City

LA Paying $200M to Settle Lawsuit Over Disabled Housing

Los Angeles agreed Tuesday to spend at least $200 million over a decade to provide thousands of apartments for people with disabilities. The City Council voted 12-0 to settle a federal lawsuit by several advocacy groups. They alleged the city’s redevelopment agency violated anti-discrimination laws by paying for affordable housing projects that weren’t accessible to those who …


Eleventh Circuit Affirms Dissolution of Class Action Consent Decree Due to Plaintiffs’ Inaction

Seyfarth Synopsis: After the City of Jacksonville stopped following a class action consent decree that required it to hire a proportionate number of black and white firefighters, the U.S. Court of Appeal for the Eleventh Circuit affirmed the district court’s denial of the motion and dissolution of the consent decree on the grounds that the plaintiffs waiting fifteen years to bring their show …


Baltimore Settles Suit Alleging Unlawful Ticket Fees at Royal Farms Arena for $420K

Baltimore’s spending board is expected on Wednesday to settle a class-action lawsuit alleging the city-owned Royal Farms Arena charged concertgoers unlawful ticket fees. The proposed $420,000 cash settlement would end a two-year fight over the suit brought by John G. Bourgeois of Perry Hall. Bourgeois alleged that the city received illegal “user” or “convenience” fees from tickets sold through …


Lafayette City Marshal Back in Court Over Public Records Lawsuit, Invokes the Fifth Amendment

The Independent’s ongoing public records lawsuit against Lafayette City Marshal Brian Pope is back in court this week, with the publication seeking more records they assert may link the marshal to political activity during the sheriff’s election. Pope faces five felony counts of perjury and misuse of public funds after records unearthed through the lawsuit revealed he used his public office to …


South Jersey Police Sergeant Alleges Retaliation in Lawsuit

A Millville police sergeant has filed a lawsuit against the city’s police department alleging that he was retaliated against for pursuing an Internal Affairs investigation into a fellow officer. The Daily Journal of Vineland reports Detective Sgt. Brian Starcher filed the lawsuit against Millville police, the city government and a series of “John Does” earlier this month in Cumberland County …


Navajo Nation Wants Mormon Church Lawsuit in Tribal Court

The Navajo Nation wants a lawsuit against the Mormon Church over the alleged sexual abuse of four Navajo children heard in tribal court. The Salt Lake Tribune reports that the tribe’s attorneys filed a motion Friday asking a federal judge in Salt Lake City to dismiss the suit until after it goes through tribal proceedings. According to the motion, the attorneys argue that …


About Portland: Lawsuit Asks City to Confront History of Racism

“This is a case about unconscionable, illegal conduct creating insurmountable obstacles to success of black club owners, clubs catering to black people and clubs offering entertainment and playing music appealing to black people.” That’s how a lawsuit filed on behalf of Donna Thames against the City of Portland starts. Thames owned Exotica, a gentlemen’s club, from 2010-2015. She says she would …


Dozens of New York Officials Support Tenants’ Lawsuit Over Rent Stabilization

More than three dozen New York officials stepped into a high-profile court battle over rent stabilization yesterday, filing a brief on behalf of tenants who have sued their Lower Manhattan landlord, claiming they were denied rent caps that should have been guaranteed under a state tax program. The fight between residents of 90 West Street and developer Kibel Companies, which ProPublica first …


Attorneys Fees Ruling Comes in ‘hot Fuel’ Case

Attorneys who represented consumers in “hot fuel” class-action cases — contending overcharges for gasoline that expands in the heat — should receive $18.9 million for their legal work, a federal judge in Kansas ruled this week. The decision comes after earlier still-contested settlements in the case, where some companies agreed in early 2015 to give station owners $23 million to fix their fuel …


Biloxi to Join Lawsuit Seeking More Oil Spill Money

Biloxi plans to join a class-action lawsuit against other companies besides BP that were involved in the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill. The Sun Herald reports that the City Council on Tuesday hired attorneys to file a claim in a class-action lawsuit under the HESI/Transocean Settlement Program.