A federal jury has begun deliberating for a second day in the trial of a former Tennessee college student accused of hacking Sarah Palin's e-mail account when she was a vice presidential candidate.

The panel worked in Knoxville for six hours Tuesday, then asked District Court Judge Thomas Phillips for a definition of "access to the computer." He told jurors that's their decision.

The defense claims 22-year-old David Kernell had no criminal intent in gaining access to Palin's e-mail account while prosecutors say he was trying to derail her 2008 campaign.

Kernell is charged with identity theft, wire fraud, unauthorized access to a computer and obstruction of justice. If convicted on all charges, he faces a maximum possible prison sentence of 50 years.

The case has been closely watched by environmentalists and agribusiness. A federal judge in San Francisco barred the planting of genetically engineered alfalfa nationwide until the government could adequately study the crop's potential impact on organic and conventional varieties.

St. Louis-based Monsanto is arguing that the ban was too broad and was based on the assumption that their products were harmful. Opponents of the use of genetically engineered seeds say they can contaminate conventional crops, but Monsanto says such cross-pollination is unlikely.

Organic groups and farmers exporting to Europe, where genetically modified crops are unpopular, have staunchly opposed the development of such seeds.

The law firm of Anita M. Volpe is offering Chapter 7, Chapter 12 (Farmers and Fishermen), and Chapter 13 bankruptcy relief at a reasonable fee.

If you are experiencing financial distress because your house is (or is about to be) in foreclosure, or your car, fishing boat or farm machinery has been (or is about to be) repossessed, or you are overwhelmed with credit card debt, hospital bills or any other form of debt, or any combination of these, bankruptcy relief might be the best and smartest way of getting a clean slate for a new financial beginning (as well as peace of mind). The filing of a bankruptcy petition immediately stops every effort of creditors.

While you may fear that filing for bankruptcy will hurt your credit standing (and it will, temporarily), what is to be gained by filing for bankruptcy may far outweigh the temporary loss of credit standing. (Remember that the U.S. Constitution expressly recognized the right to file for bankruptcy. Also, K-Mart, A.H Robbins and Macy’s as well as such notables as Mickey Rooney, Tammy Wynette, Kim Basinger, and Larry King have all filed for bankruptcy. Milton Hershey [the Hershey Bar] filed three times before his success.)

Of course, bankruptcy may not be the course of action for you since everyone’s financial situation is different. For that reason, the firm offers an initial consultation to analyze your particular circumstances (with follow-up if necessary) absolutely free. To set one up call Alice at (207) 594-5246.

The number one mistake an employee can make is to sign an employment contract without seeking legal counsel beforehand.  Often the employee fails to ask for contract terms that will protect what he brings to a new job.  For example, if an employee brings his customers with him to a new job, he must have the employment contract exclude these customers from being considered the new employer’s customers.  Otherwise, when the employee leaves the company and tries to take those customers with him, the company has a claim that those customers are no longer his to take.  The cost of litigating over this dispute will be far greater than the cost of seeking legal counsel to review the employment agreement before signing it.

Dallas Emploement Lawyer

Q. I have an employment contract that states it is for a one (1) year term.  Does that mean the company must employ me for one year?

Not necessarily.  The contract may provide that the company may terminate the agreement for any reason after providing an employee 30 days notice.  In such a case, the employee only has a 30 day term contract, not a one (1) year contract.

Q. I have a contract that states the company will   “consider” me for bonus payments.  Does this mean it is obligated to pay me the bonus payments?

No. Such language only obligates the company to consider you for possible payment.  The company can simply state they considered you and decided not to pay you any bonus payments.  More specific language is needed to guarantee an employee will receive bonus payments.

The nation's largest court system is in the midst of a painful budget crisis that has shut down courtrooms and disrupted everything from divorce and custody proceedings to traffic ticket disputes.

The Los Angeles court system has already closed 17 courtrooms and another 50 will be shut down come September unless something is done to find more money. The judge who presides over the system predicts chaos and an unprecedented logjam of civil and family law cases in the worst-case scenario.

The crisis results from the financially troubled state's decision to slash $393 million from state trial courts in the budget this year. The state also decided to close all California courthouses on the third Wednesday of every month.

What has emerged is a hobbled court system that is struggling to serve the public.

Custody hearings, divorce proceedings, small-claims disputes, juvenile dependency matters and civil lawsuits have been delayed amid the courtroom shutdowns in Los Angeles. Drivers who choose to fight traffic tickets now have to wait up to nine months to get a trial started.

Complex civil lawsuits, those typically involving feuding businesses, could really feel the hit. It now takes an average of 16 months for such cases to get resolved, but court officials expect the cuts to bog down these civil matters to the point that they take an average of four years to finish.