Los Angeles County’s court system is making millions of dollars charging for online access to records, turning its management of public information into a profit center.

No other major urban county in California charges for online access to court records that can help someone learn whether a doctor was sued for malpractice, a contractor was accused of shoddy work, or a prospective tenant had a habit of skipping out on the rent.

There is no charge for an electronic search of civil lawsuits filed in Orange, San Diego, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. An identical search is also free in most counties of the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as in Sacramento, San Joaquin, Fresno, and Kern counties.

Although the public pays, lawyers and law firms among the 22,000 members of the Los Angeles County Bar Assn. can get free access to the civil case information.

Los Angeles County court officials say comparison with other jurisdictions is unfair because the county’s system is the largest in the nation.

Even so, the fee charged by the L.A. County court for online searches of public records is out of line with major courts around the country.

The second-largest state court in the nation — Chicago’s Cook County — offers online searches of civil cases without a fee.

And it is possible to do an online search of a master index of cases filed in most federal district, bankruptcy, and appellate courts across the country for eight cents a page. To view and print a document filed in federal court also costs eight cents a page.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

A Kansas district court judge recently refused to reinstate criminal charges against a nationally known abortion doctor, Dr. George Tiller, ruling that the Kansas attorney general had overstepped his authority in the case.

But the antiabortion activists who pray daily outside Tiller’s clinic are not willing to concede defeat.

Last spring they gathered more than 7.700 signatures demanding that a grand jury be convened to investigate the death of a 19-year-old mentally disabled patient at the doctor’s clinic and a spokesperson for the activists indicates that another petition drive will start shortly.

Kansas law permits abortions of viable fetuses only if the woman’s life is in danger or if two doctors certify that continuing the pregnancy would cause "a substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function." Tiller’s clinic reported aborting 240 viable fetuses last year and it has been argued that, in some cases, the women were not facing irreversible health risks but rather were suffering from depression or anxiety.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

Landlords sue to say they can’t police immigration

The American Civil Liberties Union and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund joined hands to say a city in Texas can’t require apartment managers to check on the legality of prospective tenants.

The Dallas suburb of Farmers Branch has barred landlords from renting to illegal immigrants was sued Tuesday by these two civil rights groups that allege the controversial ordinance turns property owners into immigration agents and violates federal law.

The ACLU and MALDEF are challenging the law on several constitutional grounds. They argue that it violates the due process clause because it does not make clear which immigration documents are acceptable and which are not, the contract clause because it interferes with a business transaction between landlord and tenant without proper cause, and the equal protection clause because it only applies to some landlords. But the primary argument is that it exceeds the city’s powers because only the federal government can enforce immigration laws.

Doctors seek to sue Blue Cross

The California Medical Assn. wants to join patients in a dispute over canceled policies.

California’s largest physician organization on Tuesday asked to join patients in a class-action lawsuit alleging that Blue Cross illegally dumps policyholders after authorizing expensive medical treatment and then refuses to pay the bills.

The medical association, which represents more than 30,000 physicians, calls the cancellations illegal, unfair and routine. The organization also says the cancellations hurt patients, physicians and hospitals as well as taxpayers, who end up footing the bill for medical care for patients who lose private coverage.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

In three current high-profile criminal cases, federal prosecutors have asked that the identities of Israeli government witnesses be withheld from defendants and their attorneys — a move some legal scholars see as a highly unusual end run around the 6th Amendment.

Defense attorneys in all three cases have argued, with mixed results, that allowing U.S. prosecutors to keep the witnesses’ identities secret — as demanded by Israel to protect its agents — violates their clients’ constitutional right to confront their accusers.

Though courts have allowed witnesses to testify in secured courtrooms or found other ways to protect their identities when they might be in danger, experts say it is extraordinary to keep the identities secret even from defense attorneys.

The Texas case involves seven former officials of the now-defunct Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, once the nation’s largest Islamic charity, which was founded in Los Angeles and later based in Texas. The defendants, all but one a U.S. citizen, are charged with supporting terrorism by sending money to overseas charities that the U.S. and Israel contend are controlled by Hamas.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

The Los Angeles County district attorney has decided to investigate two elected officials who borrowed hundreds of thou sands of dollars through a low-interest loan program originally intended to help city administrations and executives afford to live in town.

