News from January 2016
FTC reaches $2.2M settlements with Red Cedar, SFS Inc. over illegal fee allegations
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The Federal Trade Commission has reached settlements with payday lenders Red Cedar Services and SFS Inc. for $2.2 million each over allegations they charged consumers illegal fees.
Kansas AG claims Iowa Steak Co. violated consumer protection laws
TOPEKA, Kan. (Legal Newsline) – Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt announced that he is suing Christopher Maselka and Iowa Steak Co. LLC over alleged violations of consumer protection laws in Kansas.
Oklahoma AG files brief asking Supreme Court to hear its marijuana case against Colorado
OKLAHOMA CITY (Legal Newsline) – Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt filed a brief that asks the Supreme Court of the United States to consider the question of whether Colorado’s recreational marijuana law violates federal law.
EPA announces insecticide assessment results
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced an assessment in collaboration with California’s Department of Pesticide Regulation that indicates a potential threat of insecticides to pollinators.
CFPB seeks public input on HMDA resubmission guidelines
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced that it would seek feedback from the public on the resubmission of mortgage lending data reported under the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act (HMDA).
Washington State attorney general asks UTC to reject the current CenturyLink settlement proposal after 911 outage
SEATTLE (Legal Newsline) – Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced that he is asking the Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) to reject CenturyLink’s settlement proposal and fine it the maximum $11.5 million over the six-hour 911 outage that left the state without critical 911 services.
EPA and Department of Justice announces $22 million final settlement with Cooper Drum group
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Justice announced a final $22 million settlement with a group of 40 parties to help clean up the Cooper Drum site.
Apple sued over claims of software update issues in iPhones
BROOKLYN, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) – A New York resident is suing Apple over claims that its latest phone update caused performance issues in certain phones.
Anavex sued over allegedly inflating share prices
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) – A man is suing a biopharmaceutical company and several of its chief officers over claims it artificially inflated share prices.
Uber sued over alleged spam texts
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A California woman is suing a transportation services company over claims it sent unsolicited texts to her cellphone.
Asbestos/class action reform bill passes House of Representatives
Under threat of a presidential veto, the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill that targets class action lawsuits and the asbestos injury compensation system.
Florida judge seeks leniency following PTSD outburst with public defender
Former Brevard County, Fla., judge John Murphy, who denied that post traumatic stress disorder rendered him unfit, now admits it as he seeks sympathy from Supreme Court justices who ordered his removal in December.
DOJ's Yates Memo aims to increase individual culpability in corporate crimes
The memorandum, issued on Sep. 9 by Deputy Attorney General Sally Q. Yates, established six new policy directives to help the Department of Justice hold individuals involved in corporate misconduct accountable for the wrongdoing. The directives would be in addition to fines and sanctions against a corporation.
Attorney: Class actions over background checks performed by employers increasing steadily
In September, a woman filed charges against Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. over allegations that the national restaurant chain violated the Fair Credit Reporting Act in its application documents.
Okla. federal judge overturns jury's $19M verdict against Cox Communications
After a jury awarded plaintiffs $6.31M, trebled to $19M, in an antitrust class action lawsuit against Cox Communications, the cable telecommunications company breathed a sigh of relief when a judge overturned the jury’s verdict.
Capital Advance Solutions sued over alleged TCPA violations
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – Two California men are suing a loan provider over claims it made unsolicited calls to their cellphones.
Ohio law firm seeks actual controversy judgment connected to other arbitration
DAYTON, Ohio (Legal Newsline) – An Ohio law firm is suing a consulting and forensic services company and former stockholders of Stone Age Equipment over an actual controversy connected to a separate arbitration.
Suit claims Dr. Scholl's products falsely advertise orthotic inserts
CHICAGO (Legal Newsline) – An Illinois podiatrist is suing companies that market and sell certain foot inserts over claims they falsely advertise these products as "custom-fit orthotics."
Ill. SC bars Workers' Comp asbestos claim; Employers breathing 'sigh of relief,' attorney says
The Illinois Supreme Court recently ruled against a plaintiff in a mesothelioma case, stating that the claim did not meet the time limitations established in the Workers’ Compensation Act and the Workers’ Occupational Disease Act.
Proposed N.Y. class action over Camel Cash program settles quickly
A class action lawsuit against R.J. Reynolds over its termination of a consumer loyalty program associated with the company’s Camel brand of cigarettes has been settled.