News from 2012
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.
'Open carrier' files federal civil rights suit against city, police dept.
The Pennsylvania man who claimed Philadelphia police officers were overzealous when they held him at gunpoint and forced him to the ground for no other reason than they saw a gun strapped to his hip has filed a federal civil rights complaint against the city and its police department.
Judge refuses to dismiss suit against Montgomery County Correctional Facility
A federal judge has denied a request by Montgomery County to dismiss a lawsuit against it that had been filed by a former prison inmate who claimed a failure on the part of correctional medical staff to detect a spinal abscess caused him to suffer great bodily harm.
Former Panera Bread Co. asst. manager sues for retaliatory firing
A former Panera Bread employee has filed a federal lawsuit against the company, alleging her firing after two years of employment was in retaliation for her complaints over discriminatory treatment.
Pa. woman who claims she suffered broken teeth in slip-and-fall sues Starbucks
A Pennsylvania woman who claims she sustained broken teeth and other injuries after falling face-first in the parking lot of a local Starbucks has filed a personal injury claim against the coffee giant in federal court.
Feds fine Capmark $3.9 million over loan misrepresenations
A Horsham, Pa. real estate finance company, Capmark Finance, will pay the federal government $3.9 million in fines to settle a case involving two out-of-state nursing homes.
Judge refuses to dismiss excessive force complaint against Phila. cop
A federal judge has refused to dismiss an excessive force claim against a Philadelphia police officer in a case stemming from an alleged altercation during a Black Friday shopping excursion at a city Walmart more than a year ago.
Administrative Office of Pa. Courts seeks inputs on proposed electronic case filing changes
The commonwealth court system’s administrative wing is seeking input on proposed amendments to the policy concerning electronically stored records in the judiciary’s case management systems.
Wrongful death claim against SEPTA dismissed by federal judge
A federal judge has dismissed a wrongful death complaint against SEPTA that was initiated by a man who claims his son died while aboard a mass transit train due to the negligence of the vehicle’s operator.
Burger King customer sues fast food giant for hot coffee spill
A Philadelphia woman who claims she became burned by a hot cup of coffee at local Burger King is suing the fast food giant in state court.