The Sindey, Montana Police Department and the FBI, along with other law enforcement agencies from the region, continue to investigate the disappearance of Sherry Arnold. Ms. Arnold disappeared Saturday, January 7, 2012, while on her morning run in the community of Sidney. It’s believed she went missing at approximately 6:30 a.m. Today, law enforcement officials determined the prudent course of action is to scale back the ground search for Ms. Arnold. Public safety personnel and volunteers spent several days searching the area where it’s believed she was running when she disappeared. At this point, law enforcement resources will be put toward other investigative efforts in this case. Because this is an ongoing investigation, the FBI cannot discuss any evidence in this matter. We are thankful for the public’s assistance and encourage residents in the area to report any information that may help solve Ms. Arnold’s disappearance. The tip line established earlier this week by Richland County has received numerous calls. Anyone with information is urged to call (406) 433-4027.

Seeking Information on Disappearance of Sherry Arnold | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO—A federal investigation of alleged passport fraud and narcotics trafficking by members and associates of the Belizean Bloods street gang operating in Evanston and Chicago has resulted in charges against two dozen defendants, most of whom were arrested here this week, law enforcement officials announced today. One defendant, Jerry Johnson, who allegedly directed the Belizean Bloods drug trafficking organization in Chicago, was arrested yesterday in Salt Lake City and is facing federal charges in Chicago. Five other defendants were arrested, and three guns were seized, Tuesday afternoon in Lyons where they had gathered as part of an alleged conspiracy to rob what they believed was 50 kilograms of cocaine from a different drug organization but which, in fact, was a ruse in an undercover sting operation.

Overall, 10 separate federal complaints were filed and unsealed in U.S. District Court in Chicago after search and arrest warrants were executed Tuesday and yesterday, announced Patrick J. Fitzgerald, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The charges arise from two coordinated investigations, Operation Blood Hound and Operation Black Orchid, which brought together agents from multiple federal law enforcement agencies, as well as the Chicago and Evanston Police Departments and other local partners. In 2009, the Chicago Field Office of the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service began investigating alleged passport fraud by Belizean nationals, while at the same time the FBI and Evanston and Chicago police were investigating alleged narcotics trafficking by suspected members of the Belizean Bloods.

Previously, during the course of the investigations, bulk amounts of powder and crack cocaine, firearms and assault rifles and cash were seized. Eight additional Belizean nationals were prosecuted for passport fraud and eight others for illegally re-entering the country within the past year in Federal Court in Chicago. Another Belizean national was arrested yesterday in Chicago on passport fraud charges filed in the Southern District of Florida.

“These coordinated efforts demonstrate the commitment and teamwork of all law enforcement agencies in the Chicago area to combat the dangerous combination of gangs, guns and drugs in our community,” Mr. Fitzgerald said.

Mr. Fitzgerald announced the arrests and charges with Scott Collins, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. State Department Diplomatic Security Service Chicago Field Office; Robert D. Grant, Special Agent in Charge of the Chicago Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Andrew L. Traver, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Chicago; Gary J. Hartwig, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Chicago; Alvin Patton, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division in Chicago; and Darryl McPherson, the U.S. Marshal in Chicago. The Chicago and Evanston Police Departments played significant roles in the investigation along with other local agencies. The investigations were conducted under the umbrella of U.S. Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), and with significant assistance from the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force (HIDTA.)

The investigation, which is continuing, relied on undercover purchases of narcotics, surveillance, consensual audio and video recordings, and court-authorized wiretaps of telephone conversations, as well as information provided by multiple cooperating witnesses, including former members and associates of the Belizean Bloods.

According to the charges against Johnson and three others, Johnson’s sources of supply included quantities of narcotics from Belize. He allegedly directed the distribution of powder and crack cocaine and “cooked” powder cocaine to produce crack, which was distributed in wholesale quantities. A cooperating former Belizean Bloods member told agents that Johnson had inherited his father’s drug connections when his father was deported to Belize. The Belizean Bloods narcotics distribution route allegedly included Illinois, Utah, Ohio, Indiana, New York and California.

Johnson, approximately 30, of Chicago and Evanston, also known as “Kaiden Bennett” and “Kalvin Howell,” appeared in Federal Court in Salt Lake City and remains in custody pending a detention hearing tomorrow. Other defendants arrested yesterday in Chicago were scheduled to appear this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Arlander Keys in Federal Court in Chicago.

The five defendants arrested Tuesday afternoon in Chicago appeared before Magistrate Keys yesterday and remain in custody pending detention and preliminary hearings at 9:30 a.m. next Tuesday. Three of them, Myreon Flowers, 39, of Chicago, aka “Diesel;” Anward Trapp, 31, of Chicago, aka “Bernard Gillett,” “Herman Flowers,” and “Smash;” and Rudy Space, 30, of Chicago; were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute cocaine for allegedly planning to rob a purported 50 kilograms of cocaine from a purported “stash” garage in Berwyn. The complaint alleges that they were involved in conversations and planning with an undercover agent and a cooperating witness to engage in a purported armed robbery, and shooting if necessary, of three members of a Mexican drug cartel on Tuesday. They were arrested at meeting spot in Lyons as they prepared to descend upon the fictitious stash location. (United States v. Myreon Flowers, et al., 11 CR 779.) Arrested with them were David Flowers, 34, of Chicago, and Duane Jones, 28, of Chicago, aka “Duane Tillett,” and “Dido,” who are facing separate charges of distributing crack cocaine, together with Myreon Flowers and Eric Burnett, 24, of Chicago. (United States v. David Flowers, et al., 11 CR 770.)

Summaries of the remaining cases follow:

United States v. Johnson, et al., (11 CR 763)

Jerry Johnson, together with Sheldon Morales, 30,of Wheeling, an alleged member of the Gangster Disciples street gang who supplied Johnson with powder cocaine; Douglas Wilson, 57,of Evanston; and Tyrita Myers, approximately 24,of Chicago; were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute wholesale quantities of cocaine and crack cocaine between August 2010 and March 2011.

United States v. Ward, (11 CR 764)

Anderson Ward, 29, of Chicago, was charged with possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute in March 2011.

United States v. Gentle and Ellis, (11 CR 766)

William Gentle, 30, of Chicago, and Richard Ellis, 18, of Evanston, were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute crack cocaine between May and July this year.

United States v. Gadson and Walker, (11 CR 767)

Gilbert Gadson, 45, of Chicago, aka “Gilbert Gatson,” and Roy Walker, 52, of Chicago, were charged with conspiracy to possess and distribute crack cocaine in January and February this year.

United States v. Glen Flowers, (11 CR 768)

Glen Flowers, 40, of Skokie, aka “Glen Gillett,” “William Powell,” and “Herbert Williams, Jr.” was charged with passport fraud for attempting in December 2010 to fraudulently renew a U.S. passport in the name of Herbert Williams, Jr.

United States v. Gibson and Glen Flowers, (11 CR 769)

The same Glen Flowers was charged with distributing powder cocaine, and Harrington Gibson, 63, of Chicago, aka “Uncle Harry,” was charged with distributing crack cocaine on June 29, 2011.

United States v. Perez, et al., (11 CR 771)

Carlos Perez, 41, of Chicago; Alfredo Castro, age and residence unavailable; and Jonathan Vaughan, 26, of Chicago, were charged with distributing cocaine on Oct. 20, 2011.

United States v. Trapp, et al., (11 CR 772)

Anwar Trapp, together with Wilton Bennett, 29, of Chicago; Marlon Conorquie, 36, of Chicago, aka “Dread;” and Alix Aurele, 37, of Dolton, were charged with distributing crack cocaine or heroin in September and October this year.

