A California woman has filed a class action lawsuit against the makers of Jelly Belly jelly beans, alleging the candy company used "fancy phrasing" to mislead customers into believing its Sport Beans were free of sugar.

Jessica Gomez claims the use of "evaporated cane juice" in the exercise supplement's list of ingredients violates the state's Consumer Legal Remedies Act, Unfair Business Practices Law and False Advertising Law, and, thus, requires the label to cite "sugar" as an ingredient.

In a Motion to Dismiss, Jelly Belly called the case "nonsense," arguing, “No reasonable consumer could have been deceived by Sport Beans’ labeling – Gomez could not have seen ‘evaporated cane juice’ without also seeing the product’s sugar content on its Nutrition Facts panel."

Although the FDA's guidelines encourage firms to accurately describe the basic nature of sweeteners used, Jelly Belly maintains the case should be thrown out primarily because "Plaintiff does not explain why an athlete—or anyone—would be surprised to find sugar in a product described as 'Jelly Beans'."

—Source: foxnews.com

A Chicago woman sued her condominium association, claiming she was the victim of housing discrimination because she was forced to share the elevator with dogs.

Holly Geraci, who occupies a penthouse apartment with her husband, a prominent bankruptcy attorney, said her fear of large dogs amounted to a disability under the Fair Housing Act.

A jury disagreed, finding in favor of the condo association.

"They didn't believe that Holly Geraci actually suffered from a disability as it's defined by the Fair Housing Act," said Graham Miller, an attorney representing the condo association.

According to news reports, when the Geracis moved into the development, the association didn't allow dogs, but it made an exception for the Geraci's older Cairn terrier, which weighed 10 pounds. In 2004, the building opened the door for dogs of all kinds. Geraci claimed her fear applied to large dogs.

—Source: chicagotribune.com

A Texas man is suing a woman for the cost of a movie ticket after their first date prematurely ended because she was texting in the theater.

Brandon Vezmar of Austin, Texas, filed suit in small claims court seeking $17.31, the cost of the ticket to the 3D showing of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2”. Calling it a "first date from hell," Vezmar alleges the woman was in "direct violation" of the theater's policy and her actions “adversely” affected his viewing experience. Vezmar wrote in court filings that the woman “activated her phone at least 10-20 times in 15 minutes to read and send text messages.”

“While damages sought are modest, the principle is important as defendant’s behavior is a threat to civilized society,” he wrote in the court filing.

According to news reports, the unidentified woman, who met Vezmar online, left the theater, and Vezmar without a ride home, after he asked her to stop or go outside to text. She disputes Vezmar's claim she texted 10-15 times, saying it was only twice and it was to a friend who was in a fight with her boyfriend.

Vezmar claims his later request for reimbursement for the ticket was ignored, prompting the lawsuit. Upon learning of the lawsuit, she said, “Oh my God. This is crazy.”

Vezmar's lawsuit even caught the attention of James Gunn, the writer and director of “Guardians of the Galaxy,” who tweeted, “Why stop at suing? She deserves jail time!”

—Source: heavy.com

American Airlines reportedly is being sued by a passenger who claims he was wedged into a window seat next to two obese passengers on a 14-hour flight.

Michael Anthony Taylor took a flight from Sydney, Australia, to Los Angeles, California, on December 28, 2015. Taylor, who suffers with scoliosis, claims he has suffered permanent neck and back problems as a result of the flight. According to news reports, Taylor said that airline officials wouldn’t allow him to move seats, describing his seating arrangement for most of the flight as “crouching, kneeling, bracing or standing.”

American Airlines recently announced it is decreasing its space between seats from 31 inches to 29 inches.

“If Michael is successful, this throws open the doors to potentially a large amount of cases against airlines and how they’ve designed their seating and how they seat passengers,” Taylor’s lawyer Thomas Janson said. “There will be a huge outcry against the way airlines furnish their cabins, particularly in economy.”

American Airlines issued a statement saying, "We just received the lawsuit and we are reviewing the allegations.”

—Source: ibtimes.com