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Orange County man guilty of wife's murder-for-hire
Topics in Legal News |
2014/04/21 15:06
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An Orange County man accused of hiring hit men to murder his wife so he could avoid a costly divorce has been convicted of murder.
A district attorney's statement Friday says 61-year-old Magdi Girgis (MOG'-dee GURR-ghiss) of Westminster has been found guilty in the 2004 killing.
A few days before her death, 55-year-old Ariet (AHR'-ee-et) Girgis had testified in a domestic violence case against her husband, saying her marriage was "miserable." He was convicted on domestic violence charges after her death.
Two suspects allegedly entered the victim's home in Sept. 2004 and murdered her with a sharp object.
Prosecutors say the killer and a middleman involved in the contract slaying remain at large.
A third person, Anthony Edward Bridget, was arrested last year and faces charges including conspiracy and murder.
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Supreme Court to hear class-action dispute
Topics in Legal News |
2014/04/08 12:18
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The Supreme Court will consider the requirements for transferring class-action lawsuits from state courts to federal courts.
The justices on Monday agreed to hear an appeal from a Michigan energy company that asserts it should be allowed to move a class-action case from Kansas state court to federal court. Federal law allows such transfers in cases involving more than $5 million.
A group of royalty owners sued the Dart Cherokee Basin Operating Co. alleging they were underpaid royalties on oil and gas wells. The plaintiffs did not seek a specific damage amount, but the company claimed it would far exceed $5 million.
Video: Supreme Court Won’t Hear NSA Case Now
A federal judge rejected the transfer request because the company did not offer any evidentiary support. The company says the law does not require detailed evidence. |
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Lawmaker Yee due back in court for arraignment
Topics in Legal News |
2014/04/08 12:17
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Suspended state Sen. Leland Yee is due back in federal court for his alleged role in a San Francisco political corruption and organized crime case.
Yee could enter pleas Tuesday to one count of conspiracy to traffic in firearms without a license and to illegally import firearms, and to six counts of engaging in a scheme to defraud citizens of honest services.
The San Francisco Democrat is accused of conspiring to connect an undercover FBI agent with a Philippine arms dealer in exchange for campaign contributions, and of trading political influence for cash.
Yee and 19 others were formally indicted last week after being arrested on March 26.
Other defendants, including Raymond "Shrimp Boy" Chow, whose charges include money laundering and trafficking, are scheduled for arraignment Tuesday. |
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Supreme Court takes up drug company dispute
Topics in Legal News |
2014/03/31 16:40
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The Supreme Court is wading into a patent dispute between rival pharmaceutical companies over a multiple sclerosis treatment.
The justices agreed Monday to hear an appeal from Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., which claims the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit wrongly overturned five of its patents for the drug Copaxone.
The appeals court ruling would allow rivals Mylan Inc., Momenta Pharmaceuticals Inc. and Sandoz, Inc., to start selling generic versions of the drug later this year, after the remaining patents on the drug expire.
A federal district court had earlier ruled in Teva's favor and upheld the patents. Teva says the Federal Circuit should have deferred to factual findings made in the district court.
The justices will hear the case in the fall. |
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Chris Brown returns to court after rehab dismissal
Topics in Legal News |
2014/03/17 14:53
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After a weekend in jail, Chris Brown is facing a court hearing over his dismissal from rehab and whether he should be given additional penalties, which could include more time behind bars.
The Grammy-winning R&B singer spent the weekend in a downtown Los Angeles lockup after a judge ordered him to be arrested for violating the rules and regulations of his treatment. Court records did not elaborate on the reason for Brown's dismissal from the facility in Malibu that was treating him for anger management, substance abuse and issues related to bi-polar disorder.
Brown, 24, had been under court orders to remain in treatment since November, one month after he was arrested in Washington, D.C., after a man accused him of punching him in a confrontation outside a hotel. That case remains pending, and Superior Court Judge James R. Brandlin has not yet scheduled a probation violation hearing to address whether he would penalize the singer for the arrest.
His attorney Mark Geragos did not return an email message seeking comment on the singer's arrest. Prosecutors have not said what action they plan to take at Monday's hearing.
Brandlin revoked Brown's probation in December, but refused a prosecutor's request in February to send the singer to jail because of the Washington misdemeanor assault case. The judge has said Brown appeared to be making good progress in rehab and a probation officer gave him a favorable report at his last court hearing on Feb. 28.
The singer's arrest last week represents another stumble in his efforts to put his 2009 attack on then-girlfriend Rihanna behind him. Brown's probation had been scheduled to conclude in August, but that is now unlikely because he still has 750 hours of community labor to complete and could face additional penalties for failing to complete rehab successfully. |
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