Egypt court bans festival honoring Moroccan rabbi

An Egyptian court has banned an annual festival in honor of Moroccan rabbi that was regularly attended by hundreds of Jewish pilgrims, mainly from Israel and Morocco.

After the 1979 peace treaty with Israel, Egypt began allowing organized trips to the tomb of Yaakov Abu Hatzira in the Nile Delta north of Cairo. The Culture Ministry declared the site an Egyptian monument.

The Administrative Court of Alexandria on Monday banned the visits and stripped the ministry's designation. It acted on a complaint filed by local residents who objected to the mingling of men and women and the consumption of alcohol at the festival.

Court revives Coast Guard suit against Bollinger Shipyards

A federal appeals court has revived a federal lawsuit accusing Bollinger Shipyards of lying about the strength of eight patrol boats it lengthened for the Coast Guard.

The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that a district judge was wrong to dismiss the suit against the Lockport shipyard, a subcontractor on a project to lengthen eight patrol boats from 110 to 123 feet.

Lawyers for Bollinger did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday from The Associated Press.The government wants Bollinger to repay $78 million, NOLA.com 'The Times-Picayune reports.

Four of the boats were delivered in 2004. The hull of the first, the Matagorda, began to buckle at sea in September 2004. The Coast Guard accepted the other four after modifications to boost their hull strength, but it wasn't enough, according to the ruling.

The Coast Guard revoked its acceptance of all eight in 2007; the Justice Department sued in 2011.

Aggressive Securities Arbitration Services

Conway & Conway law firm, located in New York, are impassioned about representing public customers and industry professionals all over the world with a team of devoted futures, securities, and commodities arbitration attorneys. Constantly keeping abreast of developing and current regulatory reforms, U.S. securities laws, and other topics of interest to professionals and investors, our firm is responsive and agile. We are large enough to handle many cases and simultaneously provide personalized service to each client for their futures, securities, or commodities case.

Founded in 1988, Conway & Conway has been a successful New York City securities arbitration law firm, yielding fantastic results in securities arbitration cases from their 565 Fifth Avenue headquarters.

At Conway & Conway, the firm's attorneys have the know-how to deal with litigation and business counseling. At all points of negotiation and acquisition, along with wrongful termination and other corporate matters, we have advocated on behalf of our corporate clients. In addition to corporate clients, the firm works with commercial clients in all types of commercial and business litigation as well.

In the financial services industry, Conway & Conway gives exceptional legal counsel to the public. Whether its investors in dispute or issues with registered representatives and other associates, they have the high-caliber legal counsel to help. Fraud lawyers at the firm are well-versed in all things concerning the laws that apply to the securities and futures industries.

The commodity merchant attorneys at Conway & Conway provide litigation and arbitration services for international commodity merchants related to trade disputes. Their extensive trial experience, combined with a unique familiarity with the commodities industry foreign exchange and futures markets, enables Conway & Conway dedicated commodity arbitration attorneys to resolve serious commodity trade disputes in a timely and cost-effective manner.

For international commodity merchants, the commodity merchant attorneys at Conway & Conway administer arbitration and litigation services pertinent to trade disputes.

Massachusetts Real Estate Attorney

For more than 30 years, Attorney Alan H. Segal has been lending legal expertise to the Greater Boston Massachusetts area from his Needham, Massachusetts Law Office. With great attentiveness, Alan and his associates have given legal consultation in business law, estate planning, and Massachusetts real estate law.

You can find Alan on the radio, cable, and local television sharing his ideas about current legal news. Navigating your way through the legal system can be a confusing and difficult task. He and his staff know that and want to be there for you as "YOUR LAWYER".

To visit the Law Office of Alan H. Segal, head to the intersection of Highland Ave and Route 128/95 on the Newton / Needham border, next to Staples.

Attorney Alan H. Segal has been known as a renowned Massachusetts real estate attorney for over 30 years. Sellers, buyers, and lenders of Massachusetts real estate property are all represented by his practice.

It is prudent to seek the guidance of a real estate agent like Alan to help with all real estate home buying in Massachusetts, as all such transactions have legal issues and tax consequences.

If you need an experienced Massachusetts real estate attorney contact us today for a free and confidential consultation!

