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With millions of Toyota cars, SUVs, and trucks recalled by the Japanese automaker, FindLaw obtained a number of lawsuits that have been filed against Toyota around the country. Here’s a quick overview of allegations raised in some of these recall lawsuits: Wrongful Death. Some lawsuits charge that family members died because of unintentional or sudden acceleration that caused Toyota drivers to crash and lose their lives. Sudden or Unintended Acceleration. Toyota and Lexus owners are claiming that their cars accelerated when their feet were on the brakes, or during their normal driving....

Authorities in Sanford, Fla. have gone on the offensive, releasing more information about the Trayvon Martin shooting in an attempt to placate protestors. Prosecutors are now claiming that George Zimmerman’s story of self-defense is supported by a number of witnesses. Zimmerman apparently told investigators that Trayvon punched him and then slammed his head into the sidewalk. He was found with a bloody nose, a swollen lip and lacerations on the back of his head....

The man known as Kai the Hatchet Wielding Hitchhiker was arrested for murder, following allegations that he beat a man to death in New Jersey, according to Philadelphia’s WPVI-TV. The self-proclaimed “home-free” (as opposed to “homeless”) hitchhiker was praised as a hero in February when he foiled an attack in California by hitting an assailant over the head with a hatchet. His meteoric rise to national fame came after an incredibly amusing TV interview went viral....

After a hard fought campaign, newly elected State’s Attorney Alicia basks in the honeymoon period of her success. Meanwhile, the firm represents a filmmaker suing a video-sharing site and finds itself a victim of hackers. Here’s what you need to know from last night’s episode, entitled “Undisclosed Recipients”: Episode Recap (Spoiler Alert!): Alicia returns to her office to a rousing round of applause. Her office is filled with gifts that she can’t keep and campaign contributors with demands that she can’t please....

The Pew Center for the States released a report today showing that as of 2007, 1 in 31 American adults (7.3 million) were in the American correctional system. With this number largely constituted by an exploding number of people on parole or probation, the report urges increased emphasis on community corrections strategies. Last February, the Pew Center released a report showing that 1 in 100 American adults was in jail or prison....

The death penalty in America may be dying a slow death, a new report suggests. Fewer convicted killers are facing the death penalty than at any time since the U.S. Supreme Court reinstated capital punishment, according to a report by the Death Penalty Information Center. The Center is opposed to how the death penalty is currently used, The Wall Street Journal reports. So far this year, 78 death sentences have been handed down nationwide – the fewest in a single year since 1976, when the Supreme Court reinstated the death penalty....

It’s been more than a year since Demi Moore and Ashton Kutcher broke up, but it looks like one of our favorite cougars is only just now filing her own divorce papers. The couple separated in November 2011 but they didn’t make any moves to officially divorce for over a year. Then in December 2012, Kutcher filed for divorce. The couple has been trying to negotiate a confidential settlement, and Moore was reportedly waiting until it was decided before filing her response to Kutcher’s divorce petition....

Anyone who has bought a toy in the past 10 years knows we have regulations that require warning labels on toys that present a choking hazard to young children. But what about the one thing they put in their mouths the most? On Tuesday, CNN reported the American Academy of Pediatrics estimates at least one child in the United States dies every five days from choking on food. The Academy rates choking as the leading cause of death among children 14 and younger....

What is a life worth? Jailed for thirty days for failure to appear on a careless driving charge, a man died in custody halfway through a sentence that could have been completed with community service or a $772 fine. Now David Stojcevski’s family is suing Macomb County, Michigan, the sheriff, jail employees, and Correct Care Solutions, and the private contractor responsible for inmate medical care, blaming their neglect for David’s wrongful death last year....

A newly released FindLaw survey on student loans is reporting that one in six Americans are still paying off their student loans, among some other alarming findings. Unfortunately, for many of us who were or are students who’ve taken out loans, the repayment period can drag on for years. Sometimes, it may even be even decades before a former student can dig herself out of debt. While this may be a downer, most folks who are dealing with student loans are not alone....

