Finds

$8 Million Verdict Reached: Jury Finds Against Investigator in Monumental Defamation Case

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WASHINGTON — In a landmark legal ruling, Christopher Chandler emerged triumphant in a defamation lawsuit that shook the capital, as a federal jury ordered Donald Berlin and his firm, Investigative Consultants Inc., to pay over $8 million for publishing false accusations against him. This decision, announced on Oct. 23, 2024, marks one of the largest defamation verdicts in Washington, D.C.’s history. The dispute centered on a disparaging dossier penned by Berlin more than two decades ago, which maligned Chandler’s reputation by falsely associating him with illegal activities. Chandler, asserting the falsehood of these allegations, successfully … Read more

Vulnerable Mainers Often Enter Guardianships Without Legal Aid, Report Finds

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Augusta, Maine — A new analysis by Disability Rights Maine highlights a concerning trend in the state’s guardianship system, revealing that an overwhelming majority of adults placed under court-appointed guardians have no legal representation. The study, covering the years 2019 to 2021, exposes that 75% of these individuals did not have an attorney to advocate for their rights during the critical moments when their autonomy was being removed. Disability Rights Maine, under the leadership of Legal Director Lauren Wille, has been pivotal in addressing this issue, striving to rectify cases where the rights of adults, … Read more

Jury Awards $46 Million in Landmark Child Abuse Case, Finds Perpetrator’s Wife Negligent

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Santa Rosa, Calif. — In a landmark case that underscores the liabilities individuals may face when failing to act against abuse, a Santa Rosa jury awarded $46 million to a minor in a child sexual abuse lawsuit. The ruling was significant for holding Terriann Kuhlmann, the wife of a convicted sex offender, responsible for her negligence in failing to prevent the abuse. The verdict, reached at the Sonoma County Superior Court, came after the jury found that Kuhlmann had not taken necessary steps to protect the child from her husband, Dana McGowan, who is currently … Read more

$605 Million Verdict: Jury Finds Phillips 66 Guilty of Stealing Trade Secrets from Renewable Fuels Innovator Propel Fuels

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OAKLAND, Calif. — In a significant legal battle over trade secrets in the renewable fuels market, Phillips 66 has been ordered to pay $604.9 million to Propel Fuels. The jury verdict, delivered after a five-week trial at the Superior Court of California in Alameda County, concluded that Phillips 66 had misappropriated trade secrets from Propel Fuels, a California-based retailer of low-carbon fuels. The court found that Phillips 66 developed its renewable fuels business in California using confidential information that had been painstakingly built up by Propel Fuels over more than a decade. This decision comes … Read more