• NATIONAL NEWS

Delhi High Court rejects RIL plea to quash CBI case against it

The Delhi High Court has opened gates for trial against Reliance Industries by rejecting its plea that the case filed by CBI under Official Secrets Act is time-barred, relating to seizure of classified documents from its office in 1998.

Hindu Mahasabha files caveat in SC

Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) has filed a caveat in the Supreme Court to pre-empt any order on any appeal challenging the verdict of Lucknow bench of the Allahabad High Court in Ayodhya title suit without hearing its plea in the case.

Delhi Government doubles circle rates

The Delhi Cabinet has doubled the circle rates of residential properties across 8 categories of colonies in order to reduce circulation of black money in land deals and ensure that there is no loss of revenue to the state exchequer.

HC commutes Beant Singh killer's death sentence to life

The Punjab and Haryana High Court commuted the death sentence of Jagtar Singh Hawara, mastermind behind former Punjab CM Beant Singh's murder in 1995, to life imprisonment "till death".

SEBI allows USE, NSE to trade in currency ops

The Security & Exchange Board of India has given its approval to the National Stock Exchange (NSE) & United Stock Exchange (USE) to commence operations in currency options on dollar-rupee pair.

Government, regulators agree on FSDC structure

The government and financial sector regulators have agreed upon the structure of the proposed Financial Stability & Development Council (FSDC). The Ministry of Finance decided to settle its differences with regulatory heads by allowing RBI Governor to head the sub-committee within the council.

No illegality in transferring investigation pending before DG(I&R), MRTP Commission to CCI: Delhi HC

All investigations and proceedings pending before DG(I&R), MRTP Commission as on the date of Competition Amendment Act 2009, whether by way of reference by MRTPC or taken up by DG(I&R) suo motu under S.11(2) of the MRTP Act has to be transferred to CCI in terms of S.66(6) of the Competition Act.

TRAI Notification on Network services

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 36,Telecom Regulatory Authority of India has laid down Intelligent Network Services In Multi Operator And Multi Network Scenario (Amendment) Regulations,2010 which shall come into force from the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

Bombay HC - FIR against father for son's driving

The Bombay High Court directed police to register an FIR under section 304A ,338 & 279 of IPC against the father of a minor boy, who was charged with riding a motorcycle without license and killing an 87 year old man on the streets of Bandra.

11 Judges from High Courts of Allahabad, AP, Bombay, Delhi, Orissa and P&H transferred across India

Judges transferred from Allahabad HC: Justice V.M. Sahai to Gujarat, Justice Poonam Srivastava to Jharkhand and Justice T. Meena Kumari to Patna High Court. From AP High Court, Justice D.S.R. Verma has been transferred to Allahabad High Court.

Transfer of Judges from the High Courts of Bombay and Delhi

Justice R.S. Mohite and Justice M. Jeyapaul of the Bombay High Court have been transferred to High Courts of Patna and Punjab & Haryana respectively. Justice S.N. Agarwal and Justice Aruna Suresh have been transferred from Delhi High Court to High Courts of MP and Orissa respectively.

Transfer of Judges from the High Court of Punjab and Haryana High Court

Justice Ashutosh Mohunta, Justice Vinod Kumar Sharma and Justice H.S. Bhalla of the Punjab and Haryana High Court have been transferred to Andhra Pradesh High Court, Bombay High Court and Orissa High Court respectively.

Andhra government approves ordinance to regulate MFI's

The A.P government has approved a special ordinance to regulate Micro Finance Institutions that will require them and borrowers to compulsorily register with the local authorities. The proposed law will force companies to disclose methods used to recover money & the interest rates charged by them.

Bombay HC paves way for the release of film "Knock out"

A division bench of Bombay High Court has allowed the film "Knock out" to release today. Earlier, it had stayed the release over allegations of copyright violation framed by US based studio 20th Century Fox alleged that a film was a scene-to-scene copy of its 2003 film "Phone Booth".

HC upheld Megha Distributors ' plea in Bhutan Lotteries case

The Kerala High Court upheld the plea of Megha Distributors that it was the rightful promoter of Bhutan Lotteries and directed the state government to collect taxes from it with immediate effect.

No PF money in stocks without government guarantee

The Ministry of Labour & Employment has said that it can invest part of the provident fund corpus in the stock market provided the Ministry of Finance guarantees safety of the workers' money as there is high risk attached with such investments.

