|
|
|
2 ag-gag laws facing federal court challenges
Legal Network |
2014/07/21 22:42
|
The years-long fight between farm organizations and animal rights activists over laws prohibiting secretly filmed documentation of animal abuse is moving from state legislatures to federal courts as laws in Utah and Idaho face constitutional challenges.
Half of U.S. states have attempted to pass so-called ag-gag laws, but only seven have been successful. Among them are Idaho, where this year's law says unauthorized recording is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine, and Utah, whose 2012 law makes it a crime to provide false information to gain access to a farm. Both states now face separate but similarly worded lawsuits that say the measures violate federal statutes offering whistleblower protections and free-speech guarantees.
Farm organizations and livestock producers say ag-gag laws are aimed at protecting their homes and businesses from intruders, and some plan to use social media to assure the public they have nothing to hide. But animal rights groups, free-speech activists and investigative journalists want to throw out the laws because they say the secrecy puts consumers at higher risk of food safety problems and animals at higher risk of abuse.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
New Hampshire court upholds COPSLIE vanity plate
Legal Network |
2014/05/09 17:51
|
If a New Hampshire man thinks cops lie, he's free to say so on his license plate, the state's highest court ruled Wednesday.
In a unanimous decision, the state Supreme Court agreed with the arguments of David Montenegro, who wanted the vanity plate reading "COPSLIE" to protest what he calls government corruption.
State law prohibits vanity plates that "a reasonable person would find offensive to good taste." But the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union argued that the law is unconstitutionally vague and gives too much discretion to a person behind a Department of Motor Vehicles counter.
New Hampshire had argued that state workers were right to deny the plate, because the phrase disparages an entire class of people — police officers.
The justices said that state law does not define the phrase "offensive to good taste."
"The restriction grants DMV officials the power to deny a proposed vanity registration plate because it offends particular officials' subjective idea of what is 'good taste,'" the court wrote. The decision states the law is unconstitutionally vague and violates free speech rights.
The case was sent back to Strafford County Superior Court for further proceedings.
Attorney Anthony Galdieri, who argued the case on behalf of Montenegro and the New Hampshire Civil Liberties Union, said he was not surprised by the ruling. "This regulation was an impermissible way to regulate speech under the First Amendment," Galdieri said. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Court date reset in Vegas Strip bird death case
Legal Network |
2014/04/15 20:16
|
A court appearance was postponed Monday in Nevada for a University of California, Berkeley, law school graduate completing prison boot camp for beheading an exotic bird during a drunken chase at a Las Vegas Strip resort.
Prosecutor Frank Coumou says Justin Alexander Teixeira's court date was rescheduled to May 5.
Teixeira is facing three to five years' probation before he can ask to have his felony conviction reduced to a misdemeanor.
Whether Teixeira is admitted to practice law in California could on depend on whether a felony remains on his record.
He pleaded guilty last May to killing another person's animal in the October 2012 death of a helmeted guineafowl at the Flamingo hotel-casino.
Two other Berkeley students entered pleas to reduced misdemeanor charges, paid fines and served community service. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
AB & Co IP Services - Sierra Leone Intellectual Property Lawyers
Legal Network |
2014/03/27 22:23
|
Gambia Intellectual Property Lawyers
Trademark, Patent & Intellectual Property Rights
AB & Co is a boutique trademark agency specialising exclusively in the protection of intellectual property rights for our clients in Sierra Leone and The Gambia.
Our intellectual property practice is broad and we are Trademark and Patent Attorney for principals all over the world including partner law firms that routinely instruct us on behalf of their clients on IP matters.
We provide high quality services and act as Trademark & Patent Attorneys for principals all over the world including partner law firms.
We act as attorneys for the registration of trademarks, patents, industrial designs and other intellectual property rights. We routinely conduct searches and provide assistances for renewals, change of name and address, amendments and recordal of licences.
Services
Searches
Oppositions
Trademark, Patent and Industrial Design registration
Renewals
Recordal of changes of propietor's name, address
Recordal of mergers and assignments
Recordal of licenses
Advice on non-contentious issues
Publication tracking |
|
|
|
|
|
| Lawyer & Law Firm Websites |
|
|
Legal News RSS Feed
