News on Legal Newsline

Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, commented on the newly released jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.

The United States Supreme Court has blocked the Biden-Harris administration from enforcing its Title IX rule, which has been criticized for endangering the rights and safety of girls and young women. In response to the decision, Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen issued a statement expressing his approval.

This week, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco hosted the sixth convening of the Justice AI Initiative, which she launched earlier this year to inform the Justice Department’s AI policy. The initiative aims to address how AI will impact the Department’s mission to uphold the rule of law, maintain national security, and protect civil rights. Justice AI gathers stakeholders from civil society, industry, academia, and law enforcement to share expertise and perspectives on both the promise and risks associated with AI.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta has filed an amicus brief with the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit to support the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) climate disclosure rule. The rule, finalized in March, mandates that companies regulated by the SEC report climate-related risks, their strategies to manage these risks, and specific information about their greenhouse gas emissions. The rule is currently facing challenges from industry groups and other states that argue the requirements exceed the SEC’s legal authority.

Attorney General Chris Carr has announced the appointment of former Cobb County Assistant District Attorney Timothy Ruffini to lead Georgia’s first statewide Organized Retail Crime Unit. Ruffini will manage a team of prosecutors and investigators dedicated to addressing criminal networks involved in recurring thefts and acts of violence targeting businesses across the state. This new unit is part of the Attorney General’s Prosecution Division, which also includes units focused on gang prosecution, human trafficking, and white-collar and cybercrime.

Attorney General Miyares issues AG opinion prohibiting ESG influences on VRS investment decisions

As the 2023-2024 school year concludes, Safe2Tell experienced a notable increase in report volume, with a more than 25% rise compared to the previous year. The July monthly report, released today, shows a total of 28,218 reports for the school year, marking the highest number in Safe2Tell’s history.

The Justice Department has transferred $300,921.09 in forfeited criminal assets to Bonaire, a special Dutch Caribbean municipality within the Netherlands. This transfer recognizes Bonaire’s assistance to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) in investigating and forfeiting proceeds from an unlicensed money transmitting business operating on the black market for exchanging Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars.

Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey announced today that his office successfully defended the convictions of Calvin Pittman at the Eastern District Court of Appeals. Pittman was convicted on one count of voluntary manslaughter, two counts of armed criminal action, and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. The appeals court upheld the circuit court’s judgment and denied Pittman's claims regarding the prosecutor’s closing argument.

John Michael Nilles (Mike) passed away on August 7, 2024. He was born on August 20, 1930, in Langdon, ND and grew up in Fargo, ND.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody, along with 20 other attorneys general, is demanding answers from online retailer Temu following concerning recent reports. Attorney General Moody and the coalition are seeking information regarding the company’s alleged ties with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), data collection and sharing practices, and possible violations of the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act (UFLPA).

A 36-year-old Montgomery County woman indicted earlier this year for allegedly stealing $1.5 million from Ohio Medicaid has been apprehended in Texas after months on the run, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced today.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta and Governor Gavin Newsom issued statements today in response to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision in NetChoice v. Bonta. The court found that NetChoice did not demonstrate a likelihood of success in proving that most provisions of California's Age-Appropriate Design Code Act are unconstitutional. Specifically, the Ninth Circuit vacated the injunction on provisions restricting the collection, use, and sale of children's data, and on collecting a child's geolocation information without an obvious sign to the child.

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) is continuing to investigate an officer-involved death in the City of Fitchburg, Wis., that occurred on the morning of Monday, August 12, 2024.

On August 16, 2024, the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals denied Enbridge Energy's request for a rehearing of its June decision to remand back to a Michigan state court the Attorney General’s lawsuit aimed at shutting down Line 5 in the Straits of Mackinac. The announcement was made by Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. The federal court was unpersuaded by Enbridge’s petition for rehearing en banc, which sought to have the entire bench of judges in the Court of Appeals re-hear the case previously decided by a three-judge panel. Consequently, the case, Nessel v. Enbridge,...

A former Daleville, Alabama, Police Department sergeant, Ryan Phillips, pleaded guilty yesterday to depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law.

On Friday, August 16, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the Biden-Harris administration’s attempt to vacate Louisiana’s injunction against their Title IX rule.

The 8th Circuit Court of Appeals decided United States v. Daniel Cartagena-Rodriguez on August 16, affirming the district court decision.

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti issued a statement today following the U.S. Supreme Court's decision to halt the implementation of the U.S. Department of Education’s new Title IX rule while Tennessee's case against it proceeds. Tennessee has contended that the rule is unlawful and had previously convinced two lower courts to prevent its enactment.

LANSING – In response to a lawsuit challenging Michigan’s state ban on the practice of conversion therapy on minors, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel filed a brief opposing the plaintiff’s request for a preliminary injunction barring enforcement of the ban. The lawsuit was filed in July by Catholic Charities of Jackson, Lenawee and Hillsdale Counties and an individual psychologist in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Michigan, against defendants including Governor Whitmer, Attorney General Nessel, several state agency directors, and numerous individual...