Daily news

A Manhattan judge has tossed another New York judge’s $10 million defamation claim against a lawyer thought to be the source of two critical newspaper columns in the New York Daily News.But the plaintiff, Judge Larry Martin of Brooklyn, may still pursue his claim against the newspaper and the author of the columns, Errol Louis, the New York Law Journal reports. The columns addressed judicial corruption and claimed Martin presided over a case involving a lawyer who had represented him before the judicial conduct commission.Judge Martin Shulman ruled (PDF posted by the New York Law Journal) that the claims against lawyer Ravi Batra should be dismissed because there is no showing he had control over the two articles, the second of which could be considered defamatory.Shulman said the second article could lead an average reader to believe that Martin is “a corrupt jurist” under investigation. The article said “corruption can be hidden or subtle” and pointed … [Read more...] about Judge Allowed to Sue N.Y. Daily News, But Not a Lawyer Thought to Be a Source

The New York Daily News revealed information about a confidential source earlier this month to comply with a trial judge’s order.The Daily News disclosed the confidential source information to avoid the risk of adverse appellate court ruling that could broadly affect New York’s shield law, the First Amendment Center reported.Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Mark Dwyer ruled Jan. 11 that the newspaper had to disclose in chambers whether the source was one of two arresting officers at the scene of an attempted murder.The Daily News’ legal woes began when it published an article on an attempted murder that differed from the official narrative, the First Amendment Center reported. Prosecutors believe that Angelo Diaz, who is charged with attempted second-degree murder, shouted “shoot the cop” as a police officer and Angel Rivera fought to possess control of a gun; in its article, the Daily News quoted “authorities” saying that Rivera’s mother, … [Read more...] about New York Daily News Complies with Judge Order, Discloses Confidential Source

A Brooklyn judge has filed a $10 million defamation suit against the New York Daily News for publishing two columns that claimed he improperly presided over a case involving a lawyer who had represented him before the judicial conduct commission.Judge Larry Martin claims in the lawsuit that lawyer Ravi Batra was the source of the columns, which he labels “outrageous, grossly irresponsible [and] malicious,” the New York Law Journal reports.The columns claimed Martin presided over a mortgage foreclosure case in which his personal lawyer, Jerome Karp, secretly represented one of the litigants.The articles cited allegations in a lawsuit filed by Batra and said the “complicated world of judicial corruption in Brooklyn—a snakepit filled with bribery and back-room political deals” was about to be “blown wide open.”Lawyers for Karp and Martin told the New York Law Journal that Karp’s involvement in the lawsuit involved a letter he wrote at the … [Read more...] about Judge Files Defamation Suit Against New York Daily News

USA Today and the Daily News in New York, two newspapers often critical of President Donald Trump, have now come out in favor of confirming Mike Pompeo as his secretary of state. “Although Pompeo's hawkish views are reason for concern, they are not sufficient reason to block his confirmation," USA Today said in an editorial. "Unless a nominee has clear ethical or competency failings, presidents should be accorded wide latitude to select top aides whom they trust and agree with. Pompeo passes that test and merits approval." The newspaper noted Pompeo "graduated from Harvard Law School and at the top of his class at West Point." It said he has pledged to reverse "the damage by former Secretary of State Rex Tillerson," whose reorganization "drained talent and grew vacancies" at the State Department. "Pompeo is far from the worst of Trump's picks and, if he is confirmed and lives up to his confirmation hearing pledges, he has the potential to be one of the better … [Read more...] about USA Today, NY Daily News Urge Pompeo Confirmation

The Daily News’ editorial board addressed the president’s immigration policies. "The president who plays king won’t conquer the bedrock values this nation was founded on," the board wrote. The board noted the words of the Declaration of Independence: "We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." A Quinnipiac University poll released Tuesday showed that 58 percent of Americans disagree with how Trump is handling immigration. … [Read more...] about New York Daily News Slams Trump as ‘Clown Who Plays King’