Well, the Texas Supreme Court is again dismantling victim’s remedies. But, this time, they are working against small ranchers. In Bennett and Bonham Corp. v. Reynolds, the court took away another jury verdict. This time it was a cattle theft case. The jury awarded $5,327 in actual losses and $1.25 million in punitive damages.
What to do if the Boss is the Harasser
Ohio Employer’s Law blog writes another good post on what to do if the boss is the harasser. See post. Jon Hyman refers to a specific case, EEOC v. Fairbrook Medical Clinic, (4th Cir. 6/18/10), a sex harassment case. In this case, the harasser was accused of several harassing incidents:
- repeatedly showing an
Workers Complain That the Boss is Lazy or Dishonest
According to a recent story in the San Antonio Express-News, most employees complain about their bosses’ being lazy or dishonest. See story. Another 21% complain that their bosses are "nipickers."
Speaking of which, Mike Maslanka writes a nice post about lying and body language. A study suggests that bosses are often the better
Final Arguments in Judge Sharon Keller Case
Judge Sharon Keller’s lawyer made his final arguments to the Texas Commission on Judicial Conduct. He argues defensively that the protocol she was expected to follow was not in writing at the time. He said the TCJC has completed a poor investigation. He accused the lawyers for the executed killer, Michael Richard, of telling
San Antonio Lawyer Gets ‘Shock Probation’
San Antonio lawyer Ted Roberts has been granted "shock probation." That means Ted Roberts will be let out of state prison early and he will seve 10 years probation. See report. Ted Roberts is the lawyer who was found guilty of forcing various persons to keep him quiet about these men having sexual relations
Meg Whitman Shoved an Employee?
You think the workplace bullying is bad where you work? Meg Whitman, former eBay executive and current candidate for Governor of California, is accused of shoving an employee. Ms. Whitman’s campaign claims it was just a verbal altercation. Either way, it resulted in a $200,000 setlement, reportedly. See report. I guess things get tense
Mandatory Arbitration Fails to Live up to Expectations
Ohio Employer’s Law Blog points out that according to a recent article, mandatory arbitration does not live up to its expectations. See blog post. Jon Hyman at Ohio Employer Blog refers to a recent ABA article finding that in one study, mandatory arbitration was 30% more expensive and 25% longer than traditional litigation. The
Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Employer on Arbitration Agreements
The US Supreme Court issued a ruling in Rent-A-Center West v. Jackson. The Supremes have found that an arbitrator should resolve issues regarding the enforceability of an arbitration agreement, and not the courts. See decision. This is an unfortunate decision. Simply based on policy grounds, arbitrators earn income by hearing arbitrations. So, they have
Supreme Court Affirms Right of Employer to Review Employee’s Text Messages
In a recent decision, the US Supreme Court affirmed the right of employers to review the text messages on employees’ cell phones. In City of Ontario v. Quon, the government employer 
searched the employees’ cell phone for text messages. The cell phone had been issued by the employer. The City believed the employee had exceeded
Iraqi Interpreter Killed by his Family
In Iraq and Afghanistan, Moslem interpreters help us everyday with the war effort. Interpreters assume a special risk. They are targeted whenever possible. See report of an Iraqi interpreter who was killed in Samarra by his son and nephew. His son and nephew are said to be members of Al-Qaeda. Samarra is heavily Sunni, so