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Tenants in Manhattan’s Stuyvesant Town (inset, left) and Peter Cooper Village rent regulated apartments (inset, right) won a legal victory today from New York’s Court of Appeals, the state’s highest court. Upholding a 2007 appellate court ruling that landlords who receive a special J-51 tax abatement forfeit the right to further remove apartments from rent regulation by luxury decontrol proceedings, the Court of Appeals declined to give apartment owners a legal ’twofer....

America’s first 911 texting service is a potential life-saver, and the FCC is calling for even more future 911 upgrades such as photo and video messaging. Verizon Wireless is set to be the first U.S. carrier to offer a 911 texting service, which will allow customers to send cell-phone text messages to a 911 dispatch center, PC Magazine reports. The result could be potentially life-saving, especially for hearing-impaired customers who are increasingly turning to text messaging....

Scott Smith was likely trying to emulate the horrific Colorado shootings when he brought a gun, extra ammo, and several knives to a late night showing of The Dark Knight Rises. Luckily his performance was cut short when an observant manager and a security guard noticed him. Off-duty Officer Jeremiah Bullins, that night’s security guard, approached Smith in the Crocker Park, Ohio theater where he was sitting and asked to check his bag....

Peanut allergy sufferers, take note: If you or anyone you know eats I.M. Healthy brand SoyNut Butter, a popular peanut-free peanut butter alternative, the company that makes the product has issued a warning for consumers to not eat the product. A voluntary recall has also been issued because of an E. Coli outbreak linked to SoyNut Butter’s granola products as well. At this time, there are just over 15 people who have been confirmed to have contracted the pathogen....

For all who are appalled at the extensive overdraft fees they find on their bank statement for their debit card transactions, change is overdue. The South Florida Business Journal reports that on March 11, the Miami U.S. District Court Judge James Lawrence King decided that change may be coming. Judge King will permit the case against some of the largest banks in the country to proceed. The plaintiffs are seeking to recover the millions of dollars charged by the banks for the fees levied on purchases made when there was not enough money in the customers’ accounts to cover them....

A Stevie Wonder Grammy Award is at the center of a legal battle as officials behind the music award try to keep the statuette off the auction block. Wonder received the award in 1973 for his hit “Superstition,” but the statuette has since found its way into the hands of Gotta Have It! Collectibles owner Pete Siegel, who is planning to sell it off, the New York Post reports. Now the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences has gone to court to try to prevent the sale....

Thieves stole a “large amount” of $100 bills bound for the Federal Reserve last week. You may have heard of a victimless crime, but this theft of $100 bills may have also been a crime with no immediate beneficiaries either. That’s because the stolen money is a stack of newly-designed $100 bills that are not expected to be in circulation until 2013, reports CNN. As a result, the unknown thieves are carrying the equivalent of Monopoly money until the new currency actually does hit the streets....

The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) announced today that more than $2.2 billion in unclaimed tax refunds are awaiting about 1.8 million Americans who did not file a federal income tax return for 2003. According to the IRS, in order to collect the money, a 2003 tax return must be filed with an IRS office no later than Tuesday, April 17, 2007 (the deadline for filing tax returns for tax year 2006)....

The jury for James Holmes’ capital murder trial in Colorado is now three members less. The three jurors were dismissed after another juror turned them in to the judge for reading a tweet about the case and discussing that information among themselves. Last week, the prosecutor District Attorney George Brauchler tweeted in court about a videotaped interview between Holmes and a psychiatrist. When the court discovered the tweet, Brauchler apologized, saying he thought he was sending a text instead of the tweet....

Every holiday season, one major blockbuster movie gets embroiled in a trademark lawsuit. Last year, it was “The Hobbit.” This year, it’s “Frozen.” Disney filed a trademark suit against Phase 4 Films, claiming its film “Frozen Land” was renamed to leach off the success of Disney’s animated hit. But can movie titles be trademarked? Less than three weeks before the Hollywood premiere of “Frozen,” Phase 4 theatrically released an animated movie called “The Legend of Sarila....

