Q. I was sued for $15,000 about a year ago, and the first thing I did was hire an attorney my brother-in-law knew, as I have never been sued before, have never even been inside a court room, don’t know anything about the law, etc. Unfortunately, as time went on, it became obvious that the attorney and I did not see eye-to-eye and I felt that he was not really on my side in the case. Eventually he quit. I have been looking for a replacement for the last month; however, the lawyers that do manage to return my phone calls are either too busy, about to go on vacation, do not handle this type of case, or are way out of my price range. A couple of them have told me that even if they were able to

Q. I am involved in a Sac small claims action that continues to be postponed by the Defendant. I'm trying to get the matter over with. So now I'm wondering: what does "Form SC-105, SC Order and Answer do? Is it a way to expedite a case or ask a judge to review my evidence and rule in advance? The small claims advisors don't return calls and don't answer their phone. Any assistance would be appreciated. Thank you Carol A. I understand your frustration in wanting to resolve your matter as quickly as possible! Form SC-105 is a generic motion form. It is used to ask the court to make a decision about a specific issue in your case, such as amending a judgment to include other names the defen

Following a five-month hiatus, intriguing closing argument to the Federal lawsuit against California’s Proposition 8 were heard in the U.S. District Court in San Francisco on June 16, and a decision in the case is expected shortly. The leadership of Sacramento’s Equality Action Now, a local, grassroots civil rights organization and the Sacramento Gay and Lesbian Center are planning to respond to whatever ruling Judge Vaughn Walker decides in the case with a rally at the Sacramento G&L Center, 1927 L St. As of this writing there are no indications when the ruling will take place. Organizers are preparing for any day or time it could be announced. There were rumours flying yesterday that t

Hina's Tea announced Monday that it will close soon. Owner Hina Soni, who has been in a legal dispute with her landlord, Gary Orr, since mid-2007, learned last week that Orr was entitled to repossess the property until litigation is complete. Soni and Orr declined to comment, saying to contact their lawyers. There are more than 100 court documents attached to the case, number 07AS02841 on the Sacramento County Superior Court's website, some reaching 330 pages. According to the most recent court order, there are several key disputes unresolved. "There is a triable issue of fact as to the amount of back rent, if any, owed," according to the document. "There also is a triable issue of fact

Dr. George Kaysen, MD was hired by plaintiff's attorney as a medical expert. Kaysen teaches at UC Davis; his expertise is in nephrologist, specializing in kidney disease, including electrolite abnormalities. He said that hyponatremia "happens quite commonly," especially with patients on diuretics. He spent a lot of time educationg the jury as to the technical meaning of hyponatremia; it came down to the dilution of the level of salt in the bloodstream balances with the level of salt in the cells, and that when the salt fell below a certain level, it would cause cell swelling, and brain swelling. Kaysen also said that no matter how much water a person drinks, the kidney can only process ab