RBI intervenes to stem unabated rise in rupee

The Reserve Bank of India intervened in foreign exchange markets and bought dollars in the range of $400 million which immediately brought the rupee down from a 25 month intra-day high to 44.25 against U.S dollar.

RBI sells its stake in NABARD to government

The Reserve Bank of India has divested its stake amounting to Rs 1,430 crore in National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development to the government, bringing its share down to 1% in NABARD.

Provisions of MAT on Book Profits not applicable on Banking Companies: ITAT Mumbai

Incase of Banking Companies Sch VI to Companies Act is not applicable due to exemption set out under proviso to S. 211(2) of the Comp. Act. Final accounts of Banking Companies are prepared under the provisions of Banking Regulation Act. Thus S.115JB of IT Act cannot be applied to Banking Company.

Parking space availability certificate mandatory for vehicle registration in Sikkim

It has been made mandatory for the residents of Sikkim to furnish a 'parking space' availability certificate for registration of new vehicles. SP(traffic)and panchayats in the state have been mandated to issue the said certificate. Mizoram has followed suit by amending Motor Vehicles Rules, 1995.

Vodafone (VOD.L) and Indian Tax Authorities enters into new dispute

HC defending itself against Indian Tax Authorities action to treat Company as agent of the seller in its 2007 Hutchison purchase deal. Vodafone's appeal against previous Bombay HC finding on tax deduction is already sub judice before SC on 25th Oct.

Financial laws reform panel to be set up by March

The Ministry of Finance has indicated to establish Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission(FSLRC),a committee of experts from outside the government that will suggest changes in financial laws to bring them in line with current needs by the end of current fiscal 2010-11.

Ministry of Consumer affairs, Food & Public Distribution Notification

In exercise of the powers conferred by section 3 of Essential Commodities Act, 1955, the Central government brought Sugarcane (Control) (Second Amendment) Order, 2010 into effect.

SC- Computer literacy must for judges

The Supreme Court ruled that in the wake of judiciary's e-governance efforts for the efficient management of courts, judges should have basic computer knowledge at the time of appointment. Moreover, a candidate can be denied employment on the grounds of insufficient computer expertise.

Apex Court likely to decide this week issue of exclusivity & sole right over using the word Infosys

In an appeal moved by Infosys against the finding of IPAB holding removal of three registrations of trademarks on the grounds of non-use for five years and a month, the Apex Court is likely to deliver its finding during this week.

No decision by Karnataka High Court on BJP MLA plea

The Karnataka High Court has adjourned BJP MLAs plea till Wednesday. On the issue of disqualification of five independent MLAs, due to difference in views, the matter has been referred to another bench for hearing scheduled on November 2nd.

DGCA amends rule to allow for use of mobile phone

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has amended the Rule 29B of Aircraft Rules to provide for the use of the cellular phones by passengers after the aircraft has landed and cleared the active runway, except in cases when low visibility conditions exist at the airport.

RBI set to look into the workings of microfinance institutions

The RBI has formed a sub-committee to look into the functioning of micro finance institutions (MFIs), as part of its responsibility to look into the happenings in the financial sector. At present, RBI does not have a separate category for MFI's under non banking financial intermediaries.

All India Bar Examination becomes mandatory

The Bar Council of India (BCI) has made All India Bar Examination (AIBE) mandatory for all law graduates who have passed in the academic year 2009-10 to practice law in India. The BCI will conduct the AIBE in nine languages across 27 cities in India on December 5,2010.

New Pattern of Civil Services Exams announced - to be effective from Year 2011

From Civil Service Examination 2011, Preliminary Examination would consist of two papers - Paper I and Paper II consisting of General Studies and Aptitude respectively.

India and USA to Enter into Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement

The Government of India and USA are in the process of entering into Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA), which would eventually lead to mutual acceptance of aeronautical products/parts developed in either Country.

BIPA Signed Between India and Sudan; Comes Into Force

Bilateral Investment Promotion and Protection Agreement (BIPA) between India and Sudan has become effective from today with the exchange of Instruments of Ratification between them. India has so far signed BIPA with 79 countries. Of these, 68 have already come into effect.

India-Bermuda Sign Tax Information Exchange Agreement

This is Bermuda's 23rd agreement while the first such Agreement signed by India, providing for a full exchange of information on criminal and civil tax matters between the two countries, as per internationally agreed standard for transparency and exchange of information for tax purposes set by OECD.

SC provides a breather to CIC to facilitate information under RTI

The Supreme Court stayed a part of the High Court order whcih restrained Central Information Commission (CIC), a nodal agency for smooth implementation of RTI Act, from constituting benches for distribution work.

