USLegal Reporter

Joe Nacchio, the former CEO of Qwest Communications, was ordered by a federal judge today to forfeit $52 million that he gained from stock sales.

In April 2007, Nacchio was convicted of insider trading. He reportedly profited millions while withholding information from investors that the telecommunications company was at serious financial risk. Thousands of investors lost money when Quest’s stock dropped dramtically from about $60 a share in 2000 to $2 a share in 2002.

In addition to being ordered by a federal judge to hand over $52 million in 15 days, Nacchio has also been sentenced to six years in prison. He will also have to pay a $19 million fine, the maximum penalty.

Nacchio’s request for bail was denied pending an appeal. 

Sources: http://cbs2.com/topstories/topstories_story_208113304.html

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070727/ap_on_bi_ge/qwest_nacchio_sentencing

A special grand jury today decided not to indict Anna Pou, a physician who was charged with the murder of four patients ranging in age from 61 to 90 at Memorial Medical Center, the New Orleans hospital where 34 people died during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. The charges included one count of second-degree murder and nine counts of conspiracy to commit murder. Pou was accused of providing the patients with lethal painkillers and sedatives in lieu of evacuating them. Charges brought against two nurses were dropped after the nurses testified before the grand jury.

Pou claimed that she attempted to provide the best treatment for keeping the patients comfortable, including issuing pain medication and honoring ‘do not resuscitate’ orders. Pou, a former eye, ear, nose and throat surgeon, now is a professor at the Louisiana State University Medical School in Baton Rouge.

Source: http://blog.nola.com/times-picayune/2007/07/no_charges_filed_against_dr_po.html

President George W. Bush on Monday commuted the sentence of former Vice Presidential aide Lewis Libby. The moves means Libby will no longer have to go to prison where he was set to serve a 2 1/2 year sentence after being convicted in a CIA leak case. Libby was sentenced on June 22, 2007. Prior to the President stepping in with the grant of clemency, a federal court had denied Libby’s request to remain free pending an appeal of his conviction. Thus, his time in prison was imminent.

Libby will still have to comply with other terms of his sentence including two years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000.

Sources: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-libby3jul03,1,232484.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed, http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070702-3.html

Texas officials recently arrested seven convicted sex offenders in various cities across the state who were violating their parole or probation by using the social networking website, MySpace.com. Some of the offender’s computers were also sezied.

MySpace.com released the offender’s names to the Texas Attorney General’s Office after receiving a subpoena for the subscriber information. After much criticism for its failure to protect underage subscribers, MySpace supplied names of offenders to attorney generals in other states after checking the criminal histories through Sentinel Safe, a database of registered sex offenders.

The investigation has yet to show any connection, such as dialogue with young persons, between the offenders and potential victims on MySpace.com.

Source:  http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/4889983.html

California Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer today reversed a decision by the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department to allow hotel heiress Paris Hilton to serve the remainder of her jail sentence under house arrest.

Hilton had been released from jail yesterday because of an undisclosed medical condition. She was ordered to return to court this morning where Judge Sauer stated that she must return to jail to serve the remainder of a 45 day sentence.

Hilton is serving time stemming from alcohol related reckless driving charges last year and ensuing probation violations.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/08/us/08cnd-paris.html?em&ex=1181448000&en=9f8bd29d66356cba&ei=5087%0A 

Hotel heiress Paris Hilton was released from jail early today after serving only a few days of a 45 day sentence. Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department officials cited undisclosed medical reasons as the reason for Hilton’s early release. Hilton will serve the remainder of her sentence under home confinement and will be required to wear an ankle bracelet.

California Superior Court spokeman Allan Parachini said Judge Michael T. Sauer who handed down Hilton’s punishment objected to her early release. 

 In September of 2006, Hilton pleaded no contest to driving under the influence. As part of her plea, her driver’s license was revoked for four months. Nonetheless, Hilton continued to drive and was pulled over by police numerous times during the term of her probation. She received warnings and two citations for driving on a suspended license.

On May 4th, Hilton was sentenced to 45 days in jail for repeatedly violating terms of her probation.

Source: http://www.latimes.com/la-ex-hilton7jun08,0,7537361.story?coll=la-home-center

Former Vice Presidential Chief of Staff Lewis “Scooter” Libby was sentenced on Monday to two and a half years in prison for lying during a C.I.A. leak investigation. Judge Reggie B. Walton ordered the sentence and also fined Libby $250,000.

A federal jury found Libby guilty on March 7th of obstruction of justice, making false statements, and perjury. The charges stemmed from an investigation into who leaked the identity of a C.I.A. official whose husband had questioned US involvement in Iraq. Libby was convicted of lying to F.B.I. agents and a federal grand jury.

Once he goes to prison, Libby will be the highest ranking senior White House official to do jail time since the days of Watergate.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/05/us/05cnd-libby.html?ref=us  

A three judge panel for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled today that Missouri death penalty procedures do not constitute cruel and unusual punishment. Executions have been placed on hold since June 2006 because of concerns raised that prisoners could feel serious pain if injections were not properly administered. At that time, U.S. District Judge Fernando Gaitan Jr. ordered reforms including a mandate that the state involve a doctor specializing in anesthesia to administer legal injections. The state has been unable to locate a doctor willing to participate.

In reaching its ruling, the court noted that it found “no evidence to indicate that any of the last six inmates executed suffered any unnecessary pain.” And that “we know of no decision holding that the Constitution requires a physician to become the executioner.”

The case is Michael Taylor  v.  Larry Crawford, et al., No:  06-3651.
Sources: http://www.ca8.uscourts.gov/opndir/07/06/063651P.pdf

http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/missouristatenews/story/DB4E41B70DCF06F9862572F00056D31F?OpenDocument

California Superior Court Judge Michael T. Sauer on Friday ordered heiress Paris Hilton to spending 45 days in jail for repeatedly violating terms of her probation. In September of 2006, Hilton pleaded no contest to driving under the influence. As part of her plea, her driver’s license was revoked for four months.

Nonetheless, Hilton continued to drive and was pulled over by police numerous times during the term of her probation. She received warnings and two citations for driving on a suspended license.

The case is People of the State of California v. Paris Whitney Hilton.

Sources: http://news.findlaw.com/hdocs/docs/ent/cahilton43007mot.html, http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/la-me-hilton5may05,1,3181593.story?page=1 

A Middlesex County jury on Monday convicted Melanie McGuire on four charges related to the death of her husband, William McGuire. She was found guilty of first degree murder, desecration of a corpse, perjury, and a weapons violation.

William McGuire was killed on April 29, 2004. His body parts were later found in suit cases recovered from the Chesapeake Bay. 

During the trial, prosecutors argued that Melanie McGuire, who was a nurse, had planned her husband’s murder because she was having an affair with her boss, who ran a fertility clinic and wanted to be with him. The defense had suggested that William McGuire had a gambling problem and may have been killed by a creditor.

McGuire will be sentenced on July 13th. She faces 30 years to life in prison.

Source: http://www.philly.com/inquirer/local/20070424_Nurse_convicted_of_killing_husband.html