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Midweek miscellany: Blago earns bragging rights, judge quest

Published: Aug 18, 2010

 Law       

  • Not with a bang but a whimper. Blagojevich trial concludes with conviction on just one count (lying to the FBI) and a hung jury on 23 other counts; prosecutors vow retrial of the former Illinois governor, while jurors speak out.

  • SEC-Citi settlement stalls. A D.C. federal judge refuses to "rubber-stamp" Citigroup's $75 million settlement with SEC. U.S. District Court Judge Ellen S. Huvelle raised questions about the SEC's investigation and the fairness of the proposed agreement, which would settle charges that Citi misled investors about its exposure to subprime mortgage-related assets. She requested additional briefing and scheduled another hearing for late September.

  • Who can defend Proposition 8? Prop 8 developments continue in California. On August 4, San Francisco federal Judge Vaughn Walker found the proposition's ban on same-sex marriage unconstitutional. On August 16, the Ninth Circuit stayed the effect of Walker's ruling pending appeal and asked both sides to brief the question of standing—specifically, whether Protect Marriage, the campaign committee behind the 2008 voters' initiative, has the right to represent the state's interests in upholding a law that both the governor and attorney general refuse to defend. If the court finds that Protect Marriage does not have standing, then the appeal will be dismissed and same-sex marriages can proceed.

  • Jersey lawyers sound off and start up. "Law is 4 Losers" blogger reveals his identity to The Newark Star-Ledger. Scott Bullock, a 2005 Seton Hall University School of Law graduate who has called law school “a big Ponzi scheme” and tapped into a well of anger among unemployed law grads with rants about “America’s most overrated, miserable and saturated industry,” told The Star-Ledger that he has recently opened his own firm with fellow Seton Hall alum Justine Zeppone.

- posted by vera

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