Consumer Law

Verdict Nears for PI and Lawyer Charged in Celebrity Wiretapping Case

This spring’s trial of a so-called private investigator to the stars, who was accused of wiretapping courtroom opponents of the well-to-do and celebrity clients for whom he worked, was high-profile. But now a second celebrity wiretapping case against Anthony Pellicano, 64, is nearing a conclusion with far less media hoopla.…

Aug 27, 2008 4:44 PM CDT

Calif. Town Shuts Down 11-Year-Old’s Organic Veggie Stand

For about two years, Katie Lewis, now 11, has sold organic watermelons, zucchini and other homegrown produce at a roadside stand in Clayton, Calif., bringing in perhaps $20 a week to put in her college fund. But now the long arm of the law has caught up with her, reports…

Aug 21, 2008 11:07 PM CDT

Fair Use Right Upheld in Claim Over YouTube Dancing Baby Takedown

A federal judge in northern California questions whether Stephanie Lenz can prove that Universal Music Corp. acted in bad faith when it demanded that YouTube take down a 29-second video clip she posted of her 13-month-old baby jumping up and down to the sound of the Prince song “Let’s Go…

Aug 21, 2008 4:10 PM CDT

Cadwalader Managing Partner Sues Developer of His $6M Home

As the economic downturn hit Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft this year, its managing partner has also had to deal with problems at home—or more specifically, with his home. A lawsuit filed by Robert Link claims his new $6 million house in the Hamptons has plumbing and construction defects, the American…

Aug 21, 2008 11:12 AM CDT

Computer Game-Makers Threaten to Sue 25,000 in UK re Downloads

In an unprecedented effort to enforce their copyrights, five top computer game-makers are reportedly about to threaten 25,000 residents of the United Kingdom with lawsuits unless they ante up about $560 each. The 25,000 residents are believed to have illegally downloaded computer games without paying for them, reports the London…

Aug 19, 2008 10:33 PM CDT

NYC Plans to Track All Vehicles Entering Manhattan

In an effort to combat potential terrorist attacks, the city of New York is working on a plan to track every vehicle that enters Manhattan. “It calls for photographing, and scanning the license plates of, cars and trucks at all bridges and tunnels and using sensors to detect the presence…

Aug 12, 2008 8:39 PM CDT

New Website Sells Restaurant Reservations

There are laws against reselling tickets. But offering restaurant reservations online to the highest bidder may be entirely legal. A 10-day-old Internet venture, which has created a new website to do just that has attracted customers and critics, reports the Chicago Tribune. However, despite unhappiness on the part of some…

Aug 8, 2008 8:48 PM CDT

Bogus Olympics Tickets Sold on Internet

An Internet ticket scam is of Olympic scope for victims who have spent thousands of dollars, not to mention days of vacation time, to travel to China for the games in Beijing. Family members of athletes are among thousands in more than half-dozen countries who reportedly paid hefty sums for…

Aug 8, 2008 5:24 PM CDT

Supreme Court Debt Collection Ruling Means More Work for Lawyers

Lawyers are preparing for an onslaught of collections lawsuits after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowing plaintiffs to sue to recover unpaid debt, even if they don’t have a financial stake in the outcome. Dallas lawyer Craig Jordan told the Houston Chronicle he is already seeing about 10 times the…

Aug 4, 2008 2:39 PM CDT

Internet Flaw Puts Huge Numbers of People at Risk of Fraud

What if you called up a telephone company’s directory assistance service and got a wrong number for a major bank? And, worse yet, the wrong number was for a fraud scheme that pretended it was that major bank, extracting information from callers so that it could steal from them? That…

Jul 30, 2008 8:10 PM CDT

FDA IDs Likely Source of Recent Salmonella Outbreak

Officials believe they have identified the source of a Salmonella strain that sickened some 1,300 people in the U.S. and Canada in recent months. A positive identification has been made between the Salmonella saintpaul that caused the outbreak and irrigation water on a Mexican farm, according to testimony before Congress…

Jul 30, 2008 7:39 PM CDT

Big PI Lawyer a ‘Sexual Predator’ Who Cheated Clients, Ex-Staffer Says

A former paralegal for a well-known Texas plaintiffs lawyer has reportedly dropped a bombshell in the form of a wrongful termination suit. Angela Robinson, who was fired in April, contends in the Harris County lawsuit (PDF) that Richard Laminack demanded sexual favors from employees of both sexes and once encouraged…

Jul 29, 2008 7:44 PM CDT

Gibson Dunn Fights ‘Yo-Yo Effect’ in $13M Punitive Damages Case

From $98 million to $20 million to $13.3 million to zero and now back to $13.4 million again, the value of a closely watched Tennessee wrongful death case against an automobile manufacturer has swung back and forth, in what one defense lawyer refers to as a “yo-yo effect.” Now, after…

Jul 29, 2008 7:30 PM CDT

Proposed Illinois Bill Would Ban Street-Crossers from Text-Messaging

Seeking to save pedestrians from themselves, Illinois lawmakers have been considering a new law that would ban them from walking and text-messaging or, apparently, otherwise using a cell phone while crossing city streets. Under House Bill 4520, which was introduced early this year by state Rep. Ken Dunkin (D-Chicago), pedestrians…

Jul 28, 2008 8:59 PM CDT

$13M in Punitives OK’d in Tennessee Wrongful Death Case

The Tennessee Supreme Court has upheld a $13 million award of punitive damages against an automobile manufacturer in a closely watched case claiming that a dangerous minivan seat caused the death of an 8-month-old passenger. But it rejected an additional $6 million in punitives for the mother’s emotional distress, reports…

Jul 28, 2008 6:30 PM CDT