News from May 2008
Fen-Phen trial begins against plantiffs'attorneys
Judge William Bertelsman COVINGTON, Ky. (Legal Newsline)-Three embattled plaintiffs' attorneys go on trial Monday for allegedly bilking clients out of $46 million from Kentucky's Fen-Phen settlement.
Indiana Gov. endorses Costas for AG
Costas INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. (Legal Newsline)- Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels on Monday endorsed fellow Republican Valparaiso Mayor Jon Costas for state Indiana attorney general.
Maynard info won't be released before primary
Maynard CHARLESTON, W. Va. (Legal Newsline) - A circuit judge on Monday denied The Associated Press' wish to hammer out issues surrounding a denied request for a log of West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Spike Maynard's e-mails and phone calls before Tuesday's primary election.
Justices' recusals allow anti-apartheid suit to go forward
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – A lawsuit will move forward against 33 companies that did business in South Africa during apartheid because the U.S. Supreme Court was unable to form a quorum.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects smoker's lawsuit
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline)-The U.S. Supreme Court rejected an appeal Monday by a California smoker who alleged the $206 billion tobacco settlement between 46 states and the four major cigarette companies violated antitrust laws.
Blumenthal: CNG should forgo collecting on 'make-up' bills
GREENWICH, Conn. (Legal Newsline)-Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal on Monday urged state regulators to block Connecticut Natural Gas from collecting $1.4 million from 3,400 customers he said it illegally billed in January.
Florida AG sues pharmacy over $400,000 fraud
Bill McCollum TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline)--Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum is suing a Miami pharmacy owner that allegedly defrauded the state's Medicaid program out of more than $400,000.
Dann kicked out of Democratic Party
Marc Dann COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline)- Embattled Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann on Saturday was stripped of his endorsement by the Ohio Democratic Party amid a sexual harassment scandal in his office.
Oregon AG pursues racketeering case against bridge builder
Hardy Myers SALEM, Ore. (Legal Newsline)- Oregon Attorney General Hardy Myers is pursuing a racketeering lawsuit against Ross Bros. & Co. for allegedly trying to defraud the Oregon Department of Transportation out of more than $1.1 million.
Group sues Sears, GE over water filters
OAKLAND, Calif. (Legal Newsline)- The Center for Environmental Health claims in a lawsuit that General Electric Co., Sears Roebuck and Co., Whirlpool Corp. are poisoning the public by selling water filtration systems that discharge arsenic into the water.
MTBE settlement could grow, lawyers say
Scott Summy SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)--Oil companies have agreed to pay $422 million in clean up costs to settle lawsuits over their use of MTBE, a gasoline additive blamed for contaminating water supplies.
McGrath files reply in water rights case against Wyoming
Mike McGrath HELENA, Mont. (Legal Newsline) --Montana Attorney General Mike McGrath says a long-standing water agreement his state has with Wyoming protects Montana residents' use of water from Yellowstone River.
Brown reaches agreement with San Diego airport to cut emissions
Jerry Brown SAN DIEGO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-The California Attorney General's Office has announced an agreement with the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority aimed at reducing climate-altering greenhouse gas emissions.
Dann vows not to resign
Marc Dann COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline)-Embattled Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann vowed Friday not to resign, as many of his Democratic colleges have urged him to do.
Schlafly rails against appointed state judges
Phyllis Schlafly ALTON, Ill. (Legal Newsline)-Conservative author and commentator Phyllis Schlafly is touting a measure on the November ballot in Kansas that she says could "send shock waves" through the judiciary.
Dann loses support of key backer
Dann COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - The largest labor organization in Ohio wants to see the resignation of troubled state Attorney General Marc Dann.
Oregon Supreme Court upholds malpractice limits
Chief Justice Paul De Muniz SALEM, Ore. (Legal Newsline)-The Oregon Supreme Court this week upheld a five-year statute of limitations on medical malpractice lawsuits involving minors.
Attorney had prior notice of Monaco photos
Maynard CHARLESTON, W. Va. (Legal Newsline) - A Princeton attorney said he was told in advance that photos showing West Virginia Supreme Court Chief Justice Spike Maynard and Massey Energy CEO Don Blankenship together in Monaco would become public as part of a motion in a Supreme Court case involving a $76 million verdict.
Utah AGO: State not liable for boy's mauling death
Mark Shurtleff PROVO, Utah (Legal Newsline)-The Utah attorney general's office says the state is not responsible for the death of Sam Ives, an 11-year-old boy who was fatally mauled at a Utah campground last year by a black bear.
Mailers make mock McGraw memos
McGraw CHARLESTON, W. Va. (Legal Newsline) - West Virginia businesses are on alert that letters claiming state Attorney General Darrell McGraw is investigating them are in the mail.