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Minnesota is paying a sizable settlement after almost 90 years of a process the Supreme Court found unconstitutional last year.

FOX 9 first told you about Geraldine Tyler, a 94-year-old woman who sued Hennepin County.

Tyler left her Minneapolis condo in 2010, but never wanted to sell it.

Read more at News.law

Two of the world’s largest credit card networks, Visa and Mastercard, as well as the banks that issue cards with them, have agreed to settle a decadeslong antitrust case brought upon by merchants.

The settlement is set to lower swipe fees merchants pay when customers make purchases using their Visa or Mastercard by $30 billion over five years, according to a press release announcing the settlement Tuesday morning.

The settlement, which only applies to US merchants, is the result of a lawsuit filed in 2005. However, nothing is considered finalized until it receives approval from the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Even then, the case can also be appealed in what could be a lengthy battle.

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When it comes to managing overwhelming debt, it's essential to understand your debt relief options. Two common approaches are debt settlement and bankruptcy. Both have their merits and drawbacks, but which is right for you? This comparison aims to shed light on your options, helping you make an informed decision.

Debt Settlement involves negotiating with creditors to pay off a lump sum less than what you owe. It's an attractive option for those looking to avoid the long-term impacts of bankruptcy. However, it requires a lump sum of money upfront, may lead to taxable income on forgiven debt, and could negatively impact your credit score.

On the other hand, bankruptcy offers a legal pathway to either discharge your debts (Chapter 7) or reorganize them into a manageable repayment plan (Chapter 13). It provides a fresh start for many but has significant consequences, including a major hit to your credit score and a public record of your financial struggles.

When considering bankruptcy vs. debt settlement, assess your financial situation, long-term goals, and the impact on your credit. Debt settlement might be preferable if you have a manageable debt and can negotiate a reasonable settlement. Bankruptcy could be the better choice for insurmountable debt, offering legal protection and a structured path forward.

In conclusion, choosing between debt settlement and bankruptcy requires careful consideration of your financial circumstances and future objectives. If you need further assistance or guidance, The National Trial Lawyers directory can be an excellent resource for selecting legal representation. Here, you can find experienced attorneys specializing in debt relief options comparison to help you navigate your path to financial recovery.

The city of San Bernardino announced Friday, March 22, it has paid $4 million to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a man who allegedly was armed with a gun when he was fatally shot by police as he was running away from them outside an illegal casino.

The family of Rob Marquise Adams filed a lawsuit against the city and police Officers Michael Yeun and Imran Ahmed in December 2022, initially alleging Adams was shot seven times without justification. Most of those shots were in the back, according to the lawsuit.

Brad Gage, who along with nationally known civil rights attorney Ben Crump is representing Adams’ family, said Friday that Adams, 23, was actually shot six times, and one of the shots was a “through and through,” meaning one of bullets entered and exited Adams, leaving two wounds.

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Real estate brokerage company Compass Inc. will pay $57.5 million as part of a proposed settlement to resolve lawsuits over real estate commissions, the company said in a regulatory filing Friday.

The New York-based company also agreed to change its business practices to ensure clients can more easily understand how brokers and agents are compensated for their services, according to the filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Among the policy changes Compass agreed to make, the company will require that its brokerages and their agents clearly disclose to clients that commissions are negotiable and not set by law, and that the services of agents who represent homebuyers are not free. It also agreed to require that its agents who represent homebuyers disclose right away any offer of compensation by the broker representing a seller.

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San Mateo finalized its largest ever lawsuit settlement, paying $25 million to three victims sexually assaulted by a former police officer while he was on duty in 2015.

Noah Winchester was convicted in 2019 of sexually assaulting multiple women between 2013 and 2015 and was sentenced to more than 80 years in prison. In 2022, a civil suit was brought against the city, claiming that the Police Department was grossly negligent in its hiring of the officer, ignoring red flags, including previous sexual abuse allegations, that arose from working at other police departments.

“I would hope that the $25 million settlement against the city would be strong motivation for the city to take a very close look at their hiring practices and to make changes, but, as of yet, we still haven’t seen evidence of that,” Todd Emanuel, the attorney for the three women pursuing the civil case, said. “It concerns me that the city may still hold a terribly mistaken belief that Officer Winchester was just a fluke or just an unforeseeable rogue officer. That is not the case at all.”

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A federal judge has signed off on a $125 million settlement to certain users of the PACER electronic court records system.

Judge Paul Friedman of the US District Court for the District of Columbia gave his approval on Wednesday after lawyers for both PACER users and the federal judiciary urged him to do so at an October 2023 hearing.

Friedman’s approval will start the process for eligible PACER users to be automatically reimbursed up to $350 for fees they paid between April 21, 2010, and May 31, 2018. Class members would then get a proportional amount of the remaining funds, without receiving more than the total fees they paid during that time period.

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A federal judge signed off on bankrupt crypto firm Genesis Global Capital’s settlement with the Securities and Exchange Commission over allegations a digital-asset lending program it helped run violated the agency’s rules.

Genesis will pay $21 million under the terms of the agreement approved by the judge on Monday. The SEC sued Genesis and Gemini Trust Co. in January 2023, alleging that the companies illegally raised billions of dollars’ worth of cryptoassets from investors through the so-called Gemini Earn program.

The program, which was launched in February 2021, allowed Gemini customers to collect as much as 8% in interest on their digital-asset holdings by loaning them to Genesis. The SEC has said the arrangement violated securities laws.

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The Los Angeles City Council approved a settlement Tuesday of more than $24 million with the mother of a man who was fatally shot by two police officers at a Canoga Park home in 2017.

Council members voted 11-0 to approve a total of $24,450,750 to the family of Jesse Murillo. Council members Imelda Padilla, Nithya Raman, Hugo Soto-Martinez and Monica Rodriguez were absent during the vote.

In 2023, a federal jury concluded that Tammy Murillo should receive $23.8 million in compensation for the death of her son — one of the largest payouts ever awarded in a case involving an LAPD shooting.

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An Illinois jury has ordered Reckitt Benckiser unit Mead Johnson to pay $60 million to the mother of a premature baby who died of an intestinal disease after being fed the company’s Enfamil baby formula.

The jury in an Illinois state court in St. Clair County on Wednesday found that Mead Johnson was negligent and that it failed to warn of the risk of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The disease, which causes the death of bowel tissue, mostly affects premature newborns and has a fatality rate of about 15% to 40%.

The $60 million verdict includes compensation for plaintiff Jasmine Watson’s loss and grief, and for the pain and suffering of her baby, Chance Dean. Reckitt Benckiser said on Friday it would pursue all options to have the verdict overturned.

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The National Association of Realtors has agreed to pay $418 million to resolve several lawsuits brought against them by home sellers.

The lawsuits argue the NAR’s rules favor real estate agents and encourage a buyer’s agent to avoid showing them homes for sale where they would bring in less profit.

However, experts said right now, nothing is set in stone.

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The City Council is set to consider a massive $45 million settlement with the family of a 15-year-old boy who was left unable to walk or talk, after a crash during a police chase over a simple traffic stop in 2021.

The City Council Finance Committee on Monday will vote on the proposed settlement with Nathen Jones, who – according to a lawsuit filed in Cook County in 2022 – suffered a traumatic brain injury in the crash, and needs around-the-clock care for the rest of his life.

The city’s insurance policy would pay for $25 million of the settlement, with the city’s taxpayers responsible for the remaining $20 million.

Read more at News.law

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