Category Archives: Supreme Court

Supreme Court – The latest news about Supreme Court from the Lawstarz Blog – Latest news and coverage of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Blog, Civil Rights, Legal News, Supreme Court

ACLU Wisconsin calling for temporary ban on evictions amid pandemic

MADISON, Wis. (WMTV)– The American Civil Liberties Union of Wisconsin is calling for evictions to be temporarily banned in the state as many residents face financial turmoil caused by the pandemic.

The Wisconsin chapter is joining affiliates in 19 other states to push lawmakers to issue or expand “statewide moratoria against evictions and commit to preventing mass evictions after these moratoria end,” according to a statement Thursday.

ACLU said people of color and women especially are in need of such protections.

“The disproportionate toll that the COVID-19 crisis has taken on communities of color has already been devastating enough, and the burden will only become more severe if action isn’t taken to prevent evictions and utility shut-offs,” said Asma Kadri Keeler, staff attorney with the ACLU of Wisconsin.

“Homelessness and housing instability cause a myriad of lasting financial, emotional, and health problems which victimize women of color and their families most acutely. In the pandemic context, it also poses a serious health risk to the public writ large,” Asma Kadri Keeler adds.

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Blog, Criminal, Immigration, International, Legal News, Organized Crime, Supreme Court

Federal Judge Denies Cali Drug Cartel Kingpin Early Release

A Miami federal judge has denied an early release from prison for one of the kingpins of the Cali drug cartel, ruling that his health and the threat of the COVID-19 coronavirus are not sufficient grounds to end his incarceration. The decision from U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno means that Gilberto Rodriguez Orejuela, an 81-year-old former leader of the Cali cartel, will continue to serve his 30-year sentence at a federal penitentiary in North Carolina.

Rodriguez Orejuela and his brother Miguel, former leaders of the infamous Cali drug cartel, pleaded guilty in 2006 to trafficking more than 200 tons of cocaine from Colombia to the United States during the 1980s and ‘90s. The brothers reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in Miami that allowed dozens of family members to avoid prosecution for money laundering and obstruction of justice charges as part of the agreement.

Rodriquez Orejuela’s attorney had filed a petition with the court requesting early release for his client on compassionate grounds. Attorney David O. Markus argued that Rodriquez Orejuela’s medical history, which includes colon cancer, prostate cancer, two heart attacks, high blood pressure, skin cancer, gout, chronic anxiety and depression, qualified him for compassionate release. Markus also cited media accounts of the threat that the COVID-19 poses to prison inmates as cause to let him out of prison.

“Because there were already sufficient reasons to release him, this crisis gives the court further reasons to grant his motion,” he said.

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Blog, Business Law, Celebrity, Criminal, Drug Companies, International, Legal News, Supreme Court

Convicted ‘pharma bro’ Martin Shkreli wants early release to work on coronavirus cure

Lawyers for Shkreli, who is in federal prison, claim he has “devoted countless hours” to researching a cure.

Lawyers for “pharma bro” Martin Shkreli asked a federal judge Wednesday to release him from prison so he can help find a cure for COVID-19, the disease associated with the coronavirus, court records show.

The documents, filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn, N.Y., say Shkreli, 37, has “devoted countless hours” to developing a cure for the disease, which has killed nearly 45,000 people in the United States and tens of thousands more around the world.

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Shkreli is serving a seven-year sentence at a federal prison in Allenwood, Pennsylvania, after being convicted in 2017 on securities fraud and conspiracy charges. His lawyers asked in the filing that he be allowed to serve the rest of his term at home with an electronic monitor.

Shkreli, a former biotech CEO and hedge fund manager, had been accused of repeatedly lying about the performance of his funds and raiding his company’s assets to provide returns to investors. He first gained notoriety in 2015 after he raised the price of a lifesaving anti-parasite drug by 5,000 percent.

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Blog, Business Law, Criminal, Drug Companies, Legal News, Organized Crime, Supreme Court

Tennessee Supreme Court to decide if Big Pharma can be sued as drug dealers


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Drug makers are pushing the Tennessee Supreme Court to block a move by state prosecutors to hold Big Pharma financially accountable for the opioid epidemic, Knox News has learned.

Tennessee’s high court has now agreed to consider whether the state’s district attorneys general can sue opioid makers Endo Pharmaceuticals, Purdue Pharma, Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals and Teva Pharmaceuticals using a law targeting drug dealers, according to an order made public Tuesday.

The high court is also allowing a coalition of corporate and insurance attorneys representing big business — the International Association of Defense Counsel — to weigh in, the order shows.

The court’s decision to take up the appeal comes in a lawsuit filed in Campbell County — one of the hardest hit in the opioid epidemic — against the opioid makers by 8th….

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Blog, Business Law, Civil Rights, Family, Legal News, Personal Injury, Supreme Court

How Dash Cams are Impacting Personal Injury Cases

Dash cams provide immense amounts of value in personal injury cases because of one word: evidence.

Whether you live in a busy city like Houston or a small rural town, driving your vehicle can be a hazardous experience. It’s easy to forget you (and your fellow passengers) are driving in large pieces of metal that can cause serious injury or death. A serious accident is only one simple mistake away.

Because of this, many commercial vehicles are now being equipped with dash cams. While they are a small investment, dash cams provide a wealth of benefits for the trucking company. Some of the most significant benefits, however, emerge if an accident occurs. Ultimately, dash cams provide game-changing evidence in truck wreck and car accident cases. Even though none of us anticipates being in an accident, dash cams can be just the thing we need to potentially receive compensation for our injuries or defend a claim. 

The Value of Dash Cams in Personal Injury Cases

Dash cams provide immense amounts of value in personal injury cases because of one word: evidence. Dash cam footage provides objective, near-indisputable evidence that can potentially be used in a court of law. At the very least, this evidence can be used in potential settlement negotiations with the at-fault driver’s insurance company.

Depending on the dash cam that you purchase, your camera may be recording the front of your vehicle, the rear, or both. The dash cam records cars, people, and objects around your vehicle as you are driving. Often, the dash cam begins recording when your vehicle is in gear, meaning that you don’t need to turn your camera on and off when you enter and exit your vehicle. Even better, some dash cams display metadata (like date and time) on the recording, providing even more evidence that the dash cam footage should be used as evidence in potential personal injury litigation.

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