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Two recent Florida Supreme Court decisions have resulted in major gains for nursing home residents and their families. Both Shotts v. OP Winter Haven and Gessa v. Manor Care of Florida struck down a segment of nursing home arbitration clauses that put in place damage caps that fell below what is legally recoverable in state court. Legal experts say that the rulings may help deter nursing homes in other states from imposing similar damage caps on residents and their families. …

Prosecutors in the Robert Middleton rape/ murder case in Texas are hinting there is not enough evidence to bring charges against alleged attacker Don Willburn Collins, causing disbelief among lawyers for the Middleton family. Alleged attacker to be freed next year after detention for unrelated charges Former County Attorney says Middleton never named Collins, contradicting previous statements Decision on murder prosecution has not been made Boy Dies From Injuries, Still No Prosecution “I can tell you if it can be …

5. Charlie Sheen sues Warner Bros. for firing him. Is there anyone in the US who doesn’t know that actor Charlie Sheen is filled with tiger blood and is—duh!—winning? After a much-publicized public meltdown in February, Sheen was fired from his hit CBS show Two and a Half Men. Sheen struck back with a $100 million wrongful-termination lawsuit against Warner Bros. and the show’s creator Chuck Lorre. In September, the two sides reached a settlement and agreed to dismiss the …

Here are some news items we thought would interest you. Parents win record-setting $150 billion over son’s injuries, death. For Robert Ray “Robbie” Middleton, the fun and happiness that comes with a birthday didn’t last long. About two weeks before his eight birthday back in 1998, he was sexually assaulted, allegedly by 13-year-old Willburn Collins. On his birthday, Collins allegedly tied Middleton to a tree, poured gas on him and set him on fire. Middleton managed to escape, but suffered …

Bankruptcy filings in November were down 12 percent from November a year ago, according to the National Bankruptcy Research Center—but don’t start sounding the horn for economic stability just yet. Filings down 11 percent on the year after several years of increases Explanation for the drop unclear, disputed Chose attorney carefully if considering filing for bankruptcy   Do Fewer Bankruptcies Equal Less Debt? Filings are down 11 percent overall compared to last year, appearing to slow or reverse a trend …

5. Crime rates plummet. The FBI reports that violent crimes in 2010 dropped by 6% compared to 2009, and anecdotal evidence suggests the trend has continued into 2011. Overall, the crime rate is at its lowest point in 40 years. 2010 marked the fourth consecutive year of declining crime rates in the United States. Overall, the number of robberies declined 10%, arson was down 7.6% and the murder rate fell 4.2%. Conventional wisdom says that crime should increase during a …

The Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts upheld the suspension of a dentist who failed to conduct and record weekly spore testing, which is a method of sterilizing dental instruments. “Spore testing” involves placing a test strip (or vial) containing spore bacteria in a sterilizer, removing the test strip and allowing it to incubate, and then comparing the results to those for a “control” strip containing the same bacteria but that is not placed in the sterilizer. While you might believe …

Imperial Security, Inc., a Philadelphia security firm, recently signed a consent decree with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to settle a case involving discrimination against a Muslim worker. Imperial Security hired Julie Holloway-Russell, a Muslim who wore a khimar headscarf covering her hair, ears, and neck to her job interview to become one of the company’s security guards. After landing the job, Ms. Holloway-Russell wore the khimar when reporting for her first work assignment. She was told to remove the …

In October, authorities removed an 8-year-old boy from his home in Cleveland and placed him in foster care because county officials said the mother was not doing enough to control the child’s weight. At the time the boy was seized, he weighed more than 200 pounds, which is well over three times the normal weight of a child his age. The boy has since been placed with his uncle. The case has ignited a debate about whether extreme childhood obesity …