JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) _ A lawsuit accuses Governor Blunt of racial discrimination and abuse of power for firing a … (WIBW-TV Topeka) Blunt calls the lawsuit "ludicrous'' and defends the action he took last March against Sam's Janitorial Services. Law officers arrested 25 company employees during a sting at a state office building. [News Source]

Lawsuit Over Mineral Rights Can Proceed, Court Says (The Morning News) LITTLE ROCK -- A lawsuit over who owns the mineral rights under more than 4,000 acres in White County can go to trial, the state Supreme Court said Thursday. [News Source]

AG’s Lawsuit Trying Shut Down Celis’ Law Firm (KIII Corpus Christi) There's more on the lawsuit filed by the State Attorney General's, a suit that essentially seeks to shut down Celis' law office here in Corpus Christi on the grounds that it violates the state law against deceptive trade practices. [News Source]

In lawsuit, nonprofit group accuses town of discrimination (Boston Globe) An anti-poverty agency has filed a federal lawsuit against Framingham officials and residents, claiming they illegally delayed the expansion of a group home for recovering drug addicts and their families. [News Source]

North Fork settles lawsuit on nonpayment of commissions (Newsday)

After a four-day trial, North Fork Bank yesterday settled a lawsuit that claimed the bank had illegally withheld the commissions a salesman earned before he died.

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Vonage settles Verizon patent lawsuit (USA Today) Vonage Holdings, the beleaguered provider of Internet-based telephone service, said Thursday it has settled a patent lawsuit brought by Verizon Communications for a maximum of $120 million. [News Source]

Vonage settles key patent lawsuit with Verizon (CNN Money) Agrees to a maximum total lawsuit settlement payout of $120 million. NEW YORK (AP) -- Vonage Holdings Corp., the beleaguered provider of telephone service over Internet connections, said Thursday it has settled a patent lawsuit brought by Verizon Communications Inc. for a maximum of $120 million. [News Source]

Lawmakers change church money language, hoping to end lawsuit (KATC 3 Lafayette)

BATON ROUGE, La. — Lawmakers tried Thursday to diffuse a lawsuit that blocked state payments to two churches in northwest Louisiana by explaining that the money will be used for…

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Lawsuit claims race discrimination, abuse of power by Blunt (The Kansas City Star) JEFFERSON CITY | A lawsuit filed today accuses Gov. Matt Blunt of racial discrimination and abuse of power for firing a state janitorial contractor that employed illegal immigrants. [News Source]

Federal Judge Dismisses Griffen’s Rules Lawsuit (KTHV Little Rock) A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit filed by Arkansas Appeals Court Judge Wendell Griffen that challenges the state judicial disciplinary panel's rules. (See link for more stories.) [News Source]