Monday, June 02, 2008Last Update: 10:45:10 PM

     Bluesman Bo Diddley died today at his home in Archer, Fla. He was 79.

     A girl's nose was amputated by a defective glass diving mask that shattered during normal use, her parents claim in Multnomah County Court, Ore. They sued American Underwater Products dba Oceanic Worldwide.
     
     A Remington Arms 870 Express Magnum shotgun fired though its safety mechanism was on, severely injuring a man, he claims in Calhoun County Court, Battle Creek, Mich.
     
     Holy Cross Lutheran Church hired James Ritter as a youth pastor though he already had been accused of sexually preying upon underage girls, two girls claim in Spokane Federal Court. They say Ritter was sentenced to 15 years in prison after sexually assaulting them.

     Four Dallas police officers claim D-Magazine defamed them by claiming, inter alia, of being "rogue cops," "writing phony tickets," and "making false arrests," in Dallas County Court.

     The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality sued Attorney General Greg Abbott in Travis County Court, insisting that information on the reopening of a controversial Asarco copper smelter in El Paso is exempt from disclosure to a state senator who requested it.
     
     The ACLU sued the City and County of Denver in Denver County Court, demanding information on how it spent $18 million in public money on security equipment.

     PPG Industries sued the U.S. EPA in Lake Charles, La., Federal Court, claiming EPA limits on mercury and copper dumping into water are "technologically and/or economically unachievable."

     Sumitomo Mitsui Banking Corp. demands $16.2 million from Bear Stearns & Co. and Geometric Asset Funding Ltd., alleging fraud and breach of contract in securities Bear Stearns sold to Geometric, financed by Sumitomo, in New York County Court.

     Washington Mutual Bank misrepresented the interest due on commercial loans and collected more money than it was owed, a class action claims in Los Angeles Federal Court.

     A man claims his wife died of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma she contracted from Abbott Laboratories' arthritis drug, Humira, in Worcester County Court, Mass.

     TomoTherapy, which develops and sells radiation therapy systems, inflated its share price through false and misleading statements, a class action claims in Madison, Wis., Federal Court.
     
     Shareholders accuse top officers of Health Net of breaching fiduciary duties by illegally rescinding policies after customers file claims, resulting in civil prosecution, in a derivative complaint in Los Angeles Superior Court.
     
     Shareholders claim Credit Suisse inflated the price of its American Depository Receipts from Geb. 17, 2007 through Feb. 19, 2008, in Manhattan Federal Court.

     Hampton Point Ltd. demands $59 million from National Center Financial and a slew of others, in a real estate deal gone sour, involving 465 unincorporated acres called Crafton Hills, between Redlands and Yucaipa, in San Bernardino County Court.

     A Frederick County deputy sheriff killed a 20-year-old man by Tasering him twice, his survivors claim in Baltimore Federal Court.

     A masseur claims The Gym Englewood and three of its bosses harassed and constructively fired him for refusing to perform a sexual massage for an unidentified "male celebrity," in Bergen County Court, Hackensack.
     
     Class-action complaints alleging Labor Code violations have been filed against these defendants: Raytheon, in San Diego Superior Court; Mervyn's, in Alameda County Court, Oakland; Hospital Housekeeping Systems of Houston, and El Pollo Loco, in Los Angeles Superior Court; AON Risk Services, for racial and gender discrimination, in New York County Court; Qualex and Eastman Kodak, for age discrimination, in Hartford Federal Court; Torino's Gourmet Kitchen, in Manhattan Federal Court; GfK Custom Research, in Minneapolis Federal Court; Shur-Brite Car Wash, in Nashville Federal Court; American National Sign, Ace Cash Express, Sexton Enterprises, Aldo US Inc., and Mike & Lisa's Cricketers, in Tampa Federal Court; and El Rey de Taco, in West Palm Beach Federal Court.

     CleanCut claims four competitors violate patent on its "candle wick trimmer," in two claims in Salt Lake Federal Court.

     Heritage Homes has filed for bankruptcy in Seattle, listing $8.7 million in assets and $13.6 million in liabilities.
     
     Security Intelligence Technologies filed for bankruptcy in White Plains, N.Y., listing more than $10 million in liabilities.