By Mani Dabiri | Published May 26, 2019 | Posted in Civil Business Litigation and Investigations, Government Subpoenas and Investigations, White-Collar and Regulatory Defense | Tagged Tags: civilmonetarypenalties, excessivefines, healthandhumanservices, healthcare, HHS, HIPAA, mensrea |
HHS Reduces HIPAA’s Maximum Fines
Last month, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services said it would no longer apply the same maximum fines to all HIPAA violations regardless of fault or blameworthiness. Before, the agency used the same maximum annual penalty, $1.5 million, for all violations regardless of whether or not you knew you violated HIPAA; whether or not you Read More
Read MoreNew California Criminal Laws: Part One
Let’s get to it. We’ve already covered the big new bail law, which won’t go into effect until October 1. Here are three new laws effective January 1, 2019. Drunk driving will catch you an ignition-interlock device on your car. This is Senate Bill 1046. It amends the Vehicle Code to require most anyone who’s convicted of Read More
Read MoreThe Name of the Game is Compliance
Two more points for now on California’s Private Attorneys General Act. First, in many cases, you don’t have to prove that your employer’s violation hurt you or cost you anything. You just need a violation. For example, the Labor Code requires pay stubs to accurately itemize certain basic information. If yours don’t, it’s a violation Read More
Read MoreThe New Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court
Now that Neil Gorsuch has been sworn in, we’ll begin to find out how he wields the law as a member of the highest court in the land. Some say he’s a natural successor to the Justice whose seat he fills, Antonin Scalia. Here is a profile of Mr. Gorsuch that compares his views to those of Mr. Scalia Read More
Read MoreMurder, Manslaughter, or Self-Defense?
True story. One homeless man killed another in a street fight, and they charged him with first-degree murder. He was convicted at trial, but last week, the California Court of Appeal reversed that conviction and sent the case back. Why? The defendant had pleaded self-defense, but the trial court didn’t let him present expert testimony that homeless Read More
Read MoreWhat’s a Hate Crime in California?
If you’re wondering about that in light of recent events, here’s an overview. California defines a hate crime as any crime that you commit, in whole or in part, because of a victim’s actual or perceived race, gender, religion, ethnicity, nationality, disability, sexual orientation, or association with those who bear these characteristics. The phrase “in whole or in part” Read More
Read MoreU.S. Sentencing Commission Amends Guidelines for White-Collar Fraud Cases
Any day now, the U.S. Sentencing Commission will submit to Congress a set of proposed amendments to the federal sentencing guidelines that it voted to approve three weeks ago. That matters because, in federal court, the guidelines drive most sentences and influence nearly all of them. If Congress doesn’t object to the amendments, they will go effective on November 1. Here’s Read More
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