Litigation

• Bank of America settles suits over bad mortgages
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (AP) - Facing a lawsuit over deceptive mortgage practices, Bank of America Corp. is agreeing to pay more than $8 billion to modify hundreds of thousands of loans to keep people from losing their homes.
   
  
• Top court stays out of DVR patent fight
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court refused Monday to disturb a $74 million judgment against Dish Network Corp. for violating a patent held by TiVo Inc. involving digital video recorders.
   
  
• Court tilts Wachovia fight toward Wells Fargo
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  NEW YORK (AP) - The battle for control of troubled bank Wachovia tilted toward Wells Fargo Sunday as a state appeals court blocked a lower court ruling that had favored rival bidder Citigroup.
   
  
• Supreme Court opens new term with heavy workload
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday. The first order of business is expected to be the denials of hundreds of appeals, followed by arguments over limits on lawsuits against tobacco companies.
   
  
• Supreme Court rejects jury Bible case
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court on Monday refused to consider a murder case in which a jury foreman read passages of the Bible to hold-out jurors who subsequently voted to impose the death penalty.
   
  
• Connecticut towns grapple with new Web law
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - Harwinton residents hoping to learn about recycling policies and library hours online are out of luck.
   
  
• Top court again rejects abortion poster case
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has rejected for the third time an appeal by anti-abortion activists to undo a multimillion-dollar verdict for their use of "wanted" posters to identify abortion clinic doctors.
   
  
• Cigarette suit first up in new court term Monday
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court opens a new term Monday with denials expected in hundreds of appeals and arguments over limits on lawsuits against tobacco companies.
   
  
• Court declines 'choose life' license plate case
  AP (October 06, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - An anti-abortion group has won its long legal fight to force Arizona to issue "choose life" license plates, after the Supreme Court declined to take the case.
   
  
• Democrats question independence of prosecutor
  AP (October 03, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - Democratic lawmakers on Friday questioned the independence a veteran federal prosecutor named to investigate whether laws were broken in the partisan political firings of U.S. attorneys.
   
  
• Vick lawyers ask for mediator in bankruptcy case
  AP (October 03, 2008)
  NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (AP) - Lawyers for jailed quarterback Michael Vick are asking a federal bankruptcy judge to appoint a mediator to help settle his financial obligations with creditors.
   
  
• Judge considers mistrial in Stevens case
  AP (October 02, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge angrily halted the corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens on Thursday after the Alaska lawmaker's attorney accused prosecutors of withholding evidence that would help their case.
   
  
• Federal judge bars Fla. law on Cuba travel bond
  AP (October 01, 2008)
  MIAMI (AP) - A judge says a new Florida law requiring travel agents who book trips to Cuba to post a $250,000 state bond cannot be enforced, for now.
   
  
• Top court will review who pays for Superfund site
  AP (October 01, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court has agreed to decide what share railroads and an oil company should bear of the cleanup of a contaminated industrial site in Arvin, Calif., near Bakersfield, that threatened drinking water supplies.
   
  
• Winfrey's mom countersues store for its $156K bill
  AP (October 01, 2008)
  MILWAUKEE (AP) - Oprah Winfrey's mother says she shouldn't have to pay a nearly $156,000 debt to a high-end fashion store because store officials shouldn't have extended credit to her.
   
  
• Senator's thank-you notes seen at corruption trial
  AP (October 01, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - Federal prosecutors on Wednesday showed jurors thank-you notes that they say prove Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens knew he was getting free home renovations from his friend, an Alaska oil pipeline contractor.
   
  
• Hollywood aims to block RealNetworks' DVD software
  AP (October 01, 2008)
  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hollywood's six major movie studios on Tuesday sued RealNetworks Inc. to prevent it from distributing DVD copying software that they said would allow consumers to "rent, rip and return" movies or even copy friends' DVD collections outright.
   
