Staff Writer

  • Appeals Court Does Not Block US Mandate To Cover Cancer Screenings, HIV Drugs

    A U.S. appeals court on Friday refused to block a federal mandate requiring health insurers to cover preventive care services, including cancer screenings and HIV-preventing medication, at no extra cost to patients. However, the court ruled against the government on a key legal issue, leaving the mandate’s future in doubt. A unanimous panel of the…

  • Attacker of Nancy Pelosi’s Husband Convicted, Again, In California

    A California jury convicted David DePape on Friday of kidnapping, burglary, false imprisonment, threatening the family member of a public official, and dissuading a witness. This conviction follows his federal court conviction last year. DePape, a right-wing conspiracy theorist, attacked Paul Pelosi, the husband of former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, with a hammer. The…

  • Doctor’s Recommendation Does Not Bar Patient’s Lawsuit Over Device – California Court

    California’s highest court ruled that a patient can pursue a claim against a drug or medical device maker for failing to warn of a product’s risks, even if the warning would not have stopped the patient’s doctor from recommending it. In a unanimous opinion by Justice Joshua Groban on Thursday, the California Supreme Court revived…

  • Lawyers On Track For Mid-Year Bonuses At Trial Firm McKool Smith

    Dallas-based law firm McKool Smith, known for taking on high-stakes patent cases and other litigation, announced it will pay its associates and other lawyers mid-year bonuses up to $30,000. McKool Smith’s managing principal and chairman, David Sochia, revealed in an internal memo on Thursday that bonuses for principals, associates, and senior counsel will range from…

  • Hawaii Agrees To ‘Groundbreaking’ Settlement Of Youth Climate Change Case

    Hawaii agreed on Thursday to decarbonize its transportation system by 2045, settling a lawsuit by 13 young people who claimed the state violated their constitutional rights with infrastructure that contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and climate change. Democratic Governor Josh Green announced the “groundbreaking” settlement at a news conference attended by activists and lawyers involved…

  • Justice Thomas Casts Cloud Over Lawsuits Challenging Diversity Programs

    Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas has adopted a legal theory that would eliminate numerous recent lawsuits filed by groups opposing race-based diversity programs, which align with his conservative views. In a concurring opinion in last week’s Supreme Court decision preserving access to the abortion pill mifepristone, Thomas questioned the constitutional foundation of a legal doctrine…

  • Families Of Boeing 737 MAX Crash Victims Ask US To Seek $24 Billion Fine

    Relatives of the victims of two fatal Boeing 737 MAX crashes urged the Justice Department on Wednesday to impose a fine of up to $24.78 billion on the planemaker and pursue a criminal prosecution. Paul Cassel, a lawyer representing 15 families, wrote in a letter to the Justice Department that “because Boeing’s crime is the…

  • Supreme Court Will Review Test For Applying Wage Law Exemptions

    The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to decide how difficult it should be for employers to prove in court that their workers qualify for exemptions from overtime pay and other legal protections under U.S. wage laws. The justices granted a petition by grocery distributor EMD Sales Inc to review a 4th U.S. Circuit Court of…

  • Louisiana Requires Display Of Ten Commandments In All Classrooms

    Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed a bill on Wednesday that mandates displaying the Ten Commandments in every public school classroom, making Louisiana the only state with such a requirement. The American Civil Liberties Union immediately announced plans to sue to block the law, citing violations of the constitutional separation of church and state and a…

  • New Evidence Baldwin Was Reckless With Gun Before ‘Rust’ Shooting, Prosecutors Say

    New evidence indicates Alec Baldwin acted recklessly with a revolver before it fired a live round that killed “Rust” cinematographer Halyna Hutchins in 2021, according to prosecutors preparing for Baldwin’s July manslaughter trial. Prosecutors, in a Monday filing, alleged that images and videos from crew and a set photographer show Baldwin pointing his gun at…