San Diego County supervisor to resign after assault lawsuit
March 31, 2023 GMTSAN DIEGO (AP) — A powerful San Diego County supervisor said he will resign amid accusations that he sexually assaulted a government employee, completing a swift and shocking fall for a decorated Marine combat veteran whose star rose with his Democratic Party’s ascendancy in the nation’s eighth-largest city.
Suit contests University of Wyoming trans woman in sorority
March 30, 2023 GMTCHEYENNE, Wyo. (AP) — The nationwide battle over the places where transgender people may belong has flared at the University of Wyoming, where a lawsuit filed by seven sorority members challenges the induction of a transgender woman into their local chapter.
Prince Harry back in court for phone hacking hearing finale
March 30, 2023 GMTLONDON (AP) — A London judge said Thursday he would rule as soon as possible on whether to throw out or limit a phone hacking lawsuit brought by Prince Harry, Elton John and other well-known figures against a British tabloid publisher.
Lawsuit: Celebrity-friendly church required workers to tithe
March 30, 2023 GMTSEATTLE (AP) — A Seattle-area megachurch that counts celebrities such as Russell Wilson and Justin Bieber among its thousands of members has been accused in a lawsuit of requiring employees to donate some of their earnings back to the religious organization or risk being fired.
Suit tossed in active shooter drill woman believed was real
March 29, 2023 GMTOMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by an employee of Catholic Charities of Omaha who said she suffered physical and emotional injuries during an active shooter drill involving actors smeared in fake blood and a man firing blanks from a semiautomatic handgun.
San Diego County supervisor hit with sexual assault lawsuit
March 29, 2023 GMTSAN DIEGO (AP) — A lawsuit by a former transit agency employee accuses San Diego County Supervisor Nathan Fletcher of sexual harassment and sexual assault.
The lawsuit comes days after Fletcher ended his state Senate campaign to seek treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and alcohol abuse.
Phoenix sues Tempe over development tied to Arizona Coyotes
March 29, 2023 GMTPHOENIX (AP) — The city of Phoenix is suing Tempe over a planned residential development near Sky Harbor International Airport, echoing a legal fight from over 20 years ago when a new stadium for the Arizona Cardinals was planned.
Minnesota suit against e-cigarette maker Juul goes to trial
March 27, 2023 GMTMINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison is slated to lead off opening statements expected for Tuesday in his state's lawsuit against Juul Labs – marking the first time any of the thousands of cases against the e-cigarette maker over its alleged marketing to young people is going to play out in a courtroom.
More relatives of Colorado shooting victims sue Sturm Ruger
March 27, 2023 GMTSTAMFORD, Conn. (AP) — More relatives of people shot to death at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 are suing gun-maker Sturm, Ruger & Co. over how it marketed the firearm used in the massacre, adding to litigation first filed earlier this month against the company.
Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes sues over zoning dispute
March 23, 2023 GMTMARIETTA, Ga. (AP) — Former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes has filed a lawsuit against Cobb County regulators after a rezoning request to build homes on his farmland was denied.
Residents sue Louisiana parish to halt polluting plants
March 22, 2023 GMTResidents of a Louisiana parish located in the heart of a cluster of polluting petrochemical factories filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday raising allegations of civil rights, environmental justice and religious liberty violations.
Fox, Dominion face off over airing of false election claims
March 21, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Fox News and a voting machine company that claims the conservative network defamed it by amplifying baseless allegations of fraud following the 2020 presidential election faced off in a courtroom Tuesday during a key hearing over whether journalists have a responsibility to be cautious with explosive and implausible allegations.
Favre must remain in welfare lawsuit, Mississippi argues
March 17, 2023 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A judge should ignore a request from retired NFL quarterback Brett Favre to be removed from a civil lawsuit that seeks to recover misspent welfare money in Mississippi’s largest-ever public corruption case, the state Department of Human Services said this week.