Government sets up panel to push braodband

The government has constituted a Committee of Secretaries (COS) to formulate a time-bound action plan for increasing broadband access to all Gram Panchayats in the country.

Post offices to distribute insurance policies under IRDA

The Insurance Regulatory Development Authority has allowed granting corporate agency licence to the Department of Posts (DoP) to distribute insurance products across India for promotion of financial inclusion.

India and Republic of Korea Sign Social Security Agreement

India and Republic of Korea signed Social Security Agreement (SSA) in Seoul today. The SSA would enhance movement of professionals between the two countries and strengthen trade and investment.

• INTERNATIONAL NEWS

A man can beat his wife & young children as long as the beating leaves no physical marks: UAE Court

The Federal Supreme Court of UAE has given the ruling in a matter where a man has left cuts and bruises on his wife and adult daughter after a beating. It says the man was guilty of harming the women but noted that Islamic codes allow for "discipline" if no marks are left.

Texas man sentenced to public humiliation for stealing from victims

Daniel Mireles who stole money from crime victims received an unusual sentence.

A judge ordered Daniel Mireles to walk back and forth along a busy Houston road holding up a sign that read, "I am a thief. I stole $250,000 from the Harris County crime victim's fund."

But this is no slap on the wrist.Mireles must stand at a city intersection and hold the sign for five hours every weekend for the next six years. He was also sentenced to spend some time behind bars.

Mireles's wife was also convicted of theft in July. She'll serve the same public humiliation once she gets out of jail.

North Carolina woman arrested after body found in Freezer

The girlfriend of a missing North Carolina man has been charged with murder after police found the man's body stuffed in a freezer in their home.Investigators detected a "powerful smell" during their second search of the home.

A preliminary autopsy by the state Medical Examiner's Office in Chapel Hill found that Green died of blunt-force trauma. At this point, it is unclear what the motive behind the murder was.Investigators did an initial search of the property back in September, but did not find any clues.Wendy Green has been arrested and charged with first degree murder, and is being held without bail. Authorities found Wendy Green living at a home in nearby Robeson County. At the time of her arrest, she was carrying David Green's credit cards in her purse.

Ex-Ministers Go To Appeal Court Over GIA

The Trial of the former minister and four other former officials of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) at an Accra Fast Track High Court Financial Division for allegedly causing financial loss to the state.It was informed that he intended to appeal against the dismissal of their application to have the case referred to the Supreme Court.

The trial judge, in his ruling noted that once the appeal was yet to be heard, the trial could not continue and subsequently adjourned the case

Justice Mensah, gave reasons for refusing the application, stated that section 96 (7) of Act 30 was not in contravention of any Article in the constitution, stressing that there would be the need to refer to the Supreme Court when the validity of the law arises.

The trial judge said if the lower courts were to refer to the Supreme Courts the least seemingly constitutional issue, then the Supreme Court would be inundated with many cases, as the lower courts would always stop and refer a lot of their cases for interpretation.

Justice Mensah observed that criminal laws were governed only by the laws of Ghana, adding that for foreign laws to be applicable to cases in the country, they must first of all be domesticated. He indicated that the citing of foreign authorities in the case is only persuasive but not binding on the court.Justice Mensah was of the view of that their application did not fall under any of the circumstances and consequently dismissed their applications.

44 Charged in Largest Ever Medicare Scam

Federal authorities have just made arrests that bring to an end to the largest fraud in the history of Medicare.Prosecuting attorneys charged members of an organization of Armenian gangsters with using phantom health clinics and other methods to run a major Medicare scam operation. Many of the defendants were caught in raids in New York City and Los Angeles. Other arrests were made in areas as disparate as New Mexico, Georgia and Ohio. In all, 73 suspects were taken into custody.

The scope of the Medicare scam would put the "mafia to shame." According to Janice Fedarcyk, head of the FBI's New York office, the fraud went far beyond the usual scheme of false claims made through doctors. Each entire claim was completely false: "The whole doctor-patient interaction was a mirage."

it was reported that the fraud operation was run under the auspices of a boss or "vor," The alleged vor in the case is Armen Kazarian, who was taken into custody in Los Angeles.

The charges against the defendants include racketeering conspiracy, bank fraud, money laundering and identity theft. Racketeering is a federal and a state charge often used by prosecutors to bring in organized crime. The law makes it a crime for criminal organizations to profit from any legitimate business operations. Many of these laws will allow for the seizure of the criminal organization's legitimate enterprise assets. In recent years, however, the charge has also been used in civil cases against legitimate business such as tobacco companies.

