John O'Brien News
Lawyers to ask for $175K in Philadelphia Inquirer settlement
PHILADELPHIA - A $525,000 class action privacy settlement with The Philadelphia Inquirer is one step closer to being finalized, as a federal judge has given it preliminary approval.
Judge blocks plan that would help Delaware cash in on dredging of Delaware River
PHILADELPHIA - A federal judge has blocked plans to dredge the Delaware River to accommodate a proposed port in Delaware, finding the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers "did not engage in reasoned decision making" when approving the project.
Rape case against travel company moves forward, sort of
WILLIAMSPORT - A federal judge won't let a tour company out of a lawsuit that pins blame on it for the alleged rape of a 16-year-old in a hotel in Spain - yet - but also won't let the girl conduct her deposition remotely.
Lawyers want three times more than they won client in age discrimination case
PITTSBURGH - Lawyers who scored a nearly $80,000 jury verdict in an age discrimination lawsuit now want to be paid three times that amount.
Hey PA: Dog the Bounty Hunter comes to Delco for wild lawsuit over search for missing teen, plus four other new cases
PHILADELPHIA - Online slander, institutional racism and a Philadelphia power-trip are among the accusations in five recently filed lawsuits in Pennsylvania.
Judge won't change how Philadelphia picks students for criteria high schools
PHILADELPHIA - A federal judge has tossed a challenge to changes made by the School District of Philadelphia in 2021 for admissions into so-called "criteria-based" high schools.
Philadelphia loses key ruling after cops blind 2-year-old boy with taser
PHILADELPHIA - The City of Philadelphia can't escape litigation brought by the mother of a two-year-old boy blinded in one eye by a cop's taser.
Central Park 5 sue Trump over statements during debate
PHILADELPHIA - It's back to court for the Central Park 5, a group of then-teenagers were wrongfully convicted of the assault and rape of a woman in 1989.
Got a ticket in Upper Darby? You might be entitled to compensation
PHILADELPHIA - Upper Darby Township will pay $800,000 to some of the motorists who were issued parking tickets and were unable to contest them.
Luzerne Co. settles Election Day lawsuit after running out of paper in 2022
SCRANTON - Luzerne County admits voters couldn't cast ballots through no fault of their own during the 2022 election in a settlement presented in Scranton federal court on Oct. 15.
Court won't boot lawyers off Blank Rome case, or DQ retired judge
PHILADELPHIA - A federal judge has refused two disqualification motions in litigation brought by a lawyer who is suing Blank Rome.
Pittsburgh-area company hit with $79K age discrimination verdict
PITTSBURGH - A Pennsylvania jury has ruled for a man who sued his former employer for age discrimination and whose case was bolstered by comments made by the company's president.
Hey PA: 5 new cases to know about, including the rape and murder of a federal inmate
Recently filed cases in Pennsylvania courts include a wrongful death suit against the United States over the rape and assault of a federal inmate, plus plenty of Delco officials in hot water and a case over literal hot water.
Reform package targets perception of Pennsylvania courts as pro-plaintiff lawyer
HARRISBURG - Pennsylvania lawmakers are addressing the state's reputation as a haven for personal injury lawyers by introducing legislation that would reform issues like contingency fees and outside funding for lawsuits.
Labor Department refutes fraud allegations by company nailed with $22M verdict
PHILADELPHIA - Even though he was assigned to a desk in D.C. at the time, a high-ranking official at the Department of Labor did not mislead a Philadelphia court when he presented himself as a regional solicitor, the agency says in court documents.
Laid-off minorities can't add class action to attack on child development company
ERIE - Nine non-white workers who were laid off by Child Development Centers during the COVID pandemic have lost one of their discrimination lawsuits.
Lawyers make $433K for getting $250K for Kings Family Restaurant servers
PITTSBURGH - Lawyers will take nearly $200,000 more in fees than they scored for 400 Pittsburgh-area restaurant servers in a class action lawsuit.
Comments while laying off 60-year-old man keep age discrimination case going
PITTSBURGH - Be careful what you say at work, is a major lesson learned in a recent ruling by a federal judge in an age discrimination lawsuit.
Should convicted murderer ever get to have sex with his wife? Court says Pennsylvania hasn't shown why not
PHILADELPHIA (Legal Newsline) - A Muslim man's decade-long quest to have sex with his wife has been given a small measure of new life by a federal appeals court that says Pennsylvania must prove it would be a bad idea.
Ghosts of Schnader Harrison must battle class action over 401(k) money
PHILADELPHIA - The former Philadelphia firm Schnader Harrison will face a class action lawsuit from a former employee who says her retirement money was used to dissolve the firm in 2023.