Lawrence Smith News
Hurricane city street unsafe, resident alleges in suit
WINFIELD - A Putnam County woman alleges a stroll she took through her neighborhood resulted in a trip to the hospital.
THIS JUST IN: Kanawha County
July 31
THIS JUST IN: Wood County
July 31
THIS JUST IN: Jackson County
July 31
THIS JUST IN: Mason County
Aug. 4
Contractors seeking payment from Putnam homebuilder
WINFIELD - In the course of just over a week, a Putnam County construction company was hit with four lawsuits from three contractors seeking payment for their services.
U.S. 35 construction yields five lawsuits
WINFIELD - Five lawsuits have been filed in Putnam Circuit Court recently relating to construction of the new U.S. 35. Four deal with damages to property from blasting with one alleging the construction was used as front for an investment scam.
Putnam funeral home seeks to declare Internet broadcasting service void
WINFIELD - A Putnam County funeral home is asking a judge to lay to rest a contract it signed last year with a California company to broadcast funerals via the Internet.
Injury at Toyota plant avoidable, suit alleges
WINFIELD - A Kanawha County man is suing his employer for a work-related injury he suffered two years ago.
Former Charleston officer named in civil rights suit
These pictures show wounds Nitro resident David A. Botkins alleges he sustained after he was arrested by St. Albans police officer Brandon L. Tagayun in November. (Courtesy photos) CHARLESTON - A former Charleston police officer, whose actions resulted in the city paying a nearly $2 million settlement to the estate of Fayette County woman, now is accused of brutalizing a Nitro man while on duty at his new job as a St. Albans officer.
Suit says hospital staff wrongly declared infant dead
CHARLESTON - A Kanawha County couple say both they and their newborn baby were traumatized permanently when staff at a Charleston hospital informed them the baby died only to later discover he was in fact alive.
Disbarred attorney pleads guilty to forging records
CHARLESTON - The Kanawha County Prosecutor's Office has reached a plea agreement with a disbarred attorney in his use of forged documents in a former client's civil suit.
Lutz, former law partners named in legal malpractice suit
CHARLESTON - Though John Lutz's legal career may be over, his legal troubles aren't.
Suit claims police illegally searched, took cash
This hotel in South Charleston is where John Bradberry alleges police entered his room without a warrant on May 11, and confiscated over $7,000 in cash. Since he has not been charged with a crime, Bradberry filed suit last month seeking return of his money. (Photo by Lawrence Smith)
CHARLESTON - A guest at a Charleston-area hotel claims in a lawsuit he was a victim of a robbery. The alleged robbers, the man claims, were the cops.
Ohio man says conversations improperly taped, distributed
CHARLESTON - An Ohio businessman alleges that officials inside one of West Virginia's regional jails conspired with people outside the jail to make unauthorized recordings of telephone calls he had with an inmate, and turn them over to his ex-wife.
Former union secretary alleges politically motivated firing
PARKERSBURG - An Ohio woman is alleging she was let go from her job as office manager of a Wood County union local for refusing to practice politics both inside and outside the office.
THIS JUST IN: Kanawha County
July 17
THIS JUST IN: Wood County
July 24
Kanawha man seeks $500K for wrong prescription
CHARLESTON - A Kanawha County man isn't sure whether he took the red pill or the blue pill, but alleges the pills he took while at a Charleston pharmacy caused him to come unplugged.
Jackson attorney indicted on meth-related charges
RIPLEY - A Jackson County attorney was among those caught in a methamphetamine dragnet police employed late last month in an effort to put a dent on the drug's impact on the county.