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Juror Coercion, Assange and Patents Top January Verdicts Featured

From juror coercion to medical and technology patents, here are some notable verdicts from January.

Most Vacated Verdict: Guilty Verdict Tossed After Juror Found To Be 'Coerced' By Fellow Jurors

Indiana resident Tanisha Banks was freed from prison after the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago ruled one of the jurors on her robbery trial was “impermissibly coerced” by fellow jurors, according to an article from an Princeton Daily Clarion. The ruling mean Banks’ 90-month sentence will be vacated, and a new trial is expected to take place in the near future. Banks was indicted along with two cohorts after she allegedly provided floor plans and information in an effort to rob a Tolleston Station post office employee. Convictions against her two alleged accomplices remain unaltered.

Most Supreme Verdict: SCOTUS Denies Rabbi’s Appeal in Sex Assault Case

The U.S. Supreme Court will not hear an appeal of a $21.7 million verdict handed down to Connecticut Rabbi Daniel Greer, according to an article from The Day. The rabbi was accused of abusing a teenage boy while he was a student at the school he founded. As such, a federal appeals ruling against Greer and the Yeshiva of New Haven school will stand. Separately, Greer was handed a 12-year prison sentence in 2019. Greer is also appealing that conviction.

Most Upheld Verdict: Deutsche Bank VP Prevails Over Microsoft in Appeal On $7M Patent Verdict

Microsoft failed to overturn a $7 million verdict handed to inventor Michael Kaufman regarding a web development program patent, according to an article from the Reuters. Microsoft was unsuccessful in its bid to show that Kaufman’s patent was invalid and that the company did infringe upon it. Kaufman is a vice president at Deutsche Bank.

Most International Verdict: British Judge Rules Julian Assange Can’t Be Extradited Because He May Be Suicidal

assange 5159725 640A British judge said Julian Assange cannot be sent to the U.S. to face espionage and hacking charges due to fears over his mental health, according to an article from The Guardian. U.S. authorities are appealing the decision, which was predicated on a lack of confidence by the Old Bailey that state-side prison procedures can protect Assange from taking his own life. Assange has been in U.K. custody since 2019 after being removed from the Ecuadorian embassy in London. He had been there for years seeking refuge and trying to avoid extradition in a separate sexual assault matter in Sweden. That charge was dropped.

Most Medical Verdict: Merck Unable to Resurrect Historic $2.54B Verdict Handed to Gilead

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upheld a ruling tossing a $2.54 billion award Merck & Co. had won against Gilead Sciences, according to an article from Reuters. The ruling upheld a decision levied against Merck & Co. that found a patent for its hepatitis C treatment invalid. Initially, jurors determined “Gilead should pay $2.54 billion in damages, which was the largest verdict ever in a U.S. patent case,” according to the article. It is unclear if Merck will push the matter any further.

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