Welcome to X-Pro News - The Free Monthly Newsletter
For Experts, Consultants & Legal Professionals Nationwide
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Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year to all our readers. Our reduced membership offer of $60 per year to our online experts' directory is ending soon, so why not increase your chances of making new contacts in 2009 by signing up now - there has never been a better time.
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Law
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| Hedgpeth v Pulido United States Supreme Court Opinion, 12/02/08: Criminal Law / Procedure: An instructional error arising in the context of a jury instructed on multiple theories of guilt, one of which is improper, is not structural error. A reviewing court finding such error should ask whether the flaw in the instructions "had substantial and injurious effect or influence in determining the jury's verdict."
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| United States v Stierhoff U.S. Court of Appeals, 1st Circuit, 12/01/08: Witnesses: The court ruled that IRS agents can testify as summary witnesses in tax cases.
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| O'Bryan v Holy See U.S. Court of Appeals, 6th Circuit, 11/24/08: The Court ruled that the Holy See can be sued by victims allegedly abused by Catholic priests. While the Holy See is subject to the Federal Sovereign Immunities Act (FSIA), it can be sued within the exception to FSIA allowing suit for damages from the "tortious acts" of a foreign state or any of its employees or officials. Here, the plaintiffs have included allegations against employees of the Holy See who supervised the allegedly sexually abusive priests.
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| Boumediene v Bush: Memorandum Order U.S. District Court, D.C. 11/20/08: The Court ruled against the Bush administration by granting habeas corpus to five "enemy combatants" detained in Guantanamo Bay. The court order directed the government to immediately take all necessary and appropriate diplomatic efforts to facilitate the release of the prisoners.
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| Winter, Sec. of the Navy ,et al. v Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., et al. United States Supreme Court Opinion, 11/12/08: In an action brought by environmental groups claiming that the Navy's use of a particular type of sonar during training exercises in the waters off southern California causes serious injuries to marine mammals, a preliminary injunction against the Navy is vacated as the district court abused its discretion in imposing restrictions.
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Articles
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| A Brief History of False Memory Research: Online article from Eassurvey chronicling the history of this fascinating subject as developed by Dr. Elizabeth Loftus. Essential reading for psychologists, psychiatrists and lawyers involved in cases where false memory could be a factor.
The Next Witness For The Prosecution Could Be Your Brain Interesting, though some might say alarming online article highlighting a recent Indian case where a defendant was convicted on the basis of a brain scan.
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Events
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01/06/09: |
Teleconference Training Program American Bar Association online training from the Young Lawyers Division. Program for the full year can be found on this link.
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01/23/09 (WA): |
Expert Witness Training The International Association of Arson Investigators is holding a training event in Everett, WA. This course is designed to prepare experts to testify as an expert witness in a fire case - open to members and non-members.
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05/ 16-21/09 (CA): |
APA Annual Meeting. The American Psychiatric Association is holding its annual meeting in San Francisco. The theme of the 2009 event is "Shaping Our Future: Science & Service".
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In The News
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