Miscellaneous

• Industry Lobbyist Withdraws Nomination to Head Consumer Product Safety Commission

  Staff Writer | May 24, 2007 1:19 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Based upon increasing public pressure, yesterday lobbyist Michael Baroody removed his name from consideration to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). In another post, I questioned whether a lobbyist for the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) should head an organization which has conflicting objectives. The National Association of Manufacturers lobbies on behalf of many...

• Arizona Supreme Court Asked to Review Libel Lawsuits Against Public Officials

  Staff Writer | May 19, 2007 9:26 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  If you believe that you have been defamed by a public official, should you have the right to file a defamation lawsuit? The Arizona Attorney General's office has asked the Arizona Supreme Court to decide this issue. In January, 2007, the Arizona Court of Appeals allowed a developer to sue Attorney General Terry Goddard for defamation when he informed the media that the developer:committed...

• Industry Lobbyist Nominated to Head Consumer Product Safety Commission

  Staff Writer | May 10, 2007 5:18 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Talk about a fox guarding the hen house, the Bush administration recently nominated a lobbyist and Executive Vice President of the National Association of Manufacturers to head the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). Describing the consumer safety purposes for its existence, the CPSC:is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from more than...

• Transportation Security Administration Loses Sensitive Computer Hard Drive

  Staff Writer | May 08, 2007 5:00 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  The Transportation Security Administration has apparently lost a computer hard drive containing personal information concerning over 100,000 employees this week possibly exposing them to risk of identity theft. According to the TSA, the hard drive was discovered missing from a controlled area and officials have called in the FBI and Secret Service to assist in the investigation to determine the...

• Has Your Health Insurance Company Treated You Fairly?

  Staff Writer | May 07, 2007 5:00 PM | 2 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Today in the Los Angeles Times, I read about the health insurance company Blue Shield of California which has been sued by a policyholder alleging bad faith for refusing to pay medical bills totalling $450,000 arising out of a serious car accident. According the the article, the insureds applied for health insurance, paid premiums and received an individual policy through Blue Shield of...

• Frivolous $65,000,000 Lawsuit Receiving Plenty of Attention

  Staff Writer | May 05, 2007 7:20 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  I read a story today about a Judge in Washington DC who has taken it upon himself to sue a dry cleaning business for a total of $65 million dollars because the business lost a pair of his trousers. This lawsuit presents a perfect example of what appears to be frivolous litigation which should be dismissed. We hear numerous stories and media attention often focuses on frivolous litigation. We...

• Arizona Supreme Court Rules on Case Involving Public Records Law and E-Mail

  Staff Writer | April 27, 2007 8:00 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  The Arizona Public Records Act requires that records maintained by all state and local government agencies be open and available for inspection in a manner: reasonably necessary or appropriate to maintain an accurate knowledge of their official activities and of any of their activities which are supported by monies from the state or any political subdivision of the state.A.R.S. section...

• Remembering Crime Victims

  Staff Writer | April 23, 2007 5:00 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Today marks the start of the National Crime Victims Rights Week highlighting the rights of crime victims to be treated fairly with dignity and compassion. This morning, Governor Napolitano delivered a speech kicking off a week of activities designed to highlight the needs of crime victims. In the past, crime victims did not receive sufficient information about the status of a criminal case. ...

• Ohio State Database Exposes Confidential Information

  Staff Writer | April 20, 2007 11:37 AM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  According to the on-line edition of Computerworld, a database containing social security numbers of approximately 14,000 current and former employees at Ohio State University has been the most recent source of possible identity theft. This situation apparently involved foreign thieves from three different countries hacking into an Ohio State University database containing sensitive employee...

• Jury Verdict Against Allstate for Hurricane Katrina Damage

  Staff Writer | April 16, 2007 11:00 PM | 0 CommentsPhoenix, AZ

  Today a federal jury in Louisiana awarded a family whose home suffered damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina, a judgment against Allstate Insurance Company for the sum of $2.8 million in damages and penalties. The case involved allegations by Allstate that Hurricane Katrina's winds did not exceed 100 miles per hour and as a result could not possibly have caused structural damage to a home...