The presiding judge of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals went to trial on Monday, as misconduct allegaltions surface over the refusal to delay the execution of a current death row inmate.
Protesters could be seen outside of the courthouse Monday, holding signs criticizing the judge for what they believe was unjust. Judge Sharon Keller of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has been accused of not following the rules of conduct set forth by the Texas Courts. Her detractors say that she unlawfully refused to hear the plea for a stay of execution because her work day was over at 5:00, causing the defendant in question, Michael Wayne Richard, to be executed that night.
Actions taken on behalf of the courts could range anywhere from dismissing charges to Judge Sharon Keller’s complete removal from court.
U.S. District Court Judge Leonard Davis has confirmed what the court decision earlier in May which alleges that Microsoft was infringing the copyright of a Canadian tech company. The decision forces damage compensation, as well as the cessation of the sale of certain versions of Microsoft Word within a couple of months.
Microsoft will of course appeal this decision, but for now they are going to have to work around the problem by removing certain portions of the Word software package to allow it to continue to be sold in retail stores.
The London office of international law firm, Orrick just recently came out with news that it has transformed itself into a limited liability partnership – Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP.
This new LLP will help conjoin the many operations of Orrick’s London, Paris and Italian offices under one solitary limited liability structure. In Germany and Moscow, the European operations are already operating as limited liability entities.
“This change in status reflects the increased size and importance of the European business of Orrick and will further help to integrate the European business in a modern and efficient legal and management structure” said London Managing Partner, Martin Bartlam.
Since it’s original opening in London in 1998, Orrick had successfully grown its operations to somewhere in the numbers of 350 lawyers in Europe, and has opened and greatly extended offices in Paris, Milan, Rome, Moscow, Berlin, Dusseldorf and Frankfurt, in addition to its significant growth in London.
About Orrick
Orrick is an international legal practice, comprising Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe (Europe) LLP and its affiliated undertakings. Orrick has more than 1,100 lawyers in North America, Europe and Asia. The firm focuses on litigation, complex and novel finance and innovative corporate transactions. Orrick clients include FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies, major industrial and financial corporations, commercial and investment banks, high-growth companies, governmental entities, start-ups and individuals. Orrick’s 21 offices are located in Beijing, Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Hong Kong, London, Los Angeles, Milan, Moscow, New York, Orange County, Pacific Northwest, Paris, Rome, Sacramento, San Francisco, Shanghai, Silicon Valley, Taipei, Tokyo and Washington, D.C.
The supreme court has just confirmed Sonia Sotomayor for the Supreme Court. Sotomayor is the first hispanic to be graced with the honor of Supreme Court Justice.
They ended the vote 68-31 in favor of Sotomayor. Sotomayor’s past has come under fire recently, specifically for her own personal views. The democratic senate majority approved Sotomayor into the supreme court despite heavy republican opposition to her confirmation.
Republicans fear that as a Justice, Sotomayor will bring a liberal bias, clouding her judgement with her own personal views. Democrats counter saying that her record speaks for itself, and shows no evidence of bias towards her personal opinions.
Many senate republicans bring up her views on the second amendment, among other key republican issues, while others have come out openly in support of Sotomayor’s confirmation.
“”Judge Sotomayor’s decisions, while not always the decision I would render, are not outside the legal mainstream and do not indicate an obvious desire to legislate from the bench,” remarks Senator George Voinovich of Ohio.
