Saturday, July 31, 2010

Epstein Faces Sex-Traffic Probe

Epstein Faces Sex-Traffic Probe

It appears that the problems are just beginning for sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. Now that the civil litigation and the state charges are over, there is word that the Federal Government may be looking into charges. If this is true, it could mean additional jail time for this former money manager. While justice can sometimes be slow, we can all hope that it remains just.

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Article: Alt Text: Library of Congress Rulings That Could Have Been | Underwire

In a ruling that would make Steve Jobs march around like Yosemite Sam, the court held that it is perfectly legal to jailbreak your iPhone. 

Alt Text: Library of Congress Rulings That Could Have Been | Underwire
http://www.wired.com/underwire/2010/07/alt-text-library-of-congress/

(Sent from Flipboard)

Spencer Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin
561-665-8020

Article: Major Corporations Are Downloading Those 100 Million Facebook Profiles off BitTorrent


Major Corporations Are Downloading Those 100 Million Facebook Profiles off BitTorrent
http://gizmodo.com/5599970/

If you are concerned you can check the torrent to see who downloaded the information. You have to wonder why major corporations are downloading people's personal information.  

Spencer Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
561-665-8020

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Cutting after-surgery complications could save lives, money

Cutting after-surgery complications could save lives, money

One of the biggest problems after surgery is post surgical infections. Hospitals and doctors must wash their hands between patients. This simple task can actually save lives. Patients must also be vigilant in their own healthcare by making sure that their doctors and nurses wash their hands before touching them and only use sterile equipment.

Move to Restrict Pain Killers Puts Onus on Doctors

From The New York Times:
Move to Restrict Pain Killers Puts Onus on Doctors
Regulators in Washington State are attempting to stem what some see as the excessive use of prescribed narcotics.
http://nyti.ms/bIR9jT
Overdose deaths are the second leading cause of deaths, second only to car accidents. Doctors across the country are not being held accountable for the deaths which are being caused by the over prescription of narcotic pain medications. Someone must hold these professionals responsible! Limitations on medical malpractice liability is not the answer. Shouldn't doctors be held responsible if they give patients that they know are addicted to pain medicine, more drugs? Doctors should not get a free pass on negligent conduct just because they hold an M.D. license.

Spencer T. Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
561-665-8020
stk@cohenkuvin.com

NYTimes: Ex-Judge Recommends No Charges Against Paterson

From The New York Times:
Ex-Judge Recommends No Charges Against Paterson
The retired judge investigating Gov. David A. Paterson's intervention in a domestic violence case involving a former top aide will not recommend any charges against the governor, according to a person
http://nyti.ms/anOH0F
Spencer Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
561-665-8020
stk@cohenkuvin.com

NYTimes: Judge Blocks Disputed Parts of Immigration Law in Arizona

From The New York Times:
Judge Blocks Disputed Parts of Immigration Law in Arizona
The parts of the law that the judge blocked included the sections that called for officers to check a person's immigration status while enforcing other laws.
http://nyti.ms/d6a4lP
Get The New York Times on your iPhone for free by visiting http://itunes.com/apps/nytimes

Spencer T. Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
561-665-8020
stk@cohenkuvin.com

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Fwd: BREAKING NEWS ALERT - Nissan Recalls 51,100 Cubes

Nissan is recalling 51,100 of its Cube hatchbacks in the United States and Canada because of possible problems with fuel spilling during rear-end collisions. In documents filed with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Nissan Motor Co., said Monday tests conducted by NHTSA safety regulators found more fueled spilled than federal standards allow.

Nissan said it will issue a voluntary recall. It notified dealers last week and will contact owners on August 20. Dealers will attach a special projector to prevent leaks. There have been no injuries or incidents reported by drivers, according to Nissan. The recall covers model year 2009 and 2010 Cubes made in 2009.

#  #  #  #

Cohen & Kuvin
Consumer Justice Attorneys
stk@cohenkuvin.com

Article: Class action lawsuit filed over "overheating" iPads


Class action lawsuit filed over "overheating" iPads
http://arstechnica.com/apple/news/2010/07/class-action-lawsuit-filed-over-overheating-ipads.ars

Should be interesting to see how widespread this problem is.  Personally I have not noticed any issues, and I have been using my iPad in Florida everywhere from court to the beach. 

