Responding to the decision of the Supreme Court in relation to the Cadder case, Justice Secretary Kenny MacAskill said: "I note today's decision by the Supreme Court. It is a decision we did not seek but it is one to which we must respond.

"The decision overturns decades of criminal procedure in Scotland, a proud, distinctive, justice system, developed over centuries, and predicated on fairness with many rigorous protections for accused persons.  It is rightly admired by other jurisdictions. This issue is about legal advice at one step in the investigatory process.

"Today's judgement in the Supreme Court has gone against the unanimous decision last October by seven Scottish High Court judges at the Scottish Appeal Court that determined that an aspect of Scottish criminal procedure does not comply with the European Convention on Human Rights.

A class-action lawsuit contends that Citizens Property Insurance Corp. improperly awarded dozens of no-bid contracts worth more than $49 million.

The lawsuit filed Thursday in Tallahassee seeks unspecified damages for the 1.2 million Citizens policyholders. The attorney who filed the complaint says the alleged mismanagement costs policyholders in higher rates.

Citizens is supposed to take competitive bids for all contracts above $25,000, except in emergencies or when there is one vendor. The lawsuit says 33 contracts since 2004 have violated those rules.

A Citizens statement said all 33 contracts in question were properly awarded.

Marc D. Goldstein has joined the law firm of Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C., as an associate focusing his legal practice in the areas of Labor and Employment Law, and Government Relations.

Mr. Goldstein earned a J.D. degree from Washington University School of Law in St. Louis, and a B.A. degree in Psychology and History from New York University in New York City.

Before practicing law, Mr. Goldstein worked in Washington, D.C., with a non-governmental organization representing the commercial casino industry. While in law school, he worked as a summer intern in the Litigation and Labor Departments of Gallop, Johnson and Neuman.

Mr. Goldstein is a member of The Missouri Bar and the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis

Gallop, Johnson & Neuman, L.C., a full service law firm of 80 attorneys, has provided legal services to clients in diverse industries since its founding in 1976 and is one of the largest law firms headquartered in St. Louis. The firm also has offices in Washington, D.C. and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. The firm serves public corporations; privately-held companies; entrepreneurs and start-up enterprises; individuals and families; trustees and trust beneficiaries; charities; and non-profit entities. The firm’s headquarters are located at 101 South Hanley Road, Suite 1700, in Clayton, Missouri.

The University of Michigan's student government president has dropped a request for a personal protection order against a state lawyer who attacked him on an anti-gay blog.

An official at the Washtenaw County Circuit Court in Ann Arbor says 21-year-old Chris Armstrong's lawyer filed a motion to drop the matter Monday, hours before a court hearing was scheduled.

Armstrong had requested the order earlier this month against assistant attorney general Andrew Shirvell. He claimed the 30-year-old prosecutor harassed him over a five-month period.

Shirvell started a blog in April that criticized Armstrong as a racist with a "radical homosexual agenda." Shirvell remains on personal leave from his job.

A Canadian accused of killing an American soldier as a teenage al-Qaida militant pleaded guilty Monday as part of a deal that avoids a war crimes trial for someone labeled a "child soldier" by his defenders.

Omar Khadr pleaded to five charges including murder for throwing a grenade that mortally wounded the soldier during a fierce raid on an al-Qaida compound in Afghanistan in 2002. The now 24-year-old defendant also admitted to planting improvised explosive devices and receiving weapons training from the terrorist network.

The exact terms of the plea agreement were not immediately disclosed. Khadr will now face a military jury for a sentencing hearing that is expected to last several days. The panel cannot impose a sentence more severe than the plea agreement. His trial had been scheduled to start Monday and he faced a possible life sentence.

Dressed in a dark suit instead of the solid color jumpsuits typically worn by prisoners held at the U.S. base in Cuba, the defendant, who was born in Toronto and speaks fluent English, repeatedly answered "yes" to a series of questions from the military judge making sure he understood the charges against him.

Richard B. Thomas, a long-time patent engineer with Armstrong Teasdale LLP, has become an associate in the law firm’s Intellectual Property practice group. With Thomas’ promotion, the firm expands its Intellectual Property group to 70 people.

Much of Thomas’ practice involves advising emerging and mature businesses on the development and leveraging of technology. His main focus is on the preparation and prosecution of U.S. and foreign patent applications.

“Even in challenging economic times, businesses continue to actively acquire intellectual property and protect their intellectual property rights,” said Armstrong Teasdale Intellectual Property Practice Group Leader Patrick W. Rasche. “Rich’s background and experience in the field align with our goals for the group. We look forward to his continued contributions and remain excited about the prospects for continued growth over the coming years.”

Thomas received his J.D. from Saint Louis University School of Law, his M.B.A. from Lindenwood University, and his B.S. in Nuclear Engineering from the Polytechnic Institute of New York. He is licensed to practice in Missouri and is a member of the Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis and the American Bar Association.

About Armstrong Teasdale: Armstrong Teasdale LLP, with nearly 250 lawyers in offices across the U.S. and China, has a demonstrable track record of delivering sophisticated legal advice and exceptional service to a dynamic client base. Whether an issue is local or global, practice area specific or industry related, Armstrong Teasdale provides each client with an invaluable combination of legal resources and practical advice in nearly every area of law. For more information, please visit www.armstrongteasdale.com.