Government

Fed’l Case Against Ill. Gov Creates Unusual Issues for Judges & Lawmakers

As officials in Illinois struggle to cope with an unusual situation following the arrest of Gov. Rod Blagojevich in a federal political corruption case yesterday, the state’s attorney general is suggesting that the Illinois Supreme Court could play a key role in determining whether he should continue in office. Lisa…

Dec 10, 2008 5:37 PM CST

Illinois AG Calls for Governor to Resign, Promises ‘Legal Steps’ If He Won’t

In a stunning day for those who follow Illinois politics, the state’s governor was arrested at his home in Chicago today and charged in a political corruption case. Then, by early this afternoon, the state’s attorney general, Lisa Madigan, was calling for Gov. Rod Blagojevich to resign immediately, according to…

Dec 10, 2008 12:58 AM CST

Unusual LA Suit Seeks Damages From Jailed Gang Leaders

A first-of-its-kind lawsuit filed yesterday by the Los Angeles city attorney’s office against nine imprisoned gang leaders seeks to gain possession of their assets and redistribute the money among other residents of the two crime-laden neighborhoods the defendants allegedly still control from their jail cells. “The suit seeks compensation for…

Dec 9, 2008 5:19 PM CST

Ex-FBI Agent Pleads in Case Related to Celebrity Wiretapping

A former career FBI agent pleaded guilty in federal court in Washington, D.C., today to illegally accessing information in the agency’s computers and passing it on, via actress Linda Fiorentino, to a lawyer for so-called PI to the stars Anthony Pellicano. Mark Rossini pleaded guilty to five misdemeanor counts of…

Dec 8, 2008 10:51 PM CST

DOJ Legal Opinion Says Pentagon Must Obey EPA Cleanup Orders

A Justice Department legal opinion tells the Pentagon that it must clean up three sites as ordered by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Washington Post obtained a copy of the opinion by deputy assistant attorney general Steven Bradbury. The Dec. 1 opinion said the Defense Department did not have legal…

Dec 5, 2008 12:11 PM CST

9/11 Fallout: The Next Round

N.Y. detainee says attorney general, FBI director to blame for prison beatings

Dec 2, 2008 2:50 AM CST

Muslim Charity, 5 Leaders Convicted in Hamas Terrorism Aid Case

A major Muslim charitable organization and five of its former leaders were convicted by a federal court jury in Texas today of aiding terrorism via their charitable contributions. Prosecutors claimed that the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development funded terrorism by paying for charitable projects controlled by Hamas, thus…

Nov 25, 2008 12:34 AM CST

Over 2,200 Defendants Seek Hearings in Camden, N.J., Program; Officials Stunned

Criminally charged in 1995, after a police officer allegedly found marijuana in her car, Renee Felton didn’t show up for her court date and spent more than a decade dodging a subsequent warrant for her arrest. Now 48, she decided to come into court voluntarily after her niece saw a…

Nov 24, 2008 5:36 PM CST

Kansas City, Mo., Mayor Sues After His Wife is Banned from City Hall

A couple of months ago, the Kansas City, Mo., city council effectively banned the mayor’s wife from city hall. This month, Mayor Mark Funkhouser sued, contending that shutting the doors of city hall to his spouse violates state law and the city charter. It is only the latest litigation over…

Nov 21, 2008 10:24 PM CST

Deputy Calif. DA is Charged in Alleged Rape of Colleague

Michael Gressett, 51, who is a 20-year prosecutor assigned to the sex crimes unit of the Contra Costa County, Calif., district attorney’s office, has been charged and arraigned in the alleged May 8 daytime rape at Gressett’s home of a fellow deputy district attorney, according to news accounts. Gressett pleaded…

Nov 21, 2008 7:15 PM CST

Former Mexican Drug Czar Got $450K to Keep Traffickers Informed, Authorities Say

In a continuing shakeup in high-echelon Mexican law enforcement, a former drug czar has been accused of being paid $450,000 by drug traffickers, in exchange for providing them with information about police operations. “Noe Ramirez is the highest law enforcement official detained yet as part of Mexico’s sweeping effort to…

Nov 21, 2008 5:44 PM CST

Will Florida’s Top-Paid County Attorney Get a Raise?

Attorney Robert Cuevas already is the highest-paid county attorney in Florida. But some Miami-Dade commissioners are trying to give him a 9 percent raise, which would increase his salary from $290,721 to $319,000 annually, reports the Miami Herald. They also want to give the 38-year county veteran and his family…

Nov 21, 2008 4:46 PM CST

Police Bribed Judge to Get Search Warrant, Ex-Chicago Cop Testifies

Testifying for the government yesterday in a federal corruption trial against his former partner, an ex-Chicago police officer said cops routinely participated in a number of illegal acts. Among them: allegedly bribing an unnamed judge to issue a bogus search warrant, after the judge “asked for it,” testified ex-cop Richard…

Nov 20, 2008 9:49 PM CST

After Indicting Cheney & Ex-AG Gonzales, DA is No-Show in Court Today

A strange prisoner abuse case in South Texas involving indictments against Vice President Dick Cheney, former U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, two state court judges and a former federal prosecutor got a bit more bizarre today when the district attorney who brought it was a no-show in court. Judge Manuel…

Nov 20, 2008 1:48 AM CST

Tasered Accountant Gets $60K in Excessive-Force Case

A 53-year-old Washington state accountant who voluntarily went to the local police station as a witness and wound up as a defendant in an obstruction case, after being jolted twice with a stun gun, has won a $60,000 award in a federal civil rights case. Kevin Bonner was awarded $35,000…

Nov 20, 2008 12:00 AM CST