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Despite the warnings, many states continue to train prisoners to do data processing work, at times giving them access to Social Security numbers and other personal information. The data processing work prisoners perform federal, state and local governments may reduce recidivism and cut costs for cash-strapped states, but it also raises issues about the access prisoners have to citizens’ personal information, USA Today reports. Typically, states can end the practice or pass laws faster than federal lawmakers can deal with the problem....

‘Stand your ground. That’s why we’re here,’ a Louisiana defense attorney recently told jurors. ‘It doesn’t say stand in your house and watch that guy run out the door, let him leave, get in his car go commit another crime.’ But is that true? So-called stand your ground laws remove a victim’s duty to retreat before using deadly force to defend themselves. But what if the assailant is retreating? When do you have to stop standing your ground?...

A survey conducted by the Pew Hispanic Center indicates that the public’s perception of various aspects of the legal system varies, sometimes widely, by race. On the bright side for law enforcement, the majority of all races surveyed indicated that they had “a great deal” or “fair amount” of confidence that their communty’s police officers would do a “good job enforcing the law”. On the other hand, the extent of people’s confidence, as well as those feeling they had “just some or very little” confidence in the police, did vary by race....

As reported back in August, billionaire George Soros was sued by his ex-girlfriend, Brazilian actress Adriana Ferreyr. The 28-year-old accused him of emotional trauma and of reneging on a promise to buy her a New York City apartment. She asked the court for $50 million. Now Ferreyr’s cousin, attorney Mauricio Carneiro, is accusing Soros and his attorney of offering him $250,000 to convince her to drop the suit. He’s calling it a bribe....

We reserve the right to refuse service. The sign’s message is clear and simple, but the truth is that a business can’t reserve a wholesale right to refuse service. As places of public accommodation, private businesses are subject to federal and state anti-discrimination laws. These statutes prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, disability, gender and sex. Some also include sexual orientation. And others, well they outlaw even arbitrary discrimination....

It’s that time of year when the world falls in love … with spending money and shopping! While you may be relying on this time of year to make your business profits soar, your employees may be relying on extra holiday pay and maybe even year-end bonuses. Some small business owners, especially new small business owners, might be wondering whether they are legally required to provide holiday pay and/or bonuses. Unless your small business is part of a state or local government, then the answer, like most legal business questions, is the standard lawyer mantra of: it depends....

Each state has its own formula to determine what amount of child support the noncustodial parent will pay. But, even when an amount is determined, it’s not always easy actually getting child support payments. Sometimes the parent may feel that the money is going to his or her ex-spouse and not actually to the child. Other times, a parent may have a new family and feel that he or she can’t afford to make child support payments and support the new family....

Just because your state legalized it doesn’t mean it’s going to be smooth sailing all the way to the bank for your cannabiz. First, there are the hundreds of pages of state rules and regulations for recreational pot sales. Then come the racketeering lawsuits. Bloomberg reports that individuals, businesses, and even states frustrated with the teeming weed industry have turned to federal RICO statutes for help, including neighbors of a medical marijuana shop in Massachusetts....

Today Ken Biros became the first person in the U.S. to die by lethal injection with a single shot drug rather than a three-drug method. Prison officials delayed his the execution of the death row inmate by one hour to see if the if the U.S. Supreme court would intervene to stop the process, but a stay of execution was unlikely. As previously discussed, Biros was the first Ohio death row inmate executed under the state’s new one-drug method....

The tax overhaul recently passed by Congress has a lot of changes in store for 2018, but one in particular may have a big effect on people’s 2017 tax returns. The new tax bill will cap what federal taxpayers are allowed to deduct for state and local taxes at $10,000, sending some forward-thinking homeowners to their municipal tax offices in an attempt to prepay their 2018 property taxes in 2017 in order to maximize their deduction....

Huddled masses yearning to breathe free, indeed. The federal government has announced that visitors to New York’s world famous Statue of Liberty will be able to check out the statue’s crown for the first time since shortly after the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. But, the breathtaking views will come only after a breathtaking climb up a cramped and steep staircase, and even the government is acknowledging that all of the risks associated with the climb can’t be eliminated....

What does it mean for a small business when you suspend an employee without pay? In theory, it sounds pretty simple. An employee violates policy and the employee is disciplined. Not too complicated, right? Not so fast. An unpaid suspension can be viewed as a temporary removal of the employee. The key factor is determining whether the employee is exempt or non-exempt. Exempt employees are paid on a salaried basis, regardless of hours worked....

After you’re involved in a truck accident, choosing the right lawyer to handle your case is important. So what questions should you ask a truck accident attorney to make sure he or she is the right one for you? Truck accident injuries and fatalities are on the rise, according to the latest government data. But unlike “regular” car crashes, pursuing a truck accident lawsuit often requires particular knowledge in areas such as vehicle codes, individual and employer liability issues, and how to deal with the trucking company’s lawyers and insurance agents....

Shove over a bit Vienna and Jake, the next in line for the romance of the century crown have arrived. News reports have it that Bristol Palin and baby daddy Levi Johnston are engaged. So now what? How about a little primer on the pre-nuptial agreement? Many news reports are focused on the apologies and reconciliations that have gone on between the young couple, and between Johnston and the mother of all mother-in-laws, Sarah Palin....

The California Highway Patrol is cracking down on cyclists under the influence. Police have begun to cruise streets looking for bicycles (and cars) being driven erratically or in a way that suggests impairment, such as weaving or crossing a center line. CHP officers recently charged seven bicyclists with riding under the influence during a one-night crackdown in Sacramento, reports USA Today. Under California CUI laws (Cycling Under the Influence), riding while under the influence is punishable by up to a $250 fine, according to highway patrol officials....

Stories of 97-year-old cancer patients being evicted from their long-time homes by greedy landlords are shocking, and becoming more and more common. That’s especially true in places like California’s Bay Area where property values are skyrocketing. Many tenants are caught off guard by eviction notices, and are unaware of their legal rights. The good news is there are ways to fight an eviction, and there are lawyers who can help....

A Florida family has sued Comcast claiming the company was responsible for the death of their grandmother. When Sidell Reiner, 81, tried to make an emergency call after being injured in her home, the Comcast operator she contacted allegedly couldn’t find and provide the paramedics with her address. When Mrs. Reiner’s husband arrived home that day, she was already dead. According to the Associated Press, Sidell Reiner was preparing for Thanksgiving with her family in 2009 when a piece of the crystal she was using fell on her foot, cutting her and causing severe bleeding....

Not the Small Business Administration! It’s sad but true. We live in a time of budget cuts, and Karen Mills, the head of the SBA was asked to look into the programs in the SBA “that you believe could be eliminated or substantially reduced without undermining the S.B.A.’s ability to serve the needs of small-business owners.” Of course, an aide for Ms. Landrieu, a democrat, said the senator “is not looking to cut any program that’s working or that will harm the agency in any way....

When saddled with a mountain of debt and bills to pay, most people start thinking about their options. Some will consider bankruptcy. And, according to a new FindLaw.com survey, about 1 in 8 Americans, or approximately 13% of us, have either contemplated or filed for bankruptcy. The survey finds that age is a factor. Those between the ages of 35 and 54 were 50% more likely to have considered for bankruptcy than those between the ages of 18-34 or 55 and older....

More and more baby boomers are facing a whole new problem during the economic downturn: ex spouses from the past asking for alimony payments or asking for an increase in alimony. A lot of people are questioning the fairness of this system. The Wall Street Journal reports: “Now, the idea that a husband should continue to support his wife forever, even after the demise of their marriage–long a bedrock of divorce law–is being called into question....