Mel Gibson is expected to come face-to-face with ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva during a deposition relating to custody of their 1-year-old daughter, Lucia.  This would be the first time the former flames have seen each other since their bitter custody battle began.  TMZ has reported that Grigorieva’s legal team is “seriously considering” making Mel listen to his secretly recorded phone calls, where he exclaims death threats and insults Oksana, in an effort to show Mel’s suitability as a parent.  Gibson’s deposition is expected to go on for more than a day. Oksana testified for seven hours on Oct. 29, the fourth time she was questioned by his lawyers. Read More

In New York, the enforcement of matrimonial decrees and separation agreements generally involve an order for maintenance or financial support to be paid to a spouse.  A spouse seeking maintenance or child support in New York can petitioning the court to order the ex-spouse to comply with a matrimonial decree or separation agreement in a variety of ways. For example, the court can petition a wage deduction order on the ex-spouse, hold the ex-spouse in contempt of court (by a showing of clear and convincing evidence that the willfully defaulting spouse had the means to pay), or require a willfully defaulting spouse to post a bond as security for future payments.  Other types of orders can include the court withholding any federal or state income tax refunds to satisfy child arrears. If child support payment are in arrears of 4 months or more, then Court may suspend a Recreational or Business License.  If child support arrears exceed $2,500 then a passport application can be denied for a new Passport or an existing Passport.

Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. is an experienced domestic relations firm that handles a full range of family law issues including annulments based on fraud, bigamy, incest and infancy, as well as issues related to spousal maintenance and the equitable distribution of assets for divorce judgments.  If you are seeking a separation agreement, divorce action, annulment or other family law action please feel free to contact Leeds, Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

The same day Austin Fenner was let go from the New York Post, former Post editor Sandra Guzman sued the paper as well as its editor in chief, Col Allan, alleging harassment as well as “unlawful employment practices and retaliation.”   Fenner claims that he was routinely humiliated, openly cursed at and subjected to ‘Jim Crow’-style segregation while working as a city desk reporter.  The complaint asserts that editors repeatedly yelled profanities at Fenner, made him travel further and more frequently than his “White” colleagues and denied him the same resources that other reporters received to cover events.  Full Article.  Sandra Guzman filed suit against the New York Post claiming rampant racism and sexism in the newsroom.  Guzman was fired after complaining that a cartoon likened President Obama to a monkey.  Full Article.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race and color as well as national origin, sex, or religion. It is unlawful to discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race or color in regard to hiring, termination, promotion, compensation, job training, or any other term, condition, or privilege of employment. Title VII also prohibits employment decisions based on stereotypes and assumptions about abilities, traits, or the performance of individuals of certain racial groups.  Please visit the EEOC’s website for further information: www.eeoc.gov/policy/vii.html.

Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC is a nationally recognized firm in the area of employment law.  Our firm has had considerable success in matters of employment discrimination throughout Long Island and the New York City area.  For more information, contact Leeds, Morelli and Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 for a free consultation.

The Nevada State Board of Nursing has suspended the licenses of two nurses named by police in a criminal investigation of “disrupted” catheter lines at a hospital neonatal intensive care unit, leaving one baby in critical condition.  The specialized catheters provide long-term access to a vein and are used to provide nutrition, give medication or draw blood.  The Las Vegas Sunrise Hospital which employed the two nurses conducted its last internal review in February 2010, concentrating on “product performance and staff education,” where 14 catheter “disruptions” were reported in the unit.  Las Vegas Metropolitan Police have determined the incidents involved “intentional patient harm”.  The two nurses, one working for 4 years and the other for 19 years, have not been arrested or charged with a crime, but the Nevada nursing board found that the results of the ongoing police investigation warranted the license suspensions.  The board found that the nurses violated the Nevada Nurse Practice Act, which includes violations of engaging “in conduct likely to deceive, defraud or endanger a patient or the general public.”  Police have been referring questions to the hospital.  Read the full story

It is important for employers to make sure the employees they hire are held to a safe and un-abusive standard of contact when working with clients.  The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970 (OSH Act) covers all employers and their employees in the 50 states.  Employees must comply with all rules and regulations that apply to their own actions and conduct.  Compliance with standards may include implementing engineering controls to limit exposures to physical hazards and toxic substances, implementing administrative controls, as well as   ensuring that employees have been provided with, have been effectively trained on, and use personal protective equipment when required for safety and health, where the former controls cannot be feasibly implemented.  The general duty clause [Section 5(a)(1)] states that each employer “shall furnish . . . a place of employment which is free from recognized hazards that are causing or are likely to cause death or serious physical harm to his employees.” Learn More.

The attorneys at Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC are devoted to obtaining justice for clients, including employers and employees who are in need of fair labor protections. For more information or a free consultation, please contact Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-888-585-4658.

