Legal News

Judge Temporarily Halts NC Medicaid Expansion Effort

RALEIGH — A federal judge late Saturday temporarily blocked the U.S. government from quickly approving any proposal by North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper designed to expand Medicaid coverage to potentially hundreds of thousands of uninsured people through President Barack Obama’s signature health care law. The order issued by U.S. District Judge Louise Flanagan came a day after Republican …


Judge Rules VW Must Face U.S. Investor Lawsuit Over Diesel Scandal

Volkswagen AG and former Chief Executive Officer Martin Winterkorn must defend an investor lawsuit in California over the company’s diesel emissions cheating scandal, a U.S. judge has ruled. The plaintiffs, mostly U.S. municipal pension funds, have accused VW of not having informed the market in a timely fashion about the issue as well as understating possible financial liabilities, according …



Appeals Court Grants Injunction by Angie’s List Against Former Workers

The State Court of Appeals granted part of an injunction Tuesday by Angie’s List against three of the company’s former workers. Angie’s List accused the workers of taking confidential information to HomeAdvisor, a rival company. Angie’s List wanted the confidential information back and did not want the former workers to be employed by HomeAdvisor.


Lawsuit Before Minnesota Supreme Court Tests Routine Housing Inspections

Rental licensing rules adopted by cities across Minnesota will be tested Wednesday when the state’s highest court hears arguments on whether landlords and tenants can block routine city housing inspections. The case, stemming from a Golden Valley dispute, tests the balance between privacy and a government’s responsibility to regulate health and safety. It has attracted the attention of a wide …


Judge Dismisses Lawsuit Against Philadelphia Soda Tax

A Philadelphia judge on Monday dismissed the beverage industry’s legal effort to block the city’s planned tax on sugary and sweetened drinks, clearing the way for the levy to take effect Jan. 1. The president of the Pennsylvania Food Merchants Association, one of the plaintiffs in the lawsuit, said the industry coalition fighting the tax would appeal the ruling. But stores are getting ready for …


Ohio’s High Court Dismisses Media Lawsuit Over Bodycam Video

The Ohio Supreme Court dismissed a public information lawsuit Tuesday without ruling on its argument that video from police body cameras are public record and should be released on request. In not taking up the issue, the court noted that the video had already been released — two days after news organizations requested the footage in the July 19, 2015, traffic stop and fatal shooting of a black …


South Carolina Court of Appeals Rules on Jury Trials and Class Action Waivers in Master Deeds

The South Carolina Court of Appeals has offered insight into its opinion on the issue of whether a developer may contractually create and enforce jury trial and class action waivers in a master deed. The Court’s position is good news for developers and those who represent them. [i] In The Gates at Williams-Brice Condominium Association and Katharine Swinson, individually, and on behalf of all …


Data Breach Harm Standard May Head to SCOTUS in ‘17

Companies facing data breaches grapple with lack of clear harm standard for consumer class actions   Breach harm standing has potential to reach U.S. Supreme Court in 2017 Dec. 5 — Hacking attacks, lax data security and rampant cybercrime create risks for corporations, including consumer lawsuits stemming from large-scale data breaches. Plaintiffs have lined up at courthouse doors for years, …


Judge Certifies $600M Lawsuit for Mentally Ill Inmates Allegedly Mistreated

The decision opens door for “tens of thousands” of federal inmates to get paid for alleged mistreatment Rioux added that segregation — the term the government uses for solitary confinement — is a legally available tool that is used to “manage risk,” either to the inmate or staff, and is not a punitive measure. She said there are ongoing reviews of an inmate’s placement in solitary confinement, …