Talk about your home-field advantage.

Stephen L. Snyder began Monday’s proceedings in Jacksonville residents’ lawsuit against ExxonMobil Corp. for a January 2006 gas leak with a brief recap of where the trial left off Friday. Snyder noted the court adjourned early so “Mr. Sanders could fly home to see his beloved Tennessee Titans lose to our Baltimore Ravens.”

“Mr. Sanders” is James F. Sanders, Exxon’s lead lawyer in the case, who lives in Nashville.

As the pro-“Wacko for Flacco” jury and onlookers cheered in Baltimore County Circuit Court, Sanders stood up, laughed and waved his hands.

“No excuses here,” he said.

DANNY JACOBS, Legal Affairs Writer

ON THE COVER:  While the death penalty and police surveillance may be this year’s hot topics, legislators also plan to tackles issues such as development controls and victims’ rights during the 2009 General Assembly session.

Through foot patrols, community meetings, media awareness and security details, the Guardian Angels aim to deter crime in Baltimore. Read about the organization and watch a video of the Guardian Angels raising awareness about a recent hit-and-run accident. 

In Breaking News, the Court of Appeals hears arguments on whether legal representation at bail hearings should be required; the U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals strikes down a federal sex offender law allowing for civil commitment beyond offender’s prison term; and a Baltimore County jury awards Miles & Stockbridge P.C. more than $18,000 in its fee dispute with Howard County homebuilder Vincent S. Serio.

Joe Surkiewicz discusses the grim, yet hopeful, outlook for legal services in 2009 in his column Of Service.

In Verdicts & Settlements, the city of Baltimore has agreed to pay $80,000 to a New Era Academy student who tripped over a raised man-hole cover while running to catch the bus.

Read about how Paul Day and Jennifer K. Squillario provide legal services to the SPCA in this week’s Pro Bono.

Stay up-to-date by checking out the Law Digest, with cases from the Court of Appeals, Court of Special Appeals, U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and U.S. District Court, Maryland.

CHRISTINA DORAN, Assistant Legal Editor

Happy Monday! Here are some legal links for the beginning of your week:

The Sun had an obit Saturday for William Zantzinger, as in Bob Dylan’s song beginning, “William Zanzinger [sic] killed poor Hattie Carroll/With a cane that he twirled around his diamond ring finger/At a Baltimore hotel society gath’rin’.

Pillage Idiot, an anonymous lawyer from outside D.C. who blogged about politics, the law, Maryland and other topics from a conservative perspective, has decided to give up blogging. He writes, “writing under a pseudonym turns out to be more stressful than I’d anticipated. It’s sort of like being a spy, but without the glamor [sic], without the money, and without the treason. On the other hand, if I’d used my real name, people would have known I was a total idiot instead of merely suspecting it.”

Patent lawsuits in Maryland rose in 2008.

“I do not select overweight people on the jury panel…,” a prosecutor says, explaining why he struck a heavy black woman from the jury. It was OK by the judge in the case, but not by the Second Circuit.

Laid-off attorneys are turning to contract lawyering, but even that field is in trouble.

CARYN TAMBER, Legal Affairs Writer