When people hear the word “soot,” they most likely associate it with the black, sticky substances that coat fireplaces or barbeque grills when hearth-gathering or cooking activities are over. But “soot,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is much more than a nuisance that requires cleaning. It is a... Read More »
It was an ordinary, hectic Friday at the Richneck Elementary School in Newport News, Virginia, where first-graders were sitting in their seats listening to their teacher, Abigail Zwerner. Suddenly, a six-year-old boy took out a 9mm handgun, aimed it at Ms. Zwerner, and pulled the trigger with a single shot. ... Read More »
At any time, thousands of series or films will include the statement “based on a true story” before the beginning of the show. With the onslaught of non-stop releases on streaming sites that is too large to count, new legal questions are being tested in courts. What are the boundaries... Read More »
The First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech does not protect a volunteer member of a municipal advisory board who was appointed by the city council member who fired her. Because their political views differed, and since she was found to be the “public face” of the board, she could be... Read More »
The mother of an Ohio eighth-grader is suing her daughter’s school district and three of her daughter's middle school staff members after her daughter was subjected to an illegal “strip search.” The lawsuit was filed against three employees of East Lake Middle School and Willoughby Eastlake Schools Board of Education... Read More »
Law enforcement and school officials in Newport News, Virginia, are continuing to investigate the events that led up to a school shooting in which a six-year-old shot and critically injured his first-grade teacher in their classroom at Richneck Elementary school last week. The teacher who has now been identified as... Read More »
After a holiday meltdown with its flight services, Southwest Airlines is bracing for another blow after a Louisiana man filed a lawsuit against the airline. The lawsuit was filed in New Orleans Federal Court by resident Eric Capdeville. In his complaint, Capdeville accuses the airline of breaching its passenger contracts... Read More »
The two actors who played star-crossed lovers in Franco Zeffirelli’s adaptation of Romeo and Juliet are filing a multimillion-dollar lawsuit against the film's distributor, Paramount Pictures. Despite having been filmed more than fifty years ago, at the center of their lawsuit is the claim that a nude bedroom scene was... Read More »
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered countless legal issues. Businesses and insurance companies are often right in the middle of them. It is common for companies to claim losses for “property damage” caused by COVID. But the definition of “property damage” and whether insurance policies must cover losses suffered as a... Read More »
Detriot Public Schools and a third party hired to contract bus drivers for the school system are facing a $3.5 million lawsuit after an attack on a twelve-year-old student. The lawsuit was filed by the child’s mother, Krissey Coakley, in Wayne County Circuit Court last week, and the family is... Read More »
Tragically, forced labor is alive and well in the United States of America. A married couple in Stockton, California, posted 47 help-wanted ads on Indian websites, seeking live-in nannies. They misrepresented the salaries, working conditions, and duties the job entailed. At different times, three women from India answered the ads,... Read More »
An ongoing cease-and-desist legal battle is taking the famous rock band Journey to new litigation, as the “Don’t Stop Believing” hitmakers add a musician’s wife to an ongoing legal action. The band Journey gained epic fame in the 1980s with hits such as “Don’t Stop Believing,” “Any Way You Want... Read More »
A man who strangled his ex-wife and then threw her overboard from their cruise ship into the Mediterranean Sea lost an appeal from his conviction for first-degree murder for financial gain. He argued that six pieces of evidence presented at trial should not have been admitted. The appellate court reviewed... Read More »
Disciplining high school students for racist, bullying, vulgar, or harassing speech posted on social media does not violate the First Amendment whether it occurs on campus or in the privacy of students’ homes. The Ninth Circuit followed a recent decision by the U.S. Supreme Court that said social media posts... Read More »
A California Superior Court judge ordered mandatory drug tests for a father who hoped to begin home visits with his two children, aged two and four. When he admitted that he occasionally used marijuana, a legal substance in the state, the hearing judge told him, “You can smoke pot, or... Read More »