News from February 2013
Mo. AG announces $174,504 Medicaid settlement with home care company
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced a settlement Thursday with a St. Louis-based Medicaid home health provider for allegedly engaging in fraudulent billing to Medicaid for services it did not provide.
Mo. AG announces $55,000 no-call judgment against Fla. business
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (Legal Newsline) - Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster announced a $55,000 judgment Thursday against a Florida business that allegedly made solicitation calls to Missourians on the state's no-call list.
Mo. SC upholds ruling in favor of health care providers
JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (Legal Newsline) - The Missouri Supreme Court has affirmed the grant of summary judgment to a group of defendant health care providers, ruling that the plaintiffs had not shown they were damaged by the health care provider's alleged improper surgical billing to the plaintiff's respective insurers.
Mich. judicial commission drops complaint against Hathaway
DETROIT (Legal Newsline) -- The Michigan Judicial Tenure Commission has reportedly dropped its ethics complaint against former state Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway.
Report: GOP lawmaker considering run for Texas AG in 2014
AUSTIN, Texas (Legal Newsline) -- Texas lawmaker Dan Branch said this week he is mulling over a run for attorney general in 2014.
N.M. SC remands DOT wrongful death case
SANTE FE, N.M. (Legal Newsline) - The New Mexico Supreme Court reversed the Court of Appeals and remanded for a new trial a wrongful death suit filed against the New Mexico Department of Transportation for their failure to erect a barrier between opposing lanes on a dangerous stretch of road.
Calif. SC allows online retailers to require customers provide addresses, numbers
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) -- The California Supreme Court ruled Monday that online retailers are allowed to require customers to provide their home addresses and phone numbers to make credit card purchases.
Kan. SC: Exotic dancers can collect unemployment
TOPEKA, Kan. (Legal Newsline) -- The Kansas Supreme Court last week sided with the state Department of Labor in determining that exotic dancers are employees, rather than independent contractors, for purposes of unemployment insurance.
Vermont SC backs ruling in medmal case
MONTPELIER, Vermont (Legal Newsline) - The Vermont Supreme Court affirmed the trial court's entry of judgment to the defendants in a medical malpractice action due to the plaintiff's repeated failure to adequately respond to discovery interrogatories.
Ark. SC: Safety consulting firm not responsible for worker's severed fingers
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) -- The Arkansas Supreme Court ruled last week that a safety consulting firm cannot be held responsible for a rubber company employee's severed fingers.
Fla. SC adopts new lawyer advertising rules
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) -- The Florida Supreme Court has adopted new rules governing lawyer advertising, according to an opinion released last week.
U.S. SC won't take up company's case over Obama recess appointments
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) -- The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to get involved in a case over the constitutionality of President Barack Obama's recently-invalidated recess appointments.
Wis. SC chief justice: Courts play 'crucial role' in quality of life
MADISON, Wis. (Legal Newsline) -- Wisconsin Supreme Court Chief Justice Shirley Abrahamson says the financial partnership between counties and the state court system provides a justice system with a "high rate of return on investment" for residents.
Alaska SC rules in case over contingency fee agreement
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Legal Newsline) -- The Alaska Supreme Court ruled last week that an arbitration panel's fee award and a lower court's entry of judgment violated federal restrictions on contingency fee contracts involving Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act lands.
Ohio SC denies writ seeking records from former AG's office
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - The Supreme Court of Ohio, denied the writ of mandamus filed by a petitioner seeking copies of records from former state Attorney General Richard Cordray's office relating to the claim that State Representative Danny R. Bubp simultaneously held two public offices.
Attorney: DOJ suit against S&P unlikely to succeed
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) -- A Chicago-based attorney contends a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice against the nation's largest credit-ratings agency has "very little hope" of succeeding.