LEGAL NEWSLINE

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, following its victory that resulted in the disbanding of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “Homeland Intelligence Experts Group,” America First Legal (AFL) is releasing the first tranche of the group’s internal meeting notes, exclusively obtained from litigation. This is the first installment of #DeepStateDiaries, a multi-part series of releases including newly obtained documents.

The Attorney General’s Office announced that Harold Breer, 67, of East Montpelier, Vermont, was sentenced today in Vermont Superior Court, Washington Criminal Division, after pleading guilty to one felony count of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material. The Court, Judge John Pacht presiding, sentenced the defendant by agreement to a 10-year term of probation with conditions that he complete sex offender programming and that restrict his access to the internet and contact with minors. If Mr. Breer violates the terms of his probation, he faces up to 5 years in jail. Mr....

The California Supreme Court has appointed two judges to a committee responsible for vetting candidates for the State Bar Court. Judge Lucy Armendariz of the Superior Court of Los Angeles County and Judge Monica Wiley of the Superior Court of San Francisco County will join the Applicant Evaluation and Nomination Committee. Judge Armendariz will serve as chair, while Judge Wiley will take on the role of vice chair, effective immediately.

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry announced that Allentown resident Jacob Torres was sentenced to 9 to 24 years in prison for the assault of a minor and for disseminating child sexual abuse materials. Torres, 33, was convicted of statutory sexual assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, corruption of minors, two charges of unlawful contact with a minor, two charges of sexual abuse of children, and two charges of criminal use of a communication facility. As a condition of his sentence, Torres is to have no contact with minors, no...

A Wilmington man has been convicted of multiple felonies, including Murder 1st Degree, for the 2021 killing of Tyaire Anderson.

The Iowa Business Specialty Court has experienced significant growth in cases over the last decade, with a survey indicating that more than 95 percent of participating attorneys felt all parties were treated fairly. This finding is part of the first biannual review posted on the Iowa Judicial Branch website today. The report can be accessed at https://www.iowacourts.gov/static/static/media/cms/Business_Court_Report_CY2223__FINAL_A822F47370611.pdf.

Attorney General William Tong, along with a coalition of 19 attorneys general, issued a letter to the American Bar Association (ABA), Fortune 100 company CEOs, and other leaders to counter attacks on diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts. The letter responds to one sent to the ABA by another group of attorneys general on June 3, which claimed that the association’s standard on diversity and inclusion violates the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Students for Fair Admissions Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College (SFFA).

Carson City, NV — Attorney General Aaron Ford announced today his participation in a coalition of 19 attorneys general, led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, to issue a letter defending diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives. The letter addresses the American Bar Association (ABA), Fortune 100 company CEOs, and other leaders to counter what they describe as baseless attacks on DEI efforts.

The Montana Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Protection (OCP) is receiving reports of fraudsters posing as law enforcement, attempting to scam unsuspecting Montanans out of thousands of dollars by claiming there is a warrant for their arrest due to missed jury duty.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta issued an information bulletin to all California law enforcement agencies and public crime laboratories, summarizing their new responsibilities under Senate Bill 464 (SB 464). Authored by Senator Aisha Wahab (D-Hayward), SB 464 amends victims’ rights and requires an audit of all untested sexual assault evidence kits. The bill was signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom on October 10, 2023, and took effect on January 1, 2024.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against International Business Machines Corporation (IBM), alleging violations of the Missouri Human Rights Act. According to the lawsuit, IBM subjects job applicants to racial and gender quotas and bases employees' pay and employment status on their participation in these practices.

The Justice Department filed a civil federal lawsuit today in the Middle District of Florida against five individuals for violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits using force, threats of force, or physical obstruction against any person seeking or providing reproductive health services.

A former Kentucky sheriff’s deputy was sentenced today to 110 months in prison for violating the constitutional rights of multiple people he arrested during his tenure as a law enforcement officer.

A federal jury in Las Vegas convicted five men this week for their roles in running one of the largest unauthorized streaming services in the United States, which generated millions of dollars in subscription revenue while causing substantial harm to television program copyright owners.

New York Attorney General Letitia James has secured a $1 million settlement from UnitedHealthcare of New York, Inc. (UnitedHealthcare) for failing to provide coverage of birth control through its health plans. The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) received a complaint from a Brooklyn patient who was denied coverage for their oral contraceptive by UnitedHealthcare’s Oxford health plan, in violation of New York’s Comprehensive Contraceptive Coverage Act (CCCA). This act mandates that health insurance plans cover FDA-approved contraceptives without copays, restrictions, or...

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution has filed charges against 39 members of a significant drug-trafficking ring operating out of Volusia and Putnam counties. The group, led by Allen Messer, Toure Allen Wilder, Bobby Wilder, and Khyree Douglas Isaac, faces charges including conspiracy to traffic in fentanyl, manufacture of fentanyl, conspiracy to traffic in methamphetamine, conspiracy to traffic in cocaine, money laundering, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device.

On June 20, 2024, several opinions were filed in various appeal cases. The details are as follows:

The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with eTeam Inc. (eTeam), an online staffing agency that provides services to companies throughout the United States and around the world. The agreement resolves the department’s determination that eTeam discriminated against non-U.S. citizens with permission to work in the United States by excluding them from job opportunities based on their citizenship or immigration status, in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

America First Legal (AFL) has formally requested that the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) and the Office of the Special Counsel (OSC) initiate investigations into the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) and Drs. Anthony Fauci and David Morens. The former Director and advisor of NIAID, respectively, are alleged to have violated the Federal Records Act and Freedom of Information Act (FOIA).

In briefs filed today with the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority, Attorney General William Tong sought rate decreases for both Connecticut Natural Gas (CNG) and Southern Connecticut Gas (SCG) customers following millions of dollars in over-earnings by CNG.