Free Republic

The lead prosecutor arguing to sustain the conviction of Cardinal George Pell struggled Thursday in presenting the Crown's case... [Lead prosecutor Christopher] Boyce repeatedly found himself either struggling to articulate his own argument or lost for words under judicial questioning, at one point conceding that "it's not good enough for me to say what I said before," and that rehearsing the platitudes may not be all that helpful."... Asked how it was possible that a figure of Pell's stature and visibility could have approached, sequestered and assaulted two boys at the cathedral's most busy time, Boyce said that the prosecution...

Appeals Court Allows Obama to Fund Embryonic Stem Cell Research Washington, DC -- A federal appeals court has lifted the injunction a federal judge put in place stopping President Barack Obama from forcing taxpayers to finance unproven embryonic stem cell research while scientists continue with their lawsuit against the funding. http://LifeNews.com/bio3185.html

The policy-making body of the federal judiciary on Tuesday endorsed a sweeping rule change that will allow lawyers to cite unpublished opinions in federal appeals courts nationwide beginning in 2007. The Judicial Conference also voted not to take a position on the controversial question of whether the sprawling 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals should be split in two. Members did, however, agree that they would oppose any circuit-splitting bill that does not provide adequate funding for the costs involved. The issue has been debated by Congress for years without resolution. The citation rule change, if ratified by the Supreme...