In August, North Carolina, Texas, Wisconsin and Kansas have amended state laws that restricted voting rights. This wave of legislative reform is in response to judicial decisions enjoining laws that discriminated against African American voters. North Carolina The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals voted unanimously in a three judge panel to bar … [Read more...]
New Jersey Governor Vetoes $15 Minimum Wage Plan
On Tuesday, August 31, New Jersey Governor Chris Christie vetoed a legislative plan to increase the state’s minimum wage to $15 within five years. The last time the state approved a minimum wage increase was in 2013, when Gov. Christie was appointed into office. The minimum wage increase set the current rate to $8.38. However, Christie is now … [Read more...]
How Not To Get Out of Jury Duty
Over my 20 years of experience, the question I get most often when I tell people that I am a jury consultant is: “What should someone do to get out of jury duty?” As the director of JuryTrialConsultants.com I have consulted with lawyers on and participated in jury selection in hundreds of cases across the country. I have heard many desperate … [Read more...]
Legal Battle Shaping Up Surrounding IRS Inversion Rules
The practice of companies moving their corporate headquarters offshore in a bid to reduce their U.S. tax liabilities has been much discussed in political campaigns and the press lately. Companies believe that the maneuver should not result in any additional US tax burdens. But the IRS disagrees, and has put in place various tax regulations to … [Read more...]
Government Struggles to Spread Word that Some Student Loans Can Be Written Off
In recent years the federal government has been furiously working to crack down on fraudulent for-profit colleges, universities, and other learning institutions. Though students of such organizations often do not obtain the education they were promised, they are frequently left with thousands of dollars in student loan debt. The federal government … [Read more...]
New Birth Certificate Ruling Impacts Same Sex Couples
On June 30th, a federal Judge ruled that both parents in a same sex marriage will have their names listed on their child's birth certificate. Originally, only a traditional mother-father couple would both have certain legal rights of a parent. This law prevented many gay/lesbian parents from being recognized as legal parents for their offspring. … [Read more...]
North Carolina Workers’ Compensation
How is Workers’ Compensation Defined in North Carolina? If you have been hurt while you were working, or have contracted a disease or suffered an injury because of your job, workers’ compensation will allow you to be compensated for your injuries. Workers’ compensation was enacted in North Carolina so that workers could receive financial help for … [Read more...]
Abuse Continues to Be an Issue in Nursing Homes
For years advocates of the elderly and disabled have called on the Federal government to increase protections for those who depend on nursing homes for care. Now the government is set to release a new set of rules pertaining to nursing homes, but according to a new opinion piece in the New York Times the proposed Federal regulations do not go far … [Read more...]
Air Traffic Controller Liability
An air traffic controller (“ATC”) holds one of the most important and stressful jobs in existence – one mistake could result in the violent death of hundreds of people. Settled legal standards apply to protect people who are injured by ATC negligence and people who are harmed by the death of another person that was caused by ATC negligence. What … [Read more...]
Court Rules that Government Does Not Have to Post Mug Shots
Citing the fact that the Internet and social media has dramatically reduced U.S. citizens’ privacy over time, a federal appeals court ruled last week that federal authorities can choose to withhold criminal mug shots in order to protect defendants. In its ruling the Court said that it used to believe that releasing the photos could do no harm, but … [Read more...]
