The Rosen Law Firm Files Class Action

(News) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:26:25 -0700

The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. today announced that it has filed a class action lawsuit on behalf of investors who purchased the securities of Houston American Energy Corp. between March 29, 2010 and April 18, 2012.

To join the Houston American class action, visit the firm's website at http://rosenlegal.com, or call Phillip Kim, Esq. or Laurence Rosen, Esq., toll-free, at 866-767-3653; you may also email pkim@rosenlegal.com or lrosen@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action.

The Complaint asserts violations of the federal securities laws against Houston American for failing to adequately disclose problems with its Tamandua #1 well, and the well's C7 and C9 formations. Namely, that the Company failed to disclose that: (i) the continued investment in testing and completing the C7 and C9 formations in Tamandua #1 well was unproductive and not commercially viable; (ii) the Company lacked adequate internal and financial controls; and (iii) as a result of the foregoing, the Company's statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

www.rosenlegal.com

Court turns away PR congressional vote lawsuit

(News) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:26:13 -0700

The Supreme Court won't hear an appeal from residents of Puerto Rico seeking to gain a voting representative in Congress.

The high court turned away the appeal from Gregorio Igartua and other Puerto Ricans on Monday.

Territorial status grants residents of Puerto Rico U.S. citizenship, but they pay no federal income taxes and cannot vote in presidential elections. Their congressional representative also cannot vote in Congress.

A federal judge threw out the lawsuit, and the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld that decision, saying that since Puerto Rico was not a state, it could not have a voting member of Congress.

The high court refused to hear the appeal.

Court says farmers must pay bankruptcy tax

(News) — Mon, 14 May 2012 11:26:03 -0700

The Supreme Court says a farming family has to pay tax on the bankruptcy sale of their farm.

The high court on Monday voted 5-4 for the IRS in its fight with Lynwood and Brenda Hall over their bankruptcy sale of their 320-acre farm in Willcox, Ariz.

The Halls were forced to sell their family farm for $960,000 to settle their bankruptcy debts. That sale brought about capital gains taxes of $26,000.The Halls wanted the taxes treated as part of the bankruptcy, paying part of it and having the court discharge the rest.

The IRS objected to that plan, saying all of the taxes must be paid and the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco agreed with the tax agency.

The high court agreed with that decision.

Court won't consider giving man new trial

(News) — Sat, 12 May 2012 11:26:00 -0700

The Supreme Court won't consider giving a man convicted in the death of a Texas toddler a new trial because the medical examiner changed her opinion on the cause of death.

The high court on Monday refused to hear an appeal from Neil Hampton Robbins, convicted in the death of 17-month-old Tristen Skye Rivet, who died on May 12, 1998.

At the trial, Dr. Patricia Moore testified that Tristen's death was a homicide caused by asphyxia. But Moore later changed her opinion and said the cause of death was undetermined. Robbins asked for a new trial but the Texas Court of Criminal Appeal refused, saying there is no conclusive evidence of Robbins' innocence and that it wasn't proven that the state purposefully used false testimony.

Probation charge dropped against tanned NJ mom

(News) — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:21:54 -0700

Court officials say the New Jersey mom accused of taking her then-5-year-old daughter into a tanning booth is no longer on probation in a separate case.

Patricia Krentcil is free on $2,500 bond on the child endangerment charge.

The arrest in Nutley got the attention of authorities in Camden County. That's where Krentcil was sentenced to five years' probation in 1999 for credit card theft, forgery and theft for writing bad checks. In 2001, a bench warrant was issued for her failure to appear at a probation hearing.

Court officials in Camden County on Friday say her probation had been terminated and she would not be required to appear in court.

Krentcil is due back in court next month in the tanning case. She says she never took her daughter into a booth.

NY court upholds firing of hedge fund officer

(News) — Tue, 08 May 2012 11:20:48 -0700

New York's top court has upheld the firing of a hedge fund compliance officer who says he confronted its chief executive about improperly selling personal stock before doing the same for clients.

The Court of Appeals ruled 5-2 in rejecting Joseph Sullivan's damages claim against Peconic Partners, Peconic Asset Management and fund President William Harnisch.

The majority says New York common law generally gives an employer the "unimpaired" right to fire an at-will employee, with a few exceptions. It says there is no exception for wrongful discharge of a hedge fund's compliance officer.

Dissenters say the court should expand an exception it has carved out for lawyers who get fired for insisting on professional ethics. They say the majority ruling "facilitates the perpetuation of frauds."

