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Informs on the indictment of Say Lye Ow, a former employee of Intel Corp., by a grand jury in San Jose, California, on charges of stealing trade secrets about the company's unreleased Itanium microprocessor.

Reports that Hollman Cheung, manager of the Asian games section of the Bicycle Club gambling parlor in Los Angeles, California, has been convicted of extortion in federal court.

Reports on the overturn of the judgment against actress Kim Basinger by the California state appeals court for backing out of a role. Background on the case; Basis of the judgment; Plan of Main Line Pictures Inc. to push for a retrial.

The article discusses government policies on the labeling of products as "Made in USA" put in place by the Federal Trade Commission, focusing on trials against the sports equipment manufacturer Lifetime Products. Other topics include the design and construction of basketball hoops by Lifetime, California's policies on the use of imported parts, and the opinions of Lifetime's chief executive officer Richard Hendrickson.

The article discusses a lawsuit filed in California against the state's Department of Education and teachers' unions the California Teachers Association and the California Federation of Teachers. Fifteen-year-old Beatriz Vergara is among nine students who are challenging state laws related to tenure and other employment issues they claim serve to protect bad teachers and impair students' educations. Technology entrepreneur David Welch is funding the action.

The article reports that Monster Beverage Corp., a maker of caffeinated energy drinks, is being sued by City Attorney Dennis Herrera of San Francisco, California for marketing its products to children. Public health officials have expressed concern about the impact of energy drinks on children's health, as has the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The article discusses a legal dispute between the event ticketing company Ticketmaster of the event promoter Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and the ticket re-seller StubHub Inc., reporting that California lawmakers have voted to preserve paperless ticketing technology as of April 2013. Topics include property rights, ticket scalping, and licensing.

The article discusses 2013 legal disputes between broadcast television networks, the web-based startup television service Aereo Inc., and copycat service Aereokiller LLC. Aereo financial backer Barry Diller, rival Alkiviades David, and networks such as Fox are mentioned, as well as court decisions regarding accusations of copyright infringement in New York and California.

The article discusses a grand jury indictment of Federico R. Buenrostro Jr., the former chief executive of the California Public Employees' Retirement System (Calpers), for alleged fraud. Topics include criminal charges against Buenrostro and his friend Alfred J. Villalobos; fees collected by the two from the private-equity group Apollo Global Management LLC; and the "pay-to-play" case involving California's retirement system.

The article reports that the U.S. Supreme Court has agreed to hear separate cases that challenge the constitutionality of the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act and Proposition 8, the state-wide ban on gay marriage in California. The former case is that of Edith Windsor, who was compelled to pay estate taxes after her spouse, Thea Clara Spyer, passed away. No tax would have been due had her spouse been male. INSET: Shifting Ground.

This article discusses litigation brought against the Bank of New York Mellon Corp. and the State Street Corp. concerning their alleged overcharging of clients in foreign-exchange trades for public pension funds. Topics include the status of lawsuits brought against the companies by California municipalities and the state of Virginia, the alleged claim that the companies violated the U.S. False Claims Act, and the origination of the cases as civil suits filed by company whistleblowers.

The article profiles Harold McElhinny and Charles Verhoeven, lawyers who represent Apple Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. respectively in a patent infringement lawsuit in California that alleges Samsung used Apple's smartphone and computer designs. The lawyers' legal tactics and opening statements are discussed, as well as their notable legal cases.

The article states that jury selection was scheduled to begin in Santa Clara, County, California, Superior Court in San Jose, California, in a trial involving U.S. technology companies Hewlett-Packard Co. (H-P) and Oracle Corp. on May 31, 2012. According to the article, the dispute between the corporate partners concerned the production of database software for some H-P server systems.

The article reports that a three-judge panel of the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that a California law banning gay marriage passed by a referendum in 2008 violated the equal protection clause of 14th Amendment to the Constitution. The strong likelihood supporters of the law will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court is discussed. INSET: Ruling May Add To Political Fracas.

The article discusses a civil complaint filed by Larry Ellison, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of computer software company Oracle Corp., against a married couple who are his neighbors in San Francisco, California. The action charges that Ellison has suffered a loss in the value of his property because the growth of large tree's on his neighbors' property has obstructed the views from his house of San Francisco Bay.

The article reports that retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is seeking to determine the sources of funding behind four lawsuits filed against it in California that seek to thwart its expansion. It has previously been disclosed that several grocers including Supervalu Inc. have secretly funded litigation against Wal-Mart, and have also hired Saint Consulting Group to oppose Wal-Mart's development plans.

The article reports that a jury in California awarded $269.2 million in damages to the television production company Celador International Ltd. in its civil action against Walt Disney Co. Celador had charged that Disney had concealed royalties due it for licensing fees of the successful television game show "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire."

