News from April 2012
Pa. Superior Court affirms trial court ruling in unprecedented case involving in vitro fertilization
A state appellate court has upheld a ruling by a trial court that awarded a Pennsylvania divorcee the frozen embryos that were created through an in vitro fertilization procedure before she and her husband split.
Injured pedestrian sues Ritz-Carlton, City of Phila. for allowing delivery trucks to illegally park on sidewalk
A pedestrian who claims she suffered leg injuries after tripping over cracked and broken sidewalk adjacent to a popular downtown Philadelphia hotel, damage she contends is caused by delivery trucks illegally, and with the city’s unofficial permission, parking on the walkway to load and unload products at the hotel, has filed a federal complaint against the City of Philadelphia and the Ritz-Carlton Company.
Judge denies armed robber's post-conviction relief motion alleging ineffective counsel
A federal judge in Philadelphia has denied a motion for post-conviction relief that had been filed by a federal prison inmate who was sentenced to more than a year in jail on armed robbery charges.
Commonwealth Court affirms ruling denying private club's liquor license renewal application
Pennsylvania’s junior appellate court has upheld a trial court’s ruling that affirmed the state Liquor Control Board’s decision not to grant a liquor license renewal to a private club that has been the subject of police activity and other problems.
Suit by insurance company against Penn State will be heard in Phila. court, judge rules
A Pennsylvania judge has granted a motion by Penn State’s insurance company to have its civil case against the university played out in Philadelphia’s Common Pleas Court.
Thirty-plus-year Amtrak foreman sues railroad agency for discriminatory firing
A South Jersey man who claims he was fired from his job as a foreman for an Amtrak facility in Philadelphia for discriminatory reasons has filed a federal civil action against the railroad agency.
Judge refuses to throw out child sex-abuse charges against Jerry Sandusky
The judge presiding over the case of a former collegiate assistant football coach who is charged in the molestation of 10 young boys over a 15-year time period has refused to throw out the charges against the since-retired coach.
Pa. couple sues township over 'unconstitutional' ordinance regulating political signs on private property
A Chester County, Pa. couple is suing their home municipality and the township’s zoning officer in federal court, contending a local ordinance that limits the number of political signs they can display on their property is unconstitutional.
Luzerne County's chief public defender sues county over inadequate funding for his office
Luzerne County’s chief public defender is suing the county on behalf of himself and indigent adult criminal defendants, contending the county’s failure to provide adequate resources has affected his office’s ability to provide proper legal representation to the indigent clients.
Pa. Attorney General joins antitrust action over e-book price fixing scheme
Pennsylvania Attorney General Linda Kelly announced Wednesday that her office has joined 14 other states and Puerto Rico in a lawsuit charging three of the country’s largest book publishers and computer giant Apple Inc. with scheming to fix the sale prices of electronic books.
Automotive Training Center hit with retaliatory discharge complaint
A Montgomery County man who was fired from his job at an automotive training school mere hours after his superiors learned he was contemplating taking legal action against the educational institution has filed a lawsuit against his former employer in federal court.
Fired Philly special ed teacher sues district over termination
A former teacher for the School District of Philadelphia whose position was terminated late last year after she received unsatisfactory performance ratings has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the educational institution alleging, among other things, that the district breached its contractual duty with the plaintiff.
Puerto Rican casino resort faces personal injury claim in Philly
A Bucks County woman who allegedly sustained a broken tailbone after she fell off of an unsecure seat at a Puerto Rican casino two years ago is suing the resort where the alleged incident occurred in federal court.
Man nearly beaten to death by Phila. cops cannot move forward with lawsuit, judge rules
A man who was nearly beaten to death by a handful of Philadelphia police officers cannot move forward with his lawsuit because it was time-barred by a two-year statute of limitations, a federal judge has ruled.
Federal judge remands GlaxoSmithKline consumer protection suits to respective state courts
A federal judge sitting in Philadelphia has remanded two consumer protection lawsuits filed against drug maker GlaxoSmithKline to their respective state court jurisdictions.
Fired scrap metal crane operator sues over termination
A former crane operator for a scrap metal company who alleges his firing after six years of employment was motivated by his race has filed a federal discrimination lawsuit against his former employer.
Sandusky judge issues gag order
The judge presiding over the upcoming child molestation trial of former Penn State University assistant football coach Jerry Sandusky has instituted a gag order in the case, preventing anyone directly involved with the pending trial from communicating with the media.
Pa. Attorney General's Office files six consumer protection lawsuits against contractors
The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office has announced that it has filed consumer protection lawsuits against six western Pennsylvania home improvement contractors.
Longtime DRPA general counsel to retire
The Delaware River Port Authority has announced the retirement of its longtime general counsel, a Philadelphia resident and former city prosecutor who has headed the legal department at the bi-state agency for more than two decades.
Fired nursing administrator sues former employer for wrongful termination
A former nursing administrator who oversaw a psychiatric unit at a Bucks County, Pa. hospital is suing her former employer in federal court, contending the company discriminatorily terminated her employment because of her health conditions.