George Orwell’s 1984 warned that “Big Brother is Watching You.” It’s 2023 now, and every Facebook user knows that the internet giant is the modern-day equivalent of Big Brother. Facebook knows the location, sex, ethnicity, religion, political leanings, lifestyle choices and number of children every subscriber has. Each click adds... Read More about Plaintiffs Can Sue Facebook for Discriminatory Ad Platform
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, a private research university in upstate New York, has filed a lawsuit after a janitor unknowingly cost the institute over $1 million in destroyed scientific research. Joseph Harrington, a janitor contracted to clean the university’s Cogswell Building from August 2020 through to November 2020 unknowingly destroyed more... Read More about University Janitor Destroys Over 20 Years of Scientific Research After Turning Off Freezer, Lawsuit Claims
Nursing home operator Centers Health Care and its owners are facing a lawsuit filed in state court by New York State Attorney General Letitia James. James filed the suit accusing Centers Health Care and its owners of stealing $83 million in government funding. Meanwhile, facilities remained understaffed, resulting in widespread... Read More about New York AG Lawsuit Claims Nursing Home Owners Stole $83M While Neglecting Residents
On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court repudiated a legal theory that threatened to radically reshape the way elections are conducted in the country. If allowed to proceed unchecked, the controversial legal doctrine would have granted state lawmakers carte blanche to control state and federal elections without judicial review. The so-called... Read More about Supreme Court Rejects Independent State Legislature Theory
The Department of Labor (DOL) ordered Taqueria Garibaldi, a taqueria in California, to pay $140,000 in back wages plus damages for infractions. The owners of the restaurant, which has locations in Sacramento and Roseville, are charged with unique infractions, including allegedly hiring a “fake” priest to take confessions of employees... Read More about Confessions of a Taco Maker: DOL Orders Cali Chain to Pay $140,000 Back Wages and Damages for Fake Priest Confessional
Leaders of Oregon’s Multnomah County have filed a lawsuit against 17 Oil and gas companies including Exxon Mobil, Shell, Chevron, BP, and other leading players. The county is the most populated in the state, is home to landmark destination Portland, and is known for having mild but rainy weather. After... Read More about Oregon’s Multnomah County Sues Oil and Gas Leaders Exxon Mobil, Shell, and 15 Others Over 2021 Heat Dome
The California Supreme Court ruled that police officers can be liable in civil court for misconduct that occurs during an investigation. The decision significantly broadens liability for law enforcement, rolling back years of decisions protecting the police from litigation. The case concerned the conduct of several sheriff’s deputies in Riverside... Read More about California Supreme Court Limits Police Immunity for Misconduct
The California Highway Patrol has agreed to pay $7 million to end a federal wrongful death lawsuit filed after a Sacramento man was shot to death by a CHP officer. The settlement came two months before the case was set to go to trial. Thirty-one-year-old Daniel Shaham was killed on... Read More about CHP Agrees to $7 Million Settlement in Officer-Involved Wrongful Death Lawsuit
A small group of Detroit parents are planning to file a lawsuit against the Detroit Public Community School District after they say school leaders at Moses Field Elementary School physically and verbally abused students while attempting to cover up their actions. The elementary school serves children with disabilities, and the... Read More about Detroit Parents to File Lawsuit Accusing School Staff of Abusing Their Special Needs Children
A former student at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, has filed a lawsuit against the university after becoming the target of a ransomware attack discovered in July 2022. The lawsuit was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Spokane and accuses the university of negligence after hackers were able to... Read More about Former Whitworth University Student Sues After Ransomware Attack Last Summer
In the wake of concerns about the lack of oversight about the ethics of some of its member-lawyers, the State Bar of California submitted a change to its Rules of Professional Conduct last year, which the California Supreme Court approved with minor changes on June 21. The new rule puts... Read More about California Supreme Court Approves State Bar’s “Snitch Rule”
On Thursday, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the conviction of a federal prisoner despite subsequent changes in the law rendering his conviction invalid. The ruling prevents inmates from seeking federal review of a conviction, even an unlawful conviction, if they already sought federal relief in the past. In 2000, Marcus... Read More about Supreme Court Limits Post-Conviction Challenges Even on Claims of Actual Innocence
Three construction workers were injured recently in a fire on a Bronx construction site which had been the subject of numerous safety violations. The recent fire is another data point in the country’s growing construction fire problem. The fire in question occurred while the three workers were conducting waterproofing. The... Read More about Bronx Construction Fire Injures Three as Construction Fires on the Rise
John Eastman, one of ex-President Donald Trump’s attorneys and the man accused of designing the legal strategy that sought to keep Trump in power after he lost the 2020 election, is currently embroiled in a disbarment hearing that could result in him losing his license to practice law in California. ... Read More about Media Has Only Limited Access to Eastman Disbarment Hearing
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit that pushed to reverse a Tennessee law prohibiting transgender individuals from changing the sex listed on their birth certificate. When the lawsuit was filed, Tennessee was one of only three states with such laws. The other states included Kansas and Ohio, both of which... Read More about Transgender Individuals Cannot Change ‘Sex’ on Birth Certificate, Rules Tennessee Judge