Class Action Law Suit News

Cobell v. Salazar

Cobell v. Salazar is a class action lawsuit which was brought by Native American representatives against the United States Government. The Native Americans have claimed that the U.S. government has incorrectly accounted for the Indian trust assets which belong to them and are managed by the Department of the Interior. The case was filed in the U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. The case is reported to be the largest class action lawsuit against the United Nations in the history which contended around 5000,000 members in the class claimant. On July 29, 2009 the D.C. Court Of Appeals vacated the award and remanded the District Court's previous decision in CobellXXI. On December 8, 2009, a $3.4 billion settlement was announced, out of which a $1.4 billion of the settlement was allocated to claimant in the suit, and $2 billion was allocated for repurchase of lands distributed under the Dawes Act, which deals with distribution of lands to the Native Americans. Under the general Allotment Act of 1887, tribal lands were divided into portions between 40 and 160 acres in size. The land area covered by the allotments was small, compared to the amount of land that had been held by tribes at the passage of Act. The remaining Indian lands were open for non Indian settlement after being declared surplus by the government.

 Daniels, et al. v. the City of New York

Daniels, et al. v. the City of New York was a class action lawsuit, which was filed against the City of New York and the New York Police Department (NYPD) in 1999 charging them with illegal stopping and frisking, racial profiling, which means checking a person within his clothing to find out whether he has any weapon with him and requested the termination of the NYPD Street Crimes Unit. The racial profile deals with a common feeling between a group of individuals among that particular race or community in itself. The inapt use of racism would lead to filings up a case in the Class Action Law basis. At the federal level, racial profiling is challenged by the Fourth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution which guarantees the right to be safe from unreasonable search and seizure without a genuine cause and the Fourth Amendment which requires that all citizens be treated equally under the law. A new law suit ‘Floyd, et al. v. The City of New York, et al’ was filed, when the stops and frisks continued to increase.  

 Dr. Marcus Conant, et al., v. McCaffrey et al.

Dr. Marcus Conant, et al., v. McCaffrey et al. is a legal case determined on September 7, 2000, by the U.S. District Court, which avowed the right of physicians to recommend medical marijuana, which means a right to use the Medical cannabis which is a recommended form of medicine or herbal therapy. On behalf of licensed California physicians treating patients suffering from chronic conditions, the applicant created a class action suit. The applicant included an AIDS patient organization, a physician group, eleven physicians, and six patients with terminal illnesses, including one who died during trial. The November 1996 passage of California Proposition 215 which authorized medical marijuana and a December 30, 1996 response to the law by the director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy were the two events form where the case arouses. The court's decision approved that the government has a genuine concern that physicians might advocate marijuana in a bad faith. Intentionally, the physicians may not provide their patients with oral or written statements in order to enable them to obtain controlled substances in violation of federal law. The doctor foresees that his patient may want to, in the violation of the federal law obtain marijuana and the injunction should be applied in any case.

Hepting v.AT&T

Hepting v.AT&T is a United States class action lawsuit filed by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) against a telecommunications company AT&T in January 2006. The EFF alleged the permission and assistance was given to the National Security Agency (NSA) in unlawfully monitoring the communications of the United States by AT&T, which included its own customers, businesses which used AT&T network to route their communications, and the Voice over IP telephone calls in retreat via the Internet. It is alleged that a NarusInsight system was installed in the San Francisco switching center of NSA, which was capable of monitoring Internet traffic which included the playback of telephone calls routed on the Internet, and thus in effect spying the entire communication of many or all the American citizens and businesses who use the Internet and this was assisted by AT&T. AT&T objected to all the allegations that was framed against it and the case was in favor of the telecom giant where the Judge claimed that it was done only with the order by the then President of the United States of America to prevent any terrorist attack after the World Trade Centre attack.

Health High School shooting

Health High School shooting a class action law suit that occurred at Health High School in Kentucky, United States when a fourteen year old opened fire on a group of students who were praying and killing three and injuring five more. The fourteen year olds name was Carnal who wrapped two shot guns and two riffles in a blanket and took them to school. He rode to school along with his sister and as soon as he arrived, he took the pistol out of his bag and fired eight rounds at a youth prayer group. This incident injured many and took the life of three girls who died while being hospitalized. Carner surrendered to the school principal after placing his pistol on the ground. The effect of Caner to take over with such harmful incident is the effect of the video games which he plays. The affected victims in the group have posted a case on the video games developing companies which manufacture or design such violent shooting and action packed video games which play such inciting role on the school going individuals. Carnel was sentenced for a parole in October 2023 and would receive a life sentence. He would also get as chance to plead for his life imprisonment and will be given medical treatment while serving his sentence in the prison till he is released.