News from February 2012
Phila. judge rules insurance co. isn't responsible for potential punitive damages in assault and battery case
An insurance company who insures a bar and restaurant that is currently embroiled in litigation arising from an assault and battery incident in which a business patron became seriously injured after a scuffle with fellow restaurant-goers only has to cover the restaurant in a limited capacity, and does not have to indemnify the business for any punitive damages that may be awarded in the case, a state trial judge has ruled.
Two former Sunrise Senior Living employees sue retirement facility for discrimination and retaliation
A woman who claims she was fired from her job as a care manager at an area senior living facility because of her race has filed a federal discrimination complaint against her former employer.
City and police officers sued for false arrest and beating of man with autism
A teenager with special needs who alleges two Philadelphia police officers beat him severely after they mistakenly suspected he was involved in the theft of a cell phone belonging to one of the officers’ friends has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the City of Philadelphia and the officers involved in the alleged assault.
Penn State sues insurance carrier over claims stemming from Sandusky sex-abuse case
Pennsylvania State University has filed a lawsuit against its insurance company, claiming the defendant breached its duties when it filed its own civil action against the educational institution late last month seeking a judge’s declaration that the insurer doesn’t have to cover the school in yet another civil suit filed by an alleged victim of accused child molester Jerry Sandusky.
Pa. state constable charged with having sex with underage girl
A 27-year-old state constable from Berks County has been arrested and charged with having indecent sexual contact with a minor whom he befriended on a social networking website.
Woman sexually assaulted aboard Greyhound bus sues transit company
An Oklahoma woman who claims she was sexually assaulted by a fellow passenger while aboard a Greyhound bus heading from her home state to New York two years ago has filed a federal injury claim against the transit company.
Phila. judge rules hospital must reveal patient's identity in negligence case
A Philadelphia trial court judge has upheld an earlier court ruling that required a city hospital to produce patient information relating to a case in which a man is suing the healthcare facility and his former roommate for injuries the plaintiff sustained when the roommate fell on top of him.
Pa. Chief Justice Castille to attorneys: keep up the good pro bono work
Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chief Justice Ronald D. Castille has come out praising the pro bono work done by Keystone State lawyers in 2011, while encouraging the good work to continue through the New Year.
Fired TSA worker cannot move forward with discrimination claim, judge rules
A federal judge in Philadelphia has dismissed a complaint that had been brought forth by a fired security screener at Philadelphia International Airport who contended he should have been allowed to sue the Transportation Security Administration despite acknowledgments that his claim was not initiated in a timely manner.
GNC faces age discrimination complaint from fired 31-year employee
A Bucks County, Pa. woman who worked for GNC for more than three decades before her firing earlier this winter has filed a federal age discrimination lawsuit against the Pennsylvania-based nutrition retailer, contending her termination was related to her age and complaints about reduced work hours.
Big changes come to Phila. Mass Tort Program; coordinating judge to be replaced at year's end
The administrative judge of the Philadelphia court system's trial division signed off on new judicial regulations that will greatly affect the way mass tort cases are handled at the Common Pleas Court.
Pa. Chamber of Business and Industry files amicus brief in national healthcare case
The Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry has become the 15th organization of its kind nationwide to officially challenge President Obama’s national healthcare law.
Phila. judge in church sex-abuse case refuses to recuse herself
The Philadelphia trial judge presiding over a church sex-abuse case has refused to step aside and allow another jurist to handle the matter, ruling that her comments being used by defense attorneys in an attempt to get her to recuse herself from the case were taken out of context.
Teen who was sexually assaulted a decade ago sues Montco and perpetrator
A Montgomery County, Pa. man who was sexually assaulted when he was 13 years old at the hands of the man who took him in as an adoptive parent has filed a federal lawsuit against the perpetrator and Montgomery County officials.
Pa. Attorney General charges district judge with scrapping her own traffic citations
State law enforcement officials have arrested a magisterial district judge and charged her with conflict of interest and tampering with public records after she was discovered using a court computer system to get rid of three traffic citations that had been issued to her by local police.
Feds close Amish farmer in Kinzers
PHILADELPHIA -- Amish farmer Daniel Allgyer operated a dairy farm located in Kinzers, Pa., but he closed it after a federal court judge said he violated the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act and the Public Health Services Act.
Judge grants in part, denies in part motion to dismiss discrimination suit
A federal judge has granted in part and denied in part a motion to dismiss filed by a Pennsylvania company that is being sued by a former employee who alleges he was discriminated against because of his race.
Man who spent 31 months in prison after wrongly fingered in crime sues Phila. Police
A Philadelphia man who claims he spent 31 months in prison awaiting trial on what turned out to be bogus charges stemming from a case in which he was mistakenly identified for a criminal has filed a federal civil rights lawsuit against the city and the police officers involved in his arrest.
Northeastern, Pa. brewery sued for discriminatory firing
A Northeastern Pennsylvania man has filed a federal lawsuit against his former employer, alleging his firing violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
Attorney for woman suing Milton Hershey School: keep trial in Philadelphia
An attorney for a woman who is suing the private Milton Hershey School over what she argues was the school’s denying her son admittance due to his HIV-positive status has asked a judge to let any future trial play out in Philadelphia, not in federal court near Hershey, Pa.