A retired attorney in Virginia is suing the Republican National Committee as well as several GOP leaders, alleging fraud and racketeering because the Republicans have failed to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

On the heels of a failed vote in the Senate to approve a bill to repeal the ACA, Bob Heghmann has filed a lawsuit in U.S. District Court seeking to get back political donations made under the belief that Republicans were going to be able to overturn ObamaCare. In his lawsuit, Heghmann argues that the national GOP raised more than $735 million and Virginia’s party more than $20 million from 2009 to 2016 in large part by promising to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The GOP “has been engaged in a pattern of Racketeering which involves massive fraud perpetrated on Republican voters and contributors as well as some Independents and Democrats,” the suit said. In addition to the Republican National Committee, the lawsuit names Virginia’s two national GOP committee members, Morton Blackwell and Cynthia Dunbar, as well as the Republican Party of Virginia and state party Chairman John Whitbeck.

According to news reports, Blackwell dismissed Heghmann’s complaint as a “frivolous, nuisance suit that should be thrown out of court by any judge.”

—Source: pilotonline.com

A California judge recently dismissed part of a lawsuit filed against Johnny Depp on grounds that the celebrity's spending habits were not relevant to the case.

The Management Group (TMG), which previously managed Depp's affairs, sued Depp earlier this year, alleging his financial troubles were the result of his extravagant spending habits, including $30,000 a month on wine, $18 million on a yacht, and $75 million on 14 houses. TMG's suit, which claimed it was underpaid, came on the heels of a $25 million lawsuit filed by Depp for mismanagement.

The Los Angeles Superior Court judge dismissed the part of TMG's lawsuit that pertained to Depp's spending habits.

"TMG's action for declaratory relief seeks declarations placing culpability for Depp's financial woes on him, and freeing TMG of any past wrongdoing," the judge wrote. "No results or effects of such declarations on the parties' responsibilities or duties are alleged. Accordingly, the demurrer as to TMG's first cause of action is sustained."

This case is scheduled to go before a jury on January 24, 2018.

—Source: celebritynetworth.com

A judge in Texas recently dismissed a lawsuit filed by three University of Texas professors against the attorney general over the state’s soon to be implemented concealed carry laws.
 
The three professors – Jennifer Lynn Glass, Lisa Moore and Mia Carter – claimed in their lawsuit that they feared that armed students in their classrooms would be likely to infringe on their First Amendment rights and “chill” discussion about controversial topics for fear that retribution would be coming from those armed students becoming upset during the discussions. They also feared that their Second Amendment rights would be violated by compelling them as public employees to acquiesce in the presence of loaded weaponry in their place of public employment without the individual possession and use of such weaponry in public being well-regulated.
 
In his ruling, District Court Judge Lee Yeakel went to great lengths to explain why he found the trio had no standing, stating, “Plaintiffs do not have standing to bring this action because they fail to allege facts showing any cognizable injury. Alternatively, Defendants [the state’s attorney general and a whole host of others named in the complaint] argue [that] Plaintiffs have failed to state a claim upon which relief can be granted.”
 
The plaintiff’s lawyer expressed dismay, noting, “We had other claims in the lawsuit beyond that — a Second Amendment claim [and] an equal protection claim. The order accompanying this dismissal doesn’t seem to address these issues. So there’s a bit of confusion on our part.”
 
Attorney General Ken Paxton responded, “The court’s ruling today is the correct outcome. The fact that a small group of professors dislike a law and speculate about a ‘chilling effect’ is hardly a valid basis to set the law aside.”
 
—Source: TheNewAmerican.com

A Wyoming woman is suing Wal-Mart, claiming unsafe work conditions after she allegedly fell backwards over a pallet jack.

Store employee Theresa Burfiend was returning the pallet jack to its storage space after unloading milk pallets when a fellow employee offered to put it away for her. According to news reports, Burfiend did not know the employee placed the jack behind her, causing her to trip over the equipment when she backed up. Burfiend is suing Wal-Mart for sustained “serious injuries” to her back, hip, ankle, wrist and several nerves that she alleges caused her to become “totally and permanently disabled.” Burfiend is seeking at least $250,000 to cover medical bills.

The suit states, among other things, that Wal-Mart is at fault because the loading dock was not capable of handling the amount of trucks that used the area and because the store failed to properly maintain hydraulic dock plates. It also claims that the store didn’t create any “safe standard operating procedures” for use of the loading dock and used the area for storage, creating a safety hazard.

Wal-Mart’s attorneys denied the accusations and also alleged that Burfiend was warned that the equipment had been moved behind her. They replied that Burfiend failed to “maintain a proper lookout for her own safety” and therefore fell.

“Defendant admits that plaintiff fell but immediately got back on her feet, made no claim of injury and left,” the answer to the lawsuit states. “It is not known if she was injured in the fall, based on lack of information of an injury and no claim being made."

—Source: Trib.com