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Though parents across the country have embraced charter schools as a better alternative to traditional K-12 education, hesitant school districts stifled by budgetary constraints sometimes stand in the way. One such situation led to a ruling this week by the Georgia Supreme Court that has put some Georgia charter schools in the fast lane to closure, and has left nearly 15,000 students questioning the future of their education. In response to local school districts denying funding and approval for charter schools, in 2008 the Georgia legislature created the Georgia Charter Schools Commission, which allowed the state to approve and fund charter schools....

Let’s be honest, most of us aren’t reading every word of our warranties, and we’re certainly not doing it before we purchase a product. And while that might save us a ton of time, it may cost us our ability to take companies to court if their products don’t perform as advertised. That’s because more and more manufacturers are tucking mandatory arbitration clauses deep in their warranties. But the Supreme Court is pushing back on those clauses, handing a small victory to consumers....

Toyota has agreed to a $1.1 billion recall settlement over claims of its vehicles accelerating unintentionally. The settlement would compensate consumers for economic losses related to any safety defects in their vehicles, but does not cover claims for wrongful death and injuries, Reuters reports. While the settlement would compensate many car owners, it does not include an admission of fault by the Japanese automaker, nor does it include an acknowledgement that its cars were actually faulty....

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals handed out a big win for Warner Bros. in its Superman lawsuit against Marc Toberoff. The court ruled that documents stolen from Toberoff weren’t privileged and Warner could use them against him. Toberoff represents the estates of late Superman co-creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster. Toberoff was accused of tortious interference after he tried to strike a deal with the estates’ heirs for Superman’s rights....

The Better Business Bureau is warning consumers about a new email scam involving Social Security benefits. According to the BBB, scammers are sending emails which appear to be from the Social Security Administration claiming that the recipient is eligible for new benefits. The email provides a link to an online form, instructing consumers to fill out the form in order to obtain the new benefits. However, those who do may be setting themselves up for possible identity theft....

You know what they say: Just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they aren’t after you. Seeing as how everyone is paranoid on the Good Wife these days, it could be they’re after everybody. Between FBI investigations, NSA eavesdroppers, and law firm maneuvering, no one appears safe, especially Alicia, the calm and sober center of the show’s Venn diagram of intrigue. Who else has a bull’s-eye on their back? Let’s take a legal look at last night’s episode, “Targets....

R&B artist Akon is facing two lawsuits – against a contractor who worked on upgrades at Akon’s Georgia mansion, and against his own lawyers, the gossip website TMZ reports. The lawyers, with a firm called Yoss, are suing Akon for allegedly refusing to pay more than $39,000 in legal bills, TMZ reports. The firm filed its Akon lawsuit in Georgia, alleging breach of contract – though TMZ says it’s not clear what the legal work was for....

An era has ended, but the drama continues. Blues legend, B.B. King, real name Riley B. King, died earlier this month at the age of 89. Clark County, Nevada Coroner listed King’s cause of death as a series of small strokes caused by type 2 dementia. King died peacefully in his sleep at his home on May 14, but some of his family members reportedly suspect foul play. Accusations and Legal Battles B....

It reads like the opening scenes of a classic Hollywood noir. Mercedes, driven by a successful woman pulls away from a star-studded premier. Minutes later, the car careens into a light pole after shots are fired, killing the driver. No one knows how, why, or who. Real life, messier and more painful than movies, may not tie up this whodunit in a neat bow. Police are stumped by the killing of Hollywood publicist Ronni Chasen, a woman called a “beloved, iconic figure,” reports CNN....

Spark Networks USA, the company behind niche online dating sites like Christian Mingle and Jdate, has settled a consumer protection action filed by San Diego, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties on behalf of customers who were automatically renewed for the service and denied refunds. The company will pay $500,000 in civil penalties and almost $1 million in restitution, distributed to users and the municipalities, including the city of Santa Monica....

