When pondering the inevitable, put an estate plan in place

Many families have vacation plans this busy summer travel season, but they may not have their estate plans in place. Still, taking that next vacation can sometimes trigger a family member to think about the benefits of “estate planning,” that is, planning for what happens to your money and assets after you die. Other examples of when to consider estate planning may include marriage, divorce, remarriage, birth of children, changes in domicile, as well as changes to assets and tax laws. The estate... More

Teed-off lawyer takes swing at girl-golf bias

By David E. Frank david.frank@exhibitAnews.com Imagine working more than 100 hours on a project for work and not getting paid a dime. That was the way things were shaping up for Springfield lawyer Thomas A. Kenefick III — until a judge recently ruled he was entitled to more than $18,000 in attorneys’ fees for the groundbreaking gender-bias lawsuit... More

Was she stoned? Woman marries Berlin Wall

A farmer who married someone he met on the Internet has asked for the marriage to be annulled after finding out that his bride, Randy Victoria, is actually a man named Ralf. In happier news, a woman with a “bizarre fetish for inanimate objects” has been legally married to the Berlin Wall for 29 years. God is not mentioned anywhere in the U.S.... More

Should there be term limits for the governor and lawmakers in Massachusetts?

“I think executives should have term limits.” — Fay Yarbrough Norman, Okla. “I think that the governor should have term limits, but not the state representatives and senators. What you want to avoid is that word ‘entrenched.’” — Joanne Melisch Wakefield, R.I. “I think politicians should be limited to eight years, because people like change. There might be somebody else who would do the job better.” — Karl Kazaka Boston “I would like to see what the model is for other states.... More

Unmuzzle the judges

Here’s an idea: Let judges talk to the public! Judges are often the center of controversy. And, yet, in Massachusetts they are rarely allowed to speak publicly, as strict ethical rules usually bar public comment. A newly released report, however, could help change that. It may not completely lift the “gag order” that binds sitting judges,... More

A cop’s view: Are we really performing community policing?

by Scott Bushway So, we’re pretty good at talking the talk. You know, saying those feel-good buzz words associated with community policing: “We are working closely with the community,” “We are a very proactive department with innovative ideas,” “Problem-solving and forming partnerships are our expertise” and so on. But are we really... More

Six arrested for cheering at high school graduation

Six people have been arrested for cheering for friends and relatives at a high school graduation in Rock Hill, S.C. Audience members at the ceremony at Fort Mill High School were told to hold their applause until the end, but some couldn’t resist cheering and clapping for family members, prompting police officers to swoop in and charge them with disorderly conduct. Jonathan Orr, 21, applauded for his cousin and was dragged out, handcuffed and taken to a jail cell. William Massey, 19, “clapped... More

Shutting up a gym grunter is legal in New York

A frustrated New Yorker was within his rights when he picked up a stationary bicycle at a gym and crashed it into a wall because the hedge fund manager who was riding it kept grunting loudly and yelling things like “Woo-hoo!,” “Good burn!” and “You go, girl!,” a jury has decided. Christopher Carter, a 45-year-old stockbroker working out at the Equinox fitness club on the Upper East Side, repeatedly asked instructors to stop Stuart Sugarman from being so annoying... More

New Hampshire man arrested for 152nd time

A New Hampshire man accused of stealing a $1.99 can of beer from a convenience store is being held on $10,000 bail because prosecutors complained that this is the 152nd time he’s been arrested. Paul Baldwin, 48, has convictions for a wide variety of offenses, including theft, receiving stolen property, arson and criminal mischief. In addition to 152 arrests, he has amassed 75 police citations and eight trespass notices. “I don’t need a lawyer,” he told Judge Sawako Gardner... More

Man charged with stealing 170 garden gnomes

A 53-year-old Frenchman has been charged with stealing 170 garden gnomes from backyards in the Bretagne area. Police discovered the gnomes carefully arranged in the man’s 200-square-foot garden. Many had been repainted, making it difficult for authorities to reunite them with the dozens of owners who had filed missing-gnome reports. A rash of gnome theft in France has been blamed on a shadowy organization called the Garden Gnome Liberation Front, which opposes the use of gnomes for merely... More

Next Page »