Jun 30, 2005 — The ruling on the Cayuga land claim could also endanger the Akwesasne Mohawks claim to 22,000 acres of land in St. Lawrence and Franklin Counties. That case was almost settled. The Mohawks stood to get $100 million, the right to double the size of its reservation near Massena, and the first chance to build a casino in the Catskills. The state Assembly, both county legislatures, and three Mohawk tribal councils have all signed off on the deal. Governor Pataki was prepared to sign it into law when the State Senate failed to act last week. Jim Ransom, chief of the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe, says he's disappointed with the latest turn of events. To learn more about the federal court's ruling on the Cayuga land claim, David Sommerstein spoke with Robert Odawi Porter. He's a law professor at Syracuse University and directs the Center for Indigenous Law, Governance, and Citizenship. Porter says the Cayuga decision is derived from the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling regarding the Oneida Nation. That one said the Oneidas are not immune from taxation on land it had bought in central New York.  Go to full article

Apr 07, 2005 — Essex County District attorney Ronald Briggs says he's still deciding whether to seek re-election. Briggs, a three-term incumbent, lost the endorsement of the county's Republican committee last week. GOP leaders shocked political observers by supporting Julie Garcia, an attorney from Schroon Lake. As Chris Knight reports, some critics say Briggs spends too much money.  Go to full article

Sep 28, 2004 — Town officials in Essex say a zoning ordinance that restricts political lawnsigns won't be enforced over the next ten days. The decision follows a lawsuit filed by the New York Civil Liberties Union. As Brian Mann reports, the rule drew criticism from some locals, who felt that it stifled free speech.  Go to full article

Jun 25, 2004 — The New York Court of Appeals yesterday threw out the death sentence for a Long Island killer, declaring that a part of New York's death penalty law violates the state constitution. An anti-death penalty group says it's time for a moratorium so state lawmakers can decide whether capital punishment should be allowed to continue at all. Karen DeWitt reports from Albany.  Go to full article

Mar 18, 2004 — The leader of the Senate Democrats is trying to jump start the stagnating Rockefeller drug law reform movement. Senator David Paterson has offered a compromise proposal. Karen DeWitt reports from Albany.  Go to full article

Jun 13, 2003 — New York's highest court ruled yesterday that the St. Regis Mohawk Tribe's gaming compact for its Akwesasne Mohawk Casino near Massena is invalid. As David Sommerstein reports, the decision is unlikely to have any immediate effect, but it sets the stage for a face-off over the legality of casinos in New York.  Go to full article

Jan 07, 2003 — Last month the city of Burlington, Vermont joined two dozen cities across the country to pass resolutions against parts of the USA Patriot Act, saying it violates civil liberties. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Nov 18, 2002 — A St. Lawrence County woman stands accused of bringing a pyramid scheme to the region and duping hundreds of women out of thousands of dollars. The State Attorney General's office filed a civil suit Thursday seeking the woman's profits. David Sommerstein reports.  Go to full article

Aug 01, 2002 — A panel of the state Supreme Court has barred a prominent attorney in Lake Placid from practicing law for two years. Ed Finnerty is North Elba's town attorney and is a member of lake Placid's Hall of Fame. Brian Mann has details.  Go to full article

May 07, 2002 — New York's highest court heard the first test of the 1995 death penalty statute in an over six-hour marathon of court arguments yesterday. Karen Dewitt reports.  Go to full article