Solo: Financially pressed people are representing themselves more and more in court, according to judges, lawyers and courthouse officials across the country, raising questions of how just the outcomes are and clogging courthouses already facing their own budget woes as clerks spend more time helping people unfamiliar with forms, filings and fees. The New York Times has the story.
Sullivan: U.S. District Judge Emmet Sullivan has twice rebuked government lawyers in a week's time for their handling of evidence -- first, in a case challenging the detention of a man at the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and most recently, during a packed hearing, before he dismissed the conviction of former Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) on corruption charges. The Washington Post has this profile of the judge, who reporter Del Quentin Wilber says has been "building a reputation as a formidable, if unpredictable, presence in the courtroom."
Losing Faith: Faith organizations and individuals who view homosexuality as sinful and refuse to provide services to gay people are losing a growing number of legal battles that they say are costing them their religious freedom. The lawsuits have resulted from states and communities that have banned discrimination based on sexual orientation, The Washington Post reports.
Misbehaving: In the wake of the Ted Stevens case, a Miami federal judge imposed extraordinary sanctions Thursday on federal prosecutors in South Florida for secretly taping the defense team of a physician who was ultimately acquitted in a prescription drug case, the Daily Business Review reports. U.S. District Judge Alan Gold ordered the government to pay $601,795 to cover legal fees, litigation expenses, and expert fees for Dr. Ali Shaygan of Miami Beach after a superseding indictment was returned against the doctor last summer.
Shuttered: The CIA is decommissioning the secret overseas prisons where top al Qaida suspects were subjected to interrogation methods, including simulated drowning, that Attorney General Eric Holder, allied governments, the Red Cross and numerous other experts consider torture, McClatchy reports.
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