Michael Carroll News
Oakland NAACP head calls on city to end 'no-consequences' mindset to crime fighting
A letter co-authored by Oakland NAACP president urges elected leaders to pull the city out of a “doom loop” of rising crime, depopulation and economic stagnation by rejecting a “no-consequences” approach to public safety and “defund the police” rhetoric.
California appeals court's ban on towing cars with parking tickets seen as setback for public safety
A California appeals court has barred municipal government agencies from towing vehicles that have been the subject of multiple unpaid traffic tickets, provided the car is parked legally and is not causing a safety hazard.
Stanford University under fire after Louisiana-based federal judge is shouted down during campus talk
The president of the Federalist Society chapter at Stanford University has urged school officials to do more to protect free expression on campus after a Louisiana-based federal appeals court judge was heckled and shouted down during a speech this month.
Judge says California gator products ban violates federal law, in win for Louisiana industry
A federal judge has concluded a California law banning the sale of products made from alligators raised in other states, including Louisiana’s wetlands, violates the federal Endangered Species Act, leading Louisiana wildlife officials to claim a legal victory.
State senator introduces bill to regulate third-party 'loan sharks' in litigation financing
A California tort reform group has expressed support for a state Senate bill that aims to protect consumers and the state’s justice system from problems arising from the third-party financing of civil lawsuits.
SF property owners sue to invalidate city's 'vacancy tax' measure
Several San Francisco property owners have filed a lawsuit challenging the legality of the recently passed Proposition M, which requires landlords to pay a tax on units left vacant for more than 182 days in a single year.
Adult film firm Strike 3 Holdings continues to mass-file copyright lawsuits
An adult film company continues to mass-file copyright infringement lawsuits in the Northern District of California and elsewhere against defendants it says viewed the company’s films via illegal downloads.
Civil rights groups back correctional officers' objections to new beard policy
Civil rights groups are calling on the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) to reconsider a health and safety policy that requires bearded peace officers to shave or face disciplinary action, even if they previously had religious accommodations.
Business groups welcome referendum on fast food labor law; Enough signatures secured to let voters weigh in
A referendum to overturn a California law that aimed to regulate wages and workplace conditions in the fast food industry has received enough signatures to qualify for the November 2024 statewide ballot, the Department of State said
SF officials appeal injunction against homeless sweeps to 9th Circuit
San Francisco officials are appealing an order issued by a federal judge in December that prevents the city and county from conducting sweeps of homeless encampments.
Vessels like marijuana water pipes not subject to Prop. 65, California Supreme Court finds
The California Supreme Court has placed some limits on the use of Proposition 65 health warnings by ruling that manufacturers of “bong pipes” used to smoke marijuana need not inform their customers about potential chemical exposure risks.
Bill would impede competition in California beer industry, critics say
More civil litigation and higher beer prices may be on tap if legislation altering the balance of power between California brewers and wholesalers gets signed into law, according to critics of the plan.
PAGA litigation expected to accelerate in wake of California Supreme Court ruling
A new California Supreme Court decision will usher in more lawsuits against businesses under the Private Attorneys General Act (PAGA) without really bringing more benefits to aggrieved employees, according to those familiar with PAGA litigation.
Plaintiffs in VW trial who sought more than $1 million in punitives, awarded $25K each on heels of minimal compensatory damages
SAN FRANCISCO – Jurors in Volkswagen’s first “clean diesel” trial in the United States awarded plaintiffs punitive damages that amounted to a fraction of what they originally sought.
Dismissal hearing for Oakland's lawsuit over Raiders' move delayed
SAN FRANCISCO - A federal court hearing on the NFL's attempt to dismiss the city of Oakland’s lawsuit over the relocation of the Raiders has been delayed until April 16, according to one of the attorneys representing the city.
Disabilities lawsuits hit another new high while plaintiffs attorneys find new strategies
WASHINGTON (Legal Newsline) - Lawsuits filed by disabled plaintiffs rose 8.8 percent in 2019 as plaintiffs attorneys continued to churn out novel discrimination complaints, according to the law firm Seyfarth Shaw LLP.
L.A. County jurors find link between talc, mesothelioma unconvincing
&&& Johnson & Johnson scored a legal win in Los Angeles Superior Court Nov. 16 in what its legal team described as the country’s first trial to examine the claim that J&J talcum powder products cause a lung-related disease.
L.A. County case alleging asbestos-talc link could open new round of litigation for J&J
PASADENA – A jury trial now unfolding in Los Angeles County Superior Court could open a new chapter in asbestos litigation as plaintiff’s attorneys argue that Johnson & Johnson talcum powder products are to blame for their client’s lung-related cancer.
Assembly member Levine's battle to end 'pink tax' on consumer goods not over
&&& California legislation that would ban gender bias in product pricing has been sidelined for this year, but opponents vow to keep fighting what they see as a job-killing bill that would unleash a flurry of “drive-by litigation.”
Bill allowing some public access to police discipline records clears Senate panel
SACRAMENTO – An amended bill designed to increase the public’s access to records about police discipline cases in California cleared a key hurdle last week as the state Senate’s Public Safety Committee gave the bill a 5-1 vote of confidence.