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Supreme Court declines to hear music downloading case 

Published: May 23, 2012

Tags: copyright infringement, due process, illegal downloading, music downloading

A $675,000 jury verdict against a student who illegally downloaded 30 songs from the Internet was left standing by the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to take the matter up.

ADA doesn’t protect medical marijuana users 

Published: May 23, 2012

Tags: ADA, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, civil rights, disability discrimination, medical marijuana

Federal disability discrimination law does not protect medical marijuana users who claimed their civil rights were violated by local municipalities that interfered with the lawful distribution of the drug, the 9th Circuit has ruled in affirming judgment.

Police officer’s lawsuit divides town, settles for $1.2 million 

By: Dan McDonald
Published: May 22, 2012

Tags: civil rights violation, emotional distress, Massachusetts, retaliation

At first, attorney Michael Sacco thought he was handling a routine disability claim.

A sole practitioner in Westfield, Mass. who typically represents retirement boards, Sacco quickly found himself knee-deep in a civil rights lawsuit that offered a glimpse into the inner political machinations of a sleepy town and its police department, revealing a sordid mess.

Vermont takes symbolic stand with first fracking ban 

Published: May 21, 2012

Tags: fracking, hydraulic fracturing, natural gas, Vermont

The state of Vermont has become the first in the nation to prohibit fracking, establishing a model that anti-fracking activists hope will be followed by other states.

Party can’t recover cost of translating documents 

Published: May 21, 2012

Tags: Supreme Court, translator

A defendant that prevailed in a personal injury case filed in federal court could not recover its costs for translat­ing documents from Japanese to English, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 6-3 decision.

Party may depose opposing counsel 

Published: May 21, 2012

Tags: attorney-client privilege, deposition, work product

State law did not absolutely prohibit a party in a business dispute from deposing the opposing party’s former trial lawyer, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled.

Drug maker can’t be sued for off-label marketing 

Published: May 18, 2012

Tags: class action, off-label marketing, product liability

A patient and a union health and welfare fund lacked standing to sue Schering Plough for allegedly engaging in illegal marketing campaigns to persuade physicians to prescribe certain drugs for off-label uses, the 3rd Circuit has ruled in affirming a dismissal.

Former employee wins $1.5 million in securities fraud suit 

Published: May 18, 2012

Tags: fraud, shareholders

A former employee of Stiefel Laboratories won a $1.5 million verdict on allegations that the Coral Gables-based company defrauded its employee shareholders during its $2.9 billion sale to GlaxoSmithKline in 2009.

Skechers to pay $40 million to settle case over claims 

Published: May 18, 2012

Tags: false advertising, weight loss

Skechers has agreed to pay $40 million to settle charges that the company made unsupported claims about the benefits of its toning shoes, falsely asserting that they help people lose weight, tone their lower bodies and even combat heart disease.

$4.9M junk fax deal isn’t covered by insurance 

Published: May 17, 2012

Tags: class action, insurance, junk fax, Telephone Consumer Protection Act

Insurance does not cover a $4.9 million settlement of a consumer lawsuit alleging that a business violated federal law by sending unsolicited fax advertisements, the Missouri Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing judgment.