Health effects of acne-drug in Atlanta court

A legal case about the adverse health effects of the anti-acne drug Accutane is in a federal appeals court today in Atlanta.

A judge will hear arguments over whether a US district court judge in Florida should have dismissed testimony from an expert witness who says the drug is linked to medical problems. The argument is central to the case for nine plaintiffs who say the medications caused adverse health effects.

Similar lawsuits against the medication distributor La Roche have had some success. A Florida jury awarded 7 million dollars in 2007 to a man who had most of his colon removed after suffering from a disease apparently caused by Accutane. The company is appealing the decision. In April, a Utah jury awarded a woman 10 million dollars, saying the manufacturer downplayed the drug’s risks.

Georgia could get bad news in water war fight

A decision will come soon from a federal appeals court that could invalidate a 2003 agreement between the Army Corps of Engineers and Georgia, over water rights to Lake Lanier. In that agreement, Georgia secured rights to about a quarter of the water from the Lanier federal reservoir. Alabama and Florida have claimed the deal is illegal. Last month, the federal appeals court's Washington circuit heard oral arguments over the case--another chapter in the long running water wars.

Appeal denied for former state Senator

A federal appeals court in Atlanta has denied former state Senator Charles Walker's request for a new hearing. He was asking for a review of his 2005 conviction on tax evasion, mail fraud, and conspiracy charges--a conviction that resulted in a 10-year prison sentence. Walker is the Augusta Democrat who held the title of Senate majority leader. In February, a three-judge panel heard arguments from Walker's lawyers. In July, the panel affirmed Walker's conviction. Walker may decide to petition the U.S. Supreme Court to review the appeals court decision.