This week Yury Chaika, Russia’s Prosecutor-General, has announced that a total of 5,265 individuals in Russia were acquitted of false charges last year. Mr. Chaika vows to reform the system to prevent such staggering numbers in the future, and has proposed compensation for those wrongly accused. Acknowledging that much of the blame lay with his own department, Mr. Chaika’s statement was a marked break from the Russian government’s typical hesitance in criticizing its own institutions. Chaika’s comments echo those of President Dmitry Medvedev, who spoke last week of the need for an independent Russian judiciary.

This week the Supreme Court refused without comment to hear the appeal of former Illinois governor George Ryan and co-defendant Larry Warner. The defendants claimed that they had suffered an unfair trial, arguing that the replacement of several jurors during deliberation created chaos in the courtroom. Convicted of fraud, racketeering, and bribery in April 2006, Ryan and Warner appealed their case to no avail, and Ryan began serving his sentence in a federal prison last November.

After a long series of phone scams cheating Americans out of nearly $100 million, the Federal Trade Commission has begun cracking down on several perpetrators. Several companies are currently under investigation including groups claiming to be non-profit organizations for the disabled and low cost prescription drug providers. All consumers should be on the lookout for companies that could be less than legitimate in their purpose by doing their own investigating into whether companies are truly non-profit, as well as how much and where the proceeds are going to. Different methods to be on the lookout for include companies asking for sizable donations in return for small items such as light bulbs as well as more threatening tactics involving the possibility of health care plans being terminated without membership in a certain program.

Unfortunately, it will take quite sometime before the FTC can officially press charges against these groups and even longer before they all disappear. In the meantime, they advise all consumers to beware of telemarketing calls and not to be afraid of hanging up. In early 2008, the Do-Not-Call Improvement Act was passed allowing all those signed up for the National Do Not Call registry to remain on it permanently.

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Going green has changed from a fad to a lifestyle in just a matter of years leaving many wondering if, and when, they should jump on the bandwagon. While the transition first began in homes, businesses are starting to see the benefits as well. For the consumer, going green is a matter of protecting the environment and padding their pockets, but for businesses it is getting more complicated. While it is still necessary to maintain concern over protecting the environment and their own expenses, companies must now be aware of the impression they are leaving on consumers. With consumers more conscious about what they buy and where they shop, many are passing up on old favorites if they do not share the same values.

While at the moment this is not a major concern for law firms or other service oriented companies, it may very well be a deciding factor for their clients in the near future. To get ahead of the game, offices, including law firms, may want to start “greening” their surroundings so they can use this to their marketing advantage. Printing on both sides of the page, recycling a bit more and switching light bulbs might just bring in a larger clientele base in the future. In the meantime, evaluating the carbon footprint of your office might help reduce and even eliminate unnecessary costs and waste currently being produced.

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