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It looks like the economic downturn may mean an upswing for taxing internet sales. The AP reported today that, as states feel their budgets being increasingly squeezed by the current recession, they may turn to taxing online sales to help stem their woes. An analyst from Forrester Research estimates that if Web retailers had to collect taxes on all sales to consumers, it could generate $3 billion in new revenue for governments....

“Glee” star Jane Lynch has finalized her divorce, and she’s agreed to give $1.2 million to her ex-wife to call it quits. Dr. Lara Embry, Lynch’s ex-wife, finalized the divorce settlement with her famous ex-spouse on Monday, but she won’t be walking away empty-handed. TMZ reports that among other things, Embry will be receiving half of several bank accounts, retirement funds, royalties from Lynch’s television appearances, and half of their tax refund....

McKayla Dwyer, 8, had a puppy. Her neighbor, 11, wanted to see it. Dwyer said no and the boy shot her with his father’s shotgun from inside his home. He is now charged with first degree murder. This incident happened on Saturday night in White Penn, Tennessee, according to the Associated Press. The boy’s name is not being released because he is a juvenile. After his first hearing yesterday, Ed Miller, the 4th Judicial District Public Defender said the court has ordered the boy to remain detained....

Troubled actress Lindsay Lohan was handcuffed and taken away from a courtroom in Los Angeles this morning. After a scathing dress down from the judge, the impeccably dressed Lohan’s probation was revoked. Lohan fans, fear not. The actress won’t be spending any time behind bars (yet). Though her bail was set at a hefty $100,000, a bondsman was ready at the court to post the amount. She is due back in court on November 2 for a probation violation hearing....

Mary-Kate Olsen reportedly married Olivier Sarkozy in a private ceremony in Manhattan this past weekend. She is one of the Olsen twins, famous for their childhood television roles on “Full House” and now for their fashion labels. He is the brother of former French President, Nicolas Sarkozy. The couple married in front of 50 guests in the garden of a private residence. Then the group moved inside for a party decorated with “bowls and bowls filled with cigarettes and everyone smoked the whole night,” a source told Page Six....

We like to think that society gets more sophisticated as we acquire technology and wealth, and there is some evidence that this is true. Even street gangs are savvier now than ever before, and they’re working on new scores, like financial frauds that were once the domain of white collar criminals. The turf of street gangs has traditionally been the street, usually the streets where gang members lived. But now our notions of connectedness have changed, and the same goes for gangs, who are turning from violent crime to identity theft, tax and medicare fraud, and money wiring schemes, reports the Associated Press....

To the copyright-infringing Batmobile, Robin! If you ever wanted your very own Batmobile, you might be out of luck. DC Comics is suing Mark Towles, owner of Gotham Garage, for making unlicensed and allegedly copyright-infringing copies of the Dark Knight’s wheels. Gotham Garage is located in Orange County, California. In the suit filed at a California District Court, DC Comics is alleging that Towles’ Batmobiles are confusing to the public because they may think that he has the DC license to produce these imitations....

The FTC has issued warnings about flat belly ad scams, or acai berry scams. These scam websites appear to be legitimate news websites, often carrying logos from major news outlets like ABC, Fox, CBS, CNN, USA Today and Consumer Reports, and have false claims that reporters are testing out the products or that the products are legitimate, according to the FTC press release. The websites often have catchy titles, such as “Acai Berry Diet Exposed: Miracle Diet or Scam?...

Terry Rozier of the Boston Celtics, or as some call him “Scary Terry,” has been slapped with a copyright lawsuit for selling 500 sweatshirts and t-shirts with his cartoon likeness while donning the iconic Scream mask without prior authorization from the alleged copyright owners. Easter Unlimited Fun World claims it is the original designer of the “Ghost Face Mask,” and officially licensed it for use in the slasher film and other movies, but that Rozier has not obtained a license to sell its likeness with his....

On the run for 16 years, James “Whitey” Bulger, the inspiration for Jack Nicholson’s character in the 2006 mafia film The Departed, was caught in Santa Monica, California on Wednesday. A member of the FBI’s “Ten Most Wanted” list, Whitey was apprehended along with his longtime girlfriend Catherine Greig a day after the agency launched a media blitz requesting information on their whereabouts. What’s going to happen to them now?...

