A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of June 6-12.

 

NJ Pension Ruling FAQ

The Record

The state Supreme Court said Governor Christie’s signature pension-reform effort was unconstitutional, invalidating part of the law that required him to pay $2.25 billion into the public employee pension fund this year and more in the years to come.

Full story.

 

Unions Could Take NJ Pension Battle To US Supreme Court

Martin Bricketto | Law360, Jersey City

A landmark New Jersey Supreme Court decision on Tuesday upholding Gov. Chris Christie’s decision to slash $1.57 billion in pension funding dealt a heavy blow to public employee unions, but they could have a toehold to seek the U.S. Supreme Court’s review on federal constitutional grounds.

Full story. 

 

3rd Circ. Nominee Edges Closer To Long-Vacant Seat

Alex Wolf | Law360

U.S. District Judge Luis Felipe Restrepo on Wednesday inched his way closer to filling a seat on the Third Circuit that has been vacant for nearly two years, telling a stripped down Senate Judiciary Committee that his experience as a public defender won’t distort his ability to serve as an appellate judge.

Full story.

 

Lawyers Argue Over Investigative Notes for Internal GWB Report

Abbott Koloff | The Record

Attorneys conducting interviews that formed the basis for an internal report about the George Washington Bridge lane closures did not transcribe or record them, but “summarized” them “electronically” before editing to produce a final version of each interview, the attorney in charge of the report said in court papers this week.

Full story.

 

Class Actions Face Crucible in Next Supreme Court Term

Alison Frankel | Reuters

By this time next year, class action lawyers could be looking back with nostalgia and regret at the good old days when they only had to worry about Wal-Mart v. Dukes and Comcast v. Behrend.

Full story.

 

Is This the Most Ridiculous Lawsuit Ever?

Kim Komando

I’ve heard of some ridiculous lawsuits in the past, but this one might take the cake. This woman is suing eBay after the online marketplace stopped her from selling plots of land on the sun. You read that right. This lady wants to sell pieces of the star to willing customers, but eBay isn’t on board.

Full story.

 

Couple Plans to Sue Chili’s for “Psychological Trauma” After Waiter Spits in Their Soda

Tonya Garcia | Madame Noire

An Upstate New York couple Ken Yerdon and his wife Julie Aluzzo-Yerdon plan to sue Chili’s for “the psychological trauma they endured not knowing whether [Ken] Yerdon had contracted HIV or hepatitis” after they used DNA testing to prove that a waiter at the restaurant spit in his soda.

Full story.

 

Tax Law Judge Sees Art in Pole Gyrations but Not Lap Dances

Joel Stashenko | New York Law Journal

Pole dance routines by exotic dancers in an Albany-area juice bar are an expression of artistic merit, but the private couch dances performed for individual patrons are not, a state tax department administrative law judge has ruled.

Full story.

 

Man Sues Chinese Actress for Her Intense Stare Through His TV

Associated Press

Rules making it easier to file lawsuits in China have led to a new concern over frivolous claims, such as one in which a man says actress Zhao Wei stared at him too intensely through his TV set.

Full story.

 

Man Sues Neighbors After Their Foul Smelling Food Ruins His Life

Kathianne Boniello | New York Post

An Upper East Side man is cooking up legal trouble for next-door neighbors who have flooded his home with “noxious” food smells, according to a lawsuit.

Full story.

 

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