The Pennsylvania Supreme Court upheld the decision to allow the development of two waterfront casinos in Philadelphia.

The decision affirms the decision of state regulators to allow Foxwoods Casino Philadelphia and SugarHouse Casino to open slots parlors on Columbus Boulevard in Philadelphia. The case was brought by a rival casino proposal whose application was rejected.

However, both casinos must still get city approvals. The casinos could open as early as next year, pending city approvals.

It's likely neighborhood groups, who have fought the proposals, will continue their opposition.

The complaint alleges that during the Class Period the Company, and one or more members of its senior management, violated federal securities laws by issuing various materially false and misleading statements that had the effect of artificially inflating the market price of the Company's securities and causing Class members to overpay for the securities.

No class has yet been certified in the above action. If you are a member of the proposed Class, you may, no later than July 24, 2007, ask the Court to allow you to serve as lead plaintiff for the proposed Class. To serve as a lead plaintiff, you must satisfy certain legal requirements. In making your decision, you should take into account that those with large financial losses resulting from the alleged federal securities law violations are given preference in being appointed lead plaintiff.

If you have suffered a net loss for all transactions in Dendreon Corporation securities during the Class Period (including shares or calls purchased during, but retained after, the Class Period or put options sold but not covered until after the Class Period), you may obtain additional information about this lawsuit and your ability to become a lead plaintiff by contacting Brower Piven (without obligation or cost to you) at www.browerpiven.com, by email at hoffman@browerpiven.com, by calling 410-986-0036, or at Brower Piven, The World Trade Center-Baltimore, 401 East Pratt Street, Suite 2525, Baltimore, Maryland 21202. The partners at the firm responsible for this case have combined experience in securities and class action litigation of over 40 years. If you choose to retain counsel, you may retain Brower Piven, or you may retain other counsel of your choice.

A Superior Court judge on Friday signed a judgment that awarded $216,837 along with $39,177 in interest to the Torrance firm of Ayscough & Marar, according to court records.

Jackson’s attorney, Marshall Brubacher, agreed in principle to the judgment on July 26, when he told the judge that going to trial would be costlier and “we want to stop the hemorrhaging.”

The law firm sued Jackson for failing to pay legal fees for preventing the release of some information to the public and to lawyers in civil cases during Jackson’s 2005 criminal trial in Santa Barbara County.

Jackson was eventually acquitted of child molestation charges.

Jackson countersued the law firm but that case was dismissed.

Ayscough & Marar also helped defend Jackson against a lawsuit that claimed the pop star owed $1.4 million to his former business associated, Marc Schaffel.

Last year, a jury awarded Schaffel $900,000 and awarded Jackson $200,000 in a countersuit against Schaffel.

``She came to accept that what she did was wrong,'' defense lawyer William Massey said before the hearing. ``She stood very firmly, for a very long time, in her belief that she was not guilty.''

In exchange for her plea, prosecutors dropped five more serious charges of extortion, each carrying a maximum of 20 years in prison.

In a 2 to 1 decision in March, a panel of judges for the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled that the city's prohibition against residents keeping handguns in their homes is unconstitutional. In May, the full appeals court declined a petition from the city to reconsider the panel's decision.

Some gun control advocates have cautioned that a defeat in the Supreme Court could lead to tough gun laws being overturned in major cities, including New York, Chicago and Detroit. Fenty said the District had no choice but to fight because more guns in homes could lead to increases in violent crime and deadly accidents.

"The handgun ban has saved many lives and will continue to do so if it remains in effect," Fenty said. "Wherever I go, the response from the residents is, 'Mayor Fenty, you've got to fight this all the way to the Supreme Court.' "

Gun rights advocates welcomed the chance to take the fight to the high court. A central question the D.C. case poses is whether the Second Amendment protects an individual's rights to keep and bear arms.

Experts say gun rights advocates have never had a better chance for a major Second Amendment victory, because a significant number of justices on the Supreme Court have indicated a preference for the individual-rights interpretation.

