Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) articles from March 2004

Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) archives from March 2004

St. Peters ordinance requires vacant building registration.
March 2, 2004... Byline: James Monahan Vacant commercial buildings can quickly become an eyesore, especially when they are situated on prime city property. Further, they don't generate tax revenues proportionate to their location. City officials in St....

Educational funding agency in St. Charles expands.
March 2, 2004... Byline: Kathleen T. Brady After four years of being cramped in the back space of its office on Main Street, Educational Funding & Financial Aid Specialists now has room to breathe. EFFAS expanded its office at 300 N. Main St. in St....

St. Louis-Mound City Bar Association celebrates Black History Month with dinner.
March 2, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter Lawyers and judges of various races and ethnicities came together last Thursday to celebrate how far this country has come in the area of civil rights and to recommit to taking the country farther down that road at the...

Brain surgery system developer earns St. Louis' Inventor of the Year honors.
March 2, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess How do you reward an inventor who has saved countless lives by creating a device that provides neurosurgeons with a map to guide them through the innermost regions of the brain? By honoring him with the 2004 Bar...

Commentary: The law of finding `lost' property in Missouri.
March 3, 2004... Byline: Joseph J. Simeone Editor's note: This is part one of a two-part article. Part two will be published in the issue of March 10. I. Introduction One would have thought that in the 183-year history of the state of Missouri,...

8th Circuit rules MO Dept. of Education responsible for disabled student's tuition.
March 3, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright Finding a suitable school for Katherine was tough enough for Andrew and Martha Lewis, but when the Springfield R-12 School District found itself unable to provide constructive learning, the Lewises found themselves...

Daniel A. Raniere honored as a distinguished lawyer by The Lawyers Assn. of St. Louis.
March 4, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright Daniel A. Raniere has joined the ranks of The Lawyers Association of St. Louis' distinguished lawyers as a recipient of the organization's Award of Honor. "I'm humbled and honored," he said. "This is just a...

Darren Gosling joins Midwest BankCentre as executive vice president-South Region.
March 5, 2004... Byline: staff Midwest BankCentre has expanded its commercial lending staff to serve customers in northern Jefferson County. Darren Gosling has joined as executive vice president-South Region in charge of lending in Jefferson County,...

8th Circuit opinions examine judicial bias.
March 5, 2004... Byline: Deborah Fauver Two 8th Circuit panels probed the boundaries of judicial bias this week, concluding in both cases that lower court judges had properly refused to step aside in the face of bias allegations. Both cases involved...

American Bar Assn. issues opinion on criminal defense lawyers posting bond for clients.
March 5, 2004... Byline: staff Significant ethical risks prohibit criminal defense lawyers from arranging or posting bond for clients in all but the rarest of cases, but there may be tactical reasons for them to do so and circumstances where they may. ...

Injured passenger sues trucking company, insurance carriers, and husband.
March 5, 2004... Byline: Cathy Kingsley Since a husband and wife no longer have spousal immunity in the state of Missouri, Elaine D. Cooley is able to sue her husband, Richard D. Cooley, as well as the company of the truck that hit their vehicle. On...

St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers simulates a bid day experience.
March 5, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess In a frenzy rarely seen outside of Wall Street, members of the St. Louis Council of Construction Consumers simulated what a general contractor's office resembles during a bid day's 12th hour, at its Bid Day Simulation &...

According to U.S. Census Bureau report, older homes offer new value.
March 5, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon Existing home sales might have been off last month by 5.2 percent, in large part due to seasonal adjustments and weather conditions, but older homes can hold a hidden value for buyers who find themselves limited by the...

Real estate regulation call draws mixed reaction from lending institutions and builders.
March 5, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon Testimony during last week's hearing before the U.S. Senate Banking Housing and Urban Affairs Committee drew mixed reaction among residential real estate lending institutions, builders and financial experts. Federal...

Lawyer denied job as work-comp ALJ wins age-discrimination appeal.
March 5, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter A Missouri appeals court upheld a $383,577.10 judgment awarded to a Hermann, Mo., attorney who was turned down twice for the position of administrative law judge or legal adviser in the St. Louis office of the Division...

MO Court of Appeals rules that trustee must be open, honest in transactions.
March 5, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess When a trustee failed to be open when entering into a business contract with the family whose trust fund he managed, he breached his fiduciary duty to the family, ruled the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, on...

