Afternoon Briefs: Sheriff bans masks for deputies; judicial panel won't centralize COVID-19 insurance suits
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Florida sheriff bans masks for deputies, office visitors
Marion County, Florida, Sheriff Billy Woods has banned face masks for his deputies and visitors to his offices. Woods made some exceptions for deputies at the courthouse, the jail, hospitals, schools and interacting with people suspected of infection with COVID-19. Deputies at high-risk if they contract COVID-19 are also given a pass. (The Ocala Star-Banner, the New York Times)
MDL panel won’t centralize business interruption cases
The U.S. Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation on Wednesday refused to centralize hundreds of lawsuits seeking “business interruption” coverage during the COVID-19 pandemic. The panel said the cases involved more than a hundred insurers with different policies and coverage. The panel did say, however, that “single insurer” centralization could be an option in cases against four insurers facing large numbers of cases. The panel sought briefing on the issue. (Law360, Law.com)
ABA special report focuses on nursing home issues
The ABA Commission on Law and Aging released a special report called “Is This a 9/11 Moment for Long-Term Care?” on Thursday. Published in the July-August 2020 issue of Bifocal, the special report includes articles on state liability shields for nursing homes, defunding nursing homes, reimagining elder care, and tragic outcomes in long-term care facilities. (ABA Aug. 13 press release)
9th Circuit vacates BIA decisions denying asylum for domestic violence
The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals at San Francisco on Tuesday vacated two decisions of the Board of Immigration Appeals that denied asylum to women fleeing domestic violence. The appeals court said former U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions didn’t totally ban asylum for domestic violence survivors when he ruled in 2018 that asylum isn’t generally available for violence perpetrated by private rather than governmental actors. (Law360)