The article discusses competition among lawyers to be chosen by Judge James Selna in Santa Ana, California as the lead plaintiff's attorney in litigation against Toyota Motor Corp. related to vehicle recalls arising from reports of sudden acceleration. Many lawyers including Daniel Becnel Jr. and Mark Robinson have sought to persuade Selna that they are best-suited to handle the case.

The article reports that a federal appeals court in San Francisco, California upheld a prior ruling that allowed a gender-discrimination suit against Wal-Mart Stores inc. to proceed on a class-action basis. Wal-Mart may appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court. Plaintiffs attorney Joseph Sellers says Wal-Mart could face a potential liability of over $1 billion.

The article reports that U.S. federal judge James V. Selna of Santa Ana, California has been appointed to hear the several dozen federal lawsuits filed against Toyota Motor Co. in connection with allegations that certain of its vehicles were prone to unintended acceleration. Selna has previously presided over several complex cases including one involving patent infringement between Qualcomm Inc. and Broadcom Corp.

The article reports that the family of Mark Naylor is suing Toyota Motor Corp. Naylor and three others were killed in San Diego, California when his rented Lexus vehicle accelerated to 120 miles per hour before crashing. A previous driver of the vehicle had complained to the Lexus dealership about the gas pedal sticking, and an emergency phone call from Naylor's car prior to the crash reported Naylor was unable to slow the car down.

This article reports that top U.S. Democratic fund raiser Norman Hsu has surrendered to California officials on grand-theft charges from the 1990s. Hsu is one of the biggest fund raisers for presidential candidate Hillary Rodham Clinton. Clinton's office declined comment on the news. Hsu is also being looked at by the Justice Department for a questionable pattern of donations by acquaintances.

The article reports on a disagreement which has developed between two California towns concerning the rights to call themselves and promote themselves Surf City USA. Santa Cruz and Huntington Beach both claim historical rights to the use of the name and will attempt to resolve the issue with the help of a court appointed mediator on April 23, 2007. If a successful resolution is not reached the case will go to court in 2008.

The article reports on an investigative probe into stock-option backdating at Broadcom Corp., a California-based broadband telecommunications company. The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is looking into the conduct of former Broadcom chief financial officer William J. Ruehle, who is alleged to have written emails to his staff ordering backdating stocks. The FBI has been pursuing this and many other cases of fraud to inflate company earnings and mislead auditors.

The article reports that Bankrate.com is facing a lawsuit concerning the mortgage rates posted to the Web site not being honored by lenders. The lawsuit was brought about by the Internet lender American Interbanc Mortgage LLC, which claims that lenders did not honor the rates that they advertised on Bankrate.com. The Superior Court of California in Orange County is hearing the lawsuit, which asks for $16.5 million in damages and at least $33 million in punitive damages.

The article focuses on Don Harris, a former minister of a Baptist church in Sacramento, California, who set up a nonprofit group that gives needy families the down-payment money needed to buy homes. Nehemiah Corp. of America has helped thousands of low- and moderate-income families with the down-payment gift. Mr. Harris is being accused of improperly taking fees from the corporation, which filed a lawsuit against him in California state court in 2003. Mr. Harris' answer to the Nehemiah lawsuit is mentioned, as well as the stance of the Internal Revenue Service on Mr. Harris's involvement with a for-profit marketing company.

Reports on the federal investigation of Milberg Weiss, a U.S. class-action law firm, and one of its litigators, William S. Lerach. Immunity granted to two former partners, including Alan Schulman whose secret testimony was heard by a grand jury in Los Angeles; Background on the four-year investigation of whether the New York-based firm made illegal payments to plaintiffs in securities class-action lawsuits; Indication that former partners David Bershad and Melvyn Weiss could face indictment for conspiracy; Why the investigation is significant and controversial; The role of retired lawyer Seymour Lazar in the investigation.

Reports that the California Supreme Court has ruled against Intel Corp. and in favor of the company's former employee, Ken Hamidi, in a lawsuit which equated unsolicited e-mail with trespassing. Judgement that Hamidi did not illegally trespass on Intel's computers by sending e-mail critical of the company's employment practices to its employees; Idea that the ruling could make it more difficult for companies to block the use of their e-mail systems for messages which they do not approve of; Opinion of the court that laws involving trespassing could still be used to block spam e-mail messages; View of civil liberties groups that the ruling was an important victory in preserving the use of e-mail as a medium for free expression.

The article argues against the lawsuit filed against ride-sharing firm Uber over alleged California Labor Code violations in 2015.

This section offers news briefs from the U.S. as of September 5, 2015 including the sentencing of college band member Caleb Jackson for his role in a drum major's hazing death, and the California wildfire that is expected to rage through the Labor Day weekend in the Sierra Nevada.

