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While Justice Antonin Scalia is known as an outspoken conservative, he did not approve of Arizona’s law requiring proof of citizenship for voters. The opinion he penned for the U.S. Supreme Court, however, suggests a potential avenue for Arizona to get its way. In a 7-2 ruling, the Court struck down an Arizona voter-registration provision enacted by voters in 2004, because it is pre-empted by the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA), a federal law passed in 1993....

Giovanni Ramirez, a documented gang member, was arrested Sunday and charged with assault with a deadly weapon for his involvement in the Bryan Stow beating that occurred during the season opener between the Giants and Dodgers. Tipped off by Ramirez’s parole officer, police are still looking for two more suspects–a man involved in the attack and a woman who allegedly drove the getaway vehicle. Depending on the facts, the other aggressor, once apprehended, may not necessarily be facing the same charges....

Goldman Sachs Group and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission have settled the highest profile SEC fraud case, a $550 million settlement arising from the 2008 financial crisis and how Goldman marketed a subprime mortgage product. The settlement is the third largest SEC settlement ever made. The Los Angeles Times is reporting that the settlement gives each side a measure of what they needed in order to move on. The SEC voted 3-2 to settle fraud charges with Goldman....

A group of plaintiffs have filed a class action lawsuit against ten of the world’s largest automakers, claiming the keyless ignition system can be deadly. The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Los Angeles, alleges the car companies were aware the systems increased the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and concealed the danger from consumers. The plaintiffs are seeking money damages and an injunction that would force manufacturers to install an automatic shut-off feature to avoid future fatalities....

A whistleblowing former employee filed a lawsuit against Dr. Phil alleging the popular talk show host imprisoned 300 workers and launched into a profane tirade over a leaked story. Leah Rothman claims Dr. Phil McGraw had guards lock employees of the show in a room and threatened them, saying, “If you f*** with me, I’ll f*** with you.” Rothman is suing for false imprisonment, intentional infliction of emotional distress, whistleblower retaliation, and wrongful termination....

Lindsay Lohan was arrested for allegedly striking a pedestrian and then leaving the scene of the accident. The alleged incident occurred early this morning in an alleyway between two hotels in Manhattan’s Chelsea neighborhood. A pedestrian said that he had just gotten off of work when Lohan’s black Porsche SUV came “real quick” and hit him, reports the New York Daily News. The man claimed that Lohan then got out of her car while slurring her words and reeking of alcohol....

Microsoft Corporation announced that it will spend $1.15 billion to repair a large number of “Xbox 360” video game consoles, after the company revealed that “on-going testing [has] identified several factors that can cause a general hardware failure indicated by three flashing red lights on the console.” The company also announced expanded warranty coverage for affected Xbox consoles: “Any Xbox 360 customer who experiences a general hardware failure indicated by three flashing red lights will now be covered by a three year warranty from date of purchase....

Time for Nicollette Sheridan to get ready for her close-up. Sheridan’s Desperate Housewives suit goes to court on June 8th, after a judge in Los Angeles denied ABC’s motion to dismiss the case. Desperate Housewives debuted in 2004 and Sheridan’s character “Edie” was written out of the show in 2009 via an electrocution death. Sheridan filed suit in May 2010, claiming assault, battery, wrongful termination and discrimination. Sheridan says the decision to write her character out of the show resulted from a confrontation with Cherry on set....

On this day before Thanksgiving, President Obama is set to officially pardon at least one turkey so it won’t end up on someone’s dinner plate. But legally speaking, what exactly is a pardon? For the lucky turkey, “pardon” may not be the correct term, since as far as we know none of the birds have committed a crime. But a presidential pardon is real, and it’s not the only kind of pardon out there....

It is hard enough for women employees to get promotions at the same rate as their male counterparts. It’s even harder when those promotions are followed by rumors that the woman must have slept her way to the top, rather than earning them on their own merit. In less than two years, Evangeline Parker was promoted six times at Reema Consulting Services, Inc., rising from a low-level clerk to Assistant Operations Manager of the entire Sterling, Virginia facility....