Attention Garmin GPS users: some of you might want to set your GPS coordinates to Garmin’s headquarters. Garmin is recalling 1.25 million “Garmin nüvi” personal navigation GPS devices. The Garmin nüvi recall has been issued due to a battery that could be susceptible to overheating. In “rare circumstances,” the nüvi GPS units could be a fire hazard, according to Garmin. The company added that less than ten cases have been reported and there have been no injuries or significant property damages....

Procter & Gamble has recalled close to 30 varieties of dry pet food under the Iams and Eukanuba brands due to potential Salmonella contamination. The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers that pups and cats aren’t the only ones at risk. Humans can fall sick from the product if they don’t wash their hands thoroughly or clean surfaces exposed to the tainted food. Photos of the affected products are available here....

Not many Americans walk around carrying swords – at least, not nearly as many who want to carry guns. But if you are fantasizing about loitering like a modern-day ronin, you’ll want to consider a few legal pointers first. Swords come in many shapes and sizes, but most are considered “bladed weapons” under the law. And like their shorter cousins – knives – swords typically fall under state laws prohibiting the carrying of bladed weapons over a certain length....

Kid Rock was found guilty of assault charges and ordered to pay three victims who sued in the assault case. So, that’s the bad news. The good news is that the rocker will only have to pay a total of $35,000 to the three guys, which is significantly less than the $15 million they demanded in their lawsuit. As previously discussed, Kid Rock defended himself against three fans, Michael Medlin, Jose Perez and Carlos Bonilla, who claim he assaulted them after they asked for autographs....

Prosecutors often rely on crime lab results to prosecute cases. That’s why the scandal in Massachusetts over a rogue crime lab technician is serious news. Chemist Annie Dookhan admitted to mishandling evidence including faking results, forging signatures, and skipping necessary paperwork on thousands of drug-related cases. She had worked at the now-closed William A. Hinton State Laboratory Institute from 2003 until her resignation in March. The lab was shut down in August after it became clear how many cases were mishandled, reports The Republican....

Vince Neil has had an interesting career. First there was Motley Crue. Then there were race cars, followed by a less than stellar solo career. Again with Motley Crue. And then The Surreal Life. This last one ended in a marriage, by the way. We can now add criminal poker to the list. Oh yes, Vince Neil is being charged with battery after he allegedly poked three people, including ex-girlfriend Alicia Jacobs....

A key part of the NYPD’s controversial “stop and frisk” tactic has been ruled unconstitutional. Federal Court Judge Shira Scheindlin ordered police to refrain from making some trespass stops outside private residential buildings – even though the landlord has given officers permission to do so as part of the NYPD’s “Clean Halls” program. “While it may be difficult to say when precisely to draw the line between constitutional and unconstitutional police encounters such a line exists, and the NYPD has systematically crossed it when making trespass stops outside buildings,” Scheindlin wrote in a 157-page ruling....

How much is a trip to the toilet worth? What about a coffee run or a smoke break? To one penny-pinching Pennsylvania publishing company, it could be a not-so-cool $1.75M or more. According to a judge’s order, American Future Systems Inc. (doing business as Progressive Business Publications) will have to compensate some 6,000 employees it forced to clock out before going to the bathroom or taking other short breaks. A full list of Progressive’s transgressions, and the court’s response, are found in the memorandum below:...

After his death by suicide shocked his legions of fans, the late actor and comedian Robin Williams’ ashes have been scattered in San Francisco Bay. According to his death certificate, Williams’ ashes were scattered in the bay near his home in Tiburon, California, following his cremation, reports Reuters. Were Williams’ remains afforded special treatment, or is it legal for anyone to scatter a deceased person’s ashes at sea or over a body of water?...

Lest there be any question, the U.S. Constitution’s supremacy clause still applies to medical marijuana. A federal judge has ruled that federal laws trump Montana’s state laws about medical pot, and patient advocates aren’t pleased. “It’s disappointing to see how the states have essentially paved a path for citizens to engage in what they believe is lawful activity, only to set them up for federal intrusion like this,” a lawyer for the Montana medical-marijuana patients told the Associated Press....