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A Northern California man has been sentenced to a year in jail for a distracted-driving crash that killed two women in March. Nicholas Tognozzi, 30, of Rohnert Park, pleaded no contest to two felony gross vehicular manslaughter charges in August, reports San Francisco’s KPIX-TV. The charges stemmed from allegations that Tognozzi was checking a cell-phone text message moments before his SUV rear-ended into the victims’ car, killing them both. How did Tognozzi get such a light sentence?...

Thanks to the Google School of Law, people seem to think that the First Amendment protection on free speech allows them to say any nasty thing they want. It doesn’t. Ebony Dickens, of Atlanta, Georgia, learned that the hard way after she posted a noxious rant on Facebook calling for black people to “rise up and shoot at every white cop in the nation starting NOW.” Her rant goes on, “Might kill at least fifteen tomorrow....

Megaupload and its founder Kim Dotcom are under legal fire in federal court for infringing on multiple Hollywood studios’ copyrights. The online file-hosting site was raided in January 2012 by the feds, but now Dotcom is facing civil allegations as well as criminal charges for running Megaupload, reports The Hollywood Reporter. What does this new suit add to Megaupload’s already full legal plate? Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, Paramount, Universal City Studios, Columbia Pictures, and Warner Bros....

A long time ago, Ecclesiastes said that there is nothing new under the sun. Yet we claim ownership over artistic works as if they were truly new. We call these works intellectual property. In some cases, people can become very wealthy from their works of creative genius. Kanye West is such a person. So he’s probably not pleased that his merchandise may have inspired fast fashion giant Forever 21. The claim, made by Hypebeast and reported by People, is that a t-shirt sold on the musician’s pop up shop in association with his album The Life of Pablo was copied by the retailers....

Steven Pieper learned a valuable lesson about the power of text messages as a form of evidence. Of course, he learned the lesson much too late. Pieper, 21, pleaded guilty in Syracuse, New York to strangling his girlfriend, Jenni-Lynn Watson, who was breaking up with him at the time. Investigators were able to review Pieper’s text messages and call logs, despite never finding his phone, Onondaga County District William Fitzpatrick told CNN....

A 19-year-old identity thief targeted America’s rich and famous – ranging from Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner to the head of the FBI – but, not surprisingly, was ultimately caught by law enforcement. Luis Flores Jr. illegally gained access to the high profile victims’ credit cards and transferred thousands of dollars into his personal bank account, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Flores was recently sentenced to three and half years in federal prison for his acts of identity theft....

Celebrity chef turned talk show host Mario Batali is in the mood to negotiate. The Croc-wearing (orange, ugh) restaurateur has agreed to pay $5.25 million to settle a lawsuit brought by approximately 1,100 employees. The Mario Batali lawsuit accuses the Italian cook of illegally confiscating employee tips. The money was supposed to go to “wine research” and to replace broken glasses. It just went into Batali’s pockets. Though the Mario Batali lawsuit has settled, this practice would have likely been found illegal if it went to trial....

The morning-after pill for emergency contraception, popularly known as “Plan B,” must be made available over the counter to girls 16 and under, a New York federal judge has ruled. The ruling could end a long battle over how easy or difficult it should be for teenage girls to obtain emergency contraception. The ruling would also make it easier for all women to obtain the morning-after pill because it wouldn’t have to be kept behind drugstore counters anymore....

Marta Sonia Corvi, a live-in nanny in Dallas, Georgia, was charged with two counts of misdemeanor reckless conduct after two girls drowned in a pool while she was caring for them. Corvi was watching her employer’s daughter, Sophia Juaraz, as well as Corvi’s own granddaughter, Mia Penoyer, both age five. The rest of the family went grocery shopping and the girls wandered outside. Corvi was on the phone and didn’t notice they were missing until the family returned and found them drowned in the pool....

Beginning on July 1, drivers in California will need to use a hands-free device to talk on the phone while operating a vehicle, and drivers under the age of 18 will be prohibited from any non-emergency use of an electronic device while driving. The new California laws are part of a nationwide trend toward limiting the use of phones and other wireless devices that can distract drivers from safe vehicle operation....

