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NJ high court to rule in case of retired judge
Court Watch |
2011/08/01 08:48
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New Jersey's Supreme Court has upheld the censure of a retired Superior Court judge.
Steven Perskie was disciplined in March for not recusing himself in a timely fashion from a case involving his former campaign treasurer. A state Supreme Court committee also found Perskie was not forthcoming in his remarks to a Senate committee about the incident when he was facing re-appointment.
Today's ruling found Perskie shouldn't have rejected a request during a 2006 case that he recuse himself. He later recused himself for different reasons.
The court also found that Perskie didn't intentionally mislead the Senate committee when he answered questions about the incident.
Perskie served on the Superior Court in Atlantic County and retired in January 2010. He also served as a state legislator. |
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Ex-Schuyler teacher seeks OK to plead guilty
Law Center |
2011/08/01 08:48
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A former Schuyler teacher accused of sending nude photos and sexually explicit text messages to a student is asking to plead guilty.
The Columbus Telegram reports that 26-year-old Jesse Harmon faces federal charges of enticing a minor in sexually explicit conduct, visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct and possession of child pornography.
According to a document filed last month, Harmon requested permission to plead guilty.
A police affidavit filed in Colfax County District Court says Harmon's texts included nude photos of himself, talk about sexual contact and requests for suggestive photos of the 16-year-old student.
A federal hearing for Harmon is scheduled for Aug. 19. He had pleaded not guilty in the state case before it was dropped. |
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Court upholds Chinese journalist's jail sentence
Topics |
2011/08/01 04:47
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The lawyer for a Chinese journalist behind bars after writing about suspected corruption says a court has rejected an appeal against a new sentence ordered just before the reporter was to be released.
Beijing attorney Wang Quanzhang says he received on Monday the decision on the case of reporter Qi Chonghuai by a court in Shandong province.
Wang says the case sets a dangerous precedent because Qi was being tried a second time in June on similar charges to those which he faced in 2008. Qi was near the end of a four-year jail term when the second trial resulted in another eight years' imprisonment.
Rights groups say Qi was arrested in 2007 after he wrote about a local official who had beaten a woman for coming late to work. |
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Jeffco Commission chooses to hire California law firm
Lawyer News |
2011/07/28 08:32
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div class=entrydiv class=articleThere are 48 hours until the Jefferson County Commission's big decision on whether to file bankruptcy, settle, or wait some more. But the county is already spending money to prepare for what would be the biggest Chapter 9 bankruptcy ever. Tuesday the commission hired bankruptcy expert Kenneth Klee's L.A.-based law firm to consult with the county and represent it if bankruptcy is filed.
The county hasn't heard any response from its creditors to a plan to settle the sewer debt out of court, so they're preparing as if they'll be going into court as early as Thursday.
All 5 commissioners left no doubt they are prepared to file Chapter 9 bankruptcy if they don't see an agreeable settlement.
Without any meaningful progress by the creditors, I believe this commission has the wherewithall, and the fortitude to do what's necessary and to go ahead and resolve this crisis, Commissioner Jimmie Stephens said.
Part of the reason? They want to protect customers from a 25% rate increase proposed by the receiver and keep $75 million in sewer funds that the receiver wants control of. Both of those could happen Friday if there's no agreement.
The receiver is going to put a 25% rate increase, and our constituents can't take that, Commissioner Sandra Little-Brown said. It's a burden on them and this will save them from that, they way to do that is to file bankruptcy.
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Immigrants Sue Alabama Over Immigration Law
Headline News |
2011/07/28 08:32
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Alabama’s new immigration law will subject all immigrants to harassment, says a lawsuit filed in Montgomery County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit is filed on behalf of five plaintiffs, who include two undocumented immigrants, two Mexican immigrants who are U.S. citizens and the spouse of an undocumented worker.nbsp; The lawsuit maintains that the law violates provisions in the Alabama Constitution that encourage immigration.
Our point is these people have individual rights that cannot be tread upon by the Alabama Legislature, said Thomas Drake, a Cullman attorney representing the plaintiffs.
A statement from Alabama Attorney General Luther Strange's office said they were reviewing the complaint and would defend the law vigorously.
Signed by Gov. Robert Bentley on June 9, the new immigration law makes it a crime to be an undocumented immigrant in Alabama and allows law enforcement to detain individuals they have a reasonable suspicion of being in the country illegally.
The law also makes it illegal to give undocumented immigrants rides and requires school districts to check on the immigration status of students who enroll.
The law is modeled on Arizona's immigration law, parts of which have been blocked by federal court.
The American Civil Liberties Union, the Southern Poverty Law Center and the National Immigration Law Center filed suit earlier this month to overturn Alabama’s immigration law. |
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Health care lawsuit reaches Supreme Court
Law Firm News |
2011/07/28 08:31
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A conservative law firm asked the Supreme Court Wednesday to strike down the health care overhaul, challenging the first federal appeals court ruling that upheld President Barack Obama's signature domestic initiative.
The appeal filed by the Thomas More Law Center of Ann Arbor, Mich., said Congress overstepped its authority in requiring Americans to purchase health insurance or pay financial penalties.
The center said that if the Supreme Court ratifies the law, the federal government will have absolute and unfettered power to create complex regulatory schemes to fix every perceived problem imaginable and to do so by ordering private citizens to engage in affirmative acts, under penalty of law.
Last month, a divided three-judge panel of the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati rejected the center's argument in upholding the centerpiece of the law, the insurance requirement.
In addition to being the first appeals court ruling on the landmark law, the 6th Circuit's decision also was the first in which a Republican-appointed judge, Jeffrey Sutton, voted to uphold the law. President George W. Bush nominated Sutton.
Federal appeals courts in Atlanta and Richmond, Va., also have heard arguments on challenges to the law, but have yet to issue decisions. The federal appeals court in Washington is scheduled to hear argument in yet another health care case in September. |
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