While Instagram can be a fun photo-sharing app, it can also lead to legal trouble in a snap. Perhaps the anonymity of the Internet lulls people into thinking they’re immune to the consequences of sharing incriminating information. Regardless of which social network you’re posting to, remember that nothing is sacred online. As the following cases show, there are many ways Instagram can either land you in jail or make you vulnerable to a lawsuit....
If you’re a small business owner, it may be tempting just to work straight through the summer (not to mention fall, winter, and spring). After all, how are you supposed to run a business when you’re gone? But what if you could take that much-needed vacation while still keeping tabs on your business and employees? We have some good news for you: You can, and you should. Here are five ways to keep business going full-steam ahead while you’re blowing off a little of your own steam poolside:...
So, you’re figuring out how to calculate income tax and you’re stumped. Federal income tax law has you confused and your IRS income tax returns are getting delayed in the process. The big question on your mind is to itemize or not to itemize? Let’s step back for a second and actually identify the tax jargon involved. The standard deduction amount is a predetermined amount that the IRS lets you take....
California’s new law that decriminalizes minors engaged in crimes associated with prostitution took effect January 1st, and is expected to make a big impact. The big thing that this new law does is allow minors who are forced into the sex trade and industry to be able to come to police without fearing arrest and prosecution. While many of the vocal opponents of the new law believe that minors will now run rampant through the streets prostituting themselves with legal impunity, this type of view shows a lack of a deeper understanding of the problem....
Entrepreneurs are optimists by nature – no one starts their own business to see it fail. And the last thing most small business owners are thinking about when they’re starting up is declaring bankruptcy. But failure is a fact of life, and not all businesses make it. That said, declaring bankruptcy doesn’t necessarily mean your small business is a failure. Plenty of big businesses have declared bankruptcy only to rebound stronger than before....
Colt Defense, LLC, one of America’s oldest and most storied companies, filed for bankruptcy this week. It seems impossible that such a historic brand (and a gun manufacturer in America at that) could go bankrupt, but bidders weren’t exactly chomping at the bit for the company when it went up for auction. If it can happen to Colt, it could happen to you. So what can small business owners learn from the legendary gun maker’s mistakes?...
The Chicago police and CVS Pharmacies are under fire after a CVS manager chased a shoplifter and choked him to death, even as an off-duty sheriff’s officer stood on the scene with a loaded handgun drawn at her side. Anthony Kyser, 35, was killed after stealing toothpaste and crayons from a CVS store. The officer shouted “stop resisting,” but did not otherwise intervene. The Chicago Sun-Times reported that according to a witness, as the correctional officer pointed a weapon at Kyser and told him to stop struggling....
Are your employees a little bit too… scruffy and unkempt? Businesses have multiple reasons to institute a dress codes and grooming policies. A polished, clean-looking workforce can be essential in your field. Customers need to be able to trust your employees. They should also feel comfortable talking to your workers. Employees that show up like Cousin Itt from the Addams Family may not make the best impression. But business owners should know that sometimes dress code policies can end up breaking the law....
The Fair Housing Act, passed as part of the Civil Rights Act of 1968, protects renters and home buyers from a variety of discrimination based on everything from sex, race, and national origin to religion, marriage status, and pregnancy. But until Wednesday of this week, no court had extended those protections to include lesbian, gay, or transgender people. That all changed when a federal court in Denver ruled that sex discrimination under the Fair Housing Act includes discrimination based on gender and sexual orientation, including discrimination motivated by outdated stereotypes about how men and women should act and with whom they should romantically partner....
Little girls dream of their wedding day. The white dress, flowers everywhere and of course the diamond ring. But cold feet can do worse than ruin what is supposed to be their special day. It can also lead to a lawsuit. Such is the case for a jilted bride that sued her groom for $95,000 after he got cold feet on their big day. Dominique Buttitta, an attorney, was informed by her ex-fiance four days before her wedding that there would be no wedding....
A trademark can be the most important asset you purchase for your business and knowing when to get one can be the difference between good branding and a perfect disaster. The purpose of a trademark is to protect your brand from competitors. A strong mark uniquely identifies your business so that customers can instantly recognize your work. It’s not unusual for small business owners to register trademarks and it’s important to make sure that you register at the right time for maximum impact....
A mom who received a letter stamped “DECEASED” in red letters by The United States Postal Service (USPS) has filed a lawsuit in Minneapolis federal court. The Minneapolis Star Tribune reports that Ms. Joan Najbar of Duluth, Minn. is suing the USPS because a letter that she sent to her son in Iraq was returned to her address and stamped “DECEASED” on the envelope though her son was actually alive and well....
A tragic Missouri school bus crash has left two dead and up to 50 injured. The crash occurred between two school busses, a pick-up truck and a tractor. The students on the bus were members of the school band camp. One victim was the driver of the pick-up truck and the other was a child on one of the buses. The victims have not been formally identified. ABC reports that the circumstances surrounding the Missouri school bus crash occurred after the tractor was rear-ended by the pick-up truck....
Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson has agreed to an order temporarily blocking enforcement of a controversial Oklahoma abortion law that many are calling one of the most restrictive abortion laws in the nation. The law mandates that every woman considering an abortion must undergo an ultrasound and hear a description of the fetus. No exceptions are made in the case of rape or incest. A legal showdown was temporarily avoided between the Center for Reproductive Rights and the state, when attorneys on both sides accepted the court order, which Judge Noma Gurich signed Monday....
With the Fourth of July coming up, many police forces are warning drivers about DUIs and DUI checkpoints. However, this weekend, be careful. You could get ticketed for drinking alcohol without ever getting into a car. Depending on where you are when you take a swig of beer, you could be violating open container laws. Most states have laws prohibiting drinking in public. While the laws may vary from state to state, generally you cannot drink or have an open container of alcohol while:...
The once promising blood-testing company, Theranos, has been charged with fraud by the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company, its CEO, and its president were accused of misleading investors and raising hundreds of millions of dollars by making false or exaggerated claims in defiance of the anti-fraud provisions of federal securities laws. While the SEC is still pursuing its charges against Theranos’ former president Ramesh Balwani, the company and CEO Elizabeth Holmes have resolved their charges, with Holmes being stripped of control, among other penalties....
November 2 is Election Day, and employees of all political stripes may be taking a bit of time off work to vote. Employers of all sizes and stripes should be sure they know the law regarding this duty and right. The laws of nearly every state allow time off from work to vote, but whether or not other benefits such as paid time off are included, vary from state to state....
A tour bus crash in Southern California left five passengers with what doctors described as “pretty basic blunt-force trauma injuries.” In all, more than 50 passengers were injured when the bus – en route to the San Manuel Indian Bingo and Casino in Highland, east of Los Angeles – overturned on a freeway. Another three people in cars caught up in the crash were also hurt. Who may be to blame for the bus careening and overturning?...
Virginia’s new attorney general has decided to do his part to fight the state’s gay marriage ban, ironically by refusing to defend it in court. Attorney General Mark Herring announced Thursday that the state’s constitutional amendment barring same-sex marriage was part of a long history of opposing civil rights progress, Reuters reports. Herring stressed he wanted Virginia to “be on the right side of history and the right side of the law....
Medical marijuana is gaining legal ground in many states, but do landlords have to accept tenants who are constantly “medicated?” Medical marijuana is still illegal under federal law, which may give landlords reason to ban all marijuana use in their properties, even with a prescription. So what can landlords do about medical marijuana? Responding to Criminal Activity Medical marijuana possession and use varies by state, but landlords may be able to reject its use regardless of the state’s laws....
