Citing his blood alcohol level at the time of the attack, an attorney for the Los Angeles Dodgers plans to partially blame Bryan Stow for the brutal attacked that left him in a coma on opening day of 2011. LA Times reports: "Jerome Jackson [attorney for the Dodgers] told The Times his statements were purely in reference to how a civil jury might break down responsibility for the beating during the Dodgers' home opener in March. He cited a magazine article that said Stow had alcohol in his system when he was admitted to the hospital." more ›

The family of Emily Dunn, the 23-year-old who was struck and killed by a Muni bus driving an improvised route in the Castro last August, will sue San Francisco. The Examiner reports: "Michael Kelly, a lawyer representing the Dunns, said the family will submit a claim regarding the accident later this week." more ›

Chief Judge Ware has ruled against anti-marriage ilk, throwing out the inane argument that Judge Vaughn Walker's ruling against Prop 8 was unconstitutional since he is a homosexual." Their complaints, if you recall, were that Judge Walker's ruling "should be invalidated based on the fact that he had a bias in the case, being himself a gay man who potentially wanted to be legally married." more ›

Bay Area Reporter has some sad news: Eagle Tavern owner John Gardiner received an unlawful detainer lawsuit from property owner John Nikitopoulos today, 4/20. What does this mean for the troubled SoMa leather bar? Well, it could mean that the bar will close sooner rather than later. Or not. "I’ll know probably by the end of the day," Gardiner explained to the BAR. more ›

"Girl, hold my earrings," said San Francisco-based Levi's who filed a lawsuit in federal court in San Francisco last week against Dolce & Gabbana. It seems, according to SF Weekly, the Italian house breached a 1998 settlement agreement between the two companies. Over what? Over pocket stitching. D&G has allegedly copied Levi's "double-arch stitching design and ribbon tab on the back pocket." more ›

Around 120 local fishermen will split $3.65 of a $6 million award in damages won though a class action lawsuit against the parties at fault for the horrific 2007 Cosco Busan oil spill. The spill, if you recall, poured an estimated 53,000 - 58,000 gallons of fuel into the bay after colliding with one of the Bay Bridge’s towers. It also killed scores of wildlife in the process. more ›

According to the Wall Street Journal, Wells Fargo has been ordered "pay more than $200 million to compensate customers who the judge said were improperly charged millions in overdraft fees." Today, Judge William Alsup of the U.S. District Court of Northern California, ruled that "the San Francisco bank improperly generated excessive overdraft fees for customers by posting transactions in an order that would generate more fees." (The banking industry culls in a whopping $40 billion each year in overdraft fees.) Wells Fargo plans on appealing the ruling. (Pro tip: Credit unions won't nickle and dime you nearly as much, nor make you wallow through as much red tape.) more ›

Oh dear. Folks from the Cellular Telephone Industry Association, a wireless "nonprofit" group established in 1984, is in the process of suing San Francisco over our (alarmist?) Cell Phone Right-To-Know ordinance, according to SF Weekly. CTIA claims, among other things, "the city is not allowed to make decisions involving the wireless industry." more ›

Mommy and daddy, we wish you'd stop fighting. Is it because we're bad? Do you hate us? We promise to be good if you stop hating each other. Because when we read this: more ›

Despite being ordered by a court to hand over half of its revenue to SF Bay Guardian for illegally selling ads below cost, SF Weekly is not -- not! -- going out of business. OK?! more ›

Here's a morsel of alt weekly-vs.-alt weekly news to fill your belly: last Tuesday local alt weekly SF Bay Guardian was "granted its motion to intercept the income of the SF Weekly." The Weekly, if you recall, were branded as a bunch of predatory pricing hooligans against the Guardian in 2008, with the latter publication receiving a $21 million settlement. more ›

When you're arrested for a felony in the state of California, so is your DNA. The Golden State takes a DNA sample from everyone arrested for a felony, any felony, whether or not they’re eventually charged with a crime, much less convicted. But this isn't limited to rapists, puppy killers, and other violent offenders. This can apply to things like, say, drug arrests, those wrongfully arrested due to police misconduct, busted for writing a bad check, and people who've been arrested during political demonstrations. Not so free speech-y when you get your DNA is taken after expressing said right to free speech, right? Right. more ›

The Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control, a malignant cancer attacking San Francisco's nightlife scene, has dropped its "ambiguous" suit against Great American Music Hall. It seems the ABC was upset at the O'Farrell venue, according to NBC Bay Area, for "operating more like a nightclub than a restaurant." (They serve food at GAMH?!) This creepy attack from the booz controllers goes along with similar complaints they have filed against clubs like Cafe Du Nord and DNA Lounge. On Monday, however, "the ABC dismissed its complaint against the Great American Music Hall after an administrative law judge recommended the charges be dropped because 'the regulation relied upon by the ABC was ambiguous.'" more ›

