NY judge prefers open records in Sept. 11 cases
National News
A federal judge who rejected a Sept. 11 health settlement says he would prefer more open records in litigation stemming from the World Trade Center attack and might consider unsealing all records.
Judge Alvin Hellerstein commented Thursday after hearing lawyers argue whether a settlement related to claims of property damages resulting from the terrorist attacks should be public.
A settlement of most of the property claims has been kept secret while Hellerstein decides what should be put on the public record.
Lawyers for insurance companies that have settled have argued for secrecy, saying it was a private deal involving sophisticated commercial plaintiffs.
A lawyer for developer Larry Silverstein, who has not settled property claims, has argued that the settlement be made public.
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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.