Ruling

Supreme Court Rejects Appeal From Illinois Smokers

The Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal from Illinois smokers who sought reinstatement of a $10.1 billion class-action judgment in a long-running lawsuit against Philip Morris. The justices did not comment in leaving in place an Illinois Supreme Court ruling in favor of the cigarette maker. The smokers objected to the participation of state Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier, who they …


Pima County Wins Lawsuit Against State

A Maricopa County Superior Court judge is siding with Pima County in a lawsuit over an effort by the State of Arizona to shift more education taxes onto local taxpayers. Pima County’s lawsuit claims a state budget change last year unconstitutionally forces millions of dollars in education spending that previously had been handled by the state onto Pima County taxpayers. Before Judge Christopher …


Banks Must Defend Libor Lawsuits After Judges Warn of Impact

Sixteen of the world’s largest banks including JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc. must face antitrust lawsuits accusing them of hurting investors who bought securities tied to Libor by rigging an interest-rate benchmark, a ruling that an appeals court warned could devastate them. The appellate judges reversed a lower-court ruling on one issue — whether the investors had adequately claimed …


Judge Says Bridgewater State Hospital Lawsuit Should Move Forward

A Superior Court judge has allowed a lawsuit against the state to proceed on grounds that conditions at troubled Bridgewater State Hospital may violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act, a ruling that underscores the controversial use of seclusion and restraints at the facility. The lawsuit, filed by the families of three former Bridgewater patients, claims that officials discriminate …


Apple Loses Trademark Lawsuit Over ‘iPhone’ Name in China

The ruling comes as Apple’s latest quarterly earnings showed a 13 per cent drop in revenue as sales of iPhones. Apple Inc has lost a trademark lawsuit in China, with a court here allowing a leather goods- maker to sell wallets and handbags flashing the world’s biggest technology giant’s exclusive ‘iPhone’ name. The Beijing Municipal High People’s Court ruled in favour of Xintong Tiandi …


Gannett Must Face Video Privacy Lawsuit

Gannett may have violated a video privacy law by allegedly sending Adobe information about people who downloaded USA Today’s app, a federal appellate court has ruled. The court’s ruling, issued Friday, reinstates a potential class-action lawsuit filed by Massachusetts resident Alexander Yershov. He alleged in a 2014 complaint that the USA Today app for Android violates the Video Privacy …



Flint Residents’ Class Action Lawsuit Thrown Out

Gov. Rick Snyder says he visited a Flint home Monday and filled three one-gallon jugs with filtered tap water. (Photo credit Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press)
By Matthew Dolan, Detroit Free Press
The legal reasoning used by a judge to toss a federal lawsuit seeking damages connected to the Flint water crisis may threaten other pending cases, according to a lawyer connected to the case.


Lyft’s $12.25 Million Settlement With Its Drivers Has Been Rejected

A California judge issued a preliminary ruling Thursday rejecting Lyft’s $12.25 million settlement with some of its drivers. US District Judge Vince Chhabria said the settlement amount would have “shortchanged” drivers, according to Reuters. “We’re disappointed in the preliminary ruling.”


U.S. Top Court Rejects Wal-Mart, Wells Fargo Class Action Appeals

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected two corporate challenges in class action cases, refusing to hear bids by Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT.N) and Wells Fargo & Co to throw out large judgments against them. Wal-Mart had sought to get rid of a $187 million class action judgment over the retailer’s treatment of workers in Pennsylvania.