(Sent from Flipboard)


Spencer Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
561-665-8020

Monday, July 26, 2010

Does The Disclosure of Pentagon Documents Really Violate the Law?

Posting of Pentagon documents violates Federal law according to the White House. See story.

Is the disclosure of confidential documents an effective use of the First Amendment and a protection against Government? Or does the disclosure of these documents endanger our troops?

Spencer T. Kuvin

McDonald's "The Last Airbender Katara" Happy Meal Toy Potentially Deadly, Connecticut's Consumer Protection Commissioner Says - Courant.com

McDonald's "The Last Airbender Katara" Happy Meal Toy Potentially Deadly, Connecticut's Consumer Protection Commissioner Says - Courant.com

Safety apparently is not first for McDonalds. One of their dangerous toys nearly kills a child. While McDonalds clearly should be held responsible for giving small children toys that can kill them, parents must be careful and watch their kids!

If you or your family is injured by a dangerous product call Spencer Kuvin,Esq.

stk@cohenkuvin.com

Sunday, July 25, 2010

Israel urges world: Stop Lebanese ships

Israel urges world: Stop Lebanese ships

Stand strong with Israel to stop the false propaganda regarding these dangerous flotillas.

Tell President Obama that he needs to strongly support Israel’s right to defend itself and that Israel can conduct its own investigation into the incident without the intrusion of international bodies.

As the international community is engaged in a biased rush to judgment against Israel and a diplomatic lynching, now is the time for the United States to firmly stand with the Jewish state and its people. The U.S. must show the world that it not only supports Israel's right to defend its borders and citizens against terrorism, but that it supports Israel's right to protect itself from people who pretend to be "peace activists," and parade under the guise of humanitarians while supporting Hamas and violently attacking Israeli military personnel.

Stand strong and show your support. Sign the petition. Sign here

Tainted Drywall dangers: Thieves, scammers among 'experts’ offering a fix to desperate homeowners

Chinese drywall is causing disasters for homeowners across the state of Florida. Don't get caught by scam artists who promise to remediate your home. Contact an annorney first to determine what your rights are, and how you should properly go about fixing your home.

Tainted Drywall dangers: Thieves, scammers among 'experts’ offering a fix to desperate homeowners

Friday, July 23, 2010

Jeffrey Epstein Is Not A Billionaire

 - Clare O'Connor is an Associate Reporter on the Wealth Team.  Forbes Magazine - 

Jeffrey Epstein, the underage massage king of Palm Beach, was back in the headlines this week: "Billionaire pedophile goes free," (Daily Beast) "billionare hedge funder" (Business Insider)billionaire sex offender" (Epstein's Florida NBC affiliate). "


What are they talking about? The guy they freed this week after pleading guilty to soliciting an underage prostitute is NOT A BILLIONAIRE. We repeat: not a billionaire. More likely he is worth a fraction of that. Because of so much uncertainty around his numbers, he's never been included in the Forbes 400 list of the richest Americans.


The source of his wealth -- a money management firm in the U.S. Virgin Islands -- generates no public records, nor has hisLeslie Wexner, billionaire founder of The Limited clothing chain, was widely believed to be his benefactor for years and the major source of his wealth: at one time, Epstein was listed as a trustee of The Wexner Foundation, and Wexner reportedly bought Epstein a $13 million New York apartment. client list ever been released. One known client,
But once Epstein was charged with engaging in sexual activity with minors, Wexner dropped his old friend, replacing him with JPMorgan's Dennis Hersch. Without Wexner's backing, Epstein is almost certainly not a billionaire -- so why is he continually labeled one in the press?


It may all come down to an accident of wording. When asked to turn over his finances to the Florida court in May to establish punitive damages, Epstein's lawyers "agreed to a confidential stipulation that his net worth is in excess of nine figures." The Palm Beach Post ran a story following this filing, deeming Epstein a billionaire, while nine figures makes him only a multimillionaire.


"It was a bone of contention with Esptein's lawyers," said Spencer Kuvin, an attorney who represented three of Epstein's alleged victims on the case, of the "billionaire" designation. "In the litigation itself we were never able to get him to produce verified financial information. The 'nine figures' came by negotiation. It kept going up and up and up. They started at zero -- they wouldn't tell us at all."


Kuvin added that he and his team "pursued every possible angle" to find out Epstein's net worth but found that much of his wealth is offshore. "We'll never know now because everything was resolved out of court," he said.