Missouri governor announces appointments to state's Ethics Commission.
March 6, 2004... Byline: staff Gov. Holden appointed Michael Dunard of Troy, Mo., Dr. Warren Nieburg of Camdenton, Mo., and Robert Simpson of Potosi, Mo., to the Missouri Ethics Commission. Dunard, a Democrat, is a real estate agent at Meyer and Black Real...

Blake W. Burroughs joins Coldwell Banker Commercial as a maintenance technician.
March 6, 2004... Byline: staff Blake W. Burroughs has joined Coldwell Banker Commercial C.R.A. L.L.C. as a maintenance technician, where he will develop and implement a preventive maintenance program, handle work orders and preform routine property...

St. Louis City Circuit clerk unveils new data system on Web site.
March 6, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess St. Louis City Circuit Clerk Mariano Favazza on Wednesday unveiled a new system available on the Circuit Clerk's Web site that contains information on both civil and criminal cases being tried in St. Louis City. This...

Kenneth L. Coyne becomes a principal at the law firm of Jenkins & Kling P.C. in Clayton, Mo.
March 6, 2004... Byline: staff Kenneth L. Coyne has become a principal at the law firm of Jenkins & Kling P.C. in Clayton, Mo., practicing in the firm's litigation group. Coyne received his B.S.B.A. magna cum laude from Saint Louis University, emphasizing...

Robert C. Johnson and Lisa C. Langeneckert to join The Stolar Partnership.
March 6, 2004... Byline: staff Robert C. Johnson and Lisa C. Langeneckert of the Robert C. Johnson Law Firm will join The Stolar Partnership as of counsel and associate, respectively, bringing representation of industrial and major healthcare clients to...

Anne Murphy Hill to join St. Louis-based Murphy Co.
March 6, 2004... Byline: staff Murphy Co., St. Louis' largest mechanical contractor, has enlisted Anne Murphy Hill as a project estimator and business development representative. After receiving her B.A. in architecture from Princeton University, she...

Matthew T. Stack, III joins the law firm of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C. as an associate.
March 6, 2004... Byline: staff Matthew T. Stack, III has joined the law firm of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C. as an associate. Bringing experience in the renovation and redevelopment of properties through federal and state tax credit programs, he will...

Women legislators share their struggles with Women's Lawyers' Assn. of Greater St. Louis.
March 9, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter Women legislators shared their campaign war stories and lessons learned with a group of women lawyers and urged them to seek elective office and to support their female colleagues who run for office. The Women...

Commentary: The law of finding 'lost' property in Missouri: Part II.
March 10, 2004... Byline: Joseph J. Simeone Editor's note: This is part two of a two-part article. Part one was published in the issue of March 3. VI. Lost property27 Ever since the early leading case of Armory vs. Delamirie,28 involving the...

Missouri Court of Appeals reduces $775,000 default judgment award.
March 10, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright An inadequate discovery response may have cost two partners in a three-way business endeavor thousands, but it could have been worse. Some of the financial strain felt by a couple who misled their business...

Prosecutor presents plans for grand jury in Jefferson County to circuit court.
March 11, 2004... Byline: Cathy Kingsley Prosecuting Attorney Bob Wilkins believes that having a grand jury in Jefferson County would speed up the legal process. Wilkins' idea was met with harsh criticism as he presented it before the circuit judges during...

Mortgage Bankers Association of St. Louis elects new officers.
March 11, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess The Mortgage Bankers Association of St. Louis announced its appointment of the 2004 executive officers who will lead the association, now in its 75th year. The newly appointed officers are looking forward to another...

Residential real estate markets strong in majority of Federal Reserve districts.
March 11, 2004... Byline: staff Residential real estate markets continued to be strong in the majority of Federal Reserve districts, according to a recent report compiled by the Federal Reserve Bank. The report notes that although cold temperatures and...

Home refinancing might not be deductible at tax time in certain cases.
March 11, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon Thousands of homeowners got a pretty good deal this past year when they took advantage of historically low interest rates and refinanced their homes. However, as some prepare to file their federal tax returns this year...

MO Supreme Court denies former faculty member's request for a venue change.
March 11, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright In the age of turf warfare, where a person lives and where a person works tells you less about where they shop and more about where they file. So says the Missouri Supreme Court in an opinion handed down on...

Missouri Supreme Court rules tour company, restaurant liable for sales tax.
March 11, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter Surrey's on the Plaza, which runs horse-drawn carriage tours in Kansas City's Country Club Plaza, is a "place of amusement" and subject to sales tax, the Missouri Supreme Court said Tuesday. In addition, the court...

