An Iowa man was arrested on suspicion of a DWI, but his actual BAC was apparently too high for the Breathalyzer. Levi Carter, 28, of Iowa City, allegedly registered a 0.467 percent blood-alcohol concentration, more than five times the legal limit in Iowa; in fact, a BAC of over 0.4 percent can be lethal in some cases. When Carter tried again, the Breathalyzer’s display simply said “HI,” according to The Huffington Post....
The Federal Trade Commission announced two key consumer protection enforcement actions this week: a $1.7 million court judgment against a payment processor that was making unauthorized debits from consumer bank accounts, and the mailing of over $12 million in checks to consumers who had been victimized by unauthorized credit and debit card charges for Internet services. $1.7M Judgment for Unauthorized “Discount Pharmacy Card” Bank Account Debits. At the FTC’s behest, a federal court this week ordered a payment processor – charged with making unauthorized debits from consumers’ bank accounts – to pay $1....
In Montana, folks take their wildlife very seriously. A coalition of preservation groups has reportedly sued the state of Montana and the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks over bison. The bison in question were moved to media mogul Ted Turner’s ranch after being spared from a government ordered slaughter when they were found to be potentially infected with a disease that could harm that state’s other passion, steak. Or, more accurately, cows....
This case is an example of what happens when Ahab catches the whale, and the whale sues. The whale in this case is, in the terminology of Las Vegas casinos, a high roller. Terry Watanabe was indeed a high roller for years, spending most of the fortune built from his family’s party-favor import business. Watanabe lost nearly $127 million in gambling debts– and the casinos want it. But, according to the Wall Street Journal, Watanabe says it is not entirely his fault the debt is so huge....
An Iowa man’s criminal conviction for HIV transmission was thrown out by the Iowa Supreme Court on grounds that there was insufficient evidence to support his guilty plea. Nick Rhoades, 39, of Plainfield, pleaded guilty in 2009 to criminal transmission of HIV after having sex with a man he met online. He allegedly did not tell his partner about his HIV status before the encounter, and although the man was ultimately not infected, he still went to the police, report The Associated Press....
According to CBS News, Jesse James and Sandra Bullock have won full custody of child Sunny. This particular legal fight was definitely not sunny. As we wrote about previously in Celebrity Justice, Sunny’s mother (and Jesse James’ ex-wife) Janine Lindemulder claimed that Ms. Bullock was trying to take away her daughter on ABC’s Good Morning America. Sandra Bullock sent a letter to the California family court that claimed that Ms. Lindemulder was an “unfit” mother....
Celebrities don’t always make the best restaurateurs; just ask Eva Longoria or Flavor Flav. But you’d at least hope that they’d pay their employees properly and pass on the tips those employees earned. But nine current and former employees at Jessica Biel’s Au Fudge restaurant in Los Angeles are suing the actress and five other partners in the business, alleging they were denied gratuities and rest breaks. And they’re asking for at least a million bucks....
In what appears to be a never-ending story, Judge Belvin Perry ordered Casey Anthony to pay the state of Florida approximately $97,000 on Thursday. The amount, which represents just a fraction of the nearly half-million requested by state law enforcement organizations, is intended to reimburse the agencies for costs expended on the initial missing person investigation in December 2008. Compensation for the homicide phase of the investigation was denied. Though Florida law permits state law enforcement agencies to recoup prosecution and investigative costs from convicted defendants, those costs must be closely related, or “reasonably necessary,” to a defendant’s conviction....
Donald Trump is a litigious individual, and his legal team is fond of the cease and desist letter threatening legal action. So it’s no surprise that Trump’s attorneys sent the New York Times a Demand for Retraction letter in response to an article entitled “Two Women Say Donald Trump Touched Them Inappropriately.” These letters haven’t always been the most convincing. So it’s also no surprise that the Times responded, and in no uncertain terms....
