ThinSkull Blog » US Legal News

$19m payout for Transformers injury

AB — Fri, 25 May 2012 15:02:51 +0000

BBC News Gabriela Cedillo was left brain-damaged when she was hit during a stunt sequence by a piece of metal, in what the studio called a “tragic accident”. An investigation found a weld which connected a car to a tow…

Federal appeals court rules on legal definition of piracy

AB — Thu, 24 May 2012 15:46:57 +0000

The Jurist The US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit [official website] ruled Wednesday that the legal definition of maritime piracy [JURIST news archive] includes an armed attack to hijack a ship, even if the attempt is unsuccessful. In…

Facebook and banks face lawsuit

AB — Wed, 23 May 2012 16:55:14 +0000

BBC News Facebook, its founder Mark Zuckerberg, and the banks leading its flotation are being sued by disgruntled shareholders. A writ, filed in a Manhattan court, alleges that Facebook’s revised growth figures were not disclosed to all investors. US financial…

Second Circuit allows CIA to withhold interrogation documents

AB — Tue, 22 May 2012 17:00:31 +0000

The Jurist The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit [official website] on Monday ruled [opinion, PDF] that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) [official websites] do not have to release records pertaining to…

Federal judge blocks portion of anti-terrorism law

AB — Fri, 18 May 2012 14:16:27 +0000

The JURIST A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of New York [official website] on Wednesday blocked [opinion, PDF] a portion of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) [text, PDF] which allows for the indefinite detention…

Texas ‘executed an innocent man’, report claims

AB — Wed, 16 May 2012 18:17:11 +0000

BBC News The US state of Texas is likely to have executed an innocent man due to careless handling of the case, a report by US law students claims. Carlos de Luna was killed by lethal injection in 1989 for…

Castaway sues over rescue failure

AB — Mon, 14 May 2012 21:57:40 +0000

BBC News A Panamanian fisherman who survived 28 days adrift in the Pacific and watched two companions die is suing the owners of a cruise ship that sailed past. Adrian Vasquez has filed a lawsuit in Florida alleging negligence by…

US sheriff sued for ‘race profiling’

AB — Thu, 10 May 2012 23:29:34 +0000

BBC News The US Department of Justice has sued an Arizona sheriff accused of racially profiling Latinos, among other alleged civil rights violations. The lawsuit alleges sloppy police work and a disregard for minority rights by Maricopa County Sheriff Joe…

North Carolina approves gay union ban

AB — Wed, 09 May 2012 15:58:14 +0000

BBC News Initial results show North Carolina has approved a constitutional amendment effectively banning same-sex marriage or civil unions. State election officials said 61% had voted for the measure banning gay unions, and 39% opposed it. Recent polling had suggested…

US drug company in $1.6bn payout

AB — Tue, 08 May 2012 19:09:02 +0000

BBC News A US drug company has agreed to pay out $1.6bn (£1bn) after improperly marketing a mood-stabilising drug in a settlement thought to be the largest of its kind involving a single drug. Abbott Laboratories encouraged its sales teams…