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An Arkansas teacher-student sex ban has been struck down by the state’s supreme court. On it’s face, it’s a strange holding. Read on. The Arkansas Supreme Court overturned the law after vacating a conviction against David Paschal. Paschal, 38, was a former teacher who carried on a five-month sexual relationship with his 18-year-old female student, Reuters reports. Paschal was originally convicted in 2011 for bribing a witness and four counts of second degree sexual assault under Arkansas Code section 5-14-125(a)(6)....

The U.S. Court of Appeals upheld the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s assertion that Harvard-affiliated Broad Institute can keep its patents on CRISPR, Clustered Regularly Inspected Short Palindromic Repeats. The court found that Broad’s applications do not overlap with those of the University of California, Berkeley’s, and that the two are patently distinct. Not only are billions of dollars at stake, but also scientific reputations, and the lives of generations to come....

A one percent increase in the amount of sales tax that California consumers pay on most purchases goes into effect today, rasing the rate from a minimum of 7.25% to at least 8.25% statewide. California’s sales tax increase will send the rate even higher than 8.25% in some counties. As the Los Angeles Times reports, in a number of California counties residents are already paying sales tax at the 8.25% rate, due to city and county-level add-ons to the state rate....

Georgia’s controversial new gun law allows firearms in schools, churches, and bars (with some exceptions). But does it also expand the state’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense provision? Critics are calling attention to language in House Bill 60 (aka the Safe Carry Protection Act) that would effectively “[protect] convicted felons who kill using illegal guns,” as MSNBC has reported. What does the new gun law actually say, and how does it affect Georgia’s existing “Stand Your Ground” provision?...

Sports drinks – and especially energy drinks – are so acidic, they can cause irreversible damage to teeth in as little as five days, a new study by dentists finds. “Young adults consume these drinks assuming … that they are ‘better’ for them than soda,” the study’s lead author said in a statement. But “these drinks are essentially bathing their teeth with acid.” Researchers looked at acid levels in 13 sports drinks and nine energy drinks....

The Delaware Supreme Court has ruled that the letter sent to Ex-HP CEO Mark Hurd accusing him of sexual harassment should be made public. The letter served as the impetus behind his subsequent resignation. Hurd was accused by celebrity attorney Gloria Allred of sexually harassing her client, Jodie Fisher. Fisher was a contractor working for HP. Hurd was accused of treating her to expensive meals. He was also accused of telling her confidential, non-public company information....

Facebook is celebrating its 10th anniversary today. While the social media giant may get a “thumbs up” from many of its (more than) 1 billion users worldwide, it hasn’t been the smoothest 10 years for the company, litigation-wise. As anyone who saw “The Social Network” will know, Facebook had quite a litigious birth. And it seems the lawsuits just keep on coming. Here’s a look back at some of the more significant Facebook cases over the past decade:...

A Ford recall of Ranger and F-series pickups and Excursion SUVs has been announced. Ford trucks need to have a defective switch replaced that can cause the turn signal, tail lights and brake lights to fail. The 20,450 Ford trucks recalled, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration website, are: 2004-11 Rangers pickups 2002-05 Excursions SUVs 2002-07 F-250, 350, 450 and 550 trucks. Not all of these trucks received the defective switch....

The Green Day band was hit with a copyright infringement lawsuit for allegedly stealing an image used as a backdrop during their American Idiot concert tour. The graphic image apparently is the original artwork of Los Angeles based artist Dereck Seltzer who filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the punk rock band Green Day, according to the Examiner.com. In general, copyright infringement involves any violation of the exclusive rights of the copyright owner....

Look, it wouldn’t be International Beer Day without a few beers. The idea, though, is to not drink a few too many beers. And especially not to get behind the wheel afterwards. No one wants a good celebration ruined with a costly DUI conviction. So here are a few things to keep in mind while saying “Cheers” to man’s greatest invention. 1. A DUI Is Easy, Almost Too Easy. In just about every state, a ....

Omer Ninham was only 14 when he was involved in the death of Zong Vang, 13, in Green Bay. His sentence - juvenile life without parole - has been severe. The Supreme Court recently ruled that live without parole for juvenile offenders is not appropriate if they committed a crime that was not a homicide. Now, after an appeal, the Wisconsin Supreme Court has determined that juvenile life without parole is appropriate for juveniles who commit homicide....

