Four die in Sacramento wrong-way crash
04/22/2015 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release) Sacramento – Four people died in a wrong-way motor vehicle accident in Sacramento on Wednesday. According to the Associated Press (AP), authorities say the driver crashed head-on into another vehicle, causing the early morning collision. California Highway Patrol Officer Rich Wetzel says that the crash occurred shortly before 2:30 am on Wednesday after the driver of a Toyota Prius hit a pickup truck while going east in the westbound lanes of U.S. Route 50. The woman had allegedly driven for several miles while going in the wrong direction prior to colliding with the truck. The driver of the Prius and three passengers who were inside of the pickup all died at the scene of the…
AT&T president fired over racist text, subject of discrimination lawsuit
04/29/2015 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release) Los Angeles – A president of AT&T Inc. has been fired after allegedly sending out a racially offensive text. An Associated Press (AP) report says the company confirmed its termination of Aaron Slator, who worked as president of content and advertising sales, on Tuesday. Images were previously found on Slator’s work phone that were deemed racially offensive. One of the images was reportedly that of an African child dancing with a derogatory comment featured in the caption. It had been sent in a text labeling it as an “oldie but goodie” according to the lawsuit. An assistant who was asked to transfer data to a different phone was the person who found the…
Supreme Court has heated debate over use of execution drug
04/29/2015 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release) Washington – The High Court engaged in a heavy discussion Wednesday over whether the use of the drug midazolam should be banned during executions. According to a report by The Associated Press (AP), the justices debated for more than an hour over the complaints from death row inmates in Oklahoma who say the sedative does not prevent feeling the pain from other drugs utilized in carrying out executions. Conservative justices reportedly complained that some who oppose the death penalty are working to limit the supply of drugs that are more effective, while liberal justices argued that the way executions are carried out in most states amounts to painful punishment. The Supreme Court became involved in the…
Texas Supreme Court Rules in Discrimination Matter
05/03/2015 // Dallas, Texas, United States // Attorney Keith Clouse // Keith Clouse // (press release) The Texas Supreme Court recently ruled for an employer in a discrimination matter. San Antonio Water Sys. v. Nicholas, No. 13-0966 (Tex. Apr. 24, 2015), available at https://www.txcourts.gov/media/943998/130966.pdf. The Texas Commission on Human Rights Act protects employees from retaliation when those employees oppose discriminatory employment practices. Here, the employee contended that she was terminated because she confronted a male employee about his repeated lunch invitations to two female employees who worked outside his department. She won a jury trial, and this ruling was affirmed by the intermediate appellate court. The Texas Supreme Court reversed. Opposition to a discriminatory practice is a protected activity even if the underlying discrimination claim ultimately fails. But, to…
Fort Worth Personal Injury Lawyers to Present at Local School Career Day Event
05/05/2015 // 1-800 Car Wreck Fort Worth (Press Release) // (press release) Fort Worth – I.M. Terrell Elementary School in Fort Worth is set to host a Career Day event on Friday, May 8th, where students will learn about various careers and vocations. Among the list of community and business leaders set to present information to students are the founding lawyers of the Fort Worth based personal injury law firm of Eberstein Witherite, LLP. Attorney Amy Witherite and Brian Eberstein will pass out goodies and speak to third, fourth, and fifth grade students about topics such as the education requirements for becoming an attorney, the day-to-day duties of their jobs, and the courtroom environment. Each One, Teach One: Staying Committed to Community Causes In addition to providing legal…
Employee or Independent Contractor: A Distinction That Makes a Difference
05/06/2015 // San Francisco, CA, United States // Keller Grover LLP // Eric Grover // (press release) On the surface, it seems just a label: employee or independent contractor? But how an employer classifies a worker can make a big difference in the protections and benefits he or she is entitled to. The issue has become particularly important today, as many companies are filling their rosters with what they deem independent contractors. In many cases, that is just what they are. But not always. And the misclassifications can prove costly for workers. In a new Google Hangout from the California wage and hour law firm Keller Grover, veteran lawyer Eric Grover explains how the law determines whether a worker is an independent contractor or, in fact, an employee. “There is no…
Opposition to a Discriminatory Practice
05/03/2015 // Dallas, Texas, United States // Attorney Keith Clouse // Keith Clouse // (press release) Employees and employers alike know that an employee who complains that he has been discriminated against is statutorily protected from retaliation by the employer. But, many employees–and some employers–do not know that an employee who “opposes” discriminatory conduct is also protected from retaliation. To establish a violation of Texas’s antidiscrimination law, the Texas Commission on Human Rights Act, an employee must show that: (1) he engaged in an activity protected by the law; (2) an adverse employment action occurred; and (3) a causal link between the protected activity and the adverse action exists. An employee engages in protected activity when he: files a charge of discrimination; complains internally of…
High Court weighs excessive force against accused not yet convicted of crimes
04/29/2015 // West Palm Beach, Florida, US // JusticeNewsFlash // Justice News Flash // (press release) Washington – The Supreme Court is hearing a case that calls into question the limits on the use of excessive force for inmates who are awaiting trial, and have not been convicted of any crime. The Associated Press (AP) states the issue at hand in the case is whether individuals who file legal claims against jail guards based on alleged mistreatment are required to show there was intentional or reckless use of excessive force, as opposed to simply being unreasonable. The case pertains to an incident involving a man who says two jail officers used excessive force when transferring him to another cell. The man, Michael Kingsley, was jailed on drug charges and awaiting trial at…