Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) articles from November 2007

Daily Record (St. Louis, MO/St. Louis Countian) archives from November 2007

Warren Welliver, ex-Missouri Supreme Court judge, dies at 87.(Obituary)
November 1, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka Warren Welliver, a former Missouri Supreme Court judge from Columbia, died Monday, the high court announced on Wednesday. He was 87. An appointee of Democratic Gov. Joe Teasdale, Welliver served on the court for 10...

Former Minnesota lawyer claims discrimination by AG.
November 1, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese An attorney who once worked for the state's social services agency claims Attorney General Jay Nixon's office discriminated against her in not offering a job because she is a quadriplegic. Marla Grothoff, of Columbia,...

Correction.(Correction notice)
November 1, 2007... A story on Tuesday about the American Bar Association's call for a moratorium on executions incorrectly identified the location of the Potosi Correctional Center. The facility is in Washington County.

Child support law in Missouri changes for children in college.
November 2, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese Missouri lawmakers this year slightly lowered the age to which noncustodial parents must pay for their children's college education, but the political compromise has angered people on both sides of the issue. Some...

Wentzville student sues over school suspension.
November 2, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka The Wentzville School District made its final arguments Wednesday defending in federal court its disciplinary actions against a 10th grade student accused of forcible sodomy. The student, identified in court records...

Public defenders to start refusing cases next year.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese The state Public Defenders Commission has given the green light for offices to refuse cases when the workload is too high, but leaders say public defenders likely won't start turning any away until 2008. The commission...

Alleged gambling kingpin awaits charges.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka A month after the U.S. Attorney's Office indicated it was investigating a Chesterfield man on suspicion of running an illegal gambling ring, no charges have been filed and the man is apparently walking free. Douglas...

Activist loses appeal in suit against city.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Civil rights activist Percy Green II has lost another round in his employment suit against the city of St. Louis. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a jury's decision last year that Green was not a...

Wright City landfill sued for cleanup costs.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter The federal government sued a Warren County landfill last week, seeking to recoup $619,000 in cleanup costs. The landfill, located about three miles southwest of Wright City, is on 120 acres of land owned by LaVerne...

Attorneys hired, honored in St. Louis.
November 5, 2007... Byline: The Daily Record Staff Timm W. Schowalter, an attorney with Lashley & Baer, has been elected chairman of the employment and labor practice group with USLAW Network Inc., a group of 4,000 lawyers with 61 U.S. law firms in 45 states...

Alleged gambling kingpin from Chesterfield awaits charges.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka A month after the U.S. Attorney's Office indicated it was investigating a Chesterfield man on suspicion of running an illegal gambling ring, no charges have been filed and the man is apparently walking free. ...

Activist loses appeal in suit against city of St. Louis.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Civil rights activist Percy Green II has lost another round in his employment suit against the city of St. Louis. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on Friday upheld a jury's decision last year that Green was not a...

Wright City landfill sued for cleanup costs.
November 5, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter The federal government sued a Warren County landfill last week, seeking to recoup $619,000 in cleanup costs. The landfill, located about three miles southwest of Wright City, is on 120 acres of land owned by LaVerne...

Missouri public defenders to start refusing cases next year.
November 6, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese The state Public Defenders Commission has given the green light for offices to refuse cases when the workload is too high, but leaders say public defenders likely won't start turning any away until 2008. The commission...

Missouri judge considers overtime pay for police, firefighters.
November 6, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese Missouri's larger cities and counties will have to wait to hear whether the new state minimum wage law applies to their officials, including police and firefighters. Several local governments filed a lawsuit challenging...

Ban on sex offender newsletter challenged by two Missouri detainees.
November 6, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Two detainees at the Missouri Sexual Offender Treatment Center have been denied the right to publish and distribute a newsletter, but officials at the Farmington facility say their First Amendment rights were not...

St. Louis County Circuit Court Judge O'Brien to retire.
November 6, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka Judge Emmett M. O'Brien, who has sat on the St. Louis County Circuit Court bench for 20 years, is stepping down at the end of the year. His last day will be Dec. 11, his 70th birthday, the court announced Monday....

St. Louis-based charity founder blames downfall on mistakes.
November 7, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter A nice man who got in over his head and consulted a priest instead of a lawyer -- that's the impression Carl L. "Lou" Sengheiser tried to convey Tuesday as he testified in his defense against federal mail fraud...

