News from May 2011
McGraw sues lawyers over debt settlement company
McGraw CHARLESTON, W. Va. (Legal Newsline) - West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw filed suit Friday to ban a debt settlement company from doing business in the state.
Ala. AG praises businesses in wake of storms
Strange MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Legal Newsline) - Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange commended the policies of cable and satellite services Wednesday that had been made to protect consumers who lost equipment and services during recent storms.
Fourth Circuit sends W.Va. AG's drug-pricing case to state court
McGraw RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) - A federal appeals court has ruled that West Virginia Attorney General Darrell McGraw's lawsuit against prescription drug retailers is not a class action and should be heard in state court.
GOP blocks vote on Obama nominee
Obama WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Republicans in the U.S. Senate filibustered the nomination of a law professor to a federal appeals court last week.
Calif. AG settles suit for $241M
Harris SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) - California Attorney General Kamala Harris announced a $241 million settlement on Friday with the state's biggest provider of medical laboratory testing.
Subpoenaed company welcomes debate about debit card
Bondi CINCINNATI (Legal Newsline) - On Thursday, RushCard founder Russell Simmons acknowledged that RushCard was facing a subpoena from Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi over its prepaid debit card.
Ohio lawsuit resolved
DeWine COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine and Ohio Department of Commerce Director David Goodman announced an assurance of voluntary compliance on Friday with an Ohio mortgage services company.
Conway will face P'Pool in Ky. AG race
Conway FRANKFORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway will battle county attorney Todd P'Pool to keep his position as the state's top lawyer this fall.
Ill. AG opposed to utility rate bill
Madigan CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan and a coalition of consumer advocates Wednesday voiced their opposition to a legislative proposal that they say would impose automatic annual rate hikes on millions of consumers' utility bills.
New 9/11 fund administrator once tangled with Miss. AG
Birnbaum NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - Sheila Birnbaum, an attorney who once represented State Farm Insurance Cos. in Hurricane Katrina litigation, has been picked as the next administrator of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund program.
Asbestos conspiracy theory laid out at Ill. appellate court
Wylder SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (Legal Newsline) - Companies that conspired to hide the hazards of asbestos occupy the same legal position as those that supplied asbestos to workers, according to attorney James Wylder of Bloomington, Ill.
Conn. AG warns of "Yellow Page" scam
Jepsen HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen warned small businesses on Wednesday not to fall for a fraudulent "Yellow Page" scam.
U.S. SC decision forces change in Ga. ruling
Carley ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) - The Georgia Supreme Court was forced to vacate a previous judgment and reverse an appeals court's judgment in light of a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year aimed at protecting vaccine makers from lawsuits.
Bill to change Conn. AG qualifications passes House
Bysiewicz HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - A bill that would clarify the qualifications for being Connecticut's attorney general has passed the General Assembly's House of Representatives.
Nev. SC remands shareholder case against AMERCO
Hardesty CARSON CITY, Nev. (Legal Newsline) - The Nevada Supreme Court last week remanded a case involving AMERCO, the parent company of U-Haul, the country's largest do-it-yourself moving and storage operator.
N.J. AG says business owner violating settlement
Dow NEWARK, N.J. (Legal Newsline) - New Jersey Attorney General Paula Dow announced on Thursday that the state has filed a motion to enforce litigant's rights against an owner of several now-defunct vacation package businesses.
Judge had 'blatant' conflict on $322M asbestos case, company says
Bowen RALEIGH, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - Union Carbide says the judge on a record-breaking asbestos lawsuit excused jurors with family ties to asbestos suits but did not reveal his own.
Wash. SC answers federal court's debt-adjustment questions
Fairhurst OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - The Washington State Supreme Court said last week that debt settlement company Global Client Solutions LLC is not exempt under the state's debt-adjusting statute.
Group says e-mails show justice's involvement in ObamaCare litigation
Kagan WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - A public interest group says U.S. Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan helped coordinate the defense of federal health care reform during her prior job as solicitor general.
Out-of-state lenders can't avoid Conn. laws, Jepsen says
Jepsen HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen says out-of-state small loan lenders are equally subject to Connecticut laws.