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A new “Death with Dignity” law goes into effect in the state of Washington on Thursday, allowing doctors in the state to prescribe lethal levels of medication for certain patients who have received a terminal prognosis and been given six months or less to live. Physicians and health care facilities in the state may choose not to provide services under the Washington ‘Death with Dignity’ Act, which was approved by voters last November....

The U.S. Supreme Court determined Wednesday that child porn victims cannot collect restitution for their total losses from a single child porn possessor, but offenders do have to pay something. In a 5-4 decision, the High Court determined that “Amy,” a woman whose explicit child photos are among the “most popular” for traffickers in child pornography, could not recover $3.4 million for her total losses from one man who possessed two child-porn images of her, reports USA Today....

Shoplifting. Almost everyone tries it once, but only some get caught. However this statement fits into your life, the truth is that what you think you know about shoplifting is probably not the entire picture. The crime may seem fairly cut and dry, but the fact is that it’s not. Though shoplifting generally refers to the theft of merchandise from a retailer, it’s actually a type of larceny. What this means is that, in order to be prosecuted for shoplifting, there needs to be evidence of intent....

George Zimmerman’s jurors can consider finding him guilty of manslaughter, a Florida judge ruled Thursday. This move is seen by many as a half-measure by prosecutors to ensure that jurors return a guilty verdict in the high-profile case. Some defense attorneys feel the jury hasn’t seen enough evidence to convict Zimmerman of second-degree murder, reports USA Today. Allowing jurors to consider manslaughter calls for an understanding of what manslaughter is, as well as how it relates to Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense....

Fairfax County, Virginia’s recent increase of mall slashings has some residents on edge. Police say that a serial “butt slasher” has victimized up to 9 young women. The butt slasher’s favorite haunt appears to be the Fair Oaks Mall, where most victims were innocently shopping before attacked. The victims are typically slashed in the buttock area with either a razor or a box-cutter. Authorities say that it appears the man is choosing his victims at random....

As the means for music copying and dissemination have expanded, artists and music companies have struggled to assert their copyrights against online music piracy. Controversy Universal Music Group sent YouTube a takedown notice, claiming Stephanie Lenz’s video of her son dancing with Prince’s song in the background violated the songwriter’s copyrights under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). Lenz, with help from the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) sued Universal, saying that the video constituted lawful fair use of the song....

Since most job applications ask about prior felony convictions, many applicants wonder, “If I pleaded no contest to a felony charge, does that count as pleading guilty?” No contest pleas are not the same as guilty pleas in court. But when it comes to applying for a new job, you may be stuck with some of the same consequences. Here’s what you need to know about dealing with “no contest” pleas on job applications:...

Reality star and so-called “Skinnygirl” Bethenny Frankel has been hit with a fat $100 million lawsuit by her former management agency, Raw Talent, a Los Angeles-based company. At the heart of the lawsuit is Frankel’s Skinnygirl Margarita line, which she sold earlier in the year for a hefty $120 million. Raw Talent is seeking 10% of the profits from the deal, and an estimated $100 million in punitive damages. The complaint alleges fraud and breach of oral contract, reports MSNBC....

It’s the Planned Parenthood sting video episode, and everyone is losing their minds. Louis Canning is trying to poach Lucca Quinn. Alicia and Lucca are trying to poach Canning’s clients. Grace is poaching Lockhart, Agos and Lee clients while Diane is zealously advocating for a pro-life organization. Jason Crouse is investigating everyone for everybody and Eli is moving in on billionaire Courtney Page. It’s dogs and cats, living together – mass hysteria....

Last night’s episode of The Good Wife was, well, a good one. The misdirection! The slap! The whipped cream! Speaking of which, no one should desire Eli Gold. Ick. And who knew Alicia is a gay icon according to the gay blogosophere? Not this blogger, that’s for sure. But what about the blawgosphere? What do we think about Alicia’s trip to the grand jury? Legally, it was pretty spot-on. Grand juries are a prosecutor’s domain....

