San Diego, CA - Man Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Tiger

Luis Valencia pleaded guilty in federal court on December 5, 2017 to smuggling a tiger cub into the United States from Mexico in the front passenger side of his car while driving through the San Ysidro Port of Entry on August 23, 2017.

In pleading guilty, Valencia admitted that on August 18, 2017, he contacted an individual in ... More...   $0 (12-09-2017 - CA)

San Diego, CA - Jury Finds in Favor of San Diego Comic Convention on Trademark Violation Theory

San Diego Comic Convention sued Dan Farr Productions, Bryan Brandenburg and Daniel Farr on trademark infringement theories under 15 U.S.C. 1114, Lanham Act violation theories claiming that the Defendants caused confusion in using a deceptively similar name (Sal Lake Comic Con) for a pop-culture... More...   $20000 (12-09-2017 - CA)

Houston, TX - Jury Awards Publisher $585,000 In Damages On Copyright Claim

Energy Intelligence Group, Inc. sued Kayne Anderson Capital Advisors on a copy right violation theory claiming that the Defendant wrongfully copied its energy newsletters. It claimed that Defendant shared five subscriptions of "Oil Daily" with others in the investment firm who did not have subscriptions. Thirty-nin... More...   $585000 (12-08-2017 - TX)

Our decision in this case is controlled by the 1980 Hague
Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (“Convention” or “Hague
Convention”), which dictates that a wrongfully removed child must be returned to the country of
habitual residence. Our precedent has demonstrated that where a child lives exclusively in one
country, that country is presumed to be the ch... More...   $0 (11-30-2017 - OH)

Appellant Arnetia Joyce Robinson is a
stockholder in the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and the Federal Home
Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”; collectively, the “Companies”). During the
economic recession in 2007–2008, Congress enacted the Housing and Economic Recovery Act
of 2008 (“HERA”), which created an agency, Appellee Federal Housing Finance Agen... More...   $0 (11-26-2017 - KY)

The issue presented on this appeal is whether Civil Service Law § 167 (8), as amended, authorizing a reduction of the State's contribution to health insurance benefits for State employees, including members of the State judiciary, violates the Judicial Compensation Clause [*2]of the State Constitution (NY Const, art VI, § 25 [a]). We conclude the State's contribution is not judicial compensation p... More...   $0 (11-21-2017 - NY)

Miami, FL - Irish National Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Trafficking of Endangered Rhinoceros Horn Libation Cup

Michael Hegarty, an Irish national, was sentenced in federal court in Miami, Florida, November 14, 2017 to 18 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for fraudulently facilitating the transportation and concealment of a libation cup carved fro... More...   $0 (11-15-2017 - FL)

Boston, MA - Head of Wildlife Smuggling Ring Pleads Guilty to Smuggling Carvings Made From Ivory, Rhino Horn and Coral

Guan Zong Chen (“Graham Chen”), an Australian citizen, pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston, Massachusetts, on charges that he led a conspiracy to illegally export (smuggle) $700,000 worth of endangered and protected wildlife items made from rhinoceros horn, elephan... More...   $0 (10-25-2017 - MA)

The petition in this case challenges a trial court order summarily adjudicating a
cause of action under the Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (the
Act), a cause of action for fraud by concealment, and another for medical battery, while
allowing other claims, including one for medical negligence, to proceed to trial. Stewart
is the representative of Anthony Carter... More...   $0 (10-16-2017 - CA)

Wiseman Park, LLC (appellant) appeals from the judgment entered
following the trial court sustaining the demurrer of Southern Glazer’s Wine
and Spirits, LLC (respondent)1 to appellant’s complaint without leave to
amend. Appellant, the holder of a license to sell alcoholic beverages in its
restaurant, purchased alcoholic beverages from respondent, a licensed
wholesale distributo... More...   $0 (10-15-2017 - CA)

Appellee Leslie Papierski sued the City of Dallas after she slipped and fell on a puddle of
water inside the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center arena. The City filed a plea to the
jurisdiction asserting immunity under the Texas Tort Claims Act. The trial court denied the
City’s plea to the jurisdiction. On appeal, the City argues the trial court erred by denying its plea
to the... More...   $0 (10-05-2017 - TX)

Seattle, WA - Brinnon Resident Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Protected Narwhal Tusks

Defendant Trafficked Marine Mammal Parts Worth as much as $400,000

A 64-year-old resident of Brinnon, Jefferson County, Washington was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to six months in prison, one year of supervised release and a $25,000 fine for trafficking ivory from protected s... More...   $0 (09-25-2017 - WA)

Portland, ME - Former Canadian Mountie Sentenced to Money Laundering Charges Stemming from a Conspiracy to Smuggle Ivory Tusks

