Administrative Law

Interpreters are still lacking in Los Angeles civil cases, legal-aid advocates say

Given a chance to provide qualified interpreters voluntarily to civil litigants who don’t speak English, after the U.S. Department of Justice identified a civil rights issue, the Los Angeles County court system and the state judicial council in charge of all California courts have made progress. But a draft strategic…

Nov 6, 2014 3:20 PM CST

Court rejects housing discrimination rule that relied on statistical analysis

A federal judge has struck down a rule designed to make it easier for plaintiffs to file housing discrimination claims. U.S. District Judge Richard Leon in a decision Monday called the rule “yet another example of an administrative agency trying desperately to write into law that which Congress never intended…

Nov 3, 2014 4:15 PM CST

Feds investigate Chrysler over recall of more than 1 million trucks

Federal safety regulators have opened a probe into Chrysler Group’s recall of nearly one million Dodge Ram pickup trucks. Last November, the car company issued the recall for approximately 1.2 million light- and heavy-duty Ram Pickup trucks, citing a potential chassis problem that could affect steering. Reuters reported on Monday…

Oct 27, 2014 1:05 PM CDT

Report: Lax regulation puts employees and patrons of gun ranges at risk of lead poisoning

It is a little-known fact that a number of shooting ranges throughout the country are contaminated with lead, spread by vapor and dust when guns are fired. And because of lax federal and state regulation and enforcement, not enough is being done to correct the problem, which can cause serious…

Oct 17, 2014 3:55 PM CDT

Uproar over Forest Service plan to require media to get permits to take wilderness photos

A furor has ignited over a U.S. Forest Service plan to require members of the media, as well as commercial photographers, to pay up to $1,500 for a permit before taking video or still shots in some 36 million designated federal wilderness acres. Amidst criticism from both Democratic and Republican…

Sep 25, 2014 4:50 PM CDT

Utility faces contempt hearing for lobbying to choose judge in $1.29B rate case linked to fatal fire

After a fatal gas-supply pipeline rupture, explosion and fire in San Bruno, California, the utility company responsible spent $1.29 billion on pipeline improvements. Eight people died in the 2010 accident, dozens more were injured and 38 homes were reportedly destroyed. The California Public Utilities Commission was set to decide how…

Sep 18, 2014 10:40 AM CDT

Record $1.4B fine levied against gas company in fatal explosion and fire

A record $1.4 billion safety fine has been imposed by the California Public Utilities Commission concerning a 2010 gas pipeline rupture, explosion and fire that killed eight people, injured dozens of others and destroyed 38 homes in a San Bruno neighborhood. The penalty against Pacific Gas & Electric follows determinations…

Sep 3, 2014 11:05 AM CDT

Two California judges censured for in-chambers sex, among other conduct

Two sitting California judges were sanctioned Tuesday in unrelated legal ethics cases for in-chambers sexual activity, as well as other misconduct. The Commission on Judicial Performance said Kern County Superior Court Judge Cory Woodward became involved with his married court clerk during portions of 2012 and 2013, engaged with her…

Sep 2, 2014 4:25 PM CDT

Iconic monarch butterfly needs protection as endangered species, advocacy groups say in US petition

An iconic American butterfly needs protection as an endangered species because of climate change, the widespread use of a herbicide that has eliminated much of its food supply, and other factors, advocacy groups contend. Joined by scientist Lincoln Brower, the Center for Biological Diversity, the Center for Food Safety and…

Aug 26, 2014 5:20 PM CDT

Monkey selfies do not qualify for copyright protection, US regulators say

Ape rights will have to wait until the day they take over the Earth, like in Planet of the Apes. The Telegraph reported Thursday that the U.S. Copyright Office announced that it will not issue copyrights to any picture taken by a nonhuman. The Copyright Office issued updated rules and…

Aug 22, 2014 8:12 PM CDT

Solar power towers are igniting birds in midair; wildlife protection groups are concerned

In the quest for clean energy, some birds are feeling the heat. Because of the concentration of sunlight by garage-door-size mirrors that reflect solar rays onto boiler towers as high as 40 feet, birds are igniting in midair at a $2.2 billion plant on the California-Nevada border. Observations suggest birds…

Aug 18, 2014 10:20 PM CDT

Louisiana Supreme Court settles ADA probe by DOJ over mental-health queries on bar application

The Louisiana Supreme Court has agreed to settle a U.S. Department of Justice probe over claims that some mental-health questions on the state’s bar application could violate the Americans with Disabilities Act. Specifically, the DOJ found that those involved in evaluating bar applications have been making admission recommendations focused on…

Aug 18, 2014 8:40 PM CDT

LinkedIn settles with feds, agrees to pay nearly $6M in FLSA ‘off the clock’ and overtime case

Notified by the feds that it had violated wage-and-hour laws, a well-known company opted to settle the case rather than fight allegations that nonexempt hourly employees in four states weren’t paid for all of their work. LinkedIn Corp. agreed to pay $3.3 million in overtime back wages and $2.5 million…

Aug 4, 2014 10:09 PM CDT

Official says Chicago will allow drivers to appeal 9,000 red-light tickets after usual deadline

Some 9,000 drivers who may have inappropriately been ticketed in Chicago for running a red light over issues with a controversial camera system will be able to fight their cases, even though the usual deadline for doing so has expired. Details of how that challenge process will work were not…

Jul 23, 2014 10:20 PM CDT

Feds and 15 states sue law firms and attorneys, alleging mortgage-relief scams

Federal agencies and 15 states have announced a wave of litigation against law firms, attorneys, affiliated companies and others that claimed to perform work on behalf of homeowners struggling to pay their mortgages. California attorney Stephen Siringoringo; the Florida-based firms Hoffman Law Group and Lanier Law; the Chicago-based Mortgage Law…

Jul 23, 2014 9:45 PM CDT