The Citadel is still dealing with a sex abuse case that was first made public almost a year ago but now a new one has surfaced. The prestigious South Carolina Military College confirmed Tuesday that there are new sexual assault complaints from students. The prior case involved Citadel alum Louis “Skip” ReVille, who allegedly engaged in sexual activity with campers at the college’s summer program. Current allegations involve a former student of The Citadel who is accused of sexual misconduct against at least two different students....

Toyota says a problem with electric power steering is prompting a Prius recall. About 52,000 Priuses from 2001-3 in the United States are affected, part of 106,000 global vehicles. In a news release early Wednesday, the automaker said the electric power steering pinion-shaft attachment nuts could loosen and “over time, the customer will gradually notice significant increased steering effort when making a left turn.” Toyota’s announcement did not mention any accidents, but Toyota spokeman Brian Lyons told The New York Times it received one unconfirmed report of a minor accident....

Incarcerated rap star Lil’ Wayne is facing multiple lawsuits over his Grammy-winning “Lollipop” song. South Florida producer Jim Jonsin claims that he co-wrote the “Lollipop” song and has filed a $500,000 lawsuit for unpaid music royalties, hipandpop.com reports. Jonsin is suing both Lil’ Wayne and his Young Money Entertainment Group. In a separate but related lawsuit, Philadelphia rapper/musician Dirahn Gilliams filed a lawsuit in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania claiming Lil’ Wayne’s “Lollipop” song was derived from his 2007 track “Grindin’ Like a Goon....

The rock band Pink Floyd and its battle against EMI Group has finally ended with the U.K. High Court granting the band a right to stop EMI Group from selling their individual songs online. The court ruled that a clause in the contract between EMI Group and Pink Floyd prohibits EMI Group from selling the individual songs without permission from Pink Floyd. As reported by CNN, the contract had a clause that required EMI Group to “preserve the artistic integrity” of Pink Floyd’s albums....

Country star Trace Adkins and his wife have come to a settlement agreement in their divorce case. While celebrity divorces are a dime a dozen, this divorce is somewhat unique. Instead of a long drawn out court battle, the couple decided to work things out in private mediation. “This Ain’t No Love Song” Trace and Rhonda Adkins have been married for 17 years. Last March, she filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences after Trace allegedly cheated on her, got into a brawl with a look-alike impersonator, and entered rehab....

In what could be a first, a tweet has led to a restraining order. Steve Russell, an Arizona State University student tweeted that he would “not hesitate to punch Connerly in the face if I saw him … Just sayin.” The Connerly is Republican Ward Connerly, who is considered the man behind Arizona’s Proposition 107, which outlaws race and gender-based preferences, or affirmative action, in hiring and university admissions. Russell may have thought that the alleged Twitter threat was all in good fun, but Connerly took a different view....

There’s crime, and then there’s violent crime. For a crime to be considered a violent crime, generally there must be a victim who is either injured or killed as a result of the criminal act. As a society, we have decided that violent crimes should be treated much more seriously than other types of crimes. Punishments for violent crimes are also much more severe than other non-violent crimes. Not every sex crime will be considered a crime of violence....

Many people associate being handcuffed by police with being arrested and read Miranda rights. However, there are several different situations, including but not limited to being arrested, in which police may place you in handcuffs or other restraints without violating your civil rights. So when can police put you in handcuffs? Here are a few common scenarios: If you feel your civil rights have been violated by police misconduct, a criminal defense attorney can help you defend yourself in court....

When do you have the right to a lawyer? If you watch a lot of Law & Order, you probably know some of the basics. And you might even be able to recite the Miranda warning by heart. But what exactly does the right to a lawyer mean? Do you know the difference between the right to a court-appointed lawyer guaranteed under the Sixth Amendment versus the right to have an attorney present during police interrogations?...

220,000 Wii controller charging stations have been recalled. The four dock rechargers were sold under the Psyclone and React brands. Everybody who plays the Wii hopes to get the hot hand every now and again – whether it’s in bowling, tennis, golf, or any other game played with the wireless remote control. However, some players have suffered a more literal hot hand. As in burned by the battery pack in the Wii controller....