Social media (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, Instagram) has impacted Americans’ lives in unpredictable and material ways and, unsurprisingly, now impacts preparing for and trying cases. As social media touches many aspects of the practice of law, effective and ethical advocacy now requires that every trial attorney develop social media literacy. In an article published by New Jersey Lawyer magazine, attorneys Brandon Minde and Elizabeth Farrell explore the role of social media in their recent federal trial and expand upon the lessons learned during the trial to help readers better prepare and navigate the use of social media in litigation.
This article was originally published in the April 2019 issue of New Jersey Lawyer, a publication of the New Jersey State Bar Association, and is reprinted here with permission.
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Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski is proud to announce that it has added five attorneys to its civil litigation and trial team, including Mark Petraske and Herb Kruttschnitt as partners. Mark and Herb are highly-respected, experienced trial attorneys with outstanding records of courtroom success.
The firm is also pleased to announce the opening of a new office in Moorestown, New Jersey, to support our growth and to provide better service to our clients in South Jersey.
Shawna Bishop has also joined the firm as counsel. Shawna brings over seven years of experience and concentrates her practice on civil and complex litigation. Adam Ortlieb and William Meiselas have also joined the firm as associates. Both and Adam and William are experienced litigators and provide additional litigation support to the firm’s trial practice.
Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski is excited to add these five talented lawyers and the South Jersey office, which will allow us to continue providing our clients with the highest level of legal representation.
Trial partner John Dughi secured a defense verdict on behalf of a defendant neuroradiologist alleged to have injured the plaintiff’s nerve root during a lumbar puncture, resulting in permanent and severe back pain and headaches. The plaintiff was a 43-year-old married father of four and former high school and Ivy League scholar-athlete, claiming these injuries interfered with essentially all aspects of his life, from his career to his family life, and prevented him from engaging in any physical and athletic activities. Plaintiff’s last settlement demand was $5,000,000. Cyndee Allert sat second chair to Mr. Dughi in securing the win. The case was tried to a jury in the Union County Superior Court over the course of 7 trial days. Wolfe v. Volvovsky, Docket No. UNN-L-3204-14.
Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, PC, is pleased to announce that Brandon Minde was elected Chair-elect of the Criminal Law Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association for the 2019-2020 term at the NJSBA Annual Meeting. Mr. Minde will become Chair of the Criminal Law Section for the 2020-2021 term. The Criminal Law Section deals with information and education concerning the improvement of the criminal justice system, and takes an active role in responding to developments which affect its membership and in suggesting methods through which the legal system can more effectively serve the interests of Criminal Law Section members and their clients.
Brandon is a partner with the firm, is certified by the Supreme Court of NJ as a Criminal Trial Attorney, and leads DHD’s criminal defense practice.
Trial partner Russ Hewit successfully defended a cardiologist in a wrongful death case brought by the estate of a 39 year old married father of one in the Essex County Superior Court. Plaintiff claimed the decedent had presented to the emergency room with signs and symptoms of an acute heart attack, including a significantly abnormal EKG, but was discharged home, where he died the next day. Plaintiff’s economist testified to projected loss of income and loss of care, guidance and advice to the surviving spouse and child of between $3.6 and $4.6 million. The case was tried to a jury over the course of two weeks in Essex County.
The broad scope of the federal racketeering laws (RICO), along with evidentiary exceptions such as allowing otherwise impermissible hearsay from co-conspirators, are just some of the reasons the crime of racketeering conspiracy is known as “the prosecutor’s best friend.” A federal jury on Thursday found the top executives of Insys Therapeutics, a company that sold a fentanyl-based painkiller, guilty of racketeering charges in a rare criminal prosecution that blamed corporate officials for contributing to the nation’s opioid epidemic. Read about it here: NYTimes: Top Executives of Insys, an Opioid Company, Are Found Guilty of Racketeering
Brandon Minde is the head of Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski’s criminal law department, is a former prosecutor, and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney. He has represented clients in several major, federal racketeering trials.
Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C. is proud to announce that Brandon D. Minde, a trial partner and faculty member of the Practising Law Institute (PLI), will be presenting on New Jersey criminal trial preparation during the PLI’s New Jersey Basic CLE Marathon 2019 on Friday, May 3, 2019.
This one-day program is designed to help newly admitted attorneys fulfill the New Jersey newly admitted CLE requirements, but will benefit both experienced and newly admitted attorneys. The program will include New Jersey-specific instruction about subject areas required by the Supreme Court of New Jersey Board on Continuing Legal Education (BCLE) for newly admitted lawyers licensed in New Jersey. Mr. Minde’s criminal trial preparation segment will feature discussion on arrest, indictment and arraignment; discovery; status conferences, pre-trial conferences and pre-trial hearings; plea negotiations and agreements; trial – presentment of evidence and witnesses; post-trial motions; and recent developments.
Mr. Minde is the head of Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski’s criminal law department, is a former Essex County Assistant Prosecutor, and is certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney.
To register: https://www.pli.edu/programs/new-jersey-basic-cle-marathon?t=live&p=251592
Trial partner Brandon Minde successfully defended two psychiatrists in a Union County Superior Court action brought by a former school teacher seeking damages for an involuntarily psychiatric commitment resulting from alarming comments at a staff meeting to assess teen suicide and safety.
Mr. Minde proved that actions taken by the physicians were protected by NJSA: 30:4-27.7, which provides statutory immunity to healthcare professionals when making decisions regarding involuntary confinements necessary to protect an individual and/or safeguard the public.
The case was tried over two weeks before Judge Mega resulting in a defense verdict.
Dughi, Hewit & Domalewski, P.C., is pleased to announce that Brandon D. Minde has been certified by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as a Criminal Trial Attorney.
Brandon is a partner with the firm and leads the firm’s criminal defense practice.
Attorneys may be designated by the Supreme Court of New Jersey as “certified attorneys” if they: are able to demonstrate sufficient levels of experience, education, knowledge and skill in a specific area of law or practice; have passed a rigorous examination; and have been recognized by their peers as having sufficient skills and reputation in the designated specialty.
The firm congratulates Brandon on this achievement.
