David Iglesias, former US Attorney for the District of New Mexico , told reporters Wednesday that he received two phone calls in October from federal lawmakers pressuring him to speed up indictments of local Democrats under investigation for a kickback scheme in time for the November elections. Iglesias and six other US Attorneys, who had [...]
US Defense Secretary Robert Gates has rejected a plan by the US military to construct a $100 million courthouse at Guantanamo Bay . The complex proposed last October , would have included three new courtrooms, a new high-security area for detainees awaiting trial, and other adjunct facilities. The compound would have accommodated up to 1,200 [...]
US District Judge Marcia Cooke ruled Wednesday that alleged terrorist Jose Padilla is competent to stand trial, rejecting defense arguments that he often cannot assist his attorneys because he suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) due to nearly four years of incarceration in a military brig. Cooke noted that Padilla understands "legal nuances" and that [...]
Hawaii legislators have shelved a proposal to create civil unions for same-sex couples, indicating that the state legislature did not have enough votes to pass the law. The state House Judiciary Committee declined to vote on the proposal after hours of testimony Tuesday without explaining the reasons for deferring debate. Hawaii was one of the [...]
US State Department Legal Advisor John Bellinger told reporters in Brussels Wednesday that European investigations into allegations of CIA misconduct in Europe may dampen intelligence sharing efforts between the US and European countries. He also said that allegations of torture by the CIA are unsupported by hard evidence. AP has more. Earlier this month, the [...]
The US Supreme Court heard oral arguments Wednesday in Hein v. Freedom From Religion Foundation , 06-157 , where the court must decide whether taxpayers have standing under Article III of the Constitution to challenge federal support for "faith-based" religious initiatives. The Freedom from Religion Foundation (FFR) sued US Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao , [...]
US Department of State Legal Adviser John Bellinger said Wednesday the US will not honor any request by Italy to extradite CIA agents wanted for their alleged role in the February 17, 2003 abduction and extraordinary rendition of alleged terror suspect Osama Moustafa Hassan Nasr . Bellinger noted that no extradition request has been received [...]
Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi , who won a confidence vote in the Italian Senate Wednesday after losing a key vote on a foreign policy issue last week, has asked senators to strike down an unfavorable election law that was enacted by predecessor Silvio Berlusconi prior to the contested Senate elections of April 2006. Prodi [...]
The Law Lords , the judicial panel of the UK House of Lords which is Britain's highest court, Wednesday dismissed an appeal by a suspect in the 2004 Madrid bombings contesting his extradition to Spain. Moutaz Almallah Dabas, a Syrian-born Spanish citizen, was arrested in London in March 2005 for his alleged involvement in the [...]
US District Judge George B. Daniels on Tuesday approved a proposed settlement of a class action lawsuit brought by Holocaust survivors against Italian insurance company Assicurazioni Generali . Under the terms of the settlement, the insurance company will accept new claims until March 31, 2008. The deadline might be extended to August 31, 2008 when [...]