The article reports on a Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case which challenges California's restriction of residents from carrying a concealed handgun in public, with the challengers claiming people's right to bear arms under the Second Amendment.

The author comments on the move a group of environmental activists in April 2015 to sue the California state court to tear down the O'Shaughnessy Dam and drain the reservoir and if successful would create a severe water shortage in the Bay Area.

The article discusses the case filed against timberland owner Sierra Pacific by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection and the U.S. forest Service for the Moonlight Fire that burned about 65,000 acres in California in 2007.

The article presents U.S. news briefs, stating a Board of Regents committee for the University of California voted on November 19, 2014 to increase undergraduate tuition by up to five percent for each of the next five years, federal judge Meredith Jury gave leaders of San Bernardino, California a deadline of May 30, 2015 to file a debt repayment plan, and the National Institutes of Health released a proposed rule to compel scientists to make clinical study results public.

The article discusses two different livestock-feed additive-related lawsuits which were filed in a California court by a coalition of advocacy groups against the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, focusing on the medicated feed additive Topmax and the Merck & Co. pharmaceutical firm.

The article discusses education and several teachers unions in California that have reportedly filed an appeal against a June 2014 state court ruling in the case Vergara v. California which allegedly struck down certain protections for teachers in regards to tenure laws and seniority provisions.

The article presents U.S. judicial news briefs as of August 22, 2014, stating that Dias Kadyrbayev, a former college friend of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, pleaded guilty in federal court to obstruction of justice, District Judge Robert L. Hinkle declared Florida's ban on same-sex marriage was unconstitutional, and California attorney general Kamala Harris said she would appeal a federal court ruling that said California's death penalty was unconstitutional.

The article reports that U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Christopher Klein refused to rule if Stockton, California could reduce its civil service pension obligations in bankruptcy.

The article reports on the March 2014 filing of a class-action lawsuit in California against wearable activity tracker company Fitbit related to alleged skin irritation from its fitness-tracking bracelets and cites the company's earlier issuance of a product recall on them.

The article offers U.S. news briefs as of January 22, 2014 on topics including U.S. Republican Neel Kashkari's candidacy for governor of California, and the sentencing of Anthony Badalament, former manager of oil company Halliburton, to one year's probation for his involvement in the 2010 BP oil spill.

The article reports on the San Diego County Water Authority's lawsuit against the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California alleging price gouging on water delivery services, while Metro Water alleges that the Water Authority agreed on water delivery rates in 2003.

The article reports as of October 3, 2013 a jury in Los Angeles, California has cleared concert promoter AEG Live from liability in a wrongful death suit filed by the mother and children of the late singer Michael Jackson.

The article discusses attempts by several house paint manufacturers, including Sherwin-Williams Co., to delay a California court ruling in a suit by several California municipalities demanding that the companies remove lead paint from hundreds of thousands of homes.

Corrections are presented to articles including an article on the bankruptcy of San Bernardino, California published in the August 29, 2013 issue, an article on the supermarket chain Whole Foods Market Inc. published in the August 22, 2013 issue and an article on baseball pitcher Matt Cain published in the August 28, 2013 issue.

The article presents U.S. news briefs for the week of July 3, 2013, including information on how the judge overseeing the trial of Fort Hood, Texas murder suspect Nidal Hasan entered a not-guilty plea, how California state regulators agreed to expansion plans for a hazardous-waste dump, and how the lawyer of ricin-letter bombing suspect James Everett Dutschke seeks to delay the trial.

The author discusses law and nonprofit organizations in California as of May 31, 2013, with a focus on child sex abuse committed by the Catholic Church, efforts to remove the statute of limitations, and potential litigation and claims payments facing nonprofits.

The article presents news briefs from around the U.S. on several topics including the derailment and explosion of a CSX Corp. cargo train near Baltimore, Maryland, wildfires in southern California, and the sentencing on bank-fraud charges of former Michigan Supreme Court Justice Diane Hathaway.

The article presents news briefs from around the U.S. on several topics including a gun-control measure signed into law by California Governor Jerry Brown, a $240 million jury award for 32 mentally-disabled men who were determined to have been abused by turkey-processing firm Henry's Turkey Service, and Carmen Blandin Tarleton,a disfigured Vermont woman who received a new face.

The article presents U.S. news briefs as of April 30, 2013 on topics such as desertion charges faced by the U.S. soldier Kimberly Rivera and a police search for a suspect in the stabbing of a girl in Valley Springs, California.

A letter to the editor is presented in response to the article "Bondholders, Beware" in the April 2, 2013 issue that addresses a ruling by Judge Christopher Klein in the Chapter 9 bankruptcy case of Stockton, California that was against the city's bondholders.