Wal-Mart, global warming cases will get hearings before Supreme Court - Los Angeles Times

Supreme Court: High court agrees to hear Wal-Mart, global warming cases - latimes.com div.thumbnail span.credit { font-weight: normal !important;}div.article div.articlerail ul li.relatedTitle, div.storygallery div.storyGalleryRail ul li.relatedTitle { font-size: 12px !important;} Mobile Site Subscribe/Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds   NATION HOME Breaking Crime L.A. Apps Weather Traffic Obits Community Crosswords Holiday Guide Wine Club Local L.A. Now Politics Crime Education O.C. Westside Neighborhoods Environment Obituaries FindLocal U.S. Politics Now Top of the Ticket Science & Environment Obituaries Religion World Afghanistan & Pakistan Africa Asia Europe Iran Iraq Latin America Mexico Under Siege Middle East Business Money & Co. Technology Personal Finance Small Business Company Town Jobs Real Estate Cars Sports Lakers Clippers Dodgers Angels NFL Ducks/Kings USC UCLA Soccer High Schools Scores/Stats Entertainment Movies TV Music Celebrity Arts & Culture Company Town Calendar Envelope Books FindLocal Health Booster Shots Fitness & Nutrition Medicine Mental Health Healthcare Reform Breast Cancer Diabetes Living Home Food Image Books Parenting FindLocal Brand X Magazine Your Scene Cars Travel California Hawaii Mexico Las Vegas Europe Asia Australia Travel & Deal Blog Destinations Opinion Editorials Op-Ed Letters Opinion L.A. More Corrections Readers' Rep Photos Video Blogs Data Desk Comics Puzzles & Games Community Mobile Site Subscribe/Manage Account Print Ads Place an Ad LAT Store Jobs Cars Real Estate Rentals More Classifieds Weekly Ad In the News: dwp Gay marriage Kennedy Center Honors College bowls Box office Wal-Mart, global warming cases will get hearings before Supreme Court The Supreme Court agrees to take up two cases of interest to corporate America: whether a sex-discrimination lawsuit against Wal-Mart can proceed as a class action, and whether courts can put limits on carbon emissions from power plants. Share Related Interactive: Major Supreme Court cases High court ruling on Arizona act could shape immigration law Supreme Court questions broad use of exception in sunshine law to withhold documents Stories Wal-Mart will buy controlling stake in South African company to get foothold in the country High court handling of Wal-Mart appeal will have wider implications By David G. Savage, Reporting from Washington December 6, 2010|8:41 a.m.

E-mail Print Text Size sc-dc-1207-supreme-court-20101206 The Supreme Court on Monday agreed to hear two major appeals from corporate America seeking to block mass lawsuits, one involving a huge sex-discrimination suit against Wal-Mart and the other a massive global warming suit brought against several of the nation's top power producers.

In both instances, the justices said they will consider blocking the mass lawsuit from proceeding toward a trial.

In the Wal-Mart case, the justices will decide whether the retail giant can be sued for sex bias in the largest workplace class action in the nation's history. A federal judge and the U.S. court of appeals in San Francisco cleared the lawsuit to proceed as a class action on behalf of 1.5 million women who were employed at Wal-Mart in the past decade.

The lawsuit contends women were regularly paid less than men and denied promotions. In its appeal, the company argues that the lawsuit should not proceed as a class action because hiring and promotion decisions are made in its 3,400 stores.

The issue of when a suit can proceed as a class action is of great interest to corporate lawyers and the trial bar. If a single suit can speak for thousands of employees, companies feel pressure to offer a settlement rather than risk a potentially crippling jury verdict.

The global warming case will decide whether judges and courts can put limits on carbon emissions on the theory that this pollution is a public nuisance. Eight states, including New York, California and Connecticut, joined with environmentalists and launched a lawsuit against the power producers in the Midwest, arguing that their coal-fired plants were contributing to climate change.

Environmentalists said they took the issue to court because Congress was not likely to take up the climate change issue and set limits on greenhouse gasses. They won a significant preliminary victory when the U.S. appeals court in New York cleared the suit to proceed.

