Recent Updates
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High court looks at reach of Second Amendment
Lawyer Blogs 03/02/2010The Supreme Court appeared willing Tuesday to say that the Constitution's right to possess guns limits state and local regulation of firearms. But the justices also suggested that some gun control measures might not be affected.The court heard argume...
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Former Enron CEO's Case Before High Court
Lawyer Blogs 03/01/2010Former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling is asking the Supreme Court to throw out his convictions in connection with the collapse of the energy giant that cost thousands of jobs and billions of dollars.Lawyers for Skilling and the government are appearing b...
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Florida's "mini-Madoff" Nadel admits huge fraud
Lawyer Blogs 02/25/2010Arthur Nadel, a former Florida fund manager dubbed a "mini-Madoff" for running a decade-long investment fraud of nearly $400 million, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to criminal charges.Nadel, 77, disappeared for two weeks before his arrest in January 20...
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Supreme Court weighs free speech against aid to terrorists
Lawyer Blogs 02/25/2010The Supreme Court on Tuesday explored the tension between Americans' right to free speech and a federal law that prohibits aid to terrorist groups, and hardly anyone seemed clear about the lines of demarcation. The case stems from a challenge to an a...
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Supreme Court: Police can question suspect after release
Lawyer Blogs 02/24/2010The justices unanimously ruled for the state of Maryland in overturning a lower-court decision that had thrown out the confession to the police by a suspect in a child sexual abuse case.Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the high court that an initial ...
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Tobacco Industry Faces Renewed $300 Billion Court Battle
Lawyer Blogs 02/22/2010The Obama Administration requested that the U.S. Supreme Court let the government seek damages of around $300 billion from the tobacco industry through an appeal of the landmark 2006 federal racketeering case that was earlier rejected by the courts.L...
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U.S., big tobacco take racketeering case to top court
Lawyer Blogs 02/21/2010Altria Group Inc's Philip Morris USA unit and two co-defendants filed to overturn the verdict, while the government argues the appeals court wrongly denied the disgorgement of billions of dollars in ill-gotten gains by the tobacco industry.In May, a ...
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Supreme Court: Ex-Gov. Ryan can't keep pension
Lawyer Blogs 02/19/2010The Illinois Supreme Court today rejected a bid by imprisoned former Gov. George Ryan to keep a portion of his lucrative government pension that was built up before his corrupt reign as governor and secretary of state.The high court’s 6-1 decision co...
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Philip Morris Takes Case to Supreme Court
Lawyer Blogs 02/19/2010Cigarette maker Philip Morris, a unit of Altria Group Inc., asked the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a landmark ruling that found the tobacco industry violated federal racketeering laws for deceiving the public about the dangers of smoking. The U.S. ...
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Hawaii county sues Merrill Lynch in federal court
Lawyer Blogs 02/18/2010Maui County is suing Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc. in federal court over access to $32 million invested in student-loan auction-rate securities, county officials announced Wednesday.The county purchased securities from Merrill Lynch ...
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Freedom asks court to OK sale of Ariz. newspapers
Lawyer Blogs 02/17/2010Freedom Communications asked a bankruptcy judge on Tuesday to approve the sale of the East Valley Tribune and several other Phoenix-area publications for about $2 million.Irvine, Calif.-based Freedom Communications Holdings Inc. put the Tribune up fo...
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Smith & Nephew Wins $4.7 Million in Arthrex Trial
Lawyer Blogs 02/16/2010Smith & Nephew Plc, Europe’s largest maker of shoulder and knee implants, was awarded $4.7 million in a patent-infringement trial against smaller rival Arthrex Inc. over a device to fix a graft to a bone.Arthrex said in a statement it will appeal...