Results tagged “lawsuits”

Not only was the federal government concerned about the pending closure of state parks earlier this summer, but a memo obtained by the Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility says there are a handful of more problems if closures happen. A list of those closures is is expected to be released sometime next week. The memo from state attorneys says the potential problems could cost the state money, including lawsuits from private companies involved in contracts with state parks and lawsuits from parkgoers trespassing into closed parks who get hurt, according to the Mercury News. Additionally, a Americans with Disabilities Act settlement from 1999 may be broken if parks close, prompting yet another lawsuit from disability groups. And lastly, closing state beaches may be in violation of the California Coastal Act.

Not a surprise, right? Not only do we have some of the worst freeway intersections, but we have the the highest percentage of urban pavement in poor condition according to a report released Tuesday by TRIP, a national transportation research group.

The state says the Mayor should get an automatic $8,283 salary increase retroactive to July 1. The mayor says not so fast: “With the City of Los Angeles facing a tough budget year, I do not believe now is the time for me to accept an automatic and retroactive pay raise. Being Mayor of Los Angeles is reward enough, and I’m committed to working twenty-four-seven to protect essential services.” (via a press release) The...

Nicole Kidman reveals details about her previous miscarriages and subsequent adoptions- Metro More Anna Nicole baby daddy drama - Explosive accusations in Rita Cosby's new tell all book of Larry Birkhead and Howard K Stern being lovers is setting off defamation lawsuits...I personally can't wait to read it - NY Post Jerry Lewis pulls an Isaiah Washington, using the "F" word during his live annual telethon for muscular dystrophy - TMZ Bill Murray explains his...

Anastasia Griffith plays the hot, and somewhat indiscreet drug-using and slutty restauranteur Katie Connor in "Damages" (FX, Tuesdays, 10:00pm) - you might also remember her from "Alfie" and "Dirty Rotten Love". The story so far as we know it shows Katie getting played by both corporate scumbag Arthur Frobisher (Ted Danson) and no-holds barred harpie lawyer Patty Hewes (Glenn Close). Sorry about the pigeonholing stereotypes - everybody plays there characters well beyond those cookie-cutter...

- Approximately 40 tenants of an Echo Park landlord - who also happens to be a UCLA professor who teaches at the business school - protested yesterday outside of his classroom in Westwood for illegally evicting Section 8 renters - Daily Bruin - Phil Spector's driver who once said that he heard the famed producer say that the thought he might have killed someone, today testified that sometimes he misunderstands what Spector says -...

The nicer the weather gets, the busier we get across the Ist-A-Verse. But we like being busy. Here's a peek at what we've been up to since last week!

After requesting a waiver from the Environmental Protection Agency to increase regulations on vehicle emissions in 2005, (so California might implement a law, passed in 2002 requiring reduced emissions for 2009 cars, light trucks, and S.U.V.’s) Governor Schwarzenegger decided waiting was for sissies, and today in Beverly Hills, pulled out a lawsuit. The five year delay was caused by the E.P.A., claiming it didn’t have jurisdiction over auto emissions, and lawsuits from automobile manufacturers...

- List of Major League baseball players who wore 42 today - Yahoo - Best headline about Chicago getting the nod by the US Olympic committe: "Gone with the Wind" - LA Daily News - How a Hollywood blockbuster could earn over $200 million but still lose the studio $78 million - LAT - Local businesses, companies, and even malls are writing big checks to the LAPD for extra protection - LAT - An...

The story was just too good to ignore: good-looking UCLA doctor allegedly hooking up with his thirtysomething supervisor and bopping around LA in a sportster breaking hearts, taking names, and then being sued for slander.

#95 A 6th grader protecting himself from two 8th grade bullies, pulls out a paring knife and stabs one of the boys three times. No one is seriously hurt, but the 6th grader now faces felony charges for possessing a knife on school grounds. - Miami Herald #96 Jacksonville woman given 15 years for her role in a labor camp and selling crack and beer to the laborers - Fox 21 #97 Man kicked...

#46 St. Augustine Motherhood Maternity agreed to settle lawsuits with would-be employees who were not hired because they were pregnant, and with a woman who was fired when she was suspected to be pregnant - Miami Herald

photo excerpt of "Washing Out" by our common

By now much hay has been made over "Borat", both as a box office smash and as a mockumentary in which the innocent bystanders who participated in it were duped and cheated. When Borat opened over a week ago Fox booked it in about 800 theaters nationwide, that's less than one-fourth the number of theaters that "Santa Clause 3" opened in and still Sacha Baron Cohen crushed Tim Allen (Yes! There is a God!)....

Simple, clear purpose and principles give rise to complex and intelligent behavior. Complex rules and regulations give rise to simple and stupid behavior. ~ Dee Hock Tunnel vision the keywords “Los Angeles city council” in the past few months and one might think LA is corrupt beyond belief. Sure, sketchy things happen: term limits on tomorrow's ballot attached to an ethics reform proposal, Brown Act questions, raised fees and raised salaries. But try this:...

Convicted of poison pen writing, one of L.A. High's first graduating class, Yda Hillis Addis was married to a former CA governor as well as to Thomas Storke. Nothing in her life was without drama, intrigue and never-ending lawsuits.

Loma Linda gears up to build a $41 million citywide fiber optics network. Residental and business buildings will be required to obey a new building code law that will require fiber. - Gigaom "Every bathroom stall on the (Google) company campus holds a Japanese high-tech commode with a heated seat. If a flush is not enough, a wireless button on the door activates a bidet and drying." - Washington Post For the man who...

LAist never expected the Intelligent Design to make its way here but last week while we (ed. note: well, me, mostly) were on the East coast, the Association of Christian Schools International filed a civil rights suit against the UC system for refusing to certify high school science courses that use text challenging the theory of evolution and Darwinism.

Hollywood studios filed a new batch of lawsuits against file swappers on Thursday mostly targeting those who frequently use Bittorrent technology. And, for the first time, the studio's lawsuits used the peer-to-peer file sharing companies' own data to track down individuals accused of trading movies online. The Motion Picture Association of America said it filed 286 lawsuits against people around the United States based on information acquired from file-trading sites shut down earlier in the year.

The legal world in Los Angeles conjures up images of shiny glass Bunker Hill skyscrapers populated by Arnie Becker-type sharks shuffling around in perfectly tailored Hugo Boss suits and Gucci loafers, all the while servicing their big-money, high-profile clients. Some might also think of the sleazy Larry H. Parkers of the world who guilelessly peddle their personal injury services on daytime television.

Last week's tragic loss of life on the Metrolink system has, perhaps inevitably, led to a discussion of whether the cost/benefit ratio of LA's commuter train service justifies the huge taxpayer subsidies needed to keep the trains rolling.

The LA Times reported yesterday that Arnold's agreement with the powerful prison guard lobby included tons of concessions and minimal cutbacks. While the Governor managed to delay some pay raises, he delivered a costly new benefits package and more institutional power for the union in return.