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Businesses can generally reserve the right to refuse service. But this can get complicated depending on who you’re refusing service to. So, what about refusing service to Nazis? While there is no federal prohibition against refusing service to a customer based upon political or social beliefs, businesses need to be wary of these beliefs being tied to religion or ethnicity. The federally protected classes include: race, sex, age, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, genetic information, and veteran status....

The former Miss California USA may have to repay $5,200 that she borrowed for her breast implants. State pageant officials for the state of California say that they loaned the money to Ms. Prejean for the medical procedure in order to be more competitive for the Miss USA pageant. The repayment demand came in response to a lawsuit filed by Ms. Prejean where she claims that pageant officials violated her medical privacy by leaking to reporters that her breasts were augmented and that they paid for it....

While chlorine can be considered a household product, and is frequently used in swimming pools and cleaning products, it’s dangerous stuff. In fact, chlorine gas is so dangerous, it was used as a chemical weapon during WWI. Chlorine is responsible for countless injuries every year, some of which are fatal. Though most of the injuries only amount to skin irritations or burns, chlorine gas can result in fatal explosions, and severe respiratory injuries....

The long arm of the law meets the eye in the sky. The Franklin County Sheriff’s office in southern Washington announced it has two new “officers” on the force: drones with thermal imaging cameras. And they couldn’t be more fired up about it. “It’s really amazing the kind of technology you can get these days,” Detective Joshua Dennis told Pasco’s KEPR. “We’re ecstatic. We can’t wait to get out and use them....

Happily married couples often have a mutually beneficial and comprehensive estate plan. This usually includes wills that give some or all of a deceased’s property to a surviving spouse; trusts that list a spouse as a beneficiary; insurance policies and IRAs with survivorship; and durable powers of attorney. But what happens when that marriage is no longer happy? After divorce, will all these documents still be valid? It depends on your state....

Two lawmakers say it’s shoot or be shot, and they’re carrying guns for protection in the aftermath of the Arizona shooting that killed a federal judge and has left Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in critical condition. In addition to the congresswoman shooting, three other people were killed and 14 more were wounded. Reps. Jason Chaffetz, R-Utah, and Heath Shuler, D-N.C., a former Washington Redskins quarterback, announced that they were arming themselves at public events according to Politico....

According to the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, only 70 percent of recalled vehicles ever get the necessary repairs. Sometimes, owners ignore recalls. Sometimes, owners never get recall letters. Often, people buy cars used and don’t know that the cars were recalled. The law does not require owners to notify subsequent buyers of recalls on their cars. Ultimately, the responsibility to check for recall rests with the current owner of the car....

It’s the old chicken or the egg question with a caffeine infused, malt-liquor twist. Which came first? The widespread abuse of Four Loko, or calls to ban it? In other words, does the bad press actually make Four Loko more popular with young people? Four Loko, in case you haven’t heard, is an alcoholic beverage that contains a mixture of caffeine and alcohol and has been linked to a number of young adults getting very drunk, as well as one possible death....

The jury has been seated for El Chapo’s long awaited drug trafficking and conspiracy trial, set to begin next week in a Brooklyn federal court room. During the summer, over a thousand people received questionnaires, kicking off the beginning of jury selection. The week began with a field of 74 potential jurors, and in two days, the final twelve were chosen. And so it begins! This summer, random potential jurors residing in New York’s Eastern District received a questionnaire....

Public health advocates hope they can continue to rely on support from Kansas Governor Mark Parkinson to boost their ongoing campaign for a statewide public smoking ban. During his most recent annual State of the State address, Gov. Mark Parkinson gave his endorsement of a strong statewide public smoking ban. The Kansas Health Institute reported that Gov. Mark Parkinson’s supported such a measure, defending it as not a radical idea, and noting the many states that have enacted similar bans....

