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By JENNY STRASBURG

A few years back, a defense lawyer representing an insider-trading client got a lesson in the quiet toughness of federal Judge Richard J. Holwell.

Edward Little asked the judge in 2008 for probation for a Wall Street analyst who pleaded guilty in an insider-trading ring. Judge Holwell rejected the request, emphasizing that insider trading was serious—and sentenced the analyst to 57 months in prison.

Judge Holwell will be center stage in a New York federal court Tuesday, presiding over the largest insider-trading case in a generation. The U.S. accused hedge-fund titan Raj Rajaratnam of criminal securities fraud and conspiracy, alleging he reaped $45 million through illicit stock tips; 19 of 26 defendants in the case have pleaded guilty.

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Judge Holwell presiding at 2009 trial of Vivendi ex-CEO Jean-Marie Messier.

“He has good control over the courtroom—not because he’s loud or aggressive, but because he has this quiet quality,” says Gerald Shargel, a friend and defense lawyer who has represented mob figures. “Holwell won’t be bullied.”

The 64-year-old Judge Holwell—a former White Case LLP litigator with a thick white mustache—won’t let Mr. Rajaratnam’s high profile, or the attention his case has drawn, influence a trial that is expected to last at least six weeks, according to a dozen lawyers who have tried cases before him or know him socially.

Judge Holwell’s demeanor could provide a foil to the more combative style of John Dowd, Mr. Rajaratnam’s lead attorney, who is leading a team of eight other Akin Gump Strauss Hauer Feld LLP lawyers for the defense. Judge Holwell and Mr. Dowd declined to comment.

Already, the judge has issued a key ruling in the case. Mr. Dowd in the fall vehemently argued that prosecutors and the Federal Bureau of Investigation had lied to obtain approval of wiretaps crucial to the case.

In incendiary remarks before Judge Holwell in October, Mr. Dowd asserted that prosecutors had “gamed the system” and misrepresented the circumstances of key wiretap requests “in a desperate attempt” to get the court to approve them.

“Thank you, Mr. Dowd,” Judge Holwell replied, according to a transcript of the hearing. The next month, he rejected Mr. Dowd’s request to throw out the wiretaps, saying the government had shown “ample reason” to allow the wiretaps as evidence.

But in a 68-page opinion, he also had some harsh words for prosecutors, writing that Mr. Rajaratnam had shown “that the government’s application omitted and misstated important information” about a key informant in the case.

Judge Holwell’s quiet control was on display Feb. 28 during a hearing over a decision by the Securities and Exchange Commission to file a separate civil case against a former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. director, accusing him of passing inside information about Goldman to Mr. Rajaratnam.

“Mr. Dowd, you’re standing up. Looks like you’re ready to talk,” Judge Holwell said, according to a transcript unsealed this week. Over the next several minutes, Mr. Dowd appealed to the judge to support a prosecutor request that the SEC charges not be made public so close to Mr. Rajaratnam’s trial. Mr. Dowd argued the resulting publicity would taint potential jurors.

Wrapping up his impassioned statement, Mr. Dowd said he and a federal prosecutor “just felt an obligation, both of us, to…”

“All right,” Judge Holwell said, interrupting him.

“…apprise you of these circumstances,” Mr. Dowd continued.

“All right, I understand,” Judge Holwell said.

Judge Holwell thanked the lawyers, then said he wouldn’t rule because the issue wasn’t in his power to address.

The SEC filed the civil allegations against the director, Rajat Gupta, the next day. Mr. Gupta has denied wrongdoing.

Judge Holwell has presided over insider-trading cases before, including the civil insider-trading case against design entrepreneur Martha Stewart, which she settled in 2006 before the case went to trial.

Ms. Stewart separately was convicted in 2004 on criminal charges and served five months in a West Virginia prison.

In the 2008 criminal insider-trading sentencing handled by Judge Holwell, former Goldman Sachs Group Inc. bond analyst Eugene Plotkin was among defendants accused of reaping more than $6 million through a Wall Street insider-trading ring.

In asking for probation, his lawyer, Mr. Little, asked Judge Holwell to consider Mr. Plotkin’s youth—he was 28—and secondary role in a scheme he described as part foolish prank.

