A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of Sept. 13-19.

 

Federal Judiciary Approves Civil Discovery Rules Changes

Zoe Tillman |The Blog of Legal Times

Federal judiciary officials on Tuesday approved proposed changes to court rules that could reshape how discovery is handled in civil litigation—for better or for worse, depending who you ask.

Full Story.

 

Jimmy John’s to Issue Vouchers Over Sprout-Less Subs

Tanita Gaither |WAFB

Sandwich shop Jimmy John’s trying to settle a class-action lawsuit like its catchphrase – “freaky fast.”

Full Story.

 

N.J. Judiciary Eyes Fee Hikes to Fund Programs

David Gialanella|New Jersey Law Journal

After getting the legislative go-ahead last month, the New Jersey judiciary has proposed its first major court fee hikes in more than a decade—revenue that would be used to fund a comprehensive electronic court-filing system.

Full Story.

 

Baseball Caught Looking as Fouls Injure 1,750 Fans a Year

David Glovin|Bloomberg

From his perch in the Atlanta Braves infield on May 20, third baseman Chris Johnson heard what sounded to him like the crack of two bats in quick succession. The first was a line drive off the bat of Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Carlos Gomez. The second was the ball smashing into the head of an 8-year-old in black shorts and a blue shirt, who was seated in the first row behind first base.

Full Story.

 

Judge: No Basis for Economic Damages in Fuel Oil Suit

Suevon Lee|Commercial Litigation Insider

A “theoretical defect” is an insufficient basis for a damages claim, Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Shirley Kornreich said in a decision dismissing a putative commercial class action suit over the delivery of supposedly inferior heating oil.

Full Story.

 

The Supreme Court Takes a Civil Case on the Sanctity of Jury Deliberations

Judge Richard Kopf |Hercules and the Umpire

As I have said before in these pages, I have interviewed each jury after each jury trial I have conducted since I started as a Magistrate Judge way back 1987.  My intent was to learn how I could do a better job, and also to help the jurors decompress. I always end the interview by telling the jurors that they may speak with the lawyers if they wish to provide counsel with a critique of the lawyers’ performance. I caution the jurors not to speak about the substance of the deliberations; that is, what the jurors said or did as they deliberated. I avoid that information as well when I interview the jury.

Full Story.

 

N.J. Asbestos Litigation Still Active and Still Evolving

Mary Pat Gallagher|New Jersey Law Journal

Even decades after the end of most U.S. production of asbestos, litigation against the companies that made it or put it in their products is alive and well in the state courts of New Jersey.

Full Story.

 

7 Critical Cases the N.J. Supreme Court will Decide this Year

Brent Johnson | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Medicaid benefits for immigrants. Whether leaving a toddler unattended in a car for 10 minutes is child abuse. Who should pay if you slip on grease at a Kentucky Fried Chicken.

Full Story.