Law and legal issues

Florida's Martin and Indian River counties launched new legal challenges to the private All Aboard Florida passenger train project within days of a scheduled $1.75 billion bond offering.

Griggs County, N.D. is suing its own building authority to get out of lease payments supporting a controversial bond deal that sparked a recall of the entire county board.

The stark political divisions around the idea of allowing Chapter 9 bankruptcy in Illinois were highlighted at a recent legislative hearing.

A state judge has effectively pulled back the curtain that has long shrouded the controversial 38 Studios loan guarantee. And Rhode Island is waiting.

Pennsylvania Auditor Eugene DePasquale will audit Allentown's school district for possible violations of sunshine and ethics laws.

Metropolitan Water District of Southern California plans to appeal an adverse ruling on claims it overcharged the San Diego Water County Water Authority.

Hillview, Ky.'s bankruptcy filing offers more evidence that municipalities increasingly consider filing for reorganization as a way to cure balance-sheet problems, according to Moody's Investors Service.

The Detroit suburb of Allen Park wants bondholders to sell back at par $31 million of bonds floated for a now-failed film studio that the city blames for a long financial decline.

Washington State is racking up court-imposed penalties approaching $2 million, a positive for the credits of school districts in the state, Moody's Investors Service said this week.

New York City paid out $495 million in settlements and judgments in fiscal 2013 and a further $550.3 million in 2014, said city Comptroller Scott Stringer.

A Rhode Island judge ordered the release of all documents in the state's lawsuit over the failure of 38 Studios, the video game owned by former Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling.

The California Supreme Court declined to review an appeals court's decision on a contested financing method used by Fresno Unified School District.

The legal battles over funding for the distressed Chester Upland, Pa., School District's charter schools have triggered debate over investor risk.

The National Association of Bond Lawyers has updated its bankruptcy guide for members with new information drawn from the relatively high number of municipal bankruptcy filings in the last few years.

Former Ohio Deputy Treasurer and Chicago Comptroller Amer Ahmad was been extradited to the United States from Pakistan to serve a 15-year prison term for his role in a kickback scandal involving state investment business at the Ohio treasurer's office.

Hillview, Ky., filed for bankruptcy to stop interest accruing on an $11.4 million adverse judgment and will pay its $3.2 million of bond debt, said City Attorney Tammy Baker.

The 60 Plus Association announced on Thursday that it is forming a coalition of small holders of Puerto Rico bonds that will push for the creation of a financial control board and oppose bankruptcy legislation for the territory.

Officials at Portland, Ore.'s Metro want to complete the bond financing of a long-delayed hotel adjacent to its convention center after a recent major courtroom victory.

New Jersey's long track record of "strong state oversight" has thus far helped avoid struggling Atlantic City from filing for bankruptcy, according to a new report from Pew Charitable Trusts.

A U.S. district court judge has scheduled a trial for late summer of next year in the Securities and Exchange Commission case against the city of Miami and Michