The Loyal Tipstaff.

No. 793 The Pittsburgh Post Gazette expanded its coverage yesterday of employment of the President Judge’s two daughters and two sons-in-law within the judicial system by publishing a list of the relatives of judges working as their tipstaves (yes, that’s the plural), law clerks and other members of their office staff. These Post Gazette articles, […]

Penn State Owes a Public Apology to Paterno, Now not Later.

No. 791 The following post was written before the death of Joe Paterno had been publicly announced. The way the Penn State Board fired Joe Paterno was cowardly and wrong. They bowed to overwhelming pressure of a media-driven lynch mob. Ultimately, in cooler times, Mr. Paterno will be vindicated before the law and in the […]

Reassessment of the Reassessment by Fitzgerald — Too Little, Too Late?

No. 777 When we wrote “Christmas Reassessment” (below at No. 774) we gave Rich Fitzgerald credit for being shrewd enough to pass a one mill tax increase this year — before the assessment year in which increases would be limited to 105% of the prior year, at least in theory, by Act 146. However, to listen […]

Christmas Reassessment

No. 774 The County Assessors really do have a heart. They tried to keep from delivering the first batch of reassessment notices before Christmas. But Judge Wettick would have none of it. I must admit, I didn’t initially give Rich Fitzgerald credit for shrewd thinking. It was puzzling that the County Council rushed to pass […]

Overcoming Overwhelming Odds: A Case in Point.

No. 770 When it happens in New York it makes national news. When much the same thing happened in Pittsburgh some years ago, it made local news. Yet something even more remarkable happened after the Pittsburgh event that didn’t make the news at all, a story worth telling. One afternoon, I was asked to help […]

Massachusetts Sues Lenders Over Foreclosure Procedures.

Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed suit against five large residential mortgage lenders for abusive mortgage foreclosure practices, ending lengthy negotiations on the subject. The lenders are Bank of America, J P Morgan Chase, Wells Fargo, Citibank and GMAC, together with MERS. MERS is a “nominee” of lenders who becomes the record mortgagee in order to enable the mortgage to be assigned multiple times on the MERS records without the need of recording assignments.

Is Occupy Wall Street the Next Tea Party?

No. 739 Occupy Wall Street opened a branch office on Grant Street last weekend. It is probably the first time tents have been pitched at this location since Captain James Grant gave Grant’s Hill its name. Its a great country when a group of protestors against capitalism can pitch tents on land owned by the […]

Dear Free Lawyer — Answers To Legal Questions For Nothin’.

No. 729 Dear Free Lawyer: I have to make lots of trips to the bathroom due to one of those conditions that come with age. Am I entitled to get unemployment as a door to door salesman because I can’t do my job? — Frequent Flyer Dear Frequent: Don’t count on it. For one thing, […]

Killing Al-Awlaki.

Yes, its true that an American Citizen was assassinated without a trial. But an important but simple principle of law has been overlooked by the critics of this practice. Al Qaida leaders are enemy combatants in the field. While we are at war with Al Qaida, its leaders are fair game under the rules of war.

The Light Bulb Goes On . . .

No. 725 Aha Moment No. 725. Ann Althaus, the law prof from the University of Wisconsin who blogs a lot more about politics than law, quotes a WSJ blog about a prosecution of some oil and gas companies over a bird kill in North Dakota involving 28 avians. She then wonders out loud whether wind […]

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CLIFF TUTTLE has been a Pennsylvania lawyer for over 45 years and (inter alia) is a real estate litigator and legal writer. The posts in this blog are intended to provide general information about legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus. However, this information does not constitute legal advice and there is no lawyer-client relationship created when you read this blog. You are encouraged to leave comments but be aware that posted comments can be read by others. If you wish to contact me in privacy, please use the Contact Form located immediately below this message. I will reply promptly and in strict confidence.

Pittsburgh Legal Back Talk

Legal topics of interest to lawyers and consumers with a Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania focus.

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