Advocacy Group Sues Oregon Officials Over Sheltered Workshops, Hopes for National Change

Hoping that the case will help spur national change, an advocacy group for the disabled yesterday filed a class action suit (PDF) in federal court in Portland against top state officials in Oregon. The United Cerebral Palsy Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington is seeking to shift the state’s focus…

Jan 26, 2012 10:37 PM CST

Epileptic Driver in Fatal Crash Gets Nine-Year Sentence for Violating Probation by Driving

An epileptic Florida man who admitted driving after his driver’s license was revoked for causing a crash that killed a woman has been sentenced to nine years in prison. Emilio Santacruz was sentenced Wednesday in Tampa for violating the terms of his probation by getting a new driver’s license after…

Jan 26, 2012 8:26 PM CST

Appeals Court Overturns Judge Who Ordered Sterilization for Schizophrenic Pregnant Woman

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has overturned an order by a now-retired probate judge who authorized an abortion for a schizophrenic woman and decided sua sponte that she should be sterilized. The appeals court reversed the sterilization order and called for a new evidentiary hearing on the issue of whether the…

Jan 18, 2012 1:15 PM CST

Bipolar Lawyer Accused of Trying to Bill Clients for Porn Loses Bias Appeal

A New York Appeals court has ruled for a law firm accused of discriminating against a lawyer who tried to bill clients for porn movies and escort services. James Hazen had been awarded $600,000 for lost pay and mental anguish caused when his firm fired him, according to Thomson Reuters…

Jan 6, 2012 1:34 PM CST

Binder Firm Reaps Top Fees for Disability Cases, But Some Question Its Methods

The disability firm Binder & Binder has out-earned the competition, reaping $88 million in fees last year from Social Security disability cases. The firm co-founded by lawyers Harry and Charles Binder has a business model that many are trying to copy, according to the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.). Binder…

Dec 22, 2011 1:55 PM CST

Denied Sign Interpreter, Deaf Man Wins DUI Reversal After Serving 9-Month Sentence

After a five-year appellate battle, a Washington state man has won a reversal of his drunken-driving conviction. Because William M. Kral, 33, is deaf and was not provided with a qualified sign-language interpreter, as required by state law, his Benton County District Court conviction will be overturned, the Tri-City Herald…

Dec 2, 2011 7:36 PM CST

Deaf Man Jailed for 25 Days Without Interpreter, Suit Alleges

A deaf man who alleges he was jailed for 25 days without access to a sign-language interpreter is suing the sheriff of the Colorado county where he was held. Timothy Siaki is seeking unspecified damages and a finding that Adams County, Co., sheriff’s deputies violated the Americans with Disabilities Act,…

Nov 30, 2011 9:45 PM CST

Woman with Brain Disorder Sues for More Time on the LSAT

A would-be law student in New York state has filed suit seeking additional time to take the Law School Admission Test. Lisa Rousso, 41, of Fort Salonga, N.Y., says she needs more time because of a brain disorder that causes her to read and write more slowly, Newsday reports. Her…

Nov 30, 2011 4:37 PM CST

Law Firm Says It Didn’t Ban Client’s Service Dog, Blames Partner Allergy, Worker Phobia for Issues

An upstate New York law firm sued by a former personal injury client whose service dog was refused entry blames a partner’s allergy and a worker’s phobia for issues with the animal, but says it tried to make amends and subsequently invited the German shepherd into its offices. Attorney James…

Nov 11, 2011 7:28 PM CST

Special Courts to Help Veterans Are a Growing Trend Nationwide

On the eve of Veterans Day, newspapers around the country are reporting on new courts being established to help those who served their country cope with special problems members of the U.S. military may suffer when they return home. “Serving in combat situations for a lengthy period of time, there…

Nov 10, 2011 9:01 PM CST

Feds Sue Personal Injury Law Firm, Say It Banned Disabled Client’s Service Dog From Its Offices

A federal prosecutor has sued an upstate New York personal injury law firm, contending that it banned a client from bringing her service dog into its offices. A lawsuit filed in White Plains today by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York says Newburgh-based Larkin Axelrod…

Nov 8, 2011 9:24 PM CST

Judge Asked to Intervene in Family Dispute over Feeding Tube

A Maryland judge on Wednesday will consider a request for a preliminary injunction requiring doctors to keep a feeding tube in place for an unemployed computer technician who suffered brain damage after a heart attack. The brother and mother of Daniel Sanger say he should be kept alive with a…

Nov 1, 2011 4:52 PM CDT

A Debt of Gratitude: ABA Pledges to Help Veterans in Overcoming Legal Obstacles

Nov 1, 2011 9:40 AM CDT

Thrown for a Loss: Retired Players Sue, Claim NFL Hid Brain Damage Info

Nov 1, 2011 8:40 AM CDT

Patchwork Partnering: States Can’t Agree on the Legal Status of Same-Sex Couples

Nov 1, 2011 8:30 AM CDT