A Maryland storeowner sued the Small Business Administration, alleging the agency exceeded its statutory authority when it decided to limit the availability of pandemic relief loans to business owners with a criminal record. The lawsuit was filed by the New Civil Liberties Alliance on behalf of Altimont Mark Wilks, who was barred from receiving a Paycheck Protection…

Small business owners with a criminal record aren’t eligible to receive certain government aid under the coronavirus relief bill designed to help keep stores afloat while the pandemic drags on. The owner of a corner store in Maryland is looking to change that. Altimont Mark Wilks – who owns two businesses in Hagerstown, Maryland – sued…

A Maryland convenience store owner has filed a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Small Business Administration’s prohibition of businesses owned by people with criminal histories from applying for emergency loans because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lawsuit that Altimont Mark Wilks filed in federal court in Baltimore on Wednesday is according to his lawyers at the…

A New York debt collection law firm battling a Consumer Financial Protection Bureau investigation said Tuesday it wants to consolidate and pause their dueling court fights, telling a federal judge that the cases overlap too much to proceed separately and should wait for the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on the CFPB’s constitutionality. In a premotion…

Governor Charlie Baker declined to comment today on a lawsuit claiming he has exceeded his authority under Massachusetts law by ordering the coronavirus emergency shutdowns. “Normally, we don’t really speak to lawsuits when they’re in process. Obviously, we’re aware of the fact that it was filed. When people issue decisions, we usually comment on that.…

A New Jersey landlord is challenging Gov. Phil Murphy’s executive order allowing tenants to use their security deposits to pay their rent during the coronavirus crisis. In a lawsuit filed in federal court, Matthew Johnson claims the governor’s order violates his constitutional rights and the contract he signed with his tenant for a $600 security deposit at his…