federal courts

Stories 41 - 60 | << Prev   Next >>

Court Rescinds Cap on Political Spending by Nonprofits

Emily's List wins ruling on 'soft money'

(Newser) - A federal appeals court today rescinded FEC limits on “soft money,” the Washington Post reports. The federal regulations had required that funds used by a nonprofit to influence a federal election be drawn from “hard money” accounts—individual contributions of “hard money” are capped at $5,...

Jessica Seinfeld Wins Cookbook Copycat Case

Deceptively Delicious wasn't plagiarized, federal judge rules

(Newser) - A federal judge in New York has tossed out a suit claiming that a cookbook by Jerry  Seinfeld's wife plagiarized a rival's book. Jessica Seinfeld's Deceptively Delicious, like Missy Chase Lapine's The Sneaky Chef, shows parents how to sneak vegetables into their kids' food—an idea nobody can copyright, the...

Judge Slams 'Lying' BofA, Merrill Over $3.6B Bonuses

(Newser) - The judge who has refused to sign off on Bank of America's settlement with the SEC over $3.6 billion in bonuses paid to Merrill Lynch delivered a stinging rebuke to both parties in a hearing yesterday, the New York Times reports. The firms "effectively lied to their shareholders"...

Judge Balks at BofA Bonus Settlement

$33M deal with SEC raises questions of fairness; hearing set

(Newser) - Bank of America won't be able to quietly settle the flap over bonuses for Merrill Lynch execs with a simple $33 million payout to the SEC, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Judge Jed Rakoff refused to sign off on the settlement, saying that doing so would leave the public in...

Judge: CIA Used Fraud to Get Wiretap Case Dismissed

Orders Tenet to explain misleading actions on wiretap suit

(Newser) - US District Judge Royce Lamberth released hundreds of secret filings yesterday, saying the CIA falsely claimed that state secrets were involved in a 15-year-old wiretapping lawsuit, McClatchy reports. The agency allowed the judge to continue believing that an agent involved in the case was undercover, when in reality that cover...

Pool Accused of Racism Will Ask Campers Back

(Newser) - The suburban Philadelphia swim club at the center of a racism controversy will ask the day campers it disinvited to return, the local ABC affiliate reports. "We are very very sorry that this had to happen," the club president tells WPVI-TV. He had sparked the incident by saying...

Feds, Swiss Call Timeout in US Tax Evasion Case

(Newser) - Aiming to avoid an ugly international dispute, the US government, Switzerland, and a Swiss bank are seeking to delay a hearing over private bank accounts, the Wall Street Journal reports. The respite would give government officials and UBS until August to strike a deal over data on some 52,000...

Stanford Exec Faces First Criminal Charge

Probe of alleged Ponzi scheme nabs chief investment officer

(Newser) - A federal grand jury in Houston yesterday handed up the first criminal indictment in Stanford Financial Group's alleged Ponzi scheme, reports the Houston Chronicle. Chief investment officer Laura Pendergest-Holt, 35, faces two counts of obstruction. She and boss Allen Stanford already face accusations in a civil suit by the SEC....

Dem Donor Hsu Pleads Guilty to $20M Fraud

Ponzi scheme garnered illegal political donations: feds

(Newser) - Democratic fundraiser Norman Hsu pleaded guilty today to 10 counts of wire and mail fraud related to an alleged $20 million Ponzi scheme. Prosecutors say Hsu, now 58, bullied victims into contributing to political causes and made illegal donations to politicians like Hillary Clinton, who eventually returned $850,000. His...

Paterson Settles Discrimination Suit for $300K

Then-state senator accused of firing white photog to hire black

(Newser) - New York Gov. David Paterson won’t have his day in court after all. The state has settled a case brought by a former photographer for the state senate who accused Paterson, then the minority leader, of reverse discrimination, the Post reports. Joseph Maioriello originally sought $1.5 million in...

FDA Ordered to Relax Age Rules on Morning-After Pill

(Newser) - A federal judge today ordered the Food and Drug Administration to immediately relax age restrictions on the morning-after contraception pill, and reconsider whether there should be any restrictions at all, the Washington Post reports. Since 2005, the pill has been available without a prescription only to women over 18; within...

Court Blocks Release of 17 Gitmo Prisoners Into US

(Newser) - The fate of 17 Chinese Muslims imprisoned at Guantanamo since 2002 remains in flux after the DC Circuit Court of Appeals blocked their release to the US today. That reverses a lower court ruling that said the prisoners—members of the Uighur ethnic group who are no longer considered enemy...

Google Earth Sparks Texas Treasure Dispute

(Newser) - A California man who used Google Earth to locate a 19th century Spanish treasure ship is suing for the right to excavate on private land, ABC News reports. Nathan Smith drove to Refugio, Texas, after spotting evidence—what it was isn’t clear—from a satellite photo. The case of...

Another Judge Sends Madoff Home

Feds' appeal to put financial scammer behind bars rejected

(Newser) - A second judge rejected a bid to revoke Bernard Madoff's bail during a hearing today in which the accused scam artist wore a bulletproof vest, Bloomberg reports, sending him home to his Manhattan penthouse rather than into custody. Prosecutors argued Madoff can’t be trusted, citing attempts to mail  jewelry...

Prosecution Gets 3 More Months to Indict Blago

(Newser) - A federal judge in Chicago today granted prosecutors an additional 3 months to present evidence and obtain an indictment in the corruption case against Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Chief Judge James Holderman said the case against Blagojevich is too complex to expect prosecutors to obtain an indictment by a...

MySpace Bully Not Guilty on Key Felony Charge

Drew convicted on lesser charges of using computer without authorization

(Newser) - A federal jury has rejected felony charges against cyberbully Lori Drew, convicting her instead of accessing a computer without authorization, a misdemeanor, the AP reports. The Missouri mom violated MySpace terms by creating a fake teen-boy profile to harass a neighborhood girl, but was found not guilty of using a...

As Families See Evidence, FBI Set to End Anthrax Probe

How feds traced attack to Ivins is key question

(Newser) - The FBI began releasing details of its investigation into the 2001 anthrax mail attacks to families of the victims today, the AP reports, with information to be made public within hours on judge’s orders. The agency is ready to end its probe, with sources telling the Wall Street Journal ...

Trial of Bin Laden's Driver Can Begin, Judge Rules

Tosses effort to stall; trial will begin Monday

(Newser) - The first war crimes trial at Guantanamo Bay can begin Monday, a federal judge ruled today, saying civilian courts should let the military process play out as Congress intended. A US District judge rejected an effort by Osama bin Laden's former driver, Salim Hamdan, to postpone his trial.

Spears Pal Strikes Back Against Dad
Spears Pal Strikes Back Against Dad
Feb 16, 2008 7:34 AM CST

Spears Pal Strikes Back Against Dad

Ex-manager asks court to spring Britney from family control

(Newser) - Britney Spears' former manager and pal Sam Lutfi is trying to liberate her from her family's control by getting her case moved from Los Angeles to federal court, E! reports.  He's arguing in a petition that Jamie Spears is unfit to oversee his daughter's life and that she's being...

Vick Sentenced to 23 Months
Vick Sentenced
to 23 Months
Dec 10, 2007 9:57 AM CST

Vick Sentenced to 23 Months

Disgraced Falcons QB is already serving time on dogfighting charges

(Newser) - A federal judge in Richmond, Va., today sentenced Michael Vick to 23 months in prison for his part in running a dogfighting ring, Reuters reports. The disgraced NFL quarterback could have been hit with a 5-year term, but prosecutors requested a 12-18 month sentence after Vick changed his plea to...

Stories 41 - 60 | << Prev   Next >>