As a defense attorney, you can tell your clients to stop talking to the press and trolling online, but they don’t necessarily have to listen to you. Attorneys for price-hiking pharma bro and Wu-Tang Clan enthusiast Martin Shkreli haven’t been able to keep him quiet, which may be a problem in his trial for securities fraud that begins today. [More]
trials
Xbox Modding Case Dismissed
By 12.3.10
Federal prosecutors dropped their case against a California man accused of modding Xboxes to to play pirated and unlicensed games. The reasons the lawyers gave were “fairness and justice,” which was a way of saying they screwed up the case. [More]
Court Says Arbitrators Can Decide If Arbitration Is Fair
By 6.23.10
Think the arbitration clause in a contract is unfair? Go ahead and contest it! Of course, you shouldn’t expect to win, since the Supreme Court has just ruled that it’s just fine for the arbitrator to decide whether the clause is fair. [More]
Whistleblower Nurse On Trial For Reporting Doctor To State Board
By 2.8.10
Update: After four days, the nurse was acquitted. [More]
Microsoft Stores To Sell Bloatware-Free PCs
By 10.30.09
If you hate buying a new PC that’s riddled with bloatware, you may want to pay a Microsoft Store a visit on your next computer shopping trip. They plan on selling PCs free of any third-party trial applications, reports OhGizmo.
Madoff's Former Finance Chief Could Expose Co-Conspirators
By 8.10.09
As convenient as it is to crucify Bernie Madoff and even his wife for the investment fraud that screwed billions out of investors, it’s foolish to believe he acted anywhere close to alone. That’s why prosecutors are giddy that former finance chief Frank DiPascali is pleading guilty and believed to be cooperating with investigators to build cases against the other culprits.
Babies R Us Accused Of Price Fixing
By 7.22.09
If you feel like had to pay too much for baby supplies this past decade, look to Babies R Us. Time reports that last week, “the U.S. District Court in Philadelphia granted class-action status to a complaint that Babies ‘R’ Us coerced manufacturers of high-end strollers, car seats, high chairs, strap carriers and breast pumps into preventing Internet retailers from discounting their products.”
Is The NRA Trying To Trick Its Members Into Paying For This DVD?
By 7.7.09
Arthur, a member of the NRA, received a promotional DVD out of the blue about six months ago. As we’ve discussed before and as Arthur points out, if you’re sent something that you never ordered, you don’t have to pay for it, return it, or acknowledge it. The NRA said as much in their letter to Arthur.
Mandatory Binding Arbitration: The Worst Choose Your Own Adventure Ever
By 2.10.09 — Updated: 8.21.13
Mandatory binding arbitration agreements are bad for consumers for so many reasons that, unless you’re the victim of one, it’s hard to keep track of the various ways you can be screwed. So we’ve come up with this helpful illustration: a choose-your-own-adventure-styled trip through the arbitration process.
By 12.31.08
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Chairwoman of Chinese dairy company pleads guilty in melamine case, may face death penalty. [Reuters]
Throwing $4 Drinks At Unfriendly Starbucks Managers Is Not Misdemeanor Harassment
By 5.31.08
A Portland jury recently found Latasha Curry not guilty of misdemeanor harassment for throwing a $4 venti iced mocha at a Starbucks manager who accused her of running a free drink scam. Curry was initially offered a free drink after she complained that her iced tea was too bitter. When she tried to redeem her freebie two days later, store manager Ryan Smith decided that Curry looked suspiciously like a woman who redeemed a free drink from a different store 11 months earlier. Smith accused Curry of running some elaborate drink scam, prompting Curry to serve Smith a free venti shower.
Former VP Admits "Enzyte Male Enhancement" Ads Are Complete Fiction
By 1.29.08
James Teegarden Jr., the former vice president of operations at Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals, explained Tuesday in U.S. District Court how he and others at the company made up much of the content that appeared in Enzyte ads.
Jury Selection For Enzyte Trial Started Today
By 1.12.08
Jury selection began today for the federal trial against the man, his mom, and the business associates responsible for the “male enhancement” supplement Enzyte, reports WKRC in Cincinnaaa-ti. The charges against Steve Warshak and his Berkeley Premium Nutraceuticals company include “committing wire and mail fraud, money laundering, and misbranding.” No mention of creating what’s possibly the world’s most irritating TV ad, but we guess that crime is so great that it’s being left for hell to sort out.
Sprint's Special Low Price For One Month Of Mobile Broadband: $14,062.27
By 12.30.07
Krystyl signed up for Sprint’s $59.99 unlimited Mobile Broadband plan and isn’t sure why she just received a bill for $14,062.27.
RIAA Defendant: Best Buy Replaced My Hard Drive During Warranty Repair
By 11.5.07
The RIAA defendant who lost her jury trial, Jammie Thomas, is telling her side of the story on p2pnet. Of particular interest: She claims that Best Buy made the decision to replace her hard drive, under the terms of her extended warranty, 6 months before she was served with the RIAA’s subpoena.
Participating In A Clinical Study? You're On Your Own
By 9.28.07
The FDA’s own parent department, the Department of Health and Human Services, just issued a report that says the FDA “does very little to ensure the safety of the millions of people who participate in clinical trials,” according to the New York Times. The FDA has 200 inspectors, some of whom are part-time, to monitor 350,000 testing sites—and even when they reported “serious problems,” their findings were downgraded 68% of the time by higher-ups in Washington.
Nokia, Cingular to Try Mastercard Test in NYC
By 12.14.06
Good news for those of you who don’t fear ID theft. Nokia, Cingular, Mastercard and Citi are testing some crap that lets you pay for things with a cell phone. The phones will use the “Mastercard Pay Pass” system that’s already installed in some stores. If you live in NYC and are accepted into the trial, you get a free phone. You need to be a Citi account holder and a Cingular user. Let us know how you like it and if your ID gets stolen. Good luck. —MEGHANN MARCO
UPDATE: Parexel Destroys Immune Systems, Avoids Liability
By 7.31.06
You may recall the test subjects of drug trial TGN1412 who were left seriously maimed moments after taking the experimental drug.