The Law Offices of Place and Hanley, LLC

The Law Offices of Place & Hanley, LLC (Securities Arbitration Lawyers Florida) is a nationally recognized securities and commodities arbitration law firm which represents investors nationwide. At Place & Hanley we represent investors in claims against their brokers, broker dealers, investment advisors, financial advisors and insurance companies. Our securities lawyers represent investors who have lost their savings when their brokerage accounts were mishandled. Our attorneys are experienced in providing focused and aggressive representation for investors who have been the victims of financial fraud, negligence and unsuitable investments.  Our firm has experience in prosecuting claims against the major Wall Street firms, including Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, UBS, Oppenheimer as well as many mid-sized broker dealers.

Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for individual investors. Our firm has experience handling group arbitration claims and class action litigation involving securities related matters. We have successfully recovered punitive damages and attorneys’ fees for our clients.  The attorneys and staff at the Law Offices of Place & Hanley are committed to representing aggrieved investors who have lost money because of the negligent or willful acts of the clients once trusted financial advisor, broker and brokerage firm.

Our attorneys have represented thousands of clients nationwide who were victims of misrepresentations, commission churning, unsuitable investments, unauthorized transactions, execution failures, excessive mark-ups, disappearing funds, botched transfers, "selling away" from firms, unregistered brokers, unregistered securities, improper margin liquidations, broker bribes, fraudulent research, "boiler room" sales practices and other wrongful acts. Place & Hanley has prosecuted cases involving stocks, bonds, "penny" stocks, "junk" bonds, options, commodities, mutual funds, REIT's, limited partnerships, derivative securities, collateralized debt obligations “CDO”, auction rate securities and other investments.

Attorneys for the firm practice before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) which was created in 2007 through the consolidation of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) enforcement and arbitration divisions. The firm also represents clients in state and federal courts to resolve financial disputes between customers, brokerage firms and other financial institutions.

Our firm has been successful not only in recovering our client’s out of pocket losses, but in multiple cases our clients have received punitive damages and reimbursement of their attorneys’ fees. Please visit the verdicts and settlements page for examples of the securities & stockbroker fraud cases we have handled for our clients. Our success is attributable to hard work, client dedication and an in-depth knowledge of the securities industry.

Court halts ridesharing service Uber in Germany

A court has barred ridesharing service Uber from operating in Germany, the latest shot in the popular app's fight with taxi drivers worldwide. Frankfurt state court spokesman Arne Hasse said Tuesday the decision that Uber can't offer its services without a specific permit under German transport laws applies nationwide. The injunction applies pending a full hearing of a suit brought against Uber by Taxi Deutschland, a German cab association that also offers its own taxi-ordering app. The suit is being heard in Frankfurt because it is one of the several German cities in which Uber operates. San Francisco-based Uber said in a statement it would use "all legal means" to fight the case. "It's never a good idea to limit people's choices," Uber said. "We believe that innovation and competition is good for everyone — it profits both drivers and passengers." The ruling comes after Berlin authorities last month barred Uber from operating in the capital because of safety concerns.

Court: New Jersey must reconsider windmill plan

A company that wants to build a windmill power project off the coast of Atlantic City has won a victory in court. A New Jersey appeals ruled in favor of Fishermen's Energy in a dispute over the company's plan. The state Board of Public Utilities had denied approval for the project in April. The board ruled that a Chinese company that would own 70 percent of the project did not demonstrate financial integrity and hadn't shown it could get the necessary federal subsidies. Fisherman's Energy appealed the rejection, and Monday's ruling will require the board to reconsider the project. The company said in a statement Monday that the appeals court decision requires that the board factor into its reconsideration the company's executing of an agreement for a $47 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy. The company also said that the board must acknowledge the company's proposed price of $199 per megawatt hour instead of the $263 per megawatt hour it cited in its rejection of the project.

The Salazar Law Firm - Houston Car Accident Lawyers Services

The Salazar Law Firm, PLLC understands the burdens auto accidents and injuries place on an individual. Our goal is to lessen our client's stress and burden by managing the complex relationships with insurance companies, medical facilities, government agencies, and other insurance defense lawyers.

If you've been injured in an accident, don't let your claim get weakened by not taking the right steps. Get medical treatment for your injuries as soon as possible. Insurance companies pay close attention to "laspes in treatment" and whether or not treatment was sought immediately after the accident.

Insurance companies are in the business of making money. If the insurance company is giving you the run-around, contact our houston car accident lawyers at the Salazar Law Firm today.

