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Uber has long tried to play itself off as simply a middleman, just dispatching independent drivers to consumers through its app – and taking a big cut of their fare. Nothing but logistics, right? Not according to the California Labor Commission, who ruled today that the extensive control Uber has over its drivers makes them employees, not independent contractors. The ruling is a major blow to the company, which has long resisted classifying its drivers as employees....

With the stroke of a pen yesterday, California became the fifth and largest state to allow physician-assisted suicide when Gov. Jerry Brown signed the End of Life Option Act. The Act allows doctors to prescribe lethal doses of medicine to mentally competent adults suffering from a terminal illness. The bill had divided medical, ethical, and religious groups. Advocates argued that physician-assisted suicide allows death with dignity for terminally ill patients who could otherwise suffer excruciating ends....

Every year, over 10 million cases of domestic violence are reported, with three-quarters of those incidences happening in the home. Given the high volume of rental properties in America, it is inevitable that, at some point, most landlords and tenants are touched by domestic violence. A landlord may want to evict the abuser, but not the victim or other bystanders, in a domestic violence situation. There are also situations where local laws may actually require the landlord to evict the abuser if demanded by the victim....

Now, just a quick a disclaimer up front, this news story is still pretty unclear because Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki is apparently tight-lipped about his private life (how dare he?). However, the Dallas Morning News reports that Cristal Taylor, a woman arrested at Nowitzki’s home Wednesday morning, has a fairly, shall we say, shady, past. To make matters even more confusing, her relationship to Nowitzki itself remains clouded, as there’s even been some reports that she’s pregnant with his child and that they got engaged this past New Years....

Stasz v. Eisenberg, B217470, concerned a challenge to the trial court’s dismissal of the suit for failure to pay costs and attorney fees ordered when the court transferred the action to San Francisco pursuant to Code of Civil Procedure section 399(a), in plaintiff’s suit involving a claim to entitlement of property located in San Francisco. In affirming, the court held that plaintiff was not entitled to notice of finality of the transfer order under section 399(a) because she did not challenge the order by way of writ of mandate....

Disneyland is “the happiest place on earth,” unless you are one of the black kids who were allegedly rejected by the White Rabbit last August. Jason and Annelia Black, who are African American, say they took their sons to Disneyland last summer. When they saw an actor dressed as the White Rabbit from “Alice in Wonderland,” Jason Jr. and his brother Elijah both wanted to take a photo with the character....

A group has organized a “B-Pee Day” to “take a leak on BP in revenge.” This Facebook group, which does not have a listed leader, advocates that upset citizens urinate on their local BP station. However, in a bit of double talk, the site also states that participants should check the laws of their jurisdiction and avoid doing anything illegal. Note: We’ll spare everyone the trouble of checking; urinating on private property as a form of protest is illegal in all 50 states....

We have this game in the office: “Fresno or Florida.” It’s inspired by Loveline’s “Germany or Florida” game. The rules are simple: whenever asinine human conduct happens in America, we ask: Fresno or Florida? Guy arrested for Super Soaker shotgun? Guy arrested for attacking a teenager with a burrito? Guy blames DUI on a squirrel? Guy killed by rooster at cockfight? Lady intentionally sets a brush fire after locking keys in car?...

The Pros: You Know the Law, Have a Network, and Love the Spotlight Lawyers are well suited to be law makers. They understand the law and its implications, they know how to vigorously defend a position, and they’re not averse to working with the other side when it’s in their interest. Plus, they’re fine being part of an oft denigrated profession. Working as a lawyer also gives future politicians a chance to make important connections....

While a lot of people groan at the thought of jury duty, IV Griner probably barked when the German shepherd received a jury duty summons. It’s likely the New Jersey judiciary’s computer systems mistook IV Griner (a dog) for his owner, Barrett Griner IV (a human). The computer may have mistook the Roman numeral in the canine owner’s name as the dog’s name and mailed the summons, according to The Associated Press....

Getting Kicked Out of Game Pays Off Well, before we get to what went down, one story provided some background on the playing of the song, as follows: OK, now on to what happened, Campeau-Laurion reportedly said he got up for a potty break while “God Bless America” was playing and the following occurred: “‘God Bless America,’ written by Irving Berlin in 1918, was played at big league ballparks throughout the country when baseball resumed after the Sept....

