North America

Marcia Jones was killed by Anthony James Fiebiger and his friend.  Fiebiger and his friend decided that they wanted to go to Grandview Park to molest and rape somebody.  They encountered Marcia and asked her if she wanted to go with them to the park to smoke marijuana.  Once in the park, Fiebiger choked Marcia until she fell to the ground; the two men removed her clothing while punching and kicking her.  Fiebiger attempted to have intercourse with Marcia but was unable to maintain an erection, so he abused her with a tree branch.  The court held that Fiebiger’s stat

Defendant appealed a ruling that he was a sexually violent predator, suffering from an antisocial personality disorder. Defendant sexually assaulted a sixteen year-old girl and threatened to kill her if she reported the assault. He was subsequently arrested and entered a negotiated guilty plea. At the defendant’s Megan’s Law hearing and sentencing, a doctor, who was a member of the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board, found that the defendant had an antisocial personality disorder and that he was likely to engage in sexually violent activity if not confined.

Daniel Kerrigan sexually abused A.R., the 7-year-old daughter of his live-in girlfriend, for 3 years.  The abuse was discovered when A.R. was diagnosed with genital warts when she was 10 years old.  The court held that the transmission of HPV and genital warts satisfies the serious bodily injury requirement of the crimes of Rape of Child (Serious Bodily Injury) and Involuntary Deviate Sexual Intercourse with a Child (Serious Bodily Injury) because HPV is a permanent disease, can lead to cervical cancer, and may be transmitted to A.R.’s future sexual partners or children.

Here, the defendant pleaded guilty to sexual offenses, namely that he sexually assaulted two daughters of his live-in girlfriend and threatened the younger daughter that he would harm her mother if she reported the assaults. A member of the Sexual Offenders Assessment Board assessed the defendant and found him to be a sexually violent predator under Megan’s Law II (42 Pa. C.S.A. § 9795). The court found that the defendant was a pedophile and was a sexually violent predator.

This memorandum compiles international and regional best practices guidelines, model laws, and progressive practices of domestic courts to protect adult and child victim-witnesses before, during, and after trials.

This law amends §§3216 ,3221, and 4303 of NYS Insurance Law, and amends §365-a of NYS Social Services Law to require that health insurance policies in New York State provide comprehensive contraceptive coverage. It mandates coverage of all FDA-approved contraceptive methods, including over-the-counter options when permitted by law.

In this divorce case, the husband appealed the trial court’s decision to grant spousal support to the wife notwithstanding her adultery, based on the court’s finding that manifest injustice would otherwise result.  The appellant and the appellee were married for 20 years and had two children.  The appellant had a stable career in the trucking business and earned $250,000 per year and had assets totaling more than $6 million.  The appellee was the primary caretaker for the children and worked part-time as a receptionist earning $10 an hour.  She did not contest that she h

Connecticut ‘s statute on prenatal testing for HIV and syphilis requires prenatal care providers to order blood tests for both HIV and syphilis during the first trimester of pregnancy and again at the time of delivery. The purpose is to identify infections early, reduce the risk of mother-to-child transmission, and ensure timely medical intervention for both the mother and the newborn. By mandating testing at two stages, the law enhances the likelihood of detection even if exposure occurs later in pregnancy.

Section 4a-60 mandates that all public contracts awarded by the state of Connecticut, its agencies, municipalities, or quasi-public entities contain nondiscrimination and affirmative action clauses. Contractors are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, religious creed, age, marital status, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender identity or expression, disability, veteran status, or status as a victim of domestic violence.

§ 4a-60a requires that all contracts entered into by Connecticut state agencies, municipalities, and quasi-public agencies include an express provision prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation. Contractors, subcontractors, and their agents must agree not to discriminate in hiring, promotion, compensation, or other terms and conditions of employment. In addition to prohibiting discrimination, the statute obligates contractors to take affirmative steps to ensure equal opportunity.