But the power industry, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Obama administration joined in urging the high court to stop the lawsuit. They argue that the global warming issue and limits on carbon emissions should be decided by Congress and the White House, not by judges acting on lawsuits.

The two cases, Wal-Mart vs. Dukes and American Electric Power vs. Connecticut, will be heard in the early spring and decided by July.

david.savage@latimes.com Copyright © 2010, Tribune Interactive

E-mail Print Digg Twitter Facebook Read This Later   Comments (9)Add / View comments | Discussion FAQ jdw2010 at 10:01 AM December 06, 2010

I wonder if these are the same environmentalists that protested nuclear power to death, such a two faced argument. When will the hippies realize you need to supply base power SOMEHOW? Wind, Solar, Hydro, etc. are not applicable for base power needs. That leaves Coal, Natural Gas, and Nuclear as primary power generation with Coal being the cheapest and Nuclear being the cleanest (in terms of greenhouse emissions). Wake up people, you can only squeeze so much blood from a stone.

jav1231 at 9:56 AM December 06, 2010

In regards to "climate change," it's the job of the courts to interpret law through the prism of precedent and the Constitution. NOT to create law. This should be a slam dunk. Hopefully.

carlsherylmorris at 9:46 AM December 06, 2010

Come on, Libs...  What you want to accomplish is not Constitutionally allowed...  Things you're trying to make lawful.. or unlawful,  needs to come from Congress...  I think the whole country is sick and tired of the courts trying to run the country..  IT IS NOT within their scope of authority...  How did you Libs ever get to thinking the way that you do???

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Gay Marriage Opponents Ask Appeals Court to Reinstate 2008 Ban - BusinessWeek

December 06, 2010, 1:12 PM EST By Pamela A. MacLean

Dec. 6 (Bloomberg) -- Supporters of a ballot measure in California that outlawed gay marriage urged a federal appeals court today to overturn a ruling that declared the law unconstitutional.

Proponents of the voter-approved 2008 state constitutional amendment banning same-sex weddings contend traditional marriages protect society’s “vital interest” in reproduction and childrearing. U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker in San Francisco struck down Proposition 8 in August, saying the measure violated the constitutional rights of gay people to equal protection and due process.

The case before Walker was the first to go through a federal trial testing whether same-sex unions are protected by the U.S. Constitution. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco is hearing arguments today in a case that may reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

The city of San Francisco and gay couples from Berkeley and Burbank sued in federal court to strike down Proposition 8, which was passed by 52 percent of voters after same-sex marriages were legalized by the California Supreme Court in a 4- 3 decision in May 2008.

Proposition 8 backers say the desire of gays and lesbians to marry is outweighed by the state’s interest in promoting child rearing through traditional heterosexual marriages.

They said in court papers that before recent movements to include same-sex relationships in the definition of marriage, “it was commonly understood and acknowledged that the institution of marriage owed its very existence to society’s vital interest in responsible procreation and childrearing.”

Same-sex marriage supporters have countered that the Constitution doesn’t permit unequal treatment under the law.

‘Responsible Procreation’

They contended in court filings that the “responsible procreation” justification can’t pass constitutional muster as a means to create a separate classification of relationships. They wrote that Proposition 8, while banning same-sex marriage, “had no effect on legal regimes governing parentage and childrearing in California.”

After the January trial over Proposition 8, Walker concluded in August that San Francisco and the gay couples had demonstrated by “overwhelming evidence” that Proposition 8 violates constitutional rights. He prohibited California from enforcing the ban on same-sex marriage.

The appeals court put Walker’s decision on hold temporarily, barring additional gay marriages in California at least until after the panel rules.

18,000 Gay Couples

About 18,000 gay couples married in California before voters passed Proposition 8. As of 2006, there were an estimated 109,000 gay couples in California, more than any other state, according to U.S. Census data compiled by the University of California, Los Angeles.

Some 36 states have passed state laws or constitutional amendments to ban same-sex marriage. Since California approved its ban in 2008, Iowa, Vermont, New Hampshire and Connecticut have legalized same-sex marriage. Massachusetts did so in 2004.

