News from September 2017
U.S. settles with St. Vincent, CHRISTUS after allegations of violating False Claims Act
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Justice announced Sept. 7 that CHRISTUS St. Vincent Regional Medical Center (St. Vincent) and its partner, CHRISTUS Health (CHRISTUS), will resolve allegations of violating the False Claims Act.
Delaware accuses pawnshop of racketeering scheme
DOVER, Delaware (Legal Newsline) — Delaware Attorney General Matthew Denn announced a lawsuit Sept. 5 against a pawnshop in Middletown for allegations of selling stolen goods and running a criminal enterprise under the state’s racketeering statutes. Denn seeks $6.5 million in civil penalties.
Judge says plaintiffs didn't prove they were harmed by Ross Stores' pricing; Appeal in works
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – A California federal judge has ruled that a class action plaintiff can't prove he was misled by price tags at Ross Stores, helping the company to avoid having to settle the lawsuit - if the decision is affirmed on appeal.
Appellate court orders San Diego Union Tribune carriers' $10M award to be recalculated
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) – The California Court of Appeal, Fourth District has affirmed most of a ruling in favor of delivery drivers of the San Diego Union Tribune in an employee classification case, but has asked the trial court to recalculate damages and attorneys fees.
Exotic dancers avoid arbitration of certified class action in California
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) – An appellate court in California has decided that a strip club sued by its former employees cannot compel arbitration.
Maryland courts invite student artists for conflict resolution bookmark contest
The Maryland Judiciary is inviting young artists to contribute their creativity to the 12th annual Conflict Resolution Day Student Bookmark Art Contest.
South Dakota has nation's best legal climate, new survey says; Louisiana, Missouri at the bottom
South Dakota has the best legal climate in the United States, according to the results of a national survey released this week.
DraftKings, FanDuel to each pay $1.3 million to Massachusetts after unfair practices allegations
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced Sept. 7 that DraftKings Inc. and FanDuel Inc. will pay roughly $2.6 million after allegations of unfair and deceptive practices.
After CashCall settlement, checks going to more than 9,600 Va. consumers
RICHMOND, Va. (Legal Newsline) — Virginia Attorney General Mark R. Herring announced Sept. 6 that his office will deliver checks averaging $982 to consumers victimized by CashCall Inc.’s alleged “rent-a-tribe” predatory lending scheme.
FTC settles case against social media influencers
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Sept. 7 that Trevor “TmarTn” Martin and Thomas “Syndicate” Cassell, two social media influencers in the online gaming community, will settle allegations of deceptively endorsing the online gambling service CSGO Lotto.
Connecticut settles with Hartford Dispensary for $627,000 after alleged False Claims Act violations
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) — Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen announced Sept. 7 that the Hartford Dispensary will pay $627,000 after allegations of violating the False Claims Act by falsely certifying to federal and state officials that it had a current medical director.
Utah company banned from further operations after settlement with FTC
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Sept. 1 that G2 Consulting LLC and owner, Chad Gettel, will be banned from the payment processing business after settling allegations of deceptively telemarketing and taking millions of dollars from consumer credit card accounts.
SEC secures $35 million settlement from State Street after alleged fraud
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Securities and Exchange Commission announced Sept. 7 that State Street will pay more than $35 million to settle allegations of fraudulently charging secret markups for transition management services.
EEOC accuses Texas county of pay discrimination
DALLAS (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a lawsuit Aug. 31 against Denton County, Texas, for allegations of violating the Equal Pay Act by paying a female clinician lesser wages than it paid a male employee performing the same job.
California joins 18-state coalition in challenging constitutionality of Wisconsin redistricting plan
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Legal Newsline) — California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announced Sept. 6 that he has joined a coalition of 18 states and the District of Columbia in supporting voters rights in the Gill v. Whitford case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Financial board targets online lead aggregator for allegedly abusive practices
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) announced Sept. 6 that it took action against Zero Parallel, an online lead aggregator, for allegedly steering consumers toward lenders that offered illegal or unlicensed loans that were void in the consumer’s state.
FTC settles with Lenovo in compromised security case
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced Sept. 5 that Lenovo Inc., a global computer manufacturing company, will settle allegations of harming consumers by pre-loading software on some laptops that compromised security.
EEOC targets South Carolina textile manufacturer for alleged age discrimination
GREENVILLE, S.C. (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) announced a lawsuit Sept. 1 against Keer America Corporation, a textile manufacturing company in Indian Land, South Carolina, for allegations of firing a 47-year-old sales leader due to his age.
U.S. settles with Washington landlords that allegedly discriminated against families
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) — The U.S. Department of Justice announced Sept. 6 that the owners and manager of three apartment complexes in Edmonds, Washington, will pay $95,000 after allegations of refusing to rent their apartments to families with children.
Proposed class action accuses bottled water company of ‘deceptive business strategy’
A group of plaintiffs filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut last month, accusing Nestle Waters North America Inc. of bottling “common groundwater.”