Observations from a 100-courthouse tour

david.yas@exhibitAnews.com I saw him coming up the stairs of the East Boston District Court, emerging from the shadows of the rickety, tumbledown building. His coat was half-buttoned and glittering with fresh snow. He was breathing heavy. “I’m tellin’ ya,” he said to no one in particular. “I’m tellin’ ya.” This was the 100th Massachusetts courthouse I had visited in 2007, part of a wacky crusade I embarked on to observe justice at work. And somehow,... More

Woman sues porn star for using her name

Woman sues porn star for using her name A porn star who used the name of a friend from the ninth grade as her stage name has been sued by the friend. Lara Madden knew Syvette Wimberly in high school in Texas. She thought Syvette’s name was “really cool” and began using it later when she appeared in such acclaimed cinematic features as “Craving Big Cocks” and “Anal Camera 19.” The real Syvette says that as a result of her name being associated on the Internet... More

7 tips for dealing with the cab ride from hell

You’re stuck in the middle of a March nor’easter. It’s late, you’re freezing and all you want to do is get home. The solution to your cold feet, wet hair and too-heavy bundles? Hail a cab! Although cab drivers battle traffic, stress, low pay, slushy streets and bad tippers, Boston police tell us that most taxi-time is trouble free. But occasionally you do get the ride from hell. Here are the rules of the road when it comes to taking a cab. 1. Who’s in charge here? That... More

Woman misdiagnosed with HIV gets $2.5 million verdict

Imagine spending more than seven years living with the HIV virus and in fear of developing full-blown AIDS. Imagine more than seven years taking major doses of drugs to combat the virus from spreading — treatments that can cause depression, weight loss and fatigue. Now imagine it was all for nothing. Audrey Serrano of Fitchburg spent nearly a decade under the false impression she had been stricken with the HIV virus. In December, she won a $2.5 million lawsuit against the doctor who treated... More

Can you get fired for smoking — at home?

One day in the fall of 2006, 30-year-old Scott Rodrigues arrived for work at the Massachusetts lawn and garden company that had hired him several weeks earlier, only to hear some bad news. The results of a drug test required for employment showed that Rodrigues had ingested a substance expressly forbidden by company policy: nicotine. Rodrigues knew of the company’s anti-smoking policy, but argued that he never smoked on the job; he only smoked at home. It didn’t matter. He was fired on... More

The verdict is in on TV judge shows

Recent Nielsen ratings* for all syndicated courtroom shows on day-time television are: 1. “Judge Judy” (CBS): 4.9 rating 2. “Judge Joe Brown” (CBS): 2.7 rating 3. “People’s Court” (Warner Bros.): 2.5 rating 4. “Judge Mathis” (Warner Bros.): 2.2 rating 5. “Divorce Court” (Twentieth Television): 1.9 rating 6. “Judge Alex” (Twentieth Television): 1.8 rating 7. (tie)“Judge Hatchett” (Sony): 1.3 rating “Cristina’s... More

County recovers from ‘Syndrome’

There used to be a saying that a $20 verdict from a Middlesex County jury was worth only $10 in Worcester County, where juries were notorious for siding with the defense in tort cases. Perhaps it was an instance of the latter county’s reputation for thriftiness, often coined “Spag’s Syndrome” after the now-defunct Shrewsbury discount store. But some think last fall’s opening of the new Worcester courthouse has led to a change. In the months since the spacious new building... More

Would-be buyer of a horse gets some bad breaks

A mother who set out to purchase a horse for her children learned the hard way that no good deed goes unpunished. She went to a riding academy intending to buy a “western pleasure” horse for her children. Having had some experience horseback riding, she asked to see a “dead broke horse” suitable for beginners like her children. She was shown a former thoroughbred, which the academy used to teach riding and which was known for being slow and having a calm demeanor. The woman... More

Sports club VP flexes her legal muscles

Q. You’re the lawyer for Millennium Partners Sports Club Management. What does that entail? A. I’m responsible for overseeing all legal aspects of the company — complying with laws, dealing with legal disputes, contractual matters. Part of my role also involves risk management; making sure we have the right type of insurance, sufficient coverage. It’s something I’ve been learning over the time that I’ve been here because, as a lawyer typically working in a firm,... More

Room without a view

Forty years ago, Bobby Dellelo raced through Boston’s Downtown Crossing, a botched jewelry store heist in his wake and his future growing dimmer by the minute. His partner in crime had shot and killed the police officer who responded to the robbery. That accomplice would later take his own life; Dellelo, meanwhile, would be sentenced to life behind bars. From that point on, Dellelo’s world would consist of a series of numbers: five prisons; three escapes; two appeals to have his first-degree... More

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