Mississippi Business Journal » courts

Chancellor to rule soon on county’s bid to leave waterway district

Associated Press — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 13:05:58 +0000

PURVIS — A specially appointed chancellor said he would make a ruling within the next few days on whether Lamar County has a state-given right to leave the Pat Harrison Waterway District. The Hattiesburg American reports Chancellor Hollis McGehee was asked yesterday to decide on Lamar County’s request for a partial summary judgment. The county [...]

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Court: Not enough info to make ruling on tort cap

Associated Press — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:43:29 +0000

JACKSON — The Mississippi Supreme Court says it does not have enough information to decide whether the state’s limit on noneconomic damages — as applied to a federal lawsuit — is constitutional. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans, which is considering an appeal of a damage award against Sears, Roebuck and [...]

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Judge rules TVA liable for massive ash spill

Associated Press — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 13:08:34 +0000

NORTH MISSISSIPPI — A federal judge has ruled that the Tennessee Valley Authority is liable for a huge spill of toxin-laden sludge in 2008 in East Tennessee. The judge ruled in favor of hundreds of plaintiffs who sued after a containment dike at TVA’s Kingston Fossil Plant burst Dec. 22, 2008. The failure spilled five [...]

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Monsanto, Scruggs Farm Supply await judge’s ruling

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:29:36 +0000

TUPELO — A federal judge in Mississippi has heard arguments from the Monsanto Co., which is seeking $27 million in damages from a Tupelo farm supply business and its owners in an ongoing dispute over saving and selling its patented seeds. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports U.S. District Judge Michael Mills made no decision [...]

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Ladners plead guilty to Katrina clean-up fraud

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 17:25:52 +0000

BAY ST. LOUIS — Former Hancock County road manager Roger Ladner has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bribery involving federal money for Katrina ditch-cleaning projects. His wife, Sharon, has pleaded guilty to falsification of records in a federal investigation. Both entered pleas yesterday before U.S. District Judge Halil Sul Ozerden in Gulfport. Later, Donald [...]

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State lawmaker appeals pay-out ruling to Supreme Court

Associated Press — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:06:30 +0000

TUPELO — State Rep. Brian Aldridge has asked the Mississippi Supreme Court to throw out a ruling that he pay more than $200,000 to his aunt, whose estate was plundered by his father. The Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal reports Aldridge filed an appeal after a Lee County judge denied his motion for a new trial. [...]

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Businessman gets prison time for work visa fraud

Associated Press — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 16:39:17 +0000

GULFPORT — A 41-year-old South Florida businessman has been sentenced to prison, fined and ordered to pay $197,000 to 29 victims of visa fraud. The Sun Herald reports Michael V. Lombardi received a prison term of four years and three months, was fined $10,000 and given three years of probation after he serves his full [...]

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MDOT awards funds frozen due to mayor’s financial problems

Associated Press — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 12:47:33 +0000

SOUTHAVEN — Southaven is getting $850,000 to link the city’s two largest parks with a bike path and walking trail after learning state officials have released the funds that had been frozen because of Mayor Greg Davis’ financial problems. The Commercial Appeal reports aldermen learned yesterday the enhancement grant for the nearly three-mile trail between [...]

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Howard Industries settles post-raid discrimination lawsuit

Associated Press — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 15:21:26 +0000

LAUREL — Federal court records show a Mississippi company that was the target of the largest U.S. workplace raid on illegal immigrants has settled a discrimination lawsuit by four black women who claimed the company gave preferential treatment to Latinos. A tentative settlement was announced in February. Details were released in court documents filed this [...]

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Davis looks to keep his paycheck from garnishment by Pickering

Associated Press — Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:00:19 +0000

SOUTHAVEN — Mayor Greg Davis is seeking a temporary restraining order to prevent Mississippi Auditor Stacey Pickering from garnishing his paycheck to recover disputed debt. The Commercial Appeal reports the temporary order is part of a counter suit filed by Davis that also seeks to force Southaven to restore a $35,000 stipend the mayor had [...]

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