The appeal raises a procedural issue that could sway the outcome. Both California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown declined to defend Proposition 8 in court. The measure’s campaign organizers from ProtectMarriage.com moved in to defend the amendment.

Walker said in his ruling that he doubted supporters of the ban could proceed on appeal. He said they don’t have anyone officially representing the state of California on their side and therefore lack legal standing to pursue the case.

‘State’s Interest’

The proponents say they are acting as “agents for the people” of California and as such are legally permitted to “assert the state’s interest,” according to a court filing.

Imperial County in Southern California filed an appeal jointly with marriage ban supporters, raising an additional question of whether a local government entity can act on behalf of the state.

The three-judge appeals panel set aside the first hour of today’s two-hour proceeding to deal with so-called standing issues.

The three appellate judges, selected by random drawing, are Stephen Reinhardt, who was appointed to the court in 1980 by President Jimmy Carter; Michael Daly Hawkins, appointed by President Bill Clinton in 1994; and N. Randy Smith, appointed by President George W. Bush in 2007.

The case is Perry v. Schwarzenegger, 10-16696, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit (San Francisco.) The district court case is Perry v. Schwarzenegger, 09-02292, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Francisco).

--With assistance from Karen Gullo in San Francisco. Editors: Peter Blumberg, Michael Hytha

To contact the reporter on this story: Pamela A. MacLean at pmaclean@pacbell.net.

To contact the editor responsible for this story: David E. Rovella at drovella@bloomberg.net.

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Obama Returns to Basketball Court After Injury - ABC News

After receiving 12 stitches on his upper lip from an injury sustained while playing basketball with friends and family on Friday at Fort McNair in Washington, D.C., President Barack Obama is back on the basketball court.

The White House says that Obama was joined on the court with his daughters Malia and Sasha today inside the building that houses the Interior Department, according to The Associated Press.

On Friday the president was inadvertently elbowed while playing a game with Rey Decerega.

"I learned today the president is both a tough competitor and a good sport," Decerega, who works for the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, said in a written statement. "I enjoyed playing basketball with him this morning. I'm sure he'll be back out on the court again soon."

The president was given a local anesthetic for the procedure.

The White House Medical Unit used a smaller filament that requires more stitches but makes them tighter, resulting in a smaller scar, the administration said.

The injury occurred in the last of the five games Obama was playing with his friends, which included his nephew, Avery Robinson, personal aide Reggie Love and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Neither the first lady nor the Obama daughters, Malia and Sasha, were there at the time of the injury.

Obama's love of basketball is well documented and he's regularly spotted shooting hoops with friends. The president, who played basketball for his high school team in Hawaii, has stepped away from the White House on a few occasions to attend college and professional games.

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SAP: Court lops $500M off Oracle's potential damages - Computerworld

IDG News Service - Oracle's potential damages in its corporate-theft lawsuit against SAP have been reduced by US$500 million following an order from Judge Phyllis Hamilton, SAP said on Tuesday.

"The ruling of the Court has an immediate and demonstrable impact on Oracle's damages presentation, reducing the total by $500 million from $2.2 billion down to $1.6 billion," SAP said in a brief statement to reporters.

"This is the second such reduction by the Court and we are confident that, when the jury hears our case presentation, the outcome of the case will reflect the actual damages the limited actions of TomorrowNow had upon Oracle," it said.

A spokeswoman for Oracle declined to comment.

Oracle sued SAP after it learned its TomorrowNow division had been downloading Oracle software illegally from a customer support website and using it to win over Oracle customers. SAP has accepted liability and the trial is about how much damages it must pay.

Hamilton issued a "minute order" on Monday saying Oracle can't claim damages for money it lost from "cross-sell" and "up-sell" opportunities -- in other words, additional software it might have been able to sell to customers that it lost to TomorrowNow because of the stolen software.

Oracle can still claim for profits it lost as a direct result of the theft, and it can still ask for its "hypothetical license" -- the money SAP would have had to pay if it licensed the software from Oracle legally. Oracle CEO Larry Ellison testified in court Monday that Oracle could have charged $4 billion for the license.

