As you may know, we sort of adore Courtney Love, so we're happy to hear that she will not be evicted from her Manhattan townhouse. Late last year the owner of Love's West Village townhouse, Donna Lyon, claimed the rocker fell behind on rent, damaged property, and altered the appearance of the home. Now TMZ has learned that a judge just tossed the case out, "because it turns out Courtney did exactly what a good tenant is supposed to do—pay her rent." more ›

As the investigation continues into the death of police officer Peter Figoski, who was fatally shot in the face while responding to a home invasion robbery in East New York, there has been finger-pointing about suspected shooter Lamont Pride. Pride, wanted on an outstanding warrant in North Carolina, was arrested twice in NYC; NC authorities appeared to lag in extraditing him and a NYC judge decided to free him without bail. Bloomberg had harsh words for the judge. more ›

Prisoners do not have a constitutional right to daily matzoh and weekly grape juice, a federal judge has ruled. Even if they ask really nicely! The decision from U.S. Southern District Judge Shira Scheindlin came in response to a suit brought forth by a man named Christopher Henry, who is serving time on Rikers for first-degree sodomy. more ›

Mobsters can often be quite charming in the movies, but it seems that they're not nearly as persuasive in real life: several Brooklyn federal judges are at their wits end with alleged mobsters and mafia associates bizarre (or entitled) bail requests. Reputed Genovese associate Peter Pace recently complained that his electronic bracelet doesn't allow him to stroll on his outdoor patio or garden in his backyard. "Move your tomatoes inside. I don't want to be bothered with this," Judge John Gleeson responded. more ›

Jury duty is a double-edged sword for most: the pleasure of participating in one of the core tenets of democracy is mixed with the reality of a tedious, long process with little pay. People literally have mental breakdowns over it! So many wear inappropriate t-shirts, or touch themselves, to escape it. And then other people try to get out of it by trashing the NYPD and minorities in the most offensive way possible. Hey, it's not like it could possibly blow up in your face, right? more ›

The Mets have been battling it out with Kosher Foods Inc. over whether the company is entitled to serve glatt kosher food every day of the week at Citi Field, or if serving food on Friday nights and Saturdays violates the Sabbath. The case has been bounced to Federal court, but the Judge in it has now chosen to recuse himself, for fear of seeming biased in favor of the orange and blue boys from Queens. more ›

Last June, NYPD officer Alvaro Casado sued to be reinstated after he was fired for testing positive for cocaine on an Air Force drug test (he was in the Air National Guard), which he blamed on a potent cup of Mate de Coca tea. But yesterday a Manhattan judge ruled that he can't have his job back, saying that as a probationary cop the NYPD had the right to fire him for any reason as long as it wasn't "in bad faith." more ›

This week, a federal appeals court in Manhattan overturned an upstate Judge's ruling that a defendant caught with child pornography needed a harsher punishment because he was born with an "as-of-yet undiscovered gene" that predisposed him to look at child pornography. more ›

Last year, EMS lieutenant Michael Palleschi faced investigations over violating medical privacy laws and pranking a teenage volunteer. Palleschi allegedly posted details on Facebook of a 911 call in which a woman complained about a "swollen vagina," with the comment, "Can't make this up." An administrative judge has now ruled that Palleschi should lose his job over the goof. He should also probably lose his job for the prank he pulled in which he gave a teenage EMS volunteer a stickup note to give to Dunkin' Donuts employee, telling him it was a bagel order, but he could argue that putting a minor in danger of being arrested is totally funny! more ›

Family Court Judge John Hunt is accusing the city's Probation Department of gender bias, saying they routinely spare teenage girls from serving prison time even if they've committed the same violent crimes as boys. He cited the example of Stephen C. and Jennifer S., both teens who beat up a boy before stealing his iPod. However, the Probation Department suggested Stephen be put on supervised probation while Jennifer should have her case eventually dismissed. Hunt said, "The court could find no cogent reason why Jennifer S. should be treated differently than her accomplice." Except she is made of sugar, spice and everything nice. more ›

