the 8th U.S....

Missouri Court of Appeals clarifies definition of major extremity.
February 12, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, clarified the definition of "major extremity" yesterday to include the foot in permanent partial disability cases at the 110-week level. The court had previously ruled on...

Death row antipsychotic drug order upheld.
February 12, 2003... Byline: Deborah Fauver The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals drew nationwide attention this week with an en banc decision upholding the forced administration of antipsychotic drugs to an Arkansas death row inmate, who would be deemed sane...

Supreme Court confirms judges' right to dismiss cases.
February 14, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess An en banc panel of the Missouri Supreme Court gave new interpretation to a subsection of the Missouri speedy trial statute, holding that judges have the inherent authority to dismiss a criminal case without prejudice if...

Builders support proposed reduction of multifamily insurance premiums.
February 14, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon The National Association of Home Builders has issued support for the segment of President George W. Bush's 2004 federal budget that calls for lower premiums for multifamily insurance. Multifamily insurance is issued...

$18 million verdict shows high cost of ignoring real estate safety.
February 14, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon One cannot begin to place a price tag on human life. However, the high cost of real estate managers failing to address safety needs was demonstrated last week when an $18 million wrongful death award was handed to the...

High-tech upgrades offered in Clayton office complex.
February 14, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon While the majority of neighboring office buildings continue to rely on traditional copper telephone lines for communication needs, the owners of the Pierre Laclede Center office complex, located in Clayton, have begun...

Schowalter & Jabouri P.C. adds accountant to staff.
February 15, 2003... Byline: press release Tina M. Heischmidt has joined Schowalter & Jabouri P.C., Certified Public Accountants, in its accounting services and tax department.

2003 president of St. Louis Chapter American Institute of Architects installed.
February 15, 2003... Byline: press release Vernon J. Remiger, principal and chief operating officer at Arcturis, was installed as 2003 president of the St. Louis chapter of the American Institute of Architects. He is supported by the following officers and...

The Commerce Trust Co. names new assistant vice president.
February 15, 2003... Byline: press release Robin Chanitz has been promoted to assistant vice president and business development officer for The Commerce Trust Co. She has been with the company for more than 12 years. She received her bachelor's degree in...

Accounting firm announces two promotions, one award.
February 15, 2003... Byline: press release Anders Minkler & Diehl L.L.P., Certified Accountants, has announced that John C. Scott, CPA, CVA, and Robert J. Minkler Jr., CPA, CVA, have become partners in the firm and that Thomas E. Hilton, director of the...

Professional Office Design merges with Directions In Design Inc.
February 15, 2003... Byline: press release Cindy Neill Belmont, ASID, formerly president of Professional Office Design Inc., has merged the company with Directions In Design Inc. She will head a new division at DID that will focus on designing small medical...

Environmental engineering firm names new senior associate.
February 15, 2003... Byline: press release John Bognar has been named a senior associate at Leggette, Brashears & Graham Inc., a professional groundwater and environmental engineering services firm. He is a certified professional geologist by the American...

Geotechnology Inc. in Top 50 Design Firms in North America for 2002.
February 15, 2003... Byline: press release Geotechnolgy Inc. was named as one of Trenchless Technology's Top 50 Design Firms in North America for 2002. This is the second year that Geotechnolgy has received this distinction. Microtunneling, pipe jacking, pipe...

Clayco Construction Co. hires new project executive.
February 15, 2003... Byline: press release David A. Brewer has joined Clayco Construction Co. as a project executive. With more than 20 years of construction industry experience, he is focusing on new business and project development for Clayco, with an...

Real estate community mourns loss of St. Louis investor.
February 15, 2003... Byline: Erin Suess St. Louis real estate investor Solon Gershman died Wednesday, Feb. 5, at his home in Ladue of heart failure at the age of 84. Gershman had been involved in the real estate business for more than 50 years and was...

Developers must exhaust appeals in state court before filing constitutional claims in federal court.
February 15, 2003... Byline: Deborah Fauver Developers who claim that local building restrictions amount to an unconstitutional taking of their property need to exhaust all appeals through state courts before filing a claim in federal district court, held a...

Missouri Court of Appeals rules on defamation lawsuit.
February 19, 2003... Byline: Donna Walter A Creve Coeur resident's letter asking the City Council to determine whether Mayor Annette Kolis Mandel violated the city charter in the performance of her job stated opinions, not factual statements, was not...

Judge McMillian honored with ABA diversity award.
February 20, 2003... Byline: press release Judge Theodore McMillian, the first African-American to serve on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, received the 2002 American Bar Association Spirit of Excellence from the ABA Commission on Racial and Ethnic...