Jersey Shore fans can tell you that “GTL” stands for “gym, tan, laundry.” But, maybe it should really stand for “gym, tan, lawsuit.” Reality star “The Situation” has sued clothing retailer Abercrombie & Fitch for $4 million for infringing on his trademarks and falsely affiliating him with the brand. The Situation, real name Mike Sorrentino, says that last August A&F went off on a worldwide campaign using his name and likeness....

It wasn’t a leap of faith that killed the neighbor’s cat – it was a Texas pastor who threw the cat off a bridge, police say. Pastor Rick Bartlett, 55, of Bastrop, Texas, faces animal-cruelty charges in connection with the alleged crime that also destroyed a young girl’s faith, Austin’s KVUE-TV reports. “She knows the man who did this is a pastor … and she said, ‘I don’t believe in heaven anymore,’” the girl’s mother said....

What’s the top factor that determines how much interest you pay on your mortgage? For most people, the answer would be your credit score. However, for some minority borrowers of Wells Fargo, the answer may have been the color of their skin. Wells Fargo just settled a massive lawsuit for $175 million. The Department of Justice accused them of discriminatory lending practices. Wells Fargo said it was innocent, but opted not to fight the case....

The notorious “Hiccup Girl” – who made headlines years ago for her inability to stop hiccuping and recently re-entered the spotlight after being convicted of first-degree murder – is requesting a new trial. After making it all the way through trial, defendants can seek new trials. Getting a new trial isn’t easy, but it is possible under certain circumstances. Here are five situations which have warranted new trials: If you think a mistake in your case should warrant a new trial, make sure to bring it to your criminal defense lawyer’s attention as soon as possible....

Jared Loughner is finally competent to stand trial after being held for more than a year. He is scheduled to plead guilty to the Tucson shooting that killed six people and injured 13 including former Representative Gabrielle Giffords. The trial was originally delayed when psychiatric evaluations determined that Loughner could not understand the charges against him. In the following months Loughner was forcibly medicated to treat his mental illness and hopefully prepare him to stand trial....

CHiPs star Larry Wilcox has come a long ways from his a role as a motorcycle officer on the ’70s hit TV show. Actually, he has assumed the exact opposite role from a law enforcement officer, and is now learning how seriously some laws are enforced. The 63 year-old Larry Wilcox has been charged with securities fraud as part of a larger penny-stock promoters circle. The Los Angeles Times reports that Wilcox, “perpetrated interrelated kickback schemes with two other penny-stock company executives....

What can a DUI lawyer do for you? An experienced attorney can do many things well that most DUI defendants would struggle to do passably. And we aren’t talking about mundane things like changing the oil in your car. In a DUI case, your freedom could be on the line. To press this point further, here are five things a DUI lawyer can do that you probably can’t do (or wouldn’t know how to do) on your own:...

In conjunction with the Consumer Product Safety Commission, importer Dorel Juvenile Group has announced a cabinet safety lock recall. The recall covers 900,000 Safety 1st Push ‘N Snap cabinet locks sold between January 2004 and February 2012. The voluntary cabinet safety lock recall has been issued in response to complaints that the locks were not properly securing cabinets. Out of 200 consumer reports, approximately 140 involved children between 9 months and 5 years of age who were able to disengage the locks....

It almost seems silly to ask whether racial profiling is allowed in policing. Obviously there are laws against racial discrimination in law enforcement, right? As it turns out, there are still 20 states that haven’t specifically outlawed racial profiling by police. And statutes can differ even in the states that have. Here’s a quick look at how some states deal with racial profiling. Reporting Racial Profiling After revelations that an Arizona Sheriff’s Department was systematically targeting Latinos and the Department of Justice’s conclusion that police in Ferguson, Missouri similarly profiled black residents, people are wondering whether, and how, this kind of police profiling is allowed....

A federal judge has struck down California’s ban on foie gras on the grounds that it conflicts with federal poultry regulations. California’s ban on the controversial French delicacy was first signed into law in 2004, taking effect in 2012. But on Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson sided with a group of restaurants, foie gras producers, and farmers who argued that the California law was unconstitutional, reports the Los Angeles Times....