News from April 2012
Tenth Circuit rules against fired Utah professor
DENVER (Legal Newsline) - A University of Utah professor sued the university claiming he was fired because he was on Family Medical Leave and this action violated the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Labor board rules in SEIU's favor
DETROIT (Legal Newsline) - The National Labor Relations Board Region 7 announced April 2 that an attempt to have a class of employees exempted from a union election is denied.
Janitorial firm worker files labor complaint against SEIU
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - A worker for a Massachusetts janitorial firm filed a complaint against the Service Employees International Union, alleging a violation of his National Labor Relations Act right.
Del. SC reverses nurse's two-year license suspension
Holland DOVER, Del. (Legal Newsline) - The Delaware Supreme Court says a lower court was right to reverse a state board's decision to suspend a nurse's licenses.
Ethanol producer settles with Wis. AG
Van Hollen MADISON (Legal Newsline) - Wisconsin Attorney General J.B. Van Hollen announced a settlement on Friday with a Jefferson County ethanol producer for allegedly violating Wisconsin air pollution laws.
Mont. AG announces inflation settlement worth $4.6M
Bullock HELENA, Mont. (Legal Newsline) - Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock announced a $4.6 million settlement with the Montana Quality Education Coalition on Thursday to fund an inflationary adjustment for schools and to avoid costly litigation.
Mass. AG fighting new license for nuclear plant
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley filed an appeal on Thursday challenging a decision by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to proceed with hearings to grant a new 20-year license to the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant.
Contractors get Pa. AG's attention
Kelly HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly announced six lawsuits on Thursday against three Erie and three Pittsburgh-area home improvement contractors that allegedly failed to comply with the Home Improvement Consumer Protection Act.
Former Conn. AG supports petition over password demands
Blumenthal WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - In nearly a week, more than 50,000 people have signed a petition calling for federal action against employers who demand that job applicants turn over their usernames and passwords to social media sites like Facebook.
La. SC remands case over mineral lease proceeds
Johnson BATON ROUGE, La. (Legal Newsline) - The Louisiana Supreme Court ruled last week that a case over proceeds from a property's mineral production must be remanded.
W.Va. SC: Strip mall tenant doesn't owe indemnity to owners
Chief Justice Menis Ketchum CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals ruled last month that a strip mall tenant does not owe indemnity to the mall's owners, pursuant to their lease agreement, in a case over an employee's injuries.
Asbestos lawyer seeks sanctions in case over bloggers' identities
Coon BEAUMONT, Texas (Legal Newsline) - Asbestos attorney Brent Coon recently filed a motion for sanctions in a petition brought by a Beaumont, Texas-area political commentator, calling the litigation frivolous.
La. industry groups pushing 'legacy lawsuit' reform
BATON ROUGE, La. (Legal Newsline) - A joint statement has been released by a trio of energy and industry associations detailing their plans to push ahead with "legacy lawsuit" reform legislation despite opposition from landowners.
Maine SC won't answer House's questions about state treasurer
Saufley AUGUSTA, Maine (Legal Newsline) - The Maine Supreme Court, in a ruling last week, declined to answer a set of questions posed by the state House of Representatives regarding state Treasurer Bruce Poliquin's personal business dealings and finances.
Federal judge grants Chevron motion to exonerate bond
Kaplan NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge this week granted a motion by Chevron Corp. to exonerate a preliminary injunction bond issued by the court last year in an ongoing racketeering lawsuit over an $18 billion judgment against the company.
Injunction issued against Ala. storm shelter business
Strange MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Legal Newsline) - Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange announced on Tuesday that the Madison County Circuit Court has granted his request for a permanent injunction against the operators of an allegedly fraudulent storm shelter business.
N.Y. AG worried about mortgage settlement scam
Schneiderman NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman alerted New York homeowners to a mortgage settlement scam on Tuesday in which scam artists claim to provide assistance connected to the recent national mortgage servicing settlement.
Mont. AG settles with charity co-founder
Bullock HELENA, Mont. (Legal Newsline) - Montana Attorney General Steve Bullock announced a settlement on Thursday with the Central Asia Institute and its co-founder resolving allegations of mismanagement of assets.
Pa. SC agrees to hear case over Marcellus shale rights
Chief Justice Ronald Castille HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court this week agreed to take up a case questioning whether shale is a "mineral."
Ore. man sent to prison over organic corn scam
EUGENE, Ore. (Legal Newsline) - An Oregon corn seller was sentenced Wednesday to 27 months of imprisonment for selling more than 4.2 million pounds of corn falsely labeled as organically grown.