FTC confirms homeowners confused about disclosures.
March 11, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon The Federal Trade Commission released the results of a study last week that confirm what homeowners have known for years: when it comes to disclosure rules and real estate brokers, they do not know what to believe. The...

Missouri Supreme Court cases deal with meaning of reasonable suspicion.
March 12, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess Police officers should take note of two decisions handed down by the Missouri Supreme Court on Tuesday that clarify what makes up reasonable suspicion and when officers can act on that suspicion. The suspicions of...

Terry G. Davis C.P.A. named chief financial officer of American Equity Mortgage.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Terry G. Davis C.P.A. has been named chief financial officer of American Equity Mortgage, where he will focus on cash management, maximization and risk management. He will continue to supervise all daily accounting and...

Kuhlmann Design Group Inc. announces the addition of three new architectural interns.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Kuhlmann Design Group Inc. has announced the addition of Jaclyn Souders, Tara Turnage and Will Wagner to the firm as architectural interns. Souders graduated from Drury University and will assist on commercial hospitality...

Venus V. Harry Esq. joins the Law Offices of Susan L. Ward L.L.C.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Venus V. Harry Esq. has joined The Law Offices of Susan L. Ward L.L.C., practicing in the area of domestic relations. She was previously recognized for her achievements by the Springfield Business Journal's "40 under 40"...

Armstrong Teasdale L.L.P. expands its intellectual property practice to Kansas City, Mo.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Armstrong Teasdale L.L.P. has expanded its intellectual property practice to Kansas City, Mo. The expansion will be led by Evan Sotiriou, an experienced patent attorney. In the past, he has advised clients in all aspects of...

Barbara L. Graham joins The Business Law Group.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Barbara L. Graham has joined The Business Law Group, where she will handle entertainment law cases as well as domestic relations and family law cases. She previously practiced entertainment and domestic relations cases at the...

Kyle St. Peter named director of marketing and office principal for Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Kyle St. Peter, group vice president and marketing director of Hellmuth, Obata + Kassabaum Inc. HOK in its St. Louis office, has been named director of marketing and office principal for the firm's North Central Region. He...

U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rules punitive damages may be pursued in lawsuit over used car.
March 13, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter A man who bought a used car for his daughter will have another chance to pursue a claim for punitive damages against the seller of the car, who lied in saying the car had never been in any accidents. On Tuesday,...

Missouri congressman touts benefits of regional government for St. Louis and St. Louis County.
March 13, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon The real reason behind a governmental split in 1876 that separated the city of St. Louis from St. Louis County is lost in history. Some sources claim city residents did not want to be associated with what they charged...

Washington University names Edward F. Lawlor dean of the School of Social Work.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Washington University has named Edward F. Lawlor dean of the George Warren Brown School of Social Work, succeeding Shanti K. Khinduka Ph.D., who will retire as dean on June 30, 2004, after serving almost 30 years in the...

Gov. Bob Holden appoints Larry Webber to Missouri Highway and Transportation Comm.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Gov. Bob Holden has appointed Larry Webber of Mexico, Mo., to the State Highway and Transportation Commission, which works to preserve, enhance and support Missouri's transportation system as a policy-making and...

Robert C. Hardy joins Clayco Construction Co. as a project manager.
March 13, 2004... Byline: staff Robert C. Hardy has joined Clayco Construction Co. as a project manager, bringing more than 17 years of experience in project management. Prior to working with Clayco, Hardy worked in project management for Poettker...

St. Louis City Circuit Court jury awards railroad engineer $2.975M over accident.
March 13, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess A St. Louis City Circuit Court jury recently awarded a Missouri resident $2.975 million against a trucking company, whose truck caused an accident that injured him and ended his career. Charles Payne, a 59-year-old...

Changes in Missouri codes and regulations now available by email.
March 16, 2004... Byline: staff The Office of the Secretary of State recently made changes in Missouri codes and regulations available for e-mail notification. "This is something that is so user-friendly that once you sign up, you can be notified for...

Policy covers psychologist for failure to warn of future abuse by patient.
March 16, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter An insurance company must provide coverage for a psychologist's failure to warn of a patient's propensity to continue sexually abusing his daughter, according to a decision handed down on Thursday by the 8th U.S....

Court finds limited liability in barge accident.
March 16, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright Damage awards bestowed upon the owners of a floating casino struck by a towboat pushing two cement barges down the Mississippi River won't be as much as the casino owners had hoped, but it will be something. In...

