Posts

Working at a company like Google must be one heck of an experience. Unfortunately for Googlers and the rest of us, the tech giant prohibits its employees from sharing their experiences, either aloud or in novelized form. A recent lawsuit claims Google employees are barred from writing “a novel about someone working at a tech company in Silicon Valley,” without the company signing off on the final draft. So don’t look for the definitive insider’s view of the internet company on the New York Times best-seller list any time soon....

Johnny Depp, likely the only man both crazy and rich enough to fulfill the dying of wish of the late, good doctor, Hunter S. Thompson, has now added his former attorney to the list of people he blames for his financial losses. Earlier this year, Depp filed a lawsuit against his former business manager seeking over $25 million in damages for the gross mismanagement of his finances. Depp alleges that his former attorney colluded with the former business manager in obtaining a hard money loan in order to get paid, while the interest on the loan ate up much of Depp’s residual income....

A pair of registered sex offenders have sued the state of California, claiming that the state’s online offender database puts them at danger. They currently seek an injunction compelling the state to update the state’s online sex offender registry information. To buttress the claim, the plaintiff’s complaint also cites four other homicides of registered sex offenders at the hands of vigilantes – homicides the plaintiffs have called “reprisal killings.” The pair of registered offenders have sued California for what they calls lax management of California’s online sex offender database, saying that poor maintenance of the site has led to vigilante attacks against them for crimes up to decades old....

If the reports are correct, officials at Miami’s Federal Detention Center might want to install a stripper pole or two. It would certainly solidify its status as the nation’s premiere stripper prison. Confused? Let us explain. The maximum security prison actually houses a number of wealthy drug lords. Their expensive attorneys allegedly hire “South American pole dancers” to pose as paralegals and legal assistants, explains the Miami New Times. With such credentials, these women are free to visit prisoners, often smuggling in contraband like alcohol and porn....

Those fashionable hospital gowns doctors give out don’t provide a lot of coverage so wearing one in public could give you reputation as a flasher. Consider what happened to Ty Alsop on Saturday. He had a little too much to drink and was taken to the hospital after he was found passed out. Hospital staff admitted him and gave him a cute paper outfit to wear. He wasn’t satisfied with the service so he made a break for it....

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office isn’t the only IP-loving panel to hit the road this fall: The Federal Circuit Court of Appeals will also be taking its act on the road in October. The appellate court is scheduled to “ride circuit” and hear oral arguments at the Sturm College of Law at the University of Denver on October 4. The court will consider five cases during the Denver Law hearing:...

Conviction of defendant for first degree murder of a CHP officer, conspiracy to commit murder of his wife’s boyfriend, and other crimes is affirmed where: 1) defendant’s claim that his murder conviction must be reversed because the shooting of the officer was not in furtherance of the conspiracy to kill his wife’s boyfriend and “was both unforeseen and unforeseeable” fails as the jury’s finding of both the conspiracy and murder is supported by substantial evidence; and 2) defendant’s claim that the entire judgment must be reversed because he was denied his right to a fair trial when the judge allowed courtroom spectators to wear buttons displaying a color photograph of the officer for six days at the start of the trial are rejected also fails, as the wearing of the buttons presented no probability of deleterious effects on defendant’s right to a fair trial....

Two tiger poachers have been arrested in Thailand. And part of the trail of evidence that led to their capture was a tiger poacher’s cell phone, which had images of the poachers posing with their unlucky catches. The group of tiger poachers is believed to have killed around 10 tigers in the region, reports MSNBC. Two of the men were arrested, while a third member of the group escaped. The seized cell phone, complete with incriminating photos, was taken after a gun fight between park rangers and the poachers in a protected wildlife area, MSNBC reports....

Are you a Bernie Bro? A Hillary Hugger? A Trumpeteer? If this election season has fired up your passion for civic engagement, you can turn that electioneering spirit into a successful career. So take a second to cool it with the Facebook posts and start updating your resume instead. This week, as part of our affiliate program with Indeed, we’re bringing you the three coolest politically-related jobs we could find....

Sometimes, jail just doesn’t get the message across. We see people go to jail, get out, and go right back in for another crime. Maybe, they need more creative punishments. Former NFL player, Darren Sharper, may have the oddest probation condition we’ve ever seen. Sharper pled guilty to several rapes in several states. He has been sentenced to 15 years in prison, but may only have to serve nine. Don’t think he’s getting off easy though....

