News from March 2010
Conn. loan company owner to pay restitution
Blumenthal HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Following a judgment won by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, a Hartford loan company owner has been compelled to pay restitution and penalties for allegedly taking money and failing to provide promised loans and services.
Vt. judge rules against R.J. Reynolds
MONTPELIER, Vt. (Legal Newsline) - R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company's advertising of a so-called "reduced risk" cigarette has been found deceptive and misleading by a Vermont Superior Court Judge.
Ohio SC will rule on tobacco funds dispute
Strickland COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - The Ohio Supreme Court will decide if the state had the authority to eliminate tobacco cessation and prevention programs that were funded by the 1998 Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.
Texas medical malpractice law survives challenge
Don Willett (R) AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - The 10-year statute of repose on medical malpractice lawsuits in Texas is constitutional, the state Supreme Court has ruled, siding with state Attorney General Greg Abbott.
Group says trial lawyers actually gave $35 million to political causes
John Sullivan SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-California trial lawyers and their political action committees have given far more money to sway public policy than a recent state-issued report indicates, a tort reform group said Monday.
Washington AG gets finder-fee cap in foreclosure cases
Rob McKenna (R) OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline)-Washington residents who lose their home because of back property taxes could get a little extra money in the end thanks to a bill championed by state Attorney General Rob McKenna that was signed into law Friday.
Calif. trial lawyers spend $21 million to sway officials
Ross Johnson SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-California's trial bar lobby spent more than $21 million over the past decade to sway public policy in the direction of plaintiffs' attorneys, a state report said.
Ark. AG files suit against health discount card company‏
Dustin McDaniel (D) LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - Arkansas Attorney General Dustin McDaniel has filed a lawsuit against a company he alleges claims to offer health insurance but offers instead only a health discount card with limited benefits.
Poll: Brown, Whitman neck-and-neck
Jerry Brown (D) SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline)-California Attorney General Jerry Brown is in a statistical dead heat with his No. 1 Republican rival in the governor's race, a poll indicates.
Judgments filed against two in N.C. real estate scheme‏
Roy Cooper (D) RALEIGH, N.C. (Legal Newsline) - Consent judgments have been secured by North Carolina Attorney General Roy Cooper against two of the defendants in the alleged Village of Penland real estate scheme.
Officials hear farmers' antitrust concerns
Eric Holder ANKENY, Iowa, (Legal Newsline)-Antitrust activities by large agribusinesses will not be tolerated, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Friday in a meeting with farmers in Iowa.
Exelon to pay $1 million over radioactive leaks
Lisa Madigan (D) CHICAGO (Legal Newsline)-An energy company will pay more than $1.1 million to resolve lawsuits filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan over radioactive leaks from three of the company's plants.
Judge rules for La. AG in dispute with moving companies
Caldwell BATON ROUGE, La. (Legal Newsline) - An injunction has been obtained by Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell against several moving companies and their operators for numerous violations of the state's Unfair Trade Practice and Consumer Protection Law.
W.Va. SC won't rehear controversial $50M case
Caperton CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - The West Virginia Supreme Court decided Thursday not to rehear the controversial $50 million case that sparked a nationwide debate about judicial recusal standards.
Obama nominates McConnell to federal bench
Obama WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - President Barack Obama has nominated a Rhode Island plaintiffs lawyer who gave him more than $4,000 in campaign contributions for a federal judgeship.
W.Va. Senate OKs business court plan
Thompson CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - The West Virginia Senate on Wednesday gave its approval to a bill that would allow the state Supreme Court to create business courts in certain districts.
Federal jury finds fraud on part of asbestos lawyers
NATCHEZ, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - A federal jury decided Monday that two Mississippi lawyers committed fraud against a railroad company they sued in a pair of asbestos lawsuits.
New Mexico appellate judges failing to curb liability, report says
Kennedy Most of the judges on the New Mexico Court of Appeals get a failing grade when it comes to the "expansion of liability," according to a judicial evaluation report.
AG sues Moody's, S&P over 'tainted ratings'
Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) NEW YORK (Legal Newsline)-Wall Street credit rating giants Moody's Investors Service and Standard & Poor's were sued Wednesday by Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, marking the second state action against the firms over their ratings to investments backed by subprime loans.
Calif. AG sues farm labor contractor
Jerry Brown (D) LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline)-California Attorney General Jerry Brown on Wednesday filed a lawsuit against a farm labor contractor, alleging that he committed "potentially deadly" worker safety violations.