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North Carolina's New Chief Justice Temporarily Suspends Judge
North Carolina's new Supreme Court chief justice has temporarily suspended a district court judge.
The News & Record reports Chief Justice Cheri Beasley temporarily suspended Guilford County District Judge Mark Cummings. Beasley was sworn in on Thursday.
Court officials haven't revealed the reason for Cummings' suspension. However, Cummings told the newspaper in October that the N.C. Judicial Standards Commission was investigating him.
Cummings said the allegations included calling officers racists and changing defendants' bonds set by Superior Court judges.
Case About Indigent Drivers And Drivers' Licenses In Court
A federal court judge will hear motions in a lawsuit over a North Carolina law that mandates the revocation of drivers' licenses for unpaid traffic tickets even if the driver can't afford to pay.
Advocacy groups sued in May, seeking to declare the law unconstitutional. A hearing will be held Wednesday in Winston-Salem on motions for a preliminary injunction and class certification.
The judge also will consider a motion by the defendant, the commissioner of the Division of Motor Vehicles, for a judgment in his favor.
The American Civil Liberties Union and other groups sued on behalf of indigent residents facing license revocation or whose licenses have been revoked.
Bill Would Allow Pets Inside NC Breweries With Taprooms
A North Carolina legislator has filed a bill that would allow breweries with taprooms to determine whether they'll allow dogs inside their businesses.
Rep. Jon Hardister of Guilford County is co-sponsoring the legislation filed Friday. It changes state health laws to allow breweries that have taprooms to allow pets in their tasting rooms.
State law already gives that choice to wineries.
Guilford County health inspectors recently determined that a Greensboro brewery called Joymongers was violating law by allowing pets inside their business.
New Report Raises Questions Over Groundwater Contamination At Coal Ash Sites
A new report by environmental groups says some North Carolina coal ash sites are contaminating groundwater. Researchers hope state regulators will consider the information as they decide on closure plans for remaining ash basins.
The Environmental Integrity Project, or EIP, and Earthjustice conducted the study. They examined the records of hundreds of power plants across the country.
Researchers say the data shows that most of the sites are leaking arsenic, lead and other toxic metals into groundwater.
Abel Russ is an attorney with EIP. Russ says he doesn't know the extent to which nearby drinking water supplies have been impacted by coal ash contamination.
Duke Energy spokesperson Bill Norton says the study is misleading and that pollution from leaking pits is staying on their property and not affecting local drinking water.
Pork Giant Smithfield Foods Loses Another Neighbors' Lawsuit
Jurors say pork giant Smithfield Foods is responsible for the nuisances North Carolina neighbors suffered from waste generated by thousands of hogs, but the panel awarded the lowest amount yet after four previous juries awarded penalties totaling nearly $550 million.
Friday's verdict awarding $420,000 was the second time a jury heard about living conditions around the same Duplin County operation that raised about 5,000 of the company's animals.
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