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Appeals court halts gay marriages in Michigan
Press Release |
2014/03/24 19:15
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Same-sex couples rushed to Michigan county clerk's offices Saturday to get hitched a day after a judge overturned the state's constitutional ban on gay marriage, and several hundred managed to do so before an appeals court reinstituted the ban, at least temporarily.
The order by a federal appeals court in Cincinnati came after Glenna DeJong, 53, and Marsha Caspar, 51, of Lansing, were the first to arrive at the Ingham County Courthouse in the central Michigan city of Mason. DeJong and Caspar, who have been together for 27 years, received their license and were married by Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum.
"I figured in my lifetime it would happen," Caspar said. "But now, when it happens now, it's just overwhelming. I still can't believe it. I don't think it's hit me yet."
Similar nuptials followed one after another, at times en masse, in at least four of Michigan's 83 counties. Those four - Oakland, Muskegon, Ingham and Washtenaw counties - issued more than 300 marriage licenses to same-sex couples Saturday.
DeJong said the threat of a stay was all the encouragement they needed.
"Come Monday, we might not be able to do it, so we knew we had a short window of time," she said.
She was right. Later Saturday, the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals froze until at least Wednesday a decision by a lower court judge to overturn Michigan's ban. The appeals court said the time-out will "allow a more reasoned consideration" of the state's request to stop same-sex marriages.
The court's order was posted just a few hours after it told the winning side to respond to Michigan Attorney General Bill Schuette's request for a stay by noon Tuesday.
In his appeal, Schuette noted the U.S. Supreme Court in January suspended a similar decision that struck down Utah's gay-marriage ban. |
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The Law Offices of Place and Hanley, LLC
Legal Network |
2014/03/21 17:09
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Securities Arbitration Lawyers Florida
The Law Offices of Place & Hanley, LLC is a nationally recognized securities and commodities arbitration law firm which represents investors nationwide. At Place & Hanley we represent investors in claims against their brokers, broker dealers, investment advisors, financial advisors and insurance companies. Our securities lawyers represent investors who have lost their savings when their brokerage accounts were mishandled. Our attorneys are experienced in providing focused and aggressive representation for investors who have been the victims of financial fraud, negligence and unsuitable investments. Our firm has experience in prosecuting claims against the major Wall Street firms, including Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, UBS, Oppenheimer as well as many mid-sized broker dealers.
Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for individual investors. Our firm has experience handling group arbitration claims and class action litigation involving securities related matters. We have successfully recovered punitive damages and attorneys’ fees for our clients. The attorneys and staff at the Law Offices of Place & Hanley are committed to representing aggrieved investors who have lost money because of the negligent or willful acts of the clients once trusted financial advisor, broker and brokerage firm.
Our attorneys have represented thousands of clients nationwide who were victims of misrepresentations, commission churning, unsuitable investments, unauthorized transactions, execution failures, excessive mark-ups, disappearing funds, botched transfers, "selling away" from firms, unregistered brokers, unregistered securities, improper margin liquidations, broker bribes, fraudulent research, "boiler room" sales practices and other wrongful acts. Place & Hanley has prosecuted cases involving stocks, bonds, "penny" stocks, "junk" bonds, options, commodities, mutual funds, REIT's, limited partnerships, derivative securities, collateralized debt obligations “CDO”, auction rate securities and other investments.
Attorneys for the firm practice before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) which was created in 2007 through the consolidation of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) enforcement and arbitration divisions. The firm also represents clients in state and federal courts to resolve financial disputes between customers, brokerage firms and other financial institutions.
Our firm has been successful not only in recovering our client’s out of pocket losses, but in multiple cases our clients have received punitive damages and reimbursement of their attorneys’ fees. Please visit the verdicts and settlements page for examples of the securities & stockbroker fraud cases we have handled for our clients. Our success is attributable to hard work, client dedication and an in-depth knowledge of the securities industry. |
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Man pleads guilty to stealing from farmers market
Press Release |
2014/03/17 20:44
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Prosecutors say a former Glendale city councilman has pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $305,000 from a farmers market.
The Los Angeles County district attorney's office says 55-year-old John Drayman entered a plea Wednesday to felony charges of embezzlement, filing a false tax return and perjury.
While serving as the director of the Montrose farmers market, Drayman was accused of collecting proceeds from the weekly event and skimming thousands of dollars before turning the money over to the market's treasurer.
Drayman was indicted in 2012 on 28 counts dating from 2004 to 2011. The remaining 25 counts will be dismissed when he is sentenced April 7.
He is expected to be sentenced to a year in jail and ordered to pay $304,853 in restitution and $14,016 to the state tax board. |
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Lawsuit says California mortgage money mishandled
Court Issues |
2014/03/17 20:43
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Three community assistance organizations sued Gov. Jerry Brown and other state officials on Friday, alleging the state improperly diverted nearly $370 million that was intended to help homeowners struggling with foreclosures.
The lawsuit filed in Sacramento County Superior Court says the money was siphoned off to the state's general fund as California wrestled with a massive budget deficit and has never been repaid. The money was part of the $25 billion settlement between major banks and nearly every state in 2012, with California receiving the largest share.
H.D. Palmer, a spokesman for the Department of Finance, said in a statement that the administration is confident that its budget actions are legally sound.
The suit was filed by attorney Neil Barofsky, who previously was inspector general for the federal bank bailout. The suit alleges the money is needed to help affected homeowners "weather the economic storm that continues to sweep so many families out of their homes."
"As a result of these diversions, large numbers of homeowners who are eligible for loan modifications or other relief have been left stranded, and countless fiscally imperiled California homeowners remain unaware of the full scope of their rights," the lawsuit states.
Barofsky filed the suit on behalf of three California-based community organizations that the suit says have helped thousands of homeowners: National Asian American Coalition, COR Community Development Corporation and National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference. |
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