Circuit City, the second largest electronics retailer in the U.S., has announced it must close all of its remaining stores and liquidate all remaining assets. It’s death will reportedly mean the loss of more than 30,000 additional jobs. Circuit City will try to liquidate close to $2 billion of retail inventory by the end of March. As reported by the AP, Circuit City was unable to find a deal to sell the company after declaring bankruptcy in an attempt to reorganize and salvage the company....

The DEA has long designated marijuana as a Schedule I drug, the Administrations’ most-restrictive category. It found that pot “has no currently accepted medical use in treatment in the United States.” Advocates of looser federal restrictions on marijuana suffered a major legal setback Tuesday, when a panel of three judges found that the federal government acted properly in refusing to loosen restrictions on pot. Pro-marijuana groups and a disabled veteran who said it improves his medical condition argued the agency was ignoring a growing body of scientific evidence that it has some medical benefits....

The effects of the controversial chemical BPA are once again in the news, this time as a result of dental sealants. The sealants and resins are used by dentists in dental repair work and can contain substances that degrade into BPA. Pregnant women and children can be most affected by the chemical, but kids can be protected by rinsing away the residue right after the work is completed, according to a new study....

No matter how smart criminals think they are, someone else is smarter. Daron Dylon Wint, suspected murderer, thought he was careful when wore gloves as he ate a pizza at his victims’ home. Little did he know, he was leaving behind a much more powerful identifier than fingerprints. He left his DNA. The Murder and Arson Earlier this month, Washington D.C. police responded to a home fire after four bodies were found inside....

The fight over net neutrality continues, and the battleground has moved to the Golden State. Last year, President Trump’s Federal Communications Commission overturned Obama-era regulations that prohibited internet service providers from charging users different prices based on the user, content, or website. Then this year the Senate voted to reinstate net neutrality rules. All the while, California was crafting its own net neutrality legislation, a bill Governor Jerry Brown signed into law over the weekend....

A former Maryland police officer and Iraq war veteran has been convicted and sentenced to five years in prison for shooting and paralyzing a handcuffed suspect. Johnnie Riley, 44, formerly a sergeant with the District Heights Police Department, was convicted of shooting Kalvin Kyle in the back after Kyle tried to flee, while handcuffed, from a police cruiser. According to The Associated Press, Kyle was left paralyzed and Riley could’ve faced up to 45 years in prison....

A federal judge has ruled in favor of a man and his four sister wives in a decision that struck down a portion of Utah’s anti-polygamy law. The case involved the stars of television reality series “Sister Wives,” who filed a civil rights lawsuit against Utah County Attorney Jeff Buhman following a 2010 investigation into allegations of bigamy, reports The Salt Lake Tribune. Does this “Sister Wives” ruling mean that polygamy is now legal?...

Florida woman Celina Aarons was shocked when she received her recent cell phone bill. Her usual bill typically totals around $175. This one was at $201,000. And it wasn’t a mistake: it was all because of cell phone roaming charges. Aarons has two deaf brothers. They communicate through text messages and also use their phones to download and watch videos. Unfortunately, they forgot to switch over to an international plan when they went on a two-week trip to Canada....

Ashley Judd filed a defamation lawsuit against Harvey Weinstein, claiming that Weinstein sabotaged her career after she rejected his sexual advances. Weinstein recently filed a motion to dismiss, claiming he did everything possible to advance her career, and he can prove it! But can he? Weinstein points to an “bargain” he made with Judd, the facts of which neither refute. Judd went to meet with Weinstein at his hotel room for a breakfast meeting early in her career....

Jenna Jameson will not go to jail following her DUI arrest. The legendary porn star was arrested after she struck a light pole with her car in Orange County, Calif., in May. Jameson suffered some minor injuries, but no one else was hurt. At the time of her arrest, the 38-year-old Jameson is said to have shown signs of intoxication and reportedly failed a field sobriety test, reports the New York Daily News....