New judge assigned in Penn State sex-abuse case
STATE COLLEGE, Pa. — A new judge was assigned to handle Jerry Sandusky’s child sex-abuse charges on Wednesday as a lawyer for a boy who accuses the former Penn State assistant football coach of abuse took aim at his televised defense. The Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts said it was bringing in a Westmoreland County […]
Gov’t: Leslie Johnson should get year-plus in jail
WASHINGTON — Prosecutors are asking a judge to sentence former Prince George’s County Councilwoman Leslie Johnson to a year or more in jail, saying she was part of a corrupt culture. Johnson, the wife of former Prince George’s County Executive Jack Johnson, resigned from her council seat after pleading guilty in June to destroying evidence […]
Kevin Ring sentenced to 20 months in lobbying scandal
WASHINGTON — A former lobbyist who was a rising star under Jack Abramoff’s tutelage was sentenced Wednesday to nearly two years in prison for giving public officials meals and event tickets. Kevin Ring argued up until his emotional sentencing hearing that he was operating in a corrupt Washington environment controlled by people with money and […]
Lenders step up foreclosure intent filings
Maryland housing officials say lenders have filed an average of 15,000 intent notices per month against homeowners since January, indicating a new wave of foreclosures may soon hit the state. The disclosure came Thursday after a national report from RealtyTrac that said banks and lenders may soon restart issuing large volumes of foreclosure notices following […]
Shareholders sue News Corp. over hacking scandal
NEW YORK — A group of News Corp. shareholders have sued the media conglomerate over a phone-hacking scandal at its now-closed News of the World tabloid in London. The lawsuit accuses News Corp. of large-scale governance failures surrounding the British hacking case. News of the World employees have been accused of hacking into the phone […]
Judge to decide on Catholic diocese bankruptcy plan
WILMINGTON, Del. — The bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington told a federal bankruptcy judge Friday that the diocese’s reorganization plan is fair and just for all creditors, including victims of priest sex abuse, and that he doesn’t expect the diocese to provide pension payments or other benefits to known child abusers. “I think […]
Where’s the Lawyer Love?!
By now, I’m used to lawyer jokes. My favorite goes like this: A guy walks into a bar in his hometown after being away for years. The bartender recognizes him and says, “Hey, Jimmy. What’s new? I hear you’re a lawyer now.” “It’s true,” he replies, “but don’t tell my mother. She thinks I’m the […]
Inside the First Amendment: Partisan blogger Breitbart is reviled and revered
Conservative blogger Andrew Breitbart is highly partisan, frequently newsworthy and, likely depending on your political views, to be roundly admired or soundly criticized. But Breitbart is credited by all with first reporting the indiscreet tweets of Rep. Anthony Weiner, D-N.Y. It’s the latest in a series of headline-winning incidents involving the digital entrepreneur and his […]
Nixon library offers candid new take on Watergate
YORBA LINDA, Calif. — For years, Richard Nixon’s presidential library was accused of committing another Watergate cover-up. But now, archivists say, the stonewalling is over. The library opened an expanded new exhibit Thursday that scholars say provides a more balanced and accurate account of the scandal that brought down a president. “The public deserves nonpartisan, […]