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Coconut Creek Appeals Dismissal of Florida Turnpike Widening Lawsuit

COCONUT CREEK, Fla. — The fight over plans to widen the Florida Turnpike along Coconut Creek's western edge is moving to a state appeals court, after the city, a condominium community council, the mayor and seven residents filed notice they're appealing a judge's dismissal of

NASCAR Driver Ordered to Pay $850,000 in Rare Alienation-of-Affection Verdict

LEXINGTON, N.C. — A Davidson County jury has awarded a North Carolina woman $850,002 in a lawsuit accusing a former NASCAR driver of having an affair with her husband that destroyed their marriage, under a rarely-used state law that lets a deserted spouse sue a third party for

Judge Dismisses NAACP Lawsuit Over Tallahassee Hospital's Transfer to FSU

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A Leon County circuit judge has permanently dismissed a lawsuit brought by the Tallahassee Branch NAACP and four city residents seeking to unwind the city's transfer of Tallahassee Memorial Hospital's assets to Florida State University, ruling the plaintiffs lacked legal standing and that the

Palm Beach Jury Hears Dueling Accounts in State Farm Roof Damage Trial

WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — A Florida jury began hearing testimony this week in a lawsuit accusing State Farm of wrongly denying a homeowners' insurance claim for roof and garage damage a couple says was caused by a severe 2023 thunderstorm. Andrea and Scott Kalkstein sued State Farm Florida Insurance

Massachusetts High Court Upholds Block on Catholic Saint Statues at Quincy Public Safety Building

BOSTON — Massachusetts' highest court has ruled that two 10-foot bronze statues of Catholic saints commissioned for a new Quincy public safety building would amount to unconstitutional government endorsement of religion, upholding a lower court's order keeping them out of storage and off the building indefinitely. The

Montana Judge Sides With State Over Objections to Lakeside Wastewater Permit

KALISPELL, Mont. — A Flathead County District Court judge has upheld the state's approval of a wastewater discharge permit for the Lakeside County Water and Sewer District, rejecting a challenge from a local watchdog group and a tribal nation that argued regulators failed to account for the full scope

Washington Judge Upholds Contested Ballot Language for Income Tax Repeal Measure

OLYMPIA, Wash. — A Thurston County judge rejected a bid to change the official ballot language describing the budget impact of a measure to repeal Washington's new income tax on high earners, in a ruling that also abruptly derailed a separate, related legal challenge. Superior Court Judge Chris Lanese

Staten Island Judge Halts NYC's "Pied-à-Terre" Tax Rollout Over Flawed Notice Process

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — A New York Supreme Court judge temporarily blocked New York City from enforcing its new tax surcharge on high-value second homes, siding with three homeowners who say the city wrongly identified their primary residences as potential targets of the levy. Justice Wayne M. Ozzi issued

Families of Fireworks Warehouse Blast Victims Sue California, County Over Preventable Deaths

SAN FRANCISCO — Families of six workers killed in a catastrophic fireworks warehouse explosion in rural Yolo County have sued the state of California, the county, and more than two dozen other defendants, alleging officials knew for years about an illegal fireworks operation and repeatedly failed to shut it down. The

California Judge Skeptical of County's Data Center Freeze in Fight Over State's Largest Proposed Facility

EL CENTRO, Calif. — An Imperial County Superior Court judge voiced skepticism this week toward the county's justification for freezing approvals of new data centers, in a lawsuit brought by the developer behind what would be California's largest data center. Imperial Valley Computer Manufacturing filed suit in

North Dakota Ordered to Pay Landowners Nearly $700,000 in Fees After Losing Property Rights Fights Twice

BISMARCK, N.D. — For the second time in eight months, a North Dakota district court judge has ruled that a state law allowing companies to store carbon dioxide underground without landowners' consent is unconstitutional — and ordered the state to cover the winning landowners' legal bills. South Central Judicial

Reedley Farmer's Nectarine Fight Goes to Fresno Jury as Public Rallies Behind Him

FRESNO, Calif. — A breach-of-contract lawsuit over a specialty white nectarine variety went before a Fresno County jury this week, pitting a Reedley farmer against the Los Angeles produce company that sued him — even as thousands of people showed up at his farm to take free fruit and donate

Judge Presses Justice Family, Greenbrier Companies for Answers as New Fraud Suits Pile Up

LEWISBURG, W.Va. — Two companies holding a $35 million federal judgment against Gov. Jim Justice's business empire have sued three of his companies in West Virginia state court, alleging the Justice family fraudulently shuffled valuable real estate near The Greenbrier resort to dodge collection of that debt. New

Judge Lets First-Ever Wrongful Death Climate Case Against Big Oil Head Toward Trial

SEATTLE — A King County judge has rejected a bid by seven of the world's largest oil and gas companies to throw out what is believed to be the first wrongful death lawsuit to blame a single individual's death on climate change, clearing the way for the