Any soap opera writers looking for steamy ideas for their next plot need look no further than a recent case from a California district court. It has all the elements that make for addictive, shocking drama – a bereaved widow, a fight over the frozen sperm of her deceased husband,... Read More about Widow Wins Case against Fertility Clinic That Gave Her Husband’s Sperm to His Mistress
The Mall of America has reached a settlement with the family of a five-year-old boy who was thrown off of the third-floor balcony of The Mall of America in an unprovoked attack in April 2019. The lawsuit, which was filed in July 2021, accuses the mall of failing to provide... Read More about Mall of America Reaches Settlement With Family of Boy Thrown From Balcony
Walmart has found itself the target of a $50 million lawsuit after a former team leader, 31-year-old Andre Bing of the Chesapeake, Va, supercenter shot up the store on November 23, killing six of his coworkers and injuring several others before taking his own life. The lawsuit was filed by... Read More about Walmart Shooting Victim Files $50M Lawsuit, Claiming Walmart Was Warned About Shooter’s Violent Behavior
Over the last few years, safety officials and health advocates around the country have been raising the alarm about flavored tobacco. Advocates argue products such as flavored vape pens and mini-cigars are not-so-secretly marketed toward children. California is one of several states that has enacted bans on the sale of... Read More about California Bans on E-Cigarettes and Flavored Tobacco Face Legal Challenges
In a lawsuit filed last week in Santa Clara County Superior Court by the parents of Stanford University student Katie Meyer, the parents accused the university of negligent actions in disciplining their daughter. They say the negligent actions led to their daughter’s death. Meyer was the captain of the University's... Read More about Stanford University Responsible for Soccer Star’s Suicide, Claims Wrongful Death Lawsuit Filed by Parents of Katie Meyer
An Idaho law prohibiting trans athletes from participating on sex-segregated teams is under review by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. Idaho was only the first state to pass a transgender athlete ban, demonstrative of the shifting political landscape regarding trans rights. In 2020, Idaho became the first state in... Read More about Legal Challenge to Idaho’s Transgender Athlete Ban as Similar Laws Permeate Nationwide
New York City Mayor Eric Adams is making national headlines over his latest initiative to combat the needs of homeless individuals throughout the city. Last week, Adams announced his new guidelines titled Mental Health Involuntary Removals. Under this new policy, individuals, mainly those who are homeless, can be involuntarily hospitalized... Read More about NYC Mayor Announces New Directive to Involuntarily Hospitalize Severely Mentally Ill Individuals
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal issued a clarifying opinion that goes beyond what the Supreme Court has ruled about how a jury must weigh a defendant’s failure to testify if a trial judge does not properly instruct the jury about his rights. Although issued as an unpublished opinion, the... Read More about Judge’s Failure to Tell Jurors Not to Draw Negative Inference from Defendant’s Failure to Testify is Harmless Error
As Uvalde families continue to grieve the 21 lives lost on May 28th, just days before the end of the school year, one Uvalde mother is taking her frustration to the courtroom. Sandra Torres, the mother of ten-year-old victim Eliahna Torres, filed a federal lawsuit earlier this week against the... Read More about Uvalde Mother Sues Police Dept., Gun Maker, and Others for “Complete Failure” of School Shooting Response
Although a number of states, including California, have legalized the recreational use of marijuana, many vestiges of prohibition remain. As previously reported in Law Commentary, a new California law aims to rectify at least one: employers firing employees for lighting up on their days off. Currently, employers can still ask... Read More about New California Law: No, What You Smoke at Home is Not Your Boss's Business
A quick trip to the store to pick up a prescription led to a trip in the parking lot for a Georgia woman, and a painful and debilitating trip at that. On December 15, 2020, Lynn Miller, the mayor of Culloden, Georgia (pop. 200) stopped at the CVS pharmacy in... Read More about Parking Lot Pothole Trip and Fall Spells Civil Lawsuit for Georgia CVS Pharmacy
Balenciaga, the international luxury fashion powerhouse, is facing massive controversies for two offensive and tone-deaf ad campaigns, featuring young children with S&M accessories. The company is now suing a production company, North Six, for the work it did in creating one of the ads. The international scandal has two distinct... Read More about Balenciaga, facing global allegations they promoted child exploitation in two series of ad campaigns, is now suing the ad producers
After a spectacular fall from grace, Elizabeth Holmes, the disgraced former founder and CEO of Theranos, was sentenced to 11 years and three months in federal prison for defrauding numerous investors out of almost $1 billion. Ms. Holmes, 38, was convicted on four wire fraud counts due to her deceiving... Read More about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes sentenced to 11 years for defrauding investors
San Francisco Superior Court Judge Andrew Cheng has tentatively approved a $155 million settlement for over 10,000 current and retired prison supervisors throughout the state. The settlement was filed on behalf of employees who argued they were entitled to compensation for tasks and other job duties they performed before and... Read More about California Department of Corrections Reaches $155M Settlement with Prison Guards in 2008 Lawsuit
A San Bernardino County school district has agreed to a $15.75 million settlement with the family of a student who died following an asthma attack while on campus. Thirteen-year-old Adilene Carrasco was a student at Mesa View Middle School in Yucaipa-Calimesa Joint Unified School District when she suffered an asthma... Read More about Yucaipa School District Reaches $15.75M Settlement after Student Dies Following an Asthma Attack