USA Archive - Law Commentary

Devastation from the Maui wildfire, showing destruction of buildings and downed power lines in Lahaina.

114 Killed in Maui Fire, 850 More Missing: Hawaii Electric Companies Blamed in New Lawsuits

A second lawsuit against Hawaiian Electric Industries, Hawaiian Electric Light Company, and Maui Electric Company has been filed following the Maui wildfire that has killed over 100 people. Despite being the second lawsuit filed, it will not be the last as more complaints are in the process of being filed... Read More about 114 Killed in Maui Fire, 850 More Missing: Hawaii Electric Companies Blamed in New Lawsuits

A statue of Lady Justice holding scales and a sword on a desk with legal books and documents in the background.

Unemployed Lawyer With High Earning Capacity Must Pay Wife’s Divorce Attorney’s Fees

In a dispute over who must pay attorney’s fees during divorce proceedings, what matters is not what the parties earn, but what they are capable of earning. When Jennie (Hearn) Hooker filed for a divorce, she asked the court to make her husband Rockford Hearn pay $45,000 toward her attorney’s... Read More about Unemployed Lawyer With High Earning Capacity Must Pay Wife’s Divorce Attorney’s Fees

Jury members seated in a courtroom during a trial.

Constitution Requires Jury Instruction on Imperfect Self-Defense for Defendant With Good-Faith Belief in Need for Lethal Force

Jason Carl Schuller was accused of the first-degree murder of his friend W.T. At his trial, Schuller pled not guilty by reason of insanity. Evidence, including testimony by a neighbor, showed W.T. had received nine gunshot wounds to his head as well as serious burn injuries. The jury heard evidence... Read More about Constitution Requires Jury Instruction on Imperfect Self-Defense for Defendant With Good-Faith Belief in Need for Lethal Force

Leah Remini at an event, expressing her activism against the Church of Scientology.

Actress and Activist Leah Remini Files Blistering Lawsuit Charging Church of Scientology and Leader David Miscavige of Harassment, Defamation, Stalking and Psychological Torture

Celebrity Leah Remini, who joined the Church of Scientology in 1979 when she was a child due to her mother bringing her in, filed a bombshell lawsuit against the church, its leader David Miscavige, and Religious Technology Center. Ms. Remini is suing for defamation, harassment, stalking, and numerous other unlawful... Read More about Actress and Activist Leah Remini Files Blistering Lawsuit Charging Church of Scientology and Leader David Miscavige of Harassment, Defamation, Stalking and Psychological Torture

A prison officer serving food to an inmate through the bars of a cell.

State Doesn’t Have to Verify Claim That Prison Food Is Really Kosher

A California prisoner cited several reasons why the State should step in to verify that the food at Kern Valley State Prison is really kosher. He claimed the prison’s food vendors falsely advertised that their meals complied with his religion’s dietary laws. The district court found that the vendors “are... Read More about State Doesn’t Have to Verify Claim That Prison Food Is Really Kosher

Portrait of Porcha Woodruff, an eight-month pregnant woman who was wrongfully arrested due to faulty facial recognition technology.

Faulty AI Facial Recognition Leads to Arrest of Innocent, 8-months Pregnant Black Woman

Porcha Woodruff was eight months pregnant when she was falsely arrested for a carjacking. The evidence that led to the arrest of the Detroit mother of three was facial recognition technology, which was flawed. She is the first woman in the United States to report being falsely arrested on evidence... Read More about Faulty AI Facial Recognition Leads to Arrest of Innocent, 8-months Pregnant Black Woman

A close-up image of a prison guard's hands adjusting their handcuffs and utility belt.

Family Can Sue California for Prison Guard’s Death from COVID

After a prison guard at San Quentin died from COVID-19, his wife and children sued the State of California, its Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR), and others for transferring inmates with the disease to the prison where their husband and father worked. They argued that the transfer “ultimately killed”... Read More about Family Can Sue California for Prison Guard’s Death from COVID

Anna Netrebko performing on stage, wearing a blue dress and bowing to the audience.