Imagine you've spent months fighting in Iraq, surrounded by hostile locals who don't want you there, and ignored by the folks at home who can't bother paying attention to what our government is doing with their $845 billion mission. You've finally returned from that sunstroke-inducing hell, the experience of which will forever haunt and partially define your life. And how are you welcomed back into civilian life? With a Kafkaesque journey into parking ticket hell. more ›

Last week, Timothy West was accused of breaking into the home of a 21-year-old Applebee's waitress, raping her at knife-point, and texting her later for a second date. West was caught on tape apologizing to the waitress and asking to see her again, and the details of that awkward, incriminating conversation have been plastered in local papers. So, naturally, the most appropriate outlet for West's lawyer's frustration at handling his questionable behavior would be to lash out at the judge in the case. more ›

A state appellate court ruled that a convicted carjacker can get a new trial because a Bronx judge called his lawyer a "clown." The Post reports, "The panel of appellate judges did not dispute the evidence against Damian Leggett, who attempted to steal a driver's car at gunpoint," but they didn't like was how Bronx Supreme Court Judge Robert Neary constantly insulted Leggett's court-appointed lawyer. For instance, "During the prosecutor's summation, the judge snapped at Levine: 'Would you behave like a professional, please, and not a clown?" Instead, the panel said Neary should have insulted Levine in a sidebar and not in front of jurors. more ›

Yesterday, a federal judge upheld a city regulation calling for a limit to the number of street vendors allowed in areas like Union Square, High Line Park and Battery Park. Though local art vendors claim the limit is unconstitutional, the judge threw out their lawsuit against the city. The city calls the ruling, "a careful balance between the rights of vendors and the public's right to enjoy the parks." The ruling goes into effect on Monday, and will slash the number of art vendors in the city from 300 to 120, who would get the spots on a first-come, first-served basis. more ›

How low our judiciary has sunk! Back in the day, you had to ply judges with hookers and hot tubs to win in court; now they settle for cheap snack food: one judge's inability to say resist his favorite variety of popcorn has cost him $2,500 and his job. Alan Rubin, an administrative law judge assigned to the Parking Violations Bureau, has admitted that after dismissing a delivery driver's parking tickets, he accepted some popcorn from the guy as a thank-you present. Apparently, that's frowned upon. more ›

NYC has its fair share of attention-grabbing Judges, whether they be loud-mouthed, Elvis-like, or Supreme Courty. But when accused drug kingpin Alvin Frazer tried to defend himself before Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Edward McLaughlin by claiming he was "an addict," and therefore couldn't have run a major wholesale cocaine operation, he was faced down by the quippiest Judge in all the land. more ›

So, you'd think if your spouse attacked you with 3-foot samurai sword, it'd pretty clearly be reasonable grounds for divorce, right? Not according to a family court Judge in Long Island, who ruled that such an attack did not amount to "cruel and inhuman" behavior (because no one was physically injured). more ›

In December a federal judge in Brooklyn ruled that it was unconstitutional for Congress to cut funds for ACORN without conducting a formal investigation into the low-income community activist group. At the time, ACORN was still reeling from hidden camera videos which seemed to show ACORN employees advising a pimp and prostitute on tax evasion. These carefully edited videos were eventually found to show no criminality, but ACORN's funding was never restored. (The group also came under fire because some workers had written false names like "Mickey Mouse" on voter registration drives in 2008.) more ›

A Staten Island robbery suspect walked out of a courtroom a free man after he impersonated a detainee facing lesser charges. Freddie Thompson—who was supposed to be arraigned for five robberies—pretended to be a suspect held on marijuana possession charges and was sentenced to time served. Authorities apparently didn't realize the gaffe until 90 minutes later, when the other prisoner asked officials why his name hadn't been called. more ›

Upper West Side landlords were caught in a lie when they tried to evict rent-stabilized tenants on the grounds that they needed the rental property for their own family. Every other resident in the brownstone on West 92nd had been pushed out, except for Beverly West (author of Pug Therapy) and her husband, reports the Post. The landlords, who bought the property in 2005, said they'd need the whole building for their daughter and unborn grandchildren, but the six new buzzers and mail boxes they installed suggested otherwise. The couple sued, and in an unusual decision, the judge ruled in favor of the low-paying tenants: "I do not believe that [the landlords] intend to occupy the entire building. The evidence simply does not support this claim," she wrote. more ›

