Spared: Transocean Ltd., the owner of the Deepwater Horizon rig that was the centerpiece of the worst offshore oil spill in U.S. history, will not have to pay compensatory damages stemming from the spill, The Wall Street Journal reports. A federal trial judge has upheld portions of the company's indemnity agreement with oil giant BP PLC.
Leading: A California state judge has picked the first bellwether suit in consolidated litigation against Toyota over allegations of unintended acceleration, The National Law Journal reports. An attorney for the plaintiff said the trial could start as early as this September. A February trial is set for federal multidistrict litigation against Toyota.
Strained: Cash-strapped local governments are grappling with the increasing costs associated with an aging inmate population. The Wall Street Journal said 55 and older prisoners comprise the fastest growing population group in state and federal prisons.
Dismissed: A New York state judge has thrown out a murder indictment, saying that 19 years was too long to prosecute the charge, The New York Law Journal reports. The judge said the delay denied the defendant due process rights to prompt prosecution.
Shrinking: The Washington Post reports on the shrinking Pentagon budget. U.S. Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta outlined a proposal that would reduce the size of the Army and Marine Corps. The $523 billion request represents 1 percent decrease from the current year.
Bind: Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. finds himself in a tough spot amid the investigation of rape allegations against Greg Kelly, son of New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. The New York Times reports that Vance has an opportunity with the case to demonstrate competency in the political aspect of his position.
Censored: Twitter Inc. announced it now has the ability to make content selectively available to users based on geography. The Wall Street Journal said Twitter has not yet put the ability to withhold content to use. "As we continue to grow internationally, we will enter countries that have different ideas about the contours of freedom of expression," Twitter's announcement said.
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