Wednesday, August 05, 2009Last Update: 5:56 PM PT

     Apple computer stiffed workers for overtime, a class action claims in Fort Lauderdale Federal Court.

     Floyd Lieberman, former agent for Riley "BB" King, claims that persons unknown persuaded the blues legend to sever relations with him, in a $1 million claim that Lieberman wants removed from New York County to Federal Court.

     TechRadium, of Sugarland, Texas, claims Twitter violates three of its messaging patents, in Houston Federal Court.

     Cisco Systems, IBM, Nokia and others violate two patents on network security systems, Enhanced Security Research claims in Delaware Federal Court.

     Ambac Credit Products claims Citigroup dumped nearly $2 billion of mortgage-backed credit default swaps on it by fraudulently misrepresenting the risks of the collateralized debt obligations that Citigroup itself had created, in New York County Court.

     Advance Stores fired a black worker after refusing to remedy racial threats, including a noose hung in the workplace, the man claims in Guilford County Court, N.C.

     
     Class-action complaints alleging Labor Code violations have been filed against these defendants: Hartford Fire Insurance Co., in San Diego Federal Court; the Federal Loan Modification Law Center, in Orange County Court, Calif.; HD Supply, in Los Angeles Superior Court; the Career Institute of Florida, in Tampa Federal Court; Progress Casting Group, for a mass layoff, in Minneapolis Federal Court; ASAP Staffing Services, in Memphis Federal Court; and Camden Urgent Care Center, in Brunswick, Ga., Federal Court.
     (Companies not separated by commas are defendants in the same case.)

     Batesville Casket Co., which controls 40% of the U.S. market, preys on grieving families by selling them expensive "gasketed" caskets that are no better than ones without gaskets, a class action claims in Orlando Federal Court.

     Two former private prison guards sued the Department of Homeland Security in San Diego Federal Court for refusing to allow a CCA (Corrections Corporation of America) prison guard testify in litigation about CCA's overcrowding, understaffing, violence and safety violations. CCA is a private contractor for the DHS.

     Snohomish police Officer harassed a woman with intimidating demands for sex at her home while he was on duty, and the city was on notice of his obnoxious behavior, she claims in Seattle Federal Court.

     Three women say their probation agent, Larry Taft, sexually pawed them without their consent, abusing his power as an employee of the Wisconsin Department of Corrections, in Madison Federal Court.

     American Century Companies put investors' money into an illegal gambling business, according to a RICO class action in Sacramento Federal Court.

     The Natural Resources Defense Council claims the City of Lancaster and Waste Management of California violated state environmental law on 7,190 acres the city wants to annex for a dump, in Los Angeles Superior Court.
     
     Residents of Pahrump, Nev., say the Bureau of Prisons is trying to build a prison there without public comment and without required environmental impact studies, in Las Vegas Federal Court.

     Photographer Chris Rank claims HarperCollins stiffed him for licensing fees by refusing to pay for subsequent press runs of a book with his cover photo, in Atlanta Federal Court.

      Equidata hurts consumers by reporting disputed debts, a class action claims in Trenton, N.J., Federal Court.

     Sun Microsystems claims Sunware Computer violates its "Sun" trademark, in San Francisco Federal Court.
     Atria Senior Living Group claims Best Western violates trademark by calling some of its hotels "Atrea," which is phonetically identical to Atria, in Louisville Federal Court.

     Allscripts-Misys Healthcare Solutions inflated its share price by concealing problems with installing its Touchworks V-11 software, shareholders claim in Chicago Federal Court.
     
     Huron Consulting Group juggled its books and the share price dropped when it was found out, shareholders claim in Chicago Federal Court.