California Supreme Court Won’t Review Barretts Affiliates’ Jurisdiction Rows
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The California Supreme Court denied a pair of petitions for review on Oct. 14, turning away challenges from nondebtor affiliates of Barretts Minerals Inc. that claimed they were not subject to personal jurisdiction in two California asbestos cases, according to the court’s docket.
11th Circuit Reverses Injunction That Prevents Fla. Social Media Law Enforcement
ATLANTA — The 11th Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals on Oct. 14 reversed a lower court’s preliminary injunction as to challenges by Computer & Communications Industry Association (CCIA) and NetChoice regarding their members and vacated the injunction with respect to their facial First Amendment challenge to a Florida law that seeks to regulate access to certain social media platforms for Florida youths, finding that the law “is likely constitutional as applied” to their members.
Judge Won’t Dismiss Class Suit Against Ginger Ale Maker Over Natural Flavor Claims
SAN DIEGO — A California federal judge on Oct. 14 denied a ginger ale maker’s motion to dismiss a putative class action lawsuit brought by a consumer who says its ginger ales are misrepresented as “natural” and in fact allegedly contain synthetic citric acid, in violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL), finding that the plaintiff’s claims were sufficiently pleaded and not preempted.
COVID Vaccine Mandate Dispute With Company Set For Conference In High Court
WASHINGTON, D.C. — After the U.S. Supreme Court’s prior denial of certiorari in a putative class suit alleging wrongful termination related to former employees’ refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine, a similar petition for certiorari by the employees in their individual capacities on Oct. 14 was distributed for conference; in the instant suit, the Fourth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court’s dismissal of the employees’ suit.
Iowa, 7 Other States Sue OpenAI, Say It Misrepresented ChatGPT Safety
DES MOINES, Iowa — OpenAI entities advertise their ChatGPT as safe, even as the artificial intelligence product hands out dangerous medical advice and encourages users to harm themselves and others, Iowa says in an Oct. 14 consumer protection lawsuit filed at the same time as seven other states launched similar actions.
High Court Hears Arguments On Statutory Interpretation Of ‘Consumer’ Under VPPA
WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Video Privacy Protection Act’s (VPPA) reach is not limited to video-related services, the attorney representing a California man who brought a putative class complaint regarding data sharing against Paramount Global under the VPPA argued Oct. 14 before the U.S. Supreme Court in a case debating the meaning of “consumer” under the act.
Judge Grants Preliminary Injunction In Media Suit Over White House Ban
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A District of Columbia federal judge on Oct. 13 granted a motion for a preliminary injunction in a suit filed by CNN, MS NOW and POLITICO and three of their reporters after the judge previously granted a temporary restraining order (TRO) requiring that the plaintiffs’ passes to the White House be restored after they were revoked by President Donald J. Trump, finding that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on their due process and First Amendment violation claims against defendants Trump, Steven Cheung, Sean M. Curran and Susan Wiles.
CVS Agrees To Pay $315M To Settle Claims Of Allegedly Unlawful Opioid Prescriptions
PROVIDENCE, R.I. — CVS Pharmacy Inc. and certain subsidiaries have agreed to pay $315 million to resolve federal allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by filling prescriptions for opioids and other controlled substances that allegedly lacked a legitimate medical purpose and submitting those prescriptions for reimbursement from federal health care programs, the government announced Oct. 13.
Hanover College Enjoined In Class Suit From Eliminating Women’s Swim Team
NEW ALBANY, Ind. — A federal judge in Indiana on Oct. 13 granted a motion by four female student-athletes for an emergency preliminary injunction in their putative class action halting Hanover College’s plans to eliminate its women’s swim team; the college’s motion to dismiss that was filed in the meantime remains pending.
Georgia Appeals Court Finds Any Error In Admitting Expert’s Testimony Was Harmless
ATLANTA — A Georgia appeals court on Oct. 13 affirmed a man's conviction on rape and other charges, finding that even if the trial court erred in admitting testimony from an expert on intimate partner violence presented by the state, any error was harmless in light of the substantial evidence of the appellant’s guilt.
Judge Grants Final Approval To $68M Settlement For Google Assistant Eavesdropping
SAN JOSE, Calif. — A California federal judge on Oct. 13 granted a motion for final approval of a $68 million settlement resolving class claims against Google LLC and Alphabet Inc. (collectively Google) for allegedly eavesdropping on Google Assistant (GA) users in violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and privacy laws and granted the plaintiffs’ motion for more than $22 million in attorney fees but reduced the named plaintiffs’ service awards.