"Any accurate, unbiased reading of American history is going to come down to this being an individual right," said Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association. "To deny people the right to own a firearm in their home for personal protection is simply out of step with the Constitution."

The city's three-decade-old gun ban was challenged by six D.C. residents -- backed by the libertarian Cato Institute -- who said they wanted to keep guns in their homes for self-defense. The District's law bars all handguns unless they were registered before 1976; it was passed that year to try to curb gun violence, but it has come under attack in Congress and in the courts.

The Second Amendment states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."

The last Supreme Court ruling on the issue, in Miller v. the United States, is considered by many to define the right to bear arms as being given to militias, not to individuals.

U.S. District Judge Emmet G. Sullivan dismissed the residents' lawsuit -- Parker v. the District of Columbia-- several years ago, ruling that the amendment was tailored to membership in a militia.

But the appeals panel ruled in March that the District has a right to regulate and require registration of firearms but not to ban them in homes. The ruling also struck down a section of the law that required owners of registered guns, including shotguns, to disassemble them or use trigger locks.

"We're very pleased the case will go to the Supreme Court," said Alan Gura, an attorney for the residents. "We believe it will hear the case and will affirm that the Bill of Rights does protect the individual."

Singer said she will receive pro bono legal assistance from several high-profile constitutional law experts, including former acting solicitor general Walter E. Dellinger III. She called the city's handgun laws "reasonable" and said many handguns are used in illegal activities.

"This is not a law which takes away the rights to keep and bear arms," Dellinger said. "It regulates one kind of weapon: handguns."

Singer said she will ask for a 30-day extension to file the District's appeal with the Supreme Court, which would push the deadline to Sept. 5. The city's handgun laws will remain in effect throughout the appeal, Singer said.

"If the U.S. Supreme Court decides to hear this case, it could produce the most significant Second Amendment ruling in our history," Paul Helmke, president of the Brady Center to Prevent Gun Violence, said in a statement. "If the U.S. Supreme Court follows the words of the U.S. Constitution and the Court's own precedents, it should reverse the Appeals Court ruling and allow the District's law to stand."

In its landmark decision three years ago, the European Commission found Microsoft violated the EU competition law for abuse of its dominant position and fined the company a record 497 million euros (685 million U.S. dollars).

In addition, the U.S. software giant was also required to provide a new version of Windows operating system without its own media player program, and to disclose complete and accurate interface documentation, allowing its competitors to interoperate with its Windows PCs and servers.

Microsoft then contested the Commission's 2004 ruling at the European Court of First Instance.

The Commission imposed on Microsoft last July another fine totaling 386.5 million U.S. dollars, based on the finding that the company failed to fully respect its 2004 ruling, which Microsoft said it will also appeal.

Instead, the Atwoods' home was sold at a sheriff's auction in 1997 to American Land Investments because of the delinquent bill. The couple have won several court challenges since then and hope to withstand one more appeal over the property.

The State Tax Commission eventually nullified the 1997 sale, but when the Atwoods tried to sell the house in 2002, they discovered that American Land Investments had sold the property rights to Jamie Land Co., which then sued the Atwoods.

James A. Lindsay II, the company's president, said his rights were violated when the tax commission didn't inform him of its decision.

Without a clear title, the couple couldn't sell the house. Then in 2005, Hurricane Katrina struck. Dolores Atwood said they didn't have insurance, and because of the title, they didn't qualify for federal rebuilding help.

"I don't know how much more I can endure," said Atwood, 69, who lives in a FEMA trailer in front of the still-damaged home north of Slidell. Her husband, 71 and on a respirator, lives with relatives. She said the couple had been through "seven years of emotional hell."

In May 2006, a judge ruled that the property title belongs to the Atwoods. Last month, a state appeals court panel upheld the decision. Jamie Land asked the court to rehear the case, but that request was denied last week.

Now, the company plans to ask the Louisiana Supreme Court to take up the case. Lindsay said he doesn't want the Atwoods to suffer, but "I have rights too," adding that the commission gave him no notice when it annulled the tax sale.

"I don't owe him 50 cents," Delores Atwood said, "not with what he's put me through."