Appellate

Yankton Native Jeff Levinger Honored as Texas’s Top Appellate Lawyer for 2025

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DALLAS — A celebrated attorney from Yankton, South Dakota, has gained recognition in Texas for his exemplary work in appellate law. Jeff Levinger, 68, has been awarded the prestigious Gregory S. Coleman Outstanding Appellate Lawyer Award for 2025 by the Texas Bar Foundation. This annual award honors individuals who epitomize the highest standards of the legal profession in Texas. Levinger, who has not previously received an award of this caliber, will be honored during the foundation’s annual dinner set for June 20 in San Antonio. “It is truly gratifying to be acknowledged after decades of … Read more

Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital Faces Appellate Court Over $208 Million Verdict in Landmark Case Involving Child’s Custody and Mother’s Tragic Suicide

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TAMPA, Fla. — The future of a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital hinges on whether the institution can be held accountable for the suicide of Beata Kowalski, who died three months after her daughter was placed under the hospital’s care. Legal representatives for the hospital sought to overturn a previous verdict at a hearing in the Florida Second District Court of Appeal on Wednesday. In 2017, Kowalski took her own life following the contentious medical care of her daughter, Maya, at the St. Petersburg hospital. Maya, a 10-year-old from Venice, had been … Read more

Colorado Court Clamps Down on Role Conflict: Lawyers Can’t be Witnesses in Their Own Trials, Clarifies Appellate Panel

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Denver, Colo. — A recent ruling by Colorado’s second-highest court has clarified an important ethical boundary for attorneys, asserting that a regulation commonly restricting lawyers from serving both as advocates and witnesses applies to all trials, not merely jury trials. This decision underscores the broader applicability of professional standards intended to prevent conflicts of interest in legal proceedings. The debate centered on Patrick Og O’Malley, an attorney and president of Good Life Colorado, LLC, who also held a substantial stake in the company. O’Malley faced disqualification concerns during a legal battle involving a business dispute … Read more

Delphi Murder Case Update: Legal Team for Richard Allen Seeks Additional Appellate Lawyers After 2017 Conviction

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DELPHI, Ind. — In a case that captured the attention of the nation, Richard Allen has been convicted of the 2017 murders of two teenage girls, Abby Williams, 13, and Libby German, 14, whose deaths shook the small town of Delphi, Indiana. After years of mourning and mystery, the verdict brought an essential but somber closure to a community haunted by the crime. Allen, who maintained his innocence, faced a jury comprised of members from Allen County and was found guilty in November 2024. The conviction followed a lengthy trial that saw a flurry of … Read more