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Actor Stephen Baldwin sues Kevin Costner. That is the latest headline coming out of Hollywood - and somehow none of us are all too surprised. The suit would not be that strange except that it is related to the BP oil spill, of all things. Alleging securities fraud and misrepresentation, Baldwin in claiming $3.8 million in damages. Baldwin claims that Costner duped him into selling shares (10% in total) into a company that build machines to be used to help clean up the spill....

The U.S. Supreme Court has knocked down a multimillion-dollar restitution award to a child pornography victim, stating there needs to be more of a connection between the dollar amount and responsibility for the damage. Paroline v. U.S. is one of many involving “Amy,” a woman who was photographed as a child being raped by her uncle and whose images are commonly found on the computers of child porn offenders, reports The Associated Press....

Yesterday, a new ruling stemming from Michael Vick’s well known legal troubles allowed the former Falcons QB to keep a $16 million portion of what he has earned from his legal activities while with the NFL. The first issue regarding the possible forfeiture of money by Vick came down to the question of whether the Vick bonus was paid as a signing bonus, not fully earned and subject to forfeiture, or a roster bonus, not subject to forfeiture....

The estate of J.R.R. Tolkien, who is widely considered the father of modern fantasy literature, has settled the $80 million lawsuit against Warner Bros. as a result of a dispute over the merchandising rights for “The Lord of the Rings” and “The Hobbit” movies. The films were adapted from Tolkien’s seminal works by the same name, which were licensed to United Artists back in 1969. At the heart of this dispute were allegations that Warner Bros....

Calling the police on your landlord shouldn’t be your first response to landlord problems, but it may be smart in certain situations. Paying rent entitles you to certain rights to your apartment. And when your landlord atempts to deny you those rights, it may be time to get the police involved. So when are those times when you can call the cops on your landlord? Here are three common situations that may warrant police involvement:...

Whole Foods Market’s ricotta cheese recall is part of a nationwide recall traced to a supplier in New York. At least 14 people in 11 states have been sickened by possible Listeria contamination, according to the Food and Drug Administration. About 4,800 pounds of ricotta cheese distributed by Forever Cheese Inc. of Long Island City, N.Y., may be infected with Listeria, according to the FDA. The cheese was marketed under the brand name Ricotta Salata Frescolina....

It seems that a toy dart gun recall by OKK Trading was not done because a child shot his eye out, but from a child choking to death. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission press release, the company has done a voluntary recall of the toy dart gun set because of a child choking on one of the soft pliable darts. The death occurred back in November 2007 in Texas....

A worldwide airbag recall is expanding over fears they may spontaneously deploy and explode, injuring or even killing drivers and passengers. The affected airbags were manufactured by Japan’s Takata Corporation and installed in millions of vehicles that have been sold around the world. The risk is that the airbags’ inflators can potentially explode, sending “metal bits flying” into the passenger compartment, according to USA Today. The problem, identified as early as 2007, has been linked to more than 30 injuries and two deaths in Honda vehicles in the United States....

Arizona Senator John Kavanagh has proposed a law that will make it illegal to film police up close when they are working. The legislation would make it a crime punishable by up to six months in jail and a $300 fine to film police within 20 feet of their work, reports Ars Technica. But similar proposals have failed in others states and the law on filming police has been settled by courts around the country....

Even if you have a blood alcohol concentration of less than 0.08 percent, you can still be charged with a DUI or DWI under certain circumstances. Generally, anyone with a BAC of 0.08 percent or more is considered “per se intoxicated,” which means there’s no other evidence necessary to prove a driver’s impairment. But just because you’re not at the 0.08 percent threshhold doesn’t make “buzzed” driving OK. Here are situations that can trigger a DUI or DWI when you have a BAC of less than 0....

