Andre Shipley and his wife, Korisha, were already mourning the loss of their son Jesse when they were given an added injury by the New York city medical examiner when they learned that their son’s brain was on public display in a jar. The case is the latest controversy over the “right of sepulcher.”
Continue reading “Right of Sepulcher: Medical Examiner Sued After Former High School Friends Observed Deceased Boy’s Brain In a Jar During Morgue Tour”
Category: Torts
In the latest twist to the case involving Tyler Clementi, prosecutors have announced that they are considering hate crime charges against Clementi’s roommate, Dharun Ravi, of Plainsboro, N.J., and another student, and Molly Wei. We previously discussed the case on this blog. I have reservations over the addition of such charges based on the evidence that is currently known about the case.
Continue reading “Prosecutors Consider Hate Crime Charges in Clementi Case”
Oakland Police officers are facing criticism after shooting an 11-year-old arthritic yellow Labrador three times in responding to a burglar alarm. Owner Kate Hallock says her dog Gloria was shot three times with a 40-caliber Glock handgun in the family’s backyard.
Continue reading “Oakland Police Criticized After Shooting 11-Year-Old Arthritic Lab”
A former partner with the California law firm of Bisnar Chase is suing the firm for sexual harassment and breach of contract. Stephen Eggleston claims that he was forced out of the firm after he refused to attend an office retreat where male attorneys were expected to strip naked and engage in an exercise with a Phallus.
Continue reading “Lawyer Sues California Law Firm After Refusing To Attend Retreat With Alleged Male Nudity”
This could make for an interesting torts lawsuit. A new hotel, The Vdara, is a modern glass structure with a curved design. The striking architectural design has one other novel feature: a “death ray” that cooks people in the pool.
Continue reading “Death Ray: Hotel Design Blamed For Burning Guests in Pool”
Google and its chief executive Eric Schmidt have been convicted of defamation in France in a decision that, in my view, defies logic and legal principles. The company was convicted due to the results of its “suggest” function which lists words commonly used by users. In this case, the plaintiffs’ name produced automatic suggested words of “rapist” and “satanist.”
Continue reading “French Court Convicts Google and Schmidt of Defamation”
There is an interesting defamation case coming out of a race in North Carolina. GOP candidate Eldon “Buck” Newton is claiming that Sen. A.B. Swindell (shown left) and the Democratic Party knowingly made misleading statements about him in a campaign mailer in the race for the 11th Senate District.
Continue reading “North Carolina Race Leads To Defamation Lawsuit”
It has become almost a mantra in contemporary news articles: a minister who preached against homosexuality accused of hidden homosexual relationships. In the case of Atlanta-based megachurch pastor Eddie Long (shown here in a past sermon), he is by last count accused in three lawsuits by young men who claim that they came to him for spiritual help and were used for his sexual pleasures.
Continue reading “Three Former Male Church Members Sue Megachurch Pastor Eddie Long For Sexual Harassment”
St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church is being sued. The complaint targets the famous bell of the 104-year-old Gothic church which has rung for prayers, marriages, and other occasions for generations. Most residents associated the 5,000-pound bronze bell with their community but a resident has filed a complaint that silenced the bell under a threat of $700 per day if it rings in violation of the city’s noise ordinance.
Continue reading “For Whom the Bell Tolls: City Silences Bell in 104-Year-Old Gothic Church”
Former NYPD Officer Andrew Kelly has received 90 days after pleading guilty to getting drunk and then running over Vionique Valnord, 33. Kelly killed Valnord with his Jeep and was found smelling of alcohol with slurred speech.
Continue reading “Former Police Officer Pleads Guilty To Killing Woman in DUI and Gets 90 Days”
There is an interesting case out of Uniondale, New York where a homeowner was arrested for firing a weapon into the grass to scare off what he described as a mob of gang members. George Grier had a lawful AK-47 and confronted what he described were gang members who were threatening him and his family.
Continue reading “Long Island Man Arrested for Firing Gun Into Ground To Scare Off Alleged Gang Members”
Tennis has always struggled with the absence of crowd-pleasing violent outbursts as in hockey. The U.S. Open was able to overcome that liability this week with a full fist fight that erupted in the stands as Novak Djokovic and Philipp Petzschner watched on as spectators.
Continue reading “Open Season: Fight Breaks Out At The U.S. Open Tennis Competition”
A New Hampshire high school student and his parents are suing their school district, the city of Dover, and a former shop class teacher, Thomas Kelley, after the student was shocked and severely injured by an electrical cord in “trades class.” The student, Kyle Dubois, reportedly had friends clamp the electrical cord to his nipples before being shocked. However, they claim that Kelley encouraged such dangerous antics in class.
Continue reading “Teenager Sues After He and Friends Clamp Electrical Cord to His Nipples and Plug It In”
In Florida, a family is dealing with a shocking account from their relative, Michael Dever, a mentally ill man living in West Boca Raton. They say that Michael (who suffers from a paranoia disorder) was befriended by his neighbors and then taken advantage of by selling his house to them for $10.
Continue reading “Neighbors Allegedly Leave Mentally Disabled Man Homeless After Convincing Him To Sign Over Home For $10”
This is a curious story. A West Virginia school district has dismantled all swing sets because of the danger of lawsuits. Cabell County cites a single such case that was settled.
Continue reading “West Virginia School District Bans Playground Swings”