Posts

North Carolina’s transgender bathroom law – the one barring people from using bathrooms with gender designations different from those on their birth certificates – is patently discriminatory. About a week after it passed, the state’s own attorney general said he wouldn’t defend the law in court, and last week the U.S. Department of Justice warned the governor that the law violates the Civil Rights Act. But Governor Pat McCrory and Frank Perry, head of North Carolina’s Department of Public Safety (DPS), doubled down on the law, and filed a lawsuit against the DOJ, accusing the federal government of “baseless and blatant overreach....

An NSA audit released last week reveals the agency has violated privacy rules protecting Americans’ communications thousands of times over the course of just one year. An internal audit leaked by ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden to The Washington Post contained an analysis of the National Security Agency’s practices between 2011 and 2012. Those NSA practices included the erroneous targeting of innocent Americans in wiretaps at home and abroad, reports The New York Times....

You ride a motorcycle because you’re a free spirit who loves the open road and resists all things safe and conventional. Still, some rules are best not to break. Otherwise, you may quickly find yourself taking the bus around town. Driving a motorcycle without a designated license or learner’s permit will get you in trouble in any American state. How much trouble precisely will depend on individual state laws. Penalties range from simple fines to bike confiscation and being barred from riding a bike for some time....

A World Health Organization (WHO) team has published a study indicating that implementing a simple surgery safety checklist at hospitals would greatly reduce accidental deaths during surgery. The 19-item surgical safety checklist was designed by the WHO to improve team communication and consistency of care in order to reduce complications and deaths associated with surgery. The team implemented the checklist at eight hospitals, four of which were in high-income nations, while the other four were in low- or middle-income countries....

Prosecutors have busted NYC Madam Anna Gristina, a 44-year-old mother of 4 accused of running a high-end prostitution ring for the last 15 years. Her indictment and arrest come after an intense 5-year investigation. Gristina is currently being held on a $2 million bond, with the judge agreeing that she may be a flight risk. Of Scottish origin, she is in possession of a British passport and has collected powerful business contacts worldwide....

On Tuesday, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on timing requirements for filing a lawsuit over alleged pay discrimination in employment. A plaintiff bringing a lawsuit under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 must file a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission within 180 days after the alleged unlawful employment practice occurred. Tuesday’s decision involved how to apply that 180-day deadline, and whether each paycheck issued after an allegedly discriminatory decision could be considered a discriminatory act....

The investigation into Wells Fargo’s fraudulent sales tactics has finally reached a conclusion with the bank paying a fine of $185 million. Included in that fine is a record setting $100 million penalty issued by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) against Wells Fargo. In addition to the fines, Wells Fargo must pay back all fees charged to customers as a result of the fraudulent sales, an estimated additional $5 million....

Two and a half years after he was charged with desertion and misbehavior before the enemy, Bowe Bergdahl pleaded guilty to those charges this week. According to reports, there was no pre-trial agreement between Bergdahl and Army prosecutors prior to the guilty plea, meaning he could face the maximum penalty for both counts. So what are the penalties for military desertion? And could Bergdahl be looking at more time in confinement for the misbehavior charge?...

It’s all well and good to know a little about criminal law and your right to an attorney. But if you’re stopped by police on the street, there are specific things you need to know. This isn’t a time to rely on your vast knowledge of “Law and Order” or “CSI” to figure out what to do. How you interact with police is important, and it could be the difference between “you’re under arrest” and “you’re free to go....

A woman was found dead in a San Diego college bathroom earlier this week. The body of a 19 year-old women, believed to be Nancy Gonzalez, was discovered by a student in the men’s restroom at a downtown location of San Diego community college. The woman was reported missing after she failed to meet her family following a night class she was taking at the college. At the time of her death, she was taking general education classes to ultimately become a nurse....

