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Scientists at Washington State University are reportedly developing a marijuana breathalyzer device that would allow law enforcement to test drivers for marijuana intoxication. Breathalyzers are currently one of the methods used to test the blood alcohol concentration of a driver suspected of DUI. But Washington State University scientists believe that same technology can be repurposed to allow for the officers to determine marijuana intoxication, reports The Seattle Times. What should you know about this marijuana breathalyzer and marijuana DUIs in general?...

Florida millionaire Dan Rotta’s 16-year-old son just got married in Vegas, and all the proud father got was a lousy six months in jail. Rotta’s post-wedding sendoff from a Florida judge wasn’t because the teen’s shotgun wedding isn’t legal – in fact, it is legal, as the age of consent for marriage is 16 in Nevada (with at least one parent’s permission). Rather, it’s because Rotta’s judge smelled a rat, The Miami Herald reports....

It sounds like the crazy plot to a television show, and it even includes TV actresses: a professional development, self-help, multi-level marketing scheme morphs into a cult/sex trafficking/racketeering operation for the benefit of people with codenames “Vanguard” and “Prefect,” all largely funded by a liquor heiress. Clare Bronfman, heiress to the Seagram’s liquor fortune was arrested, arraigned, and released on $100 million bond for her involvement in the sex slave pyramid scheme, which allegedly involved human trafficking, identity theft, sextortion, and an actress from “Smallville....

Sony better watch out and better not pout. I’m telling you why. Santa Claus may keep coming to town, figuratively speaking. But the company won’t make money from people singing about it starting in 2016. Last week, a Second US Circuit Court of Appeals panel of judges ruled that the rights to the song “Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town” will revert back to the owner’s heirs under copyright law. The song was written in 1934 by John Frederick Coots....

A federal jury in Gulfport, Mississippi has found State Farm Fire & Casualty liable for $2.5 million in punitive damages, in one of thousands of cases filed against insurance companies for their handling of claims filed over damages caused by Hurricane Katrina. Earlier today, the judge in the case ruled that State Farm was liable for more than $200,000 in damages to the plaintiffs’ home in Biloxi, Mississippi, leaving the total damage award for the jury to decide....

An unwelcome, or perhaps even dreaded, part of going into a new job is going through and filling out all of the administrative paperwork that it entails. This could be anything and everything from tax forms, to health care plan forms, to employment handbooks, contracts, and policy guides. All of these are, of course, important in their own way, but a case decided today by the Supreme Court (Kennedy v. Plan Admin....

Consultations with pharmacists can save lives. By consulting with patients, pharmacists can ensure they have the right medication for their conditions and that multiple medications won’t be harmful. Apparently, Walgreens pharmacists were shirking that responsibility, and now the chain is paying over half a million dollars to settle a consumer protection lawsuit. Prescription Pill Parameters The California State Board of Pharmacy has regulations requiring pharmacists to provide a personal consultation any time a patient:...

Police in Oakland, Calif. recently asked the public to help them find a 14-year-old suspected of raping and robbing two women. But they didn’t release his name or his photo – at least not at first. They told the public he was out there and that he was to be considered armed and dangerous. This is a bit perplexing. Why don’t police identify juvenile suspects – even when they’re dangerous and on the run?...

Car recalls often involve a minor repair, and Chrysler’s Jeep recall is no exception. But the issue is causing some concern because it involves important safety equipment, The Wall Street Journal reports. Chrysler announced the recall Friday over concerns about the Jeeps’ airbags. It’s possible the airbags in Jeep Grand Cherokees (model years 2002 to 2004) and Jeep Libertys (model years 2002 to 2003) may go off unexpectedly while the car is being operated....

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that citizens do not have a Second Amendment right to carry concealed firearms in public. The California federal court that covers states Arizona, Nevada, Oregon Washington, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, and Hawaii as well found that laws requiring gun owners to show “good cause” for carrying concealed handguns were not an unconstitutional restriction on a person’s right to bear arms. So what, specifically, did the court say, and what does this mean for gun owners nationwide?...