The investigation began in New York, when information on 2,900 Medicare patients in upstate (including Social Security numbers and dates of birth) were reported stolen. The New York defendants are alleged to have also stolen the identities of doctors and set up 118 phantom clinics in 25 states, authorities said. The names were then used to submit fake bills.

However, like the faulty taillight that nabs a murderer, it was the details that did the gangsters in. On the fake paperwork, statements showed eye doctors doing bladder tests; ear, nose and throat specialists performing uterine ultrasounds and OB/GYNs testing for skin allergies. In crime, as in other things, God is in the details.

Austria accused of violating child rights

it was reported that Austria should stop detaining children and halt the deportations of well-integrated foreign families that are denied asylum, Amnesty International and three other groups.

The country should better protect the rights of non-Austrian minors and become more lenient about allowing young asylum seekers and their parents to stay on humanitarian grounds, the organizations, which include Caritas, SOS Kinderdorf and Diakonie, said in a letter to lawmakers.

The appeal comes just days after two 8-year-old twins were taken into custody with their father in an early morning raid and deported back to their native Kosovo. Their mother, who is in psychiatric care, stayed behind. The four had lived in Austria since 2004 but were expelled after being denied asylum and refusing to leave on their own.

A 14-year-old Armenian girl resurfaced after disappearing before police could pick her up from school so she could be deported. Her mother, meanwhile, is under suicide watch and has been hospitalized.

China letter demands peace prize winner's release

More than 100 Chinese activists have signed and released an open letter asking that Nobel Peace Prize winner Liu Xiaobo be released from prison.

The letter released and posted online also asks China's leaders to respond to the peace prize "with realism and reason."China has responded angrily to the award, saying the West is using it to undermine China and calling Liu a criminal.

The literary critic and activist is serving an 11-year sentence for subversion after co-authoring a call for political reform in China. Since the peace prize was awarded a week ago, a group of Chinese Communist Party elders has issued a separate public demand for more freedom of speech in China.

Meanwhile, dozens of activists have reported being detained or harassed by police over the peace prize and warned not to use the prize as momentum to make trouble.Some of them also received threatening calls from police over the latest open letter even before it was released, said Xu Youyu, a professor with the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences who signed and helped prepare the letter.

The letter asks police to stop "these illegal actions."

The letter also seizes on a series of recent public remarks by Premier Wen Jiabao, who made unusually direct calls for the communist system to evolve. Some of the remarks have been censored inside China.

Xu said more than 120 people have signed the letter. A copy shows that signers include several well-known activists including constitutional scholar Zhang Zuhua, one of the people who worked with Liu to draft Charter 08, the call for further freedoms in China that got Liu sent to prison.

Malaysia to use lab mosquitoes to fight dengue

Malaysia could be the first country in Asia to use genetically modified mosquitoes to battle a rise in dengue fever, government authorities .

The program calls for genetically engineered male mosquitoes to be released into the wild that would mate with females and produce offspring that live shorter lives, thus curbing the population.

Malaysian scientists say laboratory test trials have made them optimistic.

"It is a pilot project, and hopefully it will work," Prime Minister Najib Razak told reporters on the sidelines of a World Health Organization conference in Malaysia.

Dengue fever, spread by the Aedes aegypti mosquito, is common in Asia and Latin America. Symptoms include high fever, joint pains and nausea, but in severe cases, it can lead to internal bleeding, liver enlargement, circulatory shutdown and death. There is no known cure or vaccine.

Malaysian authorities plan to release between 2,000 and 3,000 genetically modified mosquitoes in two areas, said Lim Chua Leng, a Health Ministry official. The plan, which cannot be undertaken without Cabinet approval, would be the first such release of genetically modified mosquitoes in Asia to combat dengue.

WHO Western Pacific regional director Shin Young-soo on Sunday said he welcomed Malaysia's efforts to step up the fight against dengue, but also reportedly cautioned that care must be taken in introducing a new species to the environment, The Star newspaper reported.Some Malaysian environmentalists say releasing such mosquitoes could have unintended consequences

Court: Does terrorism law apply to wife attack?

The Supreme Court will decide whether an anti-terrorism law should have been used to prosecute a jealous woman who tried to harm her husband's mistress with deadly chemicals.