Place & Hanley - Securities Attorneys Florida Services

The Law Offices of Place & Hanley represents individual and institutional investors in stock broker & securities fraud. Our attorneys have filed claims against major Wall Street institutions and the nation's most prestigious brokerage firms. Most securities disputes are resolved in arbitration before the New York Stock Exchange or the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority.Our firm also represents investors in arbitration and mediation as well as clients in the North Carolina and Florida state courts where they resolve financial disputes among brokerage firms, customers, and other financial institutions. Our Securities Attorneys have experience in all the following cases: stocks, bonds, "penny" stocks, "junk" bonds, commodities, mutual funds and other investments.

The Law Offices of Place & Hanley have been successful in recovering our client's out of pocket losses and our client's have even received punitive damages and the reimbursement of their attorneys' fees in multiple cases.

Hard work, client dedication, and in-depth knowledge of the securities industry are the secrets to our success. At Place & Hanley our primary goal is to represent investors who have had their brokerage accounts mishandled. We would love the opportunity to put our knowledge and skill to work for you. If you're in need of Securities Attorneys in Florida or have any questions related to securities or commodities fraud, contact our office today.

Law Office of Rita O. White - Canton Criminal & DUI Lawyers

If you're facing a legal issue and seek guidance, the Law Office of Rita O. White is here to help. Tackling any legal matter without a trained professional can negatively impact the outcome of your legal situation. Our Plymouth Canton Criminal lawyers understand the stress that comes with looming legal issues which is why we work tirelessly to support our clients no matter the situation.

We believe in giving clients our full attention and treating them with care and respect.

When you work with us, you'll get the benefit of:

Caring and knowledeable lawyers
Convenient office hours
Reasonable attorney fees

Don't risk anything! Our dedicated team of lawyers are always available to offer guidance and support. To set up an appointment today or learn more about our Plymouth Canton Criminal law practice contact us at the Law Office of Rita O. White today.

Salvatore Scanio - Ludwig & Robinson PLLC.

Salvatore Scanio, Attorney

T: 202-289-7605 O: 202-289-1800 F: 202-289-1804

Mr. Scanio has extensive experience in complex domestic and international litigation and regulatory matters, involving federal and state banking, financial transactions, insurance coverage, and contract and other commercial disputes.

Mr. Scanio represents banks, insurers and other companies in cases involving negotiable instruments under the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC), electronic bank payments, fraud, fiduciary duty, accounting, lender liability, loan losses, lost profits, statutory and regulatory violations, professional liability, class actions, and claims against the federal government. He advises clients as to liability, defenses and loss recovery on a wide range of bank fraud and corporate fraud schemes, including check fraud, credit and debit card fraud, unauthorized electronic funds transfers (EFT) including fraudulent wire transfers and ACH transactions, identity theft, check kiting, deposit account fraud, malware attacks, cybercrime, account takeovers, loan and mortgage fraud, embezzlement, and bank insider fraud.

Ludwig & Robinson PLLC. Attorneys

The Law Offices of Tenecia P. Reid, PLLC

The Law Offices of Tenecia P. Reid, located in Northern Virginia and is here to provide you the best legal service to you and your loved one. With years of experience in divorce cases and family matters, Tenecia is both strategic and aggressive. We will give you an honest assessment of your situation and together discuss the ways we could help achieve the goals and outcomes you want.<br />
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Specializing in family law for her entire career,&nbsp;<a href="http://www.tpreidlaw.com/attorney-profile">Attorney Tenecia P. Reid</a>&nbsp;stands ready to skillfully guide you through the divorce litigation process.&nbsp;<br />
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Divorce litigation can be frustrating, confusing, and emotional, so it is imperative to have an attorney who both listens and treats you with respect as you face major life decisions. Widely experienced, Attorney Reid has negotiated and litigated cases that include complex marital assets, tax issues, business valuations, underwater joint mortgages, adultery, abuse, protective orders, and bankruptcy issues.<br />
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Attorney Reid is also intimately familiar with the laws governing fault-based divorce cases, and can help you to determine whether you have one or more fault grounds against your spouse and how you may prove them.<br />
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Ms. Reid will be able to confidently assess your case and situation to help you obtain the best possible results. Don't hesitate to call today!

DiRusso & DiRusso, Attorneys At Law.