Kuvin added that, for the three young women he represented, Epstein's net worth and the resulting amount of settlement they received did not matter compared to the "psychological pain" caused.


"For my clients, the money didn't really matter," he said. "It was more anger than anything."


~ Spencer Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin, P.A.
http://www.cohenkuvin.com/
561-665-8020

Ford Records Another Profit, And Sees More Gains Ahead

DEARBORN, Mich. — The Ford Motor Company on Friday said it earned $2.6 billion in the second quarter and expected to have more cash than debt by the end of 2011.

It was the fifth consecutive quarterly profit for Ford, whose turnaround has been gaining momentum as it has increased sales and market share in the United States.

- Spencer Kuvin
Cohen & Kuvin, P.A.
http://www.cohenkuvin.com/

Thursday, July 22, 2010

Auto safety experts question makeup of panels studying runaway vehicles

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/07/20/AR2010072004272.html

By Kimberly Kindy
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 20, 2010; 3:57 PM

Auto safety experts are criticizing the makeup of two advisory panels that are charged with determining the role of electronics in the sudden unintended acceleration of vehicles.

There are no electronics experts on Toyota Motor Corp.'s seven-member panel and just three on the National Academies of Science's 12-member panel.

"We are very concerned. The outcome and recommendations from these committees will be shaped by who serves on them," said Joan Claybrook, former head of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and president emeritus of Public Citizen, the consumer advocacy group. "There is a real absence of engineering expertise, particularly in this area of electronics."

The panels were created in response to congressional hearings this spring, where lawmakers sought information about why runaway vehicles were on the rise and about the federal government's failure to address the problem. So far, 93 people have died in collisions involving the reported sudden unintended acceleration of Toyota vehicles, according to NHTSA data. More than 8 million of the manufacturer's vehicles have been recalled.

Toyota chose former U.S. Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater to chair its panel. Slater defended the members he selected, saying he wanted individuals with experience on similar panels and a broad-based knowledge about automotive technology.

"I was looking for people who have the ability to reach out to other experts and reserve judgment," Slater said in an interview. "I'm proud of this panel. They have a wealth of experience, and we will be seeking out electronics experts and other experts during the course of our work."

As for the NAS panel, auto safety experts fear that conflicts of interests with four of the panel members will taint its findings: Two members make up the bulk of the electrical expertise, but the engineers spent most of their careers at Ford Motor Co., which ranks just below Toyota in the incidence of runaway vehicles.
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"There are two members for whom we have disclosed conflicts of interest that are unavoidable," said Stephen R. Godwin, director of the NAS Transportation Research Board. "You have to understand how the industry operates, and the committee needs to know what questions to ask."

Watchdog groups are also concerned about a panel member who owns a consulting firm with his son and once worked for Exponent Inc., the company that has conducted recent research for Toyota. The research rejected electronics and malfunctioning electronic throttles as the cause of sudden acceleration.

In response to early criticism, NAS removed one committee member, former NHTSA administrator Nicole Nason. Nason was at the helm during a critical point when the agency was asked to take a more aggressive role with the runaway acceleration problems but failed to do so.

Godwin said the council is planning to add three members with electronics expertise but did not say when the members would be appointed.

"If the safety community wouldn't have raised a fuss, would they have agreed to add new people?" said Clarence Ditlow, executive director for the Center for Auto Safety. "I doubt it, and I'm waiting to see who those people will be. If they have three new people from the auto industry, I would find that disappointing."

The NAS committee has 18 months to research the runaway-vehicle problem before submitting a final report to NHTSA.

Slater said the Toyota panel has about a one-year timeline. He said he hopes to consult with the National Academies committee.


Clarence Ditlow
Executive Director
Center for Auto Safety
1825 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC 20009

No Ruling on AZ Law

After hearings on the constitutionality of AZ immigration law, still no ruling.

No ruling after hearings on Ariz. immigration law
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/nation/no-ruling-after-hearings-on-ariz-immigration-law-816915.html?cxtype=rss_news_220987


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:West Palm Beach,United States

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Florida Justice

FJA (@floridajustice)
7/21/10 12:01 PM
July 20, the 1st DCA quashed a trial court order denying a patient the rt 2 his own adverse incident records. Opinion http://bit.ly/FJAcases

Sent with Twitter for iPhone


Spencer T. Kuvin 
Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
561-665-8020

Jeffrey Epstein free man | palm, free, beach - Top Story - WPEC 12 West Palm Beach

PALM BEACH---Palm beach billionaire, Jeffrey Epstein will officially end his year long house arrest sentence today and become a free man.

