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Justice Department Seeks to Intervene in Lawsuit Alleging H&s Tax Preparation Website Is Inaccessible to Individuals with Disabilities

The Civil Rights Division and U.S. Attorney Carmen Ortiz announced today that they have moved to intervene in National Federation of the Blind et al v. HRB Digital LLC et al, a private lawsuit alleging disability discrimination by HRB Digital LLC and HRB Tax Group Inc., subsidiaries of H&R Block Inc.



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Justice Department Reaches Agreement with Oklahoma Child Care Center to Ensure Equal Rights for Children with Disabilities

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement with Camelot Child Development Center of Oklahoma City and Edmond, Okla., under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit to Stop Tennessee Woman from Preparing Tax Returns

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit in a federal court in Memphis today to stop Stephanie Edmond and her businesses, the Tax Factory and Tax Factory Enterprise Inc., from preparing federal income tax returns.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Alleging Disability-Based Discrimination at Hartville, Ohio, Condominium Complex

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit late yesterday against the owners, builders and designers of a 54-unit condominium complex in Hartville, Ohio, for violations of the Fair Housing Act (FHA).



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Justice Department Sues to Stop Somerville, N.J., Man from Preparing Tax Returns

The United States filed a lawsuit yesterday in The District of New Jersey to bar Eric Majette of Somerville, N.J., from preparing federal tax returns, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit to Stop Tennessee Man from Preparing Tax Returns

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit today in Memphis federal court to stop Grady Smith, who does business as One Price Refunds, from preparing federal tax returns.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Newseum to Improve Access for People with Disabilities

The Department of Justice announced today that it has reached a settlement with Newseum Inc., which owns and operates the Newseum, to address alleged violations of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).



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Justice Department Requires Divestiture from Gannett Co. Inc. in Order to Proceed with Its Acquisition of Belo Corp.

The Department of Justice announced today that it will require Gannett Co. Inc., Belo Corp. and Sander Media LLC to divest their interests in KMOV‑TV, a CBS affiliate in St. Louis, in order to proceed with Gannett’s acquisition of Belo, and Sander’s related acquisition of six Belo television stations that Gannett cannot hold under Federal Communications Commission (FCC) rules.



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Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Owner and Manager of Rental Housing in New Hampshire for Discrimination Against Families with Children

The Justice Department today filed a lawsuit against the owner and manager of rental apartments in Jaffrey, N.H., for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against families with children.



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Former BP Engineer Convicted for Obstruction of Justice in Connection with the Deepwater Horizon Criminal Investigation

A former engineer for BP plc, was convicted today of intentionally destroying evidence requested by federal criminal authorities investigating the April 20, 2010, Deepwater Horizon disaster.



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Justice Department Announces Fair Housing Settlement with W.V. Developer

The Justice Department announced today that developer Douglas Pauley and entities affiliated with him have agreed to pay $110,000 and make all retrofits required to remove accessibility barriers at 30 apartment complexes, involving more than 750 units, in West Virginia that were developed through the federal government’s Low-Income Housing Tax Credit program.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with Fort Davis State Bank to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination

The Justice Department announced today that Fort Davis State Bank, based in Fort Davis, Texas, will implement uniform pricing policies, conduct employee training and pay $159,000 as part of a settlement to resolve allegations that it engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination on the basis of national origin.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement with State of New Hampshire to Expand Community Mental Health Services and Prevent Unnecessary Institutionalization

The Justice Department announced today that the United States and a coalition of mental health advocacy organizations have entered into a comprehensive settlement agreement with the state of New Hampshire that will transform New Hampshire’s mental health system by significantly expanding and enhancing mental health service capacity in integrated community settings.



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Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $98 Million Settlementto Resolve Allegations of Auto Lending Discrimination by Ally

The Department of Justice and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) today announced the federal government’s largest auto loan discrimination settlement in history to resolve allegations that Detroit-based Ally Financial Inc. and Ally Bank have engaged in an ongoing nationwide pattern or practice of discrimination against African-American, Hispanic and Asian/Pacific Islander borrowers in their auto lending since April 1, 2011.



