Cuccinelli is also leading a multi-state effort to overturn the health care reform law [HR 3590 text; JURIST news archive]. In February, Cuccinelli filed [JURIST report] a petition for a writ of certiorari [text, PDF] with the US Supreme Court [official website; JURIST news archive] asking the court to rule on the constitutionality of the health care reform law on an expedited basis, before the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit [official website] rules on the issue. Cuccinelli based his request [press release; JURIST report] on the far-reaching public policy implications inherent in the implementation of the legislation and the potential cost to the states as uncertainty surrounding the legislation's constitutionality remains.

We are profoundly disappointed by today's verdict and sentence. Alan Gross has been accused of doing nothing more than giving peaceful people access to the internet, and for this he has already been unjustly imprisoned for more than a year without the benefit of due process and in violation of international law. In light of the critical medical situation confronting Alan and his family, we urge the Cuban government to release him immediately on humanitarian grounds and quickly return him to his family.

Until recently, the historically strained relations between the US and Cuba had shown signs of improvement. Earlier this year, President Obama [official profile] ordered [JURIST report] the Departments of State, Treasury, and Homeland Security [official websites] to take steps to ease restrictions on travel and remittances [press release] to Cuba. The new regulations, to be promulgated as modifications of the Cuban Assets Control [31 CFR § 515.101 et seq.] and Customs and Border Protection [19 CFR § 122.151 et seq.] regulations, will allow greater travel from the US to Cuba for religious and educational purposes, the transfer of up to $2000 per year to non-family members in Cuba so long as they are not senior government or Communist Party leaders, and will allow all US international airports to service charter flights between the two countries.

The UN on Wednesday appointed a team of special prosecutors [JURIST report] to investigate allegations that Gaddafi has ordered forces to torture and abduct opponents. Although a probe was launched [JURIST report] earlier in March by the ICC, special rapporteur for torture Juan Mendez [UN profile] clarified [AP Report] that this probe is different because he and his fellow investigators are "independent experts" focusing on accusations that Gaddafi has ordered hospital patients' executions, fired on crowds of protesters and used other extreme tactics against his opponents. Protests in Libya began in February following those that have occurred throughout the Middle East and North Africa [BBC backgrounder], resulting in the resignations of Tunisian president Zine al-Abidine Ben Ali and Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak [JURIST reports]. Protesters have demanded Gaddafi's resignation and government reform.

[E]vidence of Allen's sexual misconduct with a minor would have shed light on the magnitude of Allen's incentive to cooperate with authorities and would have revealed that he had much more at stake than was already known to the jury. Beyond facing serious criminal charges, the newly-disclosed information shows Allen was very distressed at the prospect of his alleged sexual misconduct becoming public ... The newly-disclosed information also illustrates Allen's difficulty with remembering key facts, as well as Allen's and Smith's differing (and sometimes changing) recollections as to how much money they paid Kohring. Setting aside for a moment the question of the information's admissibility, the information is exculpatory and has impeachment value.

Kohring was convicted [NYT report] in November 2007 and sentenced to 42 months in federal prison on extortion, bribery and conspiracy charges, based largely on FBI video surveillance [ADN video archive] evidence. But in 2009, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) [official website] asked the court to remand the case of two convicted Alaska lawmakers [press release], including Kohring, to district court and to release the prisoners on their own recognizance, admitting that DOJ prosecutors did not disclose all necessary information [JURIST report]. Several other Alaska lawmakers, as well as VECO's CEO Bill Allen and Vice President Rick Smith, prominent lawyer Jim Clark, and several high profile lobbyists, were also indicted, convicted, or pleaded guilty [ADN backgrounder] to corruption-related charges. In April 2009, the DOJ dropped the charges against former Alaska senator Ted Stevens [US Congress backgrounder] when similar errors were discovered [JURIST report].