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Court sets aside class-action suit by Costco women
U.S. Court News |
2011/09/17 08:53
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Citing the U.S. Supreme Court's recent Walmart ruling, a federal appeals court set aside - but did not dismiss - a class-action suit by more than 700 women who accused discount retailer Costco of using an old-boys' network to bypass them for promotions.
A federal judge in San Francisco ruled in 2007 that the women had presented enough evidence of a common culture at Costco to proceed with a single nationwide suit against the company, rather than file individual claims.
The Ninth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals overturned that decision Friday, relying in part on the Supreme Court's ruling in June dismissing a class action against Walmart by as many as 1.5 million female employees. The high court said the women had failed to show a company-wide policy that allegedly led to gender-based disparities in pay and promotions.
Likewise, the appeals court said, the Costco plaintiffs have not yet shown that they have enough in common to justify a class action.
The court said opposing expert witnesses disagreed about a central issue - whether the company promoted women less often than men in all regions or only a few - and said U.S. District Judge Marilyn Hall Patel should have resolved the dispute before letting the case proceed. |
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Appeals court upholds sentence in Ponzi scheme
U.S. Court News |
2011/09/16 08:54
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A federal appeals court has upheld the 30-year prison sentence for a man convicted of operating what prosecutors called the largest Ponzi scheme in Louisiana's history.
In a 15-page opinion issued Friday, the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the sentence for Matthew Pizzolato, of Tickfaw.
Pizzolato also was ordered to make over $15 million in restitution to the 165 victims he defrauded. He had offices in Baton Rouge, Covington, Hammond and Lake Charles and advertised investment services under several company names, including Gulf Region Guaranty Inc.
Prosecutors said he promised high rates of return and claimed investors' money was protected against losses, but made risky investments they didn't authorize, gave away millions to friends and family and spent much of the money on luxury items for himself. |
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Guilty plea for Va. man in $318K Social Security fraud
U.S. Court News |
2011/09/09 08:56
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A Bristol man has pleaded guilty to stealing Social Security benefits and making false statements in an attempt to hide the thefts.
Seventy-one-year-old David Ross entered the plea Thursday in federal court in Abingdon.
Ross faces a sentence of up to 65 years in prison on all counts.
Federal prosecutors say Ross admitted stealing more than $318,000 in benefits that had been intended for his mother, who died in 1971. He told the Social Security Administration that his mother died in December 2010. |
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NC judge mulls US Airways claim of pilot slowdown
U.S. Court News |
2011/08/23 10:36
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A federal judge in North Carolina says he'll rule soon on a lawsuit by US Airways claiming its pilots are staging an illegal work slowdown.
The Charlotte Observer reported Tuesday that the union representing US Airways pilots says the airline is trying to intimidate the pilots into flying on time no matter the risk.
The sides wrapped up their case in Charlotte on Monday.
Tempe, Ariz.-based US Airways says in the lawsuit filed late last month that its pilots are deliberately delaying flights and that its busiest hub in Charlotte has been disproportionately affected.
Capt. Michael Cleary of the Charlotte-based US Airline Pilots Association testified no slowdown is taking place.
The two sides have had a contract dispute since US Airways merged with America West in 2005. |
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