Legal Weirdness—The Back to School Edition
"The dissenting opinion was incredulous, pointing out that 'all sensible people' take the usual and customary meaning of 'boneless' to be 'without bones,'" writes John G. Browning on this summer's strange legal happenings.
September 03, 2024 at 11:30 AM
5 minute read
CommentaryBy John G. Browning
The original version of this story was published on Texas Lawyer
I get it—school seems to start earlier each year, and you can hardly believe that summer is almost officially over. You haven't yet mastered your drop off schedules, and the "back to school" sales are yesterday's news. In fact, the summer went by so fast, you may have missed some of the legal oddities that came and went already. I mean, c'mon—a con artist actually tried to steal Graceland in a fraudulent title scheme, for crying out loud. Elvis must be rolling over in his grave.
For one thing, we can always count on certain things, like stupid criminals. In late July, 42-year-old Lauren Riley was in her vehicle when it was pulled over in Pinellas County, Florida due to the driver not wearing a seatbelt. Law enforcement saw an open container and Riley apparently under the influence as she rummaged around the floorboard of the car. Upon closer inspection, the officers discovered a bag of drugs on Riley's person. How did they know? Perhaps it was because she had thoughtfully labeled it "BAG OF DRUGS." Yes, inside the appropriately—labeled bag were cocaine, crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamines, and other narcotics along with plastic baggies, a metal spoon, a needle, and four glass pipes with residue. Find a better hiding place next time, Lauren—or don't label your stash.
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J. Brugh Lower of Gibbons has entered an appearance for industrial equipment supplier Devco Corporation in a pending trademark infringement lawsuit. The suit, accusing the defendant of selling knock-off Graco products, was filed Dec. 18 in New Jersey District Court by Rivkin Radler on behalf of Graco Inc. and Graco Minnesota. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, is 3:24-cv-11294, Graco Inc. et al v. Devco Corporation.
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Rebecca Maller-Stein and Kent A. Yalowitz of Arnold & Porter Kaye Scholer have entered their appearances for Hanaco Venture Capital and its executives, Lior Prosor and David Frankel, in a pending securities lawsuit. The action, filed on Dec. 24 in New York Southern District Court by Zell, Aron & Co. on behalf of Goldeneye Advisors, accuses the defendants of negligently and fraudulently managing the plaintiff's $1 million investment. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, is 1:24-cv-09918, Goldeneye Advisors, LLC v. Hanaco Venture Capital, Ltd. et al.
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Attorneys from A&O Shearman has stepped in as defense counsel for Toronto-Dominion Bank and other defendants in a pending securities class action. The suit, filed Dec. 11 in New York Southern District Court by Bleichmar Fonti & Auld, accuses the defendants of concealing the bank's 'pervasive' deficiencies in regards to its compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and the quality of its anti-money laundering controls. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, is 1:24-cv-09445, Gonzalez v. The Toronto-Dominion Bank et al.
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Crown Castle International, a Pennsylvania company providing shared communications infrastructure, has turned to Luke D. Wolf of Gordon Rees Scully Mansukhani to fend off a pending breach-of-contract lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 25 in Michigan Eastern District Court by Hooper Hathaway PC on behalf of The Town Residences LLC, accuses Crown Castle of failing to transfer approximately $30,000 in utility payments from T-Mobile in breach of a roof-top lease and assignment agreement. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Susan K. Declercq, is 2:24-cv-13131, The Town Residences LLC v. T-Mobile US, Inc. et al.
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Wilfred P. Coronato and Daniel M. Schwartz of McCarter & English have stepped in as defense counsel to Electrolux Home Products Inc. in a pending product liability lawsuit. The court action, filed Nov. 26 in New York Eastern District Court by Poulos Lopiccolo PC and Nagel Rice LLP on behalf of David Stern, alleges that the defendant's refrigerators’ drawers and shelving repeatedly break and fall apart within months after purchase. The case, assigned to U.S. District Judge Joan M. Azrack, is 2:24-cv-08204, Stern v. Electrolux Home Products, Inc.
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