Court to Hear Case Over Marcos-Era Funds
Court Alerts
[##_1L|1334356743.jpg|width="127" height="85" alt=""|_##]The Supreme Court on Monday stepped into a dispute over who owns money misappropriated by Philippines dictator Ferdinand Marcos, a case in which the United States supports the government of the Philippines. The Republic of the Philippines claims ownership of the $35 million at issue and asked the justices to take the case after two U.S. courts awarded the stolen funds to 10,000 victims of the Marcos regime.
The lawsuit stems from an account set up with a $2 million deposit by Marcos in 1972 at Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. in New York. Merrill Lynch went to court in 2000 to determine who the money belonged to.
The Philippines government asserted sovereign immunity and said the case could not proceed in U.S. courts.
The willingness of lower U.S. courts to nonetheless get involved "raises significant concerns," the U.S. solicitor general said in a filing with the Supreme Court.
The ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco prejudices cases in the Philippines on the same issue, the solicitor general said in court papers.
Related listings
-
Accused Sniper Set to Plead Guilty
Court Alerts 12/03/2007A teenager accused of killing one man and wounding another in a series of highway sniper shootings is expected to plead guilty to two felonies as part of a plea agreement, his lawyer said. Zachariah Blanton, 18, is expected to appear in Jackson Circu...
-
Arsonist pleads not guilty in SoCal blazes
Court Alerts 12/01/2007A convicted arsonist has pleaded not guilty to setting eight fires in the Angeles National Forest. Prosecutors contend 52-year-old Rickey Jimenez was behind the tiny fires that erupted last month in the Lake Hughes area. The largest burned about an a...
-
Man guilty in Amber Alert abduction
Court Alerts 11/29/2007A jury found a Chicago man guilty of abducting his ex-girlfriend and their four children and holding them hostage at an Elkhart motel. The jury deliberated for two hours Wednesday before finding Jerry White, 31, guilty of one count of attempte...
New York Commercial Litigation Law Firm - Woods Lonergan PLLC
Founded in 1993 by Managing Partner James F. Woods, Woods Lonergan PLLC has built a strong reputation as a resourceful and industrious firm that provides clients with clear, concise, and straightforward answers to their most challenging legal issues. Partner Lawrence R. Lonergan, who joined the firm in 2008, has been a friend and colleague to Mr. Woods for over 40 years and shares the same business philosophy. Woods Lonergan PLLC’s collective experience and expertise enables the firm to expeditiously and effectively analyze the increasing challenges clients face in an evolving business and legal world, in many instances, avoiding unnecessary time and expense to our clients. Our mission is simple: provide cutting-edge expertise and sound advice in select areas of the law for corporate and business clients. We thrive on providing each client with personalized attention, forceful representation, and a collaborative team effort that embraces collective knowledge.