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Amid some controversy, the California legislature passed AB 1687, which prohibits websites, like IMDb, from publishing the ages of actors and actresses online. However, a federal judge has temporarily halted this law from going into effect, as a result of a preliminary injunction requested by the website IMDb, which promptly filed a lawsuit to stop this new, rather awkward, law. The law is intended to help prevent age discrimination in the entertainment industry, but has been, preliminarily, found to be too much of a restriction on the First Amendment rights of the plaintiff, IMDb....

When it comes to the criminal justice system, most people accept the fact that a plea bargain is the only guaranteed way to avoid more serious consequences. Despite a person’s innocence, accepting a deal is often the most expedient, and certainly the most certain, end to a scary situation. Trials are uncertain, and being found guilty at trial generally involves lengthier or harsher sentencing. However, how good a plea bargain will be often depends on who’s negotiating on a defendant’s behalf....

If you see it on TV or in the movies it must be true, right? And how many times have we seen cops cut the cable, pose as the repairmen, and, once they’re invited in, search the home and find the evidence they need. Surprise! This may not be legal. According to a federal District Court judge in Las Vegas, the FBI overstepped its bounds by disconnecting the Internet to some pricey Caesar’s Palace villas and sending in agents dressed as repairmen in order to gather evidence on an illegal online gambling operation....

A nationwide child prostitution sting led to the rescue of 79 teen victims and the arrest of more than 100 alleged pimps, the FBI announced Monday. The three-day “Operation Cross Country” sweep took place in 57 U.S. cities between Thursday and Saturday, Reuters reports. The child prostitutes, all U.S. citizens between 13 and 17 years old, were rescued at various locations including truck stops, storefronts, and hotels. Of the rescued teens, 77 are girls and two are boys....

You better lose yourself in the music, the momentYou own it, you better never let it goYou only get one shot, do not miss your chance to blowThis opportunity comes once in a lifetime yo -Eminem, Lose Yourself Eight Mile Style LLC, Eminem’s publisher, has told a U.S. District Court judge that Apple Computer Inc. and Aftermath Records have already had their one shot to pay up on a $2.2 million settlement....

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has rejected California’s effort to impose tighter vehicle emissions standards, in part because of new federal legislation aimed at raising vehicle fuel economy standards and reducing energy consumption. The San Jose Mercury News reports that “the Bush administration said the new energy bill signed Wednesday, with its increase in fuel economy and renewable fuels, does enough for now. . . But [California] officials say that comparison ignores a key difference that the courts have defended this year: The California standard goes beyond fuel economy, and is designed to reduce global warming....

A former general counsel has found herself on the other side of the law for an alleged FDA cover up, thanks to a Department of Justice indictment. Former Vice President and G.C. for pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline, Lauren Stevens, is facing one count of obstructing an official proceeding, one count of concealing and falsifying documents to influence a federal agency, and four counts of making false statements to the FDA. The charges relate to the anti-depressant Wellbutrin and whether GSK promoted its off-label use for weight loss, a treatment which has not been approved by the FDA....

Facebook’s continuous morphing has been a point of contention for its millions of users but now, the shape-shifting has landed the company into some hot water. A class action lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court for Northern California against the social networking giant, based on the changes to the privacy settings made by the company last November and December, claiming that Facebook mislead its users into believing that their information would be better protected....

A chemical used in the manufacture of baby bottles, plastic water containers, and other products does not pose a risk to consumers, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced on Friday. People are usually exposed to Bisphenol A (also called BPA) through the diet – including through leaching from the protective lining of plastic bottles and canned foods, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). After examining the relevant data in a Draft Assessment of Bisphenol A, the FDA concluded that “an adequate margin of safety exists” for Bisphenol A in current levels of exposure through bottles and other “food contact” uses....

Redskins owner Dan Snyder claims, “I will never change the name.” Well, he may want to consider doing it now. A federal judge ruled against the team today when he ordered that the Redskins’ trademark registrations be canceled. The Washington Redskins, an NFL football team, had its name since 1933. The team has six different trademarks on the name. As far back as 1972, the team has been under fire for using the name....