The defendants are facing various maximum penalties on the narcotics charges, ranging from a maximum of 20 years in prison to mandatory minimum sentences of either 5 or 10 years to a maximum of 40 years or life in prison, together with maximum fines of $250,000, $2 million or $4 million. The passport fraud charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. If convicted, the Court must impose a reasonable sentence under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines.

The government is being represented by a combination of Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Romero, Meghan Morrissey, Christopher Grohman and Kate Zell.

The public is reminded that charges are merely allegations and are not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent and are entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

Two Dozen Members and Associates of Belizean Bloods Street Gang Facing Federal Narcotics and Passport Fraud Charges | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The University of Chicago Law School has announced the creation of the Abrams Environmental Law Clinic, which will offer students sophisticated training in environmental litigation, policy and regulation.

The clinic is named for James and Wendy Abrams, in recognition of their support of the University and their dedication to legal and environmental issues. The new clinic is the first step of a planned expansion of the Edwin F. Mandel Legal Aid Clinic, which would guarantee clinical experience to all law students.

“I am delighted to have Jim and Wendy lend their energy, knowledge, and commitment to helping the Law School train the next generation of environmental lawyers and policymakers,” said Michael Schill, dean of the Law School.

“Clinical experience adds to the Law School’s core analytical training. It can teach students important practical skills, interpersonal skills and group dynamics and, more fundamentally, help them reflect on what it means to be a lawyer. In addition, the subject matter of the clinic is critical to the world that we will leave to our children.”

Students at the clinic will pursue environmental litigation through legal cases and amicus briefs, in addition to doing policy work by drafting proposed statutes and commenting on regulations. The Law School has begun a search for an assistant clinical law professor to direct the clinic, adding to the Law School’s strong faculty who do work on environmental issues including Profs. David Weisbach and Eric Posner, both of whom work on climate change issues, and Visiting Professor Eric Biber, an environmental and natural resources law scholar.

The Abramses were drawn to help create the new environmental law clinic because it combines two subjects for which they care deeply: the law and the environment.

“It is exciting to see our passions come together in this way,” said Jim Abrams.

A 1987 graduate of the Law School, Jim Abrams is the chief operating officer of Medline Industries, America’s largest privately held medical equipment manufacturer. Wendy, a passionate environmental advocate, is on the board of trustees of Waterkeeper Alliance, working to protect the nation’s water, and was the force behind Chicago’s 2007 Cool Globes exhibit.

“It is not just the legal cases that the students will be exposed to while they are working at the clinic,” said Wendy Abrams. “It is the hope that they will continue to use the training they get there long after they leave the University.”

Jim Abrams agreed, saying, “This really tries to put into action for future classes of law students the goal of responsible stewardship.”

Schill and the Abramses share a broader vision to someday grow the clinic into a forum that reaches across campus to tackle environmental issues.

In announcing the gift Dean Schill said he hopes the strong interdisciplinary focus of the University of Chicago will bring faculty and students together to magnify the impact of the Abrams Clinic. 

“Protecting our environment in the face of global warming is one of the most important challenges of our generation,” said Schill. “There is no better place to work toward that end than this University.”

Law School launches new environmental law clinic | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Dovetta McKee believes that every child has the potential to achieve academically, including disadvantaged youths, if given the opportunity and support. As the current director of the University’s Office of Special Programs-College Prep, McKee is back where she got her career start in youth development. 

From 1992 to 1999, McKee worked side by side with the late Larry Hawkins, who founded the office’s landmark program Upward Bound. Hawkins, who was a high school star athlete, turned basketball coach, used sports to hook inner-city students into the academic program. McKee, who managed parent involvement activities, remembers how as many as 700 high school students would fill the programs and visit the University campus.

McKee took on the directorship in 2009 after Hawkins’ death that year and now oversees his legacy, shepherding minority students from low-income South Side communities into college by providing a bridge to possibilities.

Between her UChicago stints, McKee was an associate professor at Aurora University, where she helped adults working in child development complete undergraduate degrees. She later became director of special initiatives at Prevention First, a program that partnered with Chicago Public Schools to tackle social issues that hinder academic success, such as neighborhood violence, teen pregnancy and substance abuse.

McKee brings her past experience to tackle some of those same issues and usher her students into college. “A lot of people do not believe that young African Americans can excel academically, and as a result they have very low standards for them,” said McKee, who earned a law degree from John Marshall Law School. “People believe the hype; they believe what they see in the media, and the emphasis is always on the negative.”

Despite relatively low graduation rates among urban high school students, youths who participate in the OSP-CP programs maintain a 100 percent high school graduation rate, up from 94 percent in 1997. Since 2007, between 85 and 100 percent have enrolled in four-year universities. Before then, the college enrollment rate was nearly 80 percent.

“When the bar is set high, and I have parents who are committed—even sometimes without committed parents—when I have young people who have been encouraged to believe in themselves, they do achieve,” McKee said.

The OSP-CP operates throughout the school year, offering Saturday classes and campus tours at colleges and universities. Summer activities focus on math, science, foreign-language study and entrance exam preparation. The OSP-CP partners with the University’s Kavli Institute for Cosmological Physics to expose students to scientific research and the University Theater to engage students in the arts. McKee’s team also helps students develop soft skills like public speaking and punctuality.

The program’s location on the University of Chicago campus reinforces its ability to give students an excellent pre-collegiate experience. “With any new adventure, you’re always fearful because of the unknown,” McKee explained. “It’s imperative that young people from underserved communities see that people who work and learn on college campuses are just like everybody else. They need to know it’s possible to cross the bridge and not fall in the river.”

Dovetta McKee helps usher urban youths into college via Office of Special Programs-College Prep | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Few dispute China’s status as a major world player, but uncertainty reigns about the effect its distinct voice will have on the future of international law. A distinguished group of scholars will debate this topic on Wednesday, April 6 at the University of Chicago Law School.

The daylong symposium, “China and International Law,” will identify and discuss what China’s increasing influence means for the international legal system. The event is free and open to the public and will be held in the Law School’s Weymouth Kirkland Courtroom at 1111 E. 60th St. from 8:45 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

“In terms of law, a lot of the attention has been on Chinese domestic legal development,” said Dali Yang, professor of political science, faculty director of the University of Chicago Center in Beijing and director of the Confucius Institute, which is sponsoring the event. “There has been much less attention on the international aspect. So this conference is really timely and important.”

“The rise of China is affecting everything about international society,” said Tom Ginsburg, professor at the Law School and an event organizer. “There is no reason that the law should be different. As the rise of China affects the global environment and the global economy, we should expect that China would become a global player in the international legal order as well.”

According to Ginsburg, China has been thus far a fairly conservative force in international law, tending to emphasize traditional doctrines of sovereignty and non-interference in the internal affairs of other states, much like 19th-century European states. Conference participants will debate whether that trend will persist or if China will evolve in the direction of the modern-day Europe, which now encourages a more robust role for international law.

The event will explore whether China will continue to rely on traditional international legal principles or work to change them to secure their own advantage. Panelists also will discuss Chinese attitudes toward how to deal with conflicts in the Middle East, its own territorial disputes, its emphasis on economic and social rights over individual civil liberties, and its international economic power as an industrial giant and a locus of investment.

Specific panel discussions include:

• The rise of China and its impact on international relations
• International human rights: Does China change human rights or does human rights law change China?
• International law and regional/global security
• China, the WTO and international economic law

The proceedings will be summarized in a post-conference report. In June, the Law School will be co-sponsoring another China-focused event with the Center in Beijing, sending several of its scholars to China to debate issues of property rights in China’s transformation.

