News from March 2024
Lawyer fight breaks out in PFAS case with huge settlement on the line
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Legal Newsline) - The lawyers who negotiated a $1 billion-plus settlement with DuPont and stand to take $95 million in fees want a federal judge to punish lawyers trying to stand in the way.
Class action: Eyemart tracking customers' online activity
DALLAS (Legal Newsline) - The Facebook Pixel at the center of multiple class action lawsuits is now at issue in a case against Eyemart Express.
Delayed surgery leads to wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government
EL PASO, Texas (Legal Newsline) - The family of a man who died after surgery was delayed at the William Beaumont Army Medical Center has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the government.
Indiana AG leads call for changes in Farm Bill over hemp product misuse
Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita and Arkansas Attorney General Tim Griffin are spearheading an initiative with 18 other states and the District of Columbia. They aim to urge Congress to amend the 2018 Farm Bill, which they argue has been misused by some to introduce unregulated intoxicating hemp products into the market.
The Buckeye Institute: Low Unemployment, but Tepid Start to 2024 for Ohio’s Job Market
Columbus, OH – Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, shared insights on the recent job market developments in Ohio. According to Hederman, the state's unemployment rate and labor force participation rate remained stable in February, with Ohio's figures slightly outperforming the national averages.Hederman noted that while Ohio added 3,500 private-sector jobs in February, a comparison with the revised January data revealed a slower job growth trend than initially perceived. He...
HUGE VICTORY – U.S. District Court Judges Rescind Discriminatory Policies Following AFL’s Judicial Complaint
WASHINGTON, D.C. – America First Legal (AFL) has achieved a significant victory in the battle for upholding the Constitution and the rule of law as Chief Judge Nancy J. Rosenstengel and Judge Staci M. Yandle have rescinded their discriminatory policies and issued apologies following AFL's judicial complaint.The complaint, filed on January 25, 2024, by AFL alleged that three judges in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Illinois had implemented standing orders that favored minority and female attorneys based solely on their race and sex, in...
RIAG and RIDOH to Hold Public Meetings in Proposed Sale of Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha and the Rhode Island Department of Health (RIDOH) will hold two public meetings on the proposed sale of Roger Williams Medical Center and Our Lady of Fatima Hospital.
Attorney General Ford Announces Sentencing of Unlicensed Group Homeowner after Death of Vulnerable Person
Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford announced that Shawna Virginia Cuff, 41, of Las Vegas, was sentenced on a neglect charge for permitting or allowing a vulnerable person to suffer unjustifiable pain or suffering.
Meta can't escape class action claiming Facebook 'Potential Reach' for ads misled advertisers
A majority on a split panel of the U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said it should only matter that Facebook allegedly inflated the "Potential Reach" of "boosted" ads, not by how much individual advertisers may have been misled, if at all
Coalition challenges Biden's LNG export ban in federal court
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill is spearheading a legal challenge involving 16 states against President Joe Biden and the U.S. Department of Energy. The lawsuit contests the recent decision to halt new liquefied natural gas (LNG) export approvals to non-Free-Trade Agreement countries, a move deemed unlawful by the coalition.
Tennessee joins DOJ lawsuit against Apple for alleged smartphone market monopolization
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti has announced that the state, along with 15 other state and district Attorneys General, is joining a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple. The lawsuit, filed in collaboration with the United States Department of Justice, accuses Apple of monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets, violating Section 2 of the Sherman Act.
Coalition challenges Biden's LNG export ban in court
Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has taken the lead in a legal challenge involving 16 states against President Joe Biden and the United States Department of Energy. The lawsuit addresses the recent decision to prohibit new liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports.
Six Former Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Sentenced for Torturing and Abusing Two Black Men
Six former Mississippi law enforcement officers have been sentenced for their involvement in the torture and abuse of two Black men in Rankin County, Mississippi. Senior District Judge Tom Lee handed down prison terms ranging from 10 to 40 years to the defendants involved in the heinous attack.Christian Dedmon, Brett McAlpin, Hunter Elward, Jeffrey Middleton, Daniel Opdyke, and Joshua Hartfield were all sentenced for their roles in the disturbing incident. Dedmon, the former Narcotics Investigator of the Rankin County Sheriff’s Office (RCSO), received the harshest...
Attorney General Kaul Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets
Attorney General Josh Kaul, along with the U.S. Department of Justice and 15 other states and district attorneys general, has filed a civil antitrust lawsuit against Apple for monopolization or attempted monopolization of smartphone markets. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, alleges that Apple maintains a monopoly over smartphones by imposing contractual restrictions on developers and withholding critical access points.In a statement, Attorney General Josh Kaul emphasized, “Wisconsin consumers shouldn’t have to pay inflated...
Justice Department Sues Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets
The Justice Department has taken legal action against tech giant Apple, accusing the company of monopolizing the smartphone markets. In a statement, it was highlighted that "Apple’s Broad-Based, Exclusionary Conduct Makes It Harder for Americans to Switch Smartphones, Undermines Innovation for Apps, Products, and Services, and Imposes Extraordinary Costs on Developers, Businesses, and Consumers."The lawsuit aims to address concerns that Apple's practices have hindered competition and innovation within the smartphone industry. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy...
Governor Lombardo appoints Erika Mendoza to Eighth Judicial District Court
Nevada Governor Joe Lombardo has appointed Erika Mendoza to the Department 27 judicial seat on the Eighth Judicial District Court.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Announces Lawsuit Against Apple for Monopolizing Smartphone Markets
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, in a recent address, announced a lawsuit filed by the Department of Justice, along with 15 states and the District of Columbia, against tech giant Apple. The lawsuit, lodged in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey, accuses Apple of violating Section 2 of the Sherman Antitrust Act.Garland highlighted Apple's significant market dominance, noting that "Apple's share of the U.S. performance smartphone market exceeds 70%, and its share of the entire U.S. smartphone market exceeds 65%." He pointed out that the company's...
Doctor Wendell Randall Sentenced for Prescription Fraud Scheme
Doctor Wendell Lewis Randall, 71, of Millers Creek, N.C., was sentenced this week to 18 months in prison for his involvement in a prescription fraud scheme using a DEA registration number issued to another person. Randall, who pled guilty to the charges in November 2023, allowed unqualified medical providers to use his credentials to prescribe Suboxone without actually seeing the patients.According to court documents, Randall was affiliated with L5 Medical Holdings, operating as Pain Care Center in several Virginia locations. Despite being assigned to the Woodlawn clinic,...
Lawyer who sued over exclusion from L.A. trial attorney group loses lawsuit
LOS ANGELES (Legal Newsline) - A federal judge not only threw out the lawsuit of a lawyer kicked out of a Los Angeles trial attorney group but has ordered him to pay the other side's attorneys fees.
Class action over mini-Southern Comfort might be certified
WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. (Legal Newsline) - Having defeated some of a motion to dismiss, lawyers are now asking for class action status in a case alleging malt miniature bottles of Southern Comfort trick customers into thinking they are buying whiskey.