Victoria Kim, LA Times, Prosecutor Lays Out Case Against Pellicano Client

Tom Hamburger, LA Times, Office of Special Counsel official quits in protest 

Chicago Tribune, 2 men accused of defrauding 4 Des Plaines banks  (alleged scheme for loans to send cars to Poland)

DOJ Press Release – California Firm Sentenced While Search for Its Fugitive Vice President Continues in Arms Export Case

DOJ Press Release – ICE Probe of Nevada McDonald’s Franchisee Results in Guilty Pleas by Local Corporation and Current and Former Executives on Immigration Charges (McDonald’s Franchisee Admits to Two Felony Counts – Agrees to Pay $1 Million Fine)

(esp)

Michael Madigan has joined the law firm of Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe LLP as a partner in its White Collar Criminal Defense and Corporate Investigations practice. (see press release) 

William March and Elaine Silvestrini, TBO Blog, Sources: Albritton to Get U.S. Attorney Nomination (Brian Albritton of Holland and Knight)  This could be a step that will increase the white collar crime prosecutions in the Middle District of Florida, as Albritton’s practice was largely devoted to white collar criminal matters. 

WSJ (AP), Mitsubishi, Former Executives Found Guilty of Falsifying Report

(esp)

Scott Horton, American Lawyer, Commentary: Has a U.S. Attorney Knowingly Prosecuted Innocent People? (on law.com here) – The article discusses some recent prosecutions in Alabama.

In addition to the issues raised by the article, one can’t help but notice that the prosecutor is making no comment.  A prosecutor can be placed in an awkward position of not being able to make a comment to explain his or her position of what happened in a case, as the prosecutor is bound by ethics rules.   But on the other side of the coin is the fact that prosecutors are not reluctant to issue press releases when they indict an individual, even before the jury has weighed in on guilt or innocence.  It is rare that you see a prosecutor issue a press release following a jury trial telling how the jury found the individual or company not guilty.  In a system where a prosecutor serves as a minister of justice, one has to wonder if prosecutors should be required – when the defendant wants this to happen – to issue a statement of the "not guilty" finding by a jury in cases where the prosecutor had issued a press release telling of the indictment.

(esp) 

Pittsburgh Tribune, Wecht prosecutor returns to private practice

Mike Stanton, Providence Journal, Urciuoli Retrial Details Emerge – discussing the upcoming retrial of former Roger Williams Medical Center executives following the 1st Circuit’s reversal  (for background see here)

UPI.com, Detroit Mayor Trial May Hinge on Few Words

Amanda Bronsted, National Law Journal & Law.com, Christensen Case a ‘Wake-Up’ Call for Lawyers on Use of Private Eyes

Ben Evans, Washington Post (AP), Rove Ignores Subpoena, Refuses to Testify on Hill

DOJ Press Release, Former Hewlett Packard Vice President Pleads Guilty to Theft of IBM Trade Secrets

Editorial, Washington Post, Too Many Prisoners: States Should Stop Warehousing NonViolent Offenders

Joe Whitley has joined the Atlanta law firm of Greenberg Traurig.  He previously served in the positions of Acting Associate Attorney General, as the USA in the Middle and Northern Districts of Georgia, and as the first General Counsel of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

Russell Gold, Wall Street Journal, El Paso Ex-Executives Settle Charges Over Reserves ($235,000 civil fines)

Dan Slater, WSJ Blog, On McNulty Memo, Specter Fires Back at DOJ

(esp) (blogging from Dublin, Ireland)

Kevin Diaz, Star Tribune.com, Scams use dead doctors’ IDs

U.S. Attorney, Southern District of NY Press Release, U.S. Government Contractor Arrested for Participating in Scheme to Steal Fuel from Camp Liberty, Baghdad, Iraq

(esp)

Joe Milicia, San Diego.com (AP) – Adviser gets 12 years in prison in Ohio fraud case

Marcia Coyle, National L.J., A Crucial Quest for New Look at Liability- Corporate Criminal Standards at Stake (subscription required)

M.L. Elrick & Joe Swickard, Detroit Free Press, Strategy in Text Scandal a Risky One for Worthy- Kilpatrick’s Denial of Affairs Debatable (Blog Editor Emeritus – Peter Henning – discusses the problems that arise when you have ambiguity in the questions being asked)

DOJ Press Release – Bristol-Myers Squibb Agrees to Clean Air Act Upgrades

Lawrence Hurley, Daily Journal – DOJ Considers Changes to Waiver Policy- Senators Press Agency for Solution to Privilege Issue (subscription required); see also Lawrence Hurley, Washington Briefs, Leahy Reveals Discussions With DOJ Over McNulty Memo

DOJ  Press Release – Former Chief Financial Officer of Catholic Diocese of Cleveland Convicted of Conspiracy & Filing False Tax Returns

(esp)

Amir Efrati, Wall Street Journal, has a fascinating piece titled, A Look at Judge in Bear Case:
He’s Fair, Funny and Frank.  Efrati looks at the judge that will preside over the case of the former Bears Stearns managers (see here).

DOJ Press Release, Owner of Medical Equipment Company Sentenced to 130 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud

Chronicle of Higher Education, Diploma-Mill Operator is Sentenced to 3 Years in Prison (subscription required)

Marcia Coyle, ‘McNulty Memo’ Triggers an Ultimatum (subscription required)

(esp)

Karen Donovan, Conde Nast Portfolio.com, The Unknown Milberg 

Carrie Johnson, Washington Post, A Backlog Of Cases Alleging Fraud – Whistle-Blower Suits Languish at Justice

Chronicle of Higher Education, 2 Former Tufts Administrators Are Accused of Embezzling Nearly $1-Million

Eric Lichtblau, New York Times, New Scrutiny of Hiring at Justice Department 

Justin Scheck, Wall Street Jrl, Former H-P Executive Indicted in Email Case

(esp)

Ashby Jones, Wall Street Jrl, Scruggs Gets Maximum Five-Year Sentence

Paula Reed Ward, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, House panel subpoenas Wecht prosecution documents; Jason Cato, Pittsburgh Tribune Review, Congress subpoenas Wecht, Siegelman documents; Subpoena from U. S. House of Representatives, Committee on the Judiciary here

U.S. House of Reps, Committee on the Judiciary, Press Release, Conyers Issues Subpoena to DOJ for Valerie Plame Documents (see subpoena above)

Jonathan Vuocolo, Wall Street Jrl., Former Home Depot Executive Pleads Guilty in Kickback Case ; DOJ Press Release, Former Home Depot Employee Pleads Guilty to Vendor Kickback Scheme and Tax Evasion

DOJ Press Release, Fresno, California, Electrical Contractor Pleads Guilty to Bid Rigging on Two E-Rate Funded School Technology Projects (Company Agrees to Pay $3.3 Million in Criminal Fines, Restitution and Civil Settlement For Role in Bid Rigging Conspiracy)

DOJ Press Release, Illinois Veterans Affairs Official Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy and Accepting Illegal Gratuities

Evan Perez, Wall Street Jrl, Feds Press Swiss Bank To Name U.S. Clients

(esp)

Phillip Inman, Guardian, UK is weak on tackling white collar crime and short sellers, says HBOS chairman

Martha Neil, ABA Law Journal News, Ex- Prosecutor: DOJ Destroyed My Career

Lawrence Hurley, Washington Briefs, Leahy Reveals Discussions with DOJ Over McNulty

(esp) (blogging from Denver, Colorado)