The woman whose false rape claims put an innocent man behind bars for nearly four years was sentenced to one to three years in prison on perjury charges. After pleading guilty to making up a story that she was gang raped in Upper Manhattan in 2005 to elicit sympathy from friends, Biurny Peguero Gonzalez was hit with jail time. "I question myself every day as to how I could have done this," she told the judge at her sentencing hearing. more ›

A federal judge rejected former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate's attempt to block his expulsion, clearing the way for a March 16 special election to decide who will hold his now-vacant seat. In a 24-page ruling, Judge William Pauley III wrote: "The question of who should represent the 13th Senatorial District is one for the voters, not this court." more ›

Since being convicted of misdemeanor assault for dragging his girlfriend down a building hallway last October, expelled state Sen. Hiram Monserrate has skipped all three court-mandated domestic-violence counseling sessions and hardly started his obligatory 250 hours of community service. "He was told, 'This is serious,'" a source told the Post. "It was made clear, 'If you miss again, violation is next.'" more ›

A judge turned down a request by former state Sen. Hiram Monserrate (D-Queens) to halt his expulsion from the legislative body, but the disgraced politician isn't giving up his fight. Though the federal judge declined Monserrate's bid for an immediate stay on his senate expulsion and on Gov. David Paterson's call for a special election, Monserrate will continue the legal battle in which he has cast himself as a victim whose civil rights have been trampled. more ›

A former Queens Assemblyman who resigned after being indicted for accepting bribes in the form of "consulting" fees was sentenced to six years in prison. Anthony Seminerio, 74, pleaded guilty to one charge of fraud after investigators alleged that he had taken up to $2 million in bribes, established a shell company to handle the "consulting" money, and was caught on tape accepting $25,000 from an FBI agent posing as a real estate developer. more ›

Attempted murder suspect Aafia Siddiqui spoke in her own defense today — and this time she wasn't thrown out of court. Though her attorneys have argued the outburst-prone Pakistani neuroscientist suffers from "diminished capacity," exhibits "conduct [that] cannot be contained" and would use her time on the stand to "turn the proceeding into a spectacle," the judge allowed her to take the stand in a hearing to determine if certain evidence will be admissible in court, and if she is fit to testify in front of jurors. more ›

For hundreds of transgender people trying to establish new identities, Manhattan courts have played a crucial role. Nearly 400 transgender people have sought and been granted name changes either from male to female, female to male or ambiguous, making New York a name change capital of the country. They've enlisted the help of city advocates who specialize in the emerging field of transgender law—now the network is almost 200 lawyers strong. more ›

The MIT- and Brandeis-educated neuroscientist accused of attempted murder for shooting at U.S. personnel in Afghanistan was thrown out of court just 90 minutes into her trial when she interrupted testimony with a rant. Aafia Siddiqui — who has already been reprimanded for her courtroom etiquette and once urged a judge to use genetic tests to make sure her jurors wouldn't be Jews — shouted: "I was never planning to bomb [New York]. You are lying." more ›

Former newsman Dominic Carter will serve his full 30-day jail sentence for abusing his wife, but his lawyers will continue to fight to clear his name. His attorney told the Post that "Dominic is confident that at the end of the entire legal process he will be exonerated" and that he decided against seeking bail as he awaits his appeal "in order to put this chapter behind him and immediately move forward with his life and career." The 45-year-old was locked up on Thursday for "punching, choking, and kicking" his wife during a 2008 dispute. On top of the jail sentence, Carter was ordered to stay away from his wife for two years "unless a psychiatrist assures the trial judge that the journalist is not a threat to her." His lawyer said the unemployed anchor plans to bring the case to a higher court "to raise multiple errors made by the [trial] judge that deprived Dominic Carter of a fair trial." more ›

A judge ruled that a group of demonstrators have the right to protest directly in front of Mayor Bloomberg's Upper East Side townhouse. The city initially rejected the protesters' application to rally against school closures and charter schools in front of the Mayor's East 79th Street home, but the demonstrators won the fight in court. more ›