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6539 ABA Journal Government articles.

Ashcroft & Yoo to Testify in Hearings; House Panel Subpoenas Top Cheney Aide

A House panel is moving ahead with efforts to force testimony by those believed to have played leading roles in helping the Bush administration craft aggressive interrogation policies for terrorism suspects. Former Attorney General John Ashcroft and John Yoo, a former Justice Department lawyer who wrote an interrogation memo that…

May 6, 2008 6:12 PM CDT

FBI Raids Federal Watchdog Agency

The FBI has raided the watchdog agency created to investigate complaints by federal employees and battle fraud in the U.S. government. Agents searched the Office of Special Counsel this morning and shut down its computer network, the Wall Street Journal (sub. req.) reports. Investigators seized computers and documents belonging to…

May 6, 2008 5:38 PM CDT

Judge Rules Utah Tribe Is Phony, Throws Out Arbitration Awards

A federal judge has ruled that an Indian tribe formed during a meeting at an Arby’s restaurant in Provo, Utah, is a “complete sham” and the judgments awarded to the group by an arbitration council are phony. The group calls itself the Wampanoag Nation, Tribe of Grayhead, Wolf Band, and…

May 6, 2008 2:24 PM CDT

Vietnam Vet Arrested After Pointing Finger at Town Meeting

In the midst of a contentious town meeting in a small Chicago suburb earlier this year, resident Greg Kachka committed a criminal act, officials contend: Wearing a custom T-shirt with a Marine Corps insignia that states “Don’t Move. If You Run, You’ll Only Die Tired!!” the 60-year-old Vietnam veteran pointed…

May 2, 2008 8:22 PM CDT

Texas Appeals Court to Hear Emergency Challenge in Polygamy Ranch Raid

As Texas officials separated more than 100 mothers from their children in a controversial 462-child custody case concerning a religious sect that has advocates polygamy and teenage marriages, a state appeals court has agreed to hear a due-process challenge on an emergency basis. (The number of children said to be…

Apr 25, 2008 12:11 AM CDT

New Louisiana AG Wants to Prosecute Like a Private Practitioner

In his first 12 weeks on the job, the new Louisiana attorney general says he has been busy dealing with (and, in some cases, dismissing) a number of civil actions his predecessor filed at the end of his term and trying to depoliticize the office. James “Buddy” Caldwell, 61 and…

Apr 24, 2008 6:34 PM CDT

Meet Gordon Erspamer, VA’s ‘Worst Nightmare’ in PTSD Benefits Case

A busy BigLaw rainmaker who has for nearly 30 years made time to promote the rights of armed services veterans “is a big, unresponsive government agency’s worst nightmare,” a California newspaper says. Gordon Erspamer, a Morrison & Foerster partner who went to trial this week in a federal class action…

Apr 24, 2008 5:43 PM CDT

$7.4 M Legal Bill Stuns Officials in Mich. Girls Sports Season Case

Officials at the Michigan High School Athletic Association are still reeling, weeks after a federal judge awarded $7.4 million in legal fees to the prevailing plaintiff in a 10-year-old case contending that Michigan’s sports seasons discriminated against girls. Now, saying that an award of prejudgment interest, in particular, came as…

Apr 22, 2008 7:53 PM CDT

Child Protection v. the Constitution: Did Removal of 437 Kids Violate Parents’ Rights?

Updated: As the state of Texas proceeds with DNA tests this week to try to determine exactly who parents and siblings are in a controversial custody case that, at last count, involved 437 children, lawyers for the families—as well as some observers—are expressing concern about possible violations of parents’ constitutional…

Apr 22, 2008 6:28 PM CDT

Young Children Removed from Texas Ranch Not Abused, State’s Expert Says

Updated: In the second day of a massive 416-child custody hearing, at least one expert for the state of Texas testified today that there was no sign of abuse among the boys and younger girls removed from a ranch run by a polygamous sect. Dr. Bruce Perry, a psychiatrist, testified…

Apr 18, 2008 10:08 PM CDT

4 Lawyers from 1 Law Firm Wrongly Included in N.Y. Pension System

Updated: Four attorneys working for a prominent education law firm in Albany, N.Y., have been disqualified from the state pension system by New York’s comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, because they were not employees but independent contractors. The four Girvin & Ferlazzo attorneys additionally were shown in records as having worked 1,157…

Apr 18, 2008 3:22 PM CDT

Accounting Case Against Ex-Fannie Mae Officials Expected to Settle

The Office of Federal Housing Enterprise Oversight is expected to announce a settlement today with three former officials of Fannie Mae for their roles in an accounting scandal. A suit by the regulator claimed the officials inflated earnings and neglected internal controls in an effort to maximize their bonuses, report…

Apr 18, 2008 12:28 PM CDT

Newark’s Ex-Mayor Convicted of Fraud in Land Deal

Former Newark, N.J., Mayor Sharpe James has been convicted of fraud and conspiracy in connection with the sale of nine city lots to his mistress at bargain prices, the New York Times reports. The girlfriend, Tamika Riley, was also convicted of fraud and conspiracy. She was accused of reselling the…

Apr 16, 2008 4:21 PM CDT

Mothers in Texas Ranch Raid Case Protest Removal of Children

Updated: As all involved gear up for a huge child custody hearing Thursday over 416 children removed from a Texas ranch run by a renegade Mormon group that allegedly promotes polygamy and underage marriages, a number of mothers are protesting that their children have been removed from their custody without…

Apr 15, 2008 5:30 PM CDT

Ex-Solicitor Gen’l to Head Commission on Local News Loss

A former solicitor general and a Google executive with an engineering background are jointly at the helm of a new commission formed to explore how best to serve the information needs of citizens seeking to address problems through the democratic process. The premise of the organizations funding the study group…

Apr 14, 2008 10:25 PM CDT

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