Supreme Court Shoots Down Jefferson's Appeal

Supreme Court won't hear her case after school kicked her off squad

(NEWSER) - A cheerleader in Texas who folded her hands rather than root for the player she accused of rape has lost her bid to have the Supreme Court hear her case, reports the San Francisco Chronicle . The girl sued the school after it kicked her off the cheerleading squad over her protest, but a federal appellate court ruled in the school's favor. The Supreme Court yesterday refused to consider the case. More»

Limits 'honest services' prosecutions for white collar crimes

(AP) - The Supreme Court ruled today that prosecutors erred in using a federal fraud law to convict former Enron chief executive Jeffrey Skilling, but left it to a lower court to determine whether his conviction should be overturned. The justices were unanimous in imposing limits on the use of the federal "honest services" fraud law that has been a favorite of white-collar crime prosecutors. In a related opinion, they also ordered a new a hearing for former newspaper magnate Conrad Black. More»

Pol busted with $90K in freezer betrays little emotion

(NEWSER) - A federal judge sentenced former Congressman William Jefferson to 13 years in prison today, less than the 27-plus years prosecutors called for but more than the 10-year term the Louisiana Democrat's lawyer wanted. Jefferson, who was convicted in August of 11 of the 16 counts relating to the public corruption case against him, has already said he will appeal. More»

Jeff Skilling challenges 'honest services' law, says trial was unfair

(NEWSER) - The Supreme Court has agreed to hear former Enron CEO Jeffrey Skilling’s appeal of his fraud conviction in connection with the company's collapse. The appeal argues that the federal “honest services” statute, a favorite for prosecutors tackling white collar criminals, is flawed because the government needn’t prove that the defendant’s actions were for his own personal gain. Conrad Black was brought down with the same law, and the Court earlier agreed to hear his appeal, too. More»

(AP) - A federal jury convicted a former Louisiana congressman today of taking bribes on 11 of 16 counts in a case in which agents found $90,000 in his freezer. Former Rep. William Jefferson, a Democrat who had represented parts of New Orleans, was accused of accepting more than $400,000 in bribes and seeking millions more in exchange for brokering business deals in Africa. He was convicted of charges including bribery, racketeering, and money laundering. More»