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The popular cholesterol medications Vytorin and Zetia offer few health benefits to patients and do little to treat heart disease – such as thickening of the arteries – according to a study published Sunday in the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM). A NEJM editorial (also published Sunday) recommends that, until definitive proof of the health benefits of these drugs becomes available, “it seems prudent to encourage patients whose LDL cholesterol levels remain elevated despite treatment with an optimal dose of a statin to redouble their efforts at dietary control and regular exercise....

An interesting story out of Chandler, Arizona has people asking what happens when an identical twin commits murder. Police originally arrested Orlando Nembhard for the nightclub shooting death of Sir Xavier Brooks, but eye witness accounts place his identical twin Brandon at the same club, with some saying that he actually fired the gun. Without a murder weapon or further forensic evidence, what are police to do? First, it’s important to note that identical twins aren’t exactly the same....

It’s easy to imagine after watching a few seasons of police procedurals on TV that you basically get criminal procedure, especially arrests. But you probably don’t because even lawyers who practice in court every day have to check legal texts when preparing to challenge an arrest. But understanding arrest is important for all because it can happen to anyone, even those of us who try hard to avoid trouble. So let’s consider arrests generally and arrest warrants in particular....

Dudley Ramsay (right), a 25-year-old Brooklyn man was convicted by a New York City jury today for beating his five-month-old dachshund puppy ‘Junior’ to death. According to charges and evidence presented by the Brooklyn District Attorney at trial before Judge Gary, the 260-pound Ramsay severely beat the puppy, later claiming that he was trying to discipline it. Testimony at trial by an officer from the ASPCA’s Humane Law Enforement agency testified that Ramsay told the officer, “I think I need help with anger management because I killed my first dog too....

An irate smartphone user in Illinois is seeking class-action status for a Carrier IQ lawsuit that alleges illegal wiretapping of 130 million cell phones nationwide. Lawyers filed the suit in St. Louis federal court on behalf of cellular customer Erin Janek, PCWorld reports. The suit claims phone maker HTC and Carrier IQ violated federal wiretap laws by allowing a pre-installed app, also referred to as Carrier IQ, to capture and record phone users’ keystrokes and location data....

As a culture, we get excited about celebrities and follow famous people’s moves carefully, perhaps because their riches seem to indicate wisdom. The problem with this practice is that we may end up endangering ourselves or others – like our kids – when we copy whatever crazy fad a celebrity mother is following. The latest advice on child-rearing is brought to us by Kristin Cavallari, a 29-year-old-woman who became famous as a reality TV Star on a show about aspiring California fashion designers, called “The Hills....

The City of Chicago must pay $25 million to a man in what lawyers say is the largest-ever U.S. jury award in a wrongful-conviction case. But Thaddeus “T.J.” Jimenez may soon be back in prison for a separate offense. “Sometimes the criminal justice system makes a mistake,” Jimenez’s lawyer said after the record jury award, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. “In this case, we proved that’s exactly what happened.” Jurors on Tuesday awarded $25 million to Jimenez, who was just 13 when he was arrested for a gang-related killing in 1993....

In 2015, most, if not all, of us have a very powerful weapon in our pockets. That weapon is our cell phone. The modern cell phone’s ability to record high quality videos and pictures makes it more than just a communication device. It is now a tool in the fight to combat police brutality and protect our civil rights. In the case of Walter Scott, police officer Michael Slager previously claimed that he shot Scott in self-defense when Scott tried to take his taser....

A federal appeals court has upheld lower court decisions that struck down gay marriage bans in Indiana and Wisconsin. The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals roundly rejected arguments that same-sex marriage bans were somehow beneficial to children and ruled that neither state had provided a rational basis for their laws, thus making them unconstitutional. With gay marriage bans in Indiana and Wisconsin affirmed as unconstitutional, the 7th Circuit has blocked those states from enforcing these bans....

