Lloyd Bell and Brian Trulock deliver their opening statements at trial against Agnes Scott College, accused of responsibility for the false arrest and imprisonment of a woman on sexual assault charges. 

Decatur, GA—An Atlanta-area women’s college is responsible for a reckless police investigation and abuse of power that led to a woman’s wrongful arrest and imprisonment on a baseless charge of sexual assault, the woman’s lawyer claimed as trial opened Tuesday against the school. Hartley v. Agnes Scott College, 11A36461-4.

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Melbourne, FL—A trial against the nation’s two largest tobacco companies for their alleged role in a Florida smoker’s death became the latest courtroom casualty of Hurricane Matthew Monday, as the judge in the case declared a mistrial following the storm. Wallace v. Philip Morris, 2014-CA-052862.

Jeffrey Furr delivers his opening statement on behalf of R.J. Reynolds, on trial for the COPD death of Elaine Konzelman.

Fort Lauderdale, FL—Attorneys argued whether a suit against R.J. Reynolds over a Florida woman’s respiratory disease is time barred, as trial in a suit by the woman’s widower opened this week against the tobacco powerhouse. Konzelman v. R.J. Reynolds, 2008-CV-019620.

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Decatur, GA—A jury next week is scheduled to consider whether an Atlanta-area women’s college is responsible for the role its campus police played in a sexual assault investigation that a former University of Tennessee student claims led to her false arrest, imprisonment, and a beating by inmates. Hartley v. Agnes Scott College, 11A36461-4.