Surry County Criminal Defense Lawyers

At DiRusso and DiRusso, we are familiar with the local economy, the local employers, and the local court officials. Another advantage to hiring local counsel is availability. In larger cities, and in larger firms, the attorneys may not always be available and much of the interaction a client has may be with support staff, such as paralegals and legal assistants. At DiRusso and DiRusso, the attorneys are in regular contact with the clients, available by telephone, and regularly available for appointments.

At DiRusso & DiRusso, we have the legal knowledge and experience to protect you, no matter who or what is on the other side. We also have the compassion to know that you may be experiencing something very unpleasant and we are available to listen to you and seek solutions along the way. We are dedicated to our clients and show no allegiance to any other entity.   We not only counsel our clients on the current law, we provide statutes, rules, cases, and codes so that one may read the current law and have a deeper understanding of the relative law.

If you want to speak with a lawyer about your case, please call us today. There is never a fee for your initial consultation at DiRusso & DiRusso for Workers’ Compensation, Personal Injury or Social Security Disability cases.

The Davis Law Group, PLLC

Southfield MI Criminal Defense Lawyer

The Davis Law Group, PLLC is an aggressive criminal defense firm. We handle cases throughout the Metro Detroit area including Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb County. Our attorneys are former prosecutors and have handled cases ranging from minor traffic violations to homicide offenses.

Having gone through numerous trials, our attorneys know the Metro Detroit courtrooms and the procedures they follow. This works as a major advantage for our clients as we are able to fight against the evidence and change the course of where your life is headed. We are dedicated and willing to do what it takes to get a successful outcome in your case.

We concentrate on defending our clients’ constitutional rights both in and out of the courtroom. If you or a love one has been charged with a crime you know your freedom is on the line. You need as experienced attorney that can get results.

Available 7 days a week 24 hours a day for free phone consultations. For urgent matters we always have at least one attorney on call.

The Davis Law Group, PLLC
27600 Northwestern Hwy. Suite 215
Southfield, MI 48034

Levin & Curlett LLC

New York - Baltimore - Washington, D.C. White Collar Criminal Defense

Levin & Curlett LLC was formed by former prosecutors who created a small, high quality litigation boutique. Levin & Curlett LLC has extensive experience in all facets of criminal and civil litigation. Whether clients are involved in contractual disputes, business litigation, or qui tam whistleblower cases, our trial experience allows the firm to work effectively with clients to achieve their goals. Similarly, extensive prosecutorial backgrounds allow the firm to represent clients who are involved in criminal proceedings as targets, subjects, witnesses, recipients of grand jury subpoenas, or defendants.

The firm puts its skills to work representing:

• clients who are targets, subjects, or witnesses in criminal investigations,
• clients who are facing criminal charges
• clients who are involved in complex civil litigation at the trial and appellate levels
• whistleblowers in qui tam and False Claims Act litigation. 

The attorneys at Levin & Curlett concentrate their practice representing individuals and businesses in criminal matters and civil litigation, and representing whistleblowers in False Claims Act and Qui Tam litigation.

Our attorneys have decades of combined experience serving as prosecutors in the Department of Justice and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office, and leading practices in complex civil and criminal litigation at a national law firm.

We are uniquely positioned to represent the interests of those confronting the nation’s largest corporations, insurance companies, or the power of the federal government.

AB & Co IP Services - Sierra Leone Intellectual Property Lawyers

The Gambia Intellectual Property Lawyers

Trademark, Patent & Intellectual Property Rights

AB & Co is a boutique trademark agency specialising exclusively in the protection of intellectual property rights for our clients in Sierra Leone and The Gambia.

Our intellectual property practice is broad and we are Trademark and Patent Attorney for principals all over the world including partner law firms that routinely instruct us on behalf of their clients on IP matters.

We provide high quality services and act as Trademark & Patent Attorneys for principals all over the world including partner law firms.

We act as attorneys for the registration of trademarks, patents, industrial designs and other intellectual property rights. We routinely conduct searches and provide assistances for renewals, change of name and address, amendments and recordal of licences.

