What does "safety" really mean in an Uber?
This week, a Phoenix jury began hearing evidence in the bellwether case that will guide more than 3,000 similar sexual assault suits filed against Uber.
The rideshare company Uber created a revolutionary app in 2009 that connected drivers with people who needed the rides. But it wasn’t long before the simple service was exploited. As increasing numbers of customers reported being sexually assaulted by their drivers, Uber started charging a $1 “Safe Rides Fee” in 2014 to support driver background checks and training.
Jaylynn Dean thought it was safe to take an Uber back to her hotel on Nov. 15, 2023. She was drunk and tired after celebrating the completion of flight attendant school with her boyfriend.
Soon after she closed her eyes and laid down in the backseat of the Uber, the driver pulled over, climbed into backseat and raped her.
Dean reported the incident to police then sued Uber on Dec. 29, 2023, claiming the company misrepresented its services as safe and failed to warn her of the risks of calling an Uber. Dean is not alone. This week, her civil suit opened before a Phoenix jury in the bellwether case that will guide more than 3,000 similar suits against Uber.
While Dean argues Uber prioritized growth over consumer safety, the tech company hopes its efforts to curtail predation will convince the jury it’s tried to live up to its promises. Reporter Joe Duhownik is following the case as it unfolds into February, when the jury is expected to issue a verdict.
Interestingly, the term “bellwether” comes from the literal bell used to guide wethers, or castrated sheep.
The Courthouse News keeps rolling below.
Here’s what else happened in court this week
Brendan Banfield faced trial in Fairfax County, Virginia for murdering his wife and a man he had hired to rape her — an attack he was assisted in by the family’s au pair, according to prosecutors. [Joan Hennessy]
Open book: In a dispute over who controls online access to Anne Frank’s diary, a senior EU legal adviser said a website doesn’t violate national copyright laws just because savvy users can sneak around geoblocking attempts. [Eunseo Hong]
Freed Fox: The Supreme Court tossed criminal convictions against a former Fox media executive and an Argentine sports marketing group, who were found guilty at trial in 2023 of a sprawling bribery scheme involving international soccer. [Erik Uebelacker]
Data in the details: Citing an overturned contempt citation, a misprinted charge, and Donald Trump’s pardon, Tina Peters asked the Colorado Court of Appeals to overturn a jury’s criminal convictions related to her role in leaking voting machine data. [Amanda Pampuro]
Drama club: The New York Young Republicans Club filed a $5 million lawsuit against its former press committee chairman, claiming the 37-year-old provocateur defamed and disparaged the group after their annual gala in December over seating arrangements. [Erik Uebelacker]
Landlocked: Arkansas sought to reverse an injunction blocking state law from restricting foreign ownership of farmland and digital asset mining operations which a lower court found encroached on federal authority. [Gabriel Tynes]
Cashing out: Three underground rappers — SplashZanotti, YungFokiss and TrapSavage — asked an 11th Circuit panel for a new trial, claiming a lack of evidence to support their convictions for bank robbery since they forced their victim to pull money from an ATM. [Megan Butler]
Full refund: When people book flights online, they see a single price and expect it all back if the flight is canceled, a consumer-minded sentiment the EU’s top court sided with. [Eunseo Hong]
From the Sidebar vault
A perfect listen for when your dog needs an extra long walk, the Sidebar crew breaks down the wild and wooly world of pet law — from the protections granted (or not so much) in the Animal Welfare Act to the effect of Netflix’s pandemic hit “Tiger King” on getting the Big Cat Public Safety Act passed.
Here’s what you’ve been reading
Judge demands response after lawmakers accuse DOJ of dragging feet with Epstein files
Mother says ChatGPT used son’s favorite book to encourage his suicide
Supreme Court axes ‘artificial’ limit blocking relief for federal prisoners
Carnival fights $12 million verdict for passenger raped on cruise ship
Trump’s shifting case against Maduro: From drug trafficking to oil
The feds can continue operating one of the largest off-range horse and burro corrals in the country after the Ninth Circuit affirmed the corral meets the standards of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, despite concerns raised by animal rights activists. [Joe Duhownik]
Rulings on our radar 📡
» Supreme Court of Hawaii: The Hawaii Court of Appeals ruled in favor of a nonprofit news organization and ordered the unsealing of a civil case involving tort claims against a medical professional and their business after the lower court failed to justify sealing the case file.
» Northern District of Alabama: Tuscaloosa County lost summary judgment on a state-law claim for the wrongful death of a man sentenced to 30 days in jail in which overcrowding may have played a role in his fatal altercation with another inmate.
» Northern District of California: Finding the government had an interest in operating a shooting range, a spa lost its due process claim against Ukiah, California, for allowing occasional stray bullets to hit resort property. Nevertheless, a single claim relating to the presence of lead bullets survives.
Monthly sports & entertainment: Under the Lights
Triweekly podcast: Sidebar
Daily: Courthouse News