Current / Pending Federal Lawsuits

Given the fairly free legal system in the United States, it's no surprise that there are many federal lawsuits filed every year. Federal lawsuits are lawsuits that are either passed through municipal and state courts, involve issues larger than those bodies can handle, or involve some kind of national issue. Federal lawsuits are heard by federal judges appointed by the President and confirmed by the Senate. As such, the decisions in these federal lawsuits carry a lot of weight.

One the most famous federal lawsuits is the case of Miranda vs. the State of Arizona. The case involved the fact that prior to 1966, police officers were not required to inform arrestees of their constitutional rights under the Fifth Amendment. As a result of the court's decision in this case, police are now required to state the so called Miranda warning to anyone under arrest, so that they are sure the arrested party is aware of their rights.

One of the most watched current federal lawsuits stems from a class action lawsuit against the pharmaceutical company Merck because their drug Vioxx was causing cardiovascular damage. Merck has appealed the federal court on a Texas state court's decision to award several hundred million dollars to the families of victims of the drug. Currently, the two sides are presenting evidence to the court and a decision isn‘t expected for many months.

Recent  federal lawsuits also include a filing against Maine Blogger, Lance Dutton, to try to force him to reveal his sources on several stories he's written. Mr. Dutton's defense claims that he is protected under the same First Amendment rights as any other journalist. These are just one of the hundreds of current federal lawsuits that are being presented.

One of the more popular pending federal lawsuits is being levied at Apple. The maker of the popular iPod music player is facing allegations that their product infringes on several copyrights and has created a digital music monopoly because music downloaded from their iTunes store cannot be played on rival music players or software. Additionally, they've also had a case filed against them which claims that the hardware in the G4 Powerbook has too high a failure rate.

Another example of pending federal lawsuits involves consumer action group the Electronic Frontier Foundation filing suit against powerful phone company AT&T. The EFF alleges that AT&T violated consumer rights by allowing the NSA to wiretap phones along its network. The case was delayed in the summer of 2006 due to fears that media coverage might accidentally reveal government secrets, but it is expected to go before a federal court judge shortly.

Federal courts are among the most powerful in the United States, and the rulings in federal lawsuits carry a lot of weight in the legal world. While most basic cases can be easily handled by state or municipal courts, cases involving national policy and constitutional issues should and will be heard by these powerful judges.


Sources:
Federal Judges. U.S. Courts. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://www.uscourts.gov/faq.html>.
Miranda v. Arizona. Lectric Law Libraries. 13 June 1966. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://www.lectlaw.com/files/case04.htm>.Smith, Aaron. "Jury: Merck Negligent." CNN Money. 22 Aug. 2005. Cable News Network LP, LLLP. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://money.cnn.com/2005/08/19/news/fortune50 0/vioxx/index.htm>.
Cox, Robert. "MBA Member Lance Dutson who blogs at Maine Web Report hit with Multi-Million Dollar Federal Lawsuit." Peace Corps Online. 29 April 2006. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://peacecorpsonline.org/messages/messages/ 2629/2046656.html>.
Meyers, Michelle. "Apple Facing Several Federal Lawsuits." CNet. 30 Dec. 2006. CNET Networks, Inc. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://news.com.com/2061-10793_3-6146400.html& gt;.
Jansen, Jaime. "Federal Judge Delays Wiretapping Suit Pending DOJ State Secrets Appeal." Jurist. 9 Aug. 2006. 19 Feb. 2007 <http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2006/08/ federal-judge-delays-wiretapping-suit.php>.