News from December 2009
Indiana chief justice to receive national honor
Randall Shepard INDIANAPOLIS (Legal Newsline)- Indiana's chief justice will receive a national award for excellence from the American Judicature Society, the group said.
AG King urges regulators to reject Qwest bid for rate hike
Gary King (D) SANTA FE, N.M. (Legal Newsline)- New Mexico Attorney General Gary King says Qwest Communications International Inc. should not be allowed to raise its rates, urging regulators to reject the company's request to do so.
Utah justices deal setback to proposed power plant
Christine Durham SALT LAKE CITY (Legal Newsline)-The Utah Supreme Court has thrown up roadblocks to a proposed 270-megawatt coal-fired power plant in Sigurd.
Report: States use little tobacco settlement funds for related programs
Matthew Myers WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline)-Although states are raking in billions of dollars in revenue this year from the 1998 tobacco multistate settlement, officials are spending a paltry amount on antismoking efforts, a national report says.
Ohio AG disburses $1 million of Countrywide settlement
Richard Cordray (D) COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline)-- Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray on Wednesday directed $1 million to programs aimed at helping struggling buyers keep their homes.
Consol blames environmental lawsuits for W.Va. layoffs
DeIuliss CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- Consol Energy's announcement of nearly 500 impending layoffs in West Virginia likely will result in a long and troubling domino effect.
WLF files brief in support of tobacco companies
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - Tobacco companies recently received some help in their challenge of a new federal law that they say violates their right to free speech.
State AGs' powers could be limited by House amendment
Melissa Bean (D-Ill.)
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline)-Powers of state attorneys general could be reduced under an amendment to legislation dealing with the proposed federal consumer protection agency.
Private equity firm owner agrees to pay $20 million settlement
Andrew Cuomo (D) NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - The founder of a private equity firm has agreed to pay $20 million in restitution for his part in corruption uncovered by Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo in the New York State Common Retirement Fund.
Goddard to meet with banking executives over foreclosures
Terry Goddard (D) PHOENIX, Ariz. (Legal Newsline)-A week after saying U.S financial institutions could face another round of multistate lawsuits over their lending practices, Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard will be in Washington on Thursday to meet with executives from some of the nation's largest banks.
Chicago-area spas hit with lawsuit over fat-dissolving drug
Lisa Madigan (D) CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - Unapproved, unsupervised cosmetic treatments by a Chicago-based spa group that left some patients with extreme pain and lasting injuries have led to a lawsuit recently filed by Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
Blogging attorneys dissect Miss. Zyprexa decision
Beck NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood's Zyprexa lawsuit "got slaughtered" by a federal judge, two leading legal bloggers recently wrote.
AGs urge FTC to require stricter advertising disclosures
Rob McKenna (R) WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline)-The Federal Trade Commission needs to do more to strengthen consumer protections to prevent deceptive marketing of so-called free credit reports, 42 state attorneys general said in a letter to regulators.
Party heads happy with U.S. Senate primary results
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Parties for the victors in Tuesday's U.S. Senate primary election in Massachusetts are already touting their respective candidate's credentials for next month's general election.
Settlement reached in death of severely neglected disabled Utah man‏
SALT LAKE CITY (Legal Newsline) - The owners and operators of a Bountiful, Utah, residential care facility have agreed to pay $365,555 to the state after a disabled man in their care died from neglect.
Coakley coasts through Democratic primary
Martha Coakley (D) BOSTON (Legal Newsline)- Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley on Tuesday defeated three other candidates to win the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed the late U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy.
Controversial Rendell suit named two other drug companies
Rendell HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - The original lawsuit filed by Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell through high-profile plaintiffs attorneys that is being challenged in state Supreme Court named two other prescription drug companies as defendants.
Trial lawyer eschews Arizona AG run
Michael Manning PHOENIX, Ariz. (Legal Newsline)-Phoenix trial attorney Michael Manning, who has won two multimillion dollar lawsuits against the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, says he won't run for state attorney general.
N.M. settles with Eli Lilly
King NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New Mexico Attorney General Gary King has finalized a settlement with Eli Lilly & Co. in his lawsuit over the prescription antipsychotic drug Zyprexa.
Alaska AG plans ethics rules overhaul following Palin lawsuits
Sarah Palin (R) ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Legal Newsline) - Alaska Attorney General Dan Sullivan says he plans to overhaul the state's ethics rules after problems with the law were brought to light last year.