Latest News
Chicago-Area Tax Preparer Indicted for False Tax Returns
An Illinois man, Byron Taylor, of Homewood, has made his initial appearance on an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Chicago. The indictment charges Taylor with 21 counts of preparing false tax returns for others through his business, We Are Taxes Inc.The indictment alleges that Taylor prepared false tax returns for clients for tax years 2017 through 2020. The returns contained false information, leading clients to claim refunds they were not entitled to. The false information included fraudulent business losses, false deductions like medical expenses, gifts...
Justice Department Seizes Four Web Domains Used to Create Over 40,000 Spoofed Websites and Store the Personal Information of More Than a Million Victims
The Justice Department has seized four web domains used in a cybercrime scheme that involved creating over 40,000 spoofed websites and storing the personal information of more than a million victims. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland stated, “Together with our international partners, the Justice Department has disrupted another cybercrime scheme originating from Russia that enabled criminals to steal from over a million victims in the United States and around the world.”The domains were seized as part of an investigation into a spoofing service operated through the...
Attorney General Moody Challenges Biden Administration's Electric Vehicle Mandate
Attorney General Ashley Moody, along with a multistate coalition, has taken legal action to block a new Environmental Protection Agency emissions rule that aims to increase the production of electric vehicles (EVs) significantly. The lawsuit is in response to the Biden Administration's push for stricter emissions standards on gas and diesel-powered vehicles, with the goal of having EVs account for nearly 70% of car sales in less than a decade.In a statement, Attorney General Moody criticized the EPA's approach, saying, "Biden’s EPA continues to push radical Green New Deal...
Justice Department Secures Agreement with City of Virginia Beach to Improve Access for Individuals with Disabilities
The Justice Department has reached a settlement agreement with the City of Virginia Beach, Virginia, to enhance access for individuals with disabilities, including Veterans, to city buildings and civic programs. According to Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, "The ADA mandates equal access to civic life for people with disabilities." U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia emphasized that "Ensuring that individuals who have disabilities are afforded equal access to local government...
Foreign National Extradited from Chile to the United States for Kidnapping and Assaulting U.S. Army Soldiers in Colombia
A Colombian national, Pedro Jose Silva Ochoa, has been extradited from Chile to the United States to face charges related to the kidnapping and assaulting of two U.S. Army soldiers in Bogota, Colombia. Silva Ochoa, also known as Tata, is set to make his initial court appearance today in Miami, Florida.Court documents reveal that Silva Ochoa and his accomplices targeted and kidnapped the two soldiers in Bogota with the intention of robbing them. The victims were drugged at a pub in Bogota and then taken to a waiting car where they were robbed of their valuables including...
Florida Law Enforcement Welcomes New Officers and Honors Sarasota Police Department
TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody welcomed new law enforcement officers to Florida and honored the Sarasota Police Department for their exceptional efforts in reducing crime. The ceremony, which took place at the Sarasota Police Department, saw the swearing-in of nine officers, with six of them hailing from out-of-state.In her address, Attorney General Moody expressed pride in Florida's pro-law enforcement stance, stating, “Only in Florida can you host a swearing-in ceremony where more than half of the new officers are from out-of-state. This is a testament...
Law Enforcement Agencies Awarded Grants from State Opioid Settlement Funds
Twelve Tribal nations, county, and municipal law enforcement agencies have been awarded grants from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) to address the dangers of opioid use in their communities. The projects funded by these grants focus on prevention, intervention, and treatment activities aimed at combating the opioid epidemic.Attorney General Josh Kaul highlighted the importance of law enforcement agencies in the fight against the opioid epidemic, emphasizing the significance of prevention and intervention efforts. Governor Tony Evers acknowledged the...
Appeal filed after lawyer loses civil rights lawsuit against Consumer Attorneys Association of Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - A lawyer booted from a Los Angeles trial attorney group is appealing the loss of his civil rights lawsuit against it.
Washington hospitals could be liable for malpractice by contractor physicians
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - Hospitals may be liable for the actions of contractor physicians working in their emergency rooms, the Washington Supreme Court ruled, reversing the dismissal of a case involving a woman who died after an ER doc allegedly failed to diagnose flesh-eating bacteria in her shoulder.
Iowa HR exec can't use harassment reports in her own lawsuit
DES MOINES, Iowa (Legal Newsline) - The State of Iowa doesn’t have to pay a $790,000 jury award to a state employee who claimed a hostile work environment based mostly on secondhand reports she received as an administrator overseeing social workers in the Iowa Department of Human Services.
Class action over data breach targets AT&T
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - Class action lawyers have hit AT&T with a lawsuit over a data breach.
Lawsuit claims benzene in CereVe acne medication
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - L'Oreal faces a class action lawsuit that alleges an ingredient in its acne medication turns into benzene.
Federal Agencies Launch Portal for Public Reporting of Anticompetitive Practices in Health Care Sector
The Justice Department, Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) have unveiled an online portal named HealthyCompetition.gov for the public to report potential anticompetitive practices in the health care sector. The initiative aims to address concerns regarding unfair competition and monopolistic practices that could impact healthcare affordability and quality in the United States.Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter emphasized the importance of competition in healthcare, stating, "Competition in health care is crucial to...
Janene Jackson Named New Leader of Holland & Knight in Washington, D.C.
Holland & Knight has named Janene Jackson executive partner of the firm’s Washington, D.C., office. Ms. Jackson will oversee the day-to-day management of the 190-plus lawyer office, while continuing to manage her local government practice.
Attorney General Alan Wilson announces 16-year sentence for Lancaster Co. man who hid camera in bathroom
South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson announces that a Lancaster County man has pleaded guilty to hiding a camera in a bathroom and recording young girls showering.
Paul T. Rushton Spoke on Stone House Retirement Income Planners’ Blue Collar Wealth Podcast Episode “Exit Strategies Unleashed: Selling Your Business Like a Pro.”
On March 18th, Paul T. Rushton, our Managing Partner and a member of our Business & Finance Department, was a guest on a Stone House Retirement Income Planners’ Blue Collar Wealth podcast titled “Exit Strategies Unleashed: Selling Your Business Like a Pro.”
Federal Appellate Court Rejects Smith & Wesson’s “Unjustified” Attempt to Move Civil Lawsuits on Behalf of Victims of Highland Park Mass Shooting into Federal Court
Mere days after the oral arguments, the Seventh Circuit rejected Smith & Wesson’s attempt to remove from state court the civil lawsuits filed by survivors of the Highland Park, Ill. mass shooting.
Statement from Attorney General Raúl Torrez Regarding the Arizona Supreme Court Passing Near-Total Abortion Ban
The ruling by the Arizona Supreme Court, affirming the state’s antiquated abortion ban, is an alarming and deeply concerning decision that undermines the fundamental rights of those accessing reproductive healthcare in our neighboring state.
AG Ferguson announces DNA collection from more than 2,600 serious offenders
Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced today that more than 2,600 serious criminal offenders provided their DNA to law enforcement after previously failing to do so as required by law. As a result of Ferguson’s lawfully owed DNA project, these samples are now in a national DNA database critical to identifying perpetrators of unsolved rapes, murders and other violent crimes.
AG Reyes Continues to Oppose Radical ESG Agendas
In a letter signed by 16 additional states to Climate Action 100+ (CA100+) members, Utah Attorney General Sean D. Reyes reiterated legal concerns over association with the organization as it shifts to Phase 2.