EA Sports to Pay $11M to Madden Programmer | | A San Francisco jury has awarded $11 million to the original programmer of the EA Sports video game "Madden NFL" in a lawsuit over unpaid royalties. In his suit, the programmer claims that after designing and developing the first Madden game, he was let go while company executives continued to use his design to create subsequent games. The suit addressed games released through 1996; another phase of litigation may come to encompass games from 1997 to present, where revenue exceeds $3 billion. David Wharton, LA Times 07/25/2013 | Read Article: LA Times | $10 Million Awarded to Wrongfully Imprisoned Man | | The Chicago City Council has approved a $10 million payout to a local man who was wrongly imprisoned for 25 years. The man falsely confessed to a pair of 1986 murders after two detectives "threatened and punched him, rupturing his eardrum." The settlement is the latest in a series of suits filed over wrongful police behavior; the Chicago Tribune estimates the city has paid out close to $70 million in recent wrongful conviction suits. Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune 07/25/2013 | Read Article: Chicago Tribune | Halliburton Pleads Guilty to Destroying Evidence After Gulf Spill | | Halliburton has agreed to plead guilty to destruction of critical evidence after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill in 2010, the Justice Department announced on Thursday. The oil services company said it would pay the maximum allowable fine of $200,000 and will be subject to three years of probation. It will also continue its cooperation in the government’s criminal investigation. Separately, Halliburton made a voluntary contribution of $55 million to the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation. CLIFFORD KRAUSS, The New York Times 07/26/2013 | Read Article: The New York Times | Firm That Last Inspected Texas Giant Had Ties to Six Flags Executive | | Texas amusement parks and their insurers are responsible for safety inspections as well as investigating when something goes wrong, such as Friday’s fatality on the Texas Giant roller coaster. The lack of an independent inspection system means that all involved have financial ties. But there are also other connections when it comes to the Texas Giant. The firm that conducted the last annual inspection of the Texas Giant was started by Patrick Hoffman, now a top Six Flags corporate executive. Hoffman transferred the company to a business partner in JEFF MOSIER , The Dallas Morning News 07/26/2013 | Read Article: The Dallas Morning News | Defendants Seek Dismissal of Wrongful Death Suit | | Three men named as defendants in a wrongful death suit involving the disappearance of an Indiana University student have requested that the suit be dismissed. The men, who were allegedly with the girl just before she disappeared, claim there is no actual proof that she is dead and that they "had no legal duty to supervise [the victim] or ensure her safety." The lawsuit accuses the three men of negligence resulting in the girl's death. Tim Evans, Indianapolis Star 07/25/2013 | Read Article: Indianapolis Star | | |