- US Markets Bracing for Selloff on Dubai Debt Worries
- Dubai's Debt Woes Signal New Era for Creditors
- US Dollar Rises Against Most Currencies—Except Yen
- Shoppers Hit Black Friday Sales, Budgets Pared
- Fantasy Christmas Gifts 2009
- Car Insurance Scofflaws Raise Health Reform Doubt
- ING Prices Share Issue at Hefty Discount
- Cheap Robotic Hamsters Are Holiday's Unlikely Craze
- EU Names New Leadership Team to Boost Economy
- Farrell: What's Different On This Black Friday
- 10 Dividend Picks For Your Portfolio: Chief Investors
- 4 Thanksgiving Week Buys For Your Portfolio: Market Pros
- There's a 'Great Chance' For a Double-Dip Recession: Strategist
- Revenge of the Gangsta Nerds
- Will TCU See The "Flutie Effect?"
- Retail Earnings and Sales to Improve in Q4: Analyst
- Consumers Catching the Holiday Spirit
- It's Beginning To Look A Lot More Riskless
MOST SHARED
- No Thanksgiving Rest for Retailers in Sales Race
- Banks Play Down Dubai Exposure, Investors Still Wary
- UK's Darling to Downgrade 2009 Growth Forecast
- Attraction of Switzerland to Businesses
- More Asia Executives Resigned to Economy Flights: Survey
- San Miguel Sells $1.36 Billion Stake to Ally
- Oil Falls Below $75 on Dubai Default Worries
Text Size 
Senior Correspondent, CNBC
Citing "unexplained hostility" by the judge in his criminal case, accused fraudster Allen Stanford is asking for a new judge.
 |
R. Allen Stanford |
Stanford, indicted on 21 felony counts in an alleged $8 billion Ponzi scheme, has had a run of rulings against him by U.S. District Judge David Hittner. Hittner has revoked Stanford's bail, refused to move him to a jail closer to Houston, and denied his request to hire new attorneys.
Now, those attorneys are petitioning the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals to remove Hittner from the case and reassign it to U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore in Houston, who presided over an earlier Stanford case.
The petition centers on Hittner's ruling last week barring Houston attorney Michael Sydow from appearing for Stanford, and ordering that Sydow have "no further involvement" in the case.
Sydow had hoped to appear along with Washington attorney Robert Luskin to argue for the release of some of Stanford's funds to pay for a defense. But Hittner ruled that because Sydow had not received prior approval to appear, he should be barred from the case for good.
The petition says Hittner is denying Stanford's Constitutional right to the attorney of his choice, and Hittner should be removed from the case.
It's not the first time Stanford's attorneys have gone to the Court of Appeals over Hittner's rulings. Still pending is an appeal of Hittner's decision to revoke Stanford's bail, which his attorneys claim also violates his Constitutional rights.
Stanford has been in custody non-stop since the day he was indicted, June 18.
- What you need to know.
- Social enterprises are becoming a new asset class for the ethically-minded.
- Ever wished your cab driver would stop nattering and just get to where you're going? Well that moment is near(er).
- Bill Griffeth is taking a leave of absence from CNBC and Power Lunch for a year. Here's a message from Bill.
- More shoppers than ever plan to comparison-shop this season. Who will benefit?
- It may be the most unusual guide to business you'll read.
Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes