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Suspects who are not in custody, and thus not entitled to Miranda warnings, can have their silence used against them unless they expressly invoke their Fifth Amendment right to remain silent, the U.S. Supreme Court has held. In a 5-4 decision handed down Monday, the Court in Salinas v. Texas determined that a suspect’s silence after being asked a question during a voluntary police interview can be used against him during his criminal trial, reports the Associated Press....

Americans consume nearly 130 pounds of sugar per person, per year – so much, it should be classified as a toxin, a new report says. The amount of sugar in U.S. diets – about a third of a pound per person, per day – poses as big a risk to public health as alcohol, according to the report by three obesity researchers at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine....

Can you go to jail for not having a dog license? People seem to think so after reading about Matthew Townsend, a resident of Jefferson County, Colo. Townsend was cited by animal control for not licensing Wolfie, his autistic daughter’s service dog. He didn’t think it was necessary. Weeks or months later, local deputies arrived at his door. He was arrested and spent 7 hours in jail. This story sounds outrageous, but it’s missing a few key facts....

Spammers have been ordered to stop sending unwanted and illegal e-mail “spam” messages related to hoodia weight-loss products and human growth hormone (HGH) anti-aging products, according to an announcement from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). The FTC is alleging that “the international enterprise, with defendants in the United States, Canada, and Australia, used spammers to drive traffic to Web sites” which sold products including purported weight-loss aids “HoodiaLife” and “HoodiaPlus,” and “HGHLife” and “HGHPlus” (which are marketed as capable of reversing the aging process)....

Three lawsuits against a diet drug maker for wrongful death of one woman were consolidated and allowed to continue, a federal court judge in Hawaii ruled this week. Sonnette Marras, wife and mother of seven, died due to liver damage caused by OxyElite Pro diet pills, say the plaintiffs, who between the three cases sued a slew of associated individuals and entities.. There is serious support for their claim, according to Courthouse News Service....

DMX arrested? Who’s surprised? The rapper, born Earl Simmons, was arrested last night in Arizona after officers clocked him going 102 in a 65 mile per zone without a valid license. Cited for criminal speed, driving on a revoked license, and reckless driving, DMX was hauled in, but is currently out on bond. He’s sure to soon have a very nice meeting with his probation officer. And probably the judge, too....

The U.S. Supreme Court has recently ruled that a former grad student who purchased books cheaply overseas can then resell them on eBay for a profit. The California student, Supap Kirtsaeng, argued he was protected by the first-sale doctrine. The doctrine holds that copyright owners can’t ban resales of their products. The High Court, in a 6-3 ruling, held the doctrine protects resellers even when the goods are lawfully manufactured outside the United States....

If you’ve been charged with a crime, it should go without saying that showing up for your court appearances is important. Even if the crime you are accused of committing is something as minor as a traffic offense, if you agree to appear in court and fail to show up, you may find yourself facing additional penalties. In cases where the charges are more serious, the consequences for failing to appear will likely be even more severe....

Fantasy football players can send their virtual players to summer training camp to run sprints, lift weights, and sweat gallons. According to a federal court filing dismissing the case, Yahoo appears to have settled the lawsuit it filed against the NFL Players’ Association last month over the use of publicly available player statistics in Yahoo’s NFL fantasy football game. Hustle up, grab your Gatorade, and read the new court order dismissing the case, and Yahoo’s original lawsuit here:...

When life gives you lemons, you make lemonade, or if you’re Beyonce, you make Lemonade, a visual album that generates tons of press and speculation. The release by the pop goddess has stirred up lots of talk about her married life and role as wife to Jay-Z, as well as chatter about cultural matters, like who is Becky with the good hair. But now, reports the Associated Press, Queen Bey has been stung with a lawsuit claiming that the trailer for her visual album violates copyright....

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) announced Thursday that more than 400 individuals have been indicted on charges stemming from mortgage fraud schemes, and investigation of corporate wrongdoers is ramping up. According to an FBI Press Release, the agency launched “Operation Malicious Mortgage” in March 2008, in response to the threat that mortgage fraud poses to consumers, the U.S. housing market, and the credit industry. The operation is focused on three types of mortgage fraud schemes: lending fraud, foreclosure rescue scams and mortgage-related bankruptcy schemes....

Heath Ledger’s life insurance company, ReliaStar Life Insurance Company, has settled a lawsuit over a $10 million policy claim on behalf of Ledger’s daughter, Matilda Rose. The lawsuit was brought by Ledger’s former attorney, John S. LaViolette, after ReliaStar claimed it wanted to investigate the possibility that Heath Ledger’s death was a suicide (which would nix a life insurance payout). At the time, officials had already found that Ledger died from an accidental prescription-drug overdose....

Jared Loughner is incompetent and will not stand trial for now, a federal judge ruled at Wednesday’s mental incapacity proceeding. Loughner was arrested in the fatal Tucson shootings that wounded congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killed six people. Loughner had to be removed from the mental incapacity proceeding after an outburst. A reporter said he heard Loughner lower his head and say, “Thank you for the freak show. She died in front of me,” reports CNN....

Jennifer Lopez has filed a lawsuit against her former driver Hakob Manoukian for blackmail. The lawsuit alleges that Manoukian demanded $2.8 million from Lopez in exchange for not disclosing “sensitive and personal” information he supposedly heard while driving J. Lo around. The driver also made other “ominous threats” to report Lopez to authorities if his demands were not met, reports CNN. Lopez is seeking $20 million in damages. So how did this dispute begin?...

Pennsylvania v. Dunlap (US Supreme Court, 07-1486, 2008). Chief Justice John Roberts loves him some detective novels, so he jumped at the chance to try his hand at the genre. Daschel Hammet would have been proud.Bradshaw v. Unity Marine (S.D. Tex., 2001). This one’s funny for two reasons: first, it’s a genuinely amusing excoriation of two attorneys; second, the author, Judge Samuel Kent was recently sentenced to three years for obstruction of justice during an investigation into his alleged sexual assault of two courthouse employees....

A NYC tenant settlement affecting more than 20,000 rent-regulated tenants has been upheld by the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. On Monday, the federal appeals court ruled that a 2011 settlement of a tenants’ class-action lawsuit was indeed reasonable and fair, The New York Times reports. This ruling has paved the way for these tenants to seek individual compensation from their landlord over rent overcharges and any other complaints....

In a settlement that is the largest to date in the Colorado region, the EEOC announced December 30th, an agreement to settle for $19 million with Outback Stakehouses over claims of sexual discrimination. The Commission’s class action suit, originally filed in 2006, contended that female workers were consistently denied promotions to managing partner positions at Outback on the basis of their gender. Fortunately for Outback’s parent company, OSI Restaurant Partners, newly minted chief executive Liz Smith could claim with some credibility that “There is no glass ceiling at OSI, and we do not tolerate discrimination in any form....

A California high school student whose phone was stolen provided police with a perfect description of the thief. Selfies appeared on the victim’s cloud storage days after the robbery, showing the suspect smiling, pouting, and posing happily, NBC News Bay Area reports. The victim noticed the images uploaded a few days after the incident and gave them to the police. Now they are all over the web, and the cops are asking for the public’s help in identifying the thief....

Although his death occurred over two years ago, the legal repercussions of that event are just now materializing. Despite the fact that no criminal charges have been filed, a number of civil actions have been. In one such suit, the heirs to Prince’s estate are suing a hospital and Walgreens for wrongful death. Prince’s Accidental Overdose After the famed artist was found unresponsive at his home in Minnesota, the medical examiner determined that Prince died from an accidental overdose of the powerful painkiller, fentanyl....

“Transformers” star Shia LaBeouf was arrested after causing a scene at a Broadway theater performance of “Cabaret.” Police reportedly dragged LaBeouf from the Studio 54 theater Thursday night and arrested him for disorderly conduct, criminal trespass, and harassment. A spokesman for “Cabaret” told The Associated Press that the “Holes” actor was “disruptive” during the beginning of the play and was “escorted out of the theater at intermission.” What’s the beef with LaBeouf?...