Three years ago, Amanda Todd killed herself. She was relentlessly harassed and bullied online. A man she met on Facebook charmed her into flashing her topless body to him. He took a picture and put it on the Internet where it went viral. Since then, Todd endured endless bullying and teasing. On October 10, 2012, she couldn’t put up with the bullying and harassment any more and committed suicide. Three years later, many people like Amanda are still victims of online harassment and bullying every day....

A ruling by the 2nd Circuit on Thursday upheld New York City’s school church service ban, allowing the district to continue denying access to school facilities to churches for formally organized religious worship services. Although the schools must still grant access to those who wish to engage in religious activities and teaching, the court approved the ban on the grounds that it was viewpoint neutral and that the district reasonably concluded that to do otherwise would violate the Establishment Clause....

Arizona’s controversial immigration law was passed back in 2010 but Tuesday was the first time one of the more hotly contested provisions could be enforced. U.S. District Judge Susan Bolton ruled that police can start enforcing the ‘show me your papers’ provision of the law after a two year legal battle. The ruling comes after a Supreme Court decision earlier this year that upheld the provision, reports CNN. The provision doesn’t mean police can check anyone’s papers....

The FAA’s ban on small commercial drones was struck down by a federal administrative law judge on Thursday, possibly green-lighting the use of drones without regulation. National Transportation Safety Board Judge Patrick Geraghty ruled that the Federal Aviation Administration couldn’t enforce its policies on commercial drones because it hadn’t followed the proper rulemaking process, reports Politico. With this rule shot down and nothing to replace it, are commercial drones free to fly the skies?...

On July 11th and 12th, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is hosting a “Spam Summit” workshop. According to the FTC, the Spam Summit “will bring together experts from the business, government, and technology sectors, consumer advocates, and academics to explore consumer protection issues surrounding spam, phishing, and malware.” The workshop is free and open to the public at an FTC satellite office in Washington DC, and much of the proceedings are available via Webcast from the FTC....

Today, a child kidnapper and murderer was convicted of kidnapping and murdering a child back in 1979. Pedro Hernandez confessed to the crime in 2012, and after 5 years, two trials, and one hung jury, was finally convicted. Hernandez’s first trial resulted in a hung jury due to one lone holdout juror who just could not believe that Hernandez’s confession was genuine. However, after the re-trial, the jury was able to unanimously convict on the kidnapping and murder charges....

“The Hunt” is a new television show spotlighting wanted fugitives. But in the show’s first month on the air, two of the suspected criminals featured on the show have turned up dead. “The Hunt” is hosted by John Walsh, who as former host of the long-running “America’s Most Wanted” certainly has some experience in harnessing the power of television to bring suspected criminals to justice. But can “The Hunt” be liable for the deaths of the two men featured on the show?...

Florida A & M University’s marching band recently came under scrutiny after one of its members died after a reported illegal hazing ritual. The tragic incident brought hazing laws back into the spotlight. Many college students participate in fraternities and sororities. Pledges generally view hazing as a “rite of passage” that all members need to get through. Yet many do not realize that the actions taken by their classmates could be criminal....

Perhaps you just meant it as a prank among friends. Or maybe you were really mad and meant to insult a neighbor. Does that intent matter under state laws on indecent exposure? Do your bare buttocks count as “genitals” under state statutes? Here’s what you need to know about mooning and indecent exposure laws. Most indecent exposure laws, like California’s for instance, require intent by the exposing party to sexually arouse, or sexually insult or offend....

Lindsay Lohan may be sinking deeper into legal problems as the actress is accused of scamming more than $16,000 of clothes from a Los Angeles boutique. Apparently, Lindsay Lohan promised the boutique owners that her business manager would foot the bill, CBS news reports. The boutique is now suing Lohan for fraud, claiming she never paid in full for clothing, jewelry and other accessories. She has been on probation since 2007, after pleading guilty to misdemeanor counts of being under the influence of cocaine; no contest to two counts of driving with a blood-alcohol level above 0....