Ex-Schuyler teacher seeks OK to plead guilty

Headline Legal News 2011/08/01 08:58   Bookmark and Share
A former Schuyler teacher accused of sending nude photos and sexually explicit text messages to a student is asking to plead guilty.

The Columbus Telegram reports that 26-year-old Jesse Harmon faces federal charges of enticing a minor in sexually explicit conduct, visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography.

According to a document filed last month, Harmon requested permission to plead guilty.

A police affidavit filed in Colfax County District Court says Harmon's texts included nude photos of himself, talk about sexual contact and requests for suggestive photos of the 16-year-old student.

A federal hearing for Harmon is scheduled for Aug. 19. He had pleaded not guilty in the state case before it was dropped.

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The Rosen Law Firm Announces Class Action Lawsuit Against JBI, Inc.

Press Release 2011/08/01 01:57   Bookmark and Share
The Rosen Law Firm, P.A. announces that a class action lawsuit for violations of the federal securities laws has been filed against JBI, Inc. /quotes/zigman/573088 JBII +5.11% based on allegations that the company issued materially misleading financial statements to the investing public. If you purchased JBI stock during the period from August 28, 2009 to July 20, 2011 you can join the class action and seek to recover your investment losses.

To join the JBI class action, visit the firm's website at http://www.rosenlegal.com , or call Jonathan Horne, Esq., toll-free, at 866-767-3653; you may also email jhorne@rosenlegal.com for information on the class action. The case is pending the U.S. District Court for the District of Nevada.

NO CLASS HAS YET BEEN CERTIFIED IN THE ABOVE ACTION. UNTIL A CLASS IS CERTIFIED, YOU ARE NOT REPRESENTED BY COUNSEL UNLESS YOU RETAIN ONE. YOU MAY CHOOSE TO DO NOTHING AT THIS POINT AND REMAIN AN ABSENT CLASS MEMBER.

The Complaint alleges that JBI materially overstated its income in connection with its acquisition of JavaCo, Inc. in 2009. As part of the transaction JBI exchanged 1 million shares of its stock for $9,997,134 worth of media credits. The Complaint alleges that JBI's financial statements were false and misleading because (1) the media credits acquired by the Company in connection with the acquisition of JavaCo were substantially overvalued; (2) that the Company was improperly accounting for acquisitions; (3) that, as such, the Company's financial results were not prepared in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP"); (4) that the Company lacked adequate internal and financial controls; and (5) that, as a result of the above, the Company's financial statements were materially false and misleading at all relevant times.

On May 21, 2010, JBI disclosed that its previously issued financial statements for the 2009 fiscal year and third quarter should no longer be relied upon. On July 14, 2011, the Securities and Exchange Commission advised the Company that it was recommending enforcement action against it and possibly one or more of its former officers in connection with the Company's issuing materially inaccurate financial statements.

News that JBI was required to restate its financial statements and was subject to an SEC enforcement action for violation of the federal securities laws has caused its stock price to drop substantially, damaging investors.

You may participate in the securities class action lawsuit to recover your investment losses. If you purchased JBI stock, please visit the website at http://rosenlegal.com to participate in the class action and to obtain more information. You may also contact Laurence Rosen or Phillip Kim of The Rosen Law Firm toll free at 866-767-3653 or via e-mail at or lrosen@rosenlegal.com or pkim@rosenlegal.com.

The Rosen Law Firm represents investors throughout the globe, concentrating its practice in securities class actions and shareholder derivative litigation.

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Sparks Justice Court to be open four days a week

Court News 2011/07/25 08:23   Bookmark and Share
Sparks Justice Court is planning to go to four-day work weeks because of budget cuts.

Justice of the Peace Kevin Higgins says court staff will work from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, and take only a half-hour lunch. Public access will be 8-5 on those days.

He says the court like other agencies is under a mandate to cuts wages and benefits by 7 percent, and the compact work week was the only option allowing the court to continue services without losing more staff.

He says judges will still be available for emergency matters, such as processing search warrants and protective orders.

The change needs confirmation from the Washoe County Commission, but is expected to take effect Aug. 15 and last the rest of the fiscal year.





