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Wednesday, March 10 2010 |
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A long-standing legal battle over rights to the shirt, suit and tie that O.J. Simpson was wearing October 3, 1995, when he was acquitted of killing ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman has finally been settled. For the past 13-years, legal rights to the clothing items have been sought by Simpson's former sports agent Mike Gilbert (who has possession of the items) and Ronald Goldman's father, Fred (who has been trying for years to seize Simpson's assets).
Earlier this month, Superior Court Judge Joseph Biderman approved Gilbert's plan to donate the suit to the Smithsonian Institution. "It's part of American history," Gilbert said outside the court. "People should be able to see it and reflect on what went so wrong for someone who had everything."
Simpson, who is serving a minimum nine-year prison sentence for an unrelated incident, told the judge and lawyers that he approved of donating the suit, "as long as no one made a profit from it."
Earlier this week, the Smithsonian Institution rejected the donation, with Smithsonian spokeswoman Linda St. James stating that the suit is not appropriate for the museum's collection.
—Sources: New York Daily News and Sun Sentinel (Broward County, Florida) |
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Wednesday, March 03 2010 |
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A woman from New York is suing Burger King for ignoring her request to stop texting her.
Elizabeth Espinal claims the company acted like an ex-boyfriend when it repeatedly text-messaged her with spam ads, despite the fact that she asked for the messages to stop. According to news reports, in April 2008, Espinal’s phone beeped with a text message from Burger King that said, “Kick it up a notch with a loaded steakhouse burger. Try one today at BK.” Espinal claims she immediately texted back, “Stop.”
Two months later, Espinal received an identical text, followed several months later with a third message urging her to try a refreshing Mocha BK Joe Iced Coffee.
Claiming she was unable to have it her way and get Burger King to stop texting, Espinal filed a federal lawsuit alleging violations of Section 47 of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, “which prohibits unsolicited voice and text calls to cellular phones.” Espinal contends that Burger King “caused actual harm” by harassing her with the cryptic messages, which she was forced to pay for as part of her cellular service.
Espinal filed the lawsuit as a class action and is seeking $5 million in relief for allegedly being “subjected to aggravation.”
Burger King declined to comment.
—Source: Miami New Times |
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Tuesday, February 23 2010 |
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Several NHL hockey players are skating on thin ice after violating a judge's orders to give depositions this week and last in a case in California in which the players are suing golf-course developer Ken Jowdy for allegedly bilking them of millions they had invested with him to develop two luxury resorts in Mexico.
According to news sources, the current and former NHL players, including Sergei Gonchar of the 2009 Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins, were "no-shows" for the scheduled depositions because they are in Vancouver playing hockey for various countries at the Winter Olympics. Gonchar told news reporters that it was "frustrating" that the depositions were scheduled during the Games, "one of the biggest things you can participate in as an athlete."
Defendant Jowdy's attorney, Robyn Crowther, fumed that, "I don't think the judge is going to take kindly to it. They clearly violated the judge's order, and we're going to get the case dismissed."
"Clearly my clients are not going to jeopardize their careers and participation in the Olympics to chase Jowdy at this time," Ronald Richards, attorney for the players, stated after voluntarily withdrawing the California lawsuit and noting his intention to refile later.
—Source: New York Post |
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Thursday, February 18 2010 |
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A man suspected of stealing from a Wyoming grocery store didn't plan his escape quite right. He hid in a nearby building, which happened to be a police station.
According to police, the 26-year-old man was drunk when he fled the grocery store after grabbing a bottle of booze and package of cough drops before seeking hideout in the nearby police station. Upon recognizing his error, the man ran out of the station, but not before a dispatcher saw him on the station's surveillance cameras and alerted police officers who chased him down.
The man was taken into custody on preliminary charges of resisting arrest and shoplifting. His name has not been released.
—Source: Examiner.com |
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Tuesday, February 09 2010 |
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A Seattle attorney is suing student loan company SLM Corp., or Sallie Mae, over what he describes as "unrelenting" automatic-dialed phone calls that he claimed harassed him over late payments on his law school loan.
Mark A. Arthur filed a class action lawsuit in federal district court in Seattle seeking injunctive relief and damages. In the suit, Arthur seeks $500 for every call from Sallie Mae that he alleges violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act.
"Sallie Mae harassed me with dozens of unwanted calls to my cell phone, including calls that woke me up at all hours of the night and often within hours of each other. These unrelenting calls unfortunately corresponded with a time in my life that required great attention to family issues," Arthur said in a statement.
Arthur further claims he never gave Sallie Mae his cell phone number and did not give consent for the company to call him.
Officials at the student loan company countered that they follow the law when making collection calls.
—Source: Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) |
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