Media & Communications Law

Federal judge approves AT&T-Time Warner merger, warns stay request would be unjust

A federal judge in Washington, D.C., has approved AT&T’s acquisition of Time Warner after concluding that the U.S. Justice Department did not prove that the $85.4 billion deal would harm consumers.

Jun 12, 2018 4:39 PM CDT

Allegations added to suit on how Facebook targeting tools helped advertisers exclude older workers

Plaintiffs in a federal lawsuit have expanded the scope of their action, alleging that Facebook and other major employers violated federal and state anti-age bias laws by excluding older job seekers from seeing online employment ads.

May 31, 2018 5:04 PM CDT

Federal judge rules Trump can’t block Twitter users because of political views

A federal judge in Manhattan has ruled the First Amendment bars President Donald Trump from blocking people from his Twitter account because of their political views.

May 23, 2018 1:09 PM CDT

More police departments move to encrypt police scanner communications

Police communications can be monitored on scanners purchased from electronics stores and apps that broadcast police communications from across the country. Some listeners are criminals or police enthusiasts who race to crime scenes and post their reports on social media. That has some police departments so concerned that they have…

May 18, 2018 1:15 PM CDT

Appeals court stymies bid to regulate high cost of prison phone calls

After 14 years of pleas, the Federal Communications Commission in 2015 made a rule capping rates for in-state prison phone calls. But the affected telecommunications companies sued—and in June 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit handed them a victory. The court said the FCC overstepped its statutory authority when it regulated in-state calls, and that the way it set the rates was “hard to fathom.”

May 1, 2018 1:40 AM CDT

Ex-Playboy model settles suit claiming faulty lawyering nixed her deal to remain silent on Trump

A former Playboy model reached a settlement with the publisher of the National Enquirer on Wednesday allowing her to go public with allegations of an affair in 2006 with President Donald Trump. Karen McDougal won’t have to return the $150,000 she was paid by American Media Inc., the New York…

Apr 19, 2018 1:09 PM CDT

Trump lawyer Michael Cohen withdraws defamation suits over Russia dossier

President Donald Trump’s personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, has withdrawn defamation lawsuits against the company that created the Russia dossier and the website that published it. Cohen’s lawyer, David Schwartz, said in a statement that the suits were withdrawn because Cohen no longer has time for them, report the Wall Street…

Apr 19, 2018 11:55 AM CDT

‘Right to be forgotten’ can apply to criminals: UK high court rules against Google

The “right to be forgotten” notched a win in the High Court of England and Wales, requiring Google to delist references to a businessman’s criminal history.

Apr 16, 2018 8:00 AM CDT

Former law student obtains $6.45M judgment in revenge porn case

A former law student in California has obtained a $6.45 million default judgment against a former boyfriend accused of posting her intimate photos after their breakup.

Apr 11, 2018 7:00 AM CDT

Parents of slain DNC staffer sue Fox News for alleged distress caused by retracted WikiLeaks story

The parents of a murdered staffer for the Democratic National Committee have filed a suit against Fox News that claims a false story about their son intentionally exploited their tragedy and caused them significant emotional distress.

Mar 15, 2018 8:15 AM CDT

Ethics opinion stresses lawyers’ duty of confidentiality when blogging

Lawyers should be mindful of the duty of confidentiality when they engage in public commentary, including blogging and other online postings, according to an ethics opinion from the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility.

Mar 6, 2018 10:28 AM CST

Coal company accuses judge of ‘flagrant disregard of the law’ for siding with John Oliver

A state court judge has decided to dismiss a defamation suit filed against John Oliver over a satirical segment on the cable television program Last Week Tonight that criticized a coal company and its CEO for their treatment of workers. Judge Jeffrey Cramer of Moundsville, West Virginia, informed lawyers in…

Feb 26, 2018 2:55 PM CST

Not all private social media photos are subject to discovery, but some may be, says New York court

In a personal injury lawsuit involving a horse riding accident, the New York State Court of Appeals ruled that Facebook photos the plaintiff set as private are discoverable.

Feb 14, 2018 11:16 AM CST

Judge: Kushner company must reveal identities of real estate partners

A federal judge in Maryland ruled Friday that Jared Kushner’s family real estate company could not keep secret the identities of its partners in Baltimore-area apartment complexes that are the subject of a class-action lawsuit by tenants. The class-action lawsuit was filed in September, following a May article co-published by…

Jan 30, 2018 6:16 PM CST

Federal court tosses judge’s suit against sheriff who investigated her for releasing courtroom video

A federal judge in Michigan has dismissed a retaliation lawsuit filed by a state court judge against the sheriff who sought to charge her for releasing a courtroom video showing a defendant’s attempted shank attack on a prosecutor. U.S. District Judge Robert Jonker in Grand Rapids dismissed the lawsuit by…

Jan 16, 2018 1:31 PM CST