Civil Trials

Concealed Carry Lawsuit Says Missouri Officials Are Violating Privacy Rights of Gun Owners

Eric Griffin, a Stoddard County resident, applied to get a concealed-carry permit in Missouri because he didn't want to miss the opportunity. "His initial motivation...was fear that he wouldn't be able to get one in the future," his attorney Russell Oliver tells Daily RFT. "He's not a big gun nut. ... More >>

Hotshots Sports Bar Sued for "Racist" Servers and "Ghetto Specials"

Six patrons of the Bridgeton location of Hotshots Sports Bar & Grill are suing the chain and its owner for discrimination. While gathered at the bar to watch a Cardinals World Series game, the plaintiffs charge that they were essentially refused service because they are black. The weirdest part? Th ... More >>

Anti-Coal Activists Want City to Wake Up to "Peabody Takeover"

When it comes to Peabody Energy Corp., it's hard to tell who's being naughty or nice. This week, the activist group Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment has been staging demonstrations against Peabody, the largest private-sector coal company in the world, headquartered in downtown St. ... More >>

Why Did A Federal Judge Throw Out a St. Louis Catholic's Challenge to "Obamacare"? FAQs

Got questions about a federal judge's dismissal of a local Catholic's lawsuit against "Obamacare"? Daily RFT's got answers! Q: So, who sued who?Frank O'Brien and his company, O'Brien Industrial Holdings (near South Kingshighway and I-44) sued our federal government last March. Q: Why?

Judge Rules Against St. Louis County Men in "Santa Paws" Lawsuit Filed Against Disney

On Thursday, a federal judge ruled against two St. Louis County men who had accused Disney in a lawsuit of stealing their Christmas-themed tale, "Santa Paws," and spinning it into a pair of DVD movies by the same name. In granting Disney summary judgment, U.S. District Judge Catherine Perry conceded ... More >>

Americans Hate Lawsuits, According to Poll by Group that Hates Lawsuits

The American Tort Reform Association -- the group that once deemed the Illinois counties of Madison and St. Clair "judicial hellholes" -- has  just released the results of a poll on how U.S. citizens feel about lawsuits. Guess what they found? That almost everybody agrees with them! Among the f ... More >>

ACLU Wins Sunshine Lawsuit Against St. Louis Corrections

During its efforts to improve the way inmates can complain about abuse, neglect, or poor conditions in the city's workhouse, the American Civil Liberties Union of Eastern Missouri hit a brick wall. When the inquiry started, they were cooperating with then-Corrections Commissioner Gene Stubblefield. ... More >>

Organic Farmers' Suit Against Monsanto Dismissed (and Dissed) by Federal Judge

​A federal district court judge in New York threw out a lawsuit yesterday brought by pro-organic groups against St. Louis- based Monsanto, scolding the plaintiffs for their "tactics." Some 60 seed companies, family farmers and other organic folks filed suit last March. Their stated goal was to ere ... More >>

Ticketmaster Fees Class Action Lawsuit: One Step Closer to Settlement, But Who Wins?

Today is a good day for opponents of Ticketmasters online fees. Or is it? As part of an eight-year old ongoing class action lawsuit against the company, customers were notified of the terms of a proposed settlement. The suit claims that Ticketmaster's Order Processing Fee and UPS delivery charge are ... More >>

Joseph Ross: Former St. Cronan's Priest Accused of Molesting Parishioner

bishopaccountability.orgJoseph Ross left St. Cronan's in 2002.​Updated 4:15 p.m. with comment from the Archdiocese of St. Louis. A lawsuit filed today paints a disturbing picture of abuse within a St. Louis Catholic Church. According to the complaint filed in St. Louis Circuit Court, Father Joseph ... More >>

Sanford-Brown College Slapped With Dozen-Plus Lawsuits

​In the last six months, Sanford-Brown College has been hit with more than a dozen lawsuits from students claiming that the college and its parent company are running a high-pressure sales racket cleverly disguised as higher ed.The for-profit college, which has outlets in Fenton, Hazelwood and St. ... More >>

