News from November 2011
New judge assigned to preside over Sandusky preliminary hearing
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - A new judge has been assigned in the child sex-abuse case against former Pennsylvania State University football defensive coordinator Jerry Sandusky, court officials announced Wednesday.
Louisiana, Alabama can pursue punitive damages over Gulf spill
Barbier NEW ORLEANS (Legal Newsline) - U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier has ruled that the states of Louisiana and Alabama can seek punitive damages against BP and its partners over the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oilrig explosion and subsequent oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
Suit alleges doctor didn't know risks of exam table
CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - A Kanawha County woman is suing a Charleston physician she claims is responsible for injuries she sustained when she fell from an examination table.
Pension funds and Fannie Mae battling to recoup meltdown losses
DeWine WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Federal National Mortgage Association shareholders whose fraud suit anticipated the national financial collapse by four years don't buy the government's claim that "Fannie Mae" can never pay them back.
Attorneys: Sovereign immunity won't shield Penn State from sex abuse claims
McLaughlin PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) - In the wake of the Pennsylvania State University child sex-abuse scandal, questions loom over whether or not the school, as a state-supported higher learning institution, can face civil litigation.
Dispute between AG Hood and Feinberg remanded to Miss. court
Hood JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge has decided that Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood's legal battle to enforce a subpoena against the Gulf oil spill victims fund should be heard in state court.
Debt collector banned in Colorado
Suthers DENVER (Legal Newsline) - Colorado Attorney General John Suthers announced on Tuesday that his state has secured a court order barring a Denver-based debt collection agency and its CEO from engaging in the unlicensed collection of debt in Colorado.
Gansler tells driveway paver to cease operations
Gansler BALTIMORE (Legal Newsline) - Maryland Attorney Douglas Gansler announced on Wednesday that his Consumer Protection Division has issued a cease and desist order against an unlicensed Annapolis-based driveway paving contractor.
TRO issued in Mo. AG's environmental case
Koster JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced on Wednesday that his office has obtained a temporary restraining order against a St. Peters company for alleged environmental violations.
Conn. power company facing audit
Jepsen HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen said Tuesday state utility regulators have agreed to an audit of Connecticut Light & Power Co., the company at the center of a prolonged power outage caused by a rare October snow storm.
W.Va. court enforces McGraw's subpoena against payday lender
McGraw CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - A West Virginia circuit court says an Internet payday lender claiming affiliation with a Native American tribe is not immune from a lawsuit and must comply with state Attorney General Darrell McGraw's investigative subpoena.
Miss. Speaker candidate baffled at AG Hood's re-election
Gunn JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - Mississippi's Republican candidate for House speaker says he can't figure out why voters re-elected state Attorney General Jim Hood to a third term.
Merck, Kentucky AG debating outside counsel issue
Conway FRANKFORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge is deciding what to do with another challenge made by a company that claims it is unfair for a state attorney general to hire private attorneys on a contingency fee basis.
Law prof: Upholding ObamaCare a dangerous proposition
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) - A Northwestern University law professor says if upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court, President Barack Obama's health care law "opens the door to federal regulations of unprecedented scope."
Report: S.C. AG joins dispute over port of Savannah
Wilson COLUMBIA, S.C. (Legal Newsline) - South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson is now involved in a dispute over expanding the port of Savannah.
Injunctions filed against telemarketers
Koster JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster obtained preliminary injunctions on Monday against two telemarketing companies for allegedly making solicitation calls to Missourians on the state's no-call list.
N.C. company banned from business in Oregon
Kroger SALEM, Ore. (Legal Newsline) - Oregon Attorney General John Kroger announced an agreement on Monday that bans a North Carolina company from doing business in Oregon for allegedly falsely claiming to raise money for veterans and other groups.
Abbott reaches agreement with Ky. company
Abbott HOUSTON (Legal Newsline) - Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott announced an agreement on Tuesday with a Lexington, Ky.-based direct sales firm that allegedly operated an illegal pyramid scheme.
Report: Group meeting in Boston to oppose foreclosure settlement
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) -- Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley is being pressured to reject a settlement with the nation's top mortgage servicers.
Caldwell sues over Louisiana's lost congressional seat
Caldwell WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Louisiana Attorney General Buddy Caldwell, in a lawsuit filed Monday, says the federal government is wrong to take away one of the state's congressional seats.