Celebrity Russian Soprano Anna Netrebko Sues MET Opera for Firing Her Over Ukraine Invasion

Renowned Russian soprano Anna Netrebko has played famous roles as one of the most popular opera singers in the world, perfecting characters such as Donna Anna in Mozart’s Don Giovanni, Leonora in Il Trovatore, and Lady Macbeth in Macbeth. Ms. Netrebko was one of the biggest box office names at... Read More about Celebrity Russian Soprano Anna Netrebko Sues MET Opera for Firing Her Over Ukraine Invasion

A person casting a ballot into a voting box during an election.

Noncitizens Can Vote in School Board Elections

A controversial San Francisco ordinance that allows non-citizens over the age of 18 to vote in local school board elections if they have children in school has survived a challenge to its constitutionality. In their ruling approving the law, the judges said that home rule is not prohibited by the... Read More about Noncitizens Can Vote in School Board Elections

Emergency responders at the scene of a home explosion in Plum, Pennsylvania, where at least three homes were leveled and five people lost their lives.

Pennsylvania Home Explosion Is the Third in 15 Years, Investigation Continues Into Cause

Authorities are continuing their investigation into the deadly home explosion that killed five individuals in the western Pennsylvania town of Plum. The explosion leveled at least three homes and damaged dozens more. Among the dead were four adults and one teen. The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office has taken the... Read More about Pennsylvania Home Explosion Is the Third in 15 Years, Investigation Continues Into Cause

A gloved hand holding a small plastic bag containing a white powder, potentially indicating a dangerous drug.

NYC Battles Zombie Drug Xylazine, aka Tranq, With Proposed New Bills

DEA reports zombie drug found in nearly 25 percent of the confiscated fentanyl samples in 48 states. New York City is facing a dramatic surge in crime, mental illness among the homeless, and skyrocketing overdoses due to the zombie drug Xylazine, also known as Tranq. Legislators are proposing two new... Read More about NYC Battles Zombie Drug Xylazine, aka Tranq, With Proposed New Bills

Several Tesla vehicles parked outside a Tesla dealership.

Drivers Sue Tesla Owners Over Exaggerated Driving Ranges

Several California Tesla owners have filed a lawsuit against the electric car company accusing them of inflating the driving ranges of some of its models and establishing a system that ignored customer complaints. The lawsuit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California and is... Read More about Drivers Sue Tesla Owners Over Exaggerated Driving Ranges

A person standing in front of a "MrBeast Burger" sign, smiling and giving a thumbs up.

MrBeast Faces Counter Lawsuit From MrBeast Burger Delivery Partner

Jimmy Donaldson, better known as the widely popular MrBeast, is facing a lawsuit by Virtual Dining Concepts (VDC), the ghost kitchen company that services his virtual restaurant chain, MrBeast Burger. VDC’s suit is in response to a lawsuit Donaldson brought forward last month against VDC and its parent company. In... Read More about MrBeast Faces Counter Lawsuit From MrBeast Burger Delivery Partner

A hand holding a pill bottle of OxyContin, with shelves of other medication in the background.

Supreme Court Will Hear Challenge to Sackler Family’s Opioid Settlement

Each episode of Netflix’s new blockbuster series Painkiller begins with a disclosure that explains the story about to be televised is partly fiction. But, the people introducing the show also reveal that they are the real parents of a son or daughter who died from various conditions caused by their... Read More about Supreme Court Will Hear Challenge to Sackler Family’s Opioid Settlement

Signage of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) at its national headquarters.

Supreme Court Temporarily Revives Biden's "Ghost Gun" Ban

On Tuesday, the Supreme Court ruled the Biden administration’s ban on so-called “ghost guns” can remain in effect for the time being, pausing a lower court decision. The regulation issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) was struck down in June by a federal court. In... Read More about Supreme Court Temporarily Revives Biden's "Ghost Gun" Ban