St. Louis Freedom Suits now available in online archive.
February 21, 2003... Byline: Rebecca Weisser The St. Louis Freedom Suits, legal petitions for liberation from slavery, are now available through an online archive, announced Secretary of State Matt Blunt and Mariano Favazza, the St. Louis circuit clerk, in a...

Home-buying benefit offered with union membership.
February 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon After using St. Louis as a test market with unspecified success, the AFL-CIO took a home-buying benefit plan nationwide last week as a joint venture with Fannie Mae and Countrywide Home Loans. The Hit Home program is...

Congress keeps banks out of real estate sales.
February 21, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon The omnibus spending package passed last week by the U.S. House and Senate includes a provision being applauded by real estate agents who have been battling to keep mortgage bankers out of the home-selling business. The...

Rubin, Brown, Gornstein & Co. LLP hires new tax manager.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release Theresa E. Schermann, CPA, has joined Rubin, Brown, Gornstein & Co. LLP as a tax manager specializing in corporate taxation with a focus on complex consolidated taxpayers. Schermann has held positions with Jefferson...

St. Louis Area Hotel Assn. elects new officers, board.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release The St. Louis Area Hotel Association has elected and installed its new officers and board of directors. The 2003 officers are: president, Dan Gustafson, general manager, St. Louis Marriott Pavilion; vice president,...

Burns & McDonnell names new president, CEO.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release Greg M. Graves, P.E. has been named president and chief operating officer of Burns & McDonnell, effective January 1, 2003. Graves most recently served as president of the firm's Energy Group; he served as general...

Nominees chosen to fill vacancy on St. Louis Circuit Court.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release The St. Louis City Judicial Commission announced on Friday the panel of three nominees to be submitted to Gov. Bob Holden to fill the associate judge vacancy on the St. Louis Circuit Court created by the appointment...

2003 board chair of Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District elected.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release Kenneth J. Rothman was elected 2003 board chair of the Metropolitan Zoological Park and Museum District on January 21, 2003. Rothman is currently of counsel with the law firm Capes, Sokol, Goodman, and Sarachan. He...

Ascent Corp. hires human resource manager.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release Laurie Lilly has joined Ascent Corp. in the newly created position of human resource manager. Lilly handles all employee relations, manages the interview and placement process, administers the benefits program and...

Thompson Coburn LLP adds partner.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release Janette M. Lohman has joined Thompson Coburn LLP as a partner in the Taxation Practice Area effective February 3, 2003. Lohman, most recently partner in the St. Louis office of Blackwell Sanders Peper Martin LLP, will...

Evans & Dixon LLC adds new associate.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release Sarah H. Fehrenbacher has been added as an associate in Evans & Dixon, L.L.C.'s Workers Compensation Practice, litigation section. Based in the firm's St. Louis office, she represents major insurance carriers and...

Husch & Eppenberger LLC adds associate to staff.
February 22, 2003... Byline: press release Stacy Engles Wipfler has joined Husch & Eppenberger, LLC's Clayton office as an associate attorney in the land use development and financing practice group. Wipfler concentrates her legal practice in the areas of real...

St. Louis chapter of Women Lawyer's Assn. hold annual seminar.
February 25, 2003... Byline: Rebecca Weisser The Women Lawyer's Association of Greater St. Louis met Friday for its annual Legislative Seminar. This year's event, themed "The Impact of Economy on Missouri Families: What Every Lawyer Needs to Know," featured...

Defense verdict upheld in medical malpractice suit.
February 26, 2003... Byline: Rebecca Weisser A Missouri appellate court upheld a defense verdict in a medical malpractice lawsuit brought by the parents of an infant boy whom they claimed was rendered sterile during an operation to drain fluid from the sac...

Notice of fall on city's property sufficient for lawsuit to be heard.
February 27, 2003... Byline: Rebecca Weisser The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, found that a plaintiff seeking damages related to his fall on a patch of uneven sidewalk did comply with the law in giving Glendale City Hall sufficient notice of his...

Mortgage officer wants to eliminate down payments.
February 28, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon Angelo Mozilo, chairman, president and chief executive officer with Countrywide Financial Corp., has called on the mortgage lending industry to eliminate down payments for home loans and substantially reduce the amounts...

Predatory lending bill draws unexpected criticism.
February 28, 2003... Byline: Mike Nixon A proposed federal anti-predatory lending bill introduced in the House of Representatives is being criticized by an unexpected source -- advocates for low- to moderate-income families typically targeted by unscrupulous...