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Maryland was already one of the ten toughest states when it comes to gun control laws. And then the state’s General Assembly banned the sale of military-style rifles and detachable magazines in 2013, in the wake of the deadly shooting at an elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut. Guns rights groups challenged the Firearm Safety Act on Second Amendment grounds, but it was upheld by the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals. As expected, that decision was appealed to the Supreme Court, which declined to hear the case, leaving the Fourth’s Circuit’s decision in place....

County music legend Willie Nelson is a vocal advocate for the legalization of marijuana. His advocacy also extends to some public displays of smoking the plant. Perhaps this is not the best approach since doing so remains illegal. After his latest pot bust, the 77-year-old singer may now face at least 6 months in jail. Nelson was en route from California to Austin, Texas when he was stopped at a Border Patrol checkpoint in West Texas....

Miramax and the Weinstein brothers are drawing their legal swords in a $75 million lawsuit against New Line Cinema and Warner Bros, in a contract dispute over “The Hobbit” movies. The lawsuit centers on Warner Bros. and New Line executives’ decision to split “The Hobbit” into a trilogy. Sadly, the lawsuit isn’t about drawing out the epic tale into a criminally boring pace. It is, as always, about money. Harvey and Robert Weinstein claim they sold New Line the rights to J....

In the category of most overused legal terms, hate crimes is up near the top especially since it’s often misused as well. A hate crime is related to discrimination, but not all discrimination constitutes a hate crime. To further confuse the matter, a hate crime can be committed by one member of a minority against another member of that same group, as shown by the case of Samuel Mullet, an Amish man in Ohio....

It’s 420 today: the unofficial pot-smoker’s holiday that’s observed annually on April 20. (Despite rumors to the contrary, marijuana remains illegal under federal law – today, and every day.) Why “420”? Explanations abound, but the Huffington Post traced the term’s origins to a group of California high school buds who would meet at 4:20 p.m. to search for an abandoned plot of pot plants, way back in 1971. More than 40 years later, there seems to be a growing tolerance for marijuana nationwide; two states, Colorado and Washington, will vote on decriminalizing pot in November....

Welcome to FindLaw’s DUI Law series. If you have been charged with a DUI, know someone who has, or just want to know about the law and how to protect your rights during a DUI stop, please come back each week for more information. It may seem odd, but a DUI in Maryland isn’t the same as a DUI in Pennsylvania. And a fourth offense in Kentucky might be treated differently than a fourth offense in Colorado....

Attorneys are expensive. There’s no argument about that. So, why hire one if you’re just planning on pleading guilty? Even if you never plan on going to trial, you will want an attorney who can help you. Here’s why: 1. Analyze Your Case Do you really need to plead? An attorney can look at the evidence in your case, and consider if you have any defenses. 2. Negotiate a Better Plea Deal The prosecutor offered you 15 days in jail for a first DUI....

So you decided to throw some eggs during Halloween and now you’re facing vandalism charges. Unfortunately, despite your desire to express your opinion through the hurling of eggs, there’s no freedom of egg-spression in this country. Throwing an egg can actually land you with a vandalism charge and leave you asking: how do I defend myself against a vandalism charge? The bad news is that there really isn’t much you can do if you were caught in the act, or if there is surveillance footage clearly implicating you....

Halloween DUI checkpoints are planned across the country. The holiday that has been traditionally celebrated by children trick-or-treaters has been embraced by adults as an opportunity to wear skimpy outfits and to drink. As a result, Halloween has become one of the deadliest days for alcohol related accidents, and many states have ramped up their efforts to stop drunk driving. For instance, Colorado started its “Heat Is On” DUI enforcement over the weekend to last through Halloween night....

There are concerns about the safety of button start cars because of the complicated systems that they use. This may mean federal agencies will be doing car safety checks eventually. The number of models that are started with a button rather than a key as standard or optional equipment has quadrupled in the last five years. With the numbers of button start cars growing, consumers need to become more educated about how the new technology works....

