| Announcements |
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| IMPORTANT TTLA BOARD MEETING NOTICE |
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SPECIAL CALLED TTLA Board of Directors Meeting
Friday, September 11, 2009, 9:00 am – Noon, TTLA’s Williams Conference Center, Austin, TX. For more information contact Rhonda High 512-476-3852 or rhonda@ttla.com.
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| Laws/Cases |
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| City Settles Suit Over Wrongful Convictions |
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Two men who spent nearly 14 years in prison for a murder they did not commit will share $7.5 million under a proposed settlement, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The convictions of Antoine Goff and John "J.J." Tennison were overturned in 2003 after a federal judge ruled that San Francisco city prosecutors withheld evidence that could have cleared the men. Another judge subsequently declared the men innocent of the charges. Marisa Lagos, San Francisco Chronicle 07/28/2009
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| Read Article:
San Francisco Chronicle
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| Attorneys: Ruling Could Jeopardize Suits Over Corruption |
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A ruling by Pennsylvania’s highest court may jeopardize litigation involving thousands of youths who appeared before a county court judge who has pleaded guilty to corruption, attorneys familiar with the matter say. At issue is a decision by the state supreme court to destroy the records of juveniles who may have been wronged by former judge Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. Attorneys say the records could be important in proving class-action claims against Ciavarella and another corrupt judge. Ian Urbina, The New York Times 07/27/2009
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| Read Article:
The New York Times
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| Jury Sides with Hospital in Patient Deportation Case |
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A jury on Monday sided with a Florida hospital accused of wrongly repatriating a severely brain-injured illegal immigrant who had been a patient since 2000. In the verdict, jurors concluded that Martin Memorial Medical Center’s actions had not been unreasonable or unwarranted under the circumstances. In 2003, acting on an order from a state court judge, and disregarding objections by a legal guardian, the hospital chartered a plane to return Luis Alberto Jiménez to his native Guatamala. The lawsuit sought damages to cover Jiménez’s continued care in Guatamala. Deborah Sontag, The New York Times 07/27/2009
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| Read Article:
The New York Times
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| Report Faults KBR Electrocution Death |
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A government report released Monday has concluded that contractor KBR and others exposed soldiers to unacceptable risks by failing to properly install and monitor electrical systems at military facilities in Iraq. Additionally, the report found that KBR did not properly ground or inspect equipment blamed for the electrocution of a Green Beret in 2008. The report also covers 17 other electrocution deaths at facilities in Iraq. Kimberly Hefling, The Washington Post 07/27/2009
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| Read Article:
The Washington Post
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| Baxter Settles Drug-Pricing Lawsuit |
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Baxter International has agreed to pay $6.8 million to settlement claims that it artificially inflated the prices of drugs used by Medicaid patients. The settle resolves a suit filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan on behalf of the state’s Medicaid program. The suit accused the medical product company of conspiring to manipulate the average wholesale price of medications. Bruce Japsen, Chicago Tribune 07/27/2009
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| Read Article:
Chicago Tribune
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| Claims Planned in VA Infections |
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A Tennessee attorney said he plans to file claims on behalf of scores of veterans who may have been exposed to hepatitis or HIV while being treated at VA hospitals. According to reports, as many as 10,000 veterans may have been exposed to infectious body fluids at three separate VA hospitals. The initial claims are being filed on behalf of 60 veterans who were infected or thought they were infected. AP, Belleville News-Democrat 07/28/2009
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| Read Article:
Belleville News-Democrat
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| Technology |
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| City Exposes Bank Information of Thousands |
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A Texas city unwittingly released the personal information of more than 10,000 people ticketed as part of a traffic light camera program, according to the Houston Chronicle. Baytown city officials said a city clerk released the information, which included names, bank account numbers and bank routing numbers, as part of a request for public information. City officials maintain that the information was deleted by the recipient and was not distributed further. James Pinkerton, Houston Chronicle 07/27/2009
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| Read Article:
Houston Chronicle
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| Study |
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| Texting Significantly Increases Crash Risk, Study Says |
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Sending or receiving text messages while driving significantly increased the risk of collisions among long-haul truck drivers, a new study has concluded. According to the study, the truckers took their eyes off the road for about five seconds while texting. Researchers say that while the study focused on truckers, the finding can be applied to all drivers. Matt Richtel, The New York Times 07/27/2009
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| Read Article:
The New York Times
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