Dozens of young woman say Epstein enticed them to his home where they performed sexual massages on the billionaire. Epstein was never fully charged with all the accusations instead cutting a deal and only pleading guilty to one count of soliciting prostitution.

Several civil lawsuits were filed and all settled out of court. Spencer Kuvin, an attorney for three of the alleged victims, says Epstein's release Wednesday will close the book on one ugly chapter of his client's lives. Kuvin said, "my clients have to live with this everyday for the rest of their lives. As they grow older they are always going to be living with this issue."

Rumors have surfaced Epstein could be moving, but his attorney told a local paper he is not selling his Palm Beach mansion.

Jeffrey Epstein free man | palm, free, beach - Top Story - WPEC 12 West Palm Beach

The Jeffrey Epstein Deposition

Cohen & Kuvin July 2010 Newsletter

Hotels.com, Expedia implement settlement and launch new website features to assist disabled travelers


Public Justice, America's public interest law firm, was one of several law firms that helped to allow disabled travelers to search for and reserve hotel rooms that have accessible accommodations on hotels.com and Expedia, Inc. websites.
Travelers who need accommodations such as wheelchair accessible pathways, roll-in showers, Braille signage and/or telephone equipment for the deaf can now use hotels.com and expedia.com websites to search for lodgings offering these features. Requests will be reviewed by the company's customer service personnel who will contact the hotel to attempt to reserve a room that fits the bill. Travelers will then receive an email either confirming the reservations have been made or offering to help locate an equivalent room at another hotel. The website improvements were negotiated last year in a settlement of a class action lawsuit, Smith v. Hotels.com, LP. The Plaintiffs and their attorneys, Public Justice and others, allege that hotels.com's failure to accommodate the needs of disabled travelers was a discriminatory practice which violated California law.


Sony Recalls VAIO Laptop Computers Due to Burn Hazar


The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), in cooperation with Sony Electronics Inc. of San Diego, Calif., announced a voluntary recall on June 30, 2010 of the various models within the VPCF11 and VPCCW2 series Notebook computers. The computers are available in many colors and have "VAIO" on the front outside panel. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed. This recall effects about 233,000 computers. Sony has received 30 reports of units overheating resulting in deformed keyboards and casings. No injuries have been reported at the time of the recall; however, CPSC is interested in receiving incident or injury reports that are either directly related to this product recall or involve a different hazard with the same product. Please tell CPSC about it by visiting https://www.cpsc.gov/cgibin/incident.aspx


The Mission of the CPSC and It's Role In Consumer Safety

The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is charged with protecting the public from unreasonable risks of serious injury or death from thousands of types of consumer products under the agency's jurisdiction. The CPSC is committed to protecting consumers and families from products that pose a fire, electrical, chemical, or mechanical hazard. The CPSC's work to ensure the safety of consumer products - such as toys, cribs, power tools, cigarette lighters, and household chemicals - contributed significantly to the decline in the rate of deaths and injuries associated with consumer products over the past 30 years.
To report any dangerous product or a product-related injury, call CPSC's Hotline at (800) 638-2772 or CPSC's teletypewriter at (301) 595-7054. To join a CPSC e-mail subscription list, please go to https://www.cpsc.gov/cpsclist.aspx. Consumers can obtain recall and general safety information by logging on to CPSC's Web site at www.cpsc.gov.


Toyota Motor Corp. Has Recalled 270,000 Vehicles Worldwide

Toyota Motor Corp. has recalled 270,000 vehicles worldwide to fix faulty engines. The recall includes seven models of luxury Lexus sedans. The recall centers around the problem of defective engines that can stall while the vehicle is moving. Leading to the recall was the fact that Toyota has received over 200 complaints regarding the faulty engines.


Cohen & Kuvin, LLC
Delray Beach, FL
http://www.cohenkuvin.com/
stk@cohenkuvin.com
561-665-8020

Man Sues Tire Maker over Wife's Death | roll, left, crash - WPEC 12 West Palm Beach

The danger of aged tires. Everyone should check the date of manufacture of their tires to prevent a blowout and tragic crash. Cohen & Kuvin works to obtain justice for those individuals who are the victim of roll over crashes.

