Chile court strips Pinochet immunity on tax evasion charges News
Chile court strips Pinochet immunity on tax evasion charges

[JURIST] The Supreme Court of Chile on Wednesday stripped former president Augusto Pinochet [JURIST news archive; BBC profile] of immunity from prosecution for charges of tax fraud connected to $27 million he holds in offshore accounts. The ruling comes a day after Judge Sergio Munoz petitioned the Santiago Court of Appeals to strip Pinochet's immunity [JURIST report] for charges of embezzlement also related to the same accounts. The former president has been stripped of immunity [JURIST report], a privilege extended to all former presidents, in several human rights cases; however, Pinochet, who suffers from diabetes, heart problems, mild dementia and mini strokes, has not yet faced any charges because of his medical condition. His defense is expected to argue that he is too ill to stand trial in this case as well. Pinochet's wife and youngest son have also been charged as accomplices in tax evasion [JURIST report]. Reuters has more.

THIS DAY @ LAW

Charlemagne crowned Holy Roman Emporer

On December 25, 800 A.D., Charlemagne was crowned Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in Rome, Italy. During his lifetime, Charlemagne united most of Western Europe for the first time since the fall of the Western Roman Empire. He is credited with spreading the rule of law throughout his dominions as well as starting the French and German monarchies.

President Andrew Johnson pardoned Confederates

On December 25, 1868, President Andrew Johnson granted an unconditional pardon to all who had been involved in "insurrection or rebellion" during the US Civil War.