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Running for President can get you some major publicity, probably a few free meals, maybe a wardrobe refresh… but one thing we have learned from the 2008 elections is that it cannot get you unfettered use to someone else’s songs. Settling musician Jackson Browne’s copyright claims against GOP Presidential candidate this week, John McCain, the RNC, and the Ohio Republican Party issued a public apology for using Browne’s 1979 tune, ‘Running on Empty’ in an ad campaign without prior permission from the artist....

Legalese might sound like something you’d order at an Italian restaurant, but the word actually describes the specialized language used by lawyers, judges, and maybe even you if you’re ever faced with a legal situation. As one might imagine, there are certainly quite a few obscure legal terms that still find their way into the everyday legal discourse. Our new series Legalese From A to Z is here to help key you in on some of our favorites....

We do our best during the hiring process to screen out potential conflicts and hire staff that we think will get along. That doesn’t always work out. If you’ve had a verbal or physical altercation between employees, you may be wondering what to do next. Here are a few legal considerations if your employees got into a fight. Employee Safety First and foremost, employers must provide a safe working environment for employees....

A Northern California farmer from Tehama County is facing a federal court action seeking nearly $3 million in fines. The federal case is part of the ongoing saga of John Duarte, who is alleged to have damaged federally protected wetlands when he plowed his own field in 2012. The case alleges that Duarte failed to obtain the necessary permits required by the Clean Water Act from the Army Corps of Engineers....

Another year has gone by, and with it, many news laws were passed that will now (or will soon be) effective in 2015. New recreational pot laws will go into effect this year, minimum wages will increase across the country, and even some undocumented workers will have a chance to get legal driver’s licenses. Then of course, there’s the portion of the Obamacare mandate that applies to employers. Check out some of the notable new laws taking effect in 2015:...

Ciena Capital LLC has agreed to settle fraud claims with the United States Department of Justice for $26.3 million. It is alleged that Ciena Capital and a subsidiary submitted false claims for payment on loans which were made through the Small Business Administration. Ciena Capital, LLC has been in bankruptcy since 2008 and the settlement must be approved by the Bankruptcy Court. The United States Department of Justice issued a press release on the settlement stating,...

Martin Stoner, 60, is a musician. He’s also in the midst of suing the non-profit organization Young Concert Artists for age bias. But Stoner is now embarking down a path that some might call ironic. He is arguing that the judge presiding over his case, 88-year-old Manhattan judicial veteran Robert Patterson, is “too old.” Stoner alleges that Judge Patterson is “slow-witted and unable to function.” He also says the judge can “barely see unless he put his face almost on top of a document....

A little cheek swab may not seem like a big deal. After all, many of us readily submit to blood draws, vaccines, flu shots, detailed medical questionnaires, and the like. But the key there is that we submit to those things voluntarily. So, what happens when the state wants to collect your DNA against your will? In California, they already can, as long as you’ve been arrested for or convicted of a felony....

The Small Business Administration (SBA) released its latest scorecard showing that the federal government spent a record $93.3 billion in small business government contracts for the 2008 fiscal year, setting a new record. It reflects a $10 billion increase from the previous fiscal year. The large figure, however, hasn’t managed to impress all small business critics. Why weren’t agencies able to meet the 23% goal? The Small Business Administration (SBA) attributes the average 1....

As might be expected, the number of lawsuits over Toyota vehicles has grown sharply. According to a Bloomberg news report, several different groups of plaintiffs have filed at least 29 suits in California, Texas and South Carolina. It is likely that, as the suits advance and others are filed, the U. S. suits will be combined before one court to oversee the pre-trial discovery process. As of this point, there are also at least 10 lawsuits brought by individuals claiming deaths or injuries caused by the sudden acceleration of vehicles....

Although it may surprise you, the U.S. Postal Service is logging your mail and sharing it with federal law enforcement. And the practice is completely legal. Surprise might be an understatement for what New Yorker Leslie Pickering was feeling last September, when he opened his mail to find a handwritten card instructing postal workers to copy the exterior of his mail before it reached him, reports The New York Times....

Not only are there consumer scams floating around on auction and ad websites like Craigslist, but criminals as well. And as ‘Craigslist Crimes’ keep piling up, local police forces are looking for ways to keep people safe. One way is by using secure Internet purchase exchange locations. The brainchild of Bellingham, Massachusetts police, these safe spots can provide buyers and sellers with some security when it comes to actually exchanging goods and money....

From the Sony hack to Hilary Clinton, work email has been all over the news lately. This may leave many employers wondering how closely they can or should monitor their employees’ emails. In some cases, federal law limits how much an employer can monitor electronic correspondence and protects certain kinds of speech in work emails. Employers need to have a plan in place (and make sure its legal) to keep this workplace convenience from becoming an office catastrophe....

A yacht capsized off Long Island, N.Y., leading to the drowning deaths of three children who’d been watching Fourth of July fireworks. A group of 27 relatives and friends had gathered on the 34-foot yacht to celebrate Independence Day and to enjoy a fireworks show. Tragically, shortly after the fireworks ended about 10 p.m., the yacht capsized as it returned to shore and three children drowned, Reuters reports. Investigators are still trying to determine what caused the yacht to capsize....

The California Supreme Court has ruled on the same-sex marriage case, unanimously finding that supporters of Proposition 8 have a right to defend their cause in court. Proponents of the gay marriage ban had appealed a lower court decision striking down Prop 8 as unconstitutional. But when they appealed to the 9th Circuit, the appellate court questioned whether they had standing (the right to come before the court) to sue....

In August, a federal appeals court ordered California to come up with a plan to reduce its prison population. California submitted a plan that came nowhere near the level of reduction ordered by the court. Now that court has ordered California to come up with a satisfactory plan, or the feds will come in and do it themselves. As previously discussed, in August, a panel of federal judges ordered California to come up with a plan to reduce prison population to a mere 137% of the capacity for which its prisons are designed, within 2 years....

Seeking asylum in the United States is no easy process for adults, let alone for children. 10-year-old Bianka entered the country by herself in 2016, fleeing violence in Honduras and, after being reunited with her mother Gladys, sought a court order giving her mother sole custody. The only problem, according to a family and appeals court? The request didn’t name her father. Despite Bianka’s contentions that her father had effectively abandoned her in Honduras, the courts said they could not issue any custody ruling without joining the father in the litigation....

You thought you were being safe, and now you’re worried about STDs and a pregnancy. If a condom breaks during sex, the last thing from your mind might be a lawsuit. But assuming the broken condom was an accident and not part of birth control sabotage, you may be able to sue for a broken condom. Here’s what that lawsuit may look like and who may be liable: Prophylactic Liability The condoms will likely have a warning or a disclaimer on the package to protect the company against legal action....

September 17 is Citizenship Day and Constitution Day, when Americans celebrate their founding document and those who have become U.S. citizens. Signed on this day in 1787, the Constitution lays out the founding principles of the nation and the parameters for citizenship. So how does one become an American? Some ways are automatic, while others are not so simple. Here are the four paths citizenship: Today is a great day to pause and reflect on the founding document and principles of our nation, and welcome those who want to make it their own....

As society seems to become more accepting of marijuana, the laws around this drug have changed as well. Some states have decriminalized marijuana, while others have actually legalized marijuana (within certain parameters, of course). For example, California recently introduced new cannabis rules and regulations. Trying to Help Their Daughter Due to her autism, Zara is not able to speak and began hitting herself when she was 4 years old. In fact, she would hit herself so severely that it caused her bones to break and brain damage....