St. Louis Borders Closing (Finally)

image viaIs there anything sadder than an empty bookstore?​The end is here, after months of being near. To anyone who has been spending time at area Borders stores over the past week or so and seen people carrying out the shelves and the tables and other fixtures, this news should come as no s ... More >>

Jury: Former Owners of Doe Run Lead Smelter Must Pay Families $38 Million

Photo: Jennifer SilverbergWarnings outside the Doe Run smelter in Herculaneum.​A trial lasting three months wrapped up today in St. Louis Circuit Court with a jury awarding 16 plaintiffs $38.5 million in compensatory damages for lead poisoning they sustained living next to a Herculaneum smelter. M ... More >>

Byte Me: The collapse of SecureAxis left Jim Kalishman out for blood and his partner, Chris Elbring, in prison

Lawsuit Claims Facebook Illegally Uses Minors for Advertisements

Mothers dislike their kids being used in Facebook ads.​Have you seen those advertisements on Facebook that show one of your friends endorsing a certain product? The ad could be for a local restaurant or maybe a national retailer and features your friend's mugshot next to something saying that he o ... More >>

Stripper Kicks Man in Mouth, Prompting Lawsuit

Don't lean too close.​Many patrons of strip clubs appreciate the long, svelte limbs of the performers onstage. But for one disgruntled ogler on the Illside, there's such a thing as too much leg. Especially when that leg is connected to a platform shoe. A man named Andrew Deluca has filed a l ... More >>

Belleville Diocese Must Pay, Illinois Supreme Court Says

The diocese is on the hook for another $6.35 million after the Illinois Supreme Court refused to hear its appeal.​The Illinois Supreme Court yesterday refused to hear an appeal of the Diocese of Belleville -- letting stand a $5 million jury verdict for a former altar boy at St. Theresa's Parish in ... More >>

Michael Litz and Michael Fox's Bellington Realty cashed in during the boom, but its customers got stuck in the bust

Today in Chain-Restaurant Litigation: Chipotle Loses, Taco Bell "Wins"

Image via​Some days it feels like every major national restaurant chain is involved in litigation.Today is one of those days.First, we have this report from the San Francisco Chronicle that the U.S. Supreme Court has refused to listen to an appeal from mega-burrito kingpins Chipotle after a lower ... More >>

Dry-Humping Manager Costs Alton Restaurant Tony's $75,000

Lesson: Unless you're in the NFL, don't do this at work.​Tony's Restaurant in downtown Alton agreed this week to pay $75,000 to settle a sexual harassment lawsuit brought on by U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.According to the lawsuit, Katie Comer was an 18-year-old high-school student ... More >>

Former Employee of Brentwood Whole Foods Market Alleges Termination for Blowing Whistle on Bad Organic Practices [Updated]

​A former employee of Whole Foods Market in Brentwood claims that she was fired after alerting management of multiple instances in which the produce department had not followed the proper standards for handling organic produce, according to a lawsuit filed last week in St. Louis County Circuit Cou ... More >>

How to Guilt Your Lover: Make Fake Lab Test Suggesting He Gave You Herpes

​This plan was bound to backfire. Still, it makes for a valuable lesson, although on what I'm not sure.It's the case of Maureen Sackmann, a former employee of the medical lab Quest Diagnostics, who stands accused of sharing someone's confidential information. According to a civil suit filed in Mad ... More >>

Bishop Sigillito, Low on Funds, Represents Himself in RICO Suit as Judge Bows Out

Image viaSparks are flyin' in the civil case vs. Sigillito!​Clayton attorney and American Anglican bishop Marty Sigillito stands accused of running a $45 million Ponzi scheme that fleeced both regular Joes and members of the St. Louis Racquet Club. He's currently under federal investigation. Se ... More >>

Whatever happened at Father Cooper's cabin in 1971, the archdiocese isn't responsible

Next Year, Jury Duty Will Take Even Longer

Image source​Jury duty, that beloved civic rite known to eat up as many as three days even if you're not selected to serve, is about to get even longer. Starting January 1, Missouri judges will have to allow lawyers extra time to look up the litigation history of potential jurors on Case.net, ... More >>

