| In Fort Dix plot case, lawyers object to secrecy on jury
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) - Lawyers for the six men accused of plotting an attack on soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey, return to court today. They'll discuss details about the pending trial with the judge and prosecutors. Prosecutors are pressing for a speedy trial and want to shield the identities of jurors. The defense, in legal filings, say the defendants are not dangerous, have no connection to terrorism networks and would not likely try to intimidate witnesses. They say taking the unusual step of using an anonymous jury would show bias against them. 5 of the men are charged with conspiracy to murder military personnel. The sixth is charged with weapons offenses. The six accused are Mohamad Shnewer and brothers Dritan, Eljvir and Shain Duka, all of Cherry Hill, New Jersey; Serdar Tatar of Philadelphia, and Agron Abdullahu of Buena Vista.
Fines bolster class action against Qantas
AUSTRALIAN lawyers suing Qantas over allegations that it is part of a global price-fixing cartel believe the massive fines levied last week against two airlines bolster their $200 million class action against the airline. Four airlines have now admitted their part in the cartel, and two -- Qantas partner British Airways and Korean Air Lines -- have been fined a total of $US850 million ($991 million) by regulators. BA and Korean were each fined $US300 million as part of a plea agreement with the US Department of Justice over the price-fixing. BA also copped an additional fine of pound stg. 121.5 million ($289.4 million) from the British Office of Fair Trading. Two other airlines, Lufthansa and Virgin Atlantic, escaped regulatory action by turning whistleblower against the other carriers.
DNA Test: Chris Rock Not Father Of Georgia Boy
SAVANNAH -- A lawyer for Chris Rock said Monday that a court-ordered DNA test proved Rock is not the father of a 13-year-old boy whose mother tried to sue the comedian for paternity earlier this year. Rock's attorney, John Mayoue of Atlanta, said a Bulloch County judge sent results of the paternity test to lawyers on both sides of the case. Kali Bowyer, who lives in Bulloch County west of Savannah, tried in March to file a paternity lawsuit against Rock seeking child support and medical coverage for her son, Jordan. She withdrew the lawsuit after court officials told her it was outside the southeast Georgia county's jurisdiction because Rock is a New Jersey resident. However, Rock asked the Georgia court in April to start paternity proceedings to resolve the case.
3rd Circuit: Time to Cure Mortgage Default Ends at Auction
New Jersey homeowners facing foreclosure will have to move faster to cure a mortgage default, under a federal appeals court decision. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals held that the right to cure ends when the property is sold at auction, rejecting the owner's argument that it continues until the deed is delivered to the purchaser. .
Earnings Roundup: UBS, InterContinental
Among the earnings stories for Tuesday, Aug. 14, from the AP Financial Desk: Top stories: ZURICH, Switzerland (AP) -- UBS AG, Switzerland's largest bank, posted a 79 percent increase in second-quarter earnings Tuesday after it sold a stake in private bank Julius Baer, but warned that second-half profits could drop if turbulent market conditions persist. .
Judge: Fen-Phen Lawyers Owe $62 Million
Three attorneys accused of bilking their clients in a diet drug settlement must repay at least $62.1 million in settlement funds and interest, a judge ruled Friday.
Special Judge William Wehr ordered William J. Gallion, 56, Shirley A. Cunningham Jr., 52, and Melbourne Mills Jr., 76, to repay $42 million taken from the settlement and $20.1 million in interest. Wehr said the interest was 8 percent over the six years the attorneys had the funds.
The attorneys are being sued by about 400 former clients who claim the lawyers took too much money as part of a $200 million fen-phen settlement.
Gallion and Cunningham own a 20 percent stake in Curlin, who won the second leg of the Triple Crown in May.
A federal grand jury indicted the attorneys last month, charging them with conspiring to commit wire fraud in representing more than 400 people in a lawsuit over the diet drug.
Fortress Net Falls Further, But Adjusted EPS Beats
Fortress Investment Group reported a wider Q2 net loss, -30% to $55.1 million, or $0.66/share, on an 18% decrease in revenues to $268M. Adjusted EPS totaled $0.33, topping analyst expectations of $0.27 on sales of $275.5M. Fortress blamed its net operating loss on compensation expenses in excess of $271M. Hedge fund investment profit fees of $151M, more than triple the amount earned in the second quarter last year, helped offset a decline in private equity revenue. Segment revenue rose 50% to $283M, while total assets under management soared 70% to $43.3B. Fortress paid a quarterly dividend of $0.225/share ($0.90/share annualized) on July 13, a 32.4% pre-IPO increase. Fortress is hosting an earnings call at 8 a.m. Check for its earnings call transcript later today. Shares of Fortress were last down 6.7% to $19.19 in thin pre-market trading, after surging 7.7% to $20.57 on Monday.
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