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Santonio Holmes of the Pittsburgh Steelers was arraigned yesterday on a misdemeanor marijuana charge stemming from an incident in October of last year, reports the AP. The Superbowl MVP was represented at the hearing by his attorney, Robert DelGreco Jr., who indicated that he will be filing a motion to suppress evidence challenging the constitutionality of the traffic stop. If the motion were to be successful, it could make the drug evidence found during the traffic stop inadmissible in court against Holmes (quite possibly killing the prosecution’s case)....

Nine Sacramento, Calif., condo tenants are suing over an armed foreclosure eviction, Courthouse News Service reports. The residents claim guards working for Paladin Protection Services burst into their homes at 3 a.m. armed with Tasers. Tenants were still in their underwear when guards forced them into the street. The security staff occupied the building for about two hours before leaving, residents said. In addition to Tasers, the private security officers also allegedly threatened tenants with arrest and accused them of being squatters....

When you’re in the hospital, you entrust your care to nurses, doctors, and other staff. It’s their job to do what they can to restore your health, ease your pain, and treat your symptoms. In many ways, you put our life in their hands and trust that whatever substance they’re pumping into the IV or pill they’re having you swallow will help you in one way or another. That’s why the news of a Texas nurse charged with a patient’s murder is so jarring....

If you have a service-related disability, you may be eligible for disability compensation from the VA. But the application process can be complicated and may require extensive documentation for your claim. Here are a few facts on the disability benefits and tips on the filing process. Disability benefits are available to veterans who have injuries sustained while on active duty or diseases that were contracted or made worse by active military service....

Every boss can use a few tips when it comes to firing employees. Through booms and busts, profits and losses, the discomfort that comes with terminating an employee rarely subsides. Fortunately, there are a few steps you can take to help prepare for a termination meeting and prevent a simmering ex-employee lawsuit. Here are our Top 10 legal tips for firing an employee: Set the appropriate tone for the meeting. The key is to strike a tone of being understanding and empathetic....

The widow of the Austin area IRS agent killed last week is suing the widow of the man who killed her husband. Valerie Hunter’s husband, Vernon Hunter, was killed last week when angry Andrew Joseph Stack III flew his single engine airplane into a government building in Austin, Texas. The crash left both Joe Stack and Vernon Hunter dead. Valerie Hunter filed a wrongful death complaint in Travis County court earlier this week against Sheryl Mann Stack, claiming that Mrs....

McFlurries, McNuggets, McMuffins, and the latest McCafe, McDonald’s has built an identity behind A big M and little c. And the prefix has found its way into popular culture with references to McMansions, McSteamies, and McDreamies. But is the “Mc” a protectable trademark for McDonalds? A Federal Court in Malaysia doesn’t think so. In a case first brought by McDonald’s in 2001, alleging that a local restaurant “McCurry” infringed on the famous trademarked “Mc”, the court held that there was no evidence that McCurry was attempting to emulate the Golden Arches....

Before Missouri was admitted as the 24th state in 1821, it was part of the much larger Missouri Territory. This was the name given to the Louisiana Purchase to avoid confusion following the admission of Louisiana as a state in 1812. However, Missouri is still part of a no-less-confusing quirk of U.S. geography: Kansas City is mostly in Missouri and not, as one might expect, in Kansas. Missouri’s other major metropolitan area, St....

During the wintertime, landlord’s are frequently called upon to fix problems that are either the result of, or made worse by, cold weather conditions. Additionally, during the winter months, a landlord faces increased liability for injuries in places that experience snow and ice. Landlords can also be liable for injuries that result from poor maintenance of the property. Apart from ensuring that sidewalks, common areas, and entryways are free from snow and ice, landlords also have to ensure that their tenants have adequate heat and protection from the elements....

So you are thinking of starting a business and you have some ideas about what might work and inspire investment. But you are not quite sure how to go about starting up your startup, or even where to begin researching all the relevant legal issues. What do you do? Start here. This list of tips on initial business steps should help get you started on creating a business that is legal and successful....