The Supreme Court has ruled that fleeing police is a violent felony. In a 6-3 decision in Sykes v. United States, Marcus Sykes was appealing his enhanced federal sentence under the Armed Criminal, Career Criminal Act. The Act meant that Sykes got a mandatory minimum 15-year sentence that was enhanced due to his prior felonies - one of them being fleeing from police, reports CNN. Sykes had been seen by officers driving at night without headlights....

The coal baron defamation case against HBO and John Oliver over a segment that aired on the comedy news show continues to be actively litigated. This time though, HBO is asking the court to decline hearing the case in Virginia, despite a federal court order sending the case to state court. HBO’s request makes arguments under the constitution and the state’s long-arm statute. Long-arm statutes are basically laws that govern when a state court can cause a party in another state to be hailed into their court....

Out of Four Loko and hungry for your next candy-coated alcohol buzz? Perhaps you should check out the next alcoholic product that’s trending: alcoholic whipped cream. Whipped Lightning is making one such product, called Whipahol. Whipahol contains 18 percent alcohol and comes in several flavors. A company by the name of Cream is making another alcohol-infused whipped cream which contains 15 percent alcohol. According to reports, both are quickly becoming popular on college campuses....

It has been a while since people could smoke in most restaurants or coffee shops or hotel rooms, but they could light up in cars. Not so if children are present – at least not in the United Kingdom as of October 1st, 2015. The new U.K. smoking law bans smoking in private vehicles with passengers under 18 in England and Wales. Violators will be subject to a fine of up to $80, as are drivers who allow smoking passengers....

A California judge has dismissed the Happy Meal lawsuit, bringing an end to this chapter in McDonald’s legal history. The suit, which has been pending for over a year, accused the fast food chain of using toys to lure in children. The practice, according to lead plaintiff Monet Parham, violates local consumer protection laws. Industry, she claims, cannot prey on the vulnerability of young children. The judge’s decision is no surprise – the Happy Meal lawsuit has always been a long shot....

If there was a game show category for ’laws that probably, most definitely, won’t be enforced against Justin Timberlake,’ the pop star’s illegal polling place selfie would likely be a clue. On Tuesday, Timberlake broke Tennessee election law when he took a selfie in his polling place. Timberlake, who traveled from Los Angeles to Memphis, Tennessee in order to vote in person, luckily is not being investigated or charged. While some might think that there is a double standard at play for celebrities, well, you might be right, but not enforcing polling place selfie laws is seemingly the new normal....

Kanye West makes many wild claims and who can blame him? He gets a lot of attention and people do listen, as evidenced by a recent lawsuit filed against him in federal court in San Francisco. The suit targets Kanye and the music streaming company Tidal, demanding $5 million in damages, and saying the defendants tricked 2 million people into subscribing to the service. Early this year, Kanye and Tidal promised prospective users a free one-month trial and that his latest album, The Life of Pablo, would be on the streaming service exclusively....

Tech titans like Google and Facebook have won a small victory for transparency under a settlement that will allow for more disclosures of government surveillance. The deal, announced Monday, was reached between the Obama administration and several Internet industry leaders (Facebook, Microsoft, Yahoo, LinkedIn, and Google). It gives these companies the option to disclose more details about the government’s requests for consumer information, Politico reported. This is a good start for these tech giants, but does this mean an end to secret surveillance?...

The Octomom’s strip club debut has set the stage for a lawsuit. Nadya Suleman, the unemployed mother of 14 including her famous octuplets, allegedly signed a contract to shake her money-maker at T’s Lounge (get it, “Tease”?) in West Palm Beach, Fla., the Palm Beach Post reports. Her debut was set for Friday. But after some teasing by a T’s staffer on TV, Suleman bailed on the deal, and now plans to make her dirty dancing debut at a rival strip club instead....

Here’s some free advice: if you fake being a cop, don’t try to arrest a real cop. That was the “rookie mistake” made by Anthony Kenneth Mastrogiovanni when he pulled over an off-duty Capitol Heights Police officer on Wednesday. Mastrogiovanni pulled the officer over on the highway in Maryland for allegedly speeding and told the officer that he was a Louisiana military police officer. Unluckily for Mastrogiovanni, the officer he pulled over actually knew the law....