OMG Orange is SO not Lindsay’s color! Lohan off to jail…

July 20th, 2010. By LucyC

Girls behaving badly…and speaking of Miss Lohan, she’s off to jail today, a Los Angeles jail that’s attained a certain notoriety of late for having housed Nicole Richie, Paris Hilton and Michelle Ridriguez—role models all.

In fact, media reports indicate it was a mob scene outside the jail when Miss Lohan showed up—10 minutes late in a black stretch limo, family in tow—(they’re always around for the photo ops) to serve a 90-day stint resulting from a variety of charges which include violating probation by missing seven alcohol education classes in December 2009, which resulted from her pleading guilty to misdemeanor drug charges and no contest to three driving charges. Still with me? 

I have to say, Lindsay was looking a little worse for wear this morning… but who wouldn’t be? It must be fairly harrowing to be recalled from Cannes to a Los Angeles courtroom to answer for violating probation, and then find yourself actually, really going to jail after all. That’s rather grown-up stuff. But then she is 24. 

And the entire ordeal is taking place in mainstream media in real time. $Cha Ching$…TMZ was streaming live video from the jail entrance. Even her fans are prospering. One man outside the prison was wearing a pink T-shirt which read “Free Lindsay,” and the press lined up to interview him. So does this make it official—has Lindsay Lohan graduated from cause celeb to Cause? 

Maybe there will be a telethon to raise awareness of the problems Lindsay and her Read the rest of this entry »

Slander, Libel and a Handy Trick to Tell them Apart

July 20th, 2010. By Kristine B

This one reminds me of that line—the one that goes, “If you haven’t got anything nice to say about anybody, come sit next to me”. It’s usually attributed to Alice Roosevelt Longworth, though most folks probably think it’s from a Maxine greeting card. Regardless, talking trash about someone—whether it’s idle gossip or careless whispers (insert a nod to George Michael here)—can get you in serious trouble. Read on…

Slander and libel are two often-misunderstood (and misused) legal terms, but they could actually affect you at some point in your life, especially if you do a lot of writing online. Slander and libel are basically two sides of the same coin—they involve different forms of the same legal concept. So let’s back it up a bit and first, let’s look at defamation of character.

What is Defamation of Character?

Both slander and libel refer to defamation of character. Defamation of character is the passing along of false information that is stated as fact. To be considered defamation, the information must also do two things:

1. It has to bring harm to either a person or an organization (including a business), and

2. It has to be told (in writing or verbally) to at least one other person than the victim.

So, telling Sandra (not her real name!) that she is “a no good lying rotten thief” is not defamation of character. Telling other people that Sandra is a no good lying rotten thief could be defamation if that information harms Sandra.

Now, for the information to really be defamation of character, it must be untrue. So, if you publicly call Sandra a thief and you have evidence to back it up—for example, she’s already been found guilty in court of theft—you’re probably safe. But, if you publicly call her a thief based only on your hunch about her—with no evidence—prepare for a lawsuit.

So What are Slander and Libel?

Slander and libel are both forms of defamation of character. Slander is when Read the rest of this entry »

Tortelicious: It’s a Lindsay Lohan Fan Club SCRAM Bracelet

July 19th, 2010. By LucyC

Welcome to Totally Tortelicious—a review of some of the more bizarre legal stories making news—and there’s certainly no shortage of them.

Lindsay Lohan Fan Club Bracelet—He’s Got One! I think this guy deserves some marks for quick thinking… he is on probation and forbidden from leaving the USA. So, of course, he thought he’d try…

He was caught trying to cross the border near Buffalo—(I’m assuming the border with Canada) but the border officers thought Mr. Eugene Todie (love the name) was up to no good when they spotted his ankle bracelet.

So Mr. Todie, (demonstrating quick thinking) apparently said he was wearing the bracelet in support of Lindsay Lohan—that’s her booking pic at left—who is going to jail this week to serve a 90-day sentence for violating her drunken driving probation. You know, these two actually do have a lot in common. I wonder if Ms. Lohan knows she’s a role model?

Anyway, the officers didn’t buy Mr. Todie’s version of the world as he saw it, and presumably sent him right back where he came from. So now he really is demonstrating solidarity with Ms. Lohan.