Conference explores China’s role in international law | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Richard Epstein, the James Parker Hall Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Law and Senior Lecturer at the University of Chicago Law School, has been awarded the 2011 Bradley Prize for outstanding achievement.

Known for his influential work on a wide range of constitutional, economic and historical subjects, Epstein is one of four individuals to receive the Bradley Prize this year. The recipients are chosen for doing work that embodies the mission of the Lynde and Harry Bradley Foundation, a private, independent grant-making organization which supports, according to its website, “limited, competent government; a dynamic marketplace for economic, intellectual, and cultural activity; and a vigorous defense, at home and abroad, of American ideas and institutions.”

“Richard Epstein’s contributions to his students’ understanding of so many areas of the law are immeasurable,” said Michael W. Grebe, president and chief executive officer of the Bradley Foundation, in announcing Epstein’s selection. “His research, teaching and writing have brought clarity to the law and have helped to advance freedom.”

Law School Dean Michael Schill said Epstein’s work has influenced him as well as “countless generations of lawyers.”

“Richard Epstein is one of the most extraordinary legal scholars of this generation — or any other,” added Schill. “One needn’t agree with Richard’s views; indeed, his work makes those who disagree work harder to marshal arguments and evidence. There is no one more passionate about law and ideas than Richard Epstein.”

He will be presented the award during a ceremony at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. on Wednesday, May 11. Each award comes with a $250,000 stipend.

“I am thrilled to receive this prize from the Bradley Foundation and to join the list of distinguished recipients of the award,” said Epstein. “It is especially gratifying to me because I have had a long and harmonious working relationship with Bradley during the years I have been on the Chicago faculty, which I hope to continue going forward.”

Past UChicago winners of the honor include Leon Kass, the Addie Clark Harding Professor in the Committee on Social Thought; Gary Becker, University Professor of Economics and Sociology; and the four founders of The Federalist Society for Law and Public Policy Studies, including David McIntosh, JD’83, and Lee Liberman Otis, JD’83.

Law scholar Richard Epstein receives 2011 Bradley Prize | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Enlarge Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

President Obama has nominated Andrew Traver, the current chief of the bureau’s Chicago office and a career law enforcement official, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But the National Rifle Association has voiced opposition to Traver, pictured here in 2007.

Charles Rex Arbogast/AP

President Obama has nominated Andrew Traver, the current chief of the bureau’s Chicago office and a career law enforcement official, to lead the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. But the National Rifle Association has voiced opposition to Traver, pictured here in 2007.

The shootings in Tucson have focused attention on the nation’s gun laws. But for years, the agency charged with enforcing those laws — the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives — has been languishing.

ATF, as it’s commonly known, has been without a permanent leader since the middle of the Bush administration. And its budget has lagged behind that of other law enforcement agencies.

While the FBI, DEA and other government law enforcement agencies have grown, ATF has been stagnant.

“In 1972, there was 2,500 agents. Thirty-nine years later, there’s 2,500 agents — no growth at all in 39 years,” says James Cavanaugh, a former special agent in charge for the ATF, who recently retired after 33 years with the agency.

The ATF has been a political target for opponents of gun regulations for years. In Congress, pro-gun lawmakers have kept its budget virtually flat.

And there’s the leadership question: The ATF has not had a permanent director since 2006. New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, co-chairman of Mayors Against Illegal Guns, says that has to change.

“We simply can’t afford to have the ATF at less than full strength when so many gun murders are occurring every single day in all 50 states,” he said.

President Bush’s nominee to head the bureau was blocked by three Republican senators.

An Uphill Climb For Obama’s Nomination

President Obama didn’t nominate a director until last November. His choice was Andrew Traver, a career ATF agent who now is in charge of the Bureau’s Chicago office.

Early indications are its going to be an uphill climb for Traver.

The nation’s biggest gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, calls Traver “deeply aligned with gun control advocates and anti-gun activities.” NPR asked the NRA for an interview, but it didn’t respond to repeated requests.

But speaking on an NRA-sponsored radio program, the group’s executive director, Chris Cox, made clear his opposition to Traver.

“He’s bad news when it comes to the Second Amendment,” Cox said. “But again, when you’re looking at a president who put up Sonia Sotomayor or Elena Kagan and surrounded himself with this other gaggle of anti-gun activists — and that’s what this guy’s been, an activist — it’s really just par for the course.”

The NRA’s objections to Traver seem to be based at least in part on his appearance in a news story on Chicago’s NBC affiliate about gang violence.

In the clip, Traver was shown dramatically firing an automatic weapon.

“They see these things in movies; they see them on TV, video games, ‘Oh let’s get one of those,’ ” Traver said on the clip. “It gives people a lot of street cred — pull the trigger, you can mow people down.”

The NRA says the story was misleading because automatic weapons are not commonly found on gang members.

Waiting On The Senate

The Senate has yet to hold a hearing on Traver. A Judiciary Committee aide says the panel is waiting for the administration to submit the necessary paperwork.

Cavanaugh says the lack of a Senate-confirmed director with the backing of the president is disconcerting.

“The agency goes on because law enforcement people are ‘can do’ people and they’re mission people, but nevertheless there’s not an agency in government that has to face that kind of problem,” he says. “Can you imagine a big city police force not having a chief for 4 1/2 years?”

And while that might suit the gun lobby, gun control advocates hope the shootings in Tucson will spur the administration to push for Traver’s confirmation.

Originally reported by National Public Radio. Read the original story here.

White House Urged To Take Action On ATF Vacancy | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

For weeks, supporters of Illinois’ civil unions bill have been vocal and confident–and today the Illinois House of Representatives could finally vote on the measure.

Unfortunately for the bill’s supporters, anti-gay rights activists have also been drumming up support in recent weeks.

A member of the Illinois Family Institute–which was recently deemed a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center–compared homosexual partners to polygamous and incestuous partners in an interview with the Associated Press Tuesday:

“They have a full-court press on, and we have a full-court press, too,” said David E. Smith, executive director of the Illinois Family Institute.

. . .

“It’s not legitimate for the government to recognize the relationship of homosexual partners or polygamous partners or incestuous partners,” Smith said.

Previously, the group has compared homosexuality to Nazism and has reportedly “made hundreds of thousands of automated calls to voters” in recent months urging voters to speak out against civil unions.

Civil unions would provide legal recognition of gay couples and give them some of the same benefits automatically available to married couples, including the right to visit a sick partner in the hospital and make decisions about their medical care.

Rep. Greg Harris, who sponsored the bill, called himself an “eternal optimist” and said the bill could get a floor debate on Tuesday or Wednesday, and according to the Post-Dispatch.

Supporters told the Associated Press they’re close to having the 60 votes needed to pass the measure in the House. If it passes there, backers think the Senate quickly would follow suit and Democratic Gov. Pat Quinn would sign it into law.

“I do think this is the time for Illinois to do this,” Quinn told the AP Monday. “This is a good way to show employers — big businesses all across the country — that Illinois treats everyone with tolerance.”

While polls have shown the majority of Illinois voters support civil unions, anti-gay organizations–and the Catholic Church–have had out-of-state financial help in trying to stop the bill’s passage.

ChicagoPride.com reports that the Washington D.C.-based National Organization for Marriage (NOM) has “lobbied hard against the bill” and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops has made their case against it as well.

Though opponents are painting SB1716 as an attack on religion and marriage, the bill is actually titled the “Illinois Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act.” It would not require churches to recognize civil unions or perform any kind of ceremony.

“We think it’s just the fair and decent thing to do,” Rick Garcia, director of public policy for Equality Illinois, told the AP. “It isn’t scary. It’s happening all over.”

Gay rights activists are urging supporters of SB1716 to contact their legislators by calling the Illinois Capitol switchboard at (217) 782-2000. Equality Illinois will also assist supporters in identifying their legislators on their hotline at (773) 477-7173.

