Most criminal convictions in America come from plea bargains, in which defendants exchange their right to a trial for less severe prosecution or a shorter jail sentence.

ECONOMIST: Corporate crime

The order, which Potashner says SonicBlue will fight, stems from what is an otherwise routine matter of "discovery, " the process by which two sides in a lawsuit exchange evidence before going to trial.

FORBES: SonicBlue Forced To Spy

As the trial came to a close, the defendants apologised to and exchange handshakes with the Delannes.

BBC: Somali pirates jailed in France for kidnapping couple

But fear of scandal wasn't Skilling's exodus stimulus, according to a courtroom exchange quoted by the Houston Chronicle's Enron trial blog.

FORBES: Skilling: Mortality, Not Omens, Made Him Quit Enron

Court papers show Ms. Lee has received immunity from prosecutors in exchange for her testimony as a witness at next week's trial of former campaign treasurer Jia "Jenny" Hou and fundraiser Xing Wu "Oliver" Pan.

WSJ: Trial Pits Liu's Aide, Ex-Backers

The government indicated it might only seek seven years at trial, and was willing to bargain that down to six to eight months in exchange for a guilty plea, a person familiar with the matter said.

WSJ: Legal Case Strained Troubled Web Activist

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FORBES: The Muni Bond Safety Mirage