  
• Judge rules against bird waste injunction in Okla.
  AP (September 30, 2008)
  TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A federal judge has denied Oklahoma's request for a preliminary injunction to stop 13 Arkansas poultry companies from disposing of bird waste in the Illinois River watershed.
   
  
• Hollywood aims to block RealNetworks' DVD software
  AP (September 30, 2008)
  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Hollywood's six major movie studios plan to sue RealNetworks Inc. to prevent it from distributing DVD copying software, The Associated Press has learned.
   
  
• Prosecutors deny misconduct in Stevens trial
  AP (September 30, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - With the star witness against Sen. Ted Stevens due to testify Tuesday, prosecutors denied allegations they secretly shuttled another key witness back to Alaska so he wouldn't hurt their corruption case against the lawmaker.
   
  
• Judge holds Hexion to Huntsman buyout proposal
  AP (September 30, 2008)
  DOVER, Del. (AP) - A Delaware judge has refused to allow Hexion Specialty Chemicals to walk away from a $6.5 billion buyout of chemicals maker Huntsman Corp.
   
  
• NYC sues reservation smoke shops over bootlegging
  AP (September 29, 2008)
  NEW YORK (AP) - New York City is suing eight smoke shops that have been selling tax-free cigarettes on an Indian reservation.
   
  
• No grand jury likely for Gonzales
  AP (September 29, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - A report on a Justice Department investigation into the controversial firings of U.S. attorneys is harshly critical of the politically charged dismissals but does not recommend referring the role of former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales to a grand jury for possible criminal charges, according to published reports.
   
  
• Fannie, Freddie disclose subpoenas, investigations
  AP (September 29, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal grand jury is investigating accounting and disclosure issues at Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the mortgage finance companies said Monday.
   
  
• Judge slams government tactics in Stevens case
  AP (September 29, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge angrily rebuked the Justice Department on Monday for mishandling a witness against Sen. Ted Stevens, a dispute that delayed and initially threatened to derail the case against the Alaska senator.
   
  
• Prosecutor named to probe ouster of US attorneys
  AP (September 29, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - Attorney General Michael Mukasey appointed a prosecutor Monday to pursue possible criminal charges against Republicans who were involved in the controversial firings of U.S. attorneys.
   
  
• Cephalon to pay $425M for improper drug marketing
  AP (September 29, 2008)
  PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Drug maker Cephalon on Monday completed a previously announced $425 million civil settlement with federal authorities over off-label drug marketing.
   
  
• Apple faces iTunes test case in Norway
  AP (September 29, 2008)
  OSLO, Norway (AP) - Norway's top consumer advocate said Monday he is taking Apple Inc. to the government's Market Council in a test case seeking to force the American company to open its iTunes music store to digital players other than its own iPod.
   
  
• Ledger ex-lawyer, insurer spar over policy
  AP (September 29, 2008)
  LOS ANGELES (AP) - A former attorney for Heath Ledger is suing over a $10 million life insurance policy he claims has gone unpaid since the actor's death.
   
  
• Judge: Microsoft doesn't owe Alcatel-Lucent $1.5B
  AP (September 26, 2008)
  SEATTLE (AP) - Microsoft Corp. does not have to pay $1.5 billion in damages to Alcatel-Lucent SA, a panel of federal appeals judges has ruled in what may be the last word on a long-running digital music patent lawsuit.
   
  
• Contractor says immune from Iraq torture lawsuits
  AP (September 26, 2008)
  HAGERSTOWN, Md. (AP) - Defense contractor CACI (KA'-kee) is claiming immunity from lawsuits alleging torture at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, saying it was doing the U.S. government's work as a supplier of interrogators.
   
  
• W.Va. court accepts appeals in $400m DuPont case
  AP (September 25, 2008)
  CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - West Virginia's Supreme Court has agreed to a full review of appeals arising from a nearly $400 million judgment against DuPont.
   
