Calling Hal Turner “a danger to the community,” a federal judge has denied bail to the Web talk show host who has been charged with threatening three judges on the 7th Circuit. Turner has been in custody in Chicago since he was moved there from New Jersey, where he was arrested by the FBI on June 24 for writing that the judges should be killed for upholding a Chicago ban on handguns. Turner’s attorney has filed a motion to dismiss the charges, saying they violate Turner’s First Amendment rights.
Posts on ‘August 11th, 2009’
‘Bilski’ Amicus Briefs Already Piling Up at the Supreme Court
Newly sworn-in Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor already has plenty
of reading ahead of her: Dennis Crouch at the Patently-O blog has posted
43 amicus briefs filed so far in advance of next term’s oral arguments
in Bilski v. Doll — the case that will determine the standard
for “business method” patents. The firms representing amicus filers
represent a wide swath of the Am Law 200. Beyond ideology, there’s a
good reason for all the amicus filings: They’re smart business.
DOJ Looks for ‘Rock Star’ to Run Top-Priority Fraud Cases
The U.S. Department of Justice is looking for what Assistant Attorney General Lanny Breuer calls “a superstar” to lead the fraud section. With additional resources and the strong backing of Justice higher-ups for more fraud prosecution, the new chief should become the bane of defense lawyers’ existence nationwide. This “rock star” who will bring “cases of extraordinary importance” — Breuer’s words again — will also play a “key role” in developing Justice policy and fraud enforcement initiatives.
Getting Electronics Into the Courtroom
The best way to meet the problem of electronic devices like BlackBerrys in court, according to attorney Katherine A. Helm, is one a few courts have adopted: Allow preauthorized counsel to bring in devices and make all other attendees (jurors, witnesses) check them in the lobby.
Federal Judge Puts Chinese Drywall Cases on ‘Rocket Docket’
With thousands of homeowners claiming their houses and health are deteriorating from sulfur-emitting Chinese drywall, a federal judge in New Orleans is intent on fast-tracking a handful of cases for trial, attorneys say. The first of these bellwether lawsuits could be tried by the end of the year, a timetable that encourages homeowners to think settlement. About 600 tainted Chinese drywall lawsuits have been consolidated in multidistrict litigation under U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon for pretrial issues.
Heller Profits That Weren’t, and Checks That Were in the Mail
Some pretty shady stuff was going on at Heller last year, if a new report in the bankruptcy court is to be believed. In early 2008, someone at Heller Ehrman instructed its accounting department to distribute $9 million in profits it did not have, and then cover it up, an interim status report alleges. The information is the result of investigations by a creditors committee. The report indicates it believes Heller’s management was making these “very troubling business decisions” to boost its 2007 numbers.
Federal Judge Seeks Further Briefing in Bank of America Bonus Case
New York federal Judge Jed S. Rakoff took strong exception Monday to a proposed settlement in which Bank of America would pay a $33 million fine to the Securities and Exchange Commission for not disclosing that Merrill Lynch was authorized to pay more than $5 billion in discretionary bonuses before the two entities merged in 2008. During a hearing in a packed courtroom, Rakoff told attorneys for the SEC and Bank of America that he had “serious misgivings” about a settlement that “lacked in transparency.”