When the Police Are the Offenders

You’re speeding down the road after a night out with your friends. You’re in a good mood so the music and accelerator just got away from you. Then you see the blue lights in your rearview mirror. You’re being pulled over and you don’t have to guess why. Unfortunately, you got more than a speeding…

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How Technology Is Being Used to Fight Sexual Harassment

It feels like a lifetime of misery. Going to work every day and having to work side by side with a co-worker who deems it a personal game to see how much sexual harassment you can take. He knows he won’t be reprimanded. He’s done this for years with various co-workers who were previously in…

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Online Dating Is Dangerous, So Why Do We Love It?

In a computer-age world, dating has become a bit tricky. Meeting someone through friends or employment can work sometimes. Finding love in a bar or other awkward social setting where you’re thrown into a sea of strangers can be challenging. Then there’s the world of online dating. Today there are so many dating sites to…

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Where We Stand on the Rape Kit Backlog Problem

Type the term “rape kit backlog” into a Google search and be prepared to be overwhelmed. Victims of sexual assault have been told for years that allowing for the collection of DNA evidence is their best chance at catching their attacker. Already traumatized victims undergo a special rape exam where they are literally picked over…

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Lawdragon “Lawyer Limelight” Spotlights John Taylor and Dave Ring

Respected legal website Lawdragon recently chose Attorneys John Taylor and Dave Ring for their “Lawyer Limelight” series, an in-depth Q&A feature that spotlights a national selection of leading attorneys in their fields. These interviews touch on a variety of subjects, including recent achievements, career highlights, legal trends and interesting personal tidbits. John Taylor and Dave…

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High Profile Sexual Assault Allegations Are Changing the Rules

That sound you hear is dominoes falling from a high altitude. It began slowly and picked up the pace with the #MeToo campaign giving victims the confidence to finally come forward and publicly point their fingers at their abusers. The last couple of years haven’t been good for anyone in a high profile position in…

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How to Recognize the Signs of Sexual Abuse

Do you think your child may be the victim of sexual abuse at the hands of someone you have trusted, such as a partner, family member, priest, neighbor, or even a teacher? While it is not always easy to get children to speak about things that are going on, especially if they are afraid of…

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When Is a School Responsible for a Victim’s Sexual Assault?

When you send your child to school, you expect them to learn in a comfortable, safe environment with teachers and support staff members who care about the success of each child. While this is true for the most part, some teachers or school staff members may use their power to gain control over others, including…

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Why At-Home Rape Kits Should Be Avoided

A company in Brooklyn has recently released a DIY rape kit, with the goal of enabling survivors to take and submit their own DNA samples. The MeToo Kits are supposedly designed to prevent victims from feeling like they are being victimized all over again. They are also a terrible idea. Rape is both physically and…

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Taking a Lesson from Bill Cosby

Bill Cosby, once a respected comedian, television actor, and public speaker, has since been sentenced to 3-10 years in prison for committing sexual offenses. In an era of Harvey Weinstein and Matt Lauer, or #MeToo and #WhyIDidntReport, it is easy to forget that Cosby’s crimes once dominated the headlines. Over and over again, we heard…

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Taylor & Ring Named to Best Law Firms for 2020

Taylor & Ring is honored to announce that our firm was named to Best Lawyers – U.S. News & World Report’s annual Best Law Firms 2020 edition, earning Tier 1 statutes for Personal Injury Litigation – Plaintiffs in Metropolitan Los Angeles. Taylor & Ring has consistently received recognition for its successes by Best Law Firms,…

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What is Consent? Separating Sexual Assault from a Misunderstanding

“Consent” is the agreement between two people to engage in whatever sexual behaviors they want. Theoretically and ethically, this is a simple thing. But the reality is that there are gray areas in the laws, and those shades of gray can make it incredibly difficult for victims of sexual assault to get the justice they…

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What Is the Role of California Schools in Addressing Sexual Harassment?

The California Healthy Youth Act, which has been in place since 2016, provides “integrated, comprehensive, accurate, and unbiased sexual health and HIV prevention instruction” for public school students. Erin Prangley, associate director of government relations for the American Association of University Women, told EdSource that “Many school cultures trivialize harassment, tolerate language that degrades girls…

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Can You Claim Punitive Damages for Sexual Assault?

The essence of a punitive damage claims is to punish someone who’s wrongs are unconscionable, so they don’t harm anyone else. The payment of punitive damages is paid to the injured plaintiff. A punitive damage claim in any type of case requires more than a showing of carelessness or negligence. In California, the defendant must…

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Sexual Misconduct Allegations against CA Doctors Is Up by 62%

Larry Nassar, George Tyndall, James Heaps, Bayard Allmond and countless other physicians have faced the legal and professional consequences of sexual misconduct against patients most of whom were young and vulnerable. A story in the Los Angeles Times reports that since the fall of 2017, complaints against California physicians have increased by 62%. Those numbers…

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EEOC Reports Increase in Sexual Harassment Claims Since #MeToo

In what seems to be the silver lining in the dark cloud that was the Harvey Weinstein sexual harassment claims and the rise of the #MeToo movement, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission reports that in 2018, sexual harassment claims increased by 13.6% over the previous year, while the total number of complaints of workplace…

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Taylor & Ring’s Natalie Weatherford Named Law360 Rising Star

Taylor & Ring is excited and proud to announce that attorney Natalie Weatherford has been named to Law360’s Rising Stars for 2019, their list of 175 Attorneys Under 40 whose legal accomplishments transcend their age. Natalie is one of only three personal injury attorneys named to this list, chosen from among 80 law firms and…

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California Puts Law Designed to Protect Child Actors from Sexual Harassment on Hold

A recent law designed to protect child actors by providing sexual harassment prevention training is being delayed. Deadline reports that, according to the California Labor Commissioner’s office, the reason for the delay is that the two vendors contracted to provide the necessary training materials weren’t getting the job done. One vendor, according to Deadline, was…

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Taylor & Ring Honored with 2019 Elite Trial Lawyers Award

Taylor & Ring is proud to announce that our firm has won the 2019 Elite Trial Lawyers award, presented by the National Law Journal. Taylor & Ring won in the “Other” category, because the plaintiffs’ work we do often defies specific classification. Instead, our work spans multiple categories: injury law, civil litigation, civil rights, and…

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