Court Roundup

Massachusetts Petition to end shock treatment at school BOSTON (AP) -- A New York family that settled a lawsuit against a Massachusetts school for disabled children that administers shock treatment therapy to some students is stepping up efforts to end the practice. Cheryl McCollins will be joined by a former staff member at the Judge Rotenberg Center on Wednesday to deliver a petition signed by nearly 222,000 people demanding that state lawmakers ban the practice. The petition will be delivered to four lawmakers, including Democratic House Speaker Robert DeLeo. McCollins sued the Canton school, alleging malpractice. A settlement was announced April 24. Terms were not disclosed. The trial featured dramatic video of the aversive therapy administered in 2002 to McCollins' son, Andre, in which the autistic boy screams and begs for relief while he is shocked 31 times over several hours. California Court victory for ex-Village People lead singer LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The original lead singer of the Village People has fought off an effort to keep him from regaining rights to "Y.M.C.A." and other group hits. A federal judge in Los Angeles on Monday rejected a lawsuit by two music publishers that argued Victor Willis had no right to regain at least partial ownership of 33 songs he co-wrote under contract. It's the first test of a decades-old copyright provision and could mean millions in additional royalties for Willis. The former San Diego resident tells U-T San Diego (http://bit.ly/J4txjZ) that the ruling benefits all songwriters. But Stewart Levy, an attorney for Scorpio Music and Can't Stop Productions, tells the New York Times that it doesn't lay out how much Willis will get and the case is far from over. Published: Thu, May 10, 2012