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Justice Department Announces Funding Opportunities for Federally-Recognized Tribes and Tribal Consortia

The U.S. Department of Justice today announced the opening of a comprehensive grant solicitation for funding to support public safety, victim services, and crime prevention by American Indian and Alaska Native governments.



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Justice Department Recovers $3.8 Billion from False Claims Act Cases in Fiscal Year 2013

The Justice Department secured $3.8 billion in settlements and judgments from civil cases involving fraud against the government in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013.



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Justice Department Settles Discrimination Lawsuit Against Reading Parking Authority in Pennsylvania

The Department of Justice announced today that it has entered a consent decree with the Reading Parking Authority (RPA) in the City of Reading, Pa., which, if approved by the court, will resolve a lawsuit filed by the United States on June 27, 2013.



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Justice Department and Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Reach $35 Million Settlement to Resolve Allegations of Lending Discrimination by National City Bank

The Justice Department and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau filed a consent order today to resolve allegations that National City Bank engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination that increased loan prices for African-American and Hispanic borrowers who obtained residential mortgages between 2002 and 2008 from National City Bank’s retail offices and nationwide network of mortgage brokers.



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Justice Department Requires Heraeus Electro-Nite LLC to Divest Assets Acquired from Midwest Instrument Company Inc. to Keystone Sensors LLC

The Department of Justice today announced that it will require Heraeus Electro-Nite LLC to divest certain assets that it acquired from Midwest Instrument Company Inc. (Minco) to Keystone Sensors LLC in order to resolve the department’s competitive concerns.



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Department of Justice Takes Steps to Strengthen Federal Background Check System for Firearms Transfers

The Department of Justice today announced it is proposing a regulation that will clarify who, due to mental health reasons, is prohibited under federal law from receiving, possessing, shipping or transporting firearms. In addition to providing general guidance on the federal law, this clarification will help states determine what information may be appropriately shared with the federal background check system for firearms transfers – the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) – in order to keep guns out of the hands of individuals who may be a danger to themselves or others.



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Departments of Justice and Education Issue School Discipline Guidance to Promote Safe, Inclusive Schools

The Department of Justice (DOJ), in collaboration with the Department of Education (ED), today released a school discipline guidance package that will assist states, districts and schools in developing practices and strategies to enhance school climate, and ensure those policies and practices comply with federal law.



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Justice Department Closes Investigation of Prison in Pittsburgh, Pa., After Pennsylvania Department of Corrections Works Cooperatively to Improve Security Practices

The Justice Department announced today that it has closed its investigation of State Correctional Institution – Pittsburgh after the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections (PDOC) significantly improved security policies and practices at the prison and throughout the Pennsylvania prison system.



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Justice Department Obtains $317,000 in Discrimination Settlement with Euless, Texas, Apartment Complex

The United States has settled a housing discrimination lawsuit in Euless, Texas, concerning discrimination against persons of Middle Eastern and South Asian descent, the Justice Department announced today.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Department of Justice and Department of Education School Discipline Guidance Rollout at Frederick Douglass High School

"Too often, so-called “zero-tolerance” policies – however well-intentioned – make students feel unwelcome in their own schools. They disrupt the learning process. And they can have significant and lasting negative effects on the long-term well-being of our young people – increasing their likelihood of future contact with juvenile and criminal justice systems," said Attorney General Holder.




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Justice Department Collects More Than $8 Billion in Civil and Criminal Cases in Fiscal Year 2013

Attorney General Eric Holder today announced that the Justice Department collected at least $8 billion in civil and criminal actions in the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2013.



