 |
|
| |
| Ruby Ridge
Shooter Free From Manslaughter Charges |
| U.S. District Judge Edward Lodge dismissed a state
manslaughter charge against FBI sharpshooter Lon Horiuchi
on May 14, 1998, almost six years after Horiuchi and
eleven other federal officers laid siege to the home of
white separatist Randy Weaver in Ruby Ridge, Idaho.
Horiuchi was accused by Idaho prosecutors of shooting
Weaver's wife Vicki during the assault on the Weavers'
cabin |
| |
| House Ethics
Report on Gingrich |
| The following is the public version of the findings
of the House of Representatives on ethical violations by
House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The House voted 395-28 to
reprimand Gingrich and impose a $300,000 penalty. |
| |
| FBI Agent
Charged with Hiding Ruby Ridge Papers |
| FBI official, E. Michael Kahoe, has been charged with
obstruction of justice in connection with the criminal
investigation of white separatists Randy Weaver and Kevin
Harris. Weaver and Harris were charged and later
acquitted of first-degree murder in the death of Deputy
U.S. Marshal William Degan, who was shot and killed on
August 21, 1992, in a confrontation near Ruby Ridge,
Idaho. Kahoe, former chief of the FBI's violent crime
section, was ordered to prepare a critique of the Ruby
Ridge incident. Prosecutors in this case allege that
Kahoe withheld the critique from the Weaver prosecution
team, destroyed his copies of the critique, and ordered a
subordinate official to destroy all copies of the
critique and to make it appear as if the critique never
existed. |
| |
| Matt Drudge
Libel Suit |
| Presidential aide Sidney Blumenthal filed a $30
million defamation suit against Matt Drudge, after the
famed capricornist published an August 10, 1997 story in
which he alleged Blumenthal "has a spousal abuse
past that has been effectively covered up."
Blumenthal vehemently denied the charges and Drudge
retracted the allegations the following day. Also named
in the suit is America Online, the online provider which
hosts Drudge's cybercolumn called the "Drudge
Report." |
| |
| Godzilla Book
Suit |
| A Los Angeles federal judge preliminarily enjoined
William Morrow and Company from publishing
"Godzilla!," a book about the famous movie
monster. The court ruled that the Godzilla character is a
valid trademark, an "arbitrary word used to describe
a fire-breathing, pre-historic, often-schizophrenic
dinosaur." The court also found that the William
Morrow book would probably irreparably hurt sales of a
competing book from Random House, for which licensing
fees were paid. |
| |
| Perot Sues
FEC & Presidential Debate Commission |
| After Ross Perot was excluded from the presidential
debates, the Reform Party filed suit September 23, 1996
against the Federal Elections Commission and the
Commission on Presidential Debates demanding that Perot
be allowed to participate. According to the suit, the
exclusion of Perot and his running mate will result in
"incalculable damage to their campaign." Perot
argues, "Declaring the election essentially over for
all candidates but two before a single debate takes place
will only deepen the nation's cynicism about
government." The suit also claims that the
Commission on Presidential Debates failed to use an
objective standard in deciding Perot could not
participate. |
| |
| News
Organizations Settle Suit Against Total News, Inc. |
| The Washington Post and several other news media
organizations that maintain web sites settled their
lawsuit against Total News, Inc. June 5, 1997. Total News
operates a web site which allowed viewers to link to many
news organizations' web sites, but only within Total
News's "frame." This "framing"
rendering invisible ads and other material the original
news pproviders intended to be viewed along with the
text. As part of the settlement, Total News agreed to
cease "framing" the content. |