The high court agreed to hear an appeal from Carol Anne Bond of Lansdale, Pa. She was sentenced to six years in prison after admitting to trying to harm her husband's mistress, Myrlinda Haynes, with toxic chemicals that she stole from her workplace.

Bond has been in prison since her arrest in June 2007.Prosecutors charged her with a federal chemical weapons violation, a law that Bond's lawyers said was intended to deal with rogue states and terrorists, not a woman in a love triangle. They want the court to throw out her conviction, saying Bond should have been prosecuted under state law instead of in federal court.

Bond, a laboratory technician, had stolen the chemical potassium dichromate - which is potentially deadly if ingested - from the company where she worked. Bond said she put the chemicals on Haynes' door handle and in the tailpipe of Haynes' car.

Haynes was not injured.Bond's husband, Clifford, had a child with Haynes while married to Bond. Haynes had contacted police and postal authorities after finding the chemicals at her home.

Court: Do in-school interviews require warrants?

Supreme Court is to decide whether child social workers should have to get warrants to interview potential victims of sex abuse at school when the alleged abuser lives at home.The court decided to hear an appeal from Oregon officials and police officers who interviewed a potential victim at school.

They were worried that children were being abused by Nimrod Greene, who had already been previously arrested on a charge of sexually abusing a 7-year-old boy.A social worker and a police officer interviewed a 9-year-old girl at the child's public school so Greene would not be around. The girl said during the interview that she had been sexually abused by Greene. The girl later recanted the statements.

Greene said he was innocent but agreed that a judge or jury could find him guilty.But the girl's mother sued the police and the social worker, saying that they had unconstitutionally seized the 9-year-old girl at school when they removed her from her classroom, took her into another room and questioned her about possible sexual abuse.

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed, saying the social worker and police officer should have gotten a warrant, a court order or parental consent before talking to the child, or should have demonstrated that they acted with probable cause and under exigent circumstances.

Police and social workers say the courts should treat investigations of potential child abuse differently than they do criminal investigations.

DNA case- Convict's appeal heard by Supreme Court

Convict is seeking the Supreme Court's help in getting access to other evidence for DNA testing that might implicate someone else whereas he was found with the blood of murder victims on his clothing.

Hank Skinner was convicted of pummeling his girlfriend with a pickax handle and stabbing her two sons on New Year's Eve in 1993 in their Texas Panhandle home. DNA evidence at his trial showed that blood on his clothing was from at least two of the victims.

The Supreme Court heard arguement on whether Skinner used a federal civil rights law to ask for tests on other evidence that were not done before his conviction.

Supreme Court heard case about vaccine side effects

Justices heard arguments in a case that could open drug makers to a flood of lawsuits over the side effects of vaccines, including those from families of autistic children claiming that mercury-based thimerosal is linked to autism.

Drug companies, and the Obama administration, argued that the claims should be decided by a special vaccine court that was set up 24 years ago to insure a stable vaccine supply by shielding companies from most lawsuits.

Fake war Heroes may go to Supreme Court

A federal appeals court in California and a federal district court in Denver have both ruled the Stolen Valor Act is unconstitutional on First Amendment grounds.

The law makes it a crime punishable by up to a year in jail to falsely claim to have won a military medal.

It has been said that law gives the government too much power to determine what kind of speech is legal, and that impostors can be punished under existing fraud laws whereas Supporters said the law defends the honor of legitimate war heroes.

Judge refuses to dismiss suit against J.K. Rowling

A British judge refused to dismiss a plagiarism lawsuit against "Harry Potter" author J.K. Rowling saying claims that the best-selling author stole ideas from an obscure fantasy book deserved to be considered at a proper hearing.

Rowling and her publishers, Bloomsbury Publishing PLC, had applied to court for the case to be immediately dismissed, saying the copyright infringement claims brought by the estate of the late author Adrian Jacobs had no real chance of succeeding.

But Justice David Kitchin ruled that the claims, brought by Jacobs' estate trustee Paul Allen, had a chance of success - although he described this as being "improbable."

The lawsuit alleges that Rowling's fourth book in her blockbuster series, "Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire," copied substantial parts of Jacobs' 1987 book, "The Adventures of Willy the Wizard - No. 1 Livid Land." Jacobs died in London in 1997.

Rowling has called the claims unfounded and absurd, saying she only learned of Jacobs' 16-page volume in 2004. She has also said the idea for the "Harry Potter" series first came to her in 1990 during a train journey.

