As someone mentioned in the comments, it’s been a bad week for Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto. After having been pushed into considering whether to withdraw her office’s opposition to a suit regarding Nevada’s ban on gay marriage, yesterday she learned that she and her office (and thereby all of us) were being sanctioned to an as-of-yet-undetermined amount, but likely a high six or seven figure. Judge Elizabeth (Betsy) Gonzalez took the unusual step of sanctioning the AG’s office to pay the legal expenses of Lender Processing Services, Inc. after the office failed to produce evidence that would support claims it brought against that entity in December 2011. Gonzales, who is not afraid to make big decisions that get national headlines (see anything regarding the CityCenter case), recently found out that her seat on the bench will not be contested this year. Masto, who has served two terms as AG, cannot run for reelection this year because of term limits. [Forbes; RJ]
DA Steve Wolfson filed a request for an Order to Show Cause Thursday to get judicial candidate Ross Smillie to show why he should not be disqualified as a candidate for failing to meet the years of practice requirement for district court judges. [RJ]
Continuing a trend that started last year, two Nevada inmates died in the States’s custody this week… [Las Vegas Sun]
As Bitcoin starts to catch on in Vegas, are any of your firms taking Bitcoin as payment? [Fox5Vegas]
You've said that Masto has withdrawn her opposition, but I don't see it. I see that the Carson City Clerk withdrew a brief they filed in the Ninth Circuit case that involved the Plaintiff-Appellees and the State of Nevada. Net Effect: Who cares? Carson City isn't exactly the decision-maker here. AG Masto is considering withdrawing the defense of the state's position, but that decision hasn't been made.
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Anonymous
January 31, 2014 5:59 pm
I love to see holier than thou Cohen Milstein exposed as just another group of money hungry ambulance chasers.
Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto hired the Washington law firm Cohen Milstein in 2009 to sue LPS for allegedly violating state consumer-protection laws by engaging in “robosigning” and other illegal practices as a mortgage servicer.
Those claims were dubious, Berger said, since LPS worked for banks, not consumers. Judges have thrown out similar class-action suits by Cohen Millstein and other firms, he said. Meanwhile, LPS settled similar claims with 49 other states, but complained it couldn’t reach a similar agreement with Nevada because Cohen Milstein had an incentive to hold out for more money under its contract, which awards it 15% of any settlement. LPS petitioned the Nevada Supreme Court to reject the state’s contract with Cohen Milstein last year. That case is still pending.
Maybe I'm just bitter, but the Cohen Milstein people I've interacted with all seemed certain their shit doesn't stink, and they go out of their way to point out how virtuous they are when compared to a run of the mill lawyer like me.
Gung Hay Fat Choy!
Happy Nauru Indepedence Day! (http://www.mapsofworld.com/nauru/independence-day.html)
You've said that Masto has withdrawn her opposition, but I don't see it. I see that the Carson City Clerk withdrew a brief they filed in the Ninth Circuit case that involved the Plaintiff-Appellees and the State of Nevada. Net Effect: Who cares? Carson City isn't exactly the decision-maker here. AG Masto is considering withdrawing the defense of the state's position, but that decision hasn't been made.
I love to see holier than thou Cohen Milstein exposed as just another group of money hungry ambulance chasers.
Sorry if this is a dumb question, but what is the connection of Cohen Milstein with any of the articles or comments above?
From the Forbes article:
Nevada Attorney General Catherine Cortez Masto hired the Washington law firm Cohen Milstein in 2009 to sue LPS for allegedly violating state consumer-protection laws by engaging in “robosigning” and other illegal practices as a mortgage servicer.
More from the Forbed article:
Those claims were dubious, Berger said, since LPS worked for banks, not consumers. Judges have thrown out similar class-action suits by Cohen Millstein and other firms, he said. Meanwhile, LPS settled similar claims with 49 other states, but complained it couldn’t reach a similar agreement with Nevada because Cohen Milstein had an incentive to hold out for more money under its contract, which awards it 15% of any settlement. LPS petitioned the Nevada Supreme Court to reject the state’s contract with Cohen Milstein last year. That case is still pending.
Maybe I'm just bitter, but the Cohen Milstein people I've interacted with all seemed certain their shit doesn't stink, and they go out of their way to point out how virtuous they are when compared to a run of the mill lawyer like me.