Originally reported by Huffington Post Chicago. Read the original story here.

Illinois Lawmakers To Vote On Civil Unions TODAY | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

CHICAGO, Nov. 11, 2010 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Graeme B. Dinwoodie, Professor of Intellectual Property and Information Technology Law at the University of Oxford, delivered the 2010 Beverly W. Pattishall Distinguished Lecture on Trademark Law, organized by The John Marshall Law School’s Center for Intellectual Property Law.

Beverly W. Pattishall, a pioneer in the field of trademark law, was a senior partner for many years at the Chicago intellectual property law firm and litigation boutique Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP.

Attended by an overflow crowd of experienced trademark practitioners and law students, Professor Dinwoodie’s lecture focused on the role of the U.S. Courts in developing modern trademark law through the interpretation of the text of the Federal Trademark Act, commonly known as the Lanham Act. Historically, trademark protection grew out of the common law of unfair competition. The Lanham Act codified the principles developed under the common law. As Professor Dinwoodie noted, practitioners, such as the late Beverly W. Pattishall, helped shape the courts’ interpretations of the Lanham Act through scholarship and advocacy.

With the advent of the Internet and rapid globalization, trademark law gained an ever-increasing profile among the general public and within the legal community. Between 2000 and 2004, the U.S. Supreme Court heard at least one case per year interpreting the Lanham Act. Circuit court opinions interpreting the Lanham Act impact businesses throughout the world. Professor Dinwoodie highlighted the manner in which these courts have analyzed the text of the Lanham Act to arrive at our current understanding of the law.

The featured lecturer at the first Beverly W. Pattishall Distinguished Lecture in Trademark Law was none other than Beverly’s friend and long-time colleague, Justice John Paul Stevens.

The John Marshall Law School is a pioneer in intellectual property education and one of its leading providers today. John Marshall — and its Center for Intellectual Property Law — has acquired a worldwide reputation for excellence in IP education, and is host to students from around the world, all of whom who possess a shared interest in IP law and its impact on creative activities.

Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP is a litigation firm that counsels clients in a broad range of intellectual property fields. It provides litigation representation, brand protection and counseling on advertising, right of publicity, social media and international trademark protection.

This press release was issued through eReleases(R).  For more information, visit eReleases Press Release Distribution at http://www.ereleases.com.

SOURCE Pattishall, McAuliffe, Newbury, Hilliard & Geraldson LLP

http://www.pattishall.com

Professor Dinwoodie Explores the Development of Contemporary Trademark Law | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

RIVERWOODS, Ill., Oct. 29 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — With the Bush tax cuts about to expire at the close of 2010, the tax rates that will take effect January 1, 2011 will return to the rates that were in effect a decade ago and more money will be withheld from paychecks says CCH, a leading provider of employment and payroll law information and software and part of Wolters Kluwer Law & Business (hr.cch.com).

“Ten years ago, we were facing the same situation: There was talk of upcoming tax cuts. The tax cuts – now known as the ‘Bush tax cuts’ – were signed on June 7, 2001. The IRS then issued new withholding tables, effective July 1, 2001, that incorporated the new tax cuts. In addition, the new tables took into account the fact that too much money was taken from paychecks that were issued in the first half of the year,” said John W. Strzelecki, JD, CCH Senior Payroll Analyst. “Note, however, at the end of 2000, the IRS did not delay releasing new withholding tables for 2001, even though if a tax cut did come, it meant too much money was being withheld from paychecks that were issued prior to the tax cuts. Rather, the IRS issued new tables based on the tax rates that were in effect on January 1, 2001, and also incorporated the 2001 personal exemption amount into the tables.”

Fast forward to present day 2010, the Bush tax cuts are nearing expiration at the end of the year. Under federal law, the tax rates that will be in effect January 1, 2011, will be the rates that were in effect on January 1, 2001.

Strzelecki says the IRS will likely issue new withholding tables in November effective January 1, 2011, based on the 2001 tax rates that are scheduled to go into effect at the start of the year. In addition, the IRS will incorporate the 2011 personal exemption amount which is projected to be $3,700, just like they did in the 2001 tables. Then, if the tax cuts are passed and signed, the IRS will revise the withholding tables with an effective date that allows just enough time for the payroll industry to implement the changes, just like in June of 2001. The tables will take into account the fact that too much money was withheld from the paychecks that were issued prior to the tax cuts, also just like in 2001.

“What it all boils down to is workers will see less take home pay beginning in 2011 and more take home pay later in the year, just as we saw in 2001,” said Strzelecki.

The following four examples show how more money will be withheld from paychecks beginning in 2011 as compared to current 2010 withholding amounts. The 2011 examples use the withholding tables in effect on January 1, 2001, but take into account the 2011 personal exemption amount, which is projected to be $3,700. These amounts are approximate.

2010 Example 1: Employee Jones, who is single, earns $500 weekly ($26,000 annually). He takes one withholding allowance for himself. The 2010 Percentage Method Withholding Table shows that the amount of the withholding allowance prescribed for a weekly payroll period is $70.19. Subtracting this amount from Jones’ weekly pay of $500 leaves $429.81, which is Jones’ “amount of wages” for tax computation purposes. Referring now to tax rate Table 1(a) – Weekly Payroll Period, Single Person – it is found that $429.81 falls in the “Over $200 but not over $693” bracket. The amount of tax to be withheld for wages in that bracket is stated to be $8.40 plus 15 percent of the excess over $200. The excess over $200 in Jones’ case is $229.81. Thus, $8.40 plus 15 percent of $229.81 is $42.87.

2011 Example 1: Employee Jones, who is single, earns $500 weekly ($26,000 annually). He takes one withholding allowance for himself. The 2011 projected value of the withholding allowance for a weekly payroll period will be $71.15. Subtracting this amount from Jones’ weekly pay of $500 leaves $428.85, which is Jones’ “amount of wages” for tax computation purposes. Referring now to tax rate 2001 Table 1(a) – Weekly Payroll Period, Single Person – it is found that $428.85 falls in the “Over $51 but not over $552” bracket. The amount of tax to be withheld for wages in that bracket is stated to be 15 percent of the excess over $51. The excess over $51 in Jones’ case is $377.85. Thus, 15 percent of $377.85 is $56.68.

Thus, in 2011, $13.81 more will be withheld each weekly paycheck than in 2010.

2010 Example 2: Employee Smith, who is married and has a dependent child, earns $1,700 biweekly ($44,200 annually). Although he is entitled to more than one withholding allowance, he claims only one on his Form W-4. Consequently, his “amount of wages” is $1,700 minus $140.38, or $1,559.62. Referring to tax rate Table 2(b) – Biweekly Payroll Period, Married Person – it is found that $1,559.62 falls within the “Over $942 but not over $2,913” bracket. The tax for that bracket is stated to be $41.30 plus 15 percent of the excess over $942. In this example, the excess over $942 is $617.62. Thus, $41.30 plus 15 percent of $617.62 is $133.94, the amount of tax to be withheld from Smith’s biweekly wage.

2011 Example 2: Employee Smith, who is married and has a dependent child, earns $1,700 biweekly ($44,200 annually). Although he is entitled to more than one withholding allowance, he claims only one on his Form W-4. Consequently, his amount of wages is $1,700 minus $142.31, or $1,557.69. Referring to tax rate 2001 Table 2(b) – Biweekly Payroll Period, Married Person – it is found that $1,557.69 falls within the “Over $248 but not over $1,919” bracket. The tax for that bracket is stated to be 15 percent of the excess over $248. In this example, the excess over $248 is $1,309.69. Thus, 15 percent of $1,309.69 is $196.45, the amount of tax to be withheld from Smith’s biweekly wage.

