Four death row inmates filed a civil rights class action against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice on Thursday in Texas Southern District Court over solitary confinement. The suit, brought by Hogan Lovells on behalf of a class of nearly 200 death row inmates, alleges that by placing inmates into solitary confinement for a mandatory and indefinite period of time, the state inflicts physical and psychological damage in violation of the Eighth Amendment's ban on cruel and unusual punishment. The case is 4:23-cv-00283, Robertson et al. v. Collier et al.

Lithia Motors, the Oregon-based automotive retailer, and Hyundai of Wesley Chapel were hit with a false imprisonment lawsuit Thursday in Florida Middle District Court. The court case, brought by ThorpeLaw on behalf of Coleen Knecht and Wesley employee Jason Knecht, contends that a Wesley general manager prevented Jason Knecht from exiting the dealership office and verbally assaulted him. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendants. The case is 8:23-cv-00182, Knecht et al v. Wesley Chapel-Hy, LLC d/b/a Hyundai of Wesley Chapel et al.

Visa was hit with a patent infringement lawsuit Thursday in Texas Western District Court. The court action, brought by Susman Godfrey and Steckler Wayne Cherry & Love on behalf of Cortex MCP Inc., asserts a family of patents related to a method to store and verify credentials through an authentication app. Counsel have not yet appeared for the defendant. The case is...