Missouri Supreme Court considers law allowing nonprofits to claim abandoned homes.
November 7, 2007... Byline: Chris Blank A state law allowing organizations to seize abandoned homes for renovation has renewed concerns about the taking of private property without the owner's consent. A Missouri land company on Tuesday urged the state...

Cole County judge arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.
November 7, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese A judge in the seat of state government may soon find himself on the other side of the bench, after being arrested over the weekend on suspicion of drunken driving. Cole County Senior Judge Byron Kinder was arrested...

Four families file suit against school district in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
November 8, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka A legal battle that began last week could determine if the St. Louis Public School District should foot the tuition bills of city students who enroll in accredited St. Louis County schools. Four St. Louis families...

Federal jury considers fate of charity founder.
November 8, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter The lawyer prosecuting the federal fraud case against the founder of Gateway to a Cure told the jury Wednesday the defendant doesn't deserve to be believed. "This man is not believable on anything past his name," Mike...

Missouri Supreme Court names new state courts adminstrator.
November 8, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka An Army reserve captain with significant legislative experience is the Missouri judiciary's new state courts administrator. Greg Linhares will begin his job next year once the U.S. Army releases him from reserve duty...

St. Louis-based Gateway to a Cure founder dead of apparent suicide.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Federal prosecutors will dismiss fraud charges against the founder of Gateway to a Cure after he was discovered dead Thursday morning at the charity's office. Police began searching for Lou Sengheiser after he failed...

St. Louis Circuit Judge Burger plans to retire.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese After about 13 years on the bench, St. Louis Circuit Judge Joan M. Burger is retiring early next year. Burger said Thursday that she became eligible for retirement at the beginning of this year, and now is ready to step...

Mo. Ethics Commission votes to begin refund process for contributions.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese Gov. Matt Blunt and Attorney General Jay Nixon may be forced to give back millions of dollars they raised in the first half of 2007, the Missouri Ethics Commission decided Thursday. After months of delay, the commission...

St. Louis police searches defended in chief's federal appeal.
November 9, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka Attorneys for St. Louis Police Chief Joe Mokwa argued to a federal appeals court this week that police were well within their rights to search two south St. Louis residences in 2003 and arrest several occupants who...

Proposal to change Missouri court plan floated.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese A proposal to lessen the Missouri Bar's influence over the selection of judges and require Senate confirmation of nominees is being circulated among leaders in Missouri's legal and political circles. St. Louis attorney...

Pastors step in where divorce proceedings end.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka A judge, a family law attorney and a pastor gathered Friday in Clayton to tell members of the clergy that they are needed to help mend the emotional damage that legal divorce cannot address. Attorneys can fight for...

Defendant wants drug trial moved to district court in St. Louis.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter A man facing federal drug charges in Cape Girardeau wants his trial moved to the district court in St. Louis because the jury here would likely include more minorities. Defendant Kuldeep Singh Sekhon, who is of East...

Valley Park city attorney accused of throwing away mayor's statement.
November 12, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka The plaintiffs in the federal suit against the city of Valley Park over its immigration ordinances now claim the city destroyed a critical statement Mayor Jeffrey Whitteaker read aloud at a public meeting. It was at a...

Does the State Public Defender System in Wisconsin have an obligation to defend?
November 13, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka The State Public Defender System shrugged off the claims of a St. Peters man who sued the agency for refusing to represent him against a misdemeanor. Because the charges Brian Hodak faced were municipal offenses,...

U.S. District Court allows St. Louis attorney to be jailed away from former clients.
November 13, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka St. Louis attorney Frank Febbri is less likely to spend his 18-month federal prison with former clients, thanks to a recent ruling by a federal judge in East St. Louis. U.S. District Judge William D. Stiehl granted...

Correction to: Four families file suit against school district in St. Louis County Circuit Court.(Correction notice)
November 13, 2007... A Nov. 8 story about a lawsuit against the St. Louis and Clayton school districts should have said approximately 18 students have transferred from Wellston to Clayton public schools since the Wellston district lost its accreditation in 2003.

Missouri COA, Eastern District judges affirm -- and criticize -- Vinson divorce.
November 14, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Mortgage broker Ray Vinson -- whose famed ads have annoyed multiple TV viewers -- seemed to draw the same reaction Tuesday from a state appeals panel that affirmed Vinson's divorce from his wife, Deanna. Judge Roy L....

Muslim woman says she was fired by St. Charles firm over head scarf.
November 14, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter A Muslim woman says she was fired for refusing to remove her head scarf while working, but her former employer, St. Charles-based Client Services Inc., says Mariam Soultan refused the company's efforts to accommodate...

