2012 Annual Meeting & Advanced PI CLE, December 6-7 at the Four Season's Hotel, Austin | Formerly the TTLA Annual Conference, our December event is now the Annual Meeting & Advanced PI CLE! We've streamlined this event and we're now offering a one-day Advanced PI CLE, along with the Annual Membership & Board Meeting, President's Luncheon, and a spectacular Holiday Party with dinner and dancing with the famous Lee Roy Parnell. Click on the headline to learn more! | Have You Voted? | Find early voting locations in your county, the last day to early vote is November 2. | Examining the Work of State Courts: An Analysis of 2010 State Court Caseloads | National Center of State Courts: The analysis presented here is based on the data provided by staff of the Administrative Offices of the Courts and the Appellate Court Clerks’ Offices. Statewide aggregate caseload data and reporting practices, population trends, and a detailed explanation of the Court Statistics Project methodology are available on this site. Click on the headline to access the report. | FBI Agents Named in Excessive Force Suit | | The family of a Detroit mosque leader has filed a lawsuit against the FBI after the man was gunned down during a raid in 2009. The family claims FBI agents used "excessive force" when they shot the man 20 times during his arrest. The man and his allies have been accused of dealing stolen goods. Wire Report, The Washington Post 10/30/2012 | Read Article: The Washington Post | Supreme Court May Let Wiretapping Suit Proceed | | Legal experts say the U.S. Supreme Court may allow a wiretapping lawsuit brought by lawyers, journalists and activist against the federal government to proceed. The crux of the suit is the "government's power to secretly monitor international phone calls and email under a stepped-up monitoring policy approved by Congress four years ago." Comments made by the justices hint toward their belief that the plaintiffs have properly pointed to injury or harm, which would be required to allow the suit to go forward. The justices did not comment, however, on whether the surveillance is considered "unreasonable search." David G. Savage, LA Times 10/30/2012 | Read Article: LA Times | Shelled, In-Shell Peanuts Recalled | | Earlier this month, Sundland Inc. expanded a peanut recall to include shelled and in-shell raw and roasted peanuts due to a potential salmonella contamination. The recall stems from a brand of Trader Joe's peanut butter that has been linked with a salmonella outbreak that sickened 35 people in 19 states. Kim Painter, USA Today 10/15/2012 | Read Article: USA Today | NHTSA Investigating Ford Taurus | | The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has launched an investigation into whether more than 300,000 Ford Taurus and Mercury Sable vehicles have "sticky" throttles that can cause unintended acceleration. The agency believes that throttles are sticking at 26-percent open due to a fractured speed-control cable. No recall has been issued as of yet. Christopher Jensen, The New York Times 10/26/2012 | Read Article: The New York Times | California Police Shooting Prompts Lawsuit | | A wrongful death lawsuit has been filed against Stanislaus County, Calif., and local police over the fatal shooting of a Keyes, Calif., man in April of this year. Police were responding to a 911 call at the family's house, the suit says, when one officer shot the unarmed victim three times for unknown reasons. The family also claims in their suit that officers did not allow them to help the victim after he had been shot. The lawsuit is seeking more than $15 million in damages. Ken Carlson , Modesto Bee 10/30/2012 | Read Article: Modesto Bee | | |