News from February 2011
Va. AG wants U.S. SC to look at health care challenge
Cuccinelli RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) - Virginia Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli wants his so-far successful challenge of federal health care reform to be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court as soon as possible.
Cuomo's budget is fine with N.Y. AG
Schneiderman ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman is backing Gov. Andrew Cuomo's newest state budget proposal.
Koster secures pair of settlements
Koster JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced on Thursday that he has reached settlements with two companies that allegedly violated the state's workers' compensation laws.
McKenna settlement funds bound for Wash. general fund
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) - Washington Attorney General Rob McKenna announced on Wednesday that his office has reached a $1.3 million settlement with a company that allegedly engaged in deceptive marketing tactics.
Ga. AG, financial company reach agreement
Olens ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) - Georgia Attorney General Sam Olens announced on Thursday that a financial company will pay $448,000 for allegedly violating the state's Fair Business Practices Act and the state's Debt Adjustment Act.
Calif. AG settles with former Countrywide executives
Harris
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - California Attorney General Kamala Harris has announced a $6.5 million settlement with two former officers of Countrywide Financial Corporation stemming from a predatory lending case.
Travel companies agree to five-year ban in New Jersey
Dow NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow has announced a settlement barring the owner of numerous vacation travel club companies from doing business in the state for five years.
Ind. AG wants former sheriff to pay up
Zoeller INDIANAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) - Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller announced on Monday that he has filed a lawsuit against a former sheriff and a sheriff's deputy who allegedly misused more than $52,000 while in office.
Mich. bar calls court system 'outdated'
Young LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - A Michigan judicial task force has issued a report making several recommendations for the state's "outdated" court system, including how to cut costs and streamline its operations.
Miss. SC revives legal malpractice lawsuit
Chandler JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - The Mississippi Supreme Court has reversed the decision of a lower court in the case of a woman who sued her former counsel for legal malpractice after they allegedly failed to serve the defendants in her wrongful death lawsuit.
Texas jury hits Actavis with $170M verdict
Abbott AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - A Travis County jury on Tuesday returned a $170 million verdict for damages, finding that Actavis Mid-Atlantic misrepresented its drug prices to the Texas Medicaid program.
Hood supports monitoring communications in BP MDL
Hood NEW ORLEANS (Legal Newsline) - Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood has filed a motion supporting the plaintiffs' request for monitoring alleged ex parte communications regarding the Gulf Coast Claims Facility.
Report: La. AG switching to GOP
Caldwell BATON ROUGE, La. (Legal Newsline) - A report posted Tuesday afternoon on NOLA.com states that Louisiana Attorney General James "Buddy" Caldwell plans to switch his party affiliation from Democrat to Republican this week.
Railroad company losing money on fraud case
Daniel Mulholland, of Forman Perry Watkins Krutz & Tardy, litigated the fraud case against the two asbestos attorneys. NATCHEZ, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - The company that successfully fought against alleged fraud on the part of two asbestos lawyers is financially in the red on the case.
R.I. SC rules for boy injured in pickup football game
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (Legal Newsline) - The Rhode Island Supreme Court has allowed a lawsuit against a company after a boy hurt himself playing football on its property to proceed.
Minn. farmers can seek compensation for shocked cows
Page ST. PAUL, Minn. (Legal Newsline) - The Minnesota Supreme Court has upheld a decision to possibly award a pair of dairy farmers damages to make up for lost milk production caused by a power company's stray voltage.
Calif. appeals court sides with grocery store in picketing dispute
Brown SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - A California appeals court has ruled that two state laws protecting labor picketing violate constitutional protections of free speech.
Texas SC ruling protects government doctors in malpractice claims
Hecht AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) - Doctors who work for public hospitals gained an extra layer of protection from malpractice suits at the Supreme Court of Texas on Jan. 21.
Judge expected to rule on Feinberg and GCCF this week
Feinberg NEW ORLEANS (Legal Newsline) - U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier said he will likely render a ruling on a plaintiff motion to monitor ex parte communications between BP and oil spill claims administrator Ken Feinberg this week.
AAJ convention coming to Miami
A campaign event is scheduled for Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) at the AAJ Winter Conference on Feb. 6. MIAMI (Legal Newsline) - Trial lawyers from across the country will be descending on Miami for five days as part of the American Association for Justice Winter Convention.