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Mr. Little recalls the judge saying he could “appreciate” the circumstances, but noted that the crime was a serious matter and stuck with nonbinding federal sentencing guidelines. Mr. Plotkin was released from prison last year. “While he’ll give both sides a fair trial,” he says of Judge Holwell, “he’ll treat the case very seriously.”

In nearly eight years on the bench, Judge Holwell has been selected for a range of cases outside of Wall Street. In 2007, he presided over a civil case in which fast-food restaurants fought a New York City health regulation that they post calorie counts for their menu items. Judge Holwell struck down the city regulation, saying it butted heads with existing federal law related to how some restaurants already voluntarily posted calorie information. But he rejected restaurants’ argument that their free-speech rights were under attack.

In 2008, Judge Holwell upheld the city’s retooled regulation, which survived an appeals-court challenge. Said Kent Yalowitz, who represented the restaurants’ side in the case: “I don’t think anybody’s going to ride over Judge Holwell.”

—Chad Bray contributed to this article.

Write to Jenny Strasburg at jenny.strasburg@wsj.com

When we talk about basketball, people always argue about legends and recent plays, basketball is often encouraged, called one of the greatest athletes of all time. It is often played by men, these are the reasons to show their skills. You can always find a basketball court near your neighborhood or around populated areas. The playground, where you can play the game developed, this section describes the properties of the basketball court.   The board consists of a rectangular surface with baskets at each end. There are variations of the court when playing professional or on the road. A typical composition of an indoor track consists of polished wood, maple, or any combination of hard wood. Courts are often made of asphalt, asphalt, cement or similar materials.  There are baskets at both ends, usually get with metal rings hanging a support network to the ball. The rings are connected to a rectangular plate.
The shapes and sizes basketball courts are different, but the standard NBA (National Basketball Association) cut is 94 feet long and 50 feet and the baskets are inclined 10 meters above the playing field size ground in a courtyard of the road to vary and can not have a exact size but are generally based on external standard dishes.
At both ends of the field there is a free-throw lane, the 12 meters wide and 15 feet. The distance from the line with a three-point arc is 4.9 meters. In addition, the lower block of the baseline 4 feet. This is the player the chance to score free if he was wrong, usually you will receive two free throws on the offensive.

This line is 20 feet from the basket, which is usually one of the shots in the game of basketball because of the distance alone. In basketball, the distance varies between a number of world-class university, or the court, but still get very difficult, a reference to this line from the bow.
There is another type of position, which often call in the streets is basketball half-court used. This is one of the most common abbreviations are in neighborhoods, often from a practice court. They are generally used the same materials in other indoor and outdoor courts.

Vince Carter NBA Rookie

Word Count:
520

Summary:
Born on January 26, 1977, Vince Carter graduated from college in North Carolina and now plays the guard position for the New Jersey Nets. One of the most exciting players in the NBA, Carter was chosen in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. After suffering injuries, Vince Carter regained his momentum with the Nets as one of the leading players in the NBA.

Keywords:
Vince, Carter, fan, site, nba, star, basketball

Article Body:
Born on January 26, 1977, Vince Carter graduated from college in North Carolina and now plays the guard position for the New Jersey Nets. One of the most exciting players in the NBA, Carter was chosen in the 1998 NBA Draft by the Toronto Raptors. After suffering injuries, Vince Carter regained his momentum with the Nets as one of the leading players in the NBA.

Even before entering the NBA, Carter showed promise as an up-and-coming basketball star. While playing as part of the North Carolina Tar Heel team, he averaged 12.3 points per game. During his junior year, Vince Carter was named First Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference, Second Team All-America and became a finalist for the John R. Wooden Award, which is presented to the nation’s best player.

As he entered the NBA, Vince Carter amazed both teammates and opponents with his acrobatic moves on the court. That same year, he received the Schick Rookie of the Year recognition and became the first Toronto Raptors players to be recognized as an NBA Player of the Week. During the 1999-2000 season, Carter was named to the All-NBA Third Team and was again named the NBA Player of the Week. By 2000-2001, Vince Carter was becoming very popular with fans and was also becoming a well-known name in the NBA rankings. That season, he ranked among the NBA leaders in seven different categories.