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Justice Department Issues Statement on U.S. District Court Ruling That Bazaarvoice’s Acquisition of PowerReviews Violated Antitrust Laws

"We are pleased that the court, after carefully weighing all of the evidence, agreed with the Justice Department that Bazaarvoice’s acquisition of PowerReviews was likely to extinguish price competition and substantially diminish the pace of innovation in the market for product ratings and reviews platforms," said Assistant Attorney General Baer.



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U.S. Departments of Justice and Commerce Name Experts to First-ever National Commission on Forensic Science

The U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) today announced appointments to a newly created National Commission on Forensic Science.



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Justice Department Alleges “Buy Here, Pay Here” Used-Car Dealerships Engaged in Illegal Lending Discrimination

The U.S. Department of Justice, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina and the North Carolina Department of Justice filed a lawsuit today alleging that the owners and operators of two “buy here, pay here” used-car dealerships in Charlotte, N.C., violated the federal Equal Credit Opportunity Act by intentionally targeting African-American customers for the extension and servicing of installment sale contracts on unfair and predatory terms.



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Statement from Justice Department Spokesman Regarding President Obama’s Speech on U.S. Signals Intelligence

The U.S. Justice Department released the following statement by department spokesman Brian Fallon in response to President Obama’s speech on U.S. signals intelligence.



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Justice Department Releases Findings Showing That the Alabama Department of Corrections Fails to Protect Prisoners from Sexual Abuse and Sexual Harassment at the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women

Today the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced its letter of findings determining that prison officials at the Alabama Department of Corrections and the Julia Tutwiler Prison for Women violate women prisoners’ constitutional rights by failing to take reasonable steps to protect them from harm due to sexual abuse and sexual harassment caused by correctional staff.



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Justice Department Settles Immigration-Related Discrimination Claim Against Massachusetts Staffing Agency

The Justice Department reached an agreement today with SD Staffing LLC (SD Staffing), aka Atwork Personnel Services Inc., a company based in Methuen, Mass., resolving claims that the staffing company engaged in citizenship status discrimination in violation of the Immigration and Nationality Act.



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Justice Department Sues to Stop Florida Tax Return Preparer from Preparing Federal Tax Returns for Others

The United States has asked a federal court in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to permanently bar Keisha Stewart and her company, Professional Tax Services Inc., from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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Justice Department Reaches Settlement to Resolve Claim of Citizenship Status Hiring Discrimination in Waterloo, Iowa

The Justice Department announced today that it has reached an agreement with the city of Waterloo, Iowa, resolving allegations that the city violated the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).



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Department of Justice Publishes Notice of Proposed Rulemaking to Implement ADA Amendments Act of 2008

The Department of Justice published a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking today intended to revise the department’s Americans with Disabilities Act Title II and Title III regulations to implement the requirements of the ADA Amendments Act of 2008.



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Roxbury Correctional Institution Sergeant Convicted of Obstructing Justice

The Justice Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the FBI announced that Josh Hummer, a sergeant at the Roxbury Correctional Institution in Hagerstown, Md., was convicted today by a federal jury of obstructing justice during the investigation of an assault against an inmate.



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Former Alabama KKK Leader Pleads Guilty to Cross Burning and Obstruction of Justice

Steven Joshua Dinkle, 28, former Exalted Cyclops of the Ozark, Ala., chapter of the International Keystone Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, pleaded guilty in federal court today to hate crime and obstruction of justice charges for his role in a 2009 cross burning, the Justice Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama announced.



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Justice Department Files Fair Housing Lawsuit Against Owner and Managers of Illinois Mobile Home Park for Discriminating Against African-Americans and Families with Children

The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the owner and those responsible for the management of a 126-space mobile home park in Effingham, Ill., for violating the Fair Housing Act by discriminating against African-Americans and families with children.



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Justice Department Settles with Rite Aid of Michigan Over Alleged HIV Discrimination

The Justice Department announced today that, as part of its Barrier-Free Health Care Initiative, it has reached a settlement with Rite Aid of Michigan to resolve claims that Rite Aid violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.