Four men have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the Chicago mass shooting that left 13 people injured, including a 3-year-old boy, last week. Investigators say Tabari Young, 22, and Bryon Champ, 21, opened fire on a crowd at a basketball court on Chicago’s South Side on Thursday night. Two other men, ages 22 and 20, allegedly served as a lookout and gun supplier, The Associated Press reports. As the investigation reveals more about the Chicago shooting, what charges await the four suspected perpetrators?...

A terrible way to celebrate a holiday weekend is with a DUI. Yet so many holiday revelers will be cursing themselves as they end the weekend in a squad car or a drunk tank. No matter what holiday you’re celebrating, follow these five legal tips for dealing with a holiday weekend DUI: 1. Do Not Drink and Drive/Boat/Horseback-Ride/Zip Around in a Wheelchair. This title may look like a terrible madlib answer, but the truth is that you can get busted for drunkenly operating just about any mode of transportation, depending on how your state’s laws are written....

A just-released order might cause some confusion amongst those challenging the controversial Alabama immigration law. Acting on the Justice Department’s recent appeal, the 11th Circuit partially granted a preliminary injunction enjoining two sections of the law. However, the court also denied a request to stop the enforcement of four other provisions. To make matters worse, the order provides absolutely no explanation for the court’s decision. The lack of analysis is probably a function of the type of order granted....

California Attorney General Kamala Harris has officially announced the creation of a statewide eCrime unit. The unit is composed of 20 investigators and prosecutors who will focus their efforts on cyber crime. This includes Internet scams, identity theft, child pornography and intellectual property infringement. This is not California’s first foray into law enforcement tech – there are five regional task forces that operate under the High Technology Theft Apprehension and Prosecution Program....

A large group of Central Washington University students throw a party and consume copious amounts of Four Loko, a beverage that comes in tall cans and packs the punch of a six pack of beer and five cups of coffee. What could go wrong? Anything? Any ideas? Can you imagine any way that something bad could happen when teenage college freshmen down caffeinated booze with 12% alcohol? Well, naturally everyone throws up and passes out, not necessarily in that order....

A group of PTA moms from Armstrong Elementary School in Diamond Bar, California have been charged with 22 counts of grand theft and securities fraud, accused of manufacturing a ponzi scheme that earned them $14 million. Prosecutors allege that, during school events, the women convinced more than 30 people to invest money in their company, which they claimed had exclusive rights to distribute dairy products at Disney properties in Southern California....

On a 6-2 vote, the Supreme Court has issued an opinion ruling that vaccine makers cannot be sued in state courts for vaccine defects that arise out of the product’s design. The case, Bruesewitz v. Wyeth, stems from a series of DPT shots given to Hannah Bruesewitz when she was an infant in 1992. After receiving the third shot in the series, Hannah began to have seizures, reports CNN. The family blamed Wyeth for the child’s disorder, alleging that the manufacturer had a better, less dangerous vaccine that it failed to promote....

Fortunately for all involved, Edgar M. Welch surrendered to police before anyone was injured. Still, the man who took it upon himself to find out whether a popular Washington D.C. pizza restaurant was a front for a child sex slavery ring committed very real and very dangerous crimes even if the basis of his investigation was fake news. In the criminal complaint, filed in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia and included below, you can see the crimes Welch is charged with, along with an account of his arrest and what he told officers regarding his motives....

Living with a criminal record isn’t easy. It’s harder to get a job and get into college, and a criminal conviction may even get you kicked off American Idol. All jokes aside, housing is one of our most basic needs, so can landlords refuse to rent to people with a criminal record? And do you have to explain a criminal conviction on a housing application? Public Housing While federal and state public housing authorities may not discriminate based on race, gender, religion, etc....

Looks like, the Los Angeles Dodgers and comedian Jon Lovitz have kissed and made up after a breach of contract lawsuit. The baseball club says the funnyman Jon Lovitz is a friend and welcome back at the stadium any time. Recently, the Dodgers resolved their breach of contract lawsuit against Lovitz over nearly $100,000 in unpaid 2010 season baseball tickets, the Associated Press reports. Apparently, the breach of contract lawsuit was settled amicably, and to the satisfaction of both parties....