Former Boeing CFO sentenced News
Former Boeing CFO sentenced

[JURIST] US District Court Judge Gerald Bruce Lee sentenced former Boeing CFO Michael Sears to four months in prison Friday for aiding and abetting illegal employment negotiations [US Code]. Sears pleaded guilty in November to charges that he offered then-Air Force chief acquisition official Darleen Druyun a $250,000 executive position with Boeing at the same time she was negotiating an Air Force tanker lease contract with the company. Druyun pleaded guilty [plea agreement, PDF] to her role in the conspiracy and was sentenced to nine months in federal prison. The plea agreement confirms that Druyun met with Sears in October 2002 to discuss a job opportunity, and did not disqualify herself from working on Boeing business until November 5, 2003. Read Boeing's statement on the sentencing here. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Laws of Burgos put into effect

The Spanish Crown put the Laws of Burgos into effect on December 27, 1512. These laws governed the relationship of Spanish settlers with the indigenous peoples of the Caribbean. The laws established the encomienda system of labor, promoted conversion to Catholicism, and safeguarded the indigenous peoples from physical abuse.  However, historians argue that the laws were ineffective at protecting the rights of the indigenous population. Learn more from the Library of Congress.

Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public bar smashing

On December 27, 1900, militant Prohibitionist Carrie Nation carried out her first public smashing of a bar, at the Carey Hotel in Wichita, Kansas. Nation argued that destroying bars was an acceptable means of battling the liquor trade since the Kansas Constitution prohibited alcohol. Learn more about Carrie Nation.

World Bank created

On December 27, 1944, the World Bank was created during the United Nations Monetary and Financial Conference in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, USA. Learn more about the history of the World Bank.