USA Archive - Law Commentary

A woman helps a young boy put on a protective face mask outdoors.

Parents and Kids Lose as Appellate Court Reinstates Florida’s Mask Mandate Ban for Schools

Using strictly procedural reasoning, Florida’s First District Court of Appeals thwarted the latest attempt to stop the state’s governor from disallowing mask mandates to protect school children from the deadly, raging coronavirus. This is the latest move in a despicable chess game being played between the governor, parents, school boards,... Read More about Parents and Kids Lose as Appellate Court Reinstates Florida’s Mask Mandate Ban for Schools

Missing person poster for Gabby Petito displaying her photo and details about her disappearance.

Body Believed to Be Gabby Petito Found, Fiancé Brian Laundrie Still Missing

Authorities are confirming that a body matching the description of missing 22-year-old Gabby Petito was found in Bridger-Teton National Forest in Wyoming early Sunday. This is the same area where Petitio was last seen after a cross-country adventure with her fiancé Brian Laundrie. The latest development comes amid a massive... Read More about Body Believed to Be Gabby Petito Found, Fiancé Brian Laundrie Still Missing

A close-up of a person in an orange prison jumpsuit holding onto prison bars.

Three Florida Residents Charged With Violating Iran Sanction Laws

Three Florida residents have been charged with allegedly breaking Iran sanction rules after they exported scientific equipment to the country and received large sums of money from international wire transfers. Mohammad Faghihi, 52, his wife Farzeneh Modarresi, 53, and his sister Faezeh Faghihi, 50, were the perpetrators in the scheme.... Read More about Three Florida Residents Charged With Violating Iran Sanction Laws

A colorful birthday cake with lit candles and vibrant sprinkles against a light blue background.

Insults about Birthday Cake Don’t Qualify for Public Issue Exemption under California Law

The icing on the cake led to a lawsuit when a couple didn’t approve of the design on a special cake they ordered for their seven-year-old son’s birthday. Nasty Instagram postings and podcasts full of foul language by the birthday boy’s father led to a lawsuit by the bakery and... Read More about Insults about Birthday Cake Don’t Qualify for Public Issue Exemption under California Law

An image of a smartphone screen displaying various app icons, with the Facebook app prominently featured in blue.

Armed with 50% More Data, U.S. Refiles Monopoly Case Against Facebook

After a federal judge threw out an original Federal Trade Commission (F.T.C.) case against Facebook in June, brought by forty states, that accused the platform of being a monopoly, the F.T.C. came out swinging on Thursday. Led by the new F.T.C. chair Lina Khan, the refiled federal suit now contains... Read More about Armed with 50% More Data, U.S. Refiles Monopoly Case Against Facebook

Industrial facility with pipes and towers, associated with Formosa Plastics Corp. in Texas.

Texas Plastics Company to Pay $3 Million after Violating Clean Air Act

Formosa Plastics Corp., a Texas-based plastics company, has agreed to pay almost $3 million in civil penalties. The payout comes after the Department of Justice announced that the company violated the Clean Air Act. In addition to the fine, the company has also agreed to revamp its risk management program... Read More about Texas Plastics Company to Pay $3 Million after Violating Clean Air Act

Social Security disability form with a Social Security card in the foreground.

How Does the Social Security Administration Define Disability

The Social Security Administration (SSA) defines the term “disability” as the “inability to engage in any substantial gainful activity (SGA) by reason of any medically determinable physical or mental impairment(s) which can be expected to result in death or which has lasted or can be expected to last for a... Read More about How Does the Social Security Administration Define Disability

A GPS tracking device used in a legal case involving electronic tracking of a co-owner's vehicle.

Court Says It’s OK to for Co-Owner of Car to Use Electronic Device to Track Estranged Wife

A vague section in the California Penal Code led to the reversal of a man’s conviction for using an electronic device to track the movements of his estranged wife. The Code did not specify whether this kind of sleuthing activity is permissible when both the man and the woman he... Read More about Court Says It’s OK to for Co-Owner of Car to Use Electronic Device to Track Estranged Wife

Three Black men stand in front of a sign for Pitts Chemical, highlighting their involvement in a lawsuit against Pitts Farm Partnership for alleged wage discrimination.

Lawsuit Claims Mississippi Favored White Foreign Workers Over Black Local Workers

A Mississippi farm is in the middle of a lawsuit after six Black workers alleged they were paid lower wages than white workers who were hired on through the work visa H-2A program. The lawsuit filed by the Mississippi Center for Justice explains that the farm, Pitts Farm Partnership, violated... Read More about Lawsuit Claims Mississippi Favored White Foreign Workers Over Black Local Workers

Exterior of the Eli Lilly corporate building with a sign displaying the company name and address.

Pharma Co. Eli Lilly Hiring Practices Favor Millennials in Class Action Lawsuit

Plaintiffs allege drugmaker discriminated against older workers with a stated quota to hire more millennials as sales reps. Drugmaker Eli Lilly and Co is at the center of a class-action lawsuit after two one-time job applicants filed a complaint last week that argues the company unfairly discriminated against older workers.... Read More about Pharma Co. Eli Lilly Hiring Practices Favor Millennials in Class Action Lawsuit

Two men standing outdoors, one in a suit with a serious expression and the other in the background.

Tallahassee Businessman Scott Maddox Sentenced to Five Years for Federal Corruption

The former mayor and city commissioner of Tallahassee, Scott Maddox, along with business partner and longtime girlfriend Paige Carter-Smith, learned their fate last week after their role in a deeply-rooted bribery scheme that plagued the local government. Maddox had been a long-time political figure in the city, and Carter-Smith had... Read More about Tallahassee Businessman Scott Maddox Sentenced to Five Years for Federal Corruption

A smiling man with glasses and a gray shirt, standing outdoors with greenery in the background.

Former NY Union Boss Sentenced to Five Years for Membership Bribes

The former president of a New York Carpenters Union has been sentenced to 60 months behind bars for his role in a scheme that allowed new members to join the Union in exchange for cash bribes. Salvatore Tagliaferro was the former president of the Local 926 chapter of the Carpenters... Read More about Former NY Union Boss Sentenced to Five Years for Membership Bribes

A man working in an ice cream shop, handling equipment.

Former NY Ice Cream Shop Owner First to Be Fined Under New ‘Karen Law’

A former New York ice cream shop owner is the first individual to pay a fine under a new law dubbed the “Karen Law.” This new bill which was signed into law in June of last year requires individuals who make false or racially biased calls to the police to... Read More about Former NY Ice Cream Shop Owner First to Be Fined Under New ‘Karen Law’

A healthcare worker prepares a COVID-19 vaccine at a vaccination site.

LA’s First Responders Fight City’s Vaccine Mandate

When emergencies strike, first responders are immediately called on to help those in need. The job descriptions of police officers and firefighters mandate contact with people whose health conditions cannot be determined before their lives are saved. It would be logical to assume these brave individuals would want protection from... Read More about LA’s First Responders Fight City’s Vaccine Mandate

Two Florida teenagers arrested for allegedly plotting a school shooting.

Two Florida Teens Arrested for Allegedly Plotting School Shooting

Two Florida teenagers have been arrested after allegedly trying to pull off a school shooting at a middle school near Fort Myers. Their plot was foiled after a teacher at Harns Marsh Middle School in Lehigh Acres notified the school resource officer and the school’s administration about a tip concerning... Read More about Two Florida Teens Arrested for Allegedly Plotting School Shooting