University agrees to $14M settlement in wrestler’s death
March 16, 2023 GMTWILLIAMSBURG, Ky. (AP) — A Kentucky university has agreed to a settlement of more than $14 million over the death of a student wrestler hours after practice, the school announced.
The settlement over the death of junior Grant Brace, 20, of Louisville, Tennessee, includes an agreement for the University of the Cumberlands to participate in a heat-illness training program and to help raise awareness of heat-related injuries, the university said Wednesday in a statement.
Maui businessman sued for $2M after grounding luxury yacht
March 16, 2023 GMTWAILUKU, Hawaii (AP) — A business owner whose luxury yacht ran aground and leaked diesel fuel into waters off the Hawaiian island of Maui last month is being sued for more than $2 million in damages by a trust that sold him the vessel.
Former Cuomo aide alleging sexual harassment sues New York
March 15, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — A onetime aide to former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo who accused him of sexual harassment in a federal lawsuit filed a separate lawsuit Wednesday against the state.
Charlotte Bennett filed a complaint in state court in Manhattan saying her former employer, the state of New York, is liable for Cuomo’s sexual harassment and for the actions of his top aides, who failed to take corrective action once she reported it.
ACLU of Alaska sues over prison involuntary medication rules
March 15, 2023 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The ACLU of Alaska is asking a judge to strike down as unconstitutional a state Department of Corrections policy on involuntary medication of people who are incarcerated, saying the policy does not adequately protect due process rights.
Texas judge in abortion pill case is a conservative favorite
March 15, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — A Texas judge hearing a case that could throw into jeopardy access to the nation's most common method of abortion is a former attorney for a Christian legal group who critics say is being sought out by conservative litigants because they believe he’ll be sympathetic to their causes.
Son of Colorado mass shooting victim sues gun-maker Ruger
March 15, 2023 GMTHARTFORD, Conn. (AP) — The son of one of 10 people killed at a Colorado supermarket in 2021 is suing gun-maker Sturm, Ruger & Co. over how it marketed the firearm used in the massacre — following the litigation road map set by families of Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting victims.
NY diocese facing flood of lawsuits files for bankruptcy
March 15, 2023 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — The embattled Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany became the latest diocese in New York to seek bankruptcy protection Wednesday as it faces hundreds of lawsuits alleging sexual abuse.
St. Louis prosecutor: Ouster effort is politically motivated
March 15, 2023 GMTST. LOUIS (AP) — The elected prosecutor in St. Louis, under intense criticism after a visiting teenage athlete lost her legs in a crash blamed on a man who remained free from jail despite multiple bond violations, is accusing Missouri's attorney general of seeking her ouster for political gain.
Judge strikes down Alabama laws against panhandling
March 14, 2023 GMTMONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A federal judge last week struck down Alabama laws against panhandling, ruling that the statues are unconstitutional.
U.S. District Judge W. Keith Watkins issued the order Friday permanently enjoining the state from enforcing the laws against begging and pedestrian solicitation.
Lawyers want Roger Goodell role cut in NFL race bias claims
March 14, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Lawyers for NFL Coach Brian Flores and two other Black coaches asked a judge Tuesday to reconsider her decision letting some of a federal lawsuit's racial discrimination claims against the league and its teams possibly go before Commissioner Roger Goodell in arbitration proceedings rather than before a jury.
Lawsuit blames deadly fire on city agency, lighter importer
March 14, 2023 GMTPHILADELPHIA (AP) — The first lawsuit filed over a Christmas tree fire in Philadelphia — which killed 12 members of an extended family last winter — accuses the city's Housing Agency of lax oversight of the three-story rowhouse and a California company of distributing an unsafe pocket lighter that children can easily use.
Class action suit filed against Silicon Valley Bank parent
March 14, 2023 GMTA class action lawsuit is being filed against the parent company of Silicon Valley Bank, its CEO and its chief financial officer, saying that company didn't disclose the risks that future interest rate increases would have on its business.