Man Sues Tire Maker over Wife's Death | roll, left, crash - WPEC 12 West Palm Beach

Billionaire Pedophile Goes Free

Billionaire Pedophile Goes Free

News of his release is breaking worldwide.

• Palm Beach’s police chief objected to Epstein’s “special treatment” and gave The Daily Beast an exclusive look at his nine-hour deposition about the investigation.
• Earlier versions of the U.S attorney’s charges, including a sealed 53-page indictment, could have landed Epstein in prison for 20 years.
• Victims alleged that Epstein molested underage girls from South America, Europe, and the former Soviet republics, including three 12-year-old girls brought over from France as a birthday gift.
• The victims also alleged trips out of state and abroad on Epstein’s private jets, which would be evidence of sex trafficking—a much more serious federal crime than the state charges Epstein was convicted of.
• Epstein’s attorneys investigated members of the Palm Beach Police Department, while others ordered private investigators to follow and intimidate the victims’ families; one even posed as a police officer.
• Then-Attorney General Alberto Gonzales told The Daily Beast that he “would have instructed the Justice Department to pursue justice without making a political mess.”

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

For Palm Beach sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, house arrest in home stretch

http://www.palmbeachdailynews.com/news/for-palm-beach-sex-offender-jeffrey-epstein-house-808694.html
Attorney Spencer Kuvin, who secured settlements for two victims, said the bottom line is they were minors.

“Does that mean we should let every child molester go because we can’t find a teenager with no baggage?” Kuvin said. “He specifically sought out girls who were damaged — emotionally or otherwise. He went after poor, underprivileged, troubled girls so that he could take advantage of them and no one would question it. What if he was going after young girls on Palm Beach island? I guarantee things would have been different. He was bottom fishing in Royal Palm Beach and got away with it.”
Kuvin and others who represented the minors say they are happy their cases are settled and their clients can try to put the past behind them.

But many are not happy with the plea deal and the relaxed house arrest conditions Epstein received.

Fairness for Epstein?

http://blogs.palmbeachpost.com/opinionzone/2010/07/20/3619/

by Opinion Staff

Jeffrey Epstein’s year-long probation ends today. Epstein’s punishment didn’t fit his crimes, but that hasn’t stopped the billionaire money manager who paid teenage girls for sex and massages at his Palm Beach mansion from complaining.

Epstein whined to probation officers about the restrictions of his sentence. Yeah, he had it tough. During the first four months of this year, Epstein traveled nearly every week to his home in New York City or his private Caribbean island — with the approval of his probation officers. During the 13 months he served of his 18-month sentence — in the Palm Beach County Jail instead of state prison, where inmates with such sentences usually go — Epstein was let out on weekdays and some weekends as part of a work-release program.

Epstein’s soft time flowed from his soft treatment by state and federal law enforcement officials after Palm Beach police first turned his case over to former State Attorney Barry Krischer in 2006.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI investigated after allegations that Mr. Krischer’s office wasn’t doing enough. Instead of filing charges that would have led to more prison time, federal officials struck an unusual, secret non-prosecution agreement in which Epstein would plead guilty to the state charges, register as a sex offender and serve the 18 months.

Spencer Kuvin, the attorney for the woman who was 14 when she first gave Epstein a sexually charged massage, said of his client, now 20, “Both the criminal process and the civil process just really disgusted her. She felt that he didn’t receive anywhere near the punishment he should have received.” His client, along with about two dozen others, reached a confidential settlement with Epstein.

Top Secret America

Top Secret America - http://projects.washingtonpost.com/top-secret-america Post exposes the billions in waste in our intelligence agencies.

Toyota Grand Jury Subpoena

Toyota Receives Subpoena on Steering Flaws http://nyti.ms/atbM7g This is what happens when you let profit machines oversee themselves.

A federal grand jury in New York has subpoenaed Toyota Motor, seeking information on steering-related defects in its vehicles. The move could widen an investigation into the automaker’s handling of a recall in 2005. 

Testing Email to Blogger

Trying to get this email to work.

Jeffrey Epstein is out!

http://j.mp/9pJ5vc He is out and on the loose.