News published on Legal Newsline in April 2024

Attorney General Gentner Drummond lauded state House members for their passage of House Bill 4156.

Attorney General John M. Formella announces that the U.S. Department of Transportation (US DOT) has agreed to a new Airline Passenger Protection Partnership with the New Hampshire Department of Justice (NH DOJ) to better ensure consumer complaints made by Granite Staters against airlines and ticket agents are properly reviewed and resolved.

As hundreds of thousands of football enthusiasts descend on Detroit for the NFL Draft, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is reminding consumers to be aware of potential price gouging tied to the event.

The Attorney General’s Office announced charges against Richard N. Martell, of Boston, for one count of Identity Theft and one count of Larceny over $1,200 related to an insurance fraud scheme he perpetrated while working as an insurance agent for American Family Life Assurance Company of Columbus (Aflac).

Amidst a widespread increase in businesses’ use of artificial intelligence and algorithmic decision-making systems (“AI”), including in consumer-facing contexts, Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell issued an advisory to provide guidance to developers, suppliers, and users of AI regarding their obligations under state consumer protection, anti-discrimination, and data security laws.

Attorney General Liz Murrill has issued a statement in response to the new Title IX rules introduced by President Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Education. In her statement, Murrill expressed strong opposition to the changes, saying, "Joe Biden’s extreme gender ideology is a threat to the safety and dignity of women and girls." She further criticized those responsible for the rule change, stating, "The people - who can’t even tell you what a woman is - just killed Title IX." Murrill concluded with a firm declaration that legal action would be taken: "This won’t stand -...

Ricardo Middleton, 32, of Boston, was sentenced today to 30 years in prison, followed by 10 years of supervised release after a jury found Middleton guilty in December 2023 of sex trafficking a young woman through force, fraud, and coercion and obstruction in Maine.Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division expressed, "This significant sentence imposed by the court reflects the severity of the defendant’s exploitation of the victim over three days. He used drugs, threats, physical force and rape to force her to engage in...

Thérèse S. "Tee" Barnes has been reappointed for another six-year term as Clerk and Court Executive of the Supreme Court of Georgia, with her new term beginning on August 1, 2024. Barnes has held the position since 2006.

Luxury handbag company Gzuniga Ltd., its founder Nancy Teresa Gonzalez de Barberi and Gonzalez’s associate Mauricio Giraldo were sentenced to prison today for illegally importing merchandise from Colombia to the United States that was made from protected wildlife. All had previously pleaded guilty.Gzuniga was ordered to forfeit all handbags and other previously seized product, banned for three years from any activities involving commercial trade in wildlife and sentenced to serve three years of probation. Gonzalez was sentenced to 18 months in prison with credit for time...

A New Jersey man has been charged with a federal hate crime for breaking into the Center for Islamic Life at Rutgers University (CILRU) in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and destroying property."Jacob Beacher, 24, of Somerset County, was arrested this morning and charged by complaint with one count of intentional or attempted obstruction of religious practice and one count of making false statements to federal authorities." According to the criminal complaint, on April 10, during the Eid-al-Fitr holiday, Beacher broke into the CILRU around 2:41 a.m., where he damaged the...

OVW conducted a live web-based pre-application information session for its Fiscal Year 2024 Restorative Practices Pilot Program Evaluation solicitation. During the presentation, OVW staff reviewed this program’s requirements, discussed the solicitation, and allowed for a brief question-and-answer period.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that this upcoming Saturday, April 27, 2023, is National Drug Take Back Day. Attorney General Josh Kaul emphasized the importance of the event, stating, “Cleaning out your medicine cabinet to get rid of unused and unwanted medications can help with the fight against the opioid epidemic.” Wisconsinites are encouraged to participate in the more than 135 events planned across the state, in collaboration with over 248 participating law enforcement agencies.The initiative aims to provide a safe, convenient, and...

Attorney General Liz Murrill has expressed her concerns regarding the new Title IX rules introduced by President Joe Biden and his U.S. Department of Education. In a recent statement, she criticized the administration's approach, stating, "Joe Biden’s extreme gender ideology is a threat to the safety and dignity of women and girls."

The Independent Investigations Division (IID) of the Maryland Office of the Attorney General is investigating a fatal crash following a police pursuit that occurred in Eldersburg, Carroll County, Maryland, Saturday evening. 

The Minnesota Supreme Court is set to hold oral arguments at Mora High School on May 8.

The Criminal Division has unveiled a new pilot program aimed at encouraging individuals to come forward and disclose corporate wrongdoing. This initiative, announced earlier this week, focuses on voluntary self-disclosures for individuals involved in criminal conduct, with the promise of a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) for those who meet specific criteria.According to a statement from the Criminal Division, the program is designed to incentivize individuals to report misconduct that was previously unknown to the department. Individuals who voluntarily, truthfully, and...

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LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Legal Newsline) - Out-of-state lawyers had no authority to file a notice of a medical malpractice lawsuit in Arkansas, a state appeals court ruled.

NEWPORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - A surgeon who allegedly told the family of a patient to "kick my ass, I deserve it" after complications led to severe blood loss has won in court again after the Kentucky Court of Appeals ruled the statement inadmissible.

LANSING, Mich. (Legal Newsline) - Tolling orders in the COVID era have saved a medical malpractice lawsuit in Michigan, as a state appeals court has ruled the plaintiff had extra time to file.