News from March 2024
New report finds law firms contributed $4.7 million to New York political groups
The American Tort Reform Association (ATRA) recently published a report that scrutinizes the political donations of twenty New York-based law firms from 2017 to 2023. The report discovered that these firms collectively contributed $4,701,674 to campaign and political action committees (PACs) during this period.
Attorney General Miyares' Animal Law Unit Wins Possession of 71 Animals from the Natural Bridge Zoo
Attorney General Miyares announced that a jury granted Rockbridge County custody of 71 animals from the Natural Bridge Zoo after a six-day jury trial. The Attorney General's Animal Law Unit represented the County and secured the landmark verdict. Miyares expressed gratitude for the jury's deliberation and law enforcement partners' assistance in ensuring the animals' future welfare, stating, "Virginians support clean, safe environments for animals, whether they be personal pets or zoo animals."The Office of the Attorney General revealed that post-trial motions are...
Attorney General Miyares Joins Coalition Demanding Instagram Stop Monetizing Child Exploitation
Attorney General Miyares demanded that Instagram stop monetizing child exploitation content and prohibit child-modeling accounts altogether. Miyares stated, "Meta’s negligence and lack of proper safeguards only aids and abets child exploitation. Even after Meta employees alerted leadership that its algorithms promoted images of minors to users who had demonstrated pedophilic or predatory interests on its platforms, the company failed to take any real action or ban the monetization of underage accounts."A recent article in The Wall Street Journal revealed that Meta's staff...
Bernstein Litowitz hopes next big payday is $5.6 billion in Tesla stock
WILMINGTON, Del. (Legal Newsline) - One of the richest class action law firms in America wants to line its pockets with billions of dollars of Tesla stock as a reward for challenging Elon Musk's paycheck.
Reynolds hopes to foil foil lawsuit over 'Made in U.S.A.' claim
SAN FRANCISCO (Legal Newsline) - The maker of Reynolds aluminum foil is hoping for a better result in California as it asks a federal judge there to toss a class action lawsuit over its "Made in U.S.A." claims.
San Diego says police would have violated murder victim's rights by entering residence without warrant
SAN DIEGO (Legal Newsline) - The City of San Diego is defending its police officers' decision to leave what would become the scene of a murder without a warrant.
Lawyer wants more meat in his soup, sues Campbell's
CENTRAL ISLIP, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - A class action lawyer with a history of pursuing questionable theories is now suing Campbell Soup Company because "Beef" is the largest word on some cans but not the predominant ingredient.
Fired engineer says he was railroaded by company
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (Legal Newsline) - After an incident on the tracks, an engineer was pressured to sign documents and then wrongfully terminated, a Florida lawsuit says.
Ohio Supreme Court to hear dispute over police chief's dismissal
A legal dispute concerning the Ohio Open Meetings Act is set to be addressed by the Supreme Court of Ohio on March 12.
Justice and Interior Departments Outline Commitment, Next Steps in Effort to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Peoples and Human Trafficking Crisis
The Departments of Justice and the Interior have released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s recommendations on combating the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland emphasized, “These recommendations are an important and necessary step toward healing the trauma, pain, and loss that Tribal communities have endured for generations.” Secretary of the Interior Deb Haaland added, “Addressing violent crimes against Indigenous peoples has long been underfunded and ignored, as a cause...
Attorney General Aaron M. Frey Civil Rights Complaint Against Lewiston Woman
Attorney General Aaron Frey announced that he has filed a complaint under the Maine Civil Rights Act in the Androscoggin County Superior Court against Andrea Ouellette, age 65, of Lewiston, Maine.
Execution Date Set for Willie James Pye
Attorney General Chris Carr offers the following information in the case against Willie James Pye, who is currently scheduled to be executed on March 20, 2024, at 7:00 p.m. for the 1992 kidnapping, robbery, rape, and murder of Alicia Lynn Yarborough.
Ohio Court Confirms the Fiduciary Duty of a Third Party assisting an Attorney-in-Fact is only to the Principal, not the Attorney-in-Fact Individually
An Ohio court recently confirmed the scope of a duty in professional relationships with agents under a durable power of attorney.
Rokita allocates $44.7M from opioid settlements to Indiana communities
Attorney General Todd Rokita is distributing $44.7 million to Indiana cities, towns, and counties this week as part of the latest round of funding from opioid settlements secured under his administration. These settlements were obtained from companies accused of contributing to the state's opioid crisis through irresponsible or unlawful actions.
Attorney General Moody Releases Scams at a Glance: The Dark Side of Solar During National Consumer Protection Week
Attorney General Ashley Moody has unveiled a new resource, Scams at a Glance: The Dark Side of Solar, aimed at helping Floridians navigate potential pitfalls when purchasing solar energy systems. Speaking at a news conference in Jacksonville alongside the Better Business Bureau, Moody emphasized the importance of protecting consumers from deceptive practices in the solar industry.Moody highlighted the risks associated with solar scams, stating, “Solar scams cost Florida consumers thousands of dollars. To better protect Floridians, this National Consumer Protection Week,...
Troutman Pepper Advises CBB Bancorp and Century Bank of Georgia in Merger Agreement with Southern States Bancshares
Southern States Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: SSBK), the holding company for Southern States Bank and CBB Bancorp, the holding company for Century Bank of Georgia, have signed a definitive merger agreement under which Southern States would acquire CBB Bancorp.
Attorney General Marshall Applauds the Alabama House of Representatives’ Unanimous Passage of HB 82
Attorney General Steve Marshall applauds the Alabama House of Representatives’ swift passage of House Bill 82 which enhances penalties for falsely reporting a crime to law enforcement.
Attorney General Griffin Announces Medicaid Fraud Conviction of Searcy Business Owner
Attorney General Tim Griffin today issued the following statement regarding the conviction of Pamela Townsend Bell, 59, of Judsonia on two counts of Medicaid Fraud, both Class C Felonies.
Attorney General Brenna Bird Warns Iowans of Scams During Tax Season
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird announced tips for avoiding tax or IRS scams during the 2024 tax filing season.
Reliford to Speak at Christ the King Jesuit College Prep's Annual Career Day
Swanson, Martin & Bell, LLP Partner Arthur J. Reliford, Jr. participate in Christ the King Jesuit College Prep's Annual Career Day on March 1.