Glancy Binkow & Goldberg LLP Announces Class Action

(News) — Mon, 07 May 2012 11:20:00 -0700

Glancy Binkow & Goldberg LLP announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois on behalf of all persons or entities who purchased or otherwise acquired the common stock of Groupon, Inc. pursuant and/or traceable to the allegedly false and misleading Registration Statement and Prospectus issued in connection with Groupon’s November 4, 2011 initial public offering, including purchasers of Groupon common stock between February 8, 2012 and March 30, 2012.

Groupon operates an e-commerce marketplace that connects merchants to consumers by offering goods and services at a discount in North America and internationally. The Complaint alleges that defendants misrepresented or failed to disclose that: (a) the Company materially understated refund reserves for fourth quarter 2011 due to a failure to properly account for coupon refunds; (b) as a result, the Company materially misstated its previously reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2011 financial results; and (c), the Company lacked adequate internal and financial controls.

No class has yet been certified in the above action. Until a class is certified, you are not represented by counsel unless you retain one. If you purchased Groupon common stock pursuant or traceable to the Company’s November 4, 2011 initial public offering, and/or during the Class Period described above, you have certain rights, and have until June 4, 2012 to move for lead plaintiff status. To be a member of the class you need not take any action at this time; you may retain counsel of your choice or take no action and remain an absent class member.

www.glancylaw.com

Lawyer enters not guilty plea for shooting suspect

(News) — Tue, 01 May 2012 10:06:12 -0700

A California man accused of committing the nation's deadliest school shooting rampage since the 2007 attack at Virginia Tech pleaded not guilty Monday to murder charges.

One L. Goh, 43, entered his plea through his lawyer, Deputy Public Defender David Klaus in Alameda County Superior Court.

Goh is charged with seven counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder in the April 2 attack at Oikos University in Oakland.

Klaus declined to comment after the hearing.

Goh also faces the special circumstance of committing multiple murders that makes him eligible for the death penalty.

Authorities said Goh planned the shootings and opened fire at the small Christian college founded to cater to Korean immigrants after becoming angry over a tuition dispute with school officials.

Those killed were students Doris Chibuko, 40; Judith Seymour, 53; Grace EunHea Kim, 23; Lydia Sim, 21; Bhutia Tshering, 38; Sonam Choedon, 33; and secretary Katleen Ping, 24.

Choedon's brother, Wangchen Nyima, attended Monday's hearing and said he wanted to see Goh in person.

"I just want to know why this happened," Nyima said. "He seems like he has his own problems. He seems like he's a psycho."

Shackled and wearing a red jumpsuit, Goh appeared somewhat calm during his brief court hearing and was noticeably thinner than he was during his previous court appearance.

A once heavyset man, Goh lost about 20 pounds in jail after he went on a self-imposed hunger strike, said sheriff's Sgt. J.D. Nelson. Goh inexplicably began eating again on Saturday, Nelson said.

High court's stance could spur immigration laws

(News) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:10:25 -0700

Emboldened by signals that the U.S. Supreme Court may uphold parts of Arizona's immigration law, legislators and activists across the country say they are gearing up to push for similar get-tough measures in their states.

"We're getting our national network ready to run with the ball, and saturate state legislatures with versions of the law," said William Gheen, president of Americans for Legal Immigration. "We believe we can pass it in most states."

That goal may be a stretch, but lawmakers in about a dozen states told The Associated Press they were interested in proposing Arizona-style laws if its key components are upheld by the Supreme Court. A ruling is expected in June on the Department of Justice's appeal that the law conflicts with federal immigration policy.

Dan Stein, president of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, said he was encouraged that several justices suggested during Wednesday's oral arguments that they are ready to let Arizona enforce the most controversial part of its law — a requirement that police officers check the immigration status of people they suspect are in the country illegally.

Ferrero sets aside $3 million for Nutella U.S. class action

(News) — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 09:10:07 -0700

Italian confectionery group Ferrero has agreed to set aside $3 million to settle a class-action lawsuit championed by a Californian mother after she discovered the group's Nutella chocolate spread packed more calories than jam or syrup.

Notices of class action settlements said that Ferrero USA Inc., the group's U.S. division, would pay up to $4 for every jar of Nutella bought in California since August 2009, or bought anywhere else in the United States since January 2008.

The notices posted on nutellaclassactionsettlement.com said the settlement was for $3,050,000 in total.

Ferrero USA also agreed to "modify certain marketing statements about Nutella" and to give more prominence to nutrition labels on Nutella jars, the notices said.

"Ferrero USA continues to stand by its product," a spokeswoman for Ferrero said on Sunday. "We believe that it is in the best interest of the company to resolve these matters, and have reached an agreement with the parties involved."