News from June 2012
N.Y. AG announces agreement to stop wrongful medical claim processing
Schneiderman NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced two agreements Tuesday with a major health insurance company and a 20-provider group to cease allegedly improper healthcare claims and billing practices.
Environmentalist attempt to stop pipeline halted by court
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) -- A three-judge federal panel has denied a request for review of a Certificate of Public Convenience and an order denying a Request for Rehearing of the Certificate Order for an energy project in Pennsylvania.
N.Y. SC says landlord can't evict tenant for not paying rent
Smith ALBANY, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - The New York Court of Appeals ruled last week that the owner of a Brooklyn loft building cannot evict a tenant, even though she has not paid rent for nearly 10 years.
W.Va. SC says AG wrong to seek writ instead of direct appeal
McGraw CHARLESTON, W.Va. (Legal Newsline) - The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals has denied a request by Attorney General Darrell McGraw for a writ of prohibition, seeking to stop the enforcement of a circuit court's order in a case against two title loan companies.
Senate confirms Ariz. SC justice to Ninth Circuit
Hurwitz WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Arizona Supreme Court Justice Andrew Hurwitz was confirmed to a federal appeals court Tuesday.
Appeals court says NLRB rulings inconsistent
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - A three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit reversed an order by the National Labor Relations Board on Friday.
Worker files complaint against Teamsters
Mix MINNEAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) - A technician with a New Brighton, Wis., Ford dealership filed a complaint Monday against Teamsters union Local 974 for allegedly taking union dues from his paychecks without following federal disclosure requirements.
Union officials at Central Michigan Univ. must go to court
Mix LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - A temporary instructor at Central Michigan University has filed a charge with the Michigan Employment Relations Commission against the CMU's Union of Teaching Faculty for allegedly confiscating union dues payments from her and her coworkers' paychecks.
Liquor store reaches agreement with Mass. AG
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a settlement on Monday with a New Bedford liquor store and its owner resolving allegations of violating the state's minimum wage, anti-retaliation and overtime laws.
Koster settles with now-closed auto credit company
Koster JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster reached a settlement on Monday with McMullen Auto Credit LLC and its owners resolving allegations that the defendants failed to provide titles to customers.
Mass. AG settles with Revere physician
Coakley BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley announced a settlement with a Revere physician on Friday who allegedly charged an improper $185 administrative fee in addition to MassHealth reimbursements for the treatment of opioid addiction.
Koster settles over gravestones
Koster ST. LOUIS (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced a settlement on Monday with the owner of a closed St. Louis monument company resolving allegations that the owner sold but failed to complete multiple gravestones.
Miss. SC: School board's decision to fire teacher 'well-reasoned'
Chandler JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - The Mississippi Supreme Court last week upheld a county school board's decision to fire a teacher after she refused to take a drug test.
Report: N.Y. comptroller received donations from group suing Chevron
DiNapoli NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) - New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli, who has repeatedly pushed for Chevron Corp. to settle an ongoing legal battle with a group of Ecuadorians suing the company, reportedly received thousands in campaign donations from the same group.
Pa. SC: Records for private companies can be public
Saylor HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court has ruled that private companies -- more specifically, those operating for "public benefit" -- can be required to make their records public under the state's Right-to-Know Law.
Oppenheimer Pays $35 Million to SEC
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday charged Oppenheimer Funds with making misleading statements about two of its mutual funds during the financial crisis that caused near panic in the markets during late 2008.
NLRB says union violated labor laws
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - The National Labor Relations Board has upheld an administrative judge's verdict against a union president who allegedly tried to tale unlawful action against an organizer for District 13 of the Communications Worker of America.
Asbestos attorneys plotting another appeal of fraud ruling
Reavley NEW ORLEANS (Legal Newsline) - Asbestos attorneys found to have committed fraud appear to be preparing to ask for a full panel of judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit to hear their appeal.
Settlement conference scheduled in challenge of AG Conway contract
Conway FRANKFORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - A federal magistrate judge has scheduled a settlement conference in Merck & Co.'s challenge of Kentucky Attorney General Jack Conway's contract with private attorneys, but it won't be for several months.
Idaho AG settles with drug maker
Wasden BOISE, Idaho (Legal Newsline) - Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden announced a $790,000 settlement on Friday with a prescription drug manufacturer related to allegedly excessive prices Idaho Medicaid paid for the company's drugs.