News from September 2017
AGs office holds contractor in contempt with possible jail time
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office has announced it recently secured a court order holding an area contractor in contempt with the threat of jail time should the contractor continue his failure to comply with an agreement to stop home improvement contracting and pay more than $24,500 in fines and restitution.
AG's office returns more than $22K to victims of charter bus company
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey recently mailed checks totaling $22,682 to groups and individuals, refunding their payments for canceled services from a charter bus company.
Plaintiffs seek MDL for opioid litigation; Lawyer argues for Ohio or Illinois
BENTON, Ill. – Plaintiffs in opioid litigation pending in federal court seek to consolidate approximately 66 government actions into multi-district litigation in Ohio or Illinois.
Justice companies sued in New York over helicopter loan
NEW YORK – A lawsuit has been filed against Gov. Jim Justice and his companies over a defaulted helicopter loan.
Gazette-Mail asks judge to vacate arbitration ruling
CHARLESTON – The Charleston Gazette-Mail has asked a federal judge to vacate a $3.8 million arbitration ruling made against the newspaper earlier this month.
W.Va, seven other states support laws banning sanctuary cities
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry are leading a multistate coalition supporting the right of individual states to prohibit sanctuary cities within their borders.
U.S. trustee asks to have hotel group bankruptcy case dismissed
ATLANTA, Ga. – The Acting United States Trustee for Region 21 has filed an emergency motion to dismiss and request for hearing on an expedited basis due to lack of proof of insurance in the bankruptcy filing of Mountain Blue Hotel Group.
AG's office returns $600K more to state, total now above $38M
CHARLESTON — West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's office has returned more than $600,000 to the state general fund.
AG, federal partnership sends opioid trafficker to prison
MARTINSBURG — A federal judge has sentenced a West Virginia man to prison for trafficking oxycodone in the state’s Eastern Panhandle. The work is the product of a partnership between West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and Acting U.S. Attorney Betsy Steinfeld Jividen.
W.Va. liability law passes first test in federal opioid cases
CHARLESTON – West Virginia’s liability law has passed its first test by allowing defendants in opioid epidemic suits to spread blame. The new law gives defendants 180 days to identify possibly responsible parties that plaintiffs didn’t sue. Those other parties will pay nothing on a jury verdict, but their share of liability will reduce the damages defendants must pay.
Mother alleges Mingo school board isn't accommodating student's disabilities
WILLIAMSON – A parent alleges that her daughter is being discriminated against by a school board because of her disabilities.
Lowe's, others facing suit over allegedly defective flooring
BECKLEY – A Greenbrier County man and the owner of commercial retail property in Beckley claim that a hardwood floor they had installed on a property was defective and had to be replaced.
Logan man alleges skin cancer, lung disease caused by exposure during reclamation jobs
LOGAN – A Logan couple alleges that the husband has developed medical conditions as a result to exposure during reclamation work for coal companies.
Miner claims Panther Creek Mining terminated him for filing workers' comp claim
WILLIAMSON – A Williamson man alleges he was wrongfully terminated because he filed a workers' compensation claim and that he was subjected to discriminatory treatment because of his race.
K-Motion Transport LLC alleges it is owed more than $140,000 for services
PINEVILLE – A transportation company alleges that it has not been paid for its services.
Glade Springs Village Property Owners Association alleges it is owed more than $75,000 for fees
BECKLEY – The owner of several properties in Raleigh County's Glade Springs Village is alleged to have failed to pay a property owners association.
Man alleges he was charged excessive fees for American Advisors Group loan
WHEELING – A man alleges that his loan was closed by an unauthorized person and that he was charged excessive fees.
Attorney: EQT drilling verdict 'affirms property rights of surface landowners'
WEST UNION – A jury verdict delivered earlier this month that ordered EQT Production Co. to pay $190,000 to two Doddridge County landowners after the company built a well pad on their land without permission “simply means that the industry will need to negotiate in good faith with surface landowners to obtain the use of their land prior to the commencement of horizontal drilling operations,” David Grubb of The Grubb Law Group told The West Virginia Record.
Opioid Abuse Prevention Game of the Week enjoying a 'successful' second season
CHARLESTON – With more than a dozen games visited and more scheduled across the state through the rest of football season, the second year of West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey's Opioid Abuse Prevention Game of the Week is proving as successful as the first, he says.
Judge denies motion to set aside $2 million judgment in wrongful termination case
MADISON – A judge has denied a motion to set aside a nearly $2 million judgment in a wrongful termination lawsuit.