News from 2016
California attorney general urges FDA to change blood donation rules
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) — California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris has sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), urging it to drop the practice of deferring blood donations from men who have sex with men (MSM) even once within 12 months of trying to donate blood.
Indiana attorney general defends state ATC against vaping product plaintiffs
INDIANAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) — Indiana Attorney General Greg Zoeller has announced that a federal judge has heard oral arguments in a lawsuit challenging Indiana regulations on liquid manufacturing used in electronic smoking devices.
Subscriber alleges Netflix breached payment contract
SAN JOSE — A Florida man is suing Netflix, alleging it wrongly increased the subscription price for long-term subscribers.
Consumer accuses sun screen makers of fraud
CHICAGO — An Illinois woman is suing a sun screen products company, alleging fraud.
Md. federal judge says possible future injuries not enough in data breach class action
Judge Richard Bennett for the U.S. District Court for the District Court of Maryland recently dismissed the putative class action brought against CareFirst Inc. and CareFirst of Maryland Inc.
Alpha Natural Resources to provide $12 million for Twin Star Mine cleanup
RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) — Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring has announced Alpha Natural Resources Inc. has committed to pay $12 million to help clean up the former Twin Star Mine in Buchanan County.
New York targets Delta Services for scheme allegedly harming the unemployed
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) — New York City-based Delta Services, Inc. (“Delta”), its predecessor Ultimate Security Force Inc., also known as U.S.F. (“Ultimate Security”), and owner Jeffreys Paulino, used false job lists and promises of employment to trick unemployed consumers, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman alleges in a lawsuit.
Pennsylvania receives settlement from law group that allegedly violated federal statutes
HARRISBURG, Pa. (Legal Newsline) — James Havassy and Hamilton Law Group PC will settle allegations of violating state laws when attempting collect medical debts, Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen G. Kane has announced.
FTC settles with Ross-Clayton Funeral Home after allegations of violating Funeral Rule
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced Ross-Clayton Funeral Home Inc. will settle allegations it violated the Funeral Rule, which requires funeral providers to disclose pricing and important information to consumers when going over funeral arrangements.
FTC settlers with Warner Bros. over video game marketing tactics
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has announced it has settled with Warner Bros. Home Entertainment Inc. after allegations Warner deceived consumers during a marketing campaign for the video game "Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor."
EEOC targets RTG Furniture for alleged pregnancy discrimination
RALEIGH, N.C. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) has announced a lawsuit against RTG Furniture Corp. of Georgia, a Florida corporation operating Rooms to Go furniture stores and distribution centers around the country, for allegations of violating federal anti-pregnancy discrimination laws.
New York attorney general targets Armor for allegedly failing duties to NCCC
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) — New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman has filed a lawsuit against Armor Correctional Health Medical Services (Armor) for allegedly failing to provide proper medical services to inmates in Nassau County as mandated by its contract with Nassau County Correctional Center (NCCC).
U.S. DOJ defends Labor Department’s fiduciary rule in court filing, says injunction would be ‘detrimental’
Last month, the National Association for Fixed Annuities, or NAFA, filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The DOJ, on behalf of the DOL and Perez, filed its own proposed order with the D.C. federal court last week, arguing the rule is necessary to “safeguard the retirement savings of millions of American consumers.”
Wyo. fracking case signals end of court deference to federal agencies, environmental attorney says
CASPER, Wyo. (Legal Newsline) – The Ute Indian Tribe's victory in federal court earlier this month fending off Bureau of Land Management-imposed fracking rules included a number of surprises, an environmental attorney said during a recent interview.
Spalding basketball lawsuit an example of class-action abuse, tort reform group says
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline)—A class-action lawsuit alleging the Spalding
Neverflat basketball does not perform as advertised is cited by a civil justice
reform organization as an example of the judicial abuse it is fighting to
change.
Race-based university admissions policies are unconstitutional despite Supreme Court decision, Pacific Legal Foundation attorney says
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) – The recent U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the University of Texas' race-based admissions policy is a disappointment to Pacific Legal Foundation, which maintains the practice is unconstitutional, a foundation attorney said during an interview this week.
After Spokeo decision, still much confusion on standing for privacy suits
GREEN BAY, Wisc. (Legal Newsline) —Nearly two months after a U.S. Supreme Court decision about when people are allowed to sue over privacy violations or the spreading of incorrect information, lower court rulings are not coming to any consensus, according to a privacy advocate.
NYC juries award $28M in two June asbestos trials against Burnham
NEW YORK (Legal Newsline) —Law firm Belluck and Fox LLP won two multi-million verdicts in asbestos cases against Burnham LLC in June, and one of the lawyers in the case said he doesn’t expect the pace of such cases to slow, even decades after asbestos left common use.
‘Self-help discovery’ ruling could cause complications for employers, lawyer says
BOSTON (Legal Newsline)—A Massachusetts Supreme Court decision involving a lawyer who claimed she was fired in retaliation for claiming discrimination could have implications in every industry and at every level of a business, according to a lawyer who studied the case.
Group uses anti-SLAPP motion to fight climate change inquiry
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - A District of Columbia-based organization recently filed an anti-SLAPP motion in D.C. Superior Court after objecting to a subpoena that originated in the United States Virgin Islands by its attorney general Claude E. Walker.