Law enforcement officers are tasked with the ever-so-important job of keeping the public safe from crime. However, a cop’s job isn’t easy, and can quickly escalate into situations where an officer’s life is in real, immediate danger. But when a cop has been overtaken by a suspect, is the public allowed to return the favor and defend a cop? Can a private individual intervene with lethal force, such as by shooting a cop’s attacker?...
A German court ruled that a fixed gear bike with a single hand-brake is not illegal, and should be considered the same as a bike with two regular hand brakes, or a brake sytem that works by pedaling backwards. You’re probably asking wondering what the heck is a ‘fixie’ bike, and why is this such a big deal? Can’t bicyclists opt to do foolish things, and bring a world of hurt and pain upon themselves if they’re so inclined?...
The new credit card reform bill known as the “Credit Cardholders’ Bill of Rights” passed a U.S. Senate vote with flying colors today. The legislation, which seeks to clarify the fine print in cardholder agreements and level the credit card playing field for consumers, passed the Senate by a 90 to 5 vote. The credit card reform package will likely still be the subject of some negotiation in the next few days between the Senate and the U....
The legal team at CVS Pharmacy, Inc., might need a little aspirin for the headache they are getting right about now; but they may want to check the expiration date on the bottle first. On November 30, Richard Blumenthal, Attorney General for the state of Connecticut, filed suit against CVS for selling expired food products and medicines. This suit is the third of its kind and follows settlements with Attorneys General Jerry Brown in California and Andrew Cuomo in New York....
Gun control advocates won big in the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals this week. A panel of judges upheld a D.C. gun law banning semi-automatic rifles and high-capacity ammunition magazines. The judges also backed some of the city’s gun registration requirements, but chose to order further proceedings for others. Questionable provisions include clauses directing gun registrants to undergo fingerprinting and provide ballistics data. Regardless, the more noteworthy aspect of this case is still the semi-automatic rifle and ammunition bans....
A Chicago father’s apparent idea of a social media joke has landed him in jail. Andre Curry posted a photo of his 22-month-old daughter on Facebook, duct-taped and bound. He now faces a charge of aggravated battery. Andre Curry, 21, took the Facebook duct tape photo after babysitting his daughter Dec. 13, the Chicago Sun-Times reports. He also posted a misspelled caption: “This is wut happens wen my baby hits me back....
Way back in 2003, the Supreme Court ruled that states could not prohibit consensual sex between two adults. This decision invalidated state sodomy laws in the 14 states that still had them on the books. But that doesn’t mean those laws went away. Today in 2015, 12 of those states still have sodomy statutes. And even though these laws may not be fully enforceable, law enforcement continues to use them to harass citizens and state legislatures refuse to remove them....
Shockingly, a Massachusetts man, Steven Byrnes, was recently arrested twice in the same day for drunk driving. He was initially arrested for drunk driving while trying to pick up his 10-year-old son from school in the afternoon, which happened after arguing with officers who claimed to smell alcohol on him. Clearly, Byrnes made a bad decision. But then, after somehow being released from custody just a few hours later, he was arrested again for drunk driving....
Prescription drugs have become a real part of many drivers’ lives, but they can present a real danger of DUI. In order to be a savvy and safe driver, here are three things about prescription drugs and DUIs that every motorist should know: For a driver who imbibes alcohol, there are “per se” laws in every state which mandate that a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of 0.08 percent meets the legal definition of “intoxicated” for drunken driving....
It is an all too common theme, mentioned here and many other places. An event, tragedy or even a trend occurs and the scams or fakes follow like ants after a picnic. In this case, the bug analogy is apropos, because the issue at hand is bed bugs. As noted in posts on FindLaw’s Injured blog, the recent resurgence in bed bug infestations has occurred all over the country, but has made news especially in New York and other large cities....
Since Google Buzz launched early last year, the social networking tool has been the topic of heated debate. It was immediately recognized that Google Buzz privacy settings were nonexistent, forcing all Gmail users to opt-in despite promises otherwise. The Federal Trade Commission announced earlier this week that a Google Buzz settlement has been reached with respect these privacy misrepresentations. The settlement is expected to impact the entire industry. The agreement forbids Google from misrepresenting the extent to which it collects, uses and protects user information, as well as how much control users have....