  
• Pa. high court says newspaper can protect source
  AP (September 25, 2008)
  HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) - The Pennsylvania Supreme Court ruled Thursday that a newspaper reporter does not need to reveal the identity of a confidential source used in a story about a grand jury investigation into alleged prison brutality.
   
  
• Spanish judge orders plane crash site cleanup
  AP (September 25, 2008)
  MADRID, Spain (AP) - A Spanish judge on Thursday ordered a cleanup of the site of last month's plane crash in Madrid in which 154 people died, after a newspaper ran photos of clothes and personal effects still strewn on the ground there.
   
  
• Appeals court reviews ruling on former Qwest CEO
  AP (September 25, 2008)
  DENVER (AP) - The insider trading conviction of former Qwest Chief Executive Joe Nacchio is going back to court.
   
  
• Mining company in cave-in fights worker comp claim
  AP (September 25, 2008)
  SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - The mining company faulted by federal officials for a cave-in that killed six miners last year is fighting a worker's compensation claim filed by the family of one of the victims.
   
  
• W. Va. Supreme Court hears DuPont's appeal pitch
  AP (September 24, 2008)
  CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - At least one West Virginia Supreme Court justice wants to hear the appeal of a nearly $400 million judgment against DuPont Co. over health threats at a former zinc smelting plant.
   
  
• Fired Philly TV anchor sues colleague, station
  AP (September 24, 2008)
  PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A fired Philadelphia newscaster has filed a lawsuit accusing her former co-anchor of invading her privacy and leaking personal information to the media.
   
  
• Illinois' top court denies appeal in Sprint case
  AP (September 24, 2008)
  KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - The Illinois Supreme Court has dealt Sprint Nextel Corp. another setback in its fight with affiliate iPCS Inc. over the Nextel network.
   
  
• Jury picked in Stevens case; Openings set Thursday
  AP (September 24, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - Sen. Ted Stevens' jury has been chosen in his corruption trial.
   
  
• Court mulls if Jefferson indictment is tainted
  AP (September 24, 2008)
  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A Louisiana congressman accused of taking bribes challenged his indictment before a federal appeals court Wednesday, claiming grand jury testimony infringed on his constitutionally protected activities.
   
  
• W.Va. judge allows Aracoma fire suit to continue
  AP (September 24, 2008)
  CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - A West Virginia judge has cleared the way for a wrongful death lawsuit to proceed against coal mining giant Massey Energy Co. and its Chief Executive Don Blankenship over a fire that helped spur new federal mine safety laws.
   
  
• Senators seek rights protections in FBI probes
  AP (September 23, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - Three Democratic senators demanded "bare-minimum" civil rights protections Tuesday for Americans who might be targeted in FBI national security investigations without any evidence of wrongdoing.
   
  
• NY judge lets part of Rather's CBS lawsuit proceed
  AP (September 23, 2008)
  NEW YORK (AP) - A New York City judge says news anchor Dan Rather can proceed with his $70 million lawsuit accusing CBS of violating its contract with him when the network fired him.
   
  
• Judge rules in McMahon's favor in hospital lawsuit
  AP (September 23, 2008)
  LOS ANGELES (AP) - Ed McMahon's lawsuit against a hospital and doctors he claims failed to properly diagnose and repair his broken neck has passed a key legal hurdle.
   
  
• Procter & Gamble sues Kraft again
  AP (September 23, 2008)
  CINCINNATI (AP) - The Procter & Gamble Co. has again sued Kraft Foods Inc. over coffee containers.
   
  
• Stevens asks to skip court during financial mess
  AP (September 23, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - With Congress rushing to stop a meltdown in the U.S. financial market, Sen. Ted Stevens says he may have to skip out of his corruption trial from time to time.
   
  
• Mass. court reinstates lawsuit against Wal-Mart
  AP (September 23, 2008)
  BOSTON (AP) - The highest court in Massachusetts has reinstated a lawsuit against Wal-Mart by employees who claim the world's largest retailer pressured them to work off the clock and denied them rest and meal breaks.
   
