Former NYPD Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik pleaded guilty today in a federal court in a case accusing him of criminal conspiracy, tax fraud, making a host of false statements to both federal agents and New York City investigators, and lying on a loan application for his New York City apartment. According to his plea agreement, Kerik could get from 27 to 33 months in federal prison under sentencing guidelines. The disgraced former N....
News of an urgent recall of Alysena-28 birth control pills has understandably terrified patients who take the pill. According to the distributor, Apotex, one batch of the Alysena-28 pills may contain two weeks of placebo pills instead of one, CBC News reports. Though the birth control recall is in Canada, it’s a good reminder of why it is so important to stay informed about prescription drug recalls. Recalls usually only affect a small amount of manufactured products....
On November 15, the California Supreme Court ruled it was legal for the state to grant California in-state tuition benefits to illegal immigrants while denying in-state tuition to U.S. citizens who live out of state. The court upheld the state law that allowed any student who had completed at least three years of high school and who had graduated or gained their GED in California to be eligible for the lower rate of in-state tuition in the California public university system....
A police report is a written record made by an officer, describing an incident to which police have responded or have been involved. But can a police report be used as evidence? When a person has been arrested and accused of a crime, a police report can be a significant source of information about the circumstances surrounding the arrest. But by definition, police reports are hearsay: an out-of-court statement, used to prove the truth of the matter asserted (i....
It seems that rapper Chief Keef just can’t stay out of trouble, because he was back in jail Tuesday for violating the terms of his probation. Last January, the Chicago-based rapper whose real name is Keith Cozart was sentenced to 18 months’ probation after he was convicted of pointing a gun at a police officer. As part of his probation, Keef was ordered to stay away from drugs, gangs, and guns....
Some have suggested that Bernard “Bernie” Madoff’s Ponzi scheme was far too large and widespread for him to have pulled it off alone. Various reports have suggested that his wife, Ruth, would be pursued for her assets, and also possibly charged. Then their sons’ assets were targeted by the government. However, according to the AP, it turns out that CPA “David Friehling, 49, who ran a small storefront firm in a New York suburb, is the first person besides Madoff to be arrested on criminal charges in the long-running fraud....
Foreclosure filings in the United States increased 75 percent in 2007 when compared with data from 2006, according to Realtytrac, a nationwide real estate data organization. In a Press Release, Realtytrac reports that foreclosure filings nationwide totaled 2,203,295 in 2007, with more than 1 percent of all households in the U.S. in some stage of the foreclosure process during the year. The five states with the highest rates of foreclosure in 2007 were Nevada, Florida, Michigan, California, and Colorado....
A Frito-Lay lawsuit asserts some of the company’s “all-natural” claims are misleading, and the proof is in the genes. Frito-Lay’s so-called “all-natural” Tostitos and SunChips actually contain ingredients made from genetically modified plants, the lawsuit alleges. A New York man filed the suit, which is seeking class-action status and damages estimated to exceed $5 million, Reuters reports. Frito-Lay, owned by PepsiCo, charges consumers about 10 cents more per ounce for its allegedly “all-natural” Tostitos and SunChips, the lawsuit contends....
Cell phones have been the new frontier in search and seizure law, and for a while they’ve been giving fits to law enforcement and the courts. Can customs search your cloud data at the border? Can the feds force tech companies to provide access to phone data? Can a warrant give police access to everyone’s phone at a given location? Can police 3-D print a finger to unlock a phone?...
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is giving victims of this week’s major storms in several Northeastern states until April 26, 2007 to file their 2006 tax returns without incurring late filing and payment penalties. Power outages and public transportation problems made it impossible in some cases for some taxpayers and tax professionals to meet the April 17 filing deadline. Affected taxpayers can mark their paper tax returns with the words “April 16 Storm....
It seems like the infamous battling couple fighting over Dodgers ownership are bringing out the big guns. The big legal guns that is, and it is turning out to be one expensive divorce. The Los Angeles Times reports that Jamie McCourt, the soon to be ex-wife of Frank McCourt, has hired David Boies. Boies is well known as a skilled trial lawyer; especially for his high profile cases such as representing Al Gore before the U....
