Legal News
Legal News Headlines by Lawyers.com
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01.06.2009
Teens who talk and drive targeted
If a state lawmaker from Peachtree City has his way, teens found using their cellphones while driving could lose their licenses. When the General Assembly convenes later this month, Rep. Matt Ramsey plans on introducing legislation that would make it illegal for drivers under 18 to talk, text, e-mail or instant message on their phones while operating a vehicle. If the bill becomes law, violators would face a fine of $175 and the addition of a point on their license on their first offense, and a $500 fine and two points to their license with a second offense.
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01.06.2009
Rebellious congregations that part ways with their denominations may lose their church buildings and property as a result, the California Supreme Court said Monday in a unanimous ruling. The state high court decision came in a case involving the Episcopal Church, but lawyers said it would apply to other denominations as well. Several Protestant denominations, including United Methodists and Presbyterians, have faced upheaval over gay rights issues. Monday's ruling, along with similar victories that the church leadership has won in other states, is expected to dampen enthusiasm for such separations. In a decision written by Justice Ming W. Chin, the court said the property of St. James Anglican Church in Newport Beach was owned by the national church, not the congregation. The congregation split away after the national church consecrated a gay man, V. Gene Robinson, as bishop of New Hampshire in 2003.
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01.06.2009
A real-life soap opera in Spanish-language television -- a saga of family legacy, corporate ambition and allegations of treachery -- is expected to shift today to a federal courtroom in Los Angeles. The civil trial will pit two titans against each other and bring to the witness stand key executives who are accustomed to controlling the media behind the scenes rather than fighting over it in open court. At stake is the future of the widely popular telenovelas, a steamy mix of sex, romance and family intrigue that has made the Spanish-language shows among the most popular and profitable on American airwaves. How the two adversaries -- Grupo Televisa of Mexico and Univision Communications Inc. of New York -- got to this point is a telenovela in itself. After years of squabbling, Televisa, the world's largest producer of telenovelas, four years ago sued longtime partner Univision for breach of contract, alleging it had been cheated out of more than $100 million in royalties.