Trasylol manufacturer Bayer HealthCare Pharmaceuticals Inc. will begin removing any remaining stock of the blood-clotting medication from the U.S. market, after detailed results of a Canada drug study showed an increased risk of death in Trasylol patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reports that most remaining stock of Trasylol (aprotinin) medication is in warehouses and hospital or physician’s stock. In November 2007, Bayer announced that it was suspending worldwide sale of the drug until potential health risks could be properly evaluated....

The AP reports that 18-year-old Wisconsin resident Anthony Stancl has been accused of “posing as a girl on Facebook, tricking at least 31 male classmates into sending him naked photos of themselves and then blackmailing some for sex acts.” Stancl was charged on Wednesday with “five counts of child enticement, two counts of second-degree sexual assault of a child, two counts of third-degree sexual assault, possession of child pornography, repeated sexual assault of the same child, and making a bomb threat....

Although imitation may be considered by some as the sincerest form of flattery, in the music industry and art world, it’s usually considered the basis for a lawsuit. The estate of Messy Mya, a.k.a. Anthony Barre, a YouTube star that was killed in 2010, is suing superstar Beyonce for $20 million due to an alleged theft of samples. The lawsuit is seeking monetary damages for unpaid royalties and copyright infringement not just from the song sales, but also from the unauthorized use of Mya’s work during concerts and in music videos....

Like a fisherman who keeps casting into the same fishing hole where he has had no luck before, Michigan Attorney General Mike Cox returned to the Supreme Court for a second try at an injunction forcing the closure of the locks on the waterways leading to Lake Michigan. According to The Christian Science Monitor, Cox made his second attempt to take the only action he argues will protect the Great Lakes from the notoriously invasive Asian carp and rescue the $7 billion fishing and tourism industry from their hungry grasp....

If you know of child abuse and fail to report it, or if you file a false report, it may be a crime. Laws vary from state to state and most do not require the average citizen to call out child abuse, although some do. The obligation to report abuse mostly applies to people who – because of their professions – are in a position of responsibility for children and have the obligation to report imposed on them by statute....

The Conrad Murray trial is winding down, with closing arguments scheduled for sometime in the next few days. Prosecutors and defense attorneys will spend countless hours perfecting their final arguments, as they can make or break the case. Why are closing arguments so important? And how are they different from opening statements? What rules must the attorneys follow? Unlike closing arguments, opening statements are not an opportunity to argue the facts....

A woman has filed a lawsuit against “Hercules” director Brett Ratner, claiming that after she was injured during a party at the director’s house, Ratner refused to call 911. Lauryn Flynn is a 42-year-old stylist who attended a party at Ratner’s home celebrating the release of “Hercules” earlier this year, reports The Hollywood Reporter. Flynn claims she was injured when a glass table broke, cutting her Achilles tendon. Flynn claims that instead of someone calling 911, however, she was transported to the hospital in a somewhat less-expedient fashion....

Last Friday, the CPSC and FAF Inc., of Greenville, R.I., announced a recall of the Disney “The Princess and The Frog” pendants because of high levels of the toxic metal cadmium, an unprecedented action that reflects concerns of an emerging threat in children’s jewelry. Earlier in the year, Walmart pulled several types of jewelry, including these recalled items, off the store’s shelves due to similar concerns over the levels of cadmium reported to be in the toys....

After years of litigation and decades of uncertainty, popular role playing franchise Dungeons & Dragons is finally coming to the silver screen. (No, we didn’t forget about that 2000 disaster – we’re choosing to ignore it.) Warner Brothers has announced it has the rights and a script for a D&D movie, which will take place in one of the game’s most popular settings, Forgotten Realms. The announcement comes after a year of legal wrangling over a variety of issues, one being how to define a movie sequel....

Here’s a worthy goal for the holidays: avoiding setting the house on fire. Your kids will thank you, the fire department will thank you and so will your wallet. Well, actually it’s quite unlikely that anyone will thank you for not starting a fire while you holiday decorate. To paraphrase Chris Rock, you’re supposed to avoid fires you idiot! Nevertheless, we all have our “doh!” moments, so it never hurts to heed a little holiday fire safety advice....