Judge refuses to throw out fraud convictions of Siegelman, Scrushy News
Judge refuses to throw out fraud convictions of Siegelman, Scrushy

[JURIST] A federal judge Monday denied motions by former Alabama governor Don Siegelman [official profile] and former HealthSouth [corporate website] CEO Richard Scrushy [JURIST news archive] to overturn their corruption convictions. US District Judge Mark Fuller [official profile] ruled there was "substantial evidence" to back jury verdicts against them.

In June 2006, Siegelman was convicted [JURIST report] on 10 counts, including bribery, conspiracy, and mail fraud. Scrushy was found guilty of fraud and both were also convicted in connection with a $500,000 payment from Scrushy for Siegelman's 1999 campaign debts in exchange for a seat on a state-operated review board that regulates hospitals. Siegelman and Scrushy face up to 30 years in prison. In a separate action, Scrushy was acquitted in 2005 [JURIST report] on charges of wire and mail fraud, money laundering, conspiracy, and violations of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a scheme to overstate earnings and inflate HealthSouth's stock price between 1996 and 2002. AP has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied in Six Days' War

On November 22, 1967, the UN Security Council called for Israeli withdrawal from territories occupied during the Six Days' War, and for respect of the right of all States in the area to "live in peace within secure and recognized boundaries." Read Resolution 242, which remains a cornerstone of efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East.

President Kennedy assassinated, VP Lyndon Johnson sworn inin

On November 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas. Later that day, Vice-President Lyndon Johnson was sworn in as the 36th President of the United States. Earl Warren, the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, was later tasked with leading a commission to investigate the assassination. President Johnson received the final report of the Warren Commission on September 24, 1964. Read the Warren Commission Report.