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Bruce Windsor, a former deacon and family man from South Carolina, allegedly resorted to bank robbery in the face of rising financial difficulties, reports the AP. Alarmingly, Windsor’s case may simply be a reflection of an ongoing trend of rising violence and crime during the recession, too. His family had difficulty comprehending his long fall: “This is something Bruce has never done,” his sister Lisa Weaver told a judge in the case, “The only thing I can think of is he must’ve just snapped under the pressure....

Sick workers can be a huge liability to the health and productivity of an entire company. But can an employer force sick employees to go home? Working while sick is a common issue for many businesses, especially as the cold and flu season ramps up. A recent Staples survey found that “nearly 90 percent of office workers” showed up to work even when they knew they were contagious, The Huffington Post reports....

Last month, the first ever wrongful death lawsuit was filed against a maker of marijuana edibles, blaming a cannabis candy for a husband’s shooting of his wife. The claim is being called a long shot by legal experts, reports the Los Angeles Times. But it is also indicative of what is likely to come as marijuana transitions from an illegal drug to legitimacy. Let’s consider it. In April, 2014 police in Denver, Colorado received a call from Kristine Kirk, whose husband was reportedly freaking out about the apocalypse and begging her to shoot him....

A charter bus driver stood guard and even facilitated a FAMU band member’s hazing-related beating death, a lawsuit claims. Robert Champion, 26, of Atlanta, a drum major with Florida A&M University’s famous “Marching 100,” died after brutal beatings linked to hazing rituals on a charter bus in November, the Orlando Sentinel reports. No one has been criminally charged. But it wasn’t just other FAMU band members who had hands in Champion’s death, the lawsuit by his parents claims....

Popular retail chain Forever 21 is being sued by some former and current retail employees. The California class action suit claims that workers were not properly compensated for the company’s employee bag checks. The named plaintiffs also claim that the store routinely made them work off the clock. Routine bag checks were utilized for many employees, according to the complaint. The workers claim that the bag checks were a part of their employment....

The accidental death of a three-year-old child at a Head Start program in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, has prompted a $10 million lawsuit. The lawsuit alleges that the death could have been prevented with the exercise of reasonable, ordinary care. The young child was playing in a gymnasium, near a wall where decades-old retractable lunch tables affixed to the wall were folded up. Without warning, the incredibly heavy tables came loose, opened up, and in the process, crushed the three-year-old child....

A class action lawsuit has been filed against the manufacturer of CT brain scan equipment G.E. Healthcare; because of radiation overdose during routine CT perfusion scans. This lawsuit comes right at the heels of an FDA press release that reveals that 206 patients in Los Angeles were exposed to a radiation overdose up to eight times more than expected. The Huntsville Times in Alabama reports that the class action lawsuit was filed in Alabama because some of the patients exposed to the radiation overdose were treated in Huntsville Hospital....

It’s time to move out of your apartment. You throw a going away party and pack your things. But then you find out your landlord automatically renewed your lease. Can she do that? Are there any lease laws that prohibit automatic renewal? Landlord-tenant law varies by state but there are some generalized rules that most jurisdictions tend to follow. Here is a rundown of some important lease and rental laws that all tenants should be aware of:...

You may have seen recent posts on this blog and others regarding the First Amendment lawsuits stemming from postings students have made on Facebook. Depending on the various facts of the cases, courts have come to the conclusion that some of this speech is protected under the First Amendment and some is not. Now, according to a report by the Pocono Record, an East Stroudsburg University sociology professor was put on administrative leave for her posting on Facebook....

This isn’t your parents’ employer-employee relationship. In just the latest signal that what we consider the “workplace” is ever-evolving, a new survey of workers in the U.S. and five European countries found that 20 to 30 percent of the workforce engages in independent work. And not all of them are doing it by choice. While some of us are happy to take on some side projects, others must cobble together enough independent work to make ends meet....

