Administrative Law

It’s Confirmed: Judge Who Sued Over Lost Pants Lost His Job

The administrative judge who sued a dry cleaners for $54 million for losing his pants will not be reappointed, a Washington, D.C., lawyer has confirmed. Sources had told the Washington Post and the Examiner last month that Judge Roy Pearson will not be reappointed. Now the city’s general counsel, responding…

Nov 14, 2007 2:57 PM CST

ABA Experts: Cut Crack Cocaine Sentences

In testimony this week before the U.S. Sentencing Commission, experts representing the American Bar Association are among the scheduled witnesses expected to call for the reduction of relatively high prison sentences imposed on a largely African-American group of defendants convicted of crimes related to crack cocaine. In written statements concerning…

Nov 13, 2007 5:00 PM CST

Judge to White House: Save Those E-Mails!

Ruling on lawsuits brought by two private groups, a federal judge has ordered the White House to retain e-mail copies while the court system sorts out whether the Bush administration has violated federal law requiring the preservation of e-mail records. The suits contend that some 5 million White House e-mails…

Nov 13, 2007 12:31 AM CST

Are New U.S. Accounting Rules Bad News for Banks?

The last few months have not been good ones for the global banking industry, as rapidly rising mortgage defaults sparked a credit crisis. But the situation may get even worse before it gets better. And, if so, new U.S. accounting standards may be one big reason why, a British columnist…

Nov 12, 2007 8:10 PM CST

Former Freddie Mac CEO Settles for $16.4M

A few weeks into what was expected to be a lengthy trial before an administrative law judge, a former chairman and chief executive of Freddie Mac has agreed to settle his case for $16.4 million, without admitting liability. While a stunning sum, the $16.4 million is a fraction of the…

Nov 8, 2007 1:33 AM CST

Bush Calls for More Food & Product Oversight

Acknowledging flaws in the current regulatory system, the Bush administration and the FDA made parallel proposals yesterday calling for enhanced measures to protect consumers from tainted food and dangerous products. Their plan calls for stricter safety rules and more severe fines, and it would increase the authority of the federal…

Nov 7, 2007 5:28 PM CST

CA Judge: New Execution Regs Invalid

An effort to enact a new execution protocol in California that would put an end to a death penalty moratorium declared last year by a federal judge has suffered a setback. The protocol is invalid, a state judge has decided, because it was not created in compliance with the required…

Nov 2, 2007 12:39 AM CDT

NY State Suit: Lender-Appraiser Scheme Inflated Home Values

In violation of federal lending regulations, a major real estate appraisal company and two of the nation’s biggest savings and loans participated in a scheme to inflate the value of homes throughout the country, contends a lawsuit filed by New York’s attorney general. It accuses eAppraiseIT, a division of First…

Nov 1, 2007 5:25 PM CDT

FTC to Create ‘Do Not Track’ List?

In a suggestion that should send a shiver down the spines of Web-based companies throughout the world, some are asking the Federal Trade Commission to develop an Internet version of its popular Do Not Call list. The fledgling idea apparently would involve a ban on companies using cookies and other…

Oct 31, 2007 11:27 PM CDT

Broad Opposition to Proposed Patent Bill

A broad array of IP industries and groups are gearing up to protest proposed patent reform legislation. More than 400 companies and organizations representing 25 industries have written to the Senate to criticize pending legislation known as the Patent Reform Act of 2007, or S 1145, reports Managing Intellectual Property…

Oct 29, 2007 6:25 PM CDT

New Vows for Dozens in PA Marriage Mess

A first-of-a-kind case in Pennsylvania has called the validity of an untold number of marriages into question, prompting many committed couples to resolve the issue by simply re-taking their vows even though it hasn’t yet been upheld on appeal. Those who don’t redo their original ceremony face troubling questions about…

Oct 10, 2007 11:15 PM CDT

Cabbies Sue, Say GPS Risks Trade Secrets

Fearful of an invasion of privacy that could allow others to take advantage of a valuable trade secret—the best driving routes to find fares—New York cabdrivers have filed suit to block new rules requiring the installation of GPS and other new technology. While not all taxi drivers and cab owners…

Sep 20, 2007 1:25 AM CDT

August Foreclosures Soar

In more bad news about the state of the nation’s housing market that can be expected to strengthen calls for regulatory reform and legislation, the latest data shows that mortgage foreclosures soared in August. The number of mortgage foreclosure filings more than doubled last month, compared to August 2006, and…

Sep 18, 2007 6:03 PM CDT

New Bush Policies Help Homeowners

Updated: Several federal agencies will make major changes in housing-related rules, offering significant help to homeowners struggling with subprime mortgages, President Bush has promised. News reports say his announcement today–and adoption of programs that Democrats say they suggested–signals an expected Congressional reform of Federal Housing Administration programs and perhaps other…

Aug 31, 2007 5:58 PM CDT

Same-Sex Iowa Couples Can Marry

The judge’s ruling was so recent that one man was listed as the groom and the other was listed as the bride on their Polk County, Iowa, marriage license application. But what was important to Gary Allen Seronko, 51, and David Curtis Rethmeier, 29, was that the license application was…

Aug 30, 2007 11:52 PM CDT