While collaborative divorce is often touted as the peaceful way to get divorced, many couples that attempt collaborative divorce are making bad business decisions. At the end of the day, a marriage is a domestic partnership agreement, and like any contract or agreement, courts provide the best venue and an established framework for individuals to dissolve partnerships that do not work out. Below are 5 reasons why you shouldn’t fall into the trap of using the collaborative divorce process (or at least think twice about agreeing to try it)....

The parents of a Brooklyn eighth grader left blind in one eye after a beating by bullies are pursuing a $16 million school bullying lawsuit, the New York Daily News reports. A lawyer for Kardin Ulysse’s parents planned to file a notice about the threatened lawsuit Tuesday, the first step in suing New York City and its Department of Education for allegedly failing to supervise the students who beat up their son....

New companies don’t always become roaring financial successes. Unfortunately for many small businesses, bankruptcy will be a reality. Take heart, small business owner, there are several ways in which a company can declare bankruptcy. Depending on your company’s financial situation, knowing the differences can help you get your business up and running again. Which type of bankruptcy will work best for your business? Here’s a general overview: Numerically, and possibly also logically, the first to consider is Chapter 7 bankruptcy, also referred to as liquidation....

A fueling company at Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport where African workers were referred to as “monkeys” has agreed to pay $250,000 to settle a racial harassment lawsuit brought by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Swissport Fueling Inc. will also provide training on harassment based upon race or national origin to managers, supervisors, and HR employees, and implement policies prohibiting future harassment, the EEOC announced Tuesday in a statement on its website....

It feels like arbitration has been coming up in the news more frequently lately, from NFL injury lawsuits to Sirius XM in your new car to Lance Armstrong. It’s possible that you’re subject to an arbitration clause and may not even know it. So how can these clauses affect a potential injury claim? Here’s a general overview: What Is an Arbitration Clause? Arbitration clauses are often inserted into contracts. They require the parties to enter into arbitration, rather than litigation, to resolve certain disputes regarding the contract....

Leaving a marriage is rarely an easy decision. And financial concerns can only complicate matters. In many marriages, one partner is the primary bread-winner, but that can change over time, especially if that bread-winner becomes disabled and can’t work. And if your ex-spouse or soon-to-be ex is on disability insurance, can that affect your alimony or spousal support payments after a divorce? Here’s how to figure it out. For those receiving Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) benefits, a divorce won’t affect those payments....

As NPR’s recent in-depth report demonstrated, nurses are some of the most oft-injured workers – and those injuries can be serious. From back injuries due to patient handling, to standard slip-and-falls, nursing can be a hazardous profession. So what happens when nurses are injured on the job? Can nurses collect workers’ compensation insurance? Covered Caretakers While state workers’ compensation laws can differ, nearly every employer is required to have some form of insurance to compensate employees who are injured on the job....

Most people arrested for a DUI are begging to have their bail established and posted as soon as humanly possible to get out of jail, the holding cell, or “the drunk tank.” But what if you aren’t in a hurry, or what if you don’t have the bail money, and aren’t feeling too good about asking anyone else for it. Do you have to post bail if arrested for a DUI?...

A Massachusetts family has been awarded $63 million from Johnson & Johnson after a young girl suffered severe side effects, including blindness, from taking Children’s Motrin. With interest, the family of Samantha Reckis stands to take in a total of $109 million as the injury happened a decade ago, reports The Associated Press. At the time of the incident in 2003, Reckis was 7 years old. After she took Children’s Motrin to relieve a fever, she suffered a side effect known as toxic epidermal necrolysis and lost 90% of her skin....

A hot topic for entrepreneurs these days is “crowdfunding.” It’s a way to raise money for small businesses that don’t have the means to be funded through angel investors or venture capitalists. For many small business folk, “crowdfunding” is an entirely new word. Have you heard of microlending? It’s something that has been in the philanthropy world for a while now. The concept is simply that a little can go a long way....