Government

Alaska Lawmakers Release ‘Troopergate’ Report Criticizing Gov. Sarah Palin

After meeting in closed session for much of the day, an Alaska legislative committee released an investigative report concluding that Gov. Sarah Palin abused her power by trying to get her former brother-in-law fired from his job as a state trooper. The report states that “Gov. Palin knowingly permitted a…

Oct 11, 2008 1:50 AM CDT

Fla. School Board Lawyer May Get Nearly a Year of Paid Vacation

A Florida attorney who has contracted to provide legal services for the Miami-Dade School Board has already spent four months at home on unpaid leave. But now a divided board is hoping to give JulieAnn Rico another six months’ pay in a severance package that will conclude her contract, reports…

Oct 10, 2008 10:35 PM CDT

Big Brother’s View Expands in UK

George Orwell was right, at least as far as residents in metropolitan areas of the United Kingdom are concerned: Big Brother is watching. Surveillance cameras are seeking not only to spot terrorists but to see whether dog-walkers are properly picking up after their pets, reports Bloomberg. A London Times article…

Oct 10, 2008 6:26 PM CDT

We Won’t Evict Unless You Do Your Job, Illinois Sheriff Tells Lenders

In an unusual act of rebellion against an apparent defect in a number of foreclosure cases, the sheriff of Cook County has made national headlines this week by saying his officers wouldn’t enforce court orders and evict occupants of foreclosed homes in and around Chicago until lenders could prove that…

Oct 10, 2008 4:42 PM CDT

Top Alaska Court Allows Sarah Palin Probe to Proceed; Report Expected Tomorrow

The Alaska Supreme Court refused today to call a halt to the “Troopergate” ethics investigation of Gov. Sarah Palin, the Republican nominee for vice president. That sets the stage for the state legislature to release tomorrow, as planned, its investigative report about whether Palin abused her power as governor by…

Oct 10, 2008 12:40 AM CDT

Lawsuits, Disciplinary Complaints Over Indiana Defendant’s Delayed Release

An Indiana judge is facing potential discipline after court commissioner under his supervision delayed the release of a convicted rapist apparently cleared by DNA evidence. Although former Master Commissioner Nancy Broyles held a hearing in March 2005 to consider DNA evidence in the case of Harold David Buntin, it wasn’t…

Oct 9, 2008 5:31 PM CDT

Judge Axes Evidence in Sen. Stevens Case, Due to Prosecutor Errors

The judge in the corruption case against Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, has eliminated some evidence due to Brady violations. Because prosecutors didn’t turn over exculpatory evidence to the defense, as required, two sets of evidence will be excluded. They are: business records related to potential testimony by a construction foreman…

Oct 9, 2008 12:11 AM CDT

Despite S&L Debacle Decades Ago, Most Hard-Hit States Didn’t Amp Up Regulation

Despite the savings and loan meltdown that hit the country some 20 years ago, many states at the center of that maelstrom apparently didn’t learn the obvious lesson: Regulation is needed to keep dubious mortgage lending practices in check. Now, many of the same states that suffered the most from…

Oct 8, 2008 5:44 PM CDT

More NY Lawyers Settle in Pension Probe; $1.28M Recovered to Date by AG

Several more New York lawyers have settled with the state attorney general in an ongoing probe of attorneys in private practice who for years have simultaneously earned benefits and government pension fund credit by being reported as employees of school districts and other government entities. So far, the probe has…

Oct 8, 2008 5:00 PM CDT

Jury to Decide Why Sandy Morgan Died, in Jail and Mentally Ill

If jail authorities had checked her vital signs, they should have known that something was seriously wrong with Sandy Morgan in addition to her obvious mental illness, experts say. But despite checking her every 15 minutes, as part of a suicide watch, they didn’t realize the Pennsylvania woman needed emergency…

Oct 7, 2008 10:19 PM CDT

Supreme Court Declines Cases on ‘Choose Life’ Plates, Juror Bible Reading

Cases touching on religion and abortion were among several rejected by the U.S. Supreme Court yesterday. One concerns whether anti-abortion activists can force Arizona to issue “Choose Life” license plates, and the other whether a Bible-reading juror requires a court to overturn a death sentence. The court accepted no new…

Oct 7, 2008 1:30 PM CDT

U.S. Lawmaker Suggests Special Counsel Probe of Wall Street Operations

At least one congressional lawmaker is calling for the appointment of a special counsel to probe Wall Street’s operations, as a global financial crisis apparently sparked by the U.S. mortgage meltdown continued today. As stock prices plummeted again worldwide today and the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee began hearings…

Oct 6, 2008 7:25 PM CDT

Revealed: Terms of AIG Bailout; US to Vote New Shares to OK Deal

Unusual circumstances call for unusual transactions, as documents newly filed with the SEC concerning the government’s planned $85 billion bailout of insurance giant American International Group demonstrate. Among the terms they reveal are that the U.S. government—which is to purchase not quite 80 percent of AIG via 100,000 shares of…

Sep 30, 2008 9:07 PM CDT

Silver Lining to US Financial Storm: New Law Practice Arena

Continuing economic turmoil in the U.S. and internationally is prompting a number of major law firms to form special multidisciplinary practice groups to help clients deal with financial crises. In the process, some are creating new Internet resources that also may be of interest to other practitioners. In addition to…

Sep 30, 2008 4:16 PM CDT

As U.S. Economy Tailspins, Lawmakers Inch Closer to $700B Bailout Pact

As federal lawmakers inch toward agreement on an emergency bailout plan for the U.S. economy that could cost taxpayers some $700 billion, government regulators both announced the biggest bank failure ever and offered specifics about the multimillions of dollars that state and local government officials can expect to help struggling…

Sep 26, 2008 8:45 PM CDT