Services

Searches
Oppositions
Trademark, Patent and Industrial Design registration
Renewals
Recordal of changes of propietor's name, address
Recordal of mergers and assignments
Recordal of licenses
Advice on non-contentious issues
Publication tracking

The Law Offices of Place and Hanley, LLC

Securities Arbitration Lawyers Florida

The Law Offices of Place & Hanley, LLC is a nationally recognized securities and commodities arbitration law firm which represents investors nationwide. At Place & Hanley we represent investors in claims against their brokers, broker dealers, investment advisors, financial advisors and insurance companies. Our securities lawyers represent investors who have lost their savings when their brokerage accounts were mishandled. Our attorneys are experienced in providing focused and aggressive representation for investors who have been the victims of financial fraud, negligence and unsuitable investments.  Our firm has experience in prosecuting claims against the major Wall Street firms, including Morgan Stanley Smith Barney, Merrill Lynch, Wells Fargo, UBS, Oppenheimer as well as many mid-sized broker dealers.

Our attorneys have recovered millions of dollars for individual investors. Our firm has experience handling group arbitration claims and class action litigation involving securities related matters. We have successfully recovered punitive damages and attorneys’ fees for our clients.  The attorneys and staff at the Law Offices of Place & Hanley are committed to representing aggrieved investors who have lost money because of the negligent or willful acts of the clients once trusted financial advisor, broker and brokerage firm.

Our attorneys have represented thousands of clients nationwide who were victims of misrepresentations, commission churning, unsuitable investments, unauthorized transactions, execution failures, excessive mark-ups, disappearing funds, botched transfers, "selling away" from firms, unregistered brokers, unregistered securities, improper margin liquidations, broker bribes, fraudulent research, "boiler room" sales practices and other wrongful acts. Place & Hanley has prosecuted cases involving stocks, bonds, "penny" stocks, "junk" bonds, options, commodities, mutual funds, REIT's, limited partnerships, derivative securities, collateralized debt obligations “CDO”, auction rate securities and other investments.

Attorneys for the firm practice before the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) which was created in 2007 through the consolidation of the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) enforcement and arbitration divisions. The firm also represents clients in state and federal courts to resolve financial disputes between customers, brokerage firms and other financial institutions.

Our firm has been successful not only in recovering our client’s out of pocket losses, but in multiple cases our clients have received punitive damages and reimbursement of their attorneys’ fees. Please visit the verdicts and settlements page for examples of the securities & stockbroker fraud cases we have handled for our clients. Our success is attributable to hard work, client dedication and an in-depth knowledge of the securities industry.

Court: Broad protection for whistleblowers

The Supreme Court says whistleblower protections in a federal law passed in response to the Enron financial scandal apply broadly to employees of publicly traded companies and contractors hired by the companies.

The justices ruled 6-3 Tuesday in favor of two former employees of companies that administer the Fidelity family of mutual funds. The workers claimed they faced retaliation after they reported allegations of fraud affecting Fidelity funds.

The case involved the reach of a provision of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, passed in 2002 in response to the Enron scandal, that protects whistleblower activity. The measure was intended to protect people who expose the kind of corporate misdeeds that arose at Enron.

Court weighs securities fraud class-action cases

The Supreme Court is considering whether to abandon a quarter-century of precedent and make it tougher for investors to band together to sue corporations for securities fraud.

The justices hear arguments Wednesday in an appeal by Halliburton Co. that seeks to block a class-action lawsuit claiming the energy services company inflated its stock price.

A group of investors says it lost money when Halliburton's stock price dropped after revelations the company misrepresented revenues, understated its liability in asbestos litigation and overstated the benefits of a merger.

Justices threw out the company's first attempt to block the lawsuit in 2011. But Halliburton is now urging the court to overturn a 25-year-old decision that sparked a tidal wave of securities-related, class-action lawsuits against publicly traded companies and has led to billions in settlements.

The court's 1988 decision in Basic v. Levinson says shareholders who claim they were defrauded by false statements in securities filings don't have to prove they actually relied on the statements. Rather, the court reasoned that any misrepresentation would be reflected in the current stock price. Even if investors are not aware of the misstatements, they are presumed to be aware of them because they affect the stock price.

This presumption, known as the "fraud-on-the-market theory," has become the driving force for modern class-action securities cases. But some economists have questioned whether this theory makes sense anymore, saying it doesn't account for the sometimes random and arbitrary nature of stock trading.

High court sides with parent who fled with child

The Supreme Court has made it harder for a parent in a custody dispute to seek the immediate return of a child under an international treaty to deter child abduction.