You were ordered to pay restitution at your sentencing hearing and you haven’t done it, so you’re scared you will go to jail. And you may, although there is a process and a prosecutor will have to prove a willful failure to pay in order to punish you for this. In some criminal cases, restitution is ordered as part of sentencing, whether after a trial verdict or in a negotiated resolution....

A Florida jury returned what is considered a somewhat surprising verdict today, finding Casey Anthony guilty – though not of any charges directly related to the death of her daughter, Caylee Anthony. Though she was acquitted on the charges of murder, manslaughter, and aggravated child abuse, the jury found Casey Anthony guilty of lying to police. What happens next? Even though Anthony’s story of her own abuse and the pool drowning of Caylee seemed a bit far-fetched, prosecutors still failed to affirmatively connect her to the alleged murder weapon or definitively prove that her vehicle smelled of human decomposition....

Christina Milian, a singer and actress, is spilling her secrets to the Huffington Post. Now 34, she spoke up about an abusive relationship she had at 18 because, she says, she is hoping to help other young women. “I’ve been holding on to this for too long,” she said. “I lived in fear for a long time. I’m here to save someone. I really want to help other people, especially the youth....

He was supposed to be out on July 13th, but it looks like rapper DMX’s release from Yuma State Prison in Arizona has been pushed back at least another week. Turns out that metal bars and an orange jumpsuit yet again didn’t do anything for the rap artist, whose prison record includes disorderly conduct, disrespect to staff, and unauthorized smoking. Oh, and then there’s the drug possession. How’d he get those?...

Former Miss USA Rima Fakih has been sentenced for her drunk driving arrest, the Detroit Free Press reports. Fakih was given six months probation, 20 hours of community service, and $600 in fines and costs. Fakih, 26, must also attend alcohol safety and victim impact classes. She pleaded no contest to her Michigan DUI charge last month. Fakih is the first Arab American Miss USA. She was arrested last December after a cop saw her speeding and changing lanes without signaling in her 2011 Jaguar XJR....

The Center for Science in the Public’s Interest (CSPI) has filed a class action lawsuit against Jamba Juice in a Northern District of California federal court, claiming its marketing is tricking consumer into believing its beverages are ‘whole fruit and vegetable smoothies’. CSPI is seeking unspecified damages. Plaintiffs allege that Jamba Juice sells premium priced smoothies that use cheap pear and white grape juice from concentrate, but market them with such slogans as ‘Jamba blends whole fruits and veggies’ and ‘Whole fruit!...

A Louisiana state court ruled Monday that the state’s gay marriage ban was unconstitutional. That opinion was originally sealed because the case involved the adoption of a minor child, but the ruling was released to the public Tuesday. Judge Edward Rubin, writing for the 15th Judicial District Court in Lafayette Parish, ruled that a lesbian couple who had been legally married in California should be considered legally married in Louisiana. The decision was based on the law’s violations of the guarantees of equal protection and due process under the 14th Amendment, as well as conflicts with the Full Faith and Credit Clause of the U....

Singer Lady Gaga is not so gaga over a comic biography designed after the eccentric entertainer. Gaga is threatening legal action over a series of graphic biographies designed by Bluewater Productions featuring an animated version of the “Poker Face” singer that was released in June of this year. Lady Gaga’s attorney, Kenneth Feinswog, has served the company with cease and desist letters, and is threatening legal action if the comic biographies are not pulled, according the MSN....

Rapper/crooner Nate Dogg unexpectedly died last year without a will, leaving his wife Latoya Calvin to take charge of Nate Dogg’s estate. But that’s causing some controversy, because Nate Dogg had children from a previous relationship. Those children don’t think Calvin will look out for their interests, reports The Urban Daily. Now Calvin’s attempts to have Nate Dogg’s own mother appointed as a co-administrator of the estate is also upsetting Nate Dogg’s children....

As often reported on this blog, the CPSC has issued many recalls of drop side cribs in the recent months and years. In fact, it was reported that 7 million of these cribs have been recalled in the past five years alone. As many parents and caregivers now know, the movable side of these cribs can detach, creating a small space where an infant or toddler can become trapped and suffocate or strangle....