Where a New Zealand-based defendant was charged with kidnapping and production of child pornography, his motion to sever the charges was denied because they were linked: the production of child pornography led to the attempted kidnapping. Background Troy George Skinner, ...

Tagged with: Criminal Judge M. Hannah Lauck U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Where a New Zealand-based defendant argued that Congress did not intend for a statute prohibiting sexual exploitation of children to apply beyond the United States, his motion to dismiss was denied because the text, history and context of the law ...

Tagged with: Criminal Judge M. Hannah Lauck U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Where a defendant charged with kidnapping and production of child pornography argued a warrant allowing search of his cellphones was not sufficiently particular, his motion to suppress was denied. The warrant and supporting affidavit specifically identified the items to be ...

Tagged with: Criminal Judge M. Hannah Lauck U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Type of action: Federal Odometer Act, fraud, Virginia Consumer Protection Act, Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act Injuries alleged: Diminished value, loss of use, inconvenience, aggravation, punitive damages and legal fees Name of case: Jackson v. Great Bridge Auto Sales Corp. Court: U.S. ...

Tagged with: Judge M. Hannah Lauck Tort U.S. District Court - Eastern District Verdict

Where a unity of interest and ownership was alleged to exist between the corporation and its two owners, and the owners allegedly used the corporate form to disguise a wrong or obscure a fraud, in particular, to avoid payment of ...

Tagged with: Judge M. Hannah Lauck Labor U.S. District Court - Eastern District

A law firm that sought attorneys’ fees before they came due under a homebuyer’s promissory note now faces discovery in an action under the federal Fair Debt Collection Practices Act. The count against the firm is the only claim to ...

Tagged with: Fair Debt Collection Practices Act Judge M. Hannah Lauck U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Where defendants who provided a loan for the purchase of real property allegedly demanded attorneys’ fees before they became due under the promissory note, the plaintiff alleged a plausible claim under the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, or FDCPA. Background ...

Tagged with: Consumer Protection Judge M. Hannah Lauck U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Where the plaintiff moved to add Rehabilitation Act and Title VII claims to her second amended complaint through “joinder,” the motion was denied because a party cannot engraft claims on a complaint except through an amended pleading. Background Shawn Gonzalez ...

Tagged with: Employment Discrimination Judge M. Hannah Lauck U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Where a bank argued it rescinded a job offer because it discovered the plaintiff  had pleaded guilty to multiple financial dishonesty crimes, and not because of his race, age or alleged disability, it was not possible to assess on a ...

Tagged with: Employment Discrimination Judge M. Hannah Lauck U.S. District Court - Eastern District

Where former Capital One employees agreed in their severance agreements to not file a collective action, but then did so, Capital One’s breach of contract counterclaim may proceed because it plausibly alleged it suffered damages from having to defend the ...

Tagged with: Employment Judge M. Hannah Lauck U.S. District Court - Eastern District