Wrong analysis used in antitrust case.
March 17, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess Voluntary trade associations take note: Be wary of businesses exerting undue influence over policy decisions. A divided 8th Circuit on Monday reversed a multimillion-dollar award against Ford, GM, several limousine...

Antenuptial agreement improperly entered at trial.
March 17, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright Despite the antenuptial agreement entered into evidence that prevented an ex-wife from recovering maintenance awards, court-imposed sanctions, which banned her former husband from presenting evidence, could mean he...

Philippines has jurisdiction in custody dispute.
March 18, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright In a world made boundless by airplanes and leaping technology, who has the jurisdiction to determine the fate of a child born in one country but transported across the globe? Not the state of Missouri, the...

Owner must give up land acquired in tax sale.
March 18, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter Seventeen years after Nina Petty bought property at a collector's delinquent tax sale, she has been told she'll have to give it up. But the individuals who challenged her title to the property have also been told to...

Memorial service on Saturday for former judge.
March 18, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess Former St. Louis City Circuit Court Judge David A. McMullan passed away last Friday, March 12. He was 99 years old. "He was on the bench when I came on in 1972, and I think he was still there in 1974 or '75, when he...

Missey named administrative judge, chair of Family Court Committee.
March 19, 2004... Byline: Cathy Kingsley Judge Darrell Missey, associate circuit judge for the juvenile division, has been named administrative judge for family court of the Jefferson County Circuit Court. A family court committee was formed at the last...

Laser scanning offers next generation construction tool.
March 19, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon In the early 1980s computer-aided design - commonly referred to as CAD technology - revolutionized the worlds of engineering, architecture and construction. Twenty years later, CAD is looking limited as more building...

St. Louis Recorder of Deeds now offering e-recording services.
March 19, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess The St. Louis City Recorder of Deeds is ahead of the game, becoming the second county recorder in Missouri to fulfill a federal mandate requiring recorders to provide electronic recording services to customers. The...

Commentary: Home computer problems: A necessary evil?
March 19, 2004... Byline: Eytan M. Rodin As the prices of computers have steadily come down over the course of the last several years, more people have found the need or at least desire to have one at home. It's hard not to find a good deal with all the...

Report shows unequal access in mortgage lending.
March 19, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon It is easy to believe with increased home-buying products available, continued low interest rates and persistent activity in the residential real estate market, that lending discrimination against low-income and minority...

Legal Services Corp. decides to scrap plan for statewide legal aid program.
March 19, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter Legal Services Corp. will no longer seek to reconfigure the delivery system of legal services to the poor in Missouri under one statewide corporation. Instead, the national corporation will continue to fund the four...

Insufficient evidence found in slip-and-fall lawsuit.
March 19, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess Slipping on a patch of ice may lead to injury but may not always translate to an award for damages, held the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, on Tuesday, affirming a jury's finding that the garage owners were...

Sativa Boatman accepts position at Springfield office of Lincoln-Evans Land Title.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff Sativa Boatman, a real estate title law attorney at Lincoln-Evans Land Title, has taken a position as counsel and vice president of production for the firm's Springfield, Mo., office, where she will continue to handle...

Julia Bruzina joins law firm of Behr, McCarter & Potter as an associate.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff Julia Bruzina has joined the law firm of Behr, McCarter & Potter as an associate. She will concentrate her practice in the areas of business litigation and medical malpractice defense. She is a recent graduate of Saint Louis...

St. Louis Employee Relocation Council announces its 2004 board of directors.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff The St. Louis Employee Relocation Council has recently announced its 2004 board of directors. Sitting on the board are: Amy Andrews of Sterling Relocation, ReMax Connection, who will be president and membership co-chair;...

Missouri Court of Appeals finds evidence sufficient to suspend driving privileges.
March 20, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess A trial court went against the evidence in returning driving privileges to a man who drove with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.179 percent, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District ruled on Tuesday. The...

21st Judicial Circuit Comm. announces nominees for associate circuit judge in St. Louis County.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff The 21st Judicial Circuit Commission announced on Friday a panel of nominees for the position of associate circuit judge in the county of St. Louis. The associate circuit judge vacancy was created by the appointment of...

Todd S. Snyder joins Husch & Eppenberger L.L.C.'s tax and estate planning group.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff Todd S. Snyder has joined Husch & Eppenberger L.L.C.'s tax and estate planning practice group as an associate. He will focus his energy on the areas of wealth preservation and business succession plans for individuals and...