St. Louis law firms announce staffing changes: November 14, 2007.
November 14, 2007... Byline: St. Louis Daily Record Staff Sonnenschein Nath & Rosenthal has expanded its life sciences and intellectual property groups, adding Christopher Marion as scientific adviser, and Marcellus Chase, Elisabeth Koral and Sarah Carlson as...

Mo. Attorney General Nixon gets outsiders to investigate e-mail handling.
November 16, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese After months of controversy over e-mail policy in the Blunt administration, Attorney General Jay Nixon said Thursday he has appointed outside experts to investigate allegations that the governor's office has mishandled...

U.S. District Court rejects mural owner's free speech claims.
November 16, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka Jim Roos doesn't think it's the prominence of his 30-foot mural that's drawn the ire of city redevelopment officials. It's the message, he says: "End Eminent Domain Abuse." "I think if it said 'Go Cardinals' we...

Adoptions in Missouri on the rise, thanks in part to federal law.
November 16, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Adoptions in Missouri have nearly doubled since 1997. Unfortunately, there still are kids without permanent homes. To raise awareness about adopting children from the state foster care system, the St. Louis County...

Title companies exit mortgage lending lawsuit in Jackson County Circuit Court.
November 19, 2007... Byline: Heather Cole Title companies are finding their way out of lawsuits that accuse them of helping California-based Ameriquest Mortgage Co. with predatory lending. On Friday, Jackson County Circuit Court Judge Edith Messina dismissed...

Look at the facts, St. Louis eminent domain attorney urges.
November 19, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka St. Louis attorney Gary Feder was facing a tough crowd Friday when he tried to explain the upside of eminent domain to homeowners who have been ousted in the name of redevelopment. "The situation needs to be looked...

St. Louis area attorney receives 12 years in prison.
November 20, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Metro East attorney Gary Peel was sentenced Monday to 12 years in prison for bankruptcy fraud and possession of child pornography -- the latter charge stemming from photos he took of his teenage sister-in-law in 1974....

Valley Park ordinance fuels further disagreement.
November 20, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka Plaintiffs in the Valley Park immigration dispute fought Monday to keep their case alive, arguing against the city's motion to dismiss their lawsuit. Lawyers for Jacqueline Gray, a business owner in Valley Park, told...

Commentary: Men in tights: Another memorable night of Gridiron.
November 20, 2007... Byline: Will Connaghan Well, the dancing tights and pink boas are put away and another Gridiron Show is already a fading memory. The group of talented performers now must return to the normal hectic pace of a lawyer's life. About 500...

Agreement close in drunken mother's case in St. Charles County.
November 20, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese Attorneys are close to an agreement in the case against a woman accused of drinking so much she caused her newborn's death. Sherri Lohnstein's attorney, public defender Richard Scheibe, said outside a St. Charles...

Missouri Supreme Court upholds rape conviction despite venue question.
November 21, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese The Missouri Supreme Court upheld a man's rape conviction Tuesday, finding that the state is not required to prove where the crime occurred beyond a reasonable doubt. The court, in a unanimous opinion written by Judge...

Fabbri disbarred; Althoffer suspended by Missouri Supreme Court.
November 21, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka The Missouri Supreme Court has suspended the law license of St. Louis public defender Eric Affholter and disbarred local criminal defense attorney Frank Fabbri. Each were sentenced on federal criminal charges last...

Missouri governor's chief of staff leaves amid e-mail controversy.
November 21, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka and Kelly Wiese Gov. Matt Blunt announced Tuesday the departure of his chief of staff Ed Martin, an attorney from St. Louis. Martin will be replaced by Patricia E. Vincent, the director of revenue in the governor's...

Children's Home Society of Missouri leans on judge, attorney to help children in need.
November 22, 2007... Byline: Dan Schreiber Attorney Gregg Lepper and Judge Doug Beach are considered instrumental to the success of the Children's Home Society of Missouri, using their professional experience and connections to help the social services agency...

As year ends, lawyers look to new options.
November 22, 2007... Byline: Charles Emerick Partners with one foot out the door will soon take that final step after firms across the state start doling out year-end bonuses. Much like baseball's free agent market, many partners at Missouri firms will find...

Senate chair warns against overextending Missouri state sex laws.
November 23, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese For years, Missouri lawmakers have added restrictions and increased penalties on sex offenders, but now a leader in those efforts wants to rein them in to keep from jeopardizing the progress he has seen already. Senate...

