Why no bail until sentencing for Dr. Conrad Murray, following his conviction today for manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson? He was handcuffed in court and remanded into custody until his sentencing. Los Angeles jail officials say he'll be kept in protective custody, not allowed to mingle with other inmates.

The judge set Nov. 29 for probation/sentencing and told the lawyers to be prepared to address restitution issues. He also referred to California's new sentencing law, the "Realignment Act" which took effect Oct. 1. Under the new law, persons convicted of certain felonies, including involuntary manslaughter cannot be sentenced to the state prison, only county jail. The time spent in county jail is reduced, and in some cases, a sentence can be served on house arrest. While Murray's sentence will be under the new law, his good time credit will be determined under the old law since the crime was committed before October 1. [More...]

The New York Times had an interview with the jury forewoman in the Viktor Bout trial earlier this week. Viktor Bout's wife, Alla Bout, who attended all of the trial except for the verdict return, has told a Russian newspaper that Bout's lawyers will challenge the verdict based on the interview. The article says "over the last few weeks" she has become something of an expert on Viktor Bout. It also says:

Another thing also became obvious: her knowledge of Mr. Bout was more expansive than she had realized. I had seen that terrible Nicolas Cage movie,” she said, a reference to the film “Lord of War,” which is believed to have been inspired by Mr. Bout, “and I had no idea it was about this guy.”

I wonder when exactly she realized this. Was it while the trial was going on or after the verdict was rendered? From the "past few weeks" reference, it could have been either. [More...]

Joshua Monson, a defendant charged with drug possession in King County, Washington stabbed his lawyer with a pencil. The Court gave him another lawyer. Same thing. And a third lawyer, whom he stabbed in the side of the head with a pen. Monson was out of luck.

The Court ordered Monson to trial pro se (with standby counsel.) Monson was strapped in a restraint chair and surrounded by security officers during trial. He was convicted.

Next up: Monson has a pending second degree murder trial for alleging killing a man while he was talking on a cell phone. He also has pending charges for assaulting his attorneys and corrections guards.

State doctors found Monson competent to stand trial.

Raj Rajaratnam has been designated to FMC Devens, in Massachusetts.

Rajaratnam' medical issues were a big focus at sentencing. It's likely he will need a kidney transplant and dialysis during his 11 years in prison. FMC Devens contracts with the University of Massachusetts for kidney transplant services.

Recently, FMC Devens published a contract solicitation for mortuary services for its inmates. It estimates a maximum of 25 inmate deaths per year. Currently, there are 1,096 inmates at FMC Devens. [More...]

A California judge has ordered 30 days more jail time for Lindsay Lohan. She has to report Nov. 9. It's expected that she will serve about 6 days due to jail over-crowding issues. [More...]

The jury has returned a guilty verdict in the case of Russian businessman Viktor Bout.

A jury reached the verdict in the case against Viktor Bout after deliberating since Tuesday in federal court in Manhattan. He was convicted of conspiracy to kill Americans and US officials, deliver anti-aircraft missiles and aid a terrorist organization.

He will be sentenced in February and faces up to life in prison. The New York Times reports on the verdict here.

Here's the verdict form the jury had to complete. My recent lengthy post on the trial is here. All of our coverage is available here.

The jury in the Viktor Bout case is deliberating (background here.) Here's a good summary of the closing arguments.

What happens if Bout is acquitted? The U.S. may have a backup plan. There's another pending indictment filed in February, 2010 pending against him and his former business associate Richard Chichakli in New York, for money laundering, wire fraud and conspiracy to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act ("IEEPA") by attempting to purchase two airplanes in the U.S. after the U.N. and OFAC imposed blocking sanctions. The Indictment is here. [More....]