The probe stems from complaints about Inglewood’s Residential Incentive Policy program, in which the mayor and treasurer participated.

A criminal investigation is being conducted.

The two-term mayor, a former Municipal and Superior Court judge, borrowed $500,000 in taxpayer money in November 2004, five months after he voted with a bare majority of the City Council to extend the loan program to elected officials, documents show.

At the time he received the 30-year loan with a variable interest rate of 2.39%, the rate for adjustable mortgages nationally was above 5%, according to the Federal Housing Finance Board.

The treasurer, who is in her early 60s, took out a city loan for $235,000 in 2005, records show. In an interview, she said she was attracted by the low interest rate (2.868% in her case) which, according to the loan program rules, could never vary by more than 2 percentage points.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

Lawmaker’s files sought by grand jury

A federal grand jury has subpoenaed congressional records from Rep. Curt Weldon as part of a Justice Department corruption probe aimed at determining whether Weldon used his influence to win favors for family members, people familiar with the investigation said.

Indians lose California Supreme Court ruling

A divided California Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Indian tribes can be sued for violating the state’s campaign disclosure law even though tribes enjoy sovereign immunity under federal law.

Fidelity to pay in gift probe

Fidelity Investments said Thursday it will pay $42 million into its funds to cover potential losses by stock traders who steered Fidelity business to a brokerage that lavished them with extravagant gifts and entertainment.

Judge tosses LA mayor’s school takeover

A Superior Court judge Thursday struck down legislation that gave Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa substantial authority over the Los Angeles Unified School District, a stunning setback to his plans for direct control of dozens of Los Angeles schools.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

Merck Wins Another

Merck wins its fourth federal case involving Vioxx when a jury rejected a man’s cliam that Vioxx caused his heart attack back in 2003.  On a verdict questionnaire, the jury answered "no" when asked if evidence showed that Merck had failed to adequately warn the plaintiff’s doctors of the risks of Vioxx. According to Merck, the company still faces 27,200 personal injury lawsuits over Vioxx.

Investigators struggle to determine source of E. Coli Outbreak

Preliminary tests by a private lab had shown that green onions were the source of an E. Coli outbreak in the Northeast. However, the tests were misleading and officials now say they may never determine the cause of the outbreak with certainty. A total of 466 confirmed or suspected case of E. Coli were linked to Taco Bell.

Fraternity Members Indicted for Pledge’s Death

Three leaders of a suspended University of Texas fraternity were indicted on multiple counts of hazing and serving alcohol to minors that ultimately led to a student’s death. According to the county attorney, the victim endured months of "mental and physical torture" and consumed a fatal amount of alcohol at a pledge party as part of his initiation. Court documents show the hazing took place over a period of four months and that pledges were ordered to "exercise until the point of fainting, drink water until they vomited, and receive swats from a wooden paddle."

Bush Administration Appeals Redesign of Currency for the Blind

The Bush administration has requested that an appeals court overturn a district court ruling ordering the Treasury to come up with ways for the blind to distinguish paper currency. The initial ruling was prompted by a lawsuit filed by the American Council of the Blind, who plan to petition the court to reject the appeal. In their request, the government claimed that the blind could rely on portable reading devices to determine the denomination of paper money, or use credit cards rather than paper currency.

Murder Defendant Claims Racial Bias in Jury Deliberations

An attorney for a defendant convicted of a 2002 rape and murder of a fashion writer filed claims of racial bias among jurors as part of a bid to get a new trial. Three jurors made "disparaging racial remarks" during deliberations that escalated to the point that two female jurors had to be separated. According to the defendant’s attorney, if the claims are verified, his client should receive a new trial.

Firm Settles Over Stolen Data

Ameriprise Financial Services will resolve a probe over a missing laptop containing the personal data of thousands of MA residents. The laptop was recovered, but contained personal information on 70,000 financial advisers and 130,000 customers. The company claims they are not aware of any individual being harmed because of the theft.

Jury Finds for Former Court Clerk in Wrongful Termination Suit

A woman who claim she was wrongfully fired from her position as a court clerk was awarded a $3 million judgment. Her lawsuit claimed she was fired as a result of internal court politics and was made a scapegoat for the release of information related to a drunk driving charge against the wife of new elected judge. The 48th District Court and its administrator were found liable in the lawsuit.

