Verdict . News

•Kentucky Supreme Court denied motion to indefinitely suspend attorney Arthur McLaughlin III despite his failure to respond to initial disciplinary charges

Kentucky Supreme Court Denies Suspension of Louisville Attorney

The Kentucky Supreme Court denied a motion to indefinitely suspend Louisville attorney Arthur Joseph McLaughlin III from practicing law after he failed to respond to disciplinary charges. McLaughlin provided a feasible explanation for his initial failure to respond to charges involving a $5,000 unearned retainer fee dispute.

•Underlying complaint involves $5,000 unearned retainer from child custody case client Terry Miller that McLaughlin allegedly failed to return

•Attorney Daniel Thompson received 180-day probated suspension for failing to meet trial obligations in criminal case

Kentucky Supreme Court Approves 180-Day Probated Suspension for Attorney

The Kentucky Supreme Court approved a negotiated 180-day suspension, probated for two years, for attorney Daniel Louis Thompson following multiple professional misconduct violations in a criminal case representation.

•Thompson failed to file required jury instructions and did not meet with client before trial

•William Virgil was wrongfully imprisoned for 28 years for a murder that DNA evidence proved he did not commit

Kentucky Supreme Court Affirms Insurance Company Win in Wrongful Conviction Case

The Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed a lower court ruling favoring Westport Insurance Company in a coverage dispute involving William Virgil, who was wrongfully imprisoned for 28 years for a murder that DNA evidence proved he did not commit.

•Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed that Westport Insurance has no coverage obligations for civil rights claims against Newport

•Kentucky Supreme Court affirmed Jonathan Puckett's life sentence for intentional murder and related charges

Kentucky Supreme Court Affirms Life Sentence in Puckett Murder Case

The Kentucky Supreme Court has upheld the conviction and life sentence of Jonathan Puckett, who was found guilty of intentional murder, second-degree arson, tampering with physical evidence, and being a persistent felony offender in connection with a 2014 killing.

•Case involved 2014 killing of coworker Thomas Ray Pendygraft following theft of prescription pills

•Court of Appeals affirmed denial of affirmative defense instruction in first-degree robbery case involving apparent firearm display

NY Court of Appeals Clarifies Firearm Display in Robbery Cases

The New York Court of Appeals ruled in People v. Smith that a trial court properly denied an affirmative defense instruction for first-degree robbery charges involving the display of what appeared to be a firearm. The December 18, 2025 decision clarifies the burden of proof for defendants claiming displayed objects were not loaded weapons.

•Decision clarifies evidentiary standards for defendants claiming displayed objects were not loaded weapons

•Judge David Miller suspended with pay from Wolcott Village Court effective December 18, 2025

NY Court of Appeals Suspends Wayne County Village Court Judge

The New York Court of Appeals suspended Honorable David M. Miller, a Justice of the Wolcott Village Court in Wayne County, with pay effective immediately on December 18, 2025. The state's highest court ordered the suspension on its own motion under constitutional and statutory authority.

•NY Court of Appeals acted on its own motion under constitutional and statutory authority

•Court of Appeals upheld HPD's denial of succession rights to Mitchell-Lama apartment

NY Court of Appeals Denies Succession Rights to Mitchell-Lama Apartment

The New York Court of Appeals ruled against Kermit Mantilla in his challenge to the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development's denial of succession rights to his deceased brother's Mitchell-Lama apartment. The court found a rational basis for the agency's determination that Mantilla failed to prove the apartment was his primary residence for the required one-year period.

•Mantilla could not establish primary residence requirement for one-year period before brother's death

•New York Court of Appeals ruled memorandum of understanding violated term limits doctrine

New York Court of Appeals Upholds Term Limits Doctrine in Fishkill Zoning Case

The New York Court of Appeals ruled that a memorandum of understanding governing a municipal zoning review violated the term limits doctrine, affirming dismissal of Hudson View Park Company's lawsuit against the Town of Fishkill. The December 18, 2025 decision addresses limits on municipal officials' ability to bind future administrations through development agreements.

•Hudson View Park Company's lawsuit against Town of Fishkill was properly dismissed

•Court of Appeals affirmed Appellate Division ruling with costs against plaintiff Gurbanova

NY Court of Appeals Upholds Municipal Notice Law in Parking Lot Case

The New York Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling in Gurbanova v. City of Ithaca, upholding municipal notice requirements under General Municipal Law § 50-e(4) for negligence claims involving parking lot accidents.

•Municipal parking lots fall under General Municipal Law § 50-e highway definition requiring prior written notice