Courts

March 24, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – President Obama today announced his intent to nominate Marisa J. Demeo and Florence Y. Pan to be Associate Judges in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Demeo currently works as a Magistrate Judge in the Criminal Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia; Pan currently serves as Deputy Chief of the Appellate Section in the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.

" I am pleased to put forward two nominees who have served the people of the District of Columbia with such distinction," President Obama said. "Marisa Demeo and Florence Pan have dedicated their careers to serving the public good and they will be esteemed and eminent additions to the DC Superior Court."

Marisa Demeo    » read more »

March 17, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Barack Obama announced his intent to nominate Judge David Hamilton to the United States 7th Circuit Court of Appeals. Hamilton has served for 14 years as a federal district judge in Indiana. He was appointed United States District Judge for the Southern District of Indiana in 1994 and was named Chief Judge in January of 2008.

President Obama said, "Judge Hamilton has a long and impressive record of service and a history of handing down fair and judicious decisions. He will be a thoughtful and distinguished addition to the 7th circuit and I am extremely pleased to put him forward to serve the people of Illinois, Indiana and Wisconsin."    » read more »

Eight-count complaint charges company misrepresentations led to state losing millions on stock investments in 2008; "With this suit we intend to hold Lehman executives and directors accountable for the fraud and misrepresentation that caused more than $100 million in losses to New Jersey's pension funds," Governor Corzine said

March 17, 2009 -- The Office of New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram filed the lawsuit in Superior Court in Mercer County. It sets forth violations of New Jersey and federal securities laws, negligent misrepresentation, breach of fiduciary duty, fraud, and aiding and abetting. It seeks to recover compensatory and punitive damages.    » read more »

March 13, 2009 -- In a filing today with the federal District Court for the District of Columbia, the Department of Justice submitted a new standard for the government’s authority to hold detainees at the Guantanamo Bay Detention Facility.

The definition does not rely on the President’s authority as Commander-in-Chief independent of Congress’s specific authorization. It draws on the international laws of war to inform the statutory authority conferred by Congress. It provides that individuals who supported al Qaeda or the Taliban are detainable only if the support was substantial. And it does not employ the phrase "enemy combatant."    » read more »

Public Citizen Argues That Delays and Denials Violate Freedom of Information Act

March 11, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Federal officials are illegally withholding documents that would allow the public to determine the full impact of the 700 miles of fence being built along the Texas-Mexico border, Public Citizen argued in a suit filed in U.S. district court today on behalf of a member of the University of Texas (UT) Working Group on Human Rights and the Border Wall.    » read more »

ill Would Allow Patients Hurt by Faulty Medical Devices To Hold Manufacturers Accountable

March 5, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. - Congress should quickly pass legislation introduced today that would restore the rights of patients injured by defective or poorly labeled medical devices to hold manufacturers accountable in court, Public Citizen said today.

The Medical Device Safety Act is sponsored by Sen. Edward Kennedy (D-Mass.) and Reps. Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Frank Pallone (D-N.J.). Public Citizen and nine other public interest groups sent letters to Kennedy, Waxman and Pallone urging prompt action on the bills.    » read more »

Nearly $48 Million In Funds Part Of Federal Economic Recovery Effort

March 04, 2009 -- TRENTON - New Jersey Governor Jon S. Corzine announced today that nearly $48 million in justice assistance grants have been allocated to New Jersey for use in law enforcement, prosecution, court programs, and other related efforts as part of the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

"The global economic recession has hit every level of government and, clearly, every dollar counts," said Governor Corzine. "These funds will go a long way toward keeping police officers on the streets, keeping our communities safe, and curtailing potential property tax increases that otherwise may have been needed to continue critical services."    » read more »

Public Citizen Argued that Plaintiff Never Proved That ‘John Does’ Made False Statements

Feb. 27, 2009 -- WASHINGTON, D.C. – A real estate developer should not be allowed to unmask people who criticized him anonymously on an Internet forum because his original defamation complaint did not name the “John Does” as defendants and, now, the statute of limitations has expired, a Maryland appellate court ruled today.

Additionally, the court ruled that in future cases, plaintiffs must make a showing that the speakers made false statements about them before they can proceed.    » read more »

February 23, 2009 -- WASHINGTON – U.S. District Judge Samuel B. Kent pleaded guilty today to obstruction of justice in federal court in Houston, Acting Assistant Attorney General Rita M. Glavin and Andrew R. Bland III, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Houston office announced.

Kent, 59, a district judge in the Southern District of Texas, pleaded guilty to making false statements to a special investigative committee of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit during an investigation of a judicial misconduct complaint filed against him. Kent’s guilty plea was accepted by the Hon. Roger Vinson, Senior U.S. District Judge for the Northern District of Florida, who was sitting by designation in the Southern District of Texas.    » read more »

Statement of Deepak Gupta, Attorney, Public Citizen

Feb. 17, 2009 -- Public Citizen is delighted that a federal appeals court has decided to uphold New York City’s landmark fast-food menu rule, which requires chain restaurants to disclose calorie information on their menus. Today’s decision is a major victory in the fight against the obesity epidemic. It protects consumers’ right to know important nutritional facts and make informed and healthy choices when they eat out. The ruling is also significant because it clears the way for many similar state and local laws throughout the nation, such as those recently passed by the state of California and the city of Philadelphia.    » read more »

January 26, 2009 -- MONTGOMERY - Alabama Governor Bob Riley has appointed Decatur attorney Mark B. Craig to the position of Circuit Judge of the Thirty-Sixth Judicial Circuit. Craig is replacing Judge Philip Reich, who is retiring January 31, 2009.

“Mark Craig has the right experience and background that will make him an outstanding judge for the Thirty-Sixth Judicial Circuit,” said Governor Riley. “I am pleased to appoint him to this very important position.”

Craig graduated from Vanderbilt University School of Law in 1985 and began practicing law in Lawrence County and the surrounding areas. He also served as an Adjunct Instructor at John C. Calhoun Community College from 1992 until 2001.    » read more »

January 22, 2009 -- HONOLULU – Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle today released a list of judicial nominees that was provided to her by the Judicial Selection Commission to fill a vacancy on the Hawai‘i State Supreme Court created by the retirement of Associate Justice Steven Levinson.

As she has done since first taking office, Governor Lingle is making the list available to the public to encourage public comment on the nominees.

The list of six nominees is the product of the Judicial Selection Commission’s review of the background and qualifications of all applicants and its evaluation of each applicant. The Commission does not rank the candidates.

Nominees to fill the vacancy in the Hawai‘i Supreme Court:    » read more »

01/22/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Susan E. Green to a judgeship in the Sutter County Superior Court.

Green, 38, of Yuba City, has worked for the Sutter County District Attorney’s Office as a supervising deputy district attorney since 2007 and previously served as a deputy district attorney from 1995 to 2007. She earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law and Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of California, Davis. Green fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge Robert Damron. Green is a Republican.

The compensation for this position is $178,789.

Source: California Governor

01/22/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Beth A.R. McGowen to a judgeship in the Santa Clara County Superior Court.

McGowen, 44, of Morgan Hill, has been a partner for Bingham McCutchen since 2002. Previously, she was an associate then partner with McCutchen Doyle Brown & Enersen from 1990 to 2002. McGowen earned a Juris Doctorate degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University. She fills the vacancy created by the retirement of Judge C. Randall Schneider. McGowen is a Republican.

The compensation for this position is $178,789.

Source: California Governor

01/22/2009 -- California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced the appointment of Bruce E. Chan to a judgeship in the San Francisco County Superior Court.    » read more »