The father of Oscar Grant III, Oscar Grant II, is suing the transit agency that he thinks is responsible for his son's death. According to CBS 5/AP, "Oscar Grant Jr., who is in prison for murder, filed the civil rights lawsuit in San Francisco federal court, seeking unspecified damages." His attorney says that he"hopes people look past his client's murder conviction to understand there was a close relationship between father and son." Which is oddly touching. And depressing. Anyway, BART Officer Johannes Mehserle, if you recall, sits in the clink, facing murder charges for killing Grant on New Year's Day. more ›

A Washington D.C. group called Cancer Project has filed a lawsuit in Superior Court today in Newark, New Jersey. On behalf of three cancer-ridden residents, the lawsuit claims that hot dog manufacturers need to use warning labels on their meat products, telling buyers that their products cause cancer. Also, before you persnickety sustainable wurst makers in the Bay Area fire off angry emails, the lawsuit is aimed at Kraft Foods Inc., manufacturer of the Oscar Mayer brand; Sara Lee Corp.; Nathan's Famous; and the makers of the Hebrew National and Sabrett brands -- you know, big guys only. According to Associated Press, "the lawsuit cites a report by the American Institute for Cancer Research that concluded regular consumption of processed meat can increase the risk of colorectal and other forms of cancer." more ›

At the risk of sounding like Cathy at the height of her menstruation cycle, we just love us some raw cookie dough. Mmm. It even has its very own ice cream, which should attest to the pre-baked dessert's popularity. But, whenever we reached for the cookie dough bowl in our youth, our mother would gently remind us that raw cookie dough contains raw eggs. Raw eggs that would KILL US DEAD. So, when you eat the stuff, it's at your own risk. more ›

Ladies, please sit down for this one. Hell, you guys should sit too. See, San Diego resident Alfred G. Rava sued the Oakland A's. Why? Well, on Mother's Day of 2004, the Oakland A's had a Mother's Day event. Said day celebrating certain vagina owners went like this: Before the game there was "a fight-breast-cancer 5K run before the game, free mammograms, and the first 7,500 women through the gate got floppy plaid sun hats from Macy's." Pretty cool, huh? Well, Rava, a San Diego attorney who happened to be in Oakland and at the ballpark that day, was so incensed at not receiving his own free floppy hat that he sued. What's more, a judge just gave "preliminary approval to a $510,000 settlement -- roughly half to lawyers and the rest to the victims." more ›

Wait, seriously? Sigh. Sit down for this one, folks: St. Louis Cardinals manager has his briefs in a bunch about the treacherous world wide web, and is now suing San Francisco-based Twitter. Why? Because someone created a fake Twitter account in his name. (An aside: Someone recently did this to your editor too, complete with fraudulent Twitter messages about us blowing rails and performing fellatio on Gavin Newsom. So, like, we now demand $5 from you, Twitter. Because it mildly annoyed us. Anyway.) According to BND.com, "[t]he lawsuit claims that someone created a false account under La Russa's name and posted updates, known as 'tweets,' that gave the false impression that the comments came from La Russa. The suit said the comments were 'derogatory and demeaning' and damaged La Russa's trademark rights." He's also suing for "emotional distress." Because he's a 12-year-old girl. more ›

Hooters, the restaurant chain famous for employing waitresses with visibly erotic bustlines, is in hot water this morning. It seems eight former Hooters employees filed a class-action lawsuit against the boobs-and-food eatery, claiming that "management systematically stole their tips at four Bay Area restaurants." (Which, if you know anyone in the service industry, is rumored to be a practice not as uncommon as it should be.) And this wasn't some scant change either; the ex-Hooter employees say that the management theft "amounted to about $40 per day per restaurant over the past four years." more ›

A federal judge ordered the Library of Congress to pay $500,000 to former Army Special Forces Commander Diane Schroer (née David Schroer) on Tuesday. Why? Well, after landing a terrorism analyst gig while she was still a man, the job was rescinded after Schroer told a library official that she was having sexual reassignment surgery to switch gender. This, to which many SFist readers can attest, is a problem transgendered folk face on a regular basis. "If [transgendered people] are fortunate enough to get something, it's well below their capabilities. It's not just about money, it's about knowing you are a valuable person," Schroer said after the settlement. After ruling in her favor in September, U.S. District Judge James Robertson wrote, "She experienced the emotional pain and suffering of losing her dream job merely because she was a transsexual," going on to point out, "She was well qualified for the job." more ›

Robert Cruz, 61, and Darwin Dias, 75, filed suit against San Francisco for being in gross violation of the Americans With Disabilities Act. On May 26, 2007, according to reports, "Cruz and Dias, both in motorized wheelchairs, say they took an elevator down from street level to meet friends at Cable Car Coffee in Hallidie Plaza on May 26, 2007. It was a Saturday at about 2:45 p.m." When they returned to the elevator at 4 p.m., they found it shut off with a sign on it that said the elevator only operates until 3 p.m. on weekends. (!) So, they were stuck, "facing 20 stairs up to street level and six stairs down to the station." With little help from Cable Car Coffee staff or two SFPD officers (who suggested they urinate in a corner gutter if they needed relief), firefighters eventually carried them to the lower level. Tomorrow, the Board of Supervisors vote whether or not Cruz and Dias deserve $92,000 for this glaring oversight. What say you, do they deserve $92,000 for SF city employees' (chronic) lack of responsibility? more ›