Thus, in 2011, $62.51 more will be withheld each biweekly paycheck than in 2010.

2010 Example 3: A married employee with four allowances is paid $4,100 semimonthly. Under the annualizing method, the $4,100 semimonthly wage is multiplied by 24 to arrive at the annual wage of $98,400. Next, the withholding allowances of $14,600 (4 x $3,650) are subtracted from the $98,400 annual wage to arrive at $83,800, the amount of wages subject to tax. The table for an annual payroll period, married employee – Table 7(b) – indicates that the tax to be withheld on $83,800 is $8,762.50 plus 25 percent of the excess over $75,750. Twenty-five percent of $8,050 (the excess over $75,750) is $2,012.50. The $8,762.50 is added to $2,012.50 for a total of $10,775. This amount is prorated over the 24 semimonthly periods to arrive at $448.96, the amount to be withheld from each semimonthly paycheck.

2011 Example 3: A married employee with four allowances is paid $4,100 semimonthly. Under the annualizing method, the $4,100 semimonthly wage is multiplied by 24 to arrive at the annual wage of $98,400. Next, the withholding allowances of $14,800 (4 x $3,700) are subtracted from the $98,400 annual wage to arrive at $83,600, the amount of wages subject to tax. The 2001 table for an annual payroll period, married employee – Table 7(b) – indicates that the tax to be withheld on $83,600 is $6,517.50 plus 28 percent of the excess over $49,900. Twenty-eight percent of $33,700 (the excess over $49,900) is $9,436. The $9,436 is added to $6,517.50 for a total of $15,953.50. This amount is prorated over the 24 semimonthly periods to arrive at $664.73, the amount to be withheld from each semimonthly paycheck.

Thus, in 2011, $215.77 more will be withheld each semimonthly paycheck than in 2010.

2010 Example 4: Employee Thomas, married with two dependent children, earns $3,000 semimonthly and claims four regular allowances and one allowance based on estimated deductions. The value of one semimonthly allowance is $152.08, 5 x $152.08 equals $760.40. After subtracting $760.40 from $3,000, the “amount of wages” is $2,239.60. Referring to Table 3(b) – Semimonthly Payroll Period, Married Person – the entry covering $2,239.60 is “Over $1,021 but not over $3,156.” The amount of tax to be withheld is $44.80 plus 15 percent of the excess over $1,021, which is $182.79. Therefore, the total amount to be withheld is $227.59.

2011 Example 4: Employee Thomas, married with two dependent children, earns $3,000 semimonthly and claims four regular allowances and one allowance based on estimated deductions. The value of one semimonthly allowance will be $154.17, 5 x $154.17 equals $770.85. After subtracting $770.85 from $3,000, the “amount of wages” is $2,229.15. Referring to 2001 Table 3(b) – Semimonthly Payroll Period, Married Person – the entry covering $2,229.15 is “Over $2,079 but not over $4,383.” The amount of tax to be withheld is $271.50 plus 28 percent of the excess over $2,079, which is $42.04. Therefore, the total amount to be withheld will be $313.54.

Thus, in 2011, $85.95 more will be withheld each semimonthly paycheck than in 2010.

About Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

Wolters Kluwer Law & Business is a leading provider of research products and software solutions in key specialty areas for legal and business professionals, as well as casebooks and study aids for law students. Its major product lines include Aspen Publishers, CCH, Kluwer Law International and Loislaw. Its markets include law firms, law schools, corporate counsel, health care organizations, and professionals requiring legal and compliance information. Wolters Kluwer Law & Business, a unit of Wolters Kluwer, is based in New York City and Riverwoods, Ill. Wolters Kluwer is a market-leading global information services company.

SOURCE CCH, Wolters Kluwer Law & Business

http://hr.cch.com/
http://www.kluwerlaw.com/

CCH Says History May Repeat Itself for the Payroll Industry | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Michael Gelder, Gov. Pat Quinn’s senior health policy adviser and chairman of the new Health Care Reform Implementation Council, told CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM Tuesday that if people don’t like the law, they should take it up with Congress.

“Some people would like to repeal the federal law, but the law is the law and that’s what we’re dealing with,” Gelder said.

Gelder said the council will listen to anyone, but he said he personally wouldn’t find it “particularly helpful” to hear from those who want to dismantle the law or repeal it.

Twenty states are challenging the Obama administration’s health care overhaul as unconstitutional.

Illinois, led by Quinn – a Democrat, has been an active partner in the law’s implementation so far. It started a new health plan for people with pre-existing conditions and accepted a $1 million federal grant to put more muscle into state review of health insurance premium increases.

The Illinois implementation council’s first meeting is Wednesday in Chicago. Other meetings are set for Oct. 5 in Peoria and Nov. 16 in Springfield.

Quinn formed the council in July. Its members include the heads of state agencies overseeing public health, insurance, services to the elderly and the state budget.

The federal law calls on states to run exchanges where consumers can shop for insurance starting in 2014. The exchanges will be one focus of the council, along with changes to Medicaid and federal grant opportunities.

Gelder told the AP that the council’s process will be open and transparent.

“We’ve invited all sides to the table,” Gelder said. The insurance industry, consumers and employers will take part, he said.

Gelder acknowledged that the outcome of the governor’s race may change how the state approaches the health care overhaul.

“I don’t know if it will make a difference in what we recommend,” Gelder said. “It might make a difference in what direction is ultimately pursued.”

Patty Schuh, spokeswoman for Republican governor candidate Bill Brady, said she was contacting the candidate for his thoughts on how the state should implement the national health care law.

Gelder said the council is charged with making recommendations on implementing the law, not whether the law is a good one.

“This isn’t about whether we should do it. It’s about how to do it,” Gelder said. “If people don’t want the law, they should contact their congressional representatives and senators.”

Illinois health adviser says ‘law is the law’ | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Audrey H. Rubin, President of Rubin Solutions, Ltd., a provider of finance and operations consulting to professional services firms, has joined the faculty as an Adjunct Professor to teach the course on Law Practice Management.

“Profit margins are increasingly paper-thin for law firms. To minimize training costs, employers are searching for candidates who can hit the ground running, efficiently and effectively,” said Rubin. “Candidates who already know how to track their time, talk to clients and account for expenses are naturally going to have a competitive edge in this conservative economic climate. I commend the University of Illinois for recognizing how important business skills are to an attorney’s success in the field.”

Practical business skills are often overlooked in a law school setting, according to Rubin. She believes that law schools, the American Bar Association, and other organizations are increasingly realizing that new lawyers need to understand the financial and business realities of the law industry to thrive, especially during tough economic times.

Rubin’s course will focus on financial and personnel management, as well as project management and practical ethical concerns when operating as a lawyer.

About Rubin Solutions

Rubin Solutions provides Chief Operating Officer services to professional services firms. The firm implements strategic solutions to improve profits, reduce expenses, motivate personnel, drive new business and increase efficiency.

President of the firm, Audrey Rubin, is an accomplished General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer, law firm partner and columnist.

To learn more about Rubin Solutions, visit http://www.rubinsolutions.com/.

New Adjunct Professor at the University of Illinois College of Law to Teach New Class on Business Skills | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

The two leaders of the construction project, meanwhile, defended their plans on Sunday, though one suggested that organizers might eventually be willing to discuss an alternative site. The other, Imam Feisal Abdul Rauf, said during a Middle East trip that the attention generated by the project is actually positive and that he hopes it will bring greater understanding.

The rallies took place around the corner from the cordoned-off old building that is to become a 13-story Islamic community centre and mosque. There were no reports of physical clashes but there were some nose-to-nose confrontations, including a man and a woman screaming at each other across a barricade under a steady rain.

