We’ve all had those nights…You know, the ones where you lie in bed and simply can’t believe anyone would play music so loud, at such an un-be-lie-vable hour of night. Or perhaps your upstairs neighbors are night owls and like to do their vacuuming, dish-washing, or exercise routine after midnight. Regardless, now that the winter months have passed, the likelihood of loud parties or other potentially noisy activities may rise too....
It’s one of the toughest decisions for any employer, small or large: Should you lay off your employees, and how should you do it so you don’t get sued? The decision about layoffs is entirely up to you. But as for how to implement layoffs, here a few legal considerations. You’ve been WARNed. The Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act, or WARN Act, is a federal law that requires 60 days’ written notice before a plant closing or a “mass layoff....
Life changes. Children grow up. Parents get new jobs, lose jobs, or move to different places. So, a child custody order must then change to adapt to the new circumstances in a child’s life. How do you modify a custody order? By Agreement Courts will often approve any changes that both parents agree to. If you and the other parent have an agreement on a child custody modification, you just have to submit the changes to the judge that originally approved your first custody order....
The crimes which financier Jeffrey Epstein has been suspected of, charged with, and pleaded guilty to, are myriad, but all center around the sexual exploitation of underage girls. In 2008, Epstein entered into a non-prosecution agreement with federal prosecutors, allowing him to plead only to a lesser state charge while conceding to molesting dozens of minor girls at his residence in Florida and on his private plane (and also registering as a sex offender)....
It’s always unsettling to come home and find that squatters are living on your property, but how can you get rid of them? In some cases, you may get in trouble by forcibly removing squatters from your property, so there are some legal considerations you need to keep in mind. Here’s a general overview: Are they squatters or trespassers? Before you do anything, find out if the people on your property are squatters or trespassers....
If you’ve ever wondered how your employer stacks up in terms of fair and inclusive LGBT workplace policies, the Human Rights Campaign has a way to measure that. The HRC’s 2013 Corporate Equality Index is out, and it rates some of the nation’s largest businesses on their policies and practices as they relate to lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender employees. Besides the individual ratings, the Index provides some insight into what makes a company LGBT-friendly....
Will Other States Follow Suit? It’s probably best to start with the federal law that’s being attacked, the Defense of Marriage Act of 1996. As suggested in a prior post, this law does two key things: Reportedly, the lawsuit focuses on the first aspect above, that creating a federal definition of marriage. The lawsuit argues that this treads all over the state’s sovereign “authority to define and regulate marriage.” Further, the AP noted the argument that thanks to the federal definition of marriage:...
It’s no secret tensions are high between law enforcement and those who believe the cops use questionable tactics to police their neighborhoods. Many take issue with law enforcement’s use of force or the high rate of arrests among minority populations. Now, based on statistics for the first three months of 2018, many are claiming that the NYPD’s marijuana arrests disproportionately target black and Latino residents. “Racial Bias” in Marijuana Arrests The Police Reform Organizing Project (PROP) released its findings based on data from the NYS Division of Criminal Justice Services....
With all the winter weather most of the country has been getting blasted with, chances are you’ve hit the slopes already. And with no snow letup in sight, you might be headed back. So, be careful out there. But, accidents happen. Most of us are aware of the risks that come with skiing, but every now and then an accident isn’t just an accident, and someone else is at fault. When that happens on the ski slopes, who’s responsible and what can you do about it?...
San Francisco’s minimum wage will top out at $10.24 come January 1st – the highest in the nation. Compare that with the $7.25 federal minimum and the statewide $8.00 an hour. States are legally allowed to exceed the federal level, but in some jurisdictions, cities and counties are free to go even higher. San Francisco isn’t the only locality to take advantage of this rule. Santa Fe is expected to hit $10 in 2012....
Small Business owners know that sometimes, less is more. Now, the Small Business Administration has made a decision that will allow those with less to get more. On October 6, new rules will allow changes in small business size standards in the retail, hospitality, restaurant and “other services” industries. This change will make 17,000 more businesses eligible for SBA programs, including loans and preferential treatment for federal contracts. According to the Washington Business Journal, this change in small business size standards for the service industry is a part of the SBA’s new approach in better defining who exactly is considered by the federal government to be a small business....
A tire puncture was found to be the cause of a deadly crash in Sherman, TX in August of 2008. The bus was heading to Carthage, MO from Houston, TX. The passengers were planning on attending a Catholic festival. The tire on the bus blew out just as it was approaching a curve on a bridge. This caused the bus to go over the railing and fall off the bridge into a creek....
Two of the workers injured in the Kleen Energy Plant blast in Middletown, Connecticut have filed a lawsuit. Plaintiffs Timothy Hilliker of Glastonbury and Harold Thoma of Bolton, Connecticut are suing O&G Industries, Keystone Construction & Maintenance Services and Kleen Energy Systems for negligence connected with the explosion on February 7, 2010 that killed 6 workers and injured as many as 26. Middletown Press reports that according to the attorneys for plaintiffs, the protocols to ensure safety during operations such as the gas purge were not followed....
Late last week the Supreme Court blocked enforcement of a Louisiana law that requires abortion clinic doctors to have admitting privileges in nearby hospitals. The High Court’s move was hailed as a victory for reproductive rights activists and a sign of the likely outcome for a similar law challenged in Texas. Let’s look at why the matters to women, and men, nationally. Although abortion is legal in Louisiana, that state makes it very difficult for clinics to operate, for doctors to staff them, and for women to exercise their right not to have a child....
You cannot protect your children from all the dangers they will encounter in life, and all the difficult situations. But you can certainly take steps to protect them when you suspect harm coming from within the family or people close to it during visitation. Accusing someone of child abuse is a big deal, however, so do be thoughtful before you accuse your ex or their new mate of abuse. But don’t wait until someone is seriously hurt....
Starting any business is risky. Even more so when starting a business whose legality at the federal level remains, shall we say, murky. Luckily, some of those risks can be mitigated, if you’ve got the right insurance. So what kind of insurance is right for a budding cannabiz? Here are four types of small business insurance essential to your marijuana startup, along with a couple others you might want to consider as well....
With all this talk about snowflakes, freedom of speech, hate speech, etc. it can be difficult to know what you can and can’t say, and what your rights are when it comes to what others say about you. These days, it seems like a mere mention of the weather will offend somebody. But when does offense cross over into defamation? When are someone’s words so injurious to your reputation that you can sue them for it?...
It’s a classic legal defense, at least for soap operas: “My evil twin did it.” And, until recently, it was pretty effective. Standard DNA tests couldn’t distinguish the good twin from the bad one. But that might be changing soon. Researchers at a Brussels laboratory testing company headquartered in Brussels claim they were able to distinguish enough mutations in the genomes of two twin brothers to tell them apart. And that test may soon be coming to American criminal courts....
In the United States, the CDC reports that more than 1.4 million adults older than 65 years live in nursing home. This number will rise to about 3 million in 2030. With so many people turning to nursing homes for care in their old age, it’s astonishing to think about how common injuries are in nursing homes. Some injuries may just be incidental to age. However, many injuries are due to neglect, abuse, or dangerous conditions in the nursing homes....
Those of us lucky enough to live in places without nasty winter weather know well enough not to gloat about that fact. But beyond avoiding sleet, snow, and icy slush everywhere, the best part about avoiding the worst of winter weather is avoiding the worst of winter drivers. Don’t be that worst winter driver. Make sure your vehicle is packed with safety necessities before you leave the house and use some good winter driving habits to avoid accidents this holiday season....
