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Appeals court to hear dispute over BP settlement
Topics |
2013/07/08 15:27
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A federal appeals court is wading into a high-stakes dispute over the terms of a multibillion-dollar settlement of claims arising from BP's massive 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.
A three-judge panel of the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is scheduled to hear arguments Monday by attorneys for the London-based oil giant and for Gulf Coast businesses that say the nation's worst offshore oil spill cost them money.
BP asserts that the judge who approved the deal and a court-appointed claims administrator have misinterpreted the settlement, allowing thousands of businesses to secure hundreds of millions of dollars in payments for inflated and fictitious losses.
"The result is that thousands of claimants that suffered no losses are coming forward in ever-increasing numbers, seeking and obtaining outrageous windfalls and making a mockery of what was intended to be a fair and honest court-supervised settlement process," company attorneys wrote in their brief for the hearing.
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SC high court overturns $11M defamation verdicts
Court Issues |
2013/07/06 15:28
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South Carolina's high court has overturned $11 million in verdicts against a Charleston attorney accused of defaming a businessman by comparing him to television mobster Tony Soprano.
The state Supreme Court this week sent a civil case against Paul Hulsey back to Circuit Court, according to a report from The Post and Courier of Charleston.
Hulsey was sued several years ago by Charleston businessmen Lawton Limehouse Sr.
The attorney had previously sued Limehouse's company on behalf of day laborers, claiming staffing agency L&L Services made fake green cards and Social Security cards, exploited workers and failed to pay overtime.
"This is a blatant case of indentured servitude," Hulsey told the newspaper in 2004. "L&L Services took advantage of the complexity of the system. They have created a perfect racketeering system, just like Tony Soprano."
Authorities looked into Hulsey's allegations but didn't bring charges. The lawsuit was ultimately settled for $20,000, according to the high court's ruling. |
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Coast Guard takes rape case to SC court-martial
Court Watch |
2013/07/03 15:28
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A Coast Guard petty officer accused of rape, sexual assault and other charges will face a court-martial expected to begin in September in South Carolina, military officials said Tuesday.
The commander of the Coast Guard district headquartered in Portsmouth, Va., said in a news release that a hearing found grounds to put Petty Officer 2nd Class Omar Gomez on trial in Charleston.
The charges allege that Gomez, 35, engaged in a range of sexual misconduct from rape to inappropriate comments involving two civilians and six Coast Guard women.
The investigation began after a reported sexual assault last September aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Gallatin, which is based in Charleston. Officials say that led to other cases ranging from the Seattle area to Honduras and Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.
Gomez has been assigned to another unit in South Carolina.
A charge related to an alleged 2006 rape will not be pursued because the victim decided not to participate in legal proceedings, the Coast Guard said. |
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Bethesda, Maryland - Criminal Defense Law Firm
Law Firm News |
2013/06/25 17:21
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The Law Offices of David Stein specializes in criminal defense, family law and civil litigation. The firm litigates complex and demanding criminal and civil matters in Washington DC.
Please click the links below to learn more about the practice areas our DC Criminal Lawyers handle:
DUI/DWI Defense
Assault
Drug Crimes
Prostitution/Solicitation
Theft/Robbery
Gun Crimes
Sex Offenses
Illegal Downloads/Copyright Infringement
To contact a DC Criminal defense attorney, call our office today to see our we can help you immediately.
http://www.familylawdc.com/dui-defense-lawyer
Our office's DUI defense lawyer can help you in any tough situation. With the DC Comprehensive Impaired Driving Act of 2012 essentially doubled the minimum sentences applicable to all drinking and driving statutes imposing. Today, this DC DUI rules are one of the strictest penalties compared with most other jurisdictions.
Thus it is important to hire a skilled and seasoned DC DWI lawyer or DC DUI lawyer from the outset to challenge the charges, and to defend your rights.
Specifically, the statutory language states: no person shall operate or be in physical control of any vehicle in the District:
(I) When the person's alcohol concentration (BAC) at the time of testing is 0.08 grams or more either per 100 milliliters of blood or per 210 liters of breath or is 0.10 grams or more per 100 milliliters of urine;
(II) While under the influence of intoxicating liquor or any drug or any combination thereof; or
(III) If under 21 years of age, when the person's blood, breath, or urine contains any measurable amount of alcohol.
Accordingly, in Washington DC you can be technically charged with a DC DWI or DC DUI if you are operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of any measurable amount of alcohol or drugs. A BAC of 0.08 or more will most likely result in a DWI (driving while intoxicated) charge, the most severe, and generally referred to as “per se” intoxication. The BAC below 0.08 will result in a DUI (driving under the influence) charge, a lower included offense. Your physical appearance such as slurred speech, bloodshot eyes, performance on field sobriety tests -- all will be considered as well as chemical tests. A driver’s blood alcohol concentration or BAC can be measured by testing the driver’s blood, breath, or urine. Generally at the scene the officer will rely upon both the physical attributes as well as the reading of the breathalyzer machine. Given the severity of the mandatory minimum sentences and the general unreliability of breathalyzer machines, blood and urine tests are now more prevalent.
Given the complexity of the statutory language and both stiff criminal and civil ramifications, it is essential to immediately after an arrest under this provision to contact an expert DC DUI lawyer or a DC DWI lawyer to defend your rights and to minimize your exposure to the criminal justice system. Our DC criminal defense lawyers routinely litigate complex DC DUI or DC DWI cases often times accident involved with successful results obtaining either dismissals, non-guilty verdicts or other favorable outcomes such as diversion or probation. Contact our tenacious DC DUI or DC DWI lawyers today for free face to face initial case evaluation.
The Law Offices of David Stein serves to be one of the best DC DUI Lawyers and will be the strong and aggressive advocate you need when you find yourself facing severe DUI penalties. |
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