Civil

Defendant Gone Wild

"He has put a lot of this foolish behavior behind him," said Joe Francis's lawyer in 2007, but guess what? He had plenty left.  Back then, Mr. Francis, who some of you may know as the purveyor of "Girls Gone Wild" videos,…


Dolphins Blamed For Woman’s Slip And Fall

Allecyn Edwards, possibly wanting to prove she could be as creative as her parents were with her first name, alleged in a complaint filed August 18 that the Brookfield Zoo and its dolphins are responsible for injuries she suffered last…


Woman Claims Display Was So Distracting, She Fell Over It

I haven't read the complaint, but at first glance this doesn't seem to make a lot of sense: Lindsay Ross v. Dollar Tree Stores Inc., No. SCV245445 (Santa Clara Super. Ct. July 10, 2009). Slip and fall. The plaintiff was distracted by…



LucasFilm Employee Alleges She Was Called An “Ewok”

From yesterday's report of filings in San Francisco Superior Court: Tabitha Totah v. Lucasfilm Entertainment Company Ltd., CGC-09-490959 (7/30/09) Employment complaint for race discrimination, sexual harassment and wrongful termination. The plaintiff was fired because, as her supervisor said, "You needed to…


Another Animal-Attack Lawsuit Fails: Humans Now 0-5

On Point News reports that last week, a West Virginia jury rejected the claims of a man who blamed his employer's negligence for injuries he suffered when he was attacked by a goose. Based on my studies of somewhat similar…



Judge Finally Gets Around to Ruling on 26-Year-Old Case

Recently, District Judge Ronald McPhillips of Toole County, Montana, ruled that James Rubow had not breached his agreement with Milan Ayers, who contended that Rubow owed him millions of dollars for improperly taking his share of a natural-gas field. This…



British Manufacturers Offer Pointless Anti-Stab Knives

Popehat reports that a British manufacturer is planning to offer "anti-stab" knives, driven by an increase in knife-related crime over the past few years in that relatively gunless land.  The manufacturer said he had been inspired by a documentary in…