Opponents of the $100 million project two blocks from the World Trade Center site appeared to outnumber supporters. Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” blared over loudspeakers as mosque opponents chanted, “No mosque, no way!”

Signs hoisted by dozens of protesters standing behind police barricades read “SHARIA” — using dripping, blood-red letters to describe Islam’s Shariah law, which governs Muslims’ behaviour.

Steve Ayling, a 40-year-old Brooklyn plumber, said the people behind the mosque project are “the same people who took down the twin towers.”

Opponents demand that the mosque be moved farther from the site where more than 2,700 people were killed on Sept. 11, 2001. “They should put it in the Middle East,” Mr. Ayling said.

On a nearby sidewalk, police chased away a group that unfurled a banner with images of beating, stoning and other torture they said was committed by those who followed Islamic law.

A mannequin wearing a keffiyeh, a traditional Arab headdress, was mounted on one of two mock missiles that were part of an anti-mosque installation. One missile was inscribed with the words: “Again? Freedom Targeted by Religion”; the other with “Obama: With a middle name Hussein. We understand. Bloomberg: What is your excuse?”

New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has fiercely defended plans for the proposed mosque, saying that the right “to practice your religion was one of the real reasons America was founded.”

The mosque project is being led by Mr. Rauf and his wife, Daisy Khan, who insist the centre will promote moderate Islam. The dispute has sparked a national debate on religious freedom and American values and is becoming an issue on the campaign trail ahead of the midterm elections. Republicans have been critical of President Barack Obama’s stance: He has said the Muslims have the right to build the centre at the site but has not commented on whether he thinks they should.

Mr. Rauf is in the middle of a Mideast trip funded by the U.S. State Department that is intended to promote religious tolerance. He told a gathering Sunday at the U.S. ambassador’s residence in the Persian Gulf state of Bahrain that he took heart from the dispute over the mosque, saying “the fact we are getting this kind of attention is a sign of success.”

“It is my hope that people will understand more,” Mr. Rauf said without elaborating.

Democratic New York Gov. David Paterson has suggested that state land farther from ground zero be used for the centre. Ms. Khan, executive director of the American Society for Muslim Advancement, expressed some openness to that idea on ABC television, but said she would have to meet with the centre’s other “stakeholders” first.

“We want to build bridges,” Ms. Khan said. “We don’t want to create conflict, this is not where we were coming from.”

At the pro-mosque rally, staged a block away from opponents’ demonstration, several hundred people chanted, “Muslims are welcome here! We say no to racist fear!”

Dr. Ali Akram, a 39-year-old Brooklyn physician, came with his three sons and an 11-year-old nephew waving an American flag. He noted that scores of Muslims were among those who died in the towers, and he called those who oppose the mosque “un-American.”

“They teach their children about the freedom of religion in America — but they don’t practice what they preach,” Mr. Akram said.

Heated rallies over mosque project near 9/11 site | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

A host of lawmakers, including Mayor Richard Daley, were present at the signing, held at Nat King Cole Park, 361 E. 85th St.

“This legislation will reduce the threat of gun violence by sending a clear message that serious offenders will be held accountable and will not be let off scot-free as many of them have been in the past,” Daley said in a press release.

Also at the signing was the family of slain police officer Thomas Wortham, who was shot and killed outside his parents’ home on May 19. Two other Chicago Police officers have been killed since his death.

State Senator Jackie Collins said deceased Officer Michael Bailey was her constituent. And having a gun did not save his life.

“I’m proud that instead of accepting the violence — and the gang thugs and drug dealers who are behind most of it — that we’re standing up to it in Chicago and Illinois. We all support the second amendment and responsible adults who legitimately want a gun in their home for self defense,” Daley said in the release.

The bill, HB 5832, was one of a package of gun laws that the city proposed in Springfield, according to the release.

The new state law goes into effect January 1. The City of Chicago recently approved a strict gun law following a ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court that would make the city’s handgun ban invalid.

Quinn signs Daley-supported gun law, increases penalties for illegal firearms | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

New Law Requiring Opting-in for Overdraft Protection Takes Effect

SPRINGFIELD, Ill., July 16 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Illinois consumers and merchants need to be aware of a new federal rule that could lead to a significant increase in denied debit card transactions at a point of sale.   All financial institutions are required to comply with this new rule.

On July 1, 2010, an amendment to the Federal Reserve Board’s “Regulation E” regarding electronic fund transfers went into effect.  It requires consumers to opt-in to their financial institution’s overdraft protection program for ATM and one-time debit card transactions before overdraft fees may be assessed on the account. In the past, many financial institutions automatically enrolled their customers in an overdraft protection program for all types of transactions.  Going forward, financial institutions will be forced to stop assuming the risk involved in covering overdrafts involving ATM and one-time debit card transactions, unless consumers choose to opt-in to this service.  (These changes do not apply to overdraft programs involving checks and automatic bill payments.)

Failure to opt-in to your financial institution’s overdraft protection program means that an attempt to make a purchase with a debit card may be denied at the point of sale if you have insufficient funds in your account.

Overdraft protection programs offered by financial institutions provide consumers with protection against denied transactions.  This service often involves a fee charged to the account holder to cover ATM and debit card transactions when there are inadequate funds in the account.  Under the new rule, if an account holder has not opted-in to an overdraft program, and there are not enough funds in the account to cover an ATM or debit transaction, a fee cannot be charged and the transaction may be denied.  For new accounts, the opt-in deadline is July 1, while existing account holders have until August 15 to opt-in, after which there can be no automatic overdraft protection offered until an opt-in request is received.

To help Illinois consumers better understand the new regulation and their options, the Illinois Bankers Association offers the following tips and information:

Options for Account Holders

• Opt-in:  If your bank has a practice of paying overdrafts for ATM and everyday debit card transactions, it will likely offer the option to opt-in to its overdraft protection program. Account holders will receive a notice with directions on how to opt-in. You can also call or visit your bank to help you better understand the process.  If you decide to opt-in, you still will have the option to opt-out (cancel) at any time.
• If You Don’t Opt-in:  If you do not want to opt-in to an overdraft protection program, you do not have to do so. However, if you do not opt-in, your ATM or one-time debit card transactions may be denied if there are inadequate funds in your account. There often are other choices made available by financial institutions to protect against insufficient funds in an account.  Many banks provide the option to link a checking account to a savings account or a line of credit. Call or visit your bank to inquire about your overdraft protection options.  If you choose not to opt-in at this time, you can opt-in at any time in the future.

Avoiding Overdrafts

The best and easiest way to avoid overdraft fees is to keep track of your transactions and your account balance. If you keep extra money in your account — a cushion — you will be less likely to overdraw your account.  Some banks offer to send you an alert by phone, e-mail or text message if your balance falls below a designated amount.  Check with your bank to find out what options are available to you.

More information on the new overdraft rule is available on the Federal Reserve’s consumer information website at www.federalreserve.gov/consumerinfo/wyntk_overdraft.htm.

About The Illinois Bankers Association

The Illinois Bankers Association is a full-service trade association dedicated to creating a positive business climate that benefits the entire banking industry and the communities they serve. Founded in 1891, the IBA brings together state and national banks, savings banks, and savings and loan associations of all sizes in Illinois. Collectively, the IBA represents nearly 90 percent of the assets of the Illinois banking industry, which employs more than 100,000 men and women in over 5,000 offices across the state. More information is available at www.ilbanker.com.

SOURCE Illinois Bankers Association

Illinois Bankers Association Offers Tips for Consumers on New Overdraft Rule | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Worn down by a grinding commute from his home in Joliet to John Marshall Law School in downtown Chicago, aspiring attorney Mario Reed says he would gladly shell out a chunk of his future retainers for less congestion on the expressways.