As the upcoming 9/11 trials in New York City draw near, many residents say NIMBY (Not In My Back Yard) and urge the U.S. Justice Department to move the venue. New York City business and community leaders say the trials should not take place in the federal courthouse in lower Manhattan. Even NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg agreed. According the Associated Press, Mayor Bloomberg recently told federal officials he would be “very happy” if the trial was moved....

Fore! Of course the case before the New York court that clarified this law was more complicated than that summary. Isn’t it always? The case, between two friends (who both also happen to be doctors), ended in more than bumps and bruises as the plaintiff was rendered blind after being hit in the eye by his friend’s errant golf ball. The dueling doctors got into a heated legal battle. One duffer argued that golfers assume the risk of being hit by golf balls on the links....

Immigration law and the lack of H1-B visas prevent many foreign nationals from settling down and getting jobs in the United States. Now, there might be a solution: Blueseed, a Silicon Valley startup, is in the process of raising funds to create a “Googleplex of the sea.” Confused? Broken down, Blueseed’s idea is relatively simple. In order to avoid all the hassle of obtaining visas for immigrant workers, they hope to raise enough funds to send off a massive, floating ship into international waters off the coast near San Francisco....

Online ammo retailers have been slapped with a lawsuit over their alleged liability in the Aurora, Colorado, movie theater shooting in 2012. The Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence announced in a press release Tuesday that it was filing suit against websites “that supplied Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes with ammunition, body armor, tear gas, and other equipment used in his assault.” The non-profit and relatives of one of Holmes’ victims joined in court to charge these websites with negligently supplying the murder suspect with his armaments....

The Philadelphia cop who struck a woman at the Puerto Rican Day Parade will be fired at the end of his 30-day suspension. Lieutenant Jonathan Josey received his notice Wednesday with reporters standing by. Josey became infamous on Sunday for a video that shows him hitting a woman in the face during the parade. She is seen spraying silly string near police and then a man nearby threw liquid at the cop, reports CNN....

Maryland pit bull owners will now be liable for attacks by their dogs, the Maryland Court of Appeals ruled. The decision stemmed from a 2009 pit bull mauling case in the state. A 4-year-old boy in Prince George’s county was critically injured after a pit bull attacked him. Though he survived, the assault caused severe damage to his face and one of his eyes. And after a lengthy court battle, it looks like he and his family have won....

Businesses small and large are always engaged in the struggle of attracting top talent. While health insurance, foosball tables, and fancy automated coffee machines may please some of the employees some of the time, to attract and keep top talent, offering more fringe benefits is often key. For employers seeking a more mature workforce, one of the most lucrative fringe benefits that can be provided is subsidized, or even on-site, daycare....

A legal guardian is someone appointed by a court to make important life decisions on behalf of another person. That person is often is child, elderly, or otherwise incapacitated who is unable to make those decisions on their own. Guardianships can be complicated, depending on the circumstances under which they are established, and can include decisions from simple life necessities like food and clothing to more complex medical or financial choices....

As we wrote about in a previous post in Injured, Toyota has recalled over 3.8 million cars over consumer complaints of sudden acceleration. As a result of the recalls, a class action lawsuit was filed against the car maker. The complaint set forth by the plaintiffs states that the problem is actually caused by a faulty electronic throttle system called ETCS-i. There was a fail safe mechanism in place in cars older than 2001 but that mechanism is not present in newer vehicles....

As discussed in a post on FindLaw’s Common Law blog, the FSIS and the Campbell Soup company announced a recall today of quite literally a ton of Spaghetti Os. Unfortunately for lovers of kid’s comfort food everywhere, 15,000,000 pounds of the canned noodle and meat meals were recalled due to possible underprocessing. According to a report from Reuters, the possibly underprocessed meat could reach consumers and cause illness. Campbell Spokesman Anthony Sanzio admitted that consumers who ate any underprocessed meatballs could experience the not too comforting symptoms of nausea or vomiting and possible other gastrointestinal issues....