Effectiveness of Colonoscopies May Vary Greatly

A study published in the New England Journal of Medicine reveals how effective gastroenterologists may be at performing colonoscopies. The study examined 12 highly experienced board-certified gastroenterologists and found that some were 10 times better at locating polyps that may later turn into cancer. The study also shows that doctors who slowed down and took their time examining the colon were likely to find more polyps.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

A lab director says he and the district attorney chose to withhold DNA tests that help lacrosse players accused of rape.

The latest setback to the prosecution in the Duke University lacrosse rape case happened when the director of a private lab hired by the district attorney testified Friday that he withheld exculpatory DNA evidence after conferring with prosecutors.

Under questioning from defense lawyers, the lab director confirmed that DNA samples taken from the body and clothing of a stripper who accused three lacrosse players of rape did not match any of the defendants. The tests found DNA from several unknown males but none matched DNA taken from 43 other lacrosse team members.

Additionally it is possible that the DNA samples in the case had been contaminated during laboratory testing. The revelations came hours after news outlets here reported that the accuser was pregnant. A judge granted a motion for a paternity test that defense lawyers said would exclude their clients — though neither the judge nor the lawyers could confirm that the woman was pregnant.

Durham Dist. Atty. Mike Nifong agreed to the test, saying that the woman conceived at least two weeks after the March 14 party at which she was allegedly attacked and conceded that the father was not one of the defendants.

At a hospital the night the woman said she was attacked, she was given a pregnancy test — which was negative — as well as an emergency contraceptive, according to court records.

The justification given to the withholding the DNA tests was to protect the privacy of the Duke lacrosse players who had submitted samples.

One wonders how lab results clearing all 46 players would violate their privacy.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

White Memorial Medical Center near downtown Los Angeles has closed its neonatal and pediatric intensive care unites to new admissions after seven children became infected with a virulent bacterium, including one baby who probably dies as a result.

As spokesperson said they believe that the most likely cause of the outbreak is improper cleaning of a laryngoscope blade, a piece of equipment used to insert breathing tubes. They are working with local, state and federal health investigators to conclusively determine the source.

The hospital has tightened its infection control practices, notified the families of patients in the affected units and given antibiotics to all babies remaining in the neonatal unit as a precaution.

Any critically ill babies born at the hospital now are being taken to a special isolation area to be stabilized before being transferred to other hospitals. High-risk pregnant women are also being advised to consult with their doctors to determine if they should go to White Memorial or another hospital.

P. aeruginosa is a common bacterium found in water and soil and can be spread through body contact, fluids and water. In most people, it is not deadly or even dangerous, because their immune systems can ward off infection.

But that is not the case in patients with weakened immune systems, such as premature babies, patients with cancer or AIDS and those on breathing machines.

In such situations, the bacterium can cause a variety of infections depending on where it enters the body. These include respiratory, urinary tract and blood infections.

It can spread rapidly and, in some cases, be unstoppable.

Babies in the neonatal unit are especially at risk for infections, because they are often connected to ventilators, tubes, monitors and other equipment that give bacteria an easy pathway to the body.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.

A man suing Johnson & Johnson and a subsidiary alleges the companies failed to warn him of possible complications from having drug-coated stents placed in his arteries. According to his lawsuit, the stents have made him dependent on blood thinners for the rest of his life. The FDA recently cited studies that show drug-coated stents slightly increase the risk of blood clots.

About The Author:
Attorney Ted Bills can be reached at 719.444.1000 or at http://www.SpringsAttorney.com.

Attorney Ted Bills has one mission – to fight for the rights of victims, the wrong accused, and those who have been devastated by the misconduct of others – he represents clients with an aggressive approach designed to provide SWIFT justice.

Attorney Ted Bills practices Auto Accident (Car, Truck, and Motorcycle crash), DUI, Personal Injury, and Criminal – Traffic Violation law in Colorado Springs, CO and is a member of the American Bar Association, the Colorado Bar Association, the Colorado Trial Lawyers Association, the Association of Trial Lawyers of America, and the El Paso County (Colorado Springs) Bar Association. He works in tandem with his clients to provide assertive, business-savvy, legal services that solve problems, reduce delays, and minimize costs.

Nothing on this site constitutes an attorney-client relationship nor does it constitute legal advice. Links are for informational purposes and do not represent endorsement by Attorney Ted Bills.