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NORTHERN CALIFORNIA RECORD

Thursday, March 28, 2024

Michael Carroll News


California utility agrees to pay federal government $80 million to resolve wildfire litigation

By Michael Carroll |
Southern California Edison will pay $80 million to the federal government to compensate for firefighting costs and property damage resulting from a 2017 fire that charred more than 100,000 acres of National Forest lands in Santa Barbara and Ventura counties.

Federal judge compares litigation about social-media addiction to landmark tobacco lawsuits

By Michael Carroll |
A California federal judge who is overseeing multidistrict litigation alleging that social media companies’ platforms lead to addictive behavior among youths has likened these cases to the multibillion-dollar tobacco settlement of 1998.

California sues energy companies over 'climate' problems; 'Kitchen sink' lawsuit a 'political stunt,' industry says

By Michael Carroll |
Energy companies say the state's lawsuit is little more than a "meritless, politicized" effort to extract big paydays from oil and gas companies, while accomplishing little to address the alleged problems caused by "climate change"

'Chilling speech of employers in their own business': Pro-union legislation bogs down in Assembly amid criticism

By Michael Carroll |
The legislation would bar employers from speaking with their workers about union organizing efforts, and give trial lawyers new powers to sue employers accused of violating the new law for potentially big money damages

Oakland NAACP head calls on city to end 'no-consequences' mindset to crime fighting

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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

By Michael Carroll |
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.