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Justice Department Announces Three Tribes to Implement Special Domestic Violence Criminal Jurisdiction Under VAWA 2013

Three American Indian tribes – the Pascua Yaqui Tribe of Arizona, the Tulalip Tribes of Washington, and the Umatilla Tribes of Oregon – will be the first in the nation to exercise special criminal jurisdiction over certain crimes of domestic and dating violence, regardless of the defendant’s Indian or non-Indian status, under a pilot project authorized by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 (VAWA 2013).



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Statement of the Department of Justice Antitrust Division on Its Decision to Close Its Investigation of Samsung’s Use of Its Standards-Essential Patents

The Department of Justice’s Antitrust Division issued a statement after announcing the closing of its investigation into Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.’s use of its portfolio of standards-essential patents that it had committed to license to industry participants on fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory terms (SEPs) to exclude certain Apple, Inc. products from the U.S. market.



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Justice Department Sues to Shut Down Chicago Tax Preparer

The United States filed a lawsuit today to bar Barbara L. Garrett, a Chicago tax return preparer, from preparing federal tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit to Stop Delaware Woman from Preparing Tax Returns

The Department of Justice filed a civil lawsuit in the federal court in Delaware today to enjoin Carmen J. Martinez and her business, CJM Bookkeeping and Taxes LLC, from preparing federal tax returns.



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Justice Department Seeks to Shut Down Utah Tax Preparer

The United States has asked a federal court in Salt Lake City to bar Rulon Sandoval, Andrea R. Acosta Hernandez and Latinos Office LLC from preparing tax returns for others, the Justice Department announced today.



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Attorney General Holder Announces Justice Department to Lift Hiring Freeze

In a video message released today, Attorney General Eric Holder announced that, due to the budget agreement approved by Congress last month, the Justice Department is able to lift the hiring freeze that has been in place for just over three years.



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Justice Department Files Lawsuit Against the State of Rhode Island and the R.I. Department of Corrections Alleging Race and National Origin Discrimination

The Justice Department announced the filing of a lawsuit today against the State of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island Department of Corrections alleging that the defendants are engaged in a pattern or practice of employment discrimination against African-Americans and Hispanics in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.



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Justice Department Highlights Ongoing Efforts to Protect the Public and Shut Down Fraudulent Tax Return Preparers and Promoters Nationwide

Today, the Justice Department announced the results of its ongoing efforts to combat fraudulent tax-return preparers and promoters of tax-fraud schemes.



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Federal Advisory Committee Examines Juvenile Courts and Justice System Programs for American Indian Children Exposed to Violence

More than 30 tribal leaders, juvenile court judges, child advocates, juvenile justice system experts and community members from the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community testified today in the second public hearing of the Advisory Committee of the Attorney General’s Task Force on American Indian and Alaska Native Children Exposed to Violence.



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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks on Criminal Justice Reform at Georgetown University Law Center

From its earliest days, our Republic has been bound together by its extraordinary legal system, and by the enduring values that define it. These values – of equality, opportunity, and justice under law – were first codified in our founding documents. And they are put into action every day by leaders like you – and the talented men and women who learn, at great institutions like Georgetown, what it means to be a steward of the law – and an advocate for those whom it protects and empowers.




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Attorney General Eric Holder Delivers Remarks at the Department of Justice’s African-American History Month Event

Six decades ago, with the Supreme Court’s landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education, our nation took a historic step toward ending the injustice of “separate but equal” – and building the momentum of a modern Civil Rights Movement.




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Department of Justice Proposes Remedy to Address Bazaarvoice’s Unlawful Acquisition of PowerReviews

The Department of Justice today submitted to the court a proposed remedy to address Bazaarvoice Inc.’s unlawful acquisition of PowerReviews Inc., following the Jan. 8, 2014, U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California finding that Bazaarvoice violated Section 7 of the Clayton Act when it acquired PowerReviews, its closest and only serious competitor.



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