Jesse Eisenberg has your back. Or so it would seem. Despite only having about 5 minutes of screen time, the Oscar-nominated actor appears solo on the cover of the DVD release of 2010’s Camp Hell. Ticked off that the studios are misleading fans and capitalizing on his newfound fame, Eisenberg has filed a lawsuit against Lionsgate and Grindstone Entertainment. He’s asking for $3 million–more than it cost to make the movie....
A New York teen has been charged with murder after setting a mattress on fire because he was bored. Marcell Dockery, 16, allegedly told the NYPD that he lit a mattress on fire in a Brooklyn high-rise because “he was bored,” reports New York City’s WABC-TV. Unfortunately, an NYPD Housing officer who responded to the blaze succumbed to smoke inhalation and carbon monoxide poisoning. Dockery now faces felony murder charges for his death....
Last week, Attorney General Eric Holder signaled that federal raids on medical marijuana dispensaries will not continue under President Obama’s administration. MSNBC reports that Holder was asked about such raids after two California medical marijuana dispensaries were raided by the DEA in early February. Holder is quoted as saying, “[w]hat the president said during the campaign … will be consistent with what we will be doing here in law enforcement.” As the Wall Street Journal’s Law Blog points out, what Obama said during the campaign includes what seems to be an openness to states who choose to legalize the controlled use of medical marijuana....
With the economy in shambles, you would think that a 24-year-old organization claiming to help New York City’s homeless would be doing charitable work. Guess again. The United Homeless Organization (‘UHO’) was accused by New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo of being a for profit non-profit. Coumo alleged that Stephen Riley, its founder and president, and UHO director Myra Walker, duped sidewalk donors into thinking their crew of homeless street-corner fundraisers were legit....
After eight months of separation, Paula Patton has filed papers in a Los Angeles court to divorce husband Robin Thicke. Patton, an actress, and “Blurred Lines” singer Thicke have been married since 2005 and have a 4-year-old son together, reports CNN. Following the announcement earlier this year that the two had separated, Thicke has made a sometimes-uncomfortably public push to get back together with Patton, including releasing an album titled “Paula” dedicated to his wife....
Pfizer Inc., manufacturer of Bextra and Celebrex, has agreed to pay out $894 million to settle personal injury suits and other legal tangles involving the two pain medications. Bextra, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) pain medication, was pulled from the market in 2005. Celebrex, another NSAID, continues to be a top seller for Pfizer. Reuters reports that the $894 in settlements (announced Thursday) will be distributed as follows: $745 million to settle personal injury cases related to Bextra and Celebrex; $60 million to settle with 33 states and the District of Columbia over the marketing of Bextra; and $89 million toward resolution of consumer fraud class actions over potential financial harm caused by the promotion of the two drugs....
A group of bank robbers disguised in Islamic women’s garb have hit at least five Philadelphia banks since December, the Los Angeles Times reports. The robberies have generated worries among government, law enforcement, and the Muslim community. Islamic leaders have offered a $20,000 reward for any information leading to the suspects’ capture. Leaders fear the string of robberies will place Muslim women in danger of discrimination and heightened scrutiny. This isn’t the first time Islamic clothing has come under fire due to security concerns....
Kroger Co. has issued a recall on four of its spices due to concerns of possible salmonella contamination. The supermarket chain is pulling Kroger Ground Cinnamon, Kroger Garlic Powder, Kroger Coarse Ground Black Pepper, and Kroger Bac’n Buds from its shelves. The recall affects Kroger and other Kroger systems stores in 17 states. Something Fishy Although no illnesses were reported, salmonella was found in a sample of garlic powder from a store in South Carolina....
“It’s Friday, Friday, gotta get down on Friday…” So goes the lyrics of Rebecca Black’s “Friday.” Once just an ordinary 13-year-old, Black is now a household name for this fairly ridiculous song. Okay, scratch that - the original music video may have been taken off, but Ark Music Factory, the company that produced Black’s song, has put on a “director’s cut” version of the video back online, reports the Huffington Post....