Do-not-eat listing draws lawsuit from Maine lobster industry
March 13, 2023 GMTPORTLAND, Maine (AP) — A coalition representing the Maine lobster industry is suing an aquarium on the other side of the country for recommending that seafood customers avoid buying a variety of lobster mostly harvested in their state.
Lawsuit: Muslims praying at Missouri prison pepper-sprayed
March 3, 2023 GMTMuslim men who were praying together in their housing unit at a Missouri prison were doused with pepper spray, physically assaulted by corrections officers and then retaliated against when they complained, according to a lawsuit.
Man paralyzed by officer who mistook gun for Taser sues
March 2, 2023 GMTFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man left paralyzed when a police officer shot him after mistaking his handgun for his stun gun filed a lawsuit Wednesday against the city, the officer and others, saying, “my life got destroyed.”
EMS workers punished for media interviews in NYC settle suit
March 1, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Four New York City ambulance workers who said they were disciplined for speaking to the media during the harrowing, early months of the COVID-19 pandemic have reached a settlement in their free speech lawsuit against the fire department and the city, their union announced Wednesday.
NFL coach Brian Flores’ discrimination case going to court
March 1, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — NFL Coach Brian Flores can press discrimination claims against the league and three teams after a federal judge on Wednesday rejected the option of arbitration, presumably before Commissioner Roger Goodell, and offered some stinging observations about the status of racial bias in the sport.
Lawsuit: Remove blockades in Wisconsin tribal land dispute
March 1, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Northern Wisconsin land owners have asked a federal judge to order the removal of barricades set up by a Native American tribe in a decadelong dispute over roads it claims were illegally built on tribal land.
Families sue over deaths of loved ones at veterans home
March 1, 2023 GMTBOSTON (AP) — The families of three residents of a state-run veterans' care facility in Massachusetts who died after contracting COVID-19 in the early days of the pandemic say in a federal lawsuit that the deaths were “premature and preventable" and the result of “unsanitary, unfit, and unacceptable living conditions" at the facility.
Australia family hurt in helicopter crash suing Vegas firm
March 1, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — Four family members from Australia who were injured during a crash-landing of a sightseeing helicopter in Southern Nevada in December have filed a lawsuit in the U.S. seeking more than $400,000 in damages from the tour operator.
Supreme Court keeps wetland damage lawsuits in state courts
March 1, 2023 GMTNEW ORLEANS (AP) — A lawsuit against oil and gas companies over damage to Louisiana’s wetlands will remain in state court, the U.S. Supreme Court said, rejecting an appeal by major energy companies who wanted to get the case moved to a federal court.
Judges nixes shareholder claims against McDonald’s directors
March 1, 2023 GMTDOVER, Del. (AP) — A Delaware judge has dismissed claims against directors of McDonald’s in a shareholder lawsuit challenging their handling of sexual harassment by former CEO Steve Easterbrook and the company’s former top human resources executive.
With court win, Pennsylvania schools want plan, down payment
March 1, 2023 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — When Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro unveils his first budget next week, the poor districts that won a landmark school-funding lawsuit will want to see him propose a significant down payment and a plan to overhaul how the state pays for K-12 education in what could be a term-defining moment for the Democrat.
Kobe Bryant family settles photo lawsuit for $28.5 million
March 1, 2023 GMTLOS ANGELES (AP) — The family of the late Kobe Bryant has agreed to a $28.5 million settlement with Los Angeles County to resolve the remaining claims in a lawsuit over deputies and firefighters sharing grisly photos of the NBA star, his 13-year-old daughter and other victims killed in a 2020 helicopter crash, attorneys and court filings said Tuesday.
Idaho joins Texas lawsuit over new federal clean-water rules
March 1, 2023 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — Idaho has joined a Texas lawsuit against the Biden administration's waterway protections, claiming the rules are too vague and violate state sovereignty rights.
