Weekly Briefs: Bannon convicted for contempt of Congress; suit targets Skittles ingredient
Steve Bannon in 2017. Photo by Gage Skidmore, CC-BY-SA-3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Steve Bannon convicted for contempt of Congress
Jurors deliberated for less than three hours before convicting Steve Bannon, a former adviser for former President Donald Trump, on two counts of contempt of Congress on Friday. He was prosecuted for defying a subpoena from the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. The two counts are misdemeanors that carry a sentence of up to one year in prison and a fine of up to $1,000. The minimum sentence is 30 days. He will be sentenced Oct. 21. (The Associated Press, the New York Times, CNN)
Suit claims Skittles are ‘unfit for human consumption’
A would-be class action lawsuit claims that Mars Inc., the maker of Skittles, failed to warn consumers that the candy contains the coloring agent titanium dioxide, making it “unfit for human consumption.” Titanium dioxide is listed as an ingredient, but it’s difficult to read, the suit says. Titanium dioxide isn’t banned in the United States, but the European Commission is barring its use as a food additive. The suit was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California on behalf of consumer Jenile Thames of San Leandro, California. The suit is among a growing number of actions filed on behalf of food consumers. (The Washington Post, NBC Chicago)
SCOTUS short lister confirmed to DC Circuit
Former U.S. Supreme Court short lister Judge J. Michelle Childs was confirmed Tuesday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. Childs was previously a federal district judge in South Carolina. She will be the first judge on the D.C. Circuit to have been nominated by President Joe Biden. A second D.C. Circuit nominee, Judge Florence Pan of the District of Columbia, is awaiting a confirmation vote by the full U.S. Senate. (The Associated Press, the Washington Post, Reuters)
Lawyer who defended mobsters dies at 77
Gerald Shargel, a criminal defense lawyer who defended mobsters and white-collar clients, died from Alzheimer’s disease complications July 16. He was 77 years old. According to the New York Times, Shargel “combined cogent legal scholarship with shrewd courtroom theatrics” to defend his clients. (The New York Times)
Biden drops plan to nominate conservtive lawyer to judgeship
President Joe Biden has abandoned a plan to nominate anti-abortion Republican Chad Meredith to a federal judgeship in Kentucky. Meredith, formerly Kentucky’s solicitor general, had the backing of Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. But Biden dropped his plan when the other Republican senator from Kentucky, Sen. Rand Paul, said he opposed the nomination because of McConnell’s “secret deal with the White House.” McConnell said there was no deal or pledge to do anything in return for the nomination. (The New York Times, Law360, CBS News)
