LEGAL NEWSLINE

New York Attorney General Letitia James and Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Interim Commissioner Sean Mahar announced a settlement securing full remediation and up to $497,000 in penalties against LSM Auto Parts & Recycling (LSM), BGN Real Estate, and two related companies for releasing dangerous automobile fluids and oil at a vehicle scrap yard in Jamaica, Queens. LSM ignored regulations governing the proper disposal of toxic automobile waste, resulting in significant oil spillage that contaminated groundwater and soil near low-income communities and...

The Justice Department announced a settlement agreement today to resolve its investigation into race and disability discrimination in Wichita Public Schools, Kansas' largest school district. Under the settlement, the district will revise practices to prevent discrimination in discipline and referrals of students to law enforcement, end the use of seclusion, reform restraint practices, and improve services to students with disabilities in certain schools and classrooms.

A Mexican citizen was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for his role in a human smuggling conspiracy.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has joined a multistate coalition urging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to delay immigration enforcement action for workers participating in labor violation investigations. Currently, workers can apply to DHS for deferred action for two years if they are victims of, or witnesses to, alleged workplace violations being investigated or prosecuted by the government.

As of July 1, Oregonians have gained a new set of consumer privacy rights and protections under the Oregon Consumer Privacy Act (OCPA). The law, signed in July 2023, was developed by the Attorney General’s Consumer Privacy Task Force over four years. This group comprised over 150 experts and stakeholders who consulted with business and civic leaders to study best practices from other states.

Attorney General Kris Mayes today announced the appointment of five distinguished individuals to the Arizona Civil Rights Advisory Board. These new members bring a wealth of experience and expertise to the Board, enhancing its mission to eliminate discrimination and promote civil rights across the state of Arizona.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel concluded her investigation into a Wyoming-based corporate solutions business with the filing of an Assurance of Voluntary Compliance and Discontinuance (AVC) in the 30th Judicial Circuit Court in Ingham County. The agreement effectively halts the company’s sales of Michigan entities allegedly meant to deceive consumers. Wyoming Corporate Services agreed to the terms to avoid potential litigation from the Attorney General’s office for alleged violations of the Michigan Consumer Protection Act (MCPA).

El Programa de Acción Diferida protege a los no-ciudadanos víctimas de y testigos a violaciones de leyes laborales contra la deportación

Allure Esthetic and Dr. Javad Sajan have been ordered to pay $5 million following a consumer protection lawsuit initiated by Attorney General Bob Ferguson. The Seattle-based plastic surgery practice was found to have manipulated online reviews and threatened patients with illegal non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to enhance its reputation.

Complaints about airline carriers and ticket agents can now be submitted to the office of Attorney General Gentner Drummond through an online form. Amid elevated levels of consumer complaints about flight disruptions, a lack of refunds, and lost or delayed luggage, Drummond recently signed a memorandum of understanding with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) that gives him the authority to review and resolve airline consumer complaints for Oklahoma residents.

HARRISBURG — Attorney General Michelle Henry announced a settlement with SoLo Funds, Inc., regarding the California-based lending platform’s tip and donation features attached to loans made on its platform. The conduct, as alleged, deceptively led borrowers to believe that they were obtaining interest-free loans while actually subjecting them to inflated interest rates.

A citizen of Belarus and lawful permanent resident of the United States has been indicted for allegedly smuggling goods from the United States into Russia without a license. Kirill Gordei, 34, of Hallandale, Florida, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States; one count of smuggling goods from the United States; and one count of export of a spectrometer, which is a commerce control item. Gordei was arrested on June 30 in Florida and made an initial appearance in the Southern District of Florida today. He will appear in federal court...

Attorney General Raoul leads coalition urging DHS to extend protection period of deferred action program

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul announced charges against a Cook County mother and her son for allegedly falsifying documents and fraudulently receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars in Chicago, state, and federal government assistance funds for which they were not eligible.

Chicago – Attorney General Kwame Raoul issued a statement today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court's decision denying petitions seeking the court's review of several cases challenging the Protect Illinois Communities Act.

Izaiah Garcia was sentenced to life plus 13 years in the New Mexico Department of Corrections for the murder of 21-year-old Cayla Campos. Judge Joseph Montano handed down the sentence today, following Garcia's conviction of first-degree murder on February 29, 2024. This sentence will run consecutively to a previous life sentence Garcia received for the murder of Sean Markey.

OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta announced a $2.5 million multi-party settlement with AB&I Foundry, which manufactured cast-iron and metal pipe fittings in East Oakland. The settlement resolves two consolidated Proposition 65 lawsuits filed against AB&I and its parent company, McWane, Inc., by the environmental justice organization Communities for a Better Environment (CBE) and the California Department of Justice’s Bureau of Environmental Justice. Both lawsuits alleged that AB&I unlawfully emitted hexavalent chromium into the air without providing clear and...

The Justice Department's Civil Rights Division held an event to honor the 70th anniversary of the United States Supreme Court's Brown v. Board decision.

Attorney General Raúl Labrador has announced that Douglas Keith Stuhlberg, 52, was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child by Possession of Sexually Exploitative Material. This felony is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. Stuhlberg was sentenced on June 28, 2024, by Ada County District Judge James Cawthon.

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has successfully blocked the Biden Administration’s indefinite ban on approving applications to export liquefied natural gas (LNG). Texas, along with Louisiana and fourteen other states, filed a lawsuit challenging the LNG export ban, arguing that it disregards the Natural Gas Act's presumption in favor of exports and contradicts decades of Department of Energy policy. The plaintiffs also emphasized the economic reliance on these exports by states and private entities.