The Utah Supreme Court has issued a public reprimand to David O. Leavitt, the former Utah County Attorney, for violating Rule 3.6 of the Utah Rules of Professional Conduct. This rule restricts attorneys from making extrajudicial statements that could prejudice legal proceedings. The case stems from comments Leavitt made during…
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Fentanyl Trafficker Fermin Castillo Loses Appeal, Faces 25-Year Sentence
Fermin Castillo, convicted of leading a fentanyl distribution and money laundering conspiracy, has lost his appeal in the First Circuit Court of Appeals. The court upheld his conviction and the 25-year prison sentence, rejecting a series of challenges to the trial proceedings. The case, which involved a large-scale fentanyl operation…
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Tax Tribunal Dismissal Upheld: Bluewater Natural Gas Loses Appeal Over Property Tax Dispute
Ray Township, Michigan – In a recent decision, the Michigan Court of Appeals sided with Ray Township in a property tax dispute, upholding the Michigan Tax Tribunal’s dismissal of Bluewater Natural Gas Holding, LLC’s appeal. The court found that Bluewater failed to file its petition within the required timeframe, thus…
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Ohio Court Reverses Ruling, Upholds Law Against Guns and Alcohol
The First Appellate District of Ohio has overturned a lower court’s decision, affirming the constitutionality of a state law prohibiting individuals from carrying or using firearms while intoxicated. The case, *State of Ohio v. Benjamin Riffee*, centered on whether Ohio Revised Code 2923.15, which has been in place since 1974,…
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Texas Appeals Court Rules Yelp Must Face Lawsuit in Texas
The Fifteenth Court of Appeals in Austin, Texas, has ruled that Yelp, Inc., the online review platform, must defend itself against a lawsuit brought by the State of Texas in a Texas court. The court found that Yelp’s actions, specifically the posting of a disclaimer on the business pages of…
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Louisiana Supreme Court Rules on State’s Right to Appeal Juvenile Homicide Resentencing
The Louisiana Supreme Court has made a significant ruling regarding the state’s ability to appeal trial court decisions on the resentencing of juvenile homicide offenders. In a case involving Dale Dwayne Craig, who was originally sentenced to death in 1994 for the murder of Kipp Gullet, the court decided that…
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Iowa Supreme Court Upholds Assault Conviction in Fireworks Dispute
The Iowa Supreme Court has sided with the lower courts, upholding the conviction of Matthew James Meisheid for assaulting two peace officers. The case stemmed from an incident where Meisheid pulled a handgun on deputies investigating a report of illegal fireworks at his home. The Incident On July 9, 2022,…
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Court Upholds Denial of Public Records Request in Decades-Old Murder Case
The Second Appellate District of Ohio has affirmed a lower court’s decision to deny a public records request made by Diahntae Bell, who is serving a life sentence for a 2007 murder. The court found that Bell failed to demonstrate a “justiciable claim” that would justify the release of the…
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Court Rules Railroad Employee Can Pursue Injury Claim Despite Federal Regulations
The Supreme Court of Louisiana has sided with a former railroad employee, Sean Van Buren, in a case involving workplace injuries. The court reversed a lower court’s decision that had dismissed Van Buren’s claim against his employer, Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS). The core issue revolved around whether federal…
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Offshore Wind Farm Faces Legal Hurdle: Court Denies Halt to Construction
The construction of an offshore wind farm off the coasts of New York and New Jersey has cleared a legal hurdle. A federal judge has denied a motion to halt further work on the project, despite arguments that government approvals violated the Marine Mammal Protection Act. The case, *Save Long…