A Bayonne teacher has filed a complaint against the Bayonne Board of Education saying that she has been repeatedly passed up for promotion because she is black.  Deborah Shine, 51, filed a complaint with the United States Department of Education, Office of Civil Rights on August 26. The complaint was forwarded to the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which is currently investigating it.  Shine worked for three years in temporary supervisory positions, including a year-and-a-half when she ran the Adult High School at night as well as worked as vice principal at the regular high school during the day. But when permanent positions opened, they went to people with less experience, she said.  Shine, who has been a teacher for 14 years, was named Hudson County Teacher of the Year in 2004 and was a runner up for statewide Teacher of the Year in 2005. She has five teaching certifications and a master’s degree from New Jersey City University.  Shine said it is important for black students to have black teachers and administrators as role models. While 10 percent of Bayonne’s public school students are black, less than 5 percent of the teachers are.  Read Full Article

The Civil Rights Act of 1964, for example, protects teachers at both public and private schools from racial, sexual, or religious discrimination. Private school teachers may also enjoy rights in their contracts that are similar to due process rights, including the inability of a private school to dismiss the teacher without cause, notice, or a hearing. See: www.eeoc.gov/policy/vii.html.  In order to file a claim,  a charge may be filed by mail or in person at the nearest EEOC office. Individuals may consult their local telephone directory or call 1-800-669-4000 to contact the nearest EEOC office for more information on specific procedures for filing a charge. As a time limit, laws enforced by EEOC, except for the Equal Pay Act, all charges must be filed with EEOC within 180 days from the date of the alleged violation, in order to protect the charging party’s rights.   This 180-day filing deadline is extended to 300 days if the charge also is covered by a state or local anti-discrimination law. For ADEA charges, only state laws extend the filing limit to 300 days. The information which must be provided to file such a charge as follows:
I.    The complaining party’s name, address, and telephone number;
II.    The name, address, and telephone number of the respondent employer, employment agency, or union that is alleged to have discriminated, and number of employees (or union members), if known;
III.    A short description of the alleged violation (the event that caused the complaining party to believe that his or her rights were violated); and
IV.    The date(s) of the alleged violation(s).
See: http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html

Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. is a well established equal opportunity and anti-discrimination firms in New York which works to achieve successful judgments that are in the best interests of their clients.  If you or someone you know has been affected by employment discrimination based on race, sexual orientation or gender, contact Leeds, Morelli & Brown, PC at 1-800-585-4658 or view their web page at www.lmblaw.com.

The famous actor, Tony Curtis, died last week at age 85.  Humor was sprinkled throughout his memorial service as his daughter, Jamie Lee Curtis, did an impression of her father.  “We are the evidence of him,” she said before getting emotional.  California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger stated that the Some Like It Hot star, “was always paying so much attention to me, even when I was a nobody.”  Known to wear white in the years leading up to his death, Curtis was buried in his favorite outfit – white sweater, white shorts, white scarf and his favorite Stetson hat under his arm.   Many of his favorite items were also buried with him: seven packets of Splenda, an iPhone, medals, gold coins and his late son’s baby shoes.  Read More

Tony Curtis fans should look to their attorney before watching Some Like It Hot, since estate planning is an important step to take into retirement. Additionally advance directives such as a living will, health care power of attorney, and health care proxy help to protect as individual should they become incapacitated and unable to make decisions for themselves.  A living will, for example, is a document signed by the creator which dictates what will happen in the event that the creator becomes sick, incapacitated, or face life support. A healthcare power of attorney gives someone else the power to make healthcare decisions on your behalf should you become sick and unable to make your own medical decisions.

The attorneys at Leeds, Morelli & Brown, P.C. recognize the importance of proper estate planning.  It is important to update and/or create a last will and testament or a trust when major family events occur such as a marriage, divorce, or birth of a child.  For questions regarding estate planning, please contact an attorney at the Leeds Morelli & Brown P.C. law firm for a free consultation at 1-888-556-2529 or visit the firm’s website at www.lbestatelaw.com.

Suffolk County Executive Steve Levy is seeking a court injunction to combat gang activity in hot spot communities.  The “Gang Watch List” program would prevent known gang members from hanging out with each other in public areas.   “They can not congregate within these areas with other gang members, they can not congregate in the schools, in the parks,” Levy said.  The initiative will kick off in a two-square mile area of downtown Wyandanch. Other neighborhoods may be added later.  If the injunction is granted, gang members found congregating in public areas can be arrested for violating the court order.  The Suffolk chapter of the New York Civil Liberties Union will look at the proposal to see if it is constitutional.  While the police have the right to engage in aggressive law enforcement the Constitution does not permit the government from banning people from public areas, even if they are alleged gang members. Read More

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 makes it illegal to discriminate against someone on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.  The Constitution forbids people or towns from banning people from public areas of congregation for alleged memberships into gangs or clubs. Please visit the EEOC’s website for further information at www.eeoc.gov/policy/vii.html.

It is challenging and stressful when people are subjected to racism or discrimination, especially in a nation that was created on premises such as equal rights for all. The lawyers at Leeds Morelli & Brown, PC, located in Nassau County, New York, have fought against discrimination for over two decades with much success. If you have been a victim of discrimination because of your age, gender, race, or sexual orientation, call 1-800-585-4658 to schedule an appointment for free consultation.