No prison for man who took from Social Security
DETROIT (AP) — A judge has rejected a prison sentence for a man who collected roughly $253,000 over 17 years after failing to report his father’s death to the Social Security Administration.
Federal prosecutors asked for 18 months in prison for Claude Hopkins. But Judge David Lawson last week ordered probation and put Hopkins in a halfway house for six months, which would allow him to work during the day.
Hopkins had forged his father’s signature on dozens of checks drawn off a bank account. The account held his late father’s improper Social Security payments.
Hopkins admits he pretended his father was still alive and out of town when the government initially contacted him.
University campus gun ban upheld
COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) — A judge has ruled that the University of Missouri's campus ban on concealed guns doesn't conflict with state law.
The Columbia Daily Tribune reports that Circuit Judge Jeff Harris's ruling rejected arguments that the ban violates a law protecting state employees from prosecution for having concealed guns in their parked cars while on state property. But Harris left open whether the ban violates the Missouri Constitution.
Law professor Royce Barondes has a concealed weapons permit. He filed the lawsuit in 2015 and then-Attorney General Chris Koster filed a companion lawsuit.
Harris also rejected school arguments that it's not subject to the same constitutional scrutiny that applies to statutes regulating firearms. Missouri passed an amendment in 2014 that says future restrictions on gun rights are subject to strict scrutiny.
Judge tosses suit over bad online reviews
CHICAGO (AP) — A federal judge in Chicago has ruled that a lawyer can’t sue more than a dozen people who posted rude criticism of him and his law firm on Yelp and similar sites that feature online reviews.
The Chicago Daily Law Bulletin reports that Judge Harry Leinenweber tossed the libel suit last week. He concluded that the comments about David Freydin and the Law Offices of David Freydin were opinions and amounted to protected speech.
Freydin alleged the comments were “salacious, false and libelous.” Some were anti-Semitic. The Chicago-area lawyer also noted the reviewers gave him and his firm one-star ratings out of a possible five even though he never worked with them.
The lawsuit names four defendants and refers to 10 others as “John Does.”
Restaurant owner slapped with fine over no dog pee sign
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) — A sarcastic sign in the window of a Connecticut restaurant asking people not to let their dogs pee on the eatery’s outside flower pot has earned the owner a $250 fine.
Duc Nguyen, owner of Duc’s Place in New Haven, tells the New Haven Independent he was disgusted with people allowing their dogs to urinate on his pot.
He thought a humorous sign was a good way of discouraging dog walkers from letting pets relieve themselves there. It read: “Attn: dog owners. This is a pay-per-pee flower pot. (Pay inside or leave your address and we'll kindly return the favor.)”
Officials said Nguyen broke two city ordinances; Nguyen vows to appeal.
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