Thursday, January 28, 2010

Tardy Smith stalls lawsuit

By SUN WIRE SERVICES - 28th January 2010

HOUSTON -- Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith made a last-minute payment to a Houston attorney on Wednesday before his team's game against the Rockets to stall a lawsuit filed against him.

Smith was named as the defendant in a lawsuit filed Tuesday in Harris District Court by high-profile lawyer Rusty Hardin, a Rockets' season ticket holder. Hardin is best known for representing pitcher Roger Clemens in his legal battle with former trainer Brian McNamee.

Hardin was hired to represent Smith in 2006, after Smith was accused of breaking a player's jaw in a pickup game at a Houston recreation centre. That case was settled, but Hardin's lawsuit claims Smith failed to pay $22,753.51 US in legal fees.

Dale Jefferson, Hardin's attorney, had threatened to serve Smith with legal papers before Wednesday's game at the Toyota Center. Smith paid a chunk of the fees less than two hours before tipoff, prompting Hardin to call off the process server. Smith has 30 days to pay the rest.

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Tardy Smith stalls lawsuit

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Hardin to take on Nuggets player in court of law

Lawsuit alleging nonpayment of fees to be served at Toyota Center
By JONATHAN FEIGEN - Houston Chronicle
Jan. 27, 2010

J.R. Smith is accused in a lawsuit of not paying legal fees incurred in 2007.

Denver Nuggets guard J.R. Smith will have more than the Rockets waiting for him tonight at Toyota Center.

Famed Houston attorney Rusty Hardin, who has long represented sports stars in Houston including his recent high-profile representation of former Astros pitcher Roger Clemens, is suing Smith for nonpayment of legal fees with a process server expected to serve Smith at tonight's game.

Hardin said he represented Smith in 2007 when Smith was accused in a civil lawsuit of assaulting another player in a summer basketball game at Fonde Recreation Center in Houston. In the lawsuit filed Tuesday by Hardin's attorney, Dale Jefferson, Smith is accused of not paying remaining legal fees of 22,753.

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Hardin to take on Nuggets player in court of law

Saturday, January 16, 2010

Process server admits fraud

Failed to deliver NY legal notices
By George Pyle - NEWS BUSINESS REPORTER
January 16, 2010, 12:30 am

A Long Island-based process server who was accused of leaving thousands of New Yorkers unaware that they had been sued for unpaid debts, subjecting many of them to surprise judgments, liens and wage garnishments, has pleaded guilty to fraud.

William Singler, owner of American Legal Process, entered the plea Friday in Nassau County Supreme Court, admitting to one count of a class E felony. He is to be sentenced March 24 and still faces a civil suit in which New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo is seeking damages and penalties.

In a statement announcing the guilty plea Friday, Cuomo said that ALP employees had not served properly, or at all, thousands of notices attorneys and creditors had paid them to serve.

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Process server admits fraud