Daily Archives: March 20, 2013 - 5 results

U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier dismissed claims today against the contractor that supplied oil giant BP with drilling fluid, but denied most other dismissal requests from defendants in the civil trial over the Deepwater Horizon oil rig explosion and spill. M-I SWACO, BP’s drilling fluid contractor, was let completely off the hook after plaintiffs rested their case without blaming the company for contributing to the Macondo well blowout. Two of M-I SWACO’s employees were among the 11 men killed in …

A 75-year-old Michigan woman is guilty in last year’s shooting death of her grandson, a jury ruled Tuesday. Sandra Layne was convicted of the second-degree murder of Jonathan Hoffman, 17, as the jury rejected her argument that she was acting in self-defense. In a particular grisly scene, the jury listened to the 911 call during which Hoffman can be heard pleading, “My grandma shot me. I’m going to die. Help. I got shot again.” Prosecutors said that the tape was …

Spring vacation is here, making it a popular time for taking trips. In the second part of writer David Kelly’s About.com travel advice series, he interviews Lawyers.com Editor-in-Chief Larry Bodine on how to handle legal trouble, while in a foreign country. The article, which originally appeared in About.com, is republished below. “More Legal Tips for Business Travelers” By David Kelly, About.com Guide I’ve traveled overseas frequently, but luckily, I’ve never had any legal problems. But that doesn’t mean it’s not …

The New Mexico Supreme Court heard arguments last week over whether a photographer can refuse to take pictures of a same-sex wedding. In Elane Photography v. Willock, the court will decide whether the photography studio acted in violation of the New Mexico Human Rights Act when its owners declined to shoot the commitment ceremony of Vanessa Willock and her partner, citing religious beliefs. The New Mexico Human Rights Commission found that Elane violated the law, a decision that has twice …

The New York City Council on Mar. 13 passed a law forbidding employers from discriminating against job applicants who are unemployed. It is the first law in the country to provide a private cause of action for people who are refused employment because they lack a job.    Stop Kicking Those Who Are Down The new law, Intro 814-A, allows rejected applicants to either sue the employer or report the discrimination to the New York City Commission on Human Rights, …