The Daily Muck

Saud Memon, a “long-sought” suspect in the brutal murder of journalist Daniel Pearl, died earlier this year. Memon was secretly interrogated by US and Pakistani officials. Making Pearl’s case even uglier, there’s reason to believe that the detention and interrogation played a role in his death. (Wall Street Journal)

The government holds a distinct advantage in the war crimes trial in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, in so far as it s lawyers may legally hide critical information and witness testimony. Neither U.S. criminal law nor the Uniform Code of Military Justice apply to the trials. But even with this “stacked deck,” the only conviction secured by the commissions was the result of a plea bargain deal with an Australian prisoner. (LA Times)

Though Norman Hsu once evaded a heavily muscled, dragon tattooed debt collector named “Shrimp Boy,” by telling police he was being kidnapped, he eventually ran out of excuses with law enforcement and wealthy investors. The Wall Street Journal has a colorful round-up of his schemes and scams, including how Hsu became a fugitive in a latex glove case. (Wall Street Journal)

A front page New York Times piece on the need to restore stability to the Justice Department reads like an open invitation for Attorney General Michael Mukasey to make Rachel Paulose’s office his first stop. The 34 year-old Paulose serves as the poster child for all that went wrong with Justice under Gonzales. (New York Times)

As former U.S attorney in Arizona, Paul Charlton, was recounting a brutal murder on a Navajo reservation to high level Justice Department officials, it struck him: the official did not comprehend the most basic principles of federal Indian law. What tipped Charlton off was the question, “Why are you even prosecuting this case?” U.S attorneys have sole authority in prosecuting felonies on reservations. The Denver Post gives an overview of the spotty record of law enforcement on reservations. (Denver Post)

Lawyers for indicted representative William Jefferson (D-LA) may win a prize for sophistry with their newest defense. Their newest motion asserts that changes to federal law that are outlined in the Public Corruption Prosecution Improvements Act (it was recently approved by the Senate Judiciary Committee) strengthens their case. For the tortured logic check out The Politico. (Politico)

A federal judge has ordered the White House to preserve copies of all its emails. The decision is a result of a lawsuit against the White House over the alleged destruction or disappearance of five million e-mails. (USA Today)

Last week the director of Iraq’s state-run television network stated “It’s really surprising that Blackwater is still out there killing people.” But this week Blackwater is competing for pieces of new $15 billion (over 5 years) U.S. government contracts to fight narcotics trafficking. Even if Blackwater does not win a piece of the pie outright, it could end up as subcontractor to a rival company. (Wall Street Journal)