The 1st Circuit has rejected the appeal of a criminal defendant in a case that raised issues of first impression involving interstate stalking, cyberstalking and threats by mail. The appeals court also found that the sentencing court’s enhancements and departures were not in error and met the test for “substantive reasonableness.”

Federal prosecutors have dropped their appeal of the sentence given to a Hollywood film producer and his wife in a high-profile Foreign Corrupt Practices Act case.

Theodore Boutrous, coming off a significant U.S. Supreme Court victory for Wal-Mart, has joined the legal team of Toyota Motor, which simultaneously announced plans to pursue the appeal of a ruling affecting class actions in the sudden acceleration litigation.

As political and military leaders continue the process of dismantling “don’t ask, don’t tell,” the Log Cabin Republicans have unleashed a new legal tactic — essentially asking the 9th Circuit to short-circuit the briefing and argument schedule in the appeal.

At issue in the appeal is whether partners who left the defunct Coudert Brothers law firm should, under the “unfinished business” doctrine, return millions to the Coudert bankruptcy estate for work done at their new firms.