Court Roundup

Maryland
Judge dismisses over 3,000 debt collection cases
ANNAPOLIS, Md. (AP) — The chief judge of the District Court of Maryland has dismissed more than 3,000 debt collections cases against Maryland residents.
Chief Judge Ben C. Clyburn’s action on Wednesday comes after a settlement of a class-action suit against Worldwide Asset Purchasing. The suit claimed that Worldwide Asset Purchasing and its affiliates were not properly registered or licensed, misstated amounts owed and filed collection lawsuits after the statute of limitations had expired.
Defendants in the dismissed cases will receive written notification from the court.

Pennsylvania
2 women sue vet over destroyed show dog semen
BELLEFONTE, Pa. (AP) — Two women are suing a central Pennsylvania animal hospital for $300,000 in damages after they say valuable semen samples from championship-caliber show dogs were destroyed.
A civil jury trial is under way in Bellefonte this week in the case against Mount Nittany Veterinary Hospital.
Attorney Louis Glantz, who represents Linda Blackie and another woman, says the samples thawed and were destroyed in May 2010 due to a mistake at the veterinarian’s office.
The Centre Daily Times reports the case began Wednesday and a jury must now determine how much those samples were worth.
Animal hospital attorney Robert Mix says even the best show dogs can produce poor samples for breeding and that the quality of the samples in question was “from moderately good to extremely poor.”

Vermont
DOJ sues Vt. over overseas ballots
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) — The U.S. Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the state of Vermont and Secretary of State Jim Condos to ensure that some Vermont military personnel and others serving overseas can get their absentee ballots in on time after some of the ballots were delayed.
The department said Thursday that it’s seeking an order requiring Vermont to extend the deadline to Nov. 16 to receive the ballots from affected voters.
The department said it filed the lawsuit after the state failed to send more than 20 percent of the ballots by the deadline.
Condos, a Democrat, said a recount in a primary race delayed the printing of the November ballots, but town clerks were sent electronic copies and the most veterans should have been able to receive them on time.