Welcome back to Legalese From A to Z, our series highlighting the meanings behind legal terms that may not be familiar to non-lawyers. Legalese describes the specialized language of the legal profession – in other words, things only lawyers would say. With the help of FindLaw’s Legal Dictionary, let’s take a closer look at five of these terms that begin with the letter “G”: Garnishment. Garnishment is a device used by creditors to attach the property or wages of a debtor to repay a debt....

Patrick Beadle, a 46-year-old father of two, was sentenced to eight years in prison, without the possibility of parole, for possessing nearly three pounds of medicinal marijuana. He was pulled over for allegedly crossing a double-yellow line, and police found the weed during a routine search. In Mississippi, possessing between one and five kilograms of marijuana carries a penalty between six and 24 years in jail and up to a $500,000 fine....

A new 9/11 lawsuit has been filed by Lloyd’s Syndicate 3500, a London-based insurance company also known as “Lloyd’s of London,” in Western Pennsylvania. The federal lawsuit alleges a causal link between the government of Saudi Arabia and the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Saudi Arabia financed and provided support to the terrorist attacks, according to the insurance company, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports. Also listed among the defendants are some Saudi banks and charities....

Smile for the camera! Unfortunately, I am referring to a very unwanted photographer – the dreaded red light camera that captures drivers crossing the line only to find a sizeable ticket with their picture attached weeks later in their mailbox. Red light cameras are an increasingly popular form of enforcement, especially in major cities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. The cameras, which cost over $1 million a year to keep in operation, often carry tickets over $500 for violators....

Crestor, the cholesterol drug made by AstraZeneca, does not significantly reduce the heart problems of patients who are on dialysis, according to research released today. Crestor (rosuvastatin calcium) is a statin drug, meaning that it lowers “bad” cholesterol and triglycerides, and raises “good” cholesterol in the blood. Crestor is made by AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals LP, and was approved by the FDA in 2003. But Crestor’s safety history is not without controversy. In March 2005, the FDA issued an alert on reports of serious muscle damage in patients taking statin drugs, and Crestor’s labeling was revised to warn of that risk....

The SunTrust Bank robbery streak came to an end as police arrested a person who is suspected be involved in six bank robberies during the past 8 months. James Milton Earquhart, 50, has been charged with six counts of robbery after allegedly managing to take more than $180,000 from SunTrust and Wachovia banks. In addition, he was charged with attempted murder and assault with the intent to kill, newsobserver.com reports....

The widely-prescribed painkillers Vicodin and Percocet could be banned in the U.S., if the FDA follows the recommendations of a panel of medical experts that met earlier this week. The advisory panel assembled on Monday and Tuesday to evaluate the health risks of over-the-counter and prescription medications containing acetaminophen, and to recommend a course of action that might reduce health problems associated with these products – specifically, the incidence of liver damage caused by high doses of acetaminophen....

Have you seen the footage of Minnesota’s Metrodome collapsing? It’s pretty powerful stuff. The Minnesota dome collapse left Minnesota Vikings fans upset and over something not involving Brett Favre for a change. The Vikings-Giants game was moved to a neutral field where the stadium has not collapsed: Ford Field in Detroit. But what about the larger questions of potential and actual legal liability? It seems that despite the freakish nature of the roof collapse, it was not a completely freak incident....

Over the last few decades, most courts have begun requiring parties to attempt mediation, or other forms of alternative dispute resolution (ADR), at various stages in the litigation process. The mediation process is very effective at resolving disputes as it forces the parties to realistically evaluate their positions, then, weigh that against the risk of success. So if mediation talks break down or one party wants out, what happens next? Below you’ll find some important information on what to do after a mediation session fails....

Summer is almost here and many of us are already planning our outdoor expeditions. Safety first is the rule for any hiking or camping trip, but unfortunately not all backcountry injuries can be avoided. So what happens if you’re injured while hiking or camping this summer? If the injuries weren’t your fault, could someone else be liable? On Tour If you’re injured while part of a tour group or organized expedition, you may have a claim against the tour company....