$1M settlement in lawsuit over federal immigration raid
February 28, 2023 GMTKNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A federal judge has approved a settlement of more than $1 million in a class action lawsuit that challenged a federal immigration raid at an eastern Tennessee meatpacking plant where about 100 people were arrested.
Bowdoin president walks back praise for friend of Epstein
February 27, 2023 GMTAUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — The Bowdoin College president who described a trustee who was friends with Jeffrey Epstein as representing “all that is great about Bowdoin" now says he was “clearly wrong” since new details have come to light in a lawsuit.
Japan air force member sues government in sexual harassment
February 27, 2023 GMTTOKYO (AP) — A Japanese air force serviceperson filed a lawsuit against the government on Monday, saying it had failed to protect her from verbal sexual harassment from a male colleague and then systematically covered up the problem for more than a decade.
Warner Bros. Discovery sues Paramount over ‘South Park’ deal
February 25, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Warner Bros. Discovery Inc. is suing Paramount Global, saying its competitor aired new episodes of the popular animated comedy series “South Park” after Warner paid for exclusive rights.
‘Did they shoot him?’ Family of man killed by deputy sues
February 25, 2023 GMTDENVER (AP) — The family of a man who was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy outside a Colorado middle school while students were being picked up alleges in a wrongful death lawsuit that deputies unnecessarily escalated a situation that should have been handled nonviolently.
Rift in Idaho GOP exposed amid multistate water rule lawsuit
February 24, 2023 GMTBOISE, Idaho (AP) — Some top officials in Idaho are raising alarms over the Republican attorney general’s decision not to join a 24-state lawsuit against Biden administration waterway protections that opponents say could impact public and private land across the state.
LIV Golf, PGA Tour spar over testimony from Saudi officials
February 24, 2023 GMTA federal judge declined Friday to postpone the trial date in LIV Golf's antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour, even while conceding that might be inevitable if LIV owner Saudi Arabia appeals a ruling that officials with its sovereign wealth fund be required to testify.
Commissioner joins Reno mayor in alleging vehicle tracking
February 24, 2023 GMTRENO, Nev. (AP) — A second public official in Nevada is suing a private investigator who allegedly put tracking devices on his and Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve's vehicles, according to an amended lawsuit.
Family sues after nuclear physicist’s death in Virginia jail
February 24, 2023 GMTFALLS CHURCH, Va. (AP) — The family of a nuclear physicist who died by suicide in a Virginia jail is suing the U.S. government after his psychotropic medicine was discontinued and he was denied admission to a federal medical prison.
ACLU, Missouri library groups sue over new school book law
February 24, 2023 GMTKANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The American Civil Liberties Union of Missouri and two state library associations are suing over a new state law that bans sexually explicit material from schools, saying it violates the rights of librarians and students.
Former officer named in lawsuit rejected 4 times, then hired
February 24, 2023 GMTLOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) — A former Kentucky State Police trooper accused of beating a handcuffed man was rejected as an applicant multiple times before being hired in 2018, according to a report published Thursday.
Child sex abuse lawsuit window again gets Pa. lawmakers’ OK
February 24, 2023 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Victims would be able to sue over otherwise outdated claims of child sexual abuse under two pieces of legislation passed Friday by the Pennsylvania House, but it's unclear whether the state Senate will take them up.
Saudi Arabia challenges magistrate ruling on LIV subpoenas
February 24, 2023 GMTSaudi Arabia is disputing a federal magistrate’s ruling that its sovereign wealth fund and the fund’s governor be required to provide documents and testimony in LIV Golf’s antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
Suit alleges rights violations by Alaska corrections agency
February 23, 2023 GMTJUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — The ACLU of Alaska sued the state Department of Corrections on Thursday, accusing it of denying some incarcerated people access to transitional programs by improperly interpreting their release dates.
Attorneys allege Kenosha shooter Rittenhouse evading them
February 23, 2023 GMTMADISON, Wis. (AP) — Attorneys for a man shot and injured by Kyle Rittenhouse during a protest in 2020 are asking a federal judge to give them more time to serve Rittenhouse with a civil lawsuit, alleging that he is purposefully trying to evade them.