The prosecution and defense gave their closing arguments Monday in the trial of Russian businessman Viktor Bout, accused of agreeing with pretend FARC members to sell weapons to be used against the U.S. in Colombia. The elaborate DEA sting began in Curacao, continued in Denmark, Russia, Romania and Moscow, and culminated in Thailand. The heart of the defense argument:

Mr. Dayan’s core argument was that Mr. Bout had humored the supposed FARC representatives’ interest in weapons, and even encouraged it, in an attempt to sell two cargo planes that he intended to persuade the men were necessary for the delivery of the weapons. Mr. Dayan emphasized that Mr. Bout never actually believed the men were members of FARC and said his client was “acting out” throughout their dealings; a weapons deal, Mr. Dayan said, was never agreed upon, nor did Mr. Bout ever plan on delivering any military equipment.

Mr. Dayan said that by the time of his arrest, Mr. Bout had made the transition from a legal arms-dealing trade to other business opportunities, like real estate, and the defense lawyer seemed to blame the fiasco on Mr. Smulian, Mr. Bout’s former associate. While Mr. Bout fought extradition in Thai courts after his arrest, Mr. Smulian voluntarily traveled to the United States and has cooperated with prosecutors for three and a half years.

[ More...]

The defense in the trial of Dr. Conrad Murray called its final witness today, propfol expert Dr. Paul White, who challenges the findings of the state's expert, Dr. Steven Shafer, as to the cause of Michael Jackson's death.

White is not finished testifying, but today he expressed perplexity at the findings by prosecution experts that propofol caused Jackson's death. The defense also called an addiction specialist today who had examined Dermatologist Arnie Klein's treatment records of Jackson. He testified Jackson was dependent on, and possibly withdrawing from from Demerol when he died. (Apparently, Jackson was getting the Demerol to help with pain from Botox and Restalyne.)He said one of the symptoms of Demerol withdrawal is insomnia. Jackson was getting shots of Demerol, and the last one was three days before he died. Murray was not aware Jackson was receiving Demerol. Klein has not been charged with wrong doing. [More..]

Former Goldman Sachs director Rajat Gupta will surrender to the FBI tomorrow to face criminal charges related to Raj Rajaratnam. The charges are likely to pertain to allegations he gave Raj confidential information about Goldman Sachs, who then traded on the information:

Authorities said Mr. Gupta gave Mr. Rajaratnam advanced word of Warren E. Buffett’s $5 billion investment in Goldman Sachs during the darkest days of the financial crisis in addition to other sensitive information affecting the company’s share price.

Gary Naftalis, Gupta's lawyer, says:

Gupta's lawyer Gary P. Naftalis said Tuesday night that his client and Rajaratnam communicated for "legitimate reasons." He said his client didn't trade in any securities, didn't tip Rajaratnam so he could trade and didn't share in any profits.

[More...]

The New York Times has a fairly uninformative article in which it refers to the DEA "infiltrating" Mexican drug cartels and using some of them as informants. It mentions the current case involving the Iranian accused of an assassination plot against the Saudi Ambassador and the Chicago federal case of Jesús Vicente Zambada-Niebla, son of Sinaloa co-leader Ismael Zambada-Niebla.

The Zambada-Niebla case is far more interesting. The gist is that Vicente says he was part of an immunity deal that encompassed not only Mexican lawyer/fugitive/indicted defendant Humberto Loya-Castro (Loya), who is an advisor to Chapo Guzman and Ismael Zambada-Garcia (El Mayo) and a participant in Sinaloa activity, but that all of them also had permission to carry on the cartel's drug trafficking activity. He also alleges that the DEA provided the same immunity from capture and prosecution, and permission to carry on Sinaloa business to Chapo Guzman and Ismael Zambada-Garcia, the two leaders of Sinaloa. [More...]

Supposedly, it was a routine traffic stop on I-94 near Ann Arbor, MI that resulted in the seizure of 228 pounds of cocaine in the back of 87 year old Leon Earl Sharp's pick-up truck. Sharp, who is from Indiana, was released on bond, but not before he told the judge he was worried about having a stroke, someone had stolen his passport and that he had been forced at gunpoint to transport the drugs. For some reason, everyone in the courtroom found this funny:

Someone snickered again. It was contagious, spreading through the gallery. Randon, the judge, tried to stifle a laugh by covering his mouth. Then, he shook his head and smiled.