Each week, we bring you updates on the legal world.
Looking ahead…
The dispute over a Texas Voter ID law has attracted the interest of the Obama administration, which on Sunday submitted pleas to the Fifth Circuit Court to keep the law from going into effect. Along with several other groups also submitting pleas, the administration argued that the law is racially discriminatory to Texans who are black or Hispanic but don’t have the means to obtain the necessary identification materials in order to vote. (SCOTUS Blog)
California legislators tried last month to redefine and clarify the definition of rape on its university campuses. Now, other states are following suit. (New York Times)
Last year’s Secret Service scandal, which involved agents paying for prostitutes in foreign countries while on professional trips, looks like it might have included various White House officials. Did White House officials conceal information regarding a “Presidential advance-team member?” (Washington Post)
This week, Ireland is expected to close a loophole in its tax code that has let international businesses take advantage of extremely low tax rates. Not everyone is on board. Labor advocates say thousands (if not hundreds of thousands) of Irish workers will be let off by companies who can no longer take advantage of the tax breaks within the country. (Reuters)
And in case you missed it…
A 90-year old woman in Baltimore won a $95,000 settlement from city police who, according to the woman, searched her basement without a warrant. In turn, while the police were inside her basement, she locked them in there. The kicker: She was in handcuffs the entire time. (WBAL TV)
An author, Dov Siedman, filed a suit recently against Chobani (the yogurt company) for stealing his property. The property in question? The word “how.” Legal experts predict he’s going to lose his case, which as they say, is outside the scope of copyright law. (The Chronicle of Higher Education)
The TV show Dance Moms‘ Abby Lee Miller has something a little more serious than pirouettes and pliés in her near future. She’s going to go to court to face the lawyers of one of her students. She’s being sued for allegedly physically and emotionally abusing the girl. (People Magazine)