Kansas City lawyer is a Big Brother -- and a teen's lifelong friend.
November 23, 2007... Byline: Bridget Heos Larry remembers when he first became a little brother. One October day, he was on a bus with a bunch of other kids headed to see the Kansas City Chiefs -- a team he didn't even like because of their record. Soon after,...

State of Missouri eyes private investigators.
November 26, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese When F.M. Chris Rey moved back to St. Louis after a career elsewhere in the military and federal government, he set out to get licensed as a private investigator -- and was astounded to learn that licenses were not...

Fathers work with, benefit from Down syndrome group.
November 26, 2007... Byline: Dan Schreiber Attorneys Larry Mass and Barry Haith shared a similar experience when each learned his newborn child had Down syndrome -- they were overwhelmed. "I didn't know how to act," Mass said about the birth of his daughter...

MetroLink jurors begin deliberations in Shrewsbury project case.
November 27, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Jurors began deliberating on Monday in the three-month-long fraud trial against Cross County Collaborative, the builders of the eight-mile MetroLink extension to Shrewsbury. The fraud lawsuit, filed by Metro, the...

St. Louis County Circuit Court selects jury for Ramage civil trial.
November 27, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese The trial of former St. Louis Blues hockey player Rob Ramage began in St. Louis County Circuit Court on Monday, with much of the first day spent selecting a jury. Ramage is being sued by the family of another former...

Man claims bank in Chesterfield fired him over HIV status.
November 27, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter A former bank teller didn't just lose his job because he was HIV-positive, he claims in a new lawsuit, he also lost much of his confidentiality. The plaintiff, identified only as K.M., worked as a bank teller at First...

Plaintiffs' attorney faults former St. Louis Blues player Rob Ramage for refusing to testify.
November 28, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka Already convicted of drunken driving in a Canadian court, former St. Louis Blues player Rob Ramage now faces the civil aftermath of a 2003 car wreck that killed his friend near Toronto. Ramage was not in the Clayton...

St. Charles police detective sues city over demotion after election.
November 28, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter A St. Charles police detective claims in a lawsuit filed last week that he was demoted to afternoon shift supervisor because he supported the losing candidate in the city's April mayoral election. The reassignment...

Metro jurors send out questions in first full day of deliberations in St. Louis County Circuit Court.
November 28, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka The 12 jurors on the MetroLink fraud trial began their first full day of deliberations Tuesday after being impaneled for three months. Presiding Judge Carolyn Whittington said the St. Louis County Circuit Court jury...

Lawyers Club in downtown St. Louis closed indefinitely.
November 28, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese A restaurant dedicated to lawyers in downtown St. Louis has been closed for about three months, and it's unclear when -- or if -- it will reopen. The Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis has run the Lawyers Club...

AmerenUE to pay state of Missouri $180M for Taum Sauk reservoir disaster.
November 29, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka AmerenUE agreed to fork over to the state nearly $180 million for the costly aftermath of the Taum Sauk reservoir disaster two years ago. But what concerns the head of the Missouri Department of Natural resources is...

U.S. Supreme Court refuses two Missouri cases.
November 29, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Convicted killer John Winfield remains on death row after the U.S. Supreme Court announced this week that it wouldn't review his appeal. The court also said it wouldn't take up the case of a doctor who sued the Saint...

Court considers wrongful death suit following Farmington police chase.
November 29, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese Supreme Court judges questioned Wednesday how to reconcile liability protection for law enforcement officer with their violation of police department rules. They were hearing an appeal in a wrongful death lawsuit...

Missouri Supreme Court considers reach of workers' comp law.
November 30, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese Members of the state Supreme Court debated Thursday whether a state law limiting workers' compensation benefits allows injured employees to sue in court if they don't meet the tightened qualifications of the revamped...

Head of the class?: An element of Missouri's school funding case could be a national first.
November 30, 2007... Byline: Kelly Wiese While politicians and school officials alternately celebrate and decry a judge's ruling that Missouri's school funding system is constitutionally sound, a less visible element in the case quietly could be setting a...

U.S. Supreme Court refuses two local cases.
November 30, 2007... Byline: Donna Walter Convicted killer John Winfield remains on death row after the U.S. Supreme Court announced this week that it wouldn't review his appeal. The court also said it wouldn't take up the case of a doctor who sued the Saint...

Damages weighed in civil trial of former St. Louis Blues player.
November 30, 2007... Byline: Allison Retka The lawyer for Rob Ramage admitted in court Thursday that the former St. Louis Blues player is responsible for the death of his friend and former hockey colleague Keith Magnuson. Ramage, 48, was at the wheel of a...