Federal Judge

A federal judge on Monday shot down Hollywood private eye Anthony Pellicano's bid to be released on bail during an appeal of his 2008 convictions for racketeering and wiretapping. Judge Dale Fischer, who presided over the private investigator's six-week trial, said she was not convinced the 68-year-old was no longer a threat to society, despite his attorney's pleas that Pellicano suffered from a serious eye condition and had neither the resources nor the motivation to engage in the intimidation and sleuthing that landed him in federal prison.

A federal judge rejected a novel legal argument Friday that would have allowed Michael Jackson's mother and her business partner to profit from a line of merchandise separate from the late star's estate. In a 15-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Dean D. Pregerson granted summary judgment in a copyright infringement case brought by the executors of Jackson's estate and issued a permanent injunction barring Canadian entrepreneur Howard Mann from trading on the singer's name. "There is undisputed evidence that Defendants intended in bad faith to profit from use of Jackson's name, by registering multiple domain names containing his name or the initials 'MJ' to sell Jackson-related products," the judge wrote.

A federal judge aimed hard questions at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency  over its aim to strip famed cyclist Lance Armstrong of his seven Tour de France titles in a hearing in Austin, Texas, on Friday. U.S. District Judge Sam Sparks asked whether USADA has given Armstrong a legitimate chance to defend himself against charges that he used performance-enhancing drugs throughout his career. “As we said in court today, Mr. Armstrong agreed to play by the same rules that apply to every other athlete and we believe he should not be allowed to create a new set of rules that apply only to him,” USADA Chief Executive Travis Tygart said in a prepared statement emailed to The Times and other news agencies.

Writers from around the Tribune Co. are discussing whether or not the New Orleans Saints' Jonathan Vilma might see the field this season after receiving a year-long suspension for his alleged role in a bounty program. Check back throughout the day for their responses and feel free to join the discussion with a comment of your own. Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times There's certainly a chance that Jonathan Vilma could obtain a legal order forcing the NFL to lift the suspension, at least temporarily.

A federal appeals court will take a second look at a California law that requires police to collect DNA from people who are arrested on suspicion of felonies, regardless of whether they are convicted. A majority of judges on the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals voted Wednesday to reconsider a split decision by a three-judge panel that had upheld the program in February. The court's decision to ask an 11-judge panel to consider the case was a setback for prosecutors, who have defended the DNA collection as a vital crime-fighting tool.

County officials in Tennessee must inspect a newly built mosque immediately, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, which could allow Muslims to begin worshipping there before Ramadan begins at sundown Thursday.  Rutherford County must issue an occupancy permit for the Islamic Center of Murfreesboro before Thursday evening, provided that the mosque passes a building inspection, Chief Judge Todd Campbell of U.S. District Court in Nashville ruled....

A federal judge on Wednesday denied an attempt by a group of foie gras producers and restaurants to temporarily stall a recently instituted ban on the fatty delicacy. U.S. District Judge Stephen Wilson in Los Angeles turned down the request from North America's largest foie gras producers and Hot's Restaurant Group Inc.   of Southern California, which say they are losing $11,000 a day in revenue. The California law, which was signed in 2004 but took effect July 1, prohibits the production and sale of items derived from force-fed ducks and geese.

A federal judge Monday quickly dismissed a lawsuit filed by Lance Armstrong seeking to stop the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency from stripping the champion cyclist of his seven Tour de France titles. Armstrong's legal team said it intends to refile the lawsuit Tuesday. U.S. District Court Judge Sam Sparks in Austin, Texas, rejected the original filing for "failure to comply with the federal rules of civil procedure. " USADA has charged Armstrong as a central figure in a years-long doping conspiracy that fueled his run and covered up acts during his streak of Tour de France titles from 1999-2005.

WASHINGTON - A federal judge has struck down a key provision in an Obama administration regulation that would have penalized education programs whose graduates end up with huge debts and low job prospects. The Education Department's "gainful employment regulations," which would have gone into effect Sunday, were designed to prevent career training programs, mainly at for-profit colleges, from leaving students with unaffordable debt and limited employment options. Critics of for-profit colleges expressed disappointment over the decision.

A federal judge on Friday dismissed a patent case involving Apple and Motorola, perhaps finally putting to rest a case that'd already been dismissed one other time. Apple alleged Motorola was in violation of four of its patents, while Motorola claimed Apple violated one of its patents. However, Judge Richard Posner dismissed the case with prejudice -- meaning it cannot be refiled but can still be appealed -- saying neither company showed what damages had been incurred. "Both parties have deep pockets," Posner said in his ruling, according to The Verge . "And neither has acknowledged that damages for the infringement of its patents could not be estimated with tolerable certainty.