State Supreme Court News
State Supreme Court
Nebraska can't be sued after lawn mower falls down hill into picnic table
LINCOLN, Neb. (Legal Newsline) - Wet grass is a weather condition, the Nebraska Supreme Court has ruled in a lawsuit brought by a man who was nearly struck with a riding lawnmower that slipped down a hill.
State Supreme Court
Rape claim on Facebook given heightened protection by court; Female justice warns it will lead to more
ST. PAUL, Minn. (Legal Newsline) - A woman who accused her former lover and dance instructor of rape in a widely read Facebook post was commenting on a matter of general public concern and is entitled to heightened protection against a defamation lawsuit, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled.
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Ford not having much luck in Georgia; Supreme Court says lawsuit over old car design could proceed
ATLANTA (Legal Newsline) - Ford Motor Co. may have to defend itself against a lawsuit over a car design more than 10 years old after the Georgia Supreme Court ruled that the state’s statute of repose contains an exception for “reckless” conduct - the latest setback in what's becoming a series in the state's courts.
State Supreme Court
Lawyers will split more than $141 million in W.Va. opioid litigation fees
CHARLESTON – Attorneys and law firms that worked on the West Virginia opioid litigation will split more than $141 million from the attorney fee fund.
State Supreme Court
Trump's 'Pakistani mystery man' can sue for defamation
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - A man whom President Donald Trump described as the `Pakistani mystery man’ at the center of conservative conspiracy theories about fraud and information leaks at the U.S. House of Representatives can sue the publisher of a book that accused him of a wide variety of crimes.
State Supreme Court
Lawsuit over 'running battle' with Duluth officials could be time-barred
ST. PAUL, Minn. (Legal Newsline) - A lawsuit claiming Duluth city officials retaliated against a property owner for exercising his right of free speech may be barred by the statute of limitations, the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled, reversing an appeals court that said the 20-year battle between the city and the property owner could be a “continuing violation.”
State Supreme Court
Mass. Supreme Court approves skin-shock therapy on mental-health patients
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - The highest court in Massachusetts approved the continued use of controversial electric-shock treatments on mental-health patients, saying there was not enough evidence to overturn a 1987 consent decree authorizing the procedure.
State Supreme Court
Estate of man who committed suicide gets chance to sue Washington over sexual abuse
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - The estate of a man who blamed the State of Washington for sexual abuse while in the foster care system filed its lawsuit in time, the state Supreme Court has ruled.
State Supreme Court
Antics at deputy sheriff's party have him in trouble after police dog bites guest
COLUMBUS, Ohio (Legal Newsline) - An Ohio police officer who demonstrated to guests at a party how his K-9 unit dog responded to commands – including finding illegal contraband buried in the back yard – might be liable after the dog bit one guest in the chest, the Ohio Supreme Court ruled.
State Supreme Court
Litigation funders score win in Minnesota; Usury issue best left to lawmakers, court says
MINNEAPOLIS (Legal Newsline) - Companies that front lump sum payments to plaintiffs in exchange for a percentage of what is recovered in their lawsuits can continue to charge whatever interest rate they want, the Minnesota Supreme Court says.
State Supreme Court
Massachusetts holds brokers to same standards as advisors in Robinhood case
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - Massachusetts can impose tougher securities regulations on Internet broker Robinhood, the state’s highest court ruled, reversing a lower-court decision that held the “fiduciary rule” equating brokers with investment advisors exceeded regulators’ authority.
State Supreme Court
Want money? Better be injured, Delaware court says in toxic tort class action
WILMINGTON, Del. (Legal Newsline) - Delaware law doesn't allow people who think they will become sick to sue before it happens, the state's highest court has ruled.
State Supreme Court
Court won't reinstate millions for man who says tree stand failed while hunting
FRANKFORT, Ky. (Legal Newsline) - A year after its initial ruling, the Kentucky Supreme Court announced it won't change its mind to order a new trial in the case of a man who fell out of a tree stand.
State Supreme Court
Mother can be 'joint victim' of birth injury, Connecticut courtrules
HARTFORD, Conn. (Legal Newsline) - A mother who sued a state hospital for emotional distress after a difficult delivery in which her son was permanently injured can proceed with her case because the damages fall under the general category of medical malpractice, the Connecticut Supreme Court ruled.
State Supreme Court
Wrongful death suit over closed highway in Mississippi fails
JACKSON, Miss. (Legal Newsline) - The Mississippi Department of Transportation and a road construction company will not be liable for the death of a woman who drove down a closed portion of highway and struck a crane.
State Supreme Court
Washington Supreme Court won't extend 'public nuisance' to animal cruelty allegations
OLYMPIA, Wash. (Legal Newsline) - Allegations of animal cruelty can't create a claim for public nuisance, the Washington Supreme Court has ruled in a lawsuit brought by the Animal Legal Defense Fund.
State Supreme Court
North Dakota Supreme Court affirms seven-figure med-mal verdict for man who needed kidney transplant
BISMARCK, N.D. (Legal Newsline) - A man whose kidney failure went unnoticed by his doctors will get to keep most of his $1.6 million medical malpractice verdict.
State Supreme Court
Property owner defeats wrongful death lawsuit over murder of musician at open mic night
BOSTON (Legal Newsline) - The landlord of a now-closed nightclub in Massachusetts won't be held liable for the execution-style murder of a musician who performed there in 2016.
State Supreme Court
Sovereign immunity protects state against federal claims, Md. Supreme Court rules
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Legal Newsline) - A law that allows plaintiffs to sue Maryland for up to $400,000 doesn’t include claims based on federal law, the state’s highest court ruled in a case involving a woman who claims she was fired from a state university for political reasons.
State Supreme Court
Maryland's sex-discrimination law may not protect gay Catholic charity worker
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (Legal Newsline) - A divided Maryland Supreme Court ruled that state laws prohibiting discrimination on the basis of “sex” may not apply to an employee of a Catholic organization who lost spousal insurance benefits after the church realized he was in a same-sex marriage.