Sex Abuse Victim Wins Court Battle Against Priest

In what is being called a “landmark settlement,” a Minnesota woman has won a lawsuit that will prevent the priest who sexually abused her from returning to the ministry in India. Megan Peterson was just 14-years-old when she alleged Father Joseph Jeyapaul raped and assaulted her in her hometown of Greenbush. The abuse took place


City to Pay for Attempted Rape

A 29-year-old woman was recently awarded a $175,000 cash settlement from the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, after a sanitation worker attempted to rape her in her home while on the job. The civil suit was filed by the victim in 2010 after city employee Marcel Sifuentes Rodriguez, who purportedly snorted cocaine just prior to


NYC To Pay $5.75 Million Over Death of Inmate

It was announced on Tuesday, September 27, that New York City has settled with the family of a mentally ill Rikers Island inmate who died in custody for $5.75 million. The information was provided to the press by attorneys for the family and the Legal Aid Society Prisoners’ Rights Project, who helped work on the


VP Nominees Debate Abortion, Religion

During Tuesday’s first (and only) televised vice-presidential debate between Hillary Clinton’s running mate Tim Kaine and Donald Trump’s running mate Mike Pence, the issue of abortion was brought up, quickly changing the tone of exchange between the two men. When CBS news correspondent Elaine Quijano, who served as moderator of the debate, asked the question


Woman Sues Over Surgical Device Left in Her Body

After what was supposed to be a routine gynecological procedure, a California woman realized it would wind up being anything but. Michelle Doig-Collins visited her OB/GYN in April 2016 for a uterine ablation and tubal ligation; the mother of three had been experiencing prolonged bleeding during her menstrual cycle, which left her in a great


Proposed $60M Settlement For Injured Ohio Teen

In November of 2012, Cleveland resident Gasia Thomas (pronounced Jay-zuh), who was 12-years-old at the time, was walking to school with her younger sister when she touched a downed power line that remained on the ground after falling during Superstorm Sandy. As a result, the young girl suffered a severe traumatic brain injury among other


Protecting Religious Freedom for Good

Out in the rural hinterlands, it’s not unusual to pass yards with “Protect Religious Freedom” signs. Religious Freedom has become a dog whistle in recent years, with the “Religion” part understood to mean the speaker’s preferred brand of Christianity, and “Freedom” meaning, in practice, the ability to force others, who may not necessarily believe the


Flood Insurance and Catabolic Collapse

With last August’s 500-year flooding in Louisiana fresh in their minds, our pals over at FEMA are editing their flood insurance maps again. These maps are intended to be a reality-based assessment of the likely risk of damage from flooding, with people in the most vulnerable areas having to pay more, often significantly more, for flood


Civil Suit Filed Against Former Pittsburgh Police Sgt. For Brutality

A civil rights lawsuit has been filed against the city of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, former police Sergeant Stephen Matakovich, and the company in charge of security for Heinz Field by 20-year-old Gabriel Despres after the young man was viciously beaten before being charged with felony aggravated assault while attending a championship high school football game at


Chipotle to Pay Millions in Teen Employee Sex Assault Case

On Monday, September 26, a 16-year-old Houston, Texas, resident was awarded nearly $8 million in a sexual assault case against her former employer, nationwide fast-food chain Chipotle. After deliberating for just three hours, the jury ordered the restaurant pay the victim $7.65 million in damages subsequent to finding them accountable for the abuse she suffered at