LEGAL NEWSLINE

On September 10, 2024, a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general, led by Attorney General Phil Weiser and joined by 41 other attorneys general, urged Congress to enact legislation mandating a U.S. surgeon general warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms. The call for legislative action follows increasing scrutiny of social media companies regarding their impact on the mental health of young people.

Gal Haimovich, 49, of Israel, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiracy to commit export control and smuggling violations for his role in a scheme to illegally ship aircraft parts and avionics from U.S. manufacturers and suppliers to Russia, including for the benefit of sanctioned Russian airline companies. As part of his plea agreement, Haimovich admitted that his scheme involved deceiving U.S. companies about the true destination of the goods at issue and that he and others attempted to conceal the scheme by submitting false information in export documents filed with the U.S....

Attorney General Bob Ferguson urged Congress today to take action on a U.S. Surgeon General recommendation to require warning labels on social media platforms.

At a time of unprecedented antisemitism across the United States, Attorney General Todd Rokita has clarified in an advisory opinion that laws protect Jewish individuals from various forms of antisemitic harassment in educational settings.

Safe2Tell sees continued growth in reporting with start of 2024-2025 school year

In a bipartisan letter to Congress, Attorney General William Tong and 41 other attorneys general have urged lawmakers to pass legislation mandating a U.S. surgeon general warning on all algorithm-driven social media platforms. This appeal comes amid increasing scrutiny of social media companies for their impact on the mental health of young people.

A former Warren, Michigan, police officer was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for using excessive force against an arrestee while fingerprinting and photographing him at a local detention facility.

South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson has announced that a Charleston County man, Michael Bentz, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. Bentz pleaded guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, Third Degree on September 6, 2024, before the Honorable Judge Jennifer McCoy in Charleston County.

Today, the State of Idaho Medal of Honor Commission awarded the 2024 Medal of Honor to Officer Chris Dance of the City of Boise Police Department. The award recognizes his heroic actions during the 2021 shooting at the Boise Towne Square Mall, an incident that resulted in two fatalities and several injuries.

LITTLE ROCK – Attorney General Tim Griffin announced today that Gabriel Fortenberry, 27, of Jonesboro, has entered a guilty plea on one count of Abuse of an Endangered or Impaired Person.

On Tuesday, The Buckeye Institute released a policy memo addressing the shortcomings of government-owned broadband networks (GONs) and advocating for public-private partnerships to enhance broadband access.

HARRISBURG – Attorney General Michelle Henry has joined a coalition of 42 state Attorneys General urging Congress to require a Surgeon General’s warning on social media platforms that have proven to be addictive and harmful to children.

Knock knock. Who's there? It's OSHA. Many employers find themselves caught by surprise in this situation, which can lead to citations with significant penalties.

Former Justice Douglas Lang, now senior counsel at Thompson Coburn, wrote a new commentary published in Texas Lawyer that highlights the importance of civility in the legal profession and society at large.

The new law could leave Illinois employers facing a choice between abiding by competing state and federal immigrant employment laws and requirements, and leave Illinois facing another day in court defending a law which could stand in defiance to federal laws governing immigrant work eligibility

New York Attorney General Letitia James today released police body-worn camera footage and security footage that her office obtained as part of its ongoing investigation into the death of Andre Joseph Mayfield, who died on May 26, 2024 following an encounter with members of the New York City Police Department (NYPD) in Brooklyn.

Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, along with Attorney General Matt Platkin of New Jersey, has co-led a multistate coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit in the case Viramontes, et al. v. The County of Cook, et al.

Columbus, OH – On Monday, The Buckeye Institute released a new policy memo urging lawmakers to assist Ohioans struggling with debt by adopting policies to improve debt resolution options and increase “consumer access to all available debt management and settlement options.”

CONCORD, N.H. (Legal Newsline) - Childrearing is a fundamental right under the New Hampshire Constitution, but that doesn’t mean parents can make a constitutional case out of school regulations requiring teachers to hide a child’s gender identity from parents if the child so wishes, the state’s highest court ruled.

Attorney General Phil Weiser has issued a warning to voters about the potential for election misinformation and disinformation through the use of artificial intelligence-generated "deepfakes." These realistic-looking images, videos, and audio can be difficult to distinguish from authentic content. The advisory comes in conjunction with a new law aimed at preventing political campaigns from using AI deepfakes without proper disclosure.