Curiously, the St. Clair County Bar Association's annual "Judicial Night" is not going to be held in-county this year.
Call us skeptical, but Dicta wonders if the Jan. 25 gala relocated to Mike Shannon's in downtown St. Louis is just a clever way to let judges and lawyers to party harder-- in a responsible way of course-- since Judge Patrick Young's DUI arrest last month.
"This year due to the distance we are traveling, a bus will be provided and will depart from and return to the Becker, Paulson, Hoerner & Thompson Law Office," the invite reads.
Better safe than sorry.
Mutiny
Richard Burke, who became the chief class action litigator at the Lakin Law Firm after attorney Gary Peel was indicted on child pornography charges (not to mention obstruction of justice and bankruptcy fraud), but before Lakin firm founder Thomas Lakin was accused of sexually abusing a 15-year-old boy in a civil sexual assault lawsuit, has fled the coop.
On his way out the door Burke apparently had an ugly run-in with shopkeeper Brad Lakin, sources tell Dicta.
While grabbing up some Lakin talent so he and the others could start fresh without the baggage, Brad had the duty of defending the, if you will --honor-- of his father.
Say it ain't so
Not going to appoint a Republican to the associate bench because voters said they don't want GOP judges?
Dicta spies overheard Chief Judge Ann Callis make the pronouncement.
Here's hoping the chief's vision is restored, because after all, as she so eloquently opined during her campaign..."We need to find the best-qualified and most able individual judges; not try to balance competing biases."
Party Bus
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