The retention vote in which three Iowa Supreme Court justices were ousted was illegal, according to a lawsuit seeking to keep the three justices from being tossed from the bench.

The lawsuit claims the vote violated the Iowa Constitution, which requires judicial retention votes to be held on a separate ballot.

Chief Justice Marsha Ternus and justices Michael Streit and David Baker were voted off following a campaign by groups opposed to the court's unanimous decision to legalize same-sex marriage in Iowa.

The Des Moines Register reported that the lawsuit, filed by attorneys Thomas W. George, John P. Roehrick and Carlton Salmons, asks for a temporary judicial order that would prohibit the judges from leaving the court when their terms expire at the end of December.

The Securities Law Firm of Menzer & Hill, P.A., www.suemyadvisor.com, announced today it filed an arbitration claim against UBS Financial Services, Inc. (“UBS”), (NYSE: UBS) on behalf of an investor who lost the vast majority of his retirement savings as a result of the purchase of Lehman Brothers principal protected notes (“Notes”).  The claim alleges UBS was negligent and engaged in gross misconduct by misrepresenting and omitting material facts regarding the Notes.

UBS marketed the Notes as safe, secure, investments without informing the purchasers of the true risks associated with the Notes, including the fact that the Notes were tied to the credit worthiness of the guarantor, Lehman Brothers.   Furthermore, based on the examiner’s report of the Lehman Brothers bankruptcy, UBS engaged in short term lending transactions with Lehman Brothers known as Repo 105 transactions on a fully collaterized basis, while its trading force continued to solicit purchases of the Notes which contained 100% risk.  When Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy, the values of the Notes became essentially worthless. 

If you have purchased Lehman Brothers Notes or have sustained any other investment losses, the attorneys at the Securities Law Firm of Menzer & Hill, P.A. are dedicated to pursuing claims on behalf of investors who have suffered investment losses as a result of broker misconduct. 

For a free case evaluation or to discuss this matter, please contact the Securities Law Firm of Menzer & Hill, P.A., at 888-923-9223, or visit us on the web at www.suemyadvisor.com

An attorney sees a court's opinion upholding e-mail privacy as potentially groundbreaking and possibly helpful to his client, the founder of a company that sold male enhancement pills.

Lawyer Martin Weinberg said Wednesday that e-mail evidence should have been excluded from the government's case against Steven Warshak, who was convicted of fraud and other crimes related to his Ohio company. It sold products including Enzyte pills, known for their "Smiling Bob" commercials.

The 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati threw out Warshak's 25-year sentence Tuesday. The court also said Warshak's rights were violated when investigators obtained his e-mails without warrants, but it upheld his convictions.

Gov. Chris Christie approved a law firm with expertise in federal transit issues to help challenge a $271 million tab the federal government says the state owes for a canceled rail tunnel.

Christie's office said the governor had signed off Thursday on the selection of the Washington, D.C., firm of Patton Boggs. Rodney Slater, who served as U.S. transportation secretary under President Bill Clinton, and former Republican U.S. Sen. Trent Lott are among the partners.

"We're delighted to have been engaged by the state," said Stuart Pape, the firm's managing partner. The firm, which has an office in Newark, is assessing its strategy, Pape said.

Christie killed the $8.7 billion tunnel from New Jersey to New York City on Oct. 27, citing potential cost overruns that he said could add $2 billion to $5 billion or more to the price.

The federal government and Port Authority of New York and New Jersey each contributed $3 billion to the project, while New Jersey's share was $2.7 billion. The state and Port Authority were responsible for overruns.

Christie is fighting a bill for the return of federal money already spent on engineering and construction of the tunnel. The Nov. 24 bill from the Federal Transit Authority seeks payment within 30 days.

"It's not surprising that the same federal transit agency that had no clear way to pay for cost overruns of a project already hurt by poor planning and inequitable cost sharing is relying on bureaucratic power plays to wring even more money out of New Jerseyans," Christie said in a statement Thursday.

The law firm of Cunningham, Mitchell & Rocconi welcomes two attorneys, Elizabeth "Sissy" Rankin and Roman Hankins.

Rankin returns to the firm after serving as a General Sessions and Juvenile Court judge in Montgomery County.
Hankins returns to his hometown after graduating from the University of Tennessee-Knoxville with a bachelor of business administration degree and a doctor of jurisprudence.

"We are very honored to have both Sissy and Roman join us," said Jack Mitchell, senior partner of the firm, in a news release. "Sissy's experience as a judge brings additional value to the litigation practices of our firm, and we are excited about Roman's potential after graduating UT with honors."

Larry Rocconi, another partner of the firm, sees additional opportunities for growth with the new hires. "We have been very fortunate in this economy to have an active practice and loyal clients. By getting Sissy back and bringing Roman on board, we can continue to provide existing and new clients with a high level of service in a timely fashion."

Rankin and Hankins said they share in the enthusiasm at Cunningham, Mitchell & Rocconi. "When my term as General Sessions judge ended, I knew that I wanted to come back to a strong law firm with a great reputation, both among lawyers and the community as a whole. I'm proud to be back with these gentlemen."