The CEO of a popular classified ads website, Backpage.com, was arrested on Thursday on felony pimping of a minor, pimping and conspiracy to commit pimping, charges. CEO Carl Ferrer was arrested in Texas based upon the charges that California Attorney General Kamala Harris filed in California. The complaint alleges that Ferrer and Backpage.com have profited from the escort advertisements that get posted on Backpage.com by individual prostitutes, as well as escort services that are engaged in human trafficking....

What’s wrong with the current credit card bill? Well, for starters, the new credit card rule which went into effect this week could wipe billions of dollars from the revenues of major credit card companies. Okay, but what’s the bad news in that? Answer: Did you really think that the major credit card companies would go down without a fight? As discussed in this blog, on Monday, major portions of the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act (CARD Act) went into effect, amending the Truth in Lending Act and providing some legislative relief to consumers....

San Diego Padres outfielder, Brian Giles, has been sued by his former girlfriend, Cheri Olvera. In Olvera’s $10 million suit, filed in San Diego Superior Court, she alleges breach of an oral cohabitation agreement after the two broke up. Brian Giles Allegedly Beat His Pregnant Girlfriend, Caused Miscarriage (AOL Sports) FindLaw’s Family Law Center FindLaw’s Divorce Resources Top 10 Consumer Legal Issues of 2008 Find a Divorce Lawyer in Your State...

Electric cars are hot commodities, but there may be a problem with the new Chevrolet Volt. Fires linked to the plug-in car’s battery have been reported, and a federal investigation is now underway. A Chevy Volt battery pack caught fire one week after federal inspectors deliberately damaged it in a test, The New York Times reports. The fire follows a similar incident in June when another Chevy Volt battery burst into flames, three weeks after another crash test by the National Highway Transportation Safety Association....

This week, the Christian Legal Society tried to take one more bite of the apple, but was denied the chance by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. On November 17, the appeals court denied the group’s attempt to raise the one issue the Supreme Court left them after handing the group a defeat in its case against U.C. Hastings School of the Law. Early this summer, the Supreme Court found that Hastings’ refusal to give funding or other school sanctioning to the CLS because it discriminated against non-believers and homosexuals did not violate the First Amendment rights of the group....

You may think that you’ve never broken the law. But with 4,500 federal criminal statutes and 300,000 other regulations, you probably have. And even if you didn’t know about the obscure federal law, you may still be on the hook. That’s because you’re presumed to know the law – yes, all 304,500 criminal statutes (and the state ones, too!). Ready to start studying? If not, check out the obscure federal laws listed below....

Erring on the side of protecting their customers’ civil rights, social media giants Facebook and Twitter have recently banned Geofeedia from using their users’ data. Geofeedia is a third party surveillance software that sells high-priced services to law enforcement and marketers that tracks social media trends. Until recently, Geofeedia primarily relied on data gathered from Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, to geo-locate when, where, and who police needed to monitor for whatever reasons requested....

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters on Monday to companies continuing to sell illegal flavored cigarettes to consumers through their Web sites. According to the FDA, it is enforcing the ban on flavored cigarette under the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. These efforts are part of a multi-level initiative to steer children and youth away from cigarettes. The FDA requested a written response from each of the companies within 15 days outlining the corrective actions to cease the marketing and sale of these products....

As part of an initiative to curb deceptive advertising in the weight loss product industry, the FTC imposed hefty fines on four diet supplement companies. The FTC will make these funds available for refunds to consumers who bought the products. In total, the weight-loss marketers will pay approximately $34 million for consumer redress. Here’s a breakdown of the four companies involved and how much they’ll be “forking” over: Sensa. The marketers of the powdered food additive Sensa – who urged consumers to “sprinkle, eat, and lose weight” – will pay $26....

This sting operation involved a former reality television star and a heroin burrito filled with 24 grams of the drug. Henry Marin once wanted to join the Los Angeles sheriff’s department. He even tried out for the department on a short-lived reality show on Fox, reports the Los Angeles Times. He didn’t make the grade. Now just a few short years later, the 27-year-old will be headed to jail after receiving a two-year sentence for trying to smuggle drugs into prison inside a burrito....