A pit bull attack in Seattle has taken a bite out of crime. Actually, a whole lot of bites. A pack of pit bulls mauled a would-be burglar so badly from head to toe, he couldn’t stand and had to be carted away on a dolly. To add insult to injury, the intruder may face charges of criminal trespassing. The pit bull attack broke out when a 21-year-old man recently scaled a 10-foot fence to steal from two cars parked in a homeowner’s back yard, Seattle’s KIRO-TV reports....

Political dysfunction is nothing new, but the recent spat between Louisiana’s governor and the state’s attorney general seems to take state government infighting to new extremes. Governor John Bel Edwards recently sued the state’s own attorney general, Jeff Landry, in order to keep the attorney general from blocking state contracts. The dispute stems from a disagreement over anti-discrimination protections for gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender workers. Edwards wants them, Landry does not, and he has refused to approve state contracts with LGBT antidiscrimination provisions....

If you haven’t noticed, a lot of attorneys–even the employed–are turning to the realm of sexual pleasure in this time of economic uncertainty. In an interesting twist, the newest alleged member of the legal sex trade is Alisha Smith, an assistant New York Attorney General. She is known for her involvement in a number of securities fraud cases, including a $5 billion settlement from Bank of America. She’s also apparently a dominatrix....

Changes in the law often occur more subtly through administrative processes than through the legislative or judicial branches of government. In 2017, that happened in employment law. While President Trump wrestled with the courts over his executive orders, a change was taking place at the National Labor Relations Board. As Senators scrutinized the president’s picks for the judiciary, a new general counsel quietly took over at the NLRB. Peter B. Robb began a four-year-term in November, and already the NLRB Board has reversed eight years of employment developments under President Obama....

Nothing is life is free. Not lunch, not HBO, not even love. And definitely not hugs. So while a sign saying “Free Hugs” might seem like an altruistic act of simple kindness, you better be ready to tip the man carrying that sign, or face an assault. At least, that can be the case in Times Square, where Jermaine Himmelstein was recently arrested (for the 17th time) and charged with robbery after punching a Canadian tourist in Times Square after she took him up on his offer of free hugs....

Considering the delicate state of the economy, the recent announcements of cutting back (or completely cutting out) of summer internship programs, layoffs in law firms and legal departments as a norm and not an exception, and the somehow constant economy-proof stream of lawyer jokes, we hear the incredulous rumble of law associates across the legal spectrum—“can we catch a break around here?!” When life gets rough, pitch a tent. And when you have a goal, think beyond big....

People often complain that professional athletes are above the law. That they lead lives of privilege and can misbehave without consequence. Like most things in life, the reality isn’t quite so simple. For example, the average NFL career lasts just three seasons, and 78 percent of NFL players go bankrupt within two years of retirement. And when players get in trouble off the field, they can see it impact their career, often in a greater way than the average citizen....

Trial court’s order placing defendant on three-years’ probation for cultivation of marijuana and simple possession is affirmed in part and reversed in part where: 1) the trial court’s error in including the numerical limits set forth in section 11362.77(a) of the Medical Marijuana Program Act (MMPA) when instructing the jury regarding the amount of medical marijuana that defendant could lawfully possess and/or cultivate unconstitutionally amended the Compassionate Use Act passed by the voters, but the error was harmless as defendant admitted he was growing marijuana for at least four other people and he proffered no evidence to show that he was the primary caregiver for any of them; but 2) defendant’s conviction for simple possession is reversed as under section 11357(a), the instructional error capping the amount of marijuana defendant could lawfully possess was prejudicial because defendant himself was a qualified patient in April 2006, and as such, he was entitled to possess an amount of marijuana reasonably related to his own medical needs....

A Hawaii pet store’s groomers cut off a dog’s ear and tried to cover it up by gluing the ear back on, a lawsuit claims. Careless groomers at the same store also allegedly snipped the tip of another dog’s tail. The painful trims allegedly occurred at a Petco store in Kaneohe, on the island of Oahu, Honolulu’s KGMB-TV reports. Two dog owners are suing the store for negligence and emotional distress....