Matthew McConaughey Made Her Do It: Illinois Mother Sues RedBox Over Fees

They say fool's gold isn't worth squat. Laurie Piechur found it's worth $25.​Laurie Piechur, a single mom from St. Clair County, thought she'd discovered an inexpensive way to entertain her kids when she started renting them movies from RedBox. Piechur liked the fact that RedBox, those $1-a-day D ... More >>

The Morning Brew: 3.17

​Genetically-altered beets will be harvested, orders a federal court judge. In a suit filed in 2007, a collection of environmental groups and organic farmers sued to stop the use of the Monsanto-developed beet seeds in 2010. Due to the plaintiffs filing suit too late in the harvest season, the ... More >>

Plantiffs' Attorney Mark Brown on the Blimpie Double-Meat Lawsuit

Ian FroebThe scale of justice?​As Daily RFT reported last week, a lawsuit has been filed in Madison County, Illinois, alleging that the chain restaurant Blimpie does not provide the advertised double portions of meat on its Super Stacker sandwiches.Yesterday, Gut Check had a chance to speak with M ... More >>

Here's One Way to Crack Down on MetroLink Scofflaws: Punch Their Teeth Out

Man looks like he got hit by a train, light rail, the police.​A lawsuit filed last month in St. Clair County Court alleges that East St. Louis police pulled a man off MetroLink for not paying his fare and then proceeded to punch his teeth out. Donald E. Curry, the plaintiff in the suit, claims the ... More >>

Family of Slain Kirkwood Councilwoman Connie Karr Files Wrongful Death Suit Against Whelan Security

UPDATED at 5:05 p.m. with comments from Whelan Security.Image viaConnie Karr ​The spouse and daughter of Kirkwood Councilwoman Connie Karr, who was shot at a city council meeting on February 7, 2008, filed a wrongful death lawsuit last Friday against Whelan Security Company and one of its guards. ... More >>

St. Louis Police Apologize to "Anarchists"

Dan Green, owner of the home, called "Bolozone", where many of the protesters were rounded up by police.​The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department has reached a settlement with four would-be protesters arrested prior to the 2003 World Agriculture Forum held in St. Louis. The demonstrators -- wh ... More >>

Fraud Allegations vs. Health Career Agents May Soon Return In Multi-Plaintiff Lawsuit

A story I wrote last week continues to receive quite a few comments from supporters and detractors of St. Louis-based Health Career Agents Inc. As I reported a few days back, the first of several lawsuits against the company alleging fraud was scheduled for trial last week. The case was dismissed, h ... More >>

AdOne Media CEO Jim Neumann Files for Bankruptcy

Same Ol' Song: Club owners owe royalties for music played on their premises

7-Up vs. Coke, Part 2: From dot-com darling to disaster, the spectacular flameout of Andrew Gladney. Heir to a fortune, Andrew Gladney went from John Burroughs to Yale and came home to found Savvis Inc. Then he squandered it all.

The Tax Man Calleth

Whole Foods vs. FTC Update

Valley Park Plot Foiled

The Legacy of Creg Williams

Mi Casa? Sue Casa!

Hispanic immigrants cry foul over an alleged St. Louis housing scam

Catfight

A ten-pound tabby stirs up a squabble in a quiet suburban neighborhood

Santana

All That I Am (Arista/Sony)

Suit Monger

Will Lonnie Snelling's civil war ever end?

Foul Play

Why is everyone out to get Randy Wichman?

Bill's Bills

The St. Louis school board might have to pony up for the defense in Roberti v. Haas

Best Newspaper Columnist

Bill McClellan
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Left Behind

Bellefontaine Neighbors residents have lived -- and died -- with asbestos for years. The problem's an open secret, but little has been done.

Failing the Smell Test

Regulators don't want a judge to tell Laclede Gas to fix corroding gas lines

Raising a Stink

Sean McGivern says his court fight against Ralston Purina is a classic case of David vs. Goliath -- and the spoils consist of a cardboard box of kitty litter