A father’s day with the kids can become criminal if a dad’s not too careful. The urge to show your children that you’re a cool dad must be balanced by making sure they’re safe at all times. Some recent “bad dads” in the news have called attention to potential legal consequences when watching children on your own. Here are five scenarios in which a father could face criminal charges: Leaving kids alone in a car....

The folks on the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals must have enjoyed this one, it’s not every day you can sink your teeth into a good fight involving both the First Amendment and the World’s Oldest Profession. Well, not unless Larry Flynt’s in court. MSNBC reports that on Thursday, the Court of Appeals decided that the brothels of Nevada were not permitted to advertise their goods and services outside of the counties in the state where prostitution is legal....

Google has announced that it’s now partnering with the AMBER Alert program in an effort to help bring abducted children back home. AMBER Alert is a program of the U.S. Justice Department in conjunction with local law enforcement agencies around the country. In an effort to rescue abducted children, the AMBER Alert system provides a central repository for information about ongoing kidnappings. From there, information can be posted in relevant locations so communities can help....

Britney Spears may be making another comeback, but life isn’t all sunshine and butterflies for the pop princess. Spears is reportedly being sued for $10 million for breaching a royalty contract involving her fragrances. Daddy is even admitting that Britney didn’t want to pay up. Elizabeth Arden markets Spears’ fragrances, all of which appear to be named after her most admirable qualities. Thus far, Radiance (over-glittered), Midnight Fantasy (hallucinations), and Curious (no boundaries), have made the singer millions....

Crimes against humanity are atrocities committed on a grand scale, often during war, and directed at a civilian population. They are prosecuted by either national or international tribunals. The first such trial was in Nuremberg, Germany in 1947. The Nuremberg trials were prosecutions of the most prominent Nazi Party leaders alive after World War II, people responsible for the death and displacement of millions throughout Europe, and their trials were international events because they implicated humanity itself....

Chrysler has announced a massive recall of its minivans and Jeep Wranglers in the United States, as well as abroad, after discovering potential wiring and brake problems. The recall includes 600,000 vehicles in the United States and 100,000 overseas. The recalled Jeep Wranglers come from model years 2006 to 2010. The company reports the front inner fender liners on Jeep Wranglers can rub against brake fluid tubes causing a brake fluid leak....

The DEA has been secretly using information from informants, telephone records, and intelligence intercepts to aid criminal arrests by local law enforcement agents – who then cover up the investigation’s tracks, according to a recent report. Undated documents obtained by Reuters refer to a Drug Enforcement Administration program of allegedly “recreating” an investigative trail post-arrest in order to “cover up where the information originated,” especially when that information came from a classified source....

Since the dawn of the Internet Age, world wide web users have been concerned about their digital privacy, but what about the digital privacy of the deceased? While there is a new trend for internet accounts to allow users to select account successors, will your BFF or best bro really be able to fulfill your last dying wish of deleting your web history before your mother sees it? Unless your friend knows or can crack your password, or you’ve left specific instructions on how this can be accomplished, and those instructions aren’t locked away behind a password secured email account, your bestie isn’t going to be able to delete that embarrassing web history....

Following through on previous announcements, the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) issued a ban on selling flavored e-cigarette products at traditional convenience stores. They will now only be allowed to be sold at age-restricted tobacco stores and online stores that use age-verification checks. The FDA could see carving out exceptions for convenience stores that have a completely separate, age-restricted section. This move falls short of the FDA’s originally threatened sanction of outlawing the sale of all flavored e-cigarette products to all ages....

The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has weighed in on the lofty issue of whether flipping off the police is enough to effectuate a traffic stop. It isn’t. John Swartz and his wife were driving in upstate New York in 2006, when Swartz was alerted to a police officer in the area by his radar detector. While some appreciate the job that police officers perform, Swartz was obviously not one of these individuals....