  
• Tomato processing, egg products industries probed
  AP (September 23, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal investigation into possible food price-fixing has been expanded to include two major industries, tomato processing and egg products.
   
  
• Stevens arrives for start of corruption trial
  AP (September 22, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - Alaska Sen. Ted Stevens has arrived in federal court to begin what could be the most important battle of his long career, defending himself against corruption charges in Washington while running for re-election back in Alaska.
   
  
• Bankruptcy judge orders victim to pay back thief
  AP (September 22, 2008)
  NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) - Mark Poveromo feels ripped off twice over. A judge ordered him to repay money he collected from a builder convicted of stealing from him - and told him to kick in the thief's attorney fees and court costs, too.
   
  
• Powerful lawmakers on Stevens trial witness list
  AP (September 22, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The corruption trial of Sen. Ted Stevens could provide a parade of powerful witnesses, from former Secretary of State Colin Powell to Sens. Ted Kennedy and Patrick Leahy.
   
  
• Court: US govt can't block detainee photos release
  AP (September 22, 2008)
  NEW YORK (AP) - An appeals court says the federal government must release 20 photographs of U.S. soldiers and detainees in Iraq and Afghanistan that were demanded by a civil rights group seeking to expose abuse.
   
  
• Torture trial set for ex-Liberian leader's son
  AP (September 19, 2008)
  MIAMI (AP) - Federal prosecutors say former Liberian President Charles Taylor's son poured molten plastic on the skin of the regime's opponents, rubbed salt in their wounds and shocked them with electricity during a horrific three-year campaign of intimidation in Africa.
   
  
• Fla. authorities say they can't prove Foley case
  AP (September 19, 2008)
  WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) - Florida authorities closed their case against Rep. Mark Foley on Friday, saying he won't face charges for allegedly sending salacious computer messages to underage male pages because prosecutors couldn't prove the authenticity of the chats.
   
  
• Judge: Stevens can get witness's medical records
  AP (September 18, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge says Sen. Ted Stevens can probe the mental health of the government's star witness in the corruption trial against the Alaska icon.
   
  
• Croatian professors snared in bribery probe
  AP (September 18, 2008)
  ZAGREB, Croatia (AP) - Police raided several universities in the Croatian capital Thursday and questioned dozens of professors suspected of taking bribes to give students passing exam grades.
   
  
• Judge dismisses libel suit against John Grisham
  AP (September 18, 2008)
  OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) - A federal judge has dismissed a libel lawsuit filed against best-selling author John Grisham and two other writers over books they wrote about the wrongful conviction of two men in a 1982 murder.
   
  
• W.Va. court releases chief's e-mails sought by AP
  AP (September 17, 2008)
  CHARLESTON, W.Va. (AP) - Five e-mails sent by the chief justice of the West Virginia Supreme Court to the head of coal company Massey Energy show the justice was concerned with a Democratic primary challenger.
   
  
• Legal experts slam Texas judge-prosecutor link
  AP (September 17, 2008)
  DALLAS (AP) - Legal experts are harshly criticizing a former judge and an ex-Texas prosecutor, saying their alleged sexual affair while handling cases together represents a black eye to the system.
   
  
• House panel moves toward impeaching a judge
  AP (September 17, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - A House panel has moved toward impeaching a federal judge - the first such action taken in more than two decades.
   
  
• Fla. judge rules saggy pants law unconstitutional
  AP (September 17, 2008)
  RIVIERA BEACH, Fla. (AP) - A judge has decided a law banning sagging pants in this town is unconstitutional after a teenager spent a night in jail on accusations he exposed too much underwear.
   
  
• Ariz. country club sued for alleged discrimination
  AP (September 17, 2008)
  PHOENIX (AP) - Arizona's attorney general has sued the Phoenix Country Club, alleging it discriminates against women by prohibiting them from enjoying the same amenities and networking opportunities as men.
   