UK ruling delivers rare victory for Beirut blast victims
February 23, 2023 GMTBEIRUT (AP) — A British court has ruled a London-based company that delivered the explosive ammonium nitrate to Beirut's port is liable towards the victims of a devastating blast in 2020, Lebanon's Beirut Bar Association said Thursday.
Lawsuit: Steve Bannon owes $480K for unpaid legal bills
February 23, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Steve Bannon’s latest legal trouble: a lawsuit alleging he stiffed his former lawyers out of more than $480,000.
Bannon, a conservative strategist and longtime ally of former President Donald Trump, was sued for breach of contract last week by a Manhattan law firm that defended him in several recent high-profile legal battles.
Supreme Court seems to favor tech giants in terror case
February 22, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court seemed skeptical Wednesday of a lawsuit trying to hold social media companies responsible for a terrorist attack at a Turkish nightclub that killed 39 people.
LIV Golf gets another setback in court fight with PGA Tour
February 22, 2023 GMTA federal judge has ruled the PGA Tour can add Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund and its governor, Yasir al-Rumayyan, as defendants in its countersuit in the ongoing legal fight with LIV Golf.
Lawsuit filed over fatal shooting of man by Georgia officer
February 21, 2023 GMTATLANTA (AP) — The family of a man who was fatally shot by a Georgia police officer filed a lawsuit under federal disability discrimination laws, saying he was having a mental health crisis and officers weren't adequately trained to respond.
Pennsylvania House nears vote on child-abuse lawsuit window
February 21, 2023 GMTHARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Pennsylvania House Democrats put their freshly minted majority status to work Tuesday in shutting down Republican efforts to make changes to legislation designed to let victims of childhood sexual abuse file otherwise outdated lawsuits.
Supreme Court wrestles with lawsuit shield for social media
February 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — In its first case about the federal law that is credited with helping create the modern internet, the Supreme Court seemed unlikely Tuesday to side with a family wanting to hold Google liable for the death of their daughter in a terrorist attack.
Supreme Court won’t revive lawsuit over NSA surveillance
February 21, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to revive an ACLU lawsuit challenging a portion of the National Security Agency’s warrantless surveillance of Americans’ international email and phone communications.
Austrian children take government to court over climate
February 21, 2023 GMTBERLIN (AP) — A dozen minors filed a lawsuit with Austria's top court Tuesday seeking to force the government to ensure their constitutional rights are protected by taking tougher action against climate change.
Lawyer’s family files wrongful death lawsuit vs Vegas casino
February 19, 2023 GMTLAS VEGAS (AP) — The family of a Florida lawyer who suffered a heart attack at a Las Vegas blackjack table last year and died months later has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against a casino.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports David Jagolinzer was staying at the Wynn Las Vegas while in town for a legal conference last spring.
Supreme Court weighs liability shield for internet giants
February 19, 2023 GMTWASHINGTON (AP) — Islamic State gunmen killed American college student Nohemi Gonzalez as she sat with friends in a Paris bistro in 2015, one of several attacks on a Friday night in the French capital that left 130 people dead.
Lawsuit: Mentally ill man froze to death in Alabama jail
February 18, 2023 GMTMONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A mentally ill man froze to death at an Alabama jail, according to a lawsuit filed by the man's family who say he was kept naked in a concrete cell and believe he was also placed in a freezer or other frigid environment.
$1.17M settlement approved in Alton Sterling protest lawsuit
February 17, 2023 GMTBATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — The city of Baton Rouge will pay a $1.17 million settlement to 14 people who accused local law enforcement of using excessive force and violating their First Amendment rights at a protest over Alton Sterling’s death in 2016.