Ladies and gentlemen, please put your trousers on before addressing Boulder City Council. The Colorado town has decided that it’s had enough of half naked Read the rest of this entry »

Lawyers Beware – Devious Scam Can Cost You Big Time

July 15th, 2010. By AbiK

Seems there’s a new and not-so-little lawyer scam going on. No calling a law firm about a package found on a subway, here. This one’s more devious and it involves some big cash.

According to a report out of wbztv.comin NH, two lawyers were targets of an international internet scam recently. The scammers used internet messages, fake companies and counterfeit checks in order to retain–albeit fraudulently–the lawyers.

Here’s how it worked:

It’s sort of like a Moneygram scam, actually. The lawyers were told that the fake checks were either settlement money or retainer fees. The lawyers were then instructed deposit the “money” and to then wire some money to someone else involved with the case.

The scammers were even doing things like using faux law firm stationery to make it look like it was opposing counsel who had sent the check.

One of the lawyers targeted was fortunate enough to have raised an eyebrow—he did some snooping around and found out that the check was counterfeit. He then contacted the attorney general’s office and state banking officials.

The other lawyer was not so lucky. He went and deposited the check and wired half the amount of it, a whopping $240,000, to a fake client of the company that retained him. Guess what? The $240k was yanked from his account and now it’s bye-bye. His loss. And a big one it is.

According to wbztv.com, Assistant Attorney General Karen Gorham said no arrests are anticipated.

No surprise.

Unfortunately, with scams like these—just as withMoneygram scams—it’s very difficult to track down the perpetrator.

So lawyers beware…

Asbestos News Roundup: 7.15.10

July 15th, 2010. By LucyC

A roundup of recent asbestos-related news and information that you should be aware of.

Asbestos Lawsuits

Charleston, WV: Forty-seven defendants have been named in an asbestos-related lawsuit filed by Charles Judson Johnson and his wife Sharon Marie Johnson.  According to their suit, Mr. Johnson was diagnosed with lung cancer on May 14, 2009, after having worked for FMC Corporation from 1972 until 1980 and for DuPont in 1980.

The defendants are being sued for negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentation and post-sale duty to warn, according to the suit.

The 47 defendants named in the suit are: 3M Company; A.W. Chesterton Company; Aurora Pump Company; Brand Insulations, Inc.; BW IP, Inc.; Certainteed Corporation; Cleaver-Brooks Company, Inc.; Crane Co.; E. I. DuPont de Nemours; Elliott Turbo Machinery Company; Flowserve FSD Corporation; Flowserve US, Inc., f/k/a Durco International, Inc.; FMC Corporation; Foster Wheeler Energy Corporation; Garlock, Inc.; General Electric Company; Goulds Pumps; Honeywell International, Inc.; IMO Industries, Inc.; ITT Corporation; Industrial Holdings Corporation; Ingersoll-Rand Company; McJunkin Corporation; Metropolitan Life Insurance Company; Nagle Pumps, Inc.; National Service Industries, Inc.; Nebraska Boiler; Nitro Industrial Coverings, Inc.; Oakfabco, Inc.; Ohio Valley Insulating Company, Inc.; Pneumo Abex Corporation; Rapid American Corporation; Riley Power, Inc.; Roper Pump Company; Rust Engineering & Construction, Inc.; Rust Constructors, Inc.; Schneider Electric USA, Inc.; State Electric Supply Company; Sterling Fluid Systems (US), LLC; Superior Boiler Works, Inc.; Tasco Insulations, Inc.; UB West Virginia, Inc.; Uniroyal, Inc.; Viacom, Inc.; Vimasco Corporation; and West Virginia State Electric Supply. (wvrecord.com)

Charleston, WV: A woman in Lexington, KY, has named 144 corporate defendants in her asbestos-related lawsuit, filed after she was diagnosed with asbestos mesothelioma.

Joni L. Johnson’s father worked as a pipefitter for the defendants from 1948-1976. Her suit claims that multiple causes of action including, negligence, contaminated buildings, breach of expressed/implied warranty, strict liability, intentional tort, conspiracy, misrepresentation and Read the rest of this entry »