Honest services

The infamous McDonald's coffee lawsuit has a sequel. A mother has sued the fast-food giant because too-hot chocolate burned her daughter. But the coffee suit was much stronger than was reported and may bolster the new case.

In the wake of Supreme Court ruling that restricted the use of the "honest services" statute as a basis for fraud convictions, former Enron CEO Jeff Skilling has joined the queue of high-profile corporate convicts asking for bail pending their fraud appeals.

Former newspaper mogul Conrad Black will get out of jail on bail as he appeals his conviction for defrauding shareholders based on the now-narrowed "honest services" statute. The bail order comes even though Black was also convicted of an obstruction of justice charge.

The Supreme Court set aside the conviction of former media baron Conrad Black for defrauding shareholders of Hollinger International. At the heart of these cases was the interpretation of the Honest Services law.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments on Monday about whether former Enron executive, Jeffrey Skilling, should get a new trial in a venue other than Houston, where his first trial took place.