In January of this year, Johnny Depp sued his former management company, claiming employees of the Management Group raked in tens of millions of dollars while not only failing to provide the most basic services but also mismanaging his finances to boot. This week, Depp took aim at his former legal counsel, claiming attorneys at Bloom Hergott Diemer Rosenthal LaViolette Feldman Schenkman & Goodman “engaged in self-dealing and pursued and undertook transactions in the face of undisclosed conflicts of interest for their own financial benefit over that of their clients....

The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) has voted to require producers, importers, sellers, and distributors to lower the level of lead in toys, furniture, and other items intended for children under the age of 12. As part of the Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008, a response to dozens of recalls of lead-tainted children’s toys and items, the Commission has been tasked with gradually lowering the allowable amount of lead to 100 parts per million, reports OMB Watch....

Frank DePascali, the former CFO for Bernie Madoff’s company, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities, LLC, was charged with, and pleaded guilty to, ten criminal counts in federal court this afternoon for his lengthy role in helping Madoff carry out his criminal acts and conspiracy against investors, evading federal income taxes and perjuring himself in testimony before the S.E.C, and a host of other charges. The 47-pages of criminal charges allege a host of conspiracy, fraud, and other illegal activity, including that DiPascali:...

The Wrath of Khan is apparently no match for the wrath of a soon-to-be ex-wife. A British man’s spouse is forcing him to give up his beloved apartment, which he’d remodeled to look like a “Star Trek” set. Divorce lawyers: Engage! Nightclub DJ and devout “Trekker” Tony Alleyne, 58, received worldwide attention for his one-bedroom “Star Trek” flat in Hinckley, England. It took more than $150,000 and ten years of hard “labour” to create, MSNBC reports....

The Department of Justice called it “one of the most advanced crimeware tools available in the underground market,” malware that infected almost 11 million computers worldwide and caused over $500 million in losses. And its creator was just sentenced to five years in prison. The “banking trojan” software, dubbed Citadel, targeted password managers and financial institutions, and Mark Vartanyan is the second Russian to be sentenced to prison over its use....

A recent decision out of the Federal Central District Court of California in the Spinal Tap v. Vivendi lawsuit is making headlines as the case will be allowed to continue. The “band” is alleging that Vivendi failed to pay them royalties on the film and merchandising to the tune of over $400 million. From the mid-eighties to the mid-2000s, the band received less than $200 in royalties and merchandising combined, total; which is a complete and utter shock given the immense popularity of the movie and soundtrack, and merch....

In recent years, professional and amateur filmmakers alike have found much success in the “true crime” subgenre of reality TV, as well as just selling and profiting off crime footage. Whether it’s capturing footage of a drug user using, a drug dealer dealing, a thief thieving, or the police policing, there are several important considerations for filmmakers. Generally, a filmmaker will not be liable for filming a criminal admitting to a crime after the fact....

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. When drunk driving ends in a fatal car accident, a simple DUI can become something far more serious. Even unintentional killings can be charged as crimes, normally as what is known as involuntary manslaughter....

Drunk driving laws are in every state. But, what laws govern stoned driving and driving under the influence of drugs? While “driving under the influence” tends to conjure up images of drunk driving, most people don’t realize that “driving under the influence” also encompasses driving under the influence of drugs that may impair a person’s ability to drive and operate a car. Driving while under the influence of drugs - legal and illegal - can result in a DUI charge, even if the drugs are doctor prescribes the pills....

A back-and-forth fight over dueling claims of cyberstalking landed “Teen Mom 2” star Jenelle Evans back behind bars Monday – for about 30 minutes. Jenelle Evans, 20, turned herself in to North Carolina authorities after an arrest warrant was issued Friday, Us Weekly reports. Evans was released after about half an hour, and did not have to post bond, her lawyer said. Evans’ arrest was in connection with a cyberstalking claim brought by her former boss James Duffy, Evans’ lawyer told Us Weekly....

Ron Goldman’s dad is trying to get his hands on the suit that his son’s accused murderer was wearing on the day he was acquitted. In case you don’t remember who Ron Goldman was, Ron Goldman was the man allegedly killed by former football star, OJ Simpson in 1994. But how could anyone remember all the names and details of the OJ Simpson murder trial, after all, it was only the highest profile murder trial in recent history....