In an unusual case of “he said, she heard,” a maintenance mechanic at Walgreens was dismissed for using the term “wetback” when referring to a fellow employee of Mexican descent. He got fired, then sued for discrimination under California’s Fair Housing and Employment Act. He claimed he was dismissed because... Read More »
The State Bar of California has filed 11 disciplinary charges against John Charles Eastman, one of the chief legal advisors to ex-President Donald J. Trump regarding the outcome of the 2020 U.S. presidential election. The allegations assert that Eastman “engaged in a course of conduct to plan, promote, and assist”... Read More »
When a pet is sick and under the care of veterinarians, the minimum the owner should expect from them is honesty about the animal’s condition. A woman whose service animal, a cat named Dennis, died after her vets repeatedly told her that he was “doing great,” sued the pet’s vets... Read More »
Plagiarism is a major problem in higher education. Students who present the work of others as their own without proper attribution can fail a single assignment or the entire course. But it is not only students who copy the work of others. One professor at a public university in California... Read More »
When a divorced father tried to terminate the child support obligations he was to provide for his 18-year-old daughter who had dropped out of high school, the trial court ruled in his favor. His wife appealed, and now she and her daughter will be able to keep the funds that... Read More »
In 44 B.C., the Roman Republic passed a law that forbade women from wearing togas. In 900 A.D. Chinese women were forced to bind their feet because the Emperor liked them to be “dainty.” In the Middle Ages, dress codes that permitted different attire for different women according to their... Read More »
The male plaintiff and the female defendant met on a dating website. They went out a few times, then the man told the woman to stop contacting him. She didn’t take it well. She kept calling him, so he blocked her number. Then she posted naked pictures of him on... Read More »
How many concessions must companies make to accommodate the religious practices of their employees in order to comply with federal anti-discrimination laws? The U.S. Supreme Court will hear a case this term that may allow the conservative majority to further expand the religious rights of workers, regardless of the hardships... Read More »
Johnnie L. Brown, a cognitively impaired 87-year-old woman, will soon get her day in court because an accelerated trial date “is necessary to prevent prejudicing her interest in the litigation.” An unpublished Memorandum Opinion by Division Five of California’s First District Court of Appeals vacated the ruling against the plaintiff... Read More »
Are recovering alcohol and drug addicts classified as “disabled” parties who qualify for the protections guaranteed by the Fair Housing Act (FHA) and the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)? A California city said no, and the District Court agreed. The Ninth Circuit disagreed, ruled that an incorrect legal standard was... Read More »
When people hear the word “soot,” they most likely associate it with the black, sticky substances that coat fireplaces or barbeque grills when hearth-gathering or cooking activities are over. But “soot,” according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is much more than a nuisance that requires cleaning. It is a... Read More »
The First Amendment’s guarantee of free speech does not protect a volunteer member of a municipal advisory board who was appointed by the city council member who fired her. Because their political views differed, and since she was found to be the “public face” of the board, she could be... Read More »
The COVID-19 pandemic has triggered countless legal issues. Businesses and insurance companies are often right in the middle of them. It is common for companies to claim losses for “property damage” caused by COVID. But the definition of “property damage” and whether insurance policies must cover losses suffered as a... Read More »
Tragically, forced labor is alive and well in the United States of America. A married couple in Stockton, California, posted 47 help-wanted ads on Indian websites, seeking live-in nannies. They misrepresented the salaries, working conditions, and duties the job entailed. At different times, three women from India answered the ads,... Read More »
A man who strangled his ex-wife and then threw her overboard from their cruise ship into the Mediterranean Sea lost an appeal from his conviction for first-degree murder for financial gain. He argued that six pieces of evidence presented at trial should not have been admitted. The appellate court reviewed... Read More »