Johnson Development Co. moves its headquarters.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff Johnson Development Co. has moved its headquarters to 11330 Olive Blvd., Suite 317, in Creve Coeur, Mo., 63141. The new phone number is (314)995-9001, and the new fax number is (314)995-9046.

TRiSTAR Business Communities moves its new headquarters.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff TRiSTAR Business Communities has moved its new headquarters to 390 S. Woods Mill Road, Suite 160, in Chesterfield, Mo., 63017. TRiSTAR is one of the region's leading privately held developers of industrial and office...

Thomas Pallesen appointed director of interactive division at Adamson Advertising.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff Thomas Pallesen has been appointed director of the interactive division at Adamson Advertising. During his 15-year multimedia career, he has led the creation of three award-winning interactive departments and has built his...

Nat. Assn. of Women Business Owners, St. Louis, holds annual awards dinner.
March 20, 2004... Byline: staff The National Association of Women Business Owners, St. Louis, recently honored Terry Hampton, Rebecca Herwick and Jeanetta Hill at its 15th Annual Distinguished Women Business Owner Awards Dinner. Hampton, president and...

Gateway Chapter of Assn. of Legal Administrators installs new president.
March 23, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright The Gateway Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators rang in its new year under new leadership last Wednesday during a monthly meeting held at Kemoll's. During its induction ceremony, hosted by 15-year...

Applicants sought for circuit court vacancy.
March 23, 2004... Byline: staff The 21st Judicial Circuit Commission (St. Louis County) is accepting applications for the position of circuit judge. The vacancy is created by the retirement of Judge Philip J. Sweeney, effective May 1, 2004. The...

Housing authority lacked evidence to evict tenant.
March 24, 2004... Byline: Emily Umbright A visitor's criminal record won't stop a Wellston resident from renting a subsidized apartment from the local public housing authority, the Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, affirmed on Tuesday. "The...

Prejudgment interest awarded in negligence case.
March 24, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter A company that transports physically and mentally handicapped individuals is liable for the injuries suffered by a woman who was thrown out of her seat in an accident because she wasn't wearing a seat belt. The...

Plaintiff loses personal injury claim due to lack of evidence.
March 24, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess When a woman testified that she didn't see any ice or snow where she fell, she lost her claim for damages against a condominium and its maintenance crew. The Missouri Court of Appeals, Eastern District, affirmed a...

Murder suspect's statements did not violate his rights.
March 25, 2004... Byline: Donna Walter A St. Charles man convicted of two counts of capital murder in 1982 has lost his most recent appeal - a habeas petition before the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in which he argued that the state trial court should...

Buyers want Maryland Walk condos.
March 26, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess Some deals are so good that even cynical Show-Me-State residents will snatch them up sight unseen. That seems to be the case with Conrad Properties' newest project, Maryland Walk, a high-rise currently under construction...

Home contractors advise caution with some customers.
March 26, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon Spring has arrived, and homeowners are making post-winter checks on their property, noting damage left behind by ice and snow or facing, once again, those improvement projects that did not get completed last fall. With...

Attorney general warns homeowners to be wary of lien laws.
March 26, 2004... Byline: Mike Nixon Having a written contract is an essential consumer and contractor protection tool when a homeowner and home improvement specialist enter into a work agreement. Reading and understanding the contract before signing is...

Bill would bar insurers from canceling coverage.
March 26, 2004... Byline: Cathy Kingsley With tornado season approaching, there is sure to be devastating tornados and storms, causing severe damage to homes. But homeowners should be leery of submitting claims for damage to their insurance companies. ...

Robert Tucker, former clerk for 8th U.S. Circuit Court passes away.
March 26, 2004... Byline: Erin Suess Longtime member of the legal community, Robert C. Tucker, passed away on Saturday, March 20, of a heart attack. He was 83 years old. Tucker was remembered for many things: his guardianship of the appellate court...

Polsinelli Shalton & Welte adds Julia N. Gwinn and Richard A. Voytas Jr. to St. Louis office.
March 27, 2004... Byline: staff Polsinelli Shalton & Welte has added Julia N. Gwinn and Richard A. Voytas Jr. to its St. Louis office. Gwinn joins as an associate who will practice in the firm's litigation department. She received her J.D. from Washington...

Kimber L. Monroe named associate at the law firm of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C.
March 27, 2004... Byline: staff Kimber L. Monroe has become an associate at the law firm of Greensfelder, Hemker & Gale P.C., where she will be a member of the litigation practice group, focusing on general and commercial litigation and emphasizing...