Parents do their best to keep their kids out of trouble. Sadly, the best isn’t always good enough. For a multitude of reasons, children can turn to rebellious, illegal activities during their teenage years, even going so far as to join gangs. If those gangs are engaged in criminal activity, parents should rightly be concerned, not only for their teens’ criminal liability but for their own. Here’s what you need to know....
Arizona shooting suspect Jared Loughner will be assigned one of the best public defenders in the country. Veteran federal public defender Judy Clarke has been assigned to represent Jared Loughner in federal court, according to NPR. Jared Loughner could face the federal death penalty. Federal law requires that if the death penalty is sought by prosecutors, an attorney with death penalty experience be assigned to defend the defendant. Judy Clarke appears to have her work cut out for her as investigators revealed that they have located a safe that contains an envelope with Loughner’s handwriting that states, “I planned ahead, “my assassination,” and “Gabrielle Giffords,” CNN reports....
The AP reports that a federal court judge has dealt the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) a stinging rebuke over its handling of the approval process for the Plan B morning-after pill during the Bush administration. The Plan B drug, sold by Barr Pharmaceuticals (acquired by Teva Pharmaceutical Industries), is a contraceptive pill that “reduces the chance of pregnancy if taken within three days after sex.” According to U.S. District Judge Edward Korman’s ruling, politics improperly infected the agency’s decisionmaking when it “repeatedly and unreasonably” delayed issuing a decision on the drug....
And the waffle house fight continues. Robert James Ritchie, better known as Kid Rock, takes the stand over the details of a 2007 waffle house fight that led to the musician being charged with misdemeanor battery, resulting in a sentance of probation and anger management classes. Kid Rock is now testifying in the civil case against him, in which the defendant seeks $6,000 in medical bills, and an unspecified amount of damages for pain and suffering....
Cha-Cha, Dolomite and JJ, three Jack Russell terriers were given “extraordinary services” according to a breach of contract lawsuit filed against pop star Mariah Carey for alleged unpaid pet bills. A New York veterinarian Cindy Bressler sued singer Mariah Carey for a $30,000 bill racked up during a month of care while Mariah was in L.A. promoting “Precious,” PopEater reports. Bressler, who specializes in small dog internal medicine was in charge of grooming and feeding the dogs....
The Michael Jackson estate signed a record deal with Sony Music Entertainment for $250 million. According to the Associated Press, the record-breaking Jackson Sony deal guarantees the Jackson estate up to $250 million and gives Sony the rights to sell his back catalog and draw on a large vault of unheard recordings. Since Jackson’s death on June 25, Sony has sold an about 31 million of his albums around the world....
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission recently issued mandatory guidelines regulating drawstring safety on children’s upper outwear, such as sweatshirts and winter coats. Though the rules have been voluntary since 1997, the agency states that, in addition to conducting 115 recalls, it has still received 26 reports of a child dying after his jacket drawstring became caught in a vehicle or on a piece of playground equipment. Under the now-mandatory drawstring safety rules, children’s upper outwear in sizes 2T through 16 with neck, hood, and certain waist drawstrings will be considered substantial product hazards, allowing the CPSC to force mandatory recalls and order Customs and Border Protection to keep such products out of the country....
An article in Tuesday’s New York Times reports on the Occupational Health and Safety Administration’s (OSHA) current role in promulgating and enforcing workplace safety rules and regulations. The article (the second in a three-part series on federal deregulation) examines chemical dangers faced by workers at microwave popcorn plants (due to a butter flavoring additive used in the production process), and assesses OSHA’s recent record of standard-setting around this employee safety issue....
“Labels matter.” That’s what the California Supreme Court said when reinstituting a class action lawsuit regarding the accuracy of organic labels on food products. The court also said: “Misrepresentations in labeling undermine this signifying function, preventing consumers from correctly identifying the goods and services that carry the attributes they desire while also hampering honest producers’ attempts to differentiate their merchandise from the competition.” The ruling allows consumers to bring unfair competition lawsuits in state court if manufacturers or sellers misuse the “organic” designation on food or produce....