“There’s nothing more frustrating than dealing with traffic,” says Reed, 28. “Whatever that cost would be, I would be happy to pay. It would make the quality of my life much better.”

Already plagued by the nation’s third-worst traffic congestion with little hope of building a way out of gridlock, Chicago-area motorists need to seriously consider whether they’re willing to pay more to avoid traffic jams, transportation experts say.

A new federally funded study by the Metropolitan Planning Council and the Illinois Tollway suggests that it’s time for Chicago to embrace the concept known as “congestion pricing.”

The strategy imposes the supply-and-demand model on traffic conditions. Expressway motorists pay a fee – or a premium toll on the tollway — to use a particular lane or lanes during peak-demand periods. The fee would vary, depending on traffic — maybe about $5.39 for Reed’s commute on the inbound Stevenson — and lane usage would be “managed” to guarantee steady traffic flow.

“The public understands that unpredictable traffic conditions make everyday driving like a game of roulette,” said Joseph Schwieterman, an urban transportation expert at DePaul University. “Congestion pricing is about the only weapon we have in our arsenal to encourage more efficient use of our expressways [and tollways].”

Proponents say the strategy creates incentives to travel during less-crowded times, encourages carpooling and transit use, and cuts wasted time and money from motorists stuck in traffic. Congestion-priced lanes also have been shown to improve traffic flow in adjacent lanes, backers say.

The tollway and the planning council applied for a federal grant in 2007 to fund the study of congestion pricing. The council supports the concept, while the tollway hasn’t taken a position.

The study did not provide a timeline for how long it would take to implement such a plan in the Chicago area if it were approved.

After evaluating the tollways and expressways in the seven-county region, officials targeted three routes for the study: the Stevenson Expressway (Interstate 55) from I-355 to downtown Chicago; the Jane Addams Tollway (I-90) from I-290/Illinois Highway 53 to Elgin; and the reversible lanes on the Kennedy Expressway (I-90/94).

By converting the Kennedy’s reversible lanes into congestion-priced lanes, the state would ask drivers to pay a variable toll depending on traffic and time of day, while being assured of free-flowing traffic, even in rush hour, according to the study.

“It’s not a bad idea,” said Steve Helpern, 66, a Glencoe resident who drives the Kennedy regularly to Lincoln Park. “If you pay extra, you’d get there faster. The question is, how much?”

Maybe about $2.19 per inbound ride, the study suggests. That’s just an estimate, however, based on models in other cities.

Similar express lanes and high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes are the most common examples of congestion pricing in the United States, and are in use or being considered in 22 states.

In Minneapolis, where congestion pricing on the I-394 corridor was introduced in 2005, tolls are adjusted hourly based on the level of congestion. Drivers pay from $1 to $4 during rush hour.

On SR-91 Express Lanes in Orange County, Calif., tolls range from $1.25 to $10, depending on traffic. The average is $3.13.

The HOT lane concept has already been a hot topic at the Illinois State Toll Highway Authority. In 2008, former Gov. Rod Blagojevich proposed the concept of high-occupancy “green lanes,” but the plan was tainted by the “pay to play” scandal. Officials put the plan on hold after Blagojevich was ousted from office.

A 2007 report by the planning council estimated the Chicago region loses $7.3 billion a year in wasted time, fuel and environmental damage. The report also found that Chicago-area drivers spend an average of 2 1/2 days stuck in traffic each year.

Truckers on the Illinois Tollway already use congestion pricing because they get a discount for traveling during off-peak hours.

Last year, Pace and the tollway teamed up in an unsuccessful bid for $200 million in federal stimulus money to fund a plan to designate express bus and carpool lanes on the Tri-State Tollway.

Read the original article from Stateline.org.

IL: To cut gridlock, drivers should pay for fast lane, new study says | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

Hires Finance Team

NEW YORK, July 7 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — The international law firm of Chadbourne & Parke announced today that it will strengthen its long-standing Latin America practice with the opening of a new office in Sao Paulo and the hiring of two finance attorneys.

The new office will open as soon as all regulatory approvals are obtained from the Brazilian Bar.  Chadbourne has been in the process of organizing a consultancy on foreign law, as required by Brazilian Bar rules, and expects to have such consultancy completed and authorized by the Brazilian Bar over the next few weeks.

Charles Johnson will join Chadbourne as a partner in the firm’s new Sao Paulo office.  Mr. Johnson, who has worked in Brazil for the past eight years, has extensive experience on a wide range of structured finance transactions in Brazil and elsewhere in Latin America.

Daniel Spencer will also join Chadbourne to participate in the Brazil launch.  Mr. Spencer specializes in cross-border finance, trade finance and securitization transactions.

Felipe Creazzo will move from Chadbourne’s New York office to Brazil to join the new office.  Mr. Creazzo’s practice involves M&A, corporate finance and international corporate transactions.

Chadbourne partners Talbert Navia and Allen Miller, who together co-head the Latin America practice, and Carlos Albarracin, Oliver Armas and Marc Rossell will actively support the new venture.

“The success and growth of our Latin America practice, and the increasing significance of Brazil in the world economy, encouraged us to move decisively to gain on-the-ground capabilities in Brazil,” said Charles K. O’Neill, Chadbourne’s Managing Partner.

“We are delighted to have Charles and Daniel join Chadbourne to help us launch our new venture in Brazil,” said Mr. Miller.  ”Their Brazil focus and strong international finance experience will strengthen our capabilities in a market where we have been active for more than 15 years,” said Mr. Navia.  ”We will continue to take steps to reinforce the firm’s position as a dominant legal player in the Brazilian market.”

“With the new office, we will be one of only two New York-based firms with offices in both Brazil and Mexico, the two largest economies in Latin America,” said Mr. Miller, who with Mr. Navia spearheaded the firm’s 2008 expansion into Mexico City.

“Chadbourne’s experience and reputation in international finance and project finance coupled with its long-standing commitment to Latin America offer me an ideal platform to serve clients and to expand my practice,” said Mr. Johnson.  He is joining Chadbourne from the Sao Paulo office of Clifford Chance, where he had been head of the Banking and Finance Practice for that firm in Brazil.  Mr. Spencer, who joins Chadbourne from Mayer Brown in Sao Paulo, previously worked with Mr. Johnson at Clifford Chance.

Mr. Johnson attended College of Law York and received an LLB from University of Bristol in 1995.  He is fluent in Portuguese and is admitted as a consultant on foreign law in Sao Paulo and as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

Mr. Spencer graduated from BPP Law School in 2002 and received an LLB from the University of Exeter in 2001.  He is fluent in Portuguese and is admitted as a consultant on foreign law in Sao Paulo and as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

Mr. Creazzo holds an LL.B. degree from the Pontifical Catholic University of Sao Paulo and an LL.M. from the Georgetown University Law Center.  In addition to his native Portuguese, he is fluent in English and Spanish, and is admitted as a consultant on foreign law in Sao Paulo and as an attorney in New York.

Chadbourne’s new office in Brazil will be multi-disciplinary, with a focus on cross-border M&A, international bank finance (including trade finance), project finance, capital markets, securitization, private equity and international arbitration.

About Chadbourne’s Latin America Practice

A leader and pioneer in Latin America since the 1980′s, Chadbourne is one of only a few U.S. law firms ranked by Chambers Latin America for its work across multiple disciplines, including corporate/M&A, capital markets, banking and finance, projects and international arbitration.  Twelve Chadbourne partners are focused almost exclusively on the region. Lawyers and support staff are fluent in Spanish and/or Portuguese.