Matt Stone and Trey Parker, creators of “South Park,” are under fire again for allegedly knocking off material from another site. Last month, Stone and Parker apologized for taking material for a spoof of the hit movie “Inception” from a video on collegehumor.com. This time, the producers of South Park, including Comedy Central and Viacom, are being sued for allegedly stealing material for the video “What What (In The Butt).”...

A jury acquitted-New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez on murder charges involving the slaying of two men outside a Boston nightclub 2012. Hernandez, currently serving a life sentence for the 2013 murder of his fiancée’s sister’s boyfriend, was also acquitted of related assault charges and one charge witness intimidation, stemming from an allegation that Hernandez shot a former friend (and man who eventually testified against him) in the face....

Contractors, subcontractors, and kickbacks. Is anyone even mildly surprised here? During Operation Iraqi Freedom, the United States Army contracted with Halliburton subsidiary Kellogg Brown & Root, now known simply as KBR, to provide dining services. KBR, despite previous difficulties with the subcontractor, handed over operations of Camp Anaconda to Tamini Global Company. After years of bills, adjustments, negotiations, and renegotiations, an Army audit found that KBR billed $41.1 million in unreasonable expenses, and refused to pay....

When it comes to patent appeals between computer component manufacturers, courts can often wow those who are tech savvy with the court’s own tech know-how. The recently decided case of Visual Memory v. Nvidia for patent infringement due to a three-tiered memory hierarchy patent held by Visual Memory is a perfect example of just how technical a court can get, especially on appeal. The primary issue in this patent battle appeal involved whether the Visual Memory patent for an improved computer memory system was valid or too abstract to be enforceable....

Trial court’s ruling in favor of Credit Suisse concluding that a lien that arises upon service of an order to appear at a judgment debtor examination applies to funds acquired by the plaintiff-law firm from the judgment debtor after the lien came into existence is reversed and remanded as the exception provided under Cal. Code Civ. Pro. section 697.740 is limited to letter of credit transactions, and the record does not unequivocally show that there was no letter of credit transaction in this case....

James R. Kasinger will take over as general counsel for CRISPR Therapeutics at a time when the company’s fate depends on the biggest legal battle in the biotech industry. The case involves the patent rights to CRISPR-Cas9, a technique that has the potential to transform the biotechnology and genetic engineering industries. The genome editing tool can splice DNA faster, cheaper, and more accurately than other existing methods. Kasinger, a rising star in his own right, will have to get up to speed....

The D.C. Circuit has affirmed the dismissal of a lawsuit brought by medical doctors challenging the constitutionality of the implementation of Obamacare. In Association of American Physicians and Surgeons v. Sebelius, one of the arguments asserted by the plaintiffs was that Congress violated the Origination Clause of the U.S. Constitution when it enacted the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. The case had been dismissed by the D.C. District Court for lack of standing and failure to state a claim by the association....

Authorities publicly offered more than $1 million in reward money during the manhunt for ex-LAPD officer Christopher Dorner. But thanks to “loopholes” in how those rewards were announced, it’s likely no one will be able to collect. As you may know, Dorner dominated the headlines in Southern California for a week after gunning down police officers and those related to them. He died in a cabin that went up in flames after being cornered by law-enforcement officers....

Frank J. Morrocco made a show of shoplifting at a Wegmans store in Amherst, New York, but not because he couldn’t pay. He told police he wanted to get arrested so he could get treatment for his leukemia. This plan isn’t as crazy as it seems, since Morrocco is a recently released ex-convict. He was convicted in 1990 of felony drug conspiracy and his 20-year sentence ended last December. Morrocco has a rare form of leukemia and couldn’t afford health care....

Government bureaucrats are often criticized for “farting around,” but never quite like this: A federal worker recently got a formal reprimand for farting in the workplace. The unidentified Social Security Administration employee received a formal letter of discipline for “excessive workplace flatulence,” reports The Huffington Post. The five-page reprimand detailed the dates and times of the Baltimore-based employee’s offenses. The letter stated that the worker’s “uncontrollable flatulence” created an “intolerable” and “hostile” environment for coworkers....