Civil suits a growing trend for agricultural producers

Photo credit: Chris Bennett, Farm Journal Technology and Issues Editor, as reported by AgWeb.com.

Photo credit: Chris Bennett, Farm Journal Technology and Issues Editor, as reported by AgWeb.com.

Agriculture is no longer immune to sweeping civil lawsuits, reports AgWeb.com, a site by Farm Journal Media.

”Mirroring the U.S. mainstream, agriculture has entered an era of litigation and legal wrangling,” AgWeb.com reports. “Lawsuits against farmers once were a rarity. Yet, today’s producer is often popularly perceived as a wealthy, land-rich businessman with substantial assets.”

In the past, farmers were shielded by attitudes of respect and neighborly goodwill, the article explains. Today, however, civil suits can stem from agriculture’s use of chemicals, all-terrain vehicle accidents, hunting injuries, equipment mishaps and many other areas of risk, the article notes.

Bill Field, a professor of agricultural health and safety at Purdue University, told AgWeb.com, “Farmers often don’t recognize that society has changed rapidly. Some of these settlements climb into the millions.”

Born in Ireland but Made in the USA … of Brick and Block

By Courts Monitor publisher, Sara Corcoran. Originally published in CityWatch LA.

 

President of the Bricklayers Union, James Boland, seen here with Courts Monitor publisher Sara Corcoran.

President of the Bricklayers Union, James Boland, seen here with Courts Monitor publisher Sara Corcoran.

As President of the Bricklayers Union in Washington D.C., James Boland, an immigrant from Ireland, is proud of his heritage and history with labor. As I took a brief stroll around his office, I noticed photos of prominent politicians, spanning generations and a 49ers football helmet that caught my attention.  As a former resident of San Francisco, President Boland got his start in the bricklaying world like every other member, as a former bricklayer. Having worked his way from the bottom to union management, Mr. Boland has a firm grasp of the issues that are facing the U.S. construction industry. 

“The Bricklayers Union is important to me because I’ve spent my entire life as a member,” he noted. “As the longest union in continuous existence,” he continued, “the Bricklayers Union is very distinguished and has great persistence…The Union formed when the Baltimore and Philadelphia bricklayers locals merged in the mid-19th century to improve working conditions and relocated to Washington DC.” 

Read the entire interview here.

Supreme Court limits power of states and localities to impose fines, seize property

 Photo by Mr. Kjetil Ree. [CC BY-SA 3.0]

Photo by Mr. Kjetil Ree. [CC BY-SA 3.0]

According to a recent Washington Post report, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Wednesday, 2/20/19, that “the Constitution’s prohibition on excessive fines applies to state and local governments, limiting their abilities to impose financial penalties and seize property.” 

The unanimous vote was prompted by a case at the court which involved Tyson Timbs of Marion, Ind. In 2015, Timbs’ Land Rover SUV, worth $42,000, was seized after his arrest for selling heroin valued at a few hundred dollars. According to the Washington Post, “Timbs has sued to get it back, and while Wednesday’s decision did not dictate that outcome, it gave him a new day in court.”

 

Lawsuit Asserts Immigration Hearings by Videoconference is Unconstitutional

Federal District Court in Manhattan, where a new lawsuit was filed stating challenging the constitutionality of immigrants appearing before judges by videoconference. Photo credit:Hiroko Masuike, as reported in The New York Times, 2/12/18.

Federal District Court in Manhattan, where a new lawsuit was filed stating challenging the constitutionality of immigrants appearing before judges by videoconference. Photo credit: Hiroko Masuike, as reported in The New York Times, 2/12/18.

According to a report by the New York Times, a lawsuit was filed on Tuesday in the Federal District Court in Manhattan, asserting that “detained immigrants could not fully communicate with their lawyers and participate in proceedings when their only interaction with immigration court was through video.”

In response to the overcrowding in immigration courts, last year, federal authorities in New York started keeping immigrants in detention centers for their legal proceedings, utilizing videoconferencing technology to appear before judges.

According to the NYT report, the lawsuit claims that “the policy infringes upon immigrants’ constitutional rights in a deliberate attempt to speed up and increase deportations.”

“As a result, the lawsuit said, immigrants who might otherwise be granted the ability to stay in the United States instead could be deported. The suit cited several instances when videoconferencing had harmful effects on immigrants and their hearings,” reports the NYT.

Anonymous Alfalfa

by Sara Corcoran, Courts Monitor Publisher
(Originally published in CityWatch LA on 2/14/19)

 You can use the attached image with the caption: Senator John Kerry steps down as Alfalfa president (Photo originally published in CityWatch LA)


Senator John Kerry steps down as Alfalfa president (Photo originally published in CityWatch LA)

Every 3rd week in January, the “.02%” take over Washington DC to host their annual dinner at the Capital Hilton. Established in 1913, the Alfalfa Club cultivates its membership of elite powerbrokers from all over the United States. 

With a membership of 200– including Fortune 500 executives, politicians, and Presidents.— members invite guests to attend the DC dinner. This is a seldom refused invitation. However, breaking with long-standing tradition, the ever-insecure Trump declined the invite for 2018 and 2019. 

So, if you weren’t one of the lucky few invited to attend the passing of the gavel from former Senator John Kerry to newly elected Alfalfa President, Senator Mitt Romney, you can still be a spectator from the basement of the Hay Adams Hotel. If there is an optimal time to catch a glimpse of the accomplished and well-heeled crowd, it’s the weekend of January 25th. 

Read more here.

Amid forest fire claims, PG&E files for bankruptcy

The Camp Fire in California as seen from the Landsat 8 satellite on November 8, 2018.

The Camp Fire in California as seen from the Landsat 8 satellite on November 8, 2018.

Pacific Gas and Electric Corp has filed for bankruptcy, a legal proceeding that could deny forest fire victims compensation.

“California’s largest utility, facing up to $30 billion in potential liability for recent California wildfires, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection,” CBS News reports.

“Filing for bankruptcy essentially ensures the company can continue to operate and its customers will get power, but doesn’t assure any of the fire victims will get compensation — or that ratepayers won’t get hit with part of the bill, CBS San Francisco and CBS Los Angeles say,” the report notes.

“The filing enables PG&E to freeze its debts and continue operations while developing a financial reorganization plan,” CBS News reports.

PG&E aims to secure $5.5 billion in loans during the bankruptcy.