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Iowa insurers get more time on new health law

Topics in Legal News 2011/07/24 08:23   Bookmark and Share
Iowa insurance companies have been given more time to comply with a new federal rule designed to curb insurers' profits.

The regulation that went into effect this year calls for insurance companies to spend at least 80 percent of premiums on medical care and quality assurance. For employer plans covering more than 50 people, the requirement is 85 cents. Insurers that fall short of the mark are required to issue their customers a rebate.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services told the state on Friday that Iowa insurers will be given have to reach the 80 percent mark by 2013, but will be required to meet interim goals until then, the Des Moines Register reported.

The Iowa Insurance Division had requested extra time to comply with the law, citing fears that insurers would leave the state in droves. Six pulled out of Iowa after the law was passed.

Steve Larsen, director of HHS' Center for Consumer Information and Oversight, said in a letter to the state that implementing the law in Iowa in 2011 could cause turmoil in the insurance market. So, he laid out a timetable for compliance that calls for Iowa insurers to spend 67 percent of premiums on medical care this year, 75 percent in 2012 and 80 percent in 2013.

Iowa insurance commissioner Susan Voss said she wasn't displeased by the decision. The state had sought even more time for companies to comply, but, "I don't think we'll see companies exit as a result of this," Voss said.

Of those particularly hard-hit by the law are insurers who sell individual policies because those premiums are more volatile. Employers or large groups can negotiate for better premiums, and the risk in those plans are spread among the group.

There are 56 insurance companies in Iowa that offer individual policies. Seven of those account for 95 percent of the market, with Wellmark holding onto almost 84 percent. Wellmark spent 92 percent of premiums on care but none of the state's other top insurers met the 80 percent standard in 2010.

Federal regulators said that had the law gone into effect this year, Iowa consumers would have received $6.5 million in rebates over three years.


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Calif county drafting solar-ag compatibility law

Topics in Legal News 2011/07/24 08:23   Bookmark and Share
A California county is drafting a solar power law designed to protect agriculture.
The Yolo County ordinance would require solar project applicants to prove there is no available non-prime farmland nearby and would require developers to set aside land for farming and wildlife.

The Sacramento Bee says a vote on the ordinance could come as early as September.

Big solar projects are blossoming in California because of a new state law requiring utilities to obtain 33 percent of their power from renewable sources. The deadline for hitting the 33 percent mark is 2020.

Plans for a solar law come as developers Angelo Tsakopoulos and Phil Angelides propose rows of metal and concrete solar panels on 688 acres of rice-growing land in Yolo County near Interstate 80 and the Yolo Causeway.

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Court denies motion to stop Loughner medication

Court Watch 2011/07/23 08:23   Bookmark and Share
A federal court Friday night denied an emergency motion by defense lawyers to keep prison officials in Missouri from forcibly medicating the Tucson shooting rampage suspect with a psychotropic drug.

In a one-page ruling, judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals also denied a request by Jared Lee Loughner's attorneys for daily reports about his condition at a federal prison facility in Springfield, Mo.

The judges said their denial is without prejudice to the defense seeking appropriate relief in the district court. The 9th Circuit had previously scheduled an Aug. 30 hearing in San Francisco on an appeal by Loughner's lawyers over forced medication. It wasn't immediately clear if that hearing will still be held.

Calls to lead Loughner attorney Judy Clarke for comment Friday night weren't immediately returned.

Federal prosecutors said in a filing earlier Friday that Loughner should remain medicated because he may be a danger to himself and his mental and physical condition was rapidly deteriorating.

Loughner's attorneys questioned Thursday whether the forced medication violates an earlier order by the 9th Circuit that forbid prison officials from involuntarily medicating Loughner as the court mulls an appeal on his behalf. They also said their client has been on 24-hour suicide watch.

U.S. Attorney for Arizona Dennis Burke wrote in his filing Friday that "despite being under suicide watch, Loughner's unmedicated behavior is endangering him and that no measure short of medication will protect him from himself more than temporarily because they do not address the mental state which underlies his self-destructive actions."

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