Days-long verdict reading continues in Khodorkovsky trial News
Days-long verdict reading continues in Khodorkovsky trial

[JURIST] The days-long verdict reading [JURIST report] in the trial [defense website] of Russian oil magnate Mikhail Khodorkovsky [Wikipedia profile] will continue at least into Thursday and perhaps longer. The court adjourned Wednesday after four hours, prompting defense lawyers to accuse the government of stalling in order to try and downplay a politically-charged case [Reuters report]. But defense lawyers appear to have won their statute of limitations battle on another charge, auction rigging, since it hasn't yet been mentioned in the reading. The omission of this charge could be a sign of a lighter sentence. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism

November 9 is the International Day Against Fascism and Anti-Semitism [UNITED factsheet]. On November 9, 1924, American gay activist Henry Gerber and several associates formed the Society for Human Rights, the first gay rights organization in the United States. The Society received a charter from the State of Illinois in December but was disbanded in July 1925 after a police raid which led to Gerber's arrest and trial (albeit not conviction). Pay a virtual visit to Henry Gerber House, now a registered Chicago landmark.

Supreme Court strikes down Massachusetts anti-draft law

On November 9, 1970, the Supreme Court voted 6-3 in Massachusetts v. Laird not to hear the case of the state's anti-draft law. Massachusetts had passed a law, which allowed its citizens to decline to fight in any undeclared war, even if the person was drafted. The law was passed in opposition to the draft and the war in Vietnam. The First Circuit found the war constitutional and thus struck down the law.