California

Judge OKs consolidated suit over theft of Sony ex-workers’ personal info

A federal judge in Los Angeles nixed a contract-based claim against Sony Pictures Entertainment Inc. over a massive third-party hack attack that gained access to former employees’ personal information. But the Monday ruling by U.S. District Judge R. Gary Klausner gave a green light to negligence-based litigation by the ex-workers…

Jun 16, 2015 3:25 PM CDT

FedEx will pay $227M to settle suits alleging it misclassified its delivery drivers

FedEx has agreed to settle multiple lawsuits alleging that it misclassified its delivery drivers in California as independent contractors. The settlement amount is $227 million. More than 2,000 FedEx workers are likely to be on the receiving end, reports Courthouse News. Because of the classification of drivers as independent contractors,…

Jun 16, 2015 11:00 AM CDT

Lawyers receive notices to appear for ‘clients’ they never represented; tampering probe is underway

Lawyers were flummoxed when they received notices to appear in superior court in Orange County, California, last Friday on behalf of “clients” they never represented. As the lawyers appeared in the Westminster courtroom of Judge Thomas Borris, they learned the judge was asking defendants to show why resolutions of their…

Jun 16, 2015 7:16 AM CDT

Retired judge is arrested after allegedly shooting at cops

A retired Los Angeles judge was arrested early Thursday for allegedly shooting at police who responded to a false report of a hostage situation at his townhouse. The suspect was identified as retired Judge James Bascue, 75, report the Los Angeles Times, City News Service and CBS Los Angeles. He…

Jun 11, 2015 10:53 AM CDT

Littler is hiring for new Kansas City admin center as it lays off 113 staffers in San Francisco

After an announcement early this year that Littler Mendelson is consolidating administrative functions in one central office, the 1,000-attorney labor and employment powerhouse has been hiring in Kansas City, Missouri. and making layoffs elsewhere. Last month, chief operating officer Robert Domingues told the Kansas City Business Journal that the firm…

Jun 8, 2015 2:45 PM CDT

What’s next for Caitlyn Jenner? Likely a trip to the DMV and a court petition

Caitlyn Jenner showed off her new look this week on the cover of Vanity Fair, but her legal transformation will require a court order. Jenner will need to get court approval for a name and gender change application, the Associated Press reports. In Los Angeles, seven or eight forms are…

Jun 5, 2015 6:15 AM CDT

Calif. school district and student reach agreement allowing him to wear eagle feather at graduation

His high school graduation later this week may be a feather in Christian Titman’s cap, but it apparently won’t be a feather on his cap, for at least most of the ceremony. School officials resisted his effort to be allowed to wear an eagle feather on his graduation cap throughout…

Jun 3, 2015 1:55 PM CDT

Nonlawyer is still at his desk, 12 years after court ordered him to stop practicing, newspaper says

In 2003, a nonattorney, Jesus Lozano, was ordered by a California court to stop “assisting individuals to fill out pleadings, motions, and court forms or other documents and providing counsel or advice related to any legal matter.” But authorities say Lozano continued taking money from individuals who thought he was…

Jun 2, 2015 10:55 AM CDT

Warring parties in Robin Williams estate case make progress, with mediator’s help

The widow and three adult children of actor Robin Williams are still at odds over the ownership of some of his personal belongings and the money needed to maintain his widow’s home. But, with the help of a mediator, they have resolved issues concerning a number of other items, so…

Jun 1, 2015 4:30 PM CDT

9th Circuit: In ERISA case where appeal period ended on a Saturday, filing deadline becomes Monday

Saying that a rule often applied to court filing deadlines also makes sense in administrative ERISA matters, a federal appeals court Thursday revived a former FedEx worker’s disability benefits case. Because a 180-day period for Andre LeGras to appeal the termination of his benefits ended on a Saturday, the mailbox…

May 28, 2015 4:30 PM CDT

Class action claiming Yahoo intercepted email for advertising analysis gets OK from federal judge

A federal judge has given the green light to a class action alleging Yahoo Inc. invaded the privacy of non-Yahoo account holders by analyzing—for advertising purposes— email they sent to Yahoo Mail accounts. The suit says Yahoo violated the federal Stored Communications Act by searching the email for keywords that…

May 27, 2015 1:00 PM CDT

DOJ investigates California court restrictions on voting by intellectually disabled persons

The U.S. Department of Justice is investigating a complaint that California courts systematically and illegally strip the intellectually disabled of their right to vote. When Teresa Thompson applied for a guardianship to oversee health care and legal matters for her 18-year-old autistic son, Stephen Lopate, an attorney was appointed by…

May 22, 2015 11:35 AM CDT

After federal judge orders sex-change surgery, board OKs parole for inmate

Gender reassignment surgery that a federal judge has ordered California prison officials to provide to an inmate serving time for murder does not appear to be on a fast track. On Thursday, a state parole board determined that Michelle-Lael Norsworthy is eligible for release, reports the Los Angeles Times (sub.…

May 22, 2015 10:15 AM CDT

ADA suit says school district fails children living with violence, loss and poverty

A federal lawsuit filed in Los Angeles claims the Compton school district is violating federal law by failing to provide services to children exposed to persistent violence, family hardship and poverty. The suit (PDF) claims violations of the federal Rehabilitation Act and Americans With Disabilities Act, report Courthouse News Service,…

May 21, 2015 2:24 PM CDT

Accused art scammer is convicted after bizarre trial; dismissed juror has screaming fit about Nazis

An accused art scammer who represented himself at trial, racking up 471 days in jail for interrupting the judge and making prejudicial statements, has been convicted for fraud and for a short-lived escape from custody. Jurors in San Francisco convicted Luke Brugnara on Tuesday, a day after a ranting juror…

May 20, 2015 7:43 AM CDT