SAP says it should only be liable for the profits Oracle lost as a direct result of the theft, not for the hypothetical license. It claims Oracle lost very few customers because of TomorrowNow and that SAP should have to pay only tens of millions of dollars.

The trial, in its second week at the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California, is expected to conclude by the end of the month.

Reprinted with permission from IDG.net. Story copyright 2010 International Data Group. All rights reserved.

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High court rejects campaign finance appeal - Washington Post

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court is passing up an election eve chance to weigh in on campaign finance disclosure rules for groups that raise and spend money independently of candidates.

The justices on Monday rejected an appeal from the conservative group SpeechNow.org, which want wants to limit what it has to tell the Federal Election Commission about its activities.

The court's action a day before the 2010 midterm elections leaves in place a federal appeals court decision that struck down limits on contributions to SpeechNow and similar independent groups, but upheld disclosure requirements.

Outside groups have so far spent more than $264 million, more than four times as much as they did four years ago.

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Alaska high court: Voters may see write-in list - Atlanta Journal Constitution

By DAN JOLING

The Associated Press

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The Alaska Supreme Court has blocked a lower court ruling, saying voters at polling places may see a list of write-in candidates.

From left, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R) Alaska, and Republican candidate Joe Miller laugh during a political debate Tuesday, Oct 26, 2010 in Anchorage, Alaska. Murkowski is running a write-in campaign following her loss in the primary to Miller. (AP Photo / Michael Dinneen)

The high court ruled late Wednesday after the state appealed an order issued earlier in the day by a Superior Court judge.

The Supreme Court says the list of registered write-in candidates shall be limited to names only, with no party affiliation.

The lower court ruling was considered a setback for the campaign of incumbent U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski. She was defeated in the Republican primary by tea party favorite Joe Miller and is mounting a write-in campaign.

Former Sitka Mayor Scott McAdams is the Democratic candidate in the Senate race.

___

October 27, 2010 11:34 PM EDT

Copyright 2010, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Limewire Must Close After Four-Year Court Fight - eWeek

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By: Nicholas Kolakowski
2010-10-27
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Limewire has been ordered to shut down, by a federal judge who argues the file-sharing service ?intentionally encouraged direct infringement.? By all appearances, this could represent the endgame of music companies? four-year effort to take Limewire offline. 

Indeed, Limewire?s Website seems dead, its landing page covered with a plus-sized legal notice. ?Limewire is under a court-ordered injunction to stop distributing and supporting its file-sharing software,? it reads. ?Downloading or sharing copyrighted content without authorization is illegal.?

Meanwhile, Limewire executives attempted to put a positive spin on developments.

?The injunction applies only to the Limewire product. Our company remains open for business,? George Searle, CEO of Limewire, wrote in an Oct. 26 posting on Lime Company?s corporate Website. ?We remain deeply committed to working with the music industry and making the act of loving music more fulfilling for everyone.?

Searle added: ?Our team of technologists and music enthusiasts is creating a completely new music service that puts you back at the center of your digital music experience.? Details of that new music service, however, were not forthcoming in the blog post.

However, the court?s take on Limewire seemed decidedly more negative. According to reports, Judge Kimba Wood of the U.S. District Court in Manhattan said the Website ?marketed itself to Napster users, who were known copyright infringers.? A variety of interested parties, ranging from Sony Music Entertainment to Warner Bros. Records, had joined legal forces in the case against Limewire, which they jointly accused of facilitating widespread music theft.

Limewire even found itself broadsided over its security and file-sharing protocols by the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, which launched investigations in 2007 and 2009 into file sharing on peer-to-peer networks. In response, Limewire argued that it had reworked its service to address those concerns. Over the years, sensitive information such as social security numbers and banking data had managed to leak onto Limewire?s network, raising the hackles of business executives and security experts.

Based on Searle?s comments, Limewire could follow in the footsteps of Napster and attempt a rebirth as a legitimate digital-music portal. A Napster app comes pre-loaded with Google TV, with others available for iOS and Android devices. However, any new service would encounter substantial competition not only from Napster, but Apple iTunes and other media services.

Meanwhile, peer-to-peer networking?and the possible copyright violations that come with it?continues to thrive online. 

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