An atheist group and a Tennessee sheriff have reached a settlement in a lawsuit over the latter’s Easter-themed message on Facebook this March, the Cleveland [Tenn.] Banner reported on Friday. The plaintiffs will be paid $15,000 in damages and their attorneys will recoup $26,000 in legal fees, paid out by a lawsuit-insurance fund paid into by local taxpayers, the newspaper noted. The …
Three journalists who reported on the 2014 Ferguson riots for Al-Jazeera America filed suit Monday against St. Charles County and three police officers, claiming personal injuries and violations of their constitutional rights. The suit by Ash-har Quraishi, Marla Cichowski and Sam Winslade in U.S. District Court in St. Louis names St. Charles County, Deputy Michael Anderson of the …
The siblings of quadruple-murder suspect Nicolas Holzer filed a lawsuit in Santa Barbara County Superior Court last week aiming to prevent him from inheriting property or other assets from the trust of his deceased parents, whom he is accused of killing. Holzer faces four murder charges for allegedly murdering his parents and his two children: William Charles Holzer, 73, Sheila Garard Holzer, …
King County’s paltry pay for people serving on jury duty discriminates against low-income residents, namely those of color, according to a class-action lawsuit filed Monday. For defendants to be tried by a jury of their true peers, the lawsuit argues, all residents must have the chance to serve as a juror without sacrificing income.
Family members of a Milwaukee man who died at the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex in Wauwatosa four years ago have filed a federal lawsuit. The Milwaukee County district attorney rules that the death of a patient at the county mental health complex was not criminal. Brandon Johnson died at the facility in October 2012.
A group of advocacy organizations filed a federal lawsuit against Gwinnett County Monday over district lines and at-large voting, claiming the voting method prevents minority voters from being able to elect candidates of their choosing. The suit argues that no minority has ever been elected to the county’s Board of Commissioners and Board of Education.
California’s Second District Court of Appeals ruled against the California Highway Patrol this week in a case addressing how the law enforcement agency classifies the arrests of people who are then released without being charged. The class-action lawsuit was brought by John Schmidt, who was arrested by the CHP in 2011 on suspicion of driving under the influence, was booked into the Santa …
A Westmoreland County man is suing WTAE-TV and its parent company, Hearst Stations Inc., as well as reporter Marcie Cipriani, claiming his reputation was damaged by a news story concerning a marijuana arrest. The suit, filed in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court in June but removed to federal court last week, claims that a video report and a subsequent online version of it have damaged the …
Three groups representing minorities and civil rights interests are suing Gwinnett County in federal court, arguing the Board of Commissioners and Board of Education districts violate federal voting law. The Georgia NAACP, the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials and the Lawyer’s Committee for Civil Rights Under Law filed the lawsuit Monday morning. The groups are accusing the county …
After losing a second ballot recount this week costing him nearly $15,000, Councilman Manh Nguyen filed a lawsuit to overturn the results of the June election that handed him a narrow defeat — a case experts say will be tough to win. But the incumbent councilman, who’s been in office a little more than a year, is not giving up. His attorney claims the June 7 primary election was …