When the 2001-2002 season rolled around, Carter was thriving. On March 22, however, he announced plans to undergo surgery on an injured left knee. This misfortune caused him to miss the final 14 games of the season. In the 2002-2003 season, Vince Carter averaged 20.6 points during his 43 games. It was this year that he missed a career-high 39 games due to several appearances on the injured list. The following season found Vince Carter receiving the most votes in the NBA All-Star balloting program for the 2004 NBA All-Star Game.

Vince Carter made his mark on the 2004-2005 NBA season, during which he averaged 24.5 points per game and ranked 1st on the team in points. In addition, he was awarded the Eastern Conference Player of the Week and Month and was voted as a starter for the 2005 NBA All-Star Game. Vince Carter has managed to find great success both on an off the court. This married father of one was named on of ‘Sporting News 2004 Good Guys’ in professional sports for his activities away from the court. In July 2003, Carter unveiled a professional-sized basketball court, which was funded by his foundation, in Toronto’s Dixon Park. The court is valued at $130,000 and officially opened with Carter sending the first ball through the hoop. In September 2002, he donated $2.5 million for financing the construction of a new gym at his former high school in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Fans who would like to request a signed photo or simply send Vince Carter their best wishes are urged to do so in care of his NBA franchise team. If you are requesting an autograph, be sure to include a SASE (self-addressed stamped envelope) along with your request. Letters and requests should be mailed to:

Vince Carter
New Jersey Nets
390 Murray Hill Pkwy.
East Rutherford, NJ 07073

Elements of the Game – Learning the Basics

Word Count:
418

Summary:
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world; this has been a staple sport in America where the best of the best battle it out in the NBA (national basketball association). The elements of the game have varied from the origin but haven’t changed til modern times.

Keywords:
sport, basketball, basketball plays, history of basketball, basketball court dimensions, basketball tips, rules of basketball, basketball positions, how to play basketball, basketball moves, basketball layouts, basketball offense, basketball tricks, basketball dribbling, basketball defense, high school basketball rules, basketball conditioning, ncaa basketball rules, basketball fundamentals, basketball passing, basketball playbook, basketball drill, basketball kids, basketball shooting tips, college basketball rules, the rules of basketball, basketball basics, basketball skill

Article Body:
Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the world; this has been a staple sport in America where the best of the best battle it out in the NBA (national basketball association). The elements of the game have varied from the origin but haven’t changed til modern times.

In the rules of the game or rather elements of the game, there are limits in time, these constraints often change during tournaments but the international and NBA rules are the most widely used. The most basic elements of the game is outscoring opponents by shooting the ball through the opposing court while constantly preventing the oppositions actions’ from doing so. Attempting to score a basket is called a shot. A normal shot is worth 2 points, and a 3 point score for a successful shot outside the three-point arc alongside the shooting court.

The basic rules according to NBA standards is that there are only 4 quarters (10 internationally) which spans 12 minutes. There is a 15 minute halftime break and 2 minutes for all other breaks. There are five players on each team and seven substitutes along with a coach. Substitution is allowed only during breaks.

With the uniforms on a usual basketball match, players wear jerseys with visible numbers imprinted on them, and a logo of the team. The game is officially controlled by a referee, and other tables’ officials such as statistics, timekeeping and other things on a match.

The game is played with a ball, a court and a basket at opposite ends, the violations of the game are strict, you must not stop dribbling the ball while running, and also the ball must stay in the court, there are limits of time remaining to shoot the ball inside the basket and other rules such as fouls, they are usually an attempt for an unfair disadvantage of the opponents using force and other violations.

There are also positions of players on the elements of a basketball game, namely; point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward, and the center player. They are likely to be flexible and can be maximized with the help of the coach to promote strategies and power plays.

These are the usual elements of the game. One of the most popular people that played basketball is Michael Jordan; one of the greatest basketball players of all time. As with the sport being one of the best ways to exercise, the sport seems to have been favored also as one of the best sports of all time.

From college football to Major League Baseball, rivalries between teams have always added excitement to fan experience. Many teams are old rivals, while others have developed a competitive intensity more recently. What teams have been fighting it out for some time? Rivalries are at the center of many fan’s lives. Here’s a quick look at some classic ones. Read the rest of this entry »