As Probe Widens, Lawyer Says Celebrities Can’t Prove Tabloid’s Investigator Hacked Voice Mail

Two celebrities who claim their cell phone voice mail was hacked by an investigator with the U.K.’s News of the World may not be able to prove it, a lawyer for the tabloid told a London court today. According to Bloomberg News, the plaintiffs, actor Steve Coogan and sports commentator…

Feb 15, 2011 7:58 PM CST

Loughner Lawyers Claim Mug Shot Is Inherently Private

Lawyers for Jared Lee Loughner are asking a judge to block release of a second mug shot of the Tucson shooting suspect. The Pima County Sheriff’s Office released a mug shot of a smiling Loughner two days after his arrest in the shooting rampage that killed a federal judge and…

Feb 11, 2011 12:29 PM CST

Shoppers Don’t Have to Give their ZIP Codes to Retailers, Rules California Supreme Court

Often in the forefront as far as recognizing consumer rights is concerned, California law gives consumers the right to withhold their ZIP code from retailers, the California Supreme Court decided today. Under the state’s constitutional right of privacy and the Song-Beverly Credit Card Act of 1971, which protects consumers’ “personal…

Feb 10, 2011 11:14 PM CST

Effort Pays Off: New Law Confirms ‘Red Flags Rule’ Exemption

Feb 1, 2011 6:30 AM CST

Landlord Who Rented Room Equipped with Hidden Camera is Hit with $476K Jury Verdict

When a 60-year-old Internal Revenue Service agent advertised a furnished room for rent in his Florida townhome, it turned out to come with some extras. In additional to the DVD/VCR player, the room also contained a hidden camera within the machine. It was pointed at the bed of the young…

Jan 31, 2011 9:53 PM CST

Courtney Love’s ‘Boudoir Queen’ Tweets Leave Lawyers Arguing: Is Case Settled or Not?

An eagerly awaited trial over Courtney Love’s twitter rants against a Texas fashion designer known as the “Boudoir Queen” may not be upcoming after all. Although lawyers for both sides disagree about the status of the Los Angeles Superior Court case, Love’s counsel says a settlement is essentially a done…

Jan 31, 2011 7:15 PM CST

Tort Defense Lawyer Contends MySpace Smiley Faces Are Damning Evidence

Tort defense lawyers are increasingly seeking access to plaintiffs’ private social media pages in hopes the contents will provide evidence of fakery. Two state courts recently granted broad access to private portions of social media sites, and a federal court did the same in 2009, Reuters reports. In one of…

Jan 28, 2011 12:55 PM CST

In Facebook Age, Do Photos Carry Expectation of Privacy? Placenta Opinion Raises the Issue

A judge’s ruling on behalf of a nursing student ousted from school for a distasteful Facebook photo raises questions about expectations of privacy. U.S. District Judge Eric Melgren of Kansas ruled on behalf of nursing student Doyle Byrnes, who posted a photo of herself posing with a human placenta on…

Jan 27, 2011 4:50 PM CST

After High-Profile Hack of Founder Zuckerberg, Facebook Pledges ‘Continued Commitment to Security’

A high-profile hack of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s page yesterday got no direct response from the social networking website. However, Facebook pledged “a continued commitment to security” in a blog entry this morning, the New York Post reported. The incident demonstrates how vulnerable systems are that rely only on a…

Jan 26, 2011 8:11 PM CST

Gumshoes are Now Glued to Internet as They Search for Adverse Insurance Information

Yet another reason to be wary about posting on Facebook, Twitter and other social networking sites: It isn’t just teachers, employers and jealous spouses and significant others who are taking a close look at such pages. They’re a gold mine for insurance companies, too. Private investigators who once were only…

Jan 25, 2011 1:06 AM CST

Woman Whose Fountain Fall Is a YouTube Hit Considers Suing over Video Release

A woman whose fall into a mall fountain has become a YouTube sensation is considering a suit over the posting of the security video. Cathy Cruz Marrero appeared with her lawyer on Good Morning America and hinted of a lawsuit, ABC News reports. Her lawyer, James Polyak, said he intends…

Jan 21, 2011 2:59 PM CST

Chief Justice Uses ‘Crafty’ Example in Arguments on Corporate Privacy

AT&T lawyer Geoffrey Klineberg ran into some tough questioning on Wednesday when he urged the U.S. Supreme Court to exempt his client from the Freedom of Information Act. The Washington Post opens its story on the oral arguments this way: “It might be an understatement to say the Supreme Court…

Jan 20, 2011 3:27 PM CST

Is There a Right of Informational Privacy? Supreme Court Avoids the Issue in NASA Opinion

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld background checks for NASA employees, but its opinion didn’t decide whether the Constitution protects a “right of informational privacy.” The background checks are reasonable, employment-related inquiries, Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. wrote in his opinion (PDF) for the court. The 28 NASA workers challenging…

Jan 19, 2011 4:48 PM CST

Suit by Lee Harvey Oswald’s Brother Claims Casket Auction Was a Privacy Invasion

Lee Harvey Oswald’s brother has sued a Texas funeral home and an auction house over the sale of Oswald’s casket and other items linked to the presidential assassin. Oswald’s original casket, saved after a 1981 exhumation, brought nearly $87,500 in the auction, according to the Associated Press, the Fort Worth…

Jan 19, 2011 1:20 PM CST

Lawyer Gets Revenge for Early Morning Robocall

A suburban Washington, D.C., lawyer decided to respond in kind after he received a robocall at 4:33 a.m. telling him that his kindergartener’s school would be opening two hours late. Aaron Titus arranged his own robocall and sent it at 4:30 a.m. to the school’s general counsel and superintendent, as…

Jan 14, 2011 12:15 PM CST