Slamming SF Weekly/VVM as a "deadbeat dad," SFBG Executive Editor Tim Redmond responded to Mike Lacey's rant about questions regarding today's story about how VVM has avoided payment in last year's alt-weekly lawsuit showdown. (Whew.) Redmond, in between attacking Lacey as an "asshole" and poking fun at his use of Dire Straits, claims that "VVM owes us $20 million and doesn't want to pay." He also calls out SF Weekly as "the greatest deadbeat in the history of the alternative press" and questions Lacey's accusation of SFBG suffering from "class bitterness." (Oh, neither one of you know the searing pain of class bitterness until you've lived in a dilapidated Victorian on Third Street next to an overpass while the Ritz-Carlton sits a few blocks down the street, riddled with vacancies. Just look at this gorgeous shit. It is stunning. Can you imagine being holed up in a sun-drenched 1 BR at the Ritz, complete with a few tasteful accents from Limn, a medicine cabinet full of Valium, and a giant HD TV? Because we sure can.) In the end, though, it makes for an interesting read into what's become of the SF alt-weekly scene. If you're looking SFBG's side of the story, go here and here. more ›

Been waiting forever for some choice SFBG v. SF Weekly drama? Well, wait no more. A golden-brown batch of it just came out over at SF Weekly, complete with libel accusations, Sabine women, and a Dire Straits quote. See, it seems SFBG Editor Tim Redmond sent VVM Executive Editor Mike Lacey a series of questions in order to update the status of their lawsuit. Which is to say, an article is in the works, and SFBG simply asked a series of questions. And Lacey? He published said series questions, followed by his official response. more ›

Family members of Oscar Grant are asking for a bountiful $50 million from Bay Area Rapid Transit, chief of police Gary Gee, and three of the officers (Tony Pirone, Marysol Domenic, and Johannes Mehserle). Oscar Grant, if you recall, was the young, unarmed father who was shot and killed by Officer Mehserle on New Year's Day. Grant family attorney Attorney John Burris has called the shooting "intentional." more ›

This just in. Carlos Sousa, Jr.'s family, who sued SF Zoo over their son's 2007 Christmas Day tiger mauling death, has agreed to a settlement. According to today's release: more ›

Concerned about your right to feel toasty, Duraflame has filed a lawsuit against the Bay Area Air Quality Management District for their 'Spare the Air' days, which bans the burning combustible materials (i.e., Duraflame logs) on days brimming with notably unhealthy air. The lawsuit claims that the air quality district failed to prove the region's need to limit the use of their logs. Duraflame spokesman Chris Caron said, "The district has failed to follow procedures to define why fire logs should be included in the solid fuel wood category with firewood, and nor did they make an adequate attempt to quantify the effectiveness of the new control measures." We can't imagine this lawsuit will help the company in any way whatsoever, other than making them look like a greedy and anti-green company. But there you have it. Eight 'Spare the Air' days have been called since the winter season started. more ›

The lawsuit professional back cracker Steven Biegel filed against Christopher Norberg, all over one measly, negative Yelp review, has been dropped. According to Norberg: more ›

After going to a chiropractor and having a billing dispute with the professional neck cracker, Christopher Norberg posted a negative review on Yelp, calling the guy a liar. The "doctor" in question, Steven Biegel, then in turn hit Norberg with a lawsuit. The review happened over a year ago, and Norberg has created his own site to tell his side of the story. According to his attorney, Michael Blacksburg, "If Christopher loses then anyone on Yelp who writes a negative review better be careful ... This strikes at the heart of Yelp's business model and other Web sites that provide a bulletin board for people to state what they think of businesses in their community." To read the damning review in question, go here (warning, .pdf!). more ›

With Tatiana's brutal attack nearing its one-year anniversary, the tiger's victim family sued the city of San Francisco and the San Francisco Zoo today for wrongful death. If you recall, the big cat escaped from her grotto last Christmas Day, attacking and killing 17-year-old Carlos Sousa Jr. According to reports, Marilza and, Carlos' parents, claim that "the zoo and the city, as owners of Tatiana, the Siberian tiger that jumped over its enclosure and mauled Sousa and two of his friends, are liable for Sousa's death, according to their attorney Michael Cardoza." The bumbling Dhaliwal brothers, Carlos' "friends," were also injured when the Tatiana jumped out of her pit. Word is the brothers, while drunk and/or high, taunted the tiger, which prompted the attack. Allegedly. more ›

Our favorite 'no' judge in San Francisco, Peter Busch, brought the hammer down on beloved Walgreens today. See, after SF banned the sale of cigarettes at all Walgreens, the company, in turn, brought a lawsuit against the city, claiming they had every right to go against the wishes of the Board of Supervisors. Walgreens goes on to say that the BOS' "violated its right to equal protection under the state and federal constitutions." more ›