Rock icon Cliff Richard wins UK High Court privacy case
Supreme Court News
British rock icon Cliff Richard has won his privacy case against the BBC for its coverage of a police raid at his home and has been awarded more than 200,000 ($260,000) in damages.
Richard had sued the broadcaster for its coverage of the 2014 raid, when police were investigating alleged sex offenses.
The 77-year-old singer was never arrested or charged with any crime. People suspected of crimes are not identified in Britain until they are charged. His lawsuit claims he suffered "profound" damage to his reputation.
The BBC disputed his claims and editors said the coverage was done in good faith.
Richard says he experienced a "sense of panic and powerlessness" when he saw the BBC was broadcasting from a helicopter above his home.
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Texas Adopts Statewide Texting-While-Driving Ban
Effective September 1, 2017, Texas will become the 47th state to pass a statewide ban on texting while driving. Governor Abbott’s signing of House Bill 62 is an effort to unify Texas under a uniform ban and remedy the “patchwork quilt of regulations that dictate driving practices in Texas.”
The bill specifically prohibits drivers from reading, writing, or sending an electronic message on a device unless the vehicle is stopped. That includes texting and emailing. It does not, however, prohibit dialing a number to call someone, talking on the phone using a hands-free device, or using the phone’s GPS system.
Violations would be punishable by a fine ranging from $25 to $99, to be set by each municipality. Although penalties could rise to as much as $200 for repeat offenders.
Studies have found that a driver’s reaction time is half as much when a driver is distracted by sending or reading a text message. According to state officials, in 2015 more than 105,000 traffic accidents in Texas involved distracted driving, leading to at least 476 fatalities.