An assault with a dreadly weapon? A Portland, Oregon, man was arrested this week after he allegedly tried to strangle his girlfriend with his dreadlocks. Police say Caleb Grotberg, 32, tried to choke his girlfriend after a domestic dispute. The woman was taken to a hospital and was treated for her injuries. Grotberg now faces domestic violence-related charges of kidnapping, attempted assault, assault, menacing, and strangulation, reports The Oregonian. Of note, Grotberg was not charged with assault with a deadly weapon....

An Illinois man linked to an elaborate LinkedIn fraud is facing an enforcement action by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The SEC accuses investment advisor Anthony Fields of Lyons, Ill., of trying to hawk more than $500 billion in securities by using LinkedIn and other social media sites, the Chicago Tribune reports. The securities were bogus, and Fields didn’t even have proper credentials to sell them, the SEC alleges. Though Fields was apparently acting alone, the practice of using social media like LinkedIn for fraud is on the rise....

A Massachusetts math professor is likely getting lectured by her lawyer, after she and her son were arrested in connection with running a meth lab out of their home. Irina Kristy, 74, of Somerville, Mass., faces possible charges of distribution of methamphetamine, conspiracy to violate drug laws, and a drug violation in a school zone, The Boston Globe reports. It all sounds like a real-life episode of Breaking Bad – the hit AMC crime drama about a high school chemistry teacher who sells meth to make money for his family....

The unwanted pictures snapped by celebrity paparazzi are a popular target for privacy lawsuits. Suddenly camera-shy celebrities are quick to file suit when they feel intruded upon. A lesser-known suit in the photo mix is when media outlets use paparazzi photographs without the photographer’s permission. The latest example of this is the recent suit against MSNBC for the company’s use of a paparazzi’s pregnant Penelope Cruz photos. Celebrity photo agency Mavrix Photo alleges copyright infringement against MSNBC for their use of the copyrighted images of Cruz while on set of the latest “Pirates of the Caribbean” franchise....

Celebrity divorces are so common that there is an entire Celebrity Justice category just for this very occurrence. The latest couple to hit the matrimonial chopping block? Nancy Wilson has filed for divorce from her husband of over twenty years, filmmaker Cameron Crowe. The Oscar-winning director and songstress have 10 year-old twins together. According to Celebrity Circuit, Nancy filed for divorce citing the oh-so-popular irreconcilable differences as the reason for the surprise split....

Lip balm can be a little bit dangerous; especially if you are reaching for it during a police stop and a small bag of what is alleged to be cocaine drops out of your handbag. Yes, the trials and tribulations of the world’s blondest heiress, Ms. Paris Hilton, continue. Despite abjurations by her attorney not to rush to judgment, you know you are going to anyway. Here is the story as the facts are currently known....

Digital rights advocacy group Public Knowledge has come out against recent proposals to jam cell phone signals in prisons. While cell phones have become a top listed security concern for prisons, the risks that go along with allowing phone jamming could outweigh any safety benefit to be had. As detailed in this Wired article, cell phones in prisons have become a security problem both in the US and abroad. Amongst the threats that have been reported: use of phone to threaten and harass witnesses or victims, ordering hits from within prison and calling in bomb threats....

Social media sites like Facebook can blast updates to everybody in your social circle - friends, family, coworkers… and robbers. A Facebook post was allegedly behind a home invasion in Illinois. A woman posted a picture on her Facebook account showing her with a large sum of cash she had just received from a civil car accident lawsuit, reports the AP. Police believe that the robbers were motivated to rob the woman when they saw the Facebook posting, according to the AP....

A sheriff department’s “flash bang” grenade sent a Georgia infant to the hospital after the device landed and exploded in the toddler’s crib during a drug raid. Bounkham Phonesavanh, a 19-month-old boy, was badly burned when officers lobbed a grenade that exploded on his pillow. ABC News reports that officers had been pursuing an arrest warrant for a suspected drug dealer when the incident occurred. What are the legal consequences of this grenade incident?...