Football players Samuel Keller, Edward O’Bannon, Jr., Byron Bishop, Michael Anderson, Danny Wimprine, Ishmael Thrower, Craig Newsome, Damien Rhodes and Samuel Jacobson brought a class action against a video game company asserting the company violated their right of publicity under Civil Code section 3344 and California common law. The video company moved to strike plaintiffs’ […]
I Pledge Allegiance To The Opposition Of Prostitution.
Congress passed the Leadership Act in 2003 [22 U.S.C. § 7601 et seq.] to combat HIV/AIDS. The Act makes the reduction of HIV/AIDS behavioral risks a priority of all prevention efforts. The Department of Health and Human Services and the United States Agency for International Development [USAID] are the federal agencies primarily responsible of overseeing implementation. The […]
No Issue Of First Amendment Protection When School Teacher Fired After Blasting “Zionist Jews.”
A substitute school teacher attended an “Occupy Los Angeles” rally and gave an interview to a reporter. Exercising her First Amendment rights, during the interview, she said she worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District, and stated: “I think that the Zionist Jews who are running these big banks and our Federal Reserve, which are […]
Peanuts? Popcorn? First Amendment?
A Mayor proposed the city enter into an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement [ICE] to have its police officers designated immigration agents. Members of the public were invited to comment at a City Council meeting. Jim Gilchrist, co-founder of the Minuteman Project, was one of the first speakers. At the conclusion of his remarks, Gilchrist […]
Flyers Unrelated To Labor Dispute Distributed During Strike May Survive Anti-SLAPP Motion.
Road Machinery’s union went on strike. Jim Price, a vice president of the company did not have any role in the negotiations with the union. Yet, the union placed flyers on his neighbors’ doors, reading things like “Neighbors, beware of this man, Jim Price.” He sued the union for defamation. The Court of Appeal affirmed the […]
Supreme Court Expands Attorney Duties To Previously Represented Client.
In an earlier case, Oasis West Realty LLC v. Goldman, the court of appeal held that a lawyer who had previously represented the plaintiff in a real estate permit application was not precluded from later engaging in political activity opposing the permit. The California Supreme Court reversed in Oasis West Realty LLC v. Goldman (Cal.Supr.Ct.; May 16, 2011) […]
First Amendment Retaliation After Police Officers’ Union Activities.
A police officer led a no-confidence vote of the police officers’ union against the police chief. Afterward, when the police officer was due a five percent salary increase, the police chief delayed signing the certification for his increase. The officer brought an action under 42 U.S.C. § 1983 against both the police chief and the city, alleging […]
When It Comes To Defamation, Bank Needs Thicker Skin.
Former vice-president of a bank published 21 allegedly defamatory statements in the “Rants and Raves” section on Craigslist. One of the postings was: “Being a stockholder of this screwed up Bank, this year there was no dividend paid. The bitch CEO that runs this Bank thinks that the Bank is her [personal] Bank to do with […]
Political Party Has Standing To Challenge California Law Requiring Political Signature Gatherers To Be Registered Voters In Same County Where Signatures Gathered.
Plaintiff Libertarian Party of Los Angeles County brought an action against California’s Secretary of State, seeking a holding that California’s Election Code [§§ 8066 & 8451] violates the First and Fourteenth Amendments because it mandates that those persons who collect signatures for the nomination papers of political candidates must be “voters in the district or political […]
Under Oath In Qualified Immunity Case.
A city employee was subpoenaed for her deposition in a civil rights case filed by a former employee. The deponent testified the assistant police chief was critical of the former employee. The deponent was fired and she sued alleging retaliation in violation of her First Amendment rights. The trial court denied the assistant police chief’s request […]