Lawsuit over school ban on Black Lives Matter shirts dropped
February 17, 2023 GMTSPRINGFIELD, Ga. (AP) — A federal judge agreed Friday to dismiss a lawsuit that had accused a Georgia school district of racial discrimination, including for barring students from wearing Black Lives Matter T-shirts.
Judge rules PGA Tour can depose Saudi backers of LIV Golf
February 17, 2023 GMTA federal judge has ruled the head of Saudi Arabia's sovereign wealth fund, the financial backer of LIV Golf, must sit for depositions and produce documents in LIV Golf's antitrust lawsuit against the PGA Tour.
Fox hosts didn’t believe 2020 election fraud claims
February 17, 2023 GMTWILMINGTON, Del. (AP) — Hosts at Fox News had serious concerns about allegations of voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election being made by guests who were allies of former President Donald Trump, according to court filings in a $1.6 billion defamation lawsuit against the network.
Arkansas challenges EPA’s rejection of state ozone plan
February 17, 2023 GMTLITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas filed a lawsuit Thursday challenging the Environmental Protection Agency's decision to reject its plan to comply with federal rules that are supposed to assure that the state's coal-fired power plants and industrial sites don't pollute the air in other states.
Lawsuit seeks white woman’s arrest in Emmett Till kidnapping
February 16, 2023 GMTJACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A relative of Emmett Till is suing to try to make a Mississippi sheriff serve a 1955 arrest warrant on a white woman in the kidnapping that led to the Black teenager's brutal lynching.
Family of Ohio man shot by police while in bed sues officers
February 16, 2023 GMTCOLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Nearly six months after a Black man was fatally shot by a white officer while lying in bed, his family sued the officer and four others in the Columbus Police Department, calling his killing senseless and completely preventable.
Judge tosses challenge to Florida’s ‘Don’t Say Gay’ law
February 16, 2023 GMTTALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A federal judge has again dismissed a lawsuit challenging a Florida law critics have dubbed “Don't Say Gay” that restricts teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation in schools.
Prosecutor suspended by DeSantis asks court to reinstate him
February 16, 2023 GMTFORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — An elected Florida prosecutor who says he was suspended by Gov. Ron DeSantis for political gain — and because he is a Democrat — is asking the state Supreme Court to reinstate him, citing a federal judge's ruling that DeSantis violated state law and his First Amendment rights.
County settles suit over arrest caught on video for $25K
February 15, 2023 GMTDOVER, Del. (AP) — Delaware officials have agreed to pay $25,000 to settle a federal lawsuit alleging that police used excessive force and made an unlawful arrest in an encounter with a teenage drug suspect.
Party foul: Dem-led NY Senate rejects gov’s top judge pick
February 15, 2023 GMTALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York's Senate rejected Gov. Kathy Hochul’s nominee to be the state's chief judge Wednesday, an extraordinary defeat for the state's top Democrat delivered by legislative leaders in her own party.
New Hampshire settles 1st sex abuse claim through state fund
February 15, 2023 GMTCONCORD, N.H. (AP) — New Hampshire has reached its first settlement with someone who was physically and sexually assaulted at the state’s youth detention center, attorneys for the victim said Wednesday.
Lawyer: Vermont agrees to $4.5M youth detention settlement
February 15, 2023 GMTThe state of Vermont has agreed to a $4.5 million settlement with plaintiffs who say they were abused as children while at the now-closed Woodside Juvenile Rehabilitation Center in Essex and another facility in Middlesex, their attorney said Wednesday.
Man sues Indianapolis, cop who he says kicked him in head
February 15, 2023 GMTINDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A Black man is suing the city of Indianapolis, its police department and an officer who arrested him in 2021, alleging that the officer kicked him in the face while he was handcuffed.
Court nixes Fox News’ bid to end voting tech firm’s suit
February 14, 2023 GMTNEW YORK (AP) — Fox News lost an attempt Tuesday to shut down a multibillion-dollar defamation lawsuit that accuses the network of spreading lies that a voting-technology company helped “steal” the 2020 election from then-U.S.