New Jersey Lawyer News

Since fall of 2008, at least 486 people in more than 40 states have gotten sick with salmonella as a result of consuming tainted peanut butter. Six people have died. Out of the 486 cases around the nation, 19 cases have been reported in New Jersey alone.

What is one billionth of a meter wide, made from carbon, is as strong as steel but as flexible as plastic, conducts electricity and heat as well or better than most other conductors, and even emits light? No, not some science fiction gadget from the planet Krypton. The answer is, Nanotubes.

On November 20, 2008 IKEA and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) announced a voluntary recall of the IRIS and ALVINE Roman Blinds, sold exclusively at IKEA stores nationwide. Approximately 670,000 units of these blinds have been sold nationwide between July 2005 and June 2008 according to the CPSC.

In a potentially huge victory for consumers, on Monday, December 15, 2008, the United States Supreme Court ruled that tobacco companies that marketed so-called “light” cigarettes may be sued for fraud in state court actions. The Supreme Court ruled, by a 5-4 majority, in Altria Group v. Good, that three smokers from Maine may continue their lawsuit against the Altria Group, the parent company of Phillip Morris USA, a large cigarette maker. Unlike prior tobacco lawsuits brought by smokers which sought damages for pain and suffering, wrongful death, and other more traditional relief, the Good case seeks economic damages only.

By Shannon Henson, shannon.henson@portfoliomedia.com
Portfolio Media, New York (June 20, 2007)

Subscribers seeking class action status have filed a lawsuit against XM Satellite Radio Inc., accusing it of negligence and breach of contract for an outage in May

Many of you have heard the saying the only two certain things in life are death and taxes. While neither are avoidable, through proper planning you can assure that your wishes upon your death are carried out and that any financial consequences are minimized.

Much has been written in the recent days about the recent Attorney General Law Enforcement Directive and how it will impact the undocumented immigrant. This article is intended to give an overview as to what impact the new directive will have. Naturally, with any new policy the method and manner of implementation remains to be seen.

When a child is born with or s stricken with a developmental develops a disability, the Department of Health and Senior Services is legally responsible for making available in-home services at little to no cost to the family. This is called the Early Intervention Program. Some of the services available include, visiting nurses, speech therapists, physical therapists, developmental therapists and occupational therapists.

Should kids who commit crimes be punished or rehabilitated? The American justice system swings back and forth, at times believing we can stop juvenile crime by educating children and addressing their social conditions and other times believing that children are no different then adults and must be punished and scared into following the law. Today the Juvenile Courts attempt to do both.

Over the last several years I have observed a spike in the number of tickets been written for what is commonly referred to as expired touring privileges. It is no secret that in some states, the requirements for obtaining a valid driver's license are substantially less than in New Jersey. It is my understanding that in North Carolina and Tennessee as little as your name on a utility bill will suffice as proof of residency. In contrast, the Motor Vehicle Commission in New Jersey requires 6 points of proof which may consist of amongst other things a prior New Jersey Driver's license, utility bill, passport and most importantly proof that you are legally in the country in order to obtain a driver's license.

The Worker's Compensation system in New Jersey provides benefits to worker's injured or whom contract an occupational disease during their course of employment. Benefits include the payment of medical bills, temporary lost wages and compensation for any resulting permanent injury. Almost every worker is covered including farm workers. Persons considered to be independent contractors are not covered.

Your friend calls you and says he needs to speak to you right away. After a few minutes he tells you that unless he pays his landlord the rent by 5:00 p.m. he and his family will be evicted. He states that if you will just lend him $800.00 for a short time he will definitely pay you back. You reach into your wallet and count out eight one hundred dollar bills. You slide the money into your friends hand and he thanks you and waves good bye. Fast forward one year and you have yet to see a penny of the money. Sound familiar? Unfortunately this scenario plays out all too often. However, while you can never guarantee yourself that you will be repaid there are things that can be done to protect yourself.

An arrest or conviction can have profound consequences. Aside from any social stigma associated with being arrested or convicted of a crime or offense, you may not be able to get employment or obtain credit. For those you who have been convicted or a crime or offense there is hope. Hope comes is the form of an expungement.

This month, in our continued effort to inform the public about the legal system, we will explore some of the consequences of being arrested for driving a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, commonly known as DWI/DUI. It is important to keep in mind that this article is intended for informational purposes only, and, that no article can ever serve as a substitute for the advice of an experienced attorney familiar with all of the facts and circumstances of a particular client and his or her case.

In our continuing series of articles intended to inform the community of useful legal information, this month, we are discussing the little known, but extremely important legal deadlines that often determine whether or not someone may make a claim when they or a family member has been injured. Here are some basic, but very important points everyone should know about the statute of limitations and how their rights may be affected.

by Gary S. Shapiro, Esquire

You are driving down the highway and you notice flashing lights behind you. The officer approaches and asks you for your license, registration and insurance card. A few minutes later you are handed a number of tickets and the officer drives away. You sit there wondering what do I do? Do not panic. Help is on the way. This article is intended to educate the reader about municipal court and their rights.

With the price of a new home sky-rocketing many people find themselves renting rather than buying. This article is intended to provide you with an overview of the valuable right you possess as a tenant in New Jersey.

In this article, we will focus on the things everyone in the community should know about work-related injuries. To explain the basic rights and remedies under New Jersey's Worker's Compensation Act, a question and answer format is well suited:

The highest court in New Jersey has compared discrimination in our society to a cancer which must be aggressively cut out and prevented from spreading. One way New Jersey has dealt with the issue of discrimination is through the education of our youth in our public schools in the hopes that prejudice learned at home is eliminated through the cultural enlightenment of our impressionable children.

As a criminal defense lawyer with Shapiro & Sternlieb, LLC it is important to be familiar with the possible detrimental consequences of a plea bargain or conviction as it applies to a non-citizen. A conviction may result in a non-citizen being deported or be denied admission to the United States. This article is not intended to be a comprehensive discussion of the ramifications of every crime or offense as pertains to the issue of deportation or admissibility. Rather, it is intended to be an overview of the possible negative consequences of various offenses and crimes. Any client that is unsure of the interrelationship between their immigration status and a crime or offense would be best served by consulting with an immigration attorney. An immigration attorney will be in the best position to formulate arguments that will successfully protect a client from deportation or avoid issues of inadmissibility.

We have all heard the term "domestic violence" at some time or another. What does it mean? What are your rights if you are a victim of domestic violence? What can happen if you are accused of domestic violence? This article in intended as a brief overview of the rights of a victim of domestic violence and the criminal and civil ramifications for those found guilty of committing an act of domestic violence.