A retired officer of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge John A. Woodcock for the District of Maine to 62 months in prison for 10 money laundering offenses. Logan, 59, of St. John, New Brunswick, was extradited to the Unite... More...   $0 (09-20-2017 - ME)

Brooklyn, NY - Long Island Man Sentenced to Two Years for Trafficking Rhinoceros Horns

Fengyi Zhou, a resident of Syosset, New York, and the owner of a business specializing in Asian works of art, was sentenced to two years of imprisonment for one count of information of wildlife trafficking in violation of the Lacey Act for illegally trafficking horns from endangered black rhinoceros.More...   $0 (09-19-2017 - NY)

Salt Lake City, UT - Essential Oils Company Sentenced for Lacey Act and Endangered Species Act Violations to Pay $760,000 in Fines, Forfeiture, and Community Service, and to Implement a Comprehensive Compliance Plan

YOUNG LIVING ESSENTIAL OILS, L.C., (the Company), headquartered in Lehi, Utah, pleaded guilty in federal court to federal misdemeanor charges regarding its illegal trafficking... More...   $760000 (09-19-2017 - UT)

Las Vegas, NV - California Man Convicted for Role in the Illegal Sale of Black Rhinoceros Horns

Edward N. Levine was convicted yesterday for conspiracy to violate the Lacey and Endangered Species Acts and to a violation of the Lacey Act by knowingly selling black rhinoceros horns to an undercover agent from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), announced the Justice Depart... More...   $0 (09-15-2017 - NV)

¶1 After leaving an event at Peery’s Egyptian Theater late in the evening on February 16, 2013, Rose Flygare, Marjorie Bell, and a minor child (collectively, Plaintiffs1) were hit by a truck
1. Rose Flygare died during the pendency of this case and her estate was substituted as a plaintiff. Richard and Jennifer Pratt brought this action on behalf of the minor child. For ease of (continued…)More...   $0 (09-13-2017 - UT)

This case involves an attempt
by the federal government to use the Hobbs Act to police the
activities of members of a labor union. Joseph Burhoe and John
Perry, who are union members, challenge the sufficiency of the
evidence of their convictions for, inter alia, extortion under the
Hobbs Act, as well as the jury instructions with respect to that
offense. The government att... More...   $0 (09-08-2017 - MA)

Plaintiff Jane Doe and her eleven-year-old daughter flew aboard
Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi to Chicago. For the duration of the fourteen-hour journey,
Doe’s tray table remained open in her lap because a knob that was meant to hold it in place had
fallen to the floor. During the flight, Doe’s daughter found the knob on the floor and gave it to
Doe, who placed it in a seatback pock... More...   $0 (09-06-2017 - MI)

Appellants, Jessica Parker Valentine and Bryan L. Parker (the “Parkers”), challenge the trial court’s order granting the motion of appellee, Interactive Brokers LLC (“IB”), to vacate an arbitration award. In two issues, the Parkers contend that the trial court erred in vacating the award.
2
We affirm.
Background
In their Second Amended Statement of Claim, the Parkers, pursuant to t... More...   $0 (08-22-2017 - TX)

A jury convicted Hemza Menade Lefsih, an Algerian native who entered the United States through the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, of immigration fraud. During Lefsih’s trial, the district court interjected numerous times, expressing skepticism of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program and a negative impression of individuals who participate in the program. We find that this judicial intervention ... More...   $0 (08-14-2017 - NC)

This appeal concerns a
constitutional challenge brought by a protester who opposes
abortion. He seeks to enjoin the enforcement of a provision of
the Maine Civil Rights Act ("MCRA"), Me. Rev. Stat. Ann. tit. 5,
§ 4684-B(2), that, he contends, facially violates the First
Amendment's guarantee of the freedom of speech.1 The challenged
provision bars a person from making ... More...   $0 (08-08-2017 - ME)

¶ 1 In July 2013, the State charged defendant, Jared M. Staake, with second degree murder for
the killing of Michael Box. In December 2013, the State filed an amended information,
dropping the charge of second degree murder and adding a charge of first degree murder. In
January 2014, the State filed a second amended information, this time charging first degree
murder under a differ... More...   $0 (08-02-2017 - IL)

Houston, TX - Justice Department Secures the Denaturalization of a Repeat Child Sex Abuser

Judge Vanessa D. Gilmore of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas entered an order that revoked the naturalized U.S. citizenship of a child sex abuser, restrained and enjoined him from claiming any rights, privileges, or advantages of U.S. citizenship, and ordered him to immedia... More...   $0 (06-29-2017 - TX)

Yaccov Cohen appeals the district court’s1 denial of his petition for return of
a child under the Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child
Abduction (“Convention”), as implemented by the International Child Abduction
1The Honorable John A. Ross, United States District Judge for the Eastern
District of Missouri.

Remedies Act (“ICARA”), 22 U.S.C. §§ 9001-... More...   $0 (06-08-2017 - MO)