You may want to check your credit report for errors, because they’re apparently quite common. And in some cases, consumers are paying the price for those discrepancies, according to the FTC. A new study by the Federal Trade Commission reveals that 1 in 20 American consumers had a mistake on their credit reports that could have increased their interest rates on things like home loans. The mistakes could also affect insurance premiums, reports Reuters....

If you recently purchased a product that has raw grape tomatoes, you may want to check the packaging as your produce may be affected by a nationwide grape tomato recall. A possible salmonella contamination has spurred Six L’s Packing Company, a Florida tomato grower, to voluntarily issue a recall this past Monday. The grape tomatoes in question were processed and grown in Florida by Six L’s, reports AP. The grape tomato recall affects grapes that were packaged on April 11, 2011....

Cargill announced a ground beef recall of 29,339 pounds of meat in response to a seven-state salmonella outbreak. So far, 33 people have reportedly been sickened by eating the tainted meat. The affected ground beef include packages of 85-percent lean ground beef that was produced on May 25, 2012. Officials warn customers to be aware of “use or sell by” dates between May 29 and June 16. The beef was sold under different retail brand names at stores in the Northeast U....

An internal memo from Toyota is raising questions about whether Toyota had safety in mind when they did their floor mat recalls. Reuters reports that the internal memo from Toyota lauded the recall due to floor mats as an inexpensive way to stave off federal investigations into the sudden acceleration problems in their vehicles. The internal document, which is dated back to 2009, reveals that Toyota’s Washington D.C. staff spoke of how the recall would save Toyota more than $100 million because it would end a federal investigation that commenced in 2007 about sudden acceleration complaints in Toyota vehicles....

A lawsuit filed by the heirs of Randy Craig Wolfe – also known as Randy California, guitarist for ’60s rock band Spirit – accuses Led Zeppelin of plagiarizing their mega-hit “Stairway to Heaven” from the relatively obscure Spirit song “Taurus.” The lawsuit, filed in a Pennsylvania federal court, alleges that Led Zeppelin illegally infringed on Wolfe’s copyrighted work and unfairly failed to credit Wolfe as a songwriter on “Stairway.” The lawsuit is just the latest in a string of lawsuits accusing Led Zeppelin of lifting material from other artists....

Infamous ex-teacher Mary Kay Letourneau was arrested Monday for failing to appear in court on charges of driving with a suspended license. Letourneau was arrested in Seattle late Sunday and was booked in King County Jail on a low-level bench warrant, reports Seattle’s KIRO-TV. The focus of a student-teacher sex scandal in the 1990s, Letourneau served more than seven years in prison before being released in 2004. What does Letourneau have to do to keep herself out of jail?...

There does seem to be a justifiable concern when a state agency demands to know what its citizens are reading and watching and likely, there are other ways for the DOR to complete its audit without reviewing every book and movie choice made by its residents. There is also a question regarding whether this demand from the DOR does not violate the federal Video Privacy Protection Act of 1988 (VPPA). That law prohibits the release of movie rental information that can be linked to an individual’s identity, except in certain limited situations which often require the permission of the individual involved....

Even humor could not save this marriage. Amy Poehler and Will Arnett announced that they are getting divorced, reports ABC. If any Hollywood couple seemed likely to last, it was this couple. Poehler and Arnett had been married for nine years and they have two young sons together, ages 3 and 2. The separation is reportedly “amicable” and no specific reasons have been given as to why the marriage is ending....

Fat Joe, a rap artist famous for his public feud with 50 Cent, pleaded guilty to tax evasion on Thursday. The rapper, whose given name is Joseph Cartagena, appeared in federal court in New Jersey and admitted to not paying his taxes for two years, namely 2007 and 2008. Federal prosecutors had claimed that he failed to pay taxes from 2007 through 2010. It doesn’t matter how much money you owe, the IRS will find you....

Most people have heard of the term “tightening their belts” during tough times. It looks like states, however, may be tightening up their seat belt laws during the recession, and people who haven’t been taking those laws seriously soon might end up helping their state deal with its budget woes. The AP reports that more and more states are looking at giving police the power to pull over drivers simply for not wearing their seat belts....