Jonathan Bilyk News
Disability rights advocates say California must allow voters with 'print disabilities' to vote electronically from home
A group of California voters who are blind or otherwise have "print disabilities" have joined with disability rights advocate organizations to sue the state of California, claiming California's vote-by-mail program discriminates against them because they must print and mail their completed ballots
Class action: OpenAI should pay for 'scraping' data to train GPT AI, come under outside control
A lawsuit filed in San Francisco federal court asserts OpenAI has violated privacy laws in developing its GPT group of AIs, while allegedly disregarding safeguards that take into consideration the risk of its AIs to humanity
Prop E appears poised to pass, giving police more ability to fight crime in SF
The ballot measure would loosen restrictions on officers' ability to pursue criminal suspects; allow for police leadership to have a greater say in future policy changes; and enable police to use tech, including drones and surveillance cameras, to patrol in high-crime areas.
Objectors to Sacramento marijuana shop owner residency rule win chance to press constitutional claims
A federal appeals panel ruled that a federal district judge had wrongly attempted to duck the thorny constitutional questions by citing the deep conflict between federal and California state marijuana laws
CA Supreme Court says car buyers can demand to keep trade-in credits under 'lemon law' verdicts
Automaker Stellantis/FCA had argued such a ruling would essentially allow car buyers to profit when they buy defective cars, trade them in toward the purchase of other vehicles, and then sue under the lemon law for a full refund.
San Diego judge slashes 90% off $332M verdict awarded to man in Roundup trial
The judge said $325 million in punitive damages was excessive, compared to the $7 million in compensatory damages the jury awarded plaintiff Mike Dennis. The judge cut punitive damages to $21 million. Monsanto still plans to appeal
California remains one of top spots for ADA disability access lawsuits in America
An analysis by the Seyfarth firm placed California No. 2, behind New York, as the top state for new lawsuits filed in federal court under ADA Title III in 2023. Many such lawsuits have been likened by prosecutors to "shakedowns" of small businesses
Biden administration, left-wing allies 'colluding' to shove court fight over immigration past November, judge says
A federal appeals court judge in San Francisco blasted the Biden administration and his fellow judges for allowing left-wing activists to help the president quietly tuck from public view a court fight over the politically fraught crisis at the southern border
California cities can't bring class action to force Netflix, Hulu, other streamers to pay cable TV franchise fees
A state appeals court has pulled the plug, for now, on efforts by trial lawyers and California cities to force streaming entertainment services, like Netflix, to pay the fees normally levied by state law on cable TV companies
California can't enforce minor gun ad ban law while court case plays out over speech restrictions
The full U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals said it won't grant the Attorney General's request for a review of a three-judge panel's decision to slap an injunction on AB2571, which they said amounted to an unconstitutional 'muzzling of speech'
Appeals court: Lowe's can't escape PAGA class action by enforcing arbitration clause vs lead plaintiff
The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals agreed that the California Supreme Court's interpretation of the state's controversial PAGA law holds sway over that of the U.S. Supreme Court
Carano sues Disney over firing from 'Mandalorian,' says retaliated against her over politics
TV and film star Gina Carano says Disney illegally attempted to blast her career from orbit over conservative online speech, costing her untold millions of dollars in future career opportunities built on her popular recurring character on Star Wars series, 'The Mandalorian'
Class action lodged vs LDS for allegedly misleading about use of $1.4B of tithes for Salt Lake mall
The class action builds on appellate decision in favor of wealthy ex-Mormon James Huntsman, now seeks payouts on behalf of all LDS tithes-paying members
SF sued for discrimination in transgender guaranteed income program
Lawsuit says the city illegally prioritizes biological male Black or Latino transgender people to receive up $21,600 each from city treasury every 18 months
CA emissions reporting rules illegal try to let CA regulate emissions worldwide, lawsuit says
A new lawsuit from the U.S. and California chambers of commerce and other business advocates says new California laws forcing businesses to report "climate" emissions violates both the First Amendment and Clean Air Act.
Placer County can't use political speech law to ditch retaliation lawsuit from demoted ex-interim D.A.
Ex-Placer County Interim D.A. Jennifer Miszkewycz claimed was demoted in retaliation for cooperating with an Attorney General's investigation of a county board member
Appeals panel: Judge can shut down major LA shipping terminal over environmental mitigations
A state appeals court says a San Diego judge improperly restrained himself from crafting a harsher "remedy" to address alleged mishandling of environmental mitigation at the Port of L.A.'s China Shipping terminal.
Cummins, Stellantis face potentially costly lawsuits over alleged Ram truck emissions cheat devices
Cummins agreed to pay $2B to end federal and California state regulatory actions over alleged "defeat devices" to bypass emissions controls on Ram trucks. But now trial lawyers are seeking further payouts from private lawsuits in California courts
New filing: Broad, bipartisan coalition shows 'exceptional' need for SCOTUS to undo pro-homeless rulings
The U.S. Supreme Court could decide in January whether to hear arguments over Ninth Circuit ruling that critics say has created 'constitutional right' for homeless to camp on streets and in parks, and leaves local governments powerless to retake public spaces
Judge again rejects consumer lawsuit trying to shut down Kroger-Albertsons merger
A federal judge said the consumers still haven't demonstrated how exactly they will be harmed by the $24B merger of the country's No. 1 and No. 2 supermarket chains. Action by the FTC could come in mid-January, per court filings