Serge F. Kovalski, N.Y. Times, Independent Counsel Clears Palin of Ethics Violations

Mike Scarcella, BLT Blog, Juror in Stevens Case: My Father is not Dead

Houston Chronicle (AP), Former El Paso Corp. trader gets 10 months prison (w/ a hat tip to Bill Olis)

Daniel J. Morrissey, National Law Journal, Tighten up regulation

(esp)

KARE11 (Minneapolis) – Judge Denies Bail for Tom Petters

DOJ Press Release, El Paso Businessman Agrees to Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Rig Bids and Allocate Customers for Door and Hardware Contracts

Cyril Wecht Trial – new judge appointed – see here, here, and here

William Yardley, NYTimes, Unrepentant Stevens Finds a Welcome at Home

Matt Viser & Eric Moskowitz, Boston Globe,  Wilkerson ends campaign -But bribery defendant doesn’t resign; governor pushes for reforms; Laurel J. Sweet & Hilliary Chabot, Boston Herald, Experts say officials could flip Dianne Wilkerson -Probe’s scope may widen

Carrie  Johnson, Washington Post, Legislators Using Law As Shield In Probes -Clause Complicates Congressional Cases (speaking of the speech and debate clause)

Paul Shukovsky & Daniel Lathrop, Seattle Post Intelligencer, Bush administration denies funding for FBI probe of mortgage mess – Many more agents needed, official says

Julia Preston, New York Times, Federal Charges for Ex-C.E.O. at Meatpacker

Van Smith, Baltimore City Paper, Bodog Internet Gambling Investigation Leads to Money-Laundering Charges 

Chronicle of Higher Education, Former Director of Alabama Fire College Gets 10 Years in Prison

Tom Hays, Law.com (AP), N.Y. Attorney General Asks Banks for Bonus Information – Chairman of House Oversight Committee sends similar information request to nine banks getting a $125 billion infusion

Law.com (AP), Businessman Sentenced for $107 Million Bank Fraud

(esp)

Mike Scarcella, Legal Times Blog, Stevens Trial Deliberation Postponed to Accommodate Juror

Doug Berman, Sentencing Law and Policy Blog, Saying Sorry Helps in Mortgage Fraud Cases

Houston Chronicle, Digest: Skilling transferred to prison in Colorado (w/ a hat tip to Bill Olis)

Lindsay Fortado, Bloomberg, Freddie Mac, Fannie Mae Hire Lawyers for U.S. Probe  

Alyson M. Palmer, Fulton County Daily Report, Law.com, En Banc 11th Circuit Case Tests Mail Fraud Law

Amanda Bronstad, National L J., Former senior Milberg Weiss partner asks for no prison time in kickback case   

(esp)

DOJ Press Release, Former FAMU Director Sentenced to Federal Prison, ("sentenced to 46 months in federal prison based upon her conviction on conspiracy and theft from Federal programs charges.")

Susanne Craig & Randall Smith, Wall St. Jrl, U.S. to Ask Analysts if Lehman Misled

DOJ Press Release, Former Coast Bank Officer Agrees to Plead Guilty to Fraud and Money Laundering

DOJ Press Release, Executives of Michigan Wastewater Treatment Company Found Guilty of Illegally Discharging Untreated Liquid Wastes

Mary Flood, Houston Chronicle, Houston lawyer found guilty in mortgage fraud case

Del Quitin Wilber, Washington Post, Fate of Sen. Stevens In the Jury’s Hands – Gifts and Home Renovation at Issue

And a happy birthday to Sentencing Law & Policy Blogger Doug Berman.

(esp)

Tom Kirkendall, Houston Cleakthinkers, Refracting Enron myopia

Wall Street Jrl (AP), U.S. Special Counsel Bloch To Step Down in January

Reuters, Lehman executives including Fuld subpoenaed: report

Kaye Scholer LLP, The Credit Crisis – The Law Enforcement Response, and Special Considerations in Internal Investigatons of Subprime Debt Portfolios and Credit Default Swaps

NYTimes, KPMG Tax Shelter Case Heads to Trial, on a Smaller Scale

David Glovin & Patricia Hurtado, Seattle Times (Bloomberg News), Financial firms face probe in subprime-mortgage fallout

(esp)

• Ashby Jones, WSJ Blog, In Wake of Financial Meltdown, Heads Might Roll. But Should They? (w/ a hat tip to Bill Olis)
• DOJ Press Release, Buford, Georgia, Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Rolling Back Odometers in Scheme That Defrauded Local Car Buyers
• DOJ Press Release, New Orleans Area Hospital to Pay $3.3 Million to Resolve Medicaid Fraud Allegations
• Pamela A. MacLean, National L.J., Corporate liability key in Chevron case – Focus on protest deaths at Nigerian facility.

Tom Hays and Jesse J. Holland, Washington Post (AP), Colleague calls Stevens one of Senate’s true lions

Brian Katkin, Legal Times, A White-Collar Windfall, But Where’s D.C.? As probes begin, lawyers jockey for roles (w/ a hat tip to Whitney Curtis)

Del Quentin Wilber, Washington Post, Stevens’s Reputation ‘Sterling,’ Powell Says

Law.com (AP), Paralegal Pleads Guilty to Taking $1.7 Million From Firm

Norma Love, law.com, Tyco, Investors Want Judge to Freeze Assets of Former CEO Kozlowski

FCPA Blog, What’s the Count (also check out the blog comments for this entry)

• Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Federal jurors’ names no longer to be kept secret (related to Wecht case)
• ALI-ABA, Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product, Webcast — Attorney-Client Privilege and Work Product Protection 2008
• New York Times (AP), Broadcom Co-Founder Bets He Can Still Avoid Prison (w/ a hat tip to Mark R. Johnson)
• Kristen Hays, Houston Chronicle, Former Enron broadband executive pleads guilty (w/ a hat tip to Bill Olis)
• Marcia Coyle, National Law Journal, The SEC directs staff not to ask parties to waive attorney-client or work-product privileges
• Amanda Bronstad, National Law Journal, Federal prosecutors oppose new trial for Christensen over removed juror

(esp)

Mike Scarcella, BLT Blog, Williams & Connolly Wants to Put Lawyer on Witness Stand in Senator Ted Stevens trial.  It raises an interesting question as to whether an attorney can testify on a legal issue and/or whether in this particular situation the testimony relates to relevant matters.

Matt Apuzzo, Chicago Tribune (AP),  Alaska legislative panel finds Palin abused her power in seeking the firing of ex-relative; CNN, Panel: Palin abused power in trooper case; Serge F. Kovaleski, N.Y. Times, Alaska Inquiry Concludes Palin Abused Powers

(esp)

Atlanta Jrl Constitution (AP), Man pleads guilty to selling fake Coke

Debra Cassens Weiss, ABA Law Journal News Now, Prosecutors Seek 230-Year Sentence for Ex-Gen Re Lawyer

Noeleen G. Walder, NY Law Jrl, Law.com,  Criminal Prosecutions Predicted to Surge Over Financial Crisis