On April 21, the SEC filed a complaint against a Miami business man for allegedly creating a $900 million offering fraud and Ponzi scheme to defraud investors. The Commission claims that Nevin K. Shapiro told investors their money would go to a grocery diversion company that would provide a risk free investment and earn high profits. Instead, the money went to the oh, so stereotypical, mansion, yachts and high livin'....
Good old Halliburton. Haven’t heard from them for a while. Back in the days of George W. Bush, they were practically a household name. As in, “Hey honey, did you hear that the Army gave Halliburton a secret $7 billion no-bid contract to restore Iraq’s oil fields just days prior to Bush ordering the invasion of Iraq?” After fading a bit from the public consciousness, their name has been popping up regarding the Deepwater Horizon explosion and BP oil spill....
Tasers are meant to be a less violent alternative for law enforcement, but the number of police Taser lawsuits indicates there’s something else going on. When compared to a gun, a Taser or stun gun is less dangerous since fewer people die from them. But that doesn’t mean the weapons are harmless. They pack a powerful punch, and the barbs Tasers shoot out implant into your skin. So what do you do if police have unfairly used a Taser on you?...
Jake Anderson was celebrating his first year as a freshman at the University of Minnesota until the early hours of a December morning in 2013. Six or seven hours later, first responders found Anderson in a hypothermic state face down, slumped over a rail along the Mississippi River near Minneapolis. Anderson had “no pulse and no breathing and was frozen, indicating obvious death” according to a report from the fire officials that found him, but his parents don’t think rescuers did enough to revive their son....
Those sandblasted jeans you like are causing the people who make them some serious suffering. The process of sandblasting the jeans, which gives them a beaten and worn look, uses a product called crystalline silica, can cause silicosis, a fatal lung disease, the International Textile Garment & Leather Worker’s Federation reports. In response, Levi’s and H&M have said they will stop sandblasting jeans out of concern for their workers. About 40 jean makers who worked on sandblasted clothing have died in Turkey between 2005 and 2009, the NY Daily News reports....
The media often talks about domestic violence calling the perpetrator ‘him’ while the victim is ‘her’ but the reality is that men are victims too. It’s true that women are more likely to be the victims of domestic violence but 15% of victims are men, according to Bureau of Justice data from 2003. That translates to hundreds if not thousands of men who are the victims of violence in their own homes....
After a mere five weeks of being enacted, there is talk of having the NH gay marriage law repealed. However, there are many who will not let the NH gay marriage law go down without a fight. The Boston Herald reports that a New Hampshire House Judiciary Committee is advising against the repeal. The Judiciary Committee has advised that the House shoot down a constitutional amendment that attempts to define marriage an institution between a man and a woman, versus between two individuals....
The New Jersey bill which would have moved the state toward making gay marriage legal in the Garden State was rejected. CNN reported that the bill passed through the state’s Senate Judiciary Committee last month, but that the bill needed 21 votes in order to continue its route towards passage. The current governor of New Jersey, Jon Corzine had vowed to sign the bill if it is passed. However, he will be replaced by Republican Gov....
Macy’s and Barneys stores in New York City are facing so-called “shop and frisk” lawsuits by customers who believe they were victims of racial profiling. In the past week, a firestorm of discrimination allegations against the stores have been splashed across headlines, sparking public outrage, a string of lawsuits, and even an investigation by New York’s Attorney General. What will the shoppers need to prove in order to prevail in their lawsuits?...
You go into a fender bender, or rather, someone bent their fender on your car. Even though you are sure you’re not at fault, the insurance companies seem less certain. How can that be? What do you need to do to prove you did not cause the crash? Laws vary from state to state and fault determinations in most car accidents are based on motor vehicle statutes, so it’s impossible to address your situation specifically without more details....
Attorneys can be expensive, and often the better the attorney, the higher the cost. So what can you do if you can’t afford an attorney? Just like most other 21st Century problems, this one can be solved with the internet. Over the last five years, crowdfunding platforms like GoFundMe have contributed to a $5.1 billion worldwide industry. But does that make it a good place to turn to when you need a lawyer?...
One of the biggest shopping weekends is upon us. In addition to competing with Black Friday sales, you’re likely hoping to reap the rewards of Small Business Saturday. Shoppers across the country are trying to get their holiday shopping done, and many of them want to support local businesses while doing it. But before you fling open your doors, you need to make sure your store is ready for an onslaught of shoppers, in person and online....
There’s a growing problem that many small-business owners say is making their survival difficult: Small businesses are being undercut by competitors that hire workers who are in the U.S. without permission from the government. Though you may know about the problem, you may not realize how big of a problem it’s becoming for small businesses. One of the study’s authors said the takeaway point is that “If you employ undocumented workers when your competitors aren’t, that gives you the biggest boost....
Starbucks has been sued by California woman Janet Marx over her prosthetic leg. She claims she was discriminated against because of her disability. Marx’s prosthetic became loose, so se went into a Stockton-area Starbucks to use the restroom. She wanted to tighten a screw on her leg. On her way to the restroom, a Starbucks employee chased her down. Marx was informed that she needed to buy something in the store before she could use the restroom....
Brian Patel knows how to use a sword when it comes to self-defense. The New Bedford, Massachusetts, convenience store clerk reached for his weapon when a would-be robber pulled a knife on him Tuesday. The assailant probably thought he had the upper hand with an eight-inch blade. But Patel wasn’t ruffled; he knew his three-foot-long sword would scare the man. And scare it did, as the knife-wielder ran away. But is Patel going to be in trouble for using a sword to thwart an attempted store robbery?...
The Dow Jones took a brief plunge on Tuesday after the Associated Press’ Twitter account was hacked, falsely tweeting that there had been two explosions at the White House. The @AP Twitter account is one in a long string of accounts that have been compromised, including Twitter accounts for the news programs “60 Minutes” and “48 Hours,” CBS News reports. Of course, news organizations aren’t the only ones who need be worried about Twitter hacking....
If you are injured due to the negligence of a doctor or hospital or in a healthcare setting, you have a medical malpractice claim. How much it will be worth depends on many factors. The biggest issue is the extent of injury you’ve suffered, and that will largely dictate what you can recover. But there is also the opposition to consider: who you are suing. You may be bringing claims against multiple defendants and that could impact recovery....
In almost every employment scenario, you don’t need a reason to fire an employee. Most employment arrangements are “at-will,” meaning the employee is free to leave and the employer is free to fire, with or without a reason. But while you don’t need a reason to terminate an employee, you’re also not allowed to use a bad reason. So if you’re going to fire someone because of something they did, here are some legally justifiable reasons you can use and one that you’ll want to avoid at all costs:...
There are many different reasons to quit Facebook. To begin with, it’s just not that “cool” anymore – your parents and even your grandparents are likely on it. But there are more practical reasons to stay off Facebook too, including some potential legal consequences. Here are our Top 5 reasons you may want to log off Facebook for good: You can get fired over what you post. There are many different reasons why posting things on Facebook can get you fired....
Federal law does not require that gay and lesbian couples receive health care benefits or any other benefits of marriage. Arizona state law also does not grant domestic partners these rights. However, prior to 2009, state employees were entitled to gay partner benefits, meaning health care and other insurance options. That year, citing budgetary reasons, Governor Jan Brewer cut the Arizona gay partner benefits from the state’s budget. Bringing suit on behalf of LGBT state employees, Lambda Legal argued at the District Court level that denying employees of the state of Arizona gay partner benefits discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation....