Westminster Pharmaceuticals has voluntarily recalled a hypothyroid medication after its Sichuan supplier’s plant failed Federal Drug Administration (FDA) inspection. The alert states that Levothyroxine and Liothronine, two synthetic hormones used in the thyroid tablets, were manufactured in a plant that the FDA warns had a number of manufacturing failures including ones related to “established standards of quality and purity.” No adverse events have been linked to the drugs to date....
Ticketmaster will need to defend itself in a class action for allegedly engaging in a type of “bait and switch” tactic that sent ticket buyers to an online Ticketmaster subsidiary which charged much higher prices, if a New Jersey court gives the okay to the lawsuit. The lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges that fans looking to purchase tickets to concerts featuring popular performers like Britney Spears, Phish, and Hannah Montana were re-directed to TicketsNow....
It has been a long time coming, by one report, at least two years. On Sunday, it was announced that Verizon Wireless had reached a settlement with the Federal Communications Commission over improper charges for data usage to customers who did not in fact have a data usage plan. The phone company has agreed to pay a total of $90 million to consumers who were mistakenly charged. The Verizon refunds will go out to about 15 million customers and will total between $2 and $6 per person....
What are “bath salts”? We’re not talking about the cosmetic variety that you add to bath water for soaking. Rather, the term “bath salts” describes illegal designer street drugs that have been linked to violent delusions and even death. In a bizarre and gruesome example, bath salts may have driven Rudy Eugene, 31, to strip naked and eat the face of Ronald Poppo, 65, on Saturday, some police and doctors in Miami believe....
Musicians Kanye West and Taylor Swift have a strange relationship, which is swiftly getting more bizarre. Kanye long ago insulted Swift when she received her first Grammy award and recently released a song, called “Famous,” claiming he made her famous. This week Kanye West’s wife, Kim Kardashian West, released footage to her Snapchat of a phone call that Kanye made seeking approval for the song from Swift. She responded on Instagram, saying West was not explicit about the line....
Way back in the dark ages, no not quite 1984, but August 2007, a band of intrepid engineers from the Jet Propulsion Labs in Pasadena, Ca, began their long journey to prevent the government from asking them… who they sleep with. Heard enough? Hopefully, so will the U.S. Supreme Court. Recently, government lawyers requested the Court take up this case regarding employee privacy rights and background checks. This case, Nelson v....
The Second Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld a National Labor Relations Board decision in favor of a wrongfully discharged employee. The story is making headlines due to the fact that the fired employee used a few choice phrases to describe his supervisor in a public Facebook post. Those choice phrases are of the type that most office workers would expect to result in immediate termination. However, thanks to the laws prohibiting retaliation against employees engaged in pro-union activities, and the common sense of the NLRB and the court, the opprobrious comment qualified as protected pro-union speech....
If you’re a late night TV junkie, you are probably very familiar with the “As Seen On TV” line of products. But you may not be in the know about their recalls. Here are five infomercial-born appliances and gadgets that have been recalled back to TV-land for some alarming reasons. The Ab Lounge. This product, which looks almost like a lawn chair, was recalled in 2004 after consumers got their fingers crushed or cut off by the hinges of the Ab Lounge....
Car break-ins aren’t always just about vandalism or theft. If your car has been broken into, you may be facing some more serious consequences that hit much closer to home. People tend to leave all sorts of items in their cars – items that contain confidential information that could be dangerous if it ends up in the wrong hands. With that warning in mind, here are five things you should never keep in your car because of potential security risks:...
American Airlines has announced its merger with US Airways. The move is part of American’s attempt to climb out of debt after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2011. American’s creditors will end up with a majority share of the combined carrier and will also have five of 12 seats on the company’s new board. Four of those seats will go to US Airways representatives, and the rest will be held by AA reps....
In a unanimous decision, the California Supreme Court ruled in favor of plaintiffs in the Oracle overtime lawsuit, finding that state overtime laws apply to nonresidents who work in California. However, the court also said that employees are not protected by the state’s wage and hour laws when they work out of state, even if they are paid by a California-based employer. Both conclusions have huge implications for employees and companies that conduct business within California....
