eFiling Mandate Deadline | In December 2012, the Texas Supreme Court mandated e-filing in civil matters. The first group of counties (Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar, Travis, Collin, Denton, El Paso, Hidalgo and Fort Bend), the Supreme Court, the Court of Criminal Appeals and the 14 Courts of Appeal become mandatory January 1, 2014. This means that attorneys will no longer be able to file paper documents at the clerk's counter. E-filing in all other counties will become mandatory on a graduated schedule through July 1, 2016. Click on the headline to learn more. | CA City Still Defendant in Lawsuit over Boy's Death | | A Superior Court judge says the city of Fresno, California will remain a defendant in a lawsuit filed by the parents of a boy who was killed by a drunken driver while in a crosswalk. The lawsuit accuses the city of negligence for the state of the crosswalk, which made it unsafe for pedestrians to cross. The 7-year-old boy was hit while walking with his family in July 2012. The former high school basketball coach who hit the boy pleaded no contest to charges of gross vehicular manslaughter, hit-and-run causing death and injuries, and drunken driving and was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Pablo Lopez, The Fresno Bee 12/17/2013 | Read Article: The Fresno Bee | MI Mother Files $10M Fatal Shooting Lawsuit | | The mother of a teenager who was killed by a Lansing, Michigan police officer has filed a lawsuit in excess of $10 million. The 17-year-old girl, who had previously served time for home invasion, was shot and killed by a police officer after breaking into a bank and fighting the officers with a knife. The lawsuit alleges the officer who shot the girl in the head and abdomen was “was grossly negligent and violated her civil rights†when he decided to use deadly force. No trial date has been set for the case. Kevin Grasha, Lansing State Journal 12/18/2013 | Read Article: Lansing State Journal | Lawsuit Filed Over Propane Explosion That Levelled NJ Home | | A New Jersey couple whose house was leveled when a propane tank caused an explosion has filed a lawsuit. The two plaintiffs, both 67, suffered severe burns during the explosion and the wife also broke both of her legs. The lawsuit has been filed against a propane gas company, contractor and five people the plaintiffs say should have removed the propane tank from their property months before the explosion. Dan Stamm and Vince Lattanzio, NBC 10 Philadelphia 12/18/2013 | Read Article: NBC 10 Philadelphia | Gay Students Bullied in Miss. School District | | A lawsuit claims that gay students in a south Mississippi school district are subjected to bullying on a regular basis. The lawsuit was filed against the school district in Moss Point, Mississippi by the Southern Poverty Law Center in U.S. District Court in Gulfport. The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a 17-year-old girl who claims she was routinely bullied by her fellow students and the school's faculty members for being a lesbian. The girl cites instances of being called "it" and other gay slurs, as well as being forced to use the boy's restroom. Holbrook Mohr, The Jackson Clarion-Ledger 12/17/2013 | Read Article: The Jackson Clarion-Ledger | HP Chargers Recalled Due to Fire and Burn Hazards | | Google and HP have issued a recall on their HP Chromebook 11 power supply/chargers due to fire and burn hazards. The chargers have the potential to overheat and melt. Google has received nine reports of chargers overheating and melting, including one report of a minor burn and one report of minor property damage. There are about 145,000 chargers affected by the recall. Staff Report, PR Newswire 12/17/2013 | Read Article: PR Newswire | | |