Posts

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it. This famous line, most often misattributed to the French author and philosopher Voltaire, was actually written by another author to describe Voltaire’s attitude about a book burning, which took place at the command of the French government. Now, we have another book burning in the news, and we should ask not only, what is the American attitude about our right to “say anything,” but what is the American law?...

California woman Crystal Harris, 39, was sexually assaulted by her husband. The primary breadwinner for her family, the rape victim was then ordered to pay alimony to her now ex-husband. Her ex, Shawn Harris, is currently serving time in a state prison after being convicted of the assault in 2008. The ruling has shocked some experts, who believe that this is the first time that a sexual assault victim has been forced to pay their convicted attacker....

Mitt Romney’s campaign ad, which included a clip of the President singing an Al Green song, was removed from YouTube for violating copyright laws but later restored as a ‘fair use.’ BMG Rights Management contacted YouTube about removing the video, claiming that it contained copyrighted material. YouTube immediately removed the video from their website. YouTube restored the video several days later in response to an appeal letter by the Romney campaign....

As the shock of the gulf oil spill disaster begins to pass, questions are beginning to circulate regarding who is responsible. In particular, who is at fault, and how can future accidents be prevented? As we reported, lawsuits have already been filed and more are expected to come. For the damage done, include the death of 11 workers, the courts will analyze responsibility and award damages, though it will take a long time....

The largest coffee chain in the world just made a splash in the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals – over tea. The appellate court has agreed with a lower court ruling that Starbucks is not liable for burns suffered by a 76-year-old woman who spilled hot tea on her leg. The hot food lawsuit, brought into popular culture by the Stella Liebeck suit against McDonald’s back in 1994, refuses to die....

Dozens of victims of August’s Indiana State Fair stage collapse are suing country music duo Sugarland, saying the band had the power to cancel the show – but failed to consider spectators’ safety. The lawsuit, filed Nov. 22 by relatives of four people killed and 44 others who were hurt in the collapse, claims Sugarland was negligent in allowing their concert to proceed despite severe weather warnings, The Indianapolis Star reports....

People visit Sin City to get a little wild and maybe win some extra cash. But if you aren’t careful, your Las Vegas vacation could lead to legal trouble. Here are our Top 5 legal tips to remember when you’re vacationing in Vegas: Unlike most states, Nevada doesn’t make it a crime to be drunk in public. Plus, people 21 and older are allowed to walk around the Las Vegas Strip with a drink in hand without getting an open container ticket....

A wrongful termination lawsuit by an ex-employee of Uber exposed some intimate details of Uber’s customer tracking capabilities. In the declaration, filed in October, the former employee explains that Uber employees were able to track politicians, celebrities, ex-boyfriends/girlfriends/spouses, and anyone else using the app. The declaration also alleges Uber committed many other privacy and labor violations, and may have just flat out violated other laws regarding the preservation of evidence....

Both you and your spouse want a divorce. So it sounds like an uncontested divorce is the best option. But hold up – not only do you need to agree to get divorced, but in order for your divorce to be uncontested you also have to agree on all the basic divorce issues like child-custody, property division, and spousal support. While an uncontested divorce may save time and some paperwork, there are still some formalities to work through, one of which is the divorce hearing....

If you ever wonder what the U.S. law on vacation pay is, it’s actually quite simple. There is none. The U.S. is one of the few top countries in the world that guarantees employees no paid vacation time. For most Americans, even if a company offers paid vacations - we do not often take them. Only about 57% of U.S. workers use all the vacation time they are given, according to a poll by Reuters/Ipisos as reported by CNN....

First Wal-Mart endorsed President Obama’s government-mandated health care plan and now it is taking ‘going green’ to unchartered territory—ok, we’re listening. In this new phase of the mega-retailer’s shelf life, Wal-Mart is set to announce its creation of an electronic indexing system to rate the social and environmental impact of every product it carries. In light of Wal-Mart’s new recent eco-commitments, what do these changes mean for small business and how will they affect the mega-store’s vast network of suppliers?...

The most-watched sporting event in the world is airing right now, and depending on your time zone and your kind of small business, that could be good or bad news. If you’re a bar, restaurant, or cafe broadcasting World Cup games could be a boon for your bottom line. Any other employer, and you may be wondering why your staff are taking long lunches, or screaming from their desks for no apparent reason....

You may have been injured a while ago, and you just haven’t gotten around to pursuing your injury claim yet. But beware: If you wait too long, you might be too late to get compensation in civil court for your injuries. On the other hand, even though a lot of time has passed, you shouldn’t always assume that your case isn’t worth pursuing. So when is it too late to sue for injury?...

See Something, Say Something. We’ve all seen the Department of Homeland Security ads encouraging people to report suspicious terrorist activity. But what about your run-of-the-mill suspicious activity? What sort of activity amounts to “suspicious”? There are situations in which people are legally required to report certain activities where the apparent victim is a child, even if the activity only seems remotely suspicious. “Mandatory reporters” generally include parents, teachers, school administrators, clergy, medical professionals, therapists, and social workers....

This week, in a Chicago courtroom, a judge handed down a massive, record setting, $23.1 million malpractice verdict against a neonatologist. The verdict, according to the plaintiff’s attorney, is believed to be the largest birth injury verdict handed down by a judge (as compared to a jury verdict). The verdict was awarded to the parents of a five year old girl that will suffer from a lifetime of health issues as a result of the medical malpractice....

In honor of Veterans Day, we here at FindLaw would like to take a moment to thank the men and women who work hard and make extraordinary sacrifices to protect our country every day. It’s not easy to be a soldier, and the law is supposed to ensure that our veterans are taken care of once they return home. But unfortunately that’s not the case for everyone who returns to civilian life, unless they’re armed with information about what their rights really are....

Sometimes it’s hard to see and other times it’s hard to admit, but the law affects our lives on a constant and daily basis. We don’t always realize we’re making legal decisions, let alone if those decisions are right or wrong. So here are some common legal mistakes you might have already made, how to fix them if you have, and how to avoid them if you haven’t. 1. You Misfiled Your Taxes....

Many small businesses use Certified Public Accountants or Enrolled Agents to do their tax work for them. Yes, it’s true. A CPA or an EA can do much of the work needed when it comes to your taxes. The roles are the same in many cases, and the knowledge that a CPA has often isn’t too different from that of a tax attorney. But there are times when a small business needs a good tax lawyer, not just a good CPA....

Some people consider fights at school just kids blowing off steam, or the unfortunate, natural byproduct of throwing so many kids into a socially and emotionally charged environment. But many school fights aren’t inevitable accidents, and perhaps could’ve been prevented with timely parental or teacher intervention. If that doesn’t happen, there are some rare cases where teachers or parents could be liable for school fights. As a general rule, parents can be held responsible for the negligent, intentional, or criminal acts committed by their children from the ages of around eight to 18....

If you’re still smarting because your betrothed broke off your engagement, you may be pondering the many ways you could exact your revenge. Beyond the many illegal things you should definitely avoid doing, are there any legal remedies available for the jilted ex? As it turns out, there was a common law doctrine known as “breach of marriage promise” that allowed you to sue someone for breaking off an engagement. But whether that still applies may depend on where you live....