Kuwait's highest court granted women the right to obtain a passport without their husband's approval, the case's lawyer said Wednesday, in the latest stride for women's rights in this small oil-rich emirate.

Unlike with highly conservative neighbors like Saudi Arabia, women in Kuwait can vote, serve in parliament and drive — and now can obtain their own passports.

In many countries in the region, women cannot travel or obtain a passport without the consent of their male guardian.

Attorney Adel Qurban, whose case the court was ruling on, said the landmark decision "freed" Kuwaiti women from the 1962 law requiring their husband's signature to obtain a passport.

His client, Fatima al-Baghli, is one of thousands of women who have been petitioning courts for this right.

The court found the article in the decades-old law "unconstitutional" because it goes against the principal of equal rights for men and women.

A Northern California man accused of sending threatening e-mails to President Barack Obama and other officials has pleaded not guilty to federal charges.

Federal authorities say 59-year-old John Gimbel of Crescent City sent a new batch of messages on Sept. 28 after previously being warned to stop. Authorities say the e-mails contained racist, profane language and included threats to the first lady.

Gimbel was arrested Oct. 6 by the U.S. Secret Service and was indicted before Obama appeared in San Francisco on Thursday for a fundraiser.

Randall Davis, Gimbel's former attorney, says Gimbel argues he was exercising his free speech rights.

On Monday, a federal public defender was appointed to the case, which has been transferred to San Francisco.

The central figure in a huge New Jersey corruption investigation pleaded guilty to federal bank fraud and money laundering charges Tuesday.

Solomon Dwek's work for the government as a cooperating witness directly led to the arrests of 44 people in July, but it was his turn in court Tuesday.

Wearing a dark suit and light blue tie, the 37-year-old Dwek stood before U.S. District Judge Jose Linares and admitted his role in a multimillion-dollar bank fraud scheme in 2006. He acknowledged depositing two $25 million checks drawn on a closed account and using them to make wire transfers to separate banks totaling nearly $23 million.

Bank fraud carries a maximum prison sentence of 30 years, and the maximum for money laundering is 10 years, but Dwek would face nine to 11 years under federal sentencing guidelines. Linares can adjust that range up or down when he sentences Dwek on Feb. 9, and the U.S. attorney's office said it may recommend a lighter sentence based on Dwek's ongoing cooperation.

Former U.S. District Judge Brian Sandoval has joined the Nevada law firm of Jones Vargas.

Sandoval, a Republican, resigned from the bench last month to launch a campaign for governor.

He said he will focus on building an alternative dispute resolution practice for the firm, one of the state's largest with significant lobbying presence in Carson City.
Sandoval said he isn't worried about a conflict of interest.

"I know there's a government relations department in the firm, but I will be completely independent of that as well," Sandoval said. "I'll have zero involvement with them."

Sandoval becomes one of two gubernatorial candidates working for law firms that are major lobbyists. Clark County Commissioner Rory Reid, a Democrat, is a shareholder in Lionel Sawyer and Collins.

Sandoval is a former Nevada attorney general, assemblyman and chairman of the Nevada Gaming Commission.

David J. Dykeman, a shareholder and patent attorney in the Boston office of the international law firm Greenberg Traurig LLP, has been named a recipient of an "Rx for Excellence" Award from Massachusetts Medical Law Report for his contributions to the health care field.

Massachusetts Medical Law Report, published by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, features legal and risk management news for the medical community. The paper`s second annual Rx for Excellence Awards will honor 45 physicians, risk managers, health care attorneys and other professionals for best practices in promoting safety, quality and risk management in health care. Dykeman will be honored as a "Hero from the Field" at an awards ceremony and breakfast at the Westin Copley Place on October 29 from 7:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

"I am humbled to be among the impressive list of winners of the Rx for Excellence Award, recognizing the best practices in health care," said Dykeman. "The most exciting part of being a patent attorney working with health care companies is bringing medical innovations to market to improve patient care."

"The honorees represent the very best of the unparalleled medical community in Massachusetts," said Reni Gertner, editor of Massachusetts Medical Law Report. "David Dykeman's expertise in protecting the innovations of medical companies is an excellent addition to the elite group of winners."

Dykeman is a registered patent attorney with more than 13 years of experience in patent and intellectual property law. His practice focuses on securing worldwide intellectual property protection and providing advice on related business strategy for high-tech clients. He has particular experience in medical devices, nanotechnology, information technology and life sciences. Dykeman serves on the board of directors for the Massachusetts Medical Device Industry Council (MassMEDIC). He is also a contributing editor of the Journal of BioLaw & Business, a member of the Research, Innovation & Commercialization Task Force of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Collaborative, and a frequent conference speaker and published author on intellectual property law.

To read the Massachusetts Medical Law Report Special Section about the 2009 Rx for Excellence Award winners, please visit http://mamedicallaw.com/wp-files/mmlr_rx09.pdf.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with approximately 1750 attorneys serving clients from more than 30 offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. In the U.S., the firm has more offices than any other among the Top 20 on The National Law Journal's 2008 NLJ 250. In the U.K., the firm operates as Greenberg Traurig Maher LLP. Additionally, Greenberg Traurig has strategic alliances with the following independent law firms: Studio Santa Maria in Milan and Rome, TA Lawyers GKJ in Tokyo, and Weber Law Office in Zürich. The firm was Chambers and Partners' USA Law Firm of the Year in 2007 and among the Top 3 in the International Law Firm of the Year at the 2009 The Lawyer Awards. For additional information, please visit www.gtlaw.com.

A federal judge on Tuesday revoked bail for former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and sent him to jail to await a corruption trial scheduled to start next week.

Calling Kerik "a toxic combination of self-minded focus and arrogance," Judge Stephen Robinson said he was revoking the $500,000 bail because Kerik disclosed sealed case information to the trustee of his legal defense fund.

The trustee shared some of the secret information with the Washington Times, which didn't publish it. The judge said he did not believe Kerik's claim that the trustee had been hired as a lawyer and was therefore allowed to see the information.

Kerik was being jailed to make sure he was unable to "influence witnesses or prospective jurors," Robinson said.

"My fear is that he has a toxic combination of self-minded focus and arrogance, and I fear that combination leads him to believe that his ends justify his means," Robinson said. "The failure of Mr. Kerik to abide by the direct order of this court ... must be appropriately addressed."

Kerik is charged with accepting apartment renovations from a construction company in exchange for recommending the company for city contracts. He has pleaded not guilty.

Defense lawyer Barry Berke said he would appeal the ruling and seek a stay, but he said he was unsure if that could be accomplished before the trial, which is scheduled to begin Monday.

At the end of the court session, Kerik took off his purple tie, emptied his pockets, removed a ring from his finger and gave them to his lawyer. He then walked off in custody.

The former Yale lab technician charged with killing a graduate student last month is scheduled to appear in a Connecticut courtroom.

Raymond Clark III is due in New Haven Superior Court on Tuesday. His lawyer says he will plead not guilty after deciding whether waive his right to a probable cause hearing.

Police say Clark strangled the 24-year-old Annie Le (LAY') and hid her body behind a wall in the laboratory building where they both worked. Authorities have not released a motive.

People charged with murder in Connecticut have the right to a probable cause hearing, in which both sides can introduce evidence and call witnesses. A judge then decides whether the case can move to trial.

Le's body was found on what was to be her wedding day.