| | Texas Supreme Court Advisory | | The Supreme Court of Texas has ordered mandatory electronic filing for cases in the Supreme Court and for civil cases in the Texas courts of appeals by January 1, 2014. Click on the headline to learn more. | | Meatpacker Settles Overtime Pay Lawsuit | |  | | A federal judge has approved a settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed against a Kansas meatpacking company accused of under-paying its employees. In the suit, plaintiffs claimed that the company failed to properly pay overtime wages over a three-year period. The settlement will total around $195,000 and is to be divided up between 144 plaintiffs.
Wire Report, Topeka Capital-Journal 12/18/2012    | | Read Article: Topeka Capital-Journal | | HPD Crime Lab Workers Claim Retaliation in Suit | | | | Two former Houston Police Department crime lab supervisors have filed suit against the local district attorney, claiming they were retaliated against for speaking out about problems with breath-alcohol testing vans. In their suit, the plaintiffs say their credibility was attacked by the Harris County District Attorney after they testified about the unreliability of BAT vans. After their testimony, the district attorney allegedly lobbied for the county to cancel a contract with the local lab at which the plaintiffs worked after leaving the HPD.
Anita Hassan, Houston Chronicle 12/17/2012 | | Read Article: Houston Chronicle | | Drywall Companies Hit with Price Fixing Lawsuit | | | | A drywall installation company has filed a lawsuit against a group of eight drywall makers accusing the companies of conspiring to fix gypsum board prices. In the lawsuit, the plaintiff claims the defendants "violated federal antitrust laws" and have done so since September 2011. Specifically, the suit says the defendants increased prices by 35 percent in 2011 despite no increasing demand for the products.
Christie Smythe & Andrew Harris, Bloomberg 12/17/2012 | | Read Article: Bloomberg | | San Diego Liable for Tree that Fell and Crushed Man | | | | The city of San Diego has been found at fault for the collapse of a large palm tree that crushed a local man's legs, leaving him paralyzed. The man's suit claimed "cutbacks in tree-trimming and inspection services" left many diseased and dead trees standing and increased the risk of falling. The jury issued their ruling on Monday and will now determine the amount of damages to award.
Wire Report, The Sacramento Bee 12/18/2012 | | Read Article: The Sacramento Bee | | County Pays $150,000 in Jail Death Lawsuit | | | | Shawnee County, Kan., has agreed to pay $150,000 to settle a lawsuit with the family of a local man who died in county jail in 2009. According to the suit, the victim overdosed on medication that was given to him without the proper clearance or supervision, and jail officials were accused of failing to give the man the proper and timely medical attention that could have saved his life.
Tim Hrenchir, Topeka Capital-Journal 12/17/2012 | | Read Article: Topeka Capital-Journal | | |