About Chadbourne & Parke LLP

Chadbourne & Parke LLP, an international law firm headquartered in New York City, provides a full range of legal services, including mergers and acquisitions, securities, project finance, private equity, corporate finance, venture capital and emerging companies, energy/renewable energy, communications and technology, commercial and products liability litigation, arbitration/IDR, securities litigation and regulatory enforcement, special investigations and litigation, intellectual property, antitrust, domestic and international tax, insurance and reinsurance, environmental, real estate, bankruptcy and financial restructuring, employment law and ERISA, trusts and estates and government contract matters.  Major geographical areas of concentration include Russia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, Latin America and Canada.  The firm has offices in New York, Washington, DC, Los Angeles, Mexico City, London, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Warsaw, Kyiv, Almaty, Dubai and Beijing.  For additional information, visit www.chadbourne.com

SOURCE Chadbourne & Parke LLP

http://www.chadbourne.com

Chadbourne to Launch Brazil Office | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

WASHINGTON (AFP) –
The US government on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Arizona for a controversial immigration law which has been sharply criticized by America’s neighbors and by the US administration.

A Justice Department statement said it was challenging the new state law in the courts because it hampered the authority of the administration of President Barack Obama to enforce national immigration policy.

It also placed significant “burdens” on federal agencies and law enforcement, the department argued.

Federal laws do not permit the development of a “patchwork of state and local immigration policies,” it said.

“Setting immigration policy and enforcing immigration laws is a national responsibility,” US Attorney General Eric Holder said in the statement.

Arizona, the Justice Department said, “crossed a constitutional line.”

The Arizona law, due to take effect on July 29, makes it a crime to be in the state, which borders Mexico, without proper immigration papers and requires local police, who are not federal agents responsible for immigration matters, to determine if people are in the country legally.

US officials said they took the action after consulting with various law enforcement departments, chiefs of police, civil rights groups and other local officials.

Many said they were concerned the law would make victims of crimes or witnesses “less likely to contact or cooperate with law enforcement” if they did not possess proper legal papers.

Officials in Arizona argue they have been overrun by illegal immigrants leading to a spike in the crime rate and straining state resources. They say the measure was necessary only because of lax federal government enforcement of the southern US border.

“Arizonans are understandably frustrated with illegal immigration, and the federal government has a responsibility to comprehensively address those concerns,” Holder said.

However, he added, “diverting federal resources away from dangerous aliens such as terrorism suspects and aliens with criminal records will impact the entire country’s safety.”

Meanwhile, Arizona’s two US senators issued a joint statement slamming the lawsuit.

“The American people must wonder whether the Obama administration is really committed to securing the border when it sues a state that is simply trying to protect its people by enforcing immigration law,” Republicans John McCain and Jon Kyl said in a joint statement.

More than 60 percent of the US population supports Arizona’s new immigration law, according to a recent opinion survey.

About 30 percent of Arizona’s population of 6.6 million are Hispanic, one third of whom are foreign born, including 460,000 illegal immigrants.

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano said in the statement that her staff was “actively working with members of Congress from both parties to comprehensively reform our immigration system at the federal level because this challenge cannot be solved by a patchwork of inconsistent state laws, of which (Arizona’s) is one.”

Obama on July 1 renewed his called for Republicans to back immigration reform to bring 11 million illegal immigrants out of the shadows, but his political foes quickly accused him of “political pandering” four months ahead of key legislative elections.

US government sues Arizona over anti-immigration law (AFP) | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

COLUMBIA, S.C., June 8 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — Hendrick Construction won an $11.6 million contract to build a series of additions to the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy totaling more than 65,000 square feet.

The Academy Village will be the first significant expansion of the campus since 1988. The project includes a 44,000-square-foot dormitory, 9,800-square-foot classroom, 8,100-square-foot cafeteria, 1,100-square-foot gymnasium and 2,000-square-foot energy building.

“This project represents a rebirth of the academy, and it will allow us to significantly enhance basic law enforcement training for new recruits,” said Criminal Justice Academy Director Hubert F. Harrell. “The expansion will allow the academy to provide the citizens of South Carolina with better trained, professional law enforcement officers who are better equipped to function effectively than ever before.”

Additionally, the training village will provide the foundation for the development of professionalism at all levels of law enforcement, said South Carolina State Sen. Mike Fair, chairman of the Senate Corrections and Penology Committee.

“I am proud to have played a role in securing the funding and promoting a model which will allow South Carolina to be a national leader in law enforcement training,” Fair said.

When complete, the Criminal Justice Academy will seek a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

“We’re on an aggressive schedule to finish this project on time,” said Roger Hendrick, president of Hendrick Construction. “This will be a challenging site, but we’re looking forward to getting the job done.”

The majority of the new buildings will be complete by the end of 2010. The remainder will be finished in 2011.

The South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy provides standardized, advanced and specialized law enforcement training for all of South Carolina’s law enforcement officers. Each year more than 1,200 police officers, highway patrol officers, 911 operators, detention officers and other law enforcement personnel graduate from the academy.

Hendrick Construction, Inc. is a Charlotte, N.C.-based general contractor that provides commercial construction services throughout the Southeast. The company’s portfolio includes facilities for corporate headquarters, manufacturing, industrial, health care and bio-tech companies, as well as schools, government buildings, churches and restaurants. Visit www.hendrickconstruction.com.

SOURCE Hendrick Construction

http://www.hendrickconstruction.com

Hendrick Construction Wins Criminal Justice Academy Contract | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.

SAN DIEGO, May 21 /CHICAGOPRESSRELEASE.COM/ — The San Diego based law firm of Silldorf & Levine, LLP recently announced the launch of an Orange County office based in Irvine. The attorneys of this boutique civil litigation firm have combined legal experience of more than 50 years. The focus of the firm’s Orange County office will be on community association representation and construction defect litigation.

Partner Howard Silldorf explains, “Having an office in Orange County will allow us better access to our growing base of clients in the area and will increase our ability to provide exemplary treatment and superior results.” The firm specializes in providing advanced case management skills to allow clients to benefit from the resources of a large firm with the approachability of a small firm.

The firm’s community association practice includes the representation of homeowners associations in condominiums, cooperatives, and planned developments.  Silldorf & Levine, LLP advises on a wide variety of legal matters including the enforceability of covenants and restrictions, revision of governing documents, and drafting legal opinion letters.  Further, the firm assists associations in the collection of unpaid assessments up to and including the lien and foreclosure process.

Silldorf & Levine’s construction defect practice includes representation of homeowners associations and single family homeowners in major litigation against respective builders and developers throughout Southern California.  The law firm has a proven track record of success in which they have recovered more than $150 million in verdicts and settlements for their clients.  In fact, the partners of the firm, Howard Silldorf and Scott Levine assisted in drafting and negotiating the current construction defect statutes in California.  The firm provides free consultations and inspections for clients with potential construction defects.

Silldorf & Levine’s Orange County office is located at 18101 Von Karman Avenue, 3rd Floor, Irvine, CA 92612, Phone: (949) 225-4470 or 1-800-811-5874.

About Silldorf & Levine, LLP

Silldorf & Levine, LLP (www.silldorf-levine.com) is a mid-sized boutique civil litigation firm headquartered in San Diego, California.  The firm has successfully represented consumers, individuals, groups of individuals, business owners, entrepreneurs, businesses, homeowners and community associations in a variety of legal matters. The firm concentrates its practice on community association representation and complex civil litigation including construction defect litigation, employment litigation, and business litigation.

SOURCE Silldorf & Levine, LLP

http://www.silldorf-levine.com

Silldorf & Levine, LLP Expands Practice Into Orange County | Chicago Press Release Services - Chicago's leading press release newswire service; professional press release services, press release distribution and newswire services.