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Dominican Republic quits OAS's human rights court
Court Watch |
2014/11/05 20:54
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The Dominican Republic withdrew as a member of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights on Tuesday, leading rights activists to raise concerns about the welfare of migrants in the Caribbean country.
The announcement came just weeks after the human rights court found the Dominican Republic discriminates against Dominicans of Haitian descent, angering the government, which called the findings "unacceptable" and "biased."Last year, a Dominican court ruled that people born in the Dominican Republic to migrants living there illegally were not automatically entitled to citizenship, basically rendering thousands of people stateless.
The government has since pledged to resolve their status but has only offered residency and work permits under a new program.The Costa Rica-based Inter-American Court had given the Dominican government six months to invalidate the Dominican court's ruling.
In a 59-page ruling issued Tuesday night, the Constitutional Court said the country had to withdraw from the rights court because the Senate never issued a resolution to ratify the February 1999 agreement with the rights court as required by the Dominican constitution. |
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Nevada court says Strip club dancers are employees
Court Watch |
2014/11/04 22:38
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In a legal decision with wide implications for strip clubs in Sin City, the Nevada Supreme Court ruled Thursday that dancers at one Las Vegas club are employees, not independent contractors, and are entitled to be paid minimum wage.
The unanimous ruling Thursday in a 2009 class-action lawsuit filed on behalf of six dancers at Sapphire Gentlemen's Club could change the landscape statewide in a business where dancers have for decades depended on tips and even paid "house fees" to establishments that allowed them to work.
"Given that Sapphire bills itself as the 'World's Largest Strip Club,' and not, say, a sports bar or nightclub," the high court said, "we are confident that the women strip-dancing there are useful and indeed necessary to its operation."
Mick Rusing, the Tucson, Arizona, attorney who represented plaintiff Zuri-Kinshasa Maria Terry and five other dancers in the initial case, said the ruling might directly effect more than 6,500 current and former members of the affected class, dating to about 2006.
Rusing said they could be entitled to a combined $40 million in back wages, plus the return of house fees.
"And it keeps going up every month," Rusing said. "As employees, you get a lot of rights. The girls are entitled to be paid. At very least, minimum wage."
Sapphire officials and the attorneys who represented the company before the Supreme Court didn't immediately respond to messages.
The Supreme Court ruling, written by Justice Kristina Pickering, declared clubs are not exempt from provisions of the federal Fair Labor Standards Act.
That includes worker compensation and sexual harassment rules, Rusing said. |
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North Carolina Worker's Compensation & Social Security Disability
Attorney News |
2014/11/04 22:37
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We at DiRusso & DiRusso have been helping those in our area with legal need for the past 23 years. Located near Mount Airy, North Carolina, we are grateful for the citizens of Surry County for consistently choosing us for legal representation. Our staff takes pride in this distinction and we believe it is wise that our clients chose local
counsel.
Unlike firms in the larger cities, it is important to us that our clients speak directly with DiRusso and DiRusso, not assistants or paralegals. This local touch extends to our knowledge of the local employers, local court officials, and local employers. It is of upmost importance that we are available to you and sensitive to the needs of
the area.
In addition to being local, we also have the expertise and resources to advocate for you, no matter who you're going against. We at DiRusso and DiRusso are here to listen compassionately about the difficult time you may be having, while also being solution-oriented. Our attorneys are dedicated to representing their clients, and nobody else. We will provide you with current rules, cases, and codes to keep you up to date with the law.
Call us today to speak with an attorney regarding your case. Your initial consultation concerning Personal Injury, Social Security Disability, and Workers' Compensation is always free. |
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Divorce Litigation and Child Custody & Visitation in Northern Virginia
Attorney News |
2014/10/30 16:50
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The Law Offices of Tenecia P. Reid is dedicated to providing outstanding and creative legal solutions to clients throughout Northern Virginia.
The Law Offices of Tenecia P. Reid is here to help you determine how to achieve your goals and maintain your interests. Our exemplary legal counsel assists those throughout Northern Virginia who need an honest assessment of their legal situations. We will advocate on your behalf, advise you on the best course of action, and inform you of the financial and time commitment needed for success.
We specialize in both uncontested divorce cases as well as those with child support, custody, alimony, property, relocation, and other complications. In addition to divorce cases we also have experience with contempt actions, paternity issues, and injunctions, and
protective orders.
Call us today for a consultation, and our attorneys will assist you in traversing the legal system and finding the best outcome for your situation. |
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Marine wants new charges in Iraq war crime tossed
Court Line |
2014/10/30 16:50
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The Marine Corps should not be retrying a sergeant whose murder conviction in a major Iraq war crime case was overturned by the military's highest court after he served half of his 11-year sentence, his defense attorneys say.
Civilian defense attorney Chris Oprison said he has filed nine motions that he will present during a two-day hearing for Lawrence Hutchins III that starts Thursday at Camp Pendleton Marine Corps base, north of San Diego.
"We think all these charges should be dismissed," Oprison said. "What are they trying to get out of this Marine? He served seven years locked up, away from his wife and family. Why are they putting him through this again after he served that much time?"
The military prosecution declined to comment.
The Marine Corps ordered a retrial for Hutchins last year shortly after the ruling by the Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces that found his rights were violated by interrogators in 2006 when he was detained in Iraq and held in solitary confinement without access to a lawyer for a week.
The new defense team is asking the judge to let them go to Iraq to interview witnesses in the village of Hamdania, where Hutchins led an eight-man squad accused of kidnapping an Iraqi man from his home in April 2006, marching him to a ditch and shooting him to death. Hutchins has said he thought the man was an insurgent.
Before his release, the Marine, from Plymouth, Massachusetts, had served seven years in the brig for one of the biggest war crime cases against U.S. troops to emerge from the war. None of the other seven squad members served more than 18 months.
The military last summer re-charged Hutchins. Among the charges is conspiracy to commit murder, which Oprison said is double jeopardy. Hutchins was convicted of murder at his original trial and acquitted of murder with premeditation.
Hutchins' defense attorneys also say the military compromised his case when its investigators raided defense attorneys' offices at Camp Pendleton in May. Oprison said investigators rifled through privileged files that held "the crown jewels" of Hutchins' defense case. |
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