  
• Libertarian candidate: Bloomberg defamed gun store
  AP (September 16, 2008)
  ATLANTA (AP) - New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg defamed a Georgia sporting goods store when he labeled it one of several "rogue gun dealers" putting firearms on his city's streets, Libertarian presidential candidate Bob Barr argued Tuesday to a federal appeals court.
   
  
• Man accused of being fake lawyer won't defend self
  AP (September 16, 2008)
  BISMARCK, N.D. (AP) - A man accused of impersonating a lawyer in federal courts in at least 10 states has pleaded not guilty to two felony charges - and won't be representing himself at trial.
   
  
• Huntsman finance chief testifies in Hexion lawsuit
  AP (September 16, 2008)
  WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - The chief financial officer for chemical maker Huntsman Corp. says the company is on target to meet its latest earnings forecast, and that a proposed $6.5 billion buyout by Hexion Specialty Chemicals would result in a solvent combined company.
   
  
• Judge refuses to halt suit against Sprint network
  AP (September 16, 2008)
  OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) - An Illinois judge has refused to dismiss a lawsuit seeking to halt Sprint Nextel Corp.'s plan to create a next-generation wireless network.
   
  
• Judge throws out Yellowstone snowmobile plan
  AP (September 15, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - A federal judge has thrown out plans to allow more than 500 snowmobiles in Yellowstone National Park this winter.
   
  
• AP Source: Fidelity to settle auction-rate probe
  AP (September 12, 2008)
  NEW YORK (AP) - Fidelity Investments was close to settling an investigation led by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo into the company's sales of auction-rate securities, a person close to the talks said Friday.
   
  
• Va. court strikes down anti-spam law
  AP (September 12, 2008)
  RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - The Virginia Supreme Court declared the state's anti-spam law unconstitutional Friday and reversed the conviction of a man once considered one of the world's most prolific spammers.
   
  
• Settlement reached in AIG shareholder lawsuit
  AP (September 11, 2008)
  WILMINGTON, Del. (AP) - Attorneys for a Louisiana pension fund have reached a $115 million settlement in a shareholder lawsuit against former executives of insurance giant American International Group Inc.
   
  
• Former United Health CEO McGuire settles lawsuit
  AP (September 10, 2008)
  MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - Former UnitedHealth Group Chief Executive William McGuire will pay $30 million and return more than 3 million shares of unexercised stock options to settle a class-action lawsuit.
   
  
• Humana to pay $750,000 to resolve Wis. complaints
  AP (September 10, 2008)
  MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Humana Insurance Co. has agreed to pay the state of Wisconsin $750,000 to settle complaints about its marketing and other practices.
   
  
• Dutch court rejects Srebrenica relatives' claim
  AP (September 10, 2008)
  THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) - A Netherlands court says the government does not owe compensation to relatives of two Bosnian Muslims handed to Serb forces by Dutch peacekeepers and slain in the 1995 Srebrenica massacre.
   
  
• New database has info on auto deaths, injuries
  AP (September 10, 2008)
  WASHINGTON (AP) - The government has unveiled a new public database that will allow consumers to look up the number of alleged deaths, injuries and cases of property damage involving passenger vehicles.
   
  
• NY attorney general settles with 8 student lenders
  AP (September 09, 2008)
  NEW YORK (AP) - The New York state attorney general says eight student loan companies have agreed to pay $1.4 million and adopt broad reforms as part of a settlement over deceptive marketing practices.
   
  
• French court to try Church of Scientology
  AP (September 09, 2008)
  PARIS (AP) - The Church of Scientology and seven of its top members are to stand trial in Paris on fraud charges after an investigation into allegations by a former member that the church swindled her out of more than $28,000.
   
  
• NY lawsuit claims `Disturbia' copied short story
  AP (September 09, 2008)
  NEW YORK (AP) - A lawsuit claims Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks and Paramount Pictures Corp. ripped off "Rear Window" when they made the movie "Disturbia."