Law

Update: The State Department has contradicted the Justice Department lawyer who previously told a federal judge that over 100,000 visas were revoked to comply with Trump’s temporary ban on travel from seven countries. The actual number is about 40,000 lower according to the State Dept: “Fewer than 60,000 individuals’ visas were provisionally revoked to comply with the Executive Order,” said Will Cocks, spokesperson for the department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs.

* * *

In September we reported that an employee of the Royal Canadian Mint smuggled C$180,000 (USD $140,000) in gold from the fortress-like facility, evading multiple levels of detection with a time-honoured prison trick: hiding the precious metal up his butt.

Having been found guilty in November ("wait, what gold coins, where?"), 35-year-old Leston Lawrence was sentenced to 30 months in prison today, by a judge whose name was 'Doody'.

Appeals Court Overturns Dismissal in JP Morgan Silver Rigging Case

• US Appeals Court overturns Dismissal in Silver Rigging Case against JPMorgan.
• The Appeals court rejected Judge Engelmeyer’s claim that the plaintiffs did not prove JPMorgan made “uneconomic bids” in the silver forward’s markets.
• New discovery may win the case against JPMorgan

Summary

Hundreds of people were arrested as part of a huge pedophile ring and human trafficking bust in Los Angeles on Saturday.  Over 30 federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in “Operation Reclaim and Rebuild,” which saw dozens of sexually abused children rescued. Ktla.com reports: In total, 474 arrests were made, including 142 males on solicitation charges, and 36 males on suspicion of pimping, according to figures provided by the Sheriff’s Department. Additionally, 28 commercially and sexually exploited children and 27 adult victims were rescued.

Portugal’s Supreme Court has ruled that the parents of missing British girl Madeleine McCann may have covered-up her death to protect an elite pedophile ring operation.  The court ruled on Tuesday that Gerry and Kate McCann cannot sue for libel a former Portuguese detective who published a book claiming that Maddy’s parents were directly involved in their daughter’s disappearance. Mirror.co.uk reports: Judges decided that Goncalo Amaral’s “right to freedom of expression” was worthy of greater protection under Portuguese law than the “right to honour” of the McCanns.