Her lawyers argue that "Willy" and "Goblet of Fire" are not similar except at the most general level, and that any similarities only arose by chance.

If the claim does proceed, then J.K. Rowling and Bloomsbury will be required to explain how the similarities between the two works came about, when to date there has been a refusal to disclose key manuscripts and notebooks.

Rowling has hinted that she may yet write another novel in her popular series.

High court stays out of Washington campaign money case

The Supreme Court has turned down a request to lift Washington state limits on campaign contributions in the final weeks of ballot measure campaigns.

The state is appealing the ruling in a lawsuit brought by Family PAC, a political group involved in Washington's 2009 referendum on expanded domestic partnerships for gay couples.

The court said that it will leave in place a decision from a federal appeals court that keeps a $5,000 limit in effect in the final three weeks of an initiative or referendum campaign. The action comes despite a federal judge's ruling that capping contributions is unconstitutional.

Government is close to a settlement with American Indian farmers

The government is close to a settlement with American Indian farmers who have said the Agriculture Department discriminated against them for decades.

The lawsuit filed in 1999 contends Indian farmers and ranchers lost about $500 million because they were denied USDA loans. The government settled a similar lawsuit filed by black farmers more than a decade ago.

At a status hearing on the class-action case, both sides said they were close to a deal. They are expected to meet in court again.

Indian farmers have said local USDA officials tried to squeeze them out of business by denying them loans that instead went to their white neighbors but now the department is committed to resolving the case.

Jurors to resume deliberations in the Anna Nicole drug conspiracy case

Jurors will be back in court for deliberations in the Anna Nicole drug conspiracy trial.

The panel recessed without reaching a verdict after receiving clarification on two charges against Smith's boyfriend-lawyer Howard K. Stern, which appeared to accuse Stern of prescribing medications.

The panel was told that if they find either Dr. Sandeep Kapoor or Dr. Khristine Eroshevich guilty of prescribing drugs unlawfully, they may then consider whether Stern aided and abetted them.

Jury instructions say a person who aids and abets is equally guilty of a crime. The defendants have pleaded not guilty to allegations they provided excessive opiates and sedatives to the former Playboy model. They are not charged in Smith's 2007 overdose death.

Soldiers recall piercing gaze of Fort Hood shooter

More witnesses are expected to testify about the graphic, terrifying details of last year's shooting rampage at Fort Hood. An Article 32 hearing resumes to determine whether Maj. Nidal Hasan, an Army psychiatrist, should stand trial in the Nov. 5 shootings. He is charged with 13 counts of premeditated murder and 32 counts of attempted premeditated murder.

During the first day of testimony several soldiers said they locked eyes with Hasan before he shot them in a building where soldiers go for routine medical screenings before or after deployment.

They said Hasan first aimed into a crowded waiting area and then shot those on the ground, firing rapidly and pausing only to reload. Hasan is paralyzed after being shot by Fort Hood police that day.

NY governor's aide due in court

David Paterson charged with assaulting his former girlfriend is due in domestic violence court.

David Johnson was charged with assault, menacing, harassment and criminal mischief, all misdemeanors. He didn't enter a plea.

Paterson made a phone call to Johnson's ex-girlfriend, Sherr-Una Booker, before she let the case drop initially by not appearing in court. It caused the governor serious political damage, even though investigators found no evidence of witness tampering.

The confrontation between Johnson and Booker occurred on Halloween 2009. Booker alleged that Johnson, angry over how she was dressed, choked her, lifted her into the air, threw her against a dresser and ripped her costume. Johnson's been suspended without pay.

Golfer Lana Lawless sues the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) at Birth Rule

Professional golfer Lana Lawless has sued the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) and the Long Drive Association (LDA), along with sponsors of LPGA and LDA events in California over rules requiring female participants to have been female at birth. Lawless claims she was deemed ineligible for membership in the LPGA due to being a transgender woman. Lawless won the 2008 LDA Women's Long Drive Championship, but her complaint alleges the LDA subsequently revised its entry requirements to exclude trans gendered people.

Lawless seeks damages as well as an injunction to prevent the LPGA and LDA from holding events in California as long as their female at birth requirements remain. Her suit claims violations of California's Unruh Civil Rights Act, as well as unfair competition, and intentional interference with economic advantage under California law.

Under California's Unruh Act, all people in the state are "free and equal, and no matter what their sex, race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin, disability, medical condition, marital status, or sexual orientation are entitled to the full and equal accommodations, advantages, facilities, privileges, or services in all business establishments of every kind whatsoever."