Google Faces More Than the DOJ, as Antitrust Lawsuits Mount
Plaintiff’s lawyer, Cuneo, who brought an antitrust class action against Google, has now moved to create a Multidistrict Litigation (MDL) that would include 10 other concurrent cases, including the Justice Department’s lawsuit. Like many of the cases he seeks to have join, Cuneo had filed his own class action last month on behalf of customers of Google Play Store apps. The Justice Department’s case alleges that Google had engaged in anticompetitive tactics to maintain a monopoly for its search engine and advertising model. Successful creation of an MDL would put Cuneo’s, the Justice Departments, and the other cases under the jurisdiction of U.S. District Judge Amit Mehta of the District of Columbia.
As Coronavirus Cases Climb, NY's Court System Puts Brakes on New Jury Trials
As coronavirus rates increase, the New York state court system is indefinitely postponing new jury trails and new grand juries. Cases have seen a massive surge in recent weeks and several employees in the state court system have tested positive for the coronavirus. No new prospective trial jurors and grand jurors will be summoned for jury service starting November 16 for both criminal and civil cases. Currently ongoing civil and criminal jury trials will continue to completion.
Android Users Demand That Google Pay for Value of Personal Data
A class action complaint has been filed against Google asserting their personal property rights over their personal data. They claim that the Android operating system is designed to steal their cellular data. The affected users are seeking payment of the value of the data that Google took and benefited from without their consent. Suing for conversion and quantum meruit, the Android users allege that the “purchase of data plans from mobile carriers creates a property interest for Plaintiffs in their cellular data allowances.”
DACA Is Restored After Court Rules DHS Head Served Illegally
A New York federal judge’s ruling invalidated the Trump administration rules that narrowed the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA, originally created by the Obama administration in 2012, protects immigrants living in the US since childhood without legal permission. The ruling restores DACA to near-full operation.
Trump Campaign, Supporters Face Legal Setbacks in Michigan, Arizona, Pennsylvania Election Suits
Trump’s team has been involved in a campaign of legal challenges across the country in an effort to challenge the 2020 election results. In Michigan, a state judge denied a bid to stop certification of Detroit’s election results. In Arizona, Trump’s lawyers have moved to drop a legal effort that had sought the same outcome in Phoenix. In Philadelphia, judges have rejected requests from Trump’s lawyers to throw out almost 9,000 mail-in ballots that had minor errors, such as missing a printed name or address.