Judge approves $16 million settlement for Riggs Bank over Pinochet accounts News
Judge approves $16 million settlement for Riggs Bank over Pinochet accounts

[JURIST] US District Judge Ricardo M. Urbina [official profile] on Tuesday approved a $16 million plea agreement between the Justice Department and Riggs Bank [corporate website] over Riggs' maintenance of secret accounts for South American dictators, including former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet. Urbina originally questioned whether the plea deal was not severe enough for Riggs, which he called a "henchman of dictators." Riggs pleaded guilty [JURIST report] to charges of money laundering over an eight-year period during which it maintained the accounts. A US Senate subcommittee investigation originally discovered the accounts [JURIST report] maintained by Riggs. Read a Riggs press release on the plea deal. The case against Riggs had thrown its purchase by PNC Financial Group into question until the deal was revised. Bloomberg has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Justice Department brings anit-trust action against AT&T

On November 20, 1974, the Department of Justice filed its final anti-trust suit against AT&T. United States v. AT&T was ultimately settled out of court with an agreement that the corporation would break up its monopoly on phone service throughout the country.

Nuremberg war crimes trials began

On November 20, 1945, the war crimes trials of Nazi World War II leaders began in the German city of Nuremberg. Review the Nuremberg Tribunal's Charter and the verdicts and sentences handed down on major war figures.

Winston Churchill born

On November 20, 1874, Sir Winston Churchill was born in Woodstock, England. He would go on to lead the United Kingdom as Prime Minister through World War II. Toward the end of the war, Churchill worked with US President Franklin D. Roosevelt to craft the treaties and accords that have defined the world since WWII. A 2002 poll by the BBC declared Churchill the Greatest Briton of all time.

New Jersey ratifies Bill of Rights

New Jersey ratified the Bill of Rights, a set of 10 fundamental amendments to the US Constitution, on November 20, 1789, becoming the first state to do so. The state also ratified an amendment on federal representation which ultimately failed. Additionally, New Jersey rejected an amendment on congressional salaries, which would eventually become the 27th Amendment more than 200 years later. Read the articles ratified by New Jersey.