The justices ruled unanimously Wednesday that a one-year clock begins ticking when a child is taken out of its country of residence, even if the parent left behind cannot determine where the child is living. In the one-year period, the Hague Convention on child abduction gives judges little option but to return the child to its home country.

After a year, judges have more discretion and must take account of evidence that the child is settled in its new home.

Fla. high court: Immigrant can't get law license

The Florida Supreme Court has ruled that immigrants in the country illegally can't be given a license to practice law.

The question was raised when a man who moved here from Mexico when he was 9 years old sought a license in Florida. The court said Thursday that federal law prohibits people who are unlawfully in the country from obtaining professional licenses. The justices said state law can override the federal ban, but Florida has taken no action to do so.

Earlier this year, the California Supreme Court granted a law license to Sergio Garcia, who arrived in the U.S. from Mexico as a teenager with his father. But that ruling was only after the state approved a law that allows immigrants in the country illegally to obtain the license.

Two men found guilty for selling U.S. company’s technology

A federal jury found two men guilty Wednesday of economic espionage involving the theft and sale of a U.S. company’s technology to a competitor controlled by the Chinese government.

The jury returned the verdicts against Robert Maegerle and Walter Liew.

They were accused of stealing Delaware-based DuPont Co.’s method for making titanium oxide, a chemical that fetches $17 billion a year in sales worldwide and is used to whiten everything from cars to the middle of Oreo cookies.

A federal jury found two men guilty Wednesday of economic espionage involving the theft and sale of a U.S. company’s technology to a competitor controlled by the Chinese government.

Prosecutors said DuPont was unwilling to sell its method to China, so it was stolen and sent to a company called Pangang Group Co. Ltd., according to testimony during the diplomatically dicey proceedings. The jury heard six weeks of testimony.

Prosecutors alleged that Pangang’s factory is the only facility inside China known to be producing titanium oxide the DuPont way, which uses chlorination.

Court upholds $185 million award against Argentina

The Supreme Court has upheld a British natural gas company's multimillion dollar award against the government of Argentina.

BG Group won $185 million through arbitration of a dispute with Argentina over investment in natural gas development. An arbitration tribunal said the company did not have to first submit the dispute to Argentine courts before arbitration could begin.

Argentina asked a U.S. court to throw out the award. The federal appeals court in Washington, D.C., sided with Argentina because it found that judges, not arbitrators, should decide where attempts to resolve the dispute should begin.

But the Supreme Court said Wednesday the arbitrators get to make that call and that they were correct to rule in favor of BG Group in this case.

SC Supreme Court to rule on public autopsy reports

South Carolina's Supreme Court will begin grappling with that question Wednesday, when it hears a lawsuit by a Sumter County newspaper against the county's coroner.

The Item newspaper wants the high court to toss out a lower court's ruling that said autopsies do not have to be made public because they do not fall under the state's Freedom of Information Act.

The coroner says autopsies should be considered medical records that are exempt from public view. The newspaper says autopsy reports are investigative tools, not medical records.

Open records advocates say the Sumter County case is an example of government officials making it harder to get public documents.

It's a debate that is far from settled nationally. About 15 states across the U.S. allow the public release of an autopsy report. About a half-dozen other states allow the release of reports not being used as part of a criminal investigation. The rest severely restrict what's released or don't give any information from the reports, according to the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press.

Keeping autopsy records secret closes off an important tool to make sure police agencies do the right thing when they investigate deaths, especially people shot and killed by officials or who die in custody, said Frank LoMonte, executive director of the Student Press Law Center.

"There is any number of cases over the years where journalist watchdogs have been able to shed light on suspicious circumstances only by having access on those records," LoMonte said. "And those records don't just show culpability, they can clear someone, too."

Ohio courts must report mental health info

Courts in Ohio must now report certain mental health information about people convicted of violent crimes for inclusion in a law enforcement database.

A rule approved by the Ohio Supreme Court requiring that notification took effect Jan. 1. The court devised the form to be submitted to law enforcement after legislation was approved last year.

The law requires judges to report ordering mental-health evaluations or treatment for people convicted of a violent crime or approving conditional release for people found incompetent to stand trial or not guilty by reason of insanity.

The legislation was introduced after a Clark County sheriff's deputy was fatally shot in 2011 by a man with a criminal history who was conditionally released from a mental health institution.