News on Legal Newsline

Attorney General Todd Rokita has initiated legal action against an Indianapolis-based home improvement contractor, alleging fraudulent practices. The lawsuit claims that Hank Eversole, operating under the names All Services Construction and Nationwide Construction, engaged in misconduct by accepting deposits from consumers, beginning work on projects, and then abandoning them without issuing refunds. This left homeowners with incomplete repairs requiring additional financial outlay to rectify.

Chief Justice Elizabeth T. Clement of the Michigan Supreme Court, alongside fellow justices and task force members, will present a report from the Child Protective Legal Representation Task Force in a virtual news conference.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta, alongside the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and a coalition of 51 bipartisan attorneys general, has issued a warning to iDentidad Advertising Development LLC, also known as iDentidad Telecom. The telecom company is accused of transmitting illegal robocall traffic, including calls that impersonated government officials and imitated a hotline used by the Illinois Attorney General’s office.

The Supreme Court of Ohio has sent a lawsuit back to the Franklin County Common Pleas Court to determine if it can be resolved under state law. This decision reverses earlier court rulings that dismissed Epcon Communities Franchising's attempt to recover part of a $2.5 million fine from Wilcox Development Group, related to alleged violations of the federal Fair Housing Act (FHA).

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill's Cyber Crime Unit has apprehended a Pineville resident on charges related to child pornography. Michael Paul Renbarger, 40, residing on Susek Drive in Pineville, was arrested on October 17, 2024.

Rea S. Hederman Jr., executive director of the Economic Research Center and vice president of policy at The Buckeye Institute, provided insights on the latest jobs report from the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. According to Hederman, "Ohio’s unemployment rate held steady in September at 4.5 percent, and at the same time, the labor force participation rate ticked up to 62.4 percent, indicating that more people are looking for work." This is in contrast with national figures where "the national unemployment rate declined to 4.1 percent, and the national labor force...

Attorney General Kris Mayes has issued a warning to iDentidad Advertising Development LLC, also known as iDentidad Telecom, for allegedly transmitting illegal robocall traffic. The company has been urged to cease this activity immediately.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, alongside a coalition of 17 other attorneys general, has submitted an amicus brief in the case of Bryant v. Stein. This action supports a district court's decision that North Carolina cannot impose additional restrictions on mifepristone access beyond those set by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The coalition argues that such barriers could increase medical risks for patients.

A Washington man has been sentenced to 11 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for federal civil rights and firearms offenses. Mikey Diamond Starrett, also known as Michael Jason Layes, was involved in four attacks on Jehovah’s Witness Kingdom Halls in western Washington. In addition to the prison term, Starrett was ordered to pay $714,608.70 in restitution.

A member of Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost's team has been elected to a prominent national position in the fight against health-care fraud. Ben Karrasch, who leads Yost’s Health Care Fraud Section, will serve as president of the National Association of Medicaid Fraud Control Units for the next year. This organization focuses on interstate cooperation among over 50 units dedicated to addressing Medicaid fraud and protecting vulnerable populations from abuse.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has joined a coalition of 22 states urging the U.S. Supreme Court to uphold a Tennessee law that prohibits certain medical interventions for treating gender dysphoria in children, including puberty blockers and hormones. The coalition filed an amicus brief in the case of U.S. v. Skrmetti, emphasizing the importance of state roles in regulating medicine, healthcare, and child welfare.

Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has issued a warning to iDentidad Advertising Development LLC, also known as iDentidad Telecom, regarding the transmission of suspected illegal robocall traffic. In a letter sent to the company, Murrill urged them to cease these activities immediately.

The Iowa Judicial Branch oversees the collection and distribution of court debt, a task mandated by the Iowa Code. Annually, it gathers over $140 million in court debt, distributing these funds to various recipients including the state general fund, victims, cities, counties, sheriff departments, and multiple other state entities.

The Second Judicial Circuit in South Dakota is set to welcome Alison D. Nelson as its newest magistrate judge. The swearing-in ceremony will occur on Friday, October 25, 2024, at 3 p.m. CDT in Courtroom 5B at the Minnehaha County Courthouse in Sioux Falls. The event is open to the public and will be followed by refreshments courtesy of the Second Circuit Bar Association.

The U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) has concluded Operation Nazare Wave, targeting violent crime in Washington, D.C., and the National Capital Region. Conducted by the USMS’ Capital Area Regional Fugitive Task Force (CARFTF) from April to September, the operation led to the arrest of 826 fugitives, including 63 for homicide. Additionally, 54 firearms were recovered and seized, alongside 6.4 kg of narcotics and $1,115,365 in cash.

Attorney General Josh Stein has initiated legal proceedings to combat illegal robocalls in North Carolina. The lawsuit targets Club Exploria, LLC, a timeshare company accused of making over one million unsolicited robocalls to state residents without obtaining prior consent, as required by law.

Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel has initiated legal action against Donald Peltier from South Hadley, Massachusetts. The lawsuit accuses Peltier of operating fraudulent websites that purported to be affiliated with the Democratic and Republican parties. These sites, named “democraticnationalcommittee.co,” “maf.democrat,” and “republicannationalcommittee.org,” allegedly solicited donations under false pretenses.

A Peruvian national, Jose Alejandro Zuñiga Cano, has been sentenced to 98 months in prison and ordered to pay nearly $700,000 in restitution for his involvement in a transnational fraud scheme. The scheme targeted over 1,100 Spanish-speaking immigrants in the United States.

A King County Superior Court judge has ruled that the Michigan-based company Labor Law Poster Service violated the law nearly 600,000 times by sending misleading solicitations to Washington businesses. The decision came after Attorney General Bob Ferguson pursued legal action against the company's owner, Joseph Fata. Judge Sandra Widlan granted a summary judgment without a trial, finding that the mailers were deceptive and in violation of the Consumer Protection Act.

Holland & Knight advised Piper Sandler & Co. (NYSE: PIPR) as lead book-running manager and Raymond James & Associates Inc. (NYSE: RJF) and Hovde Group LLC as book-running managers in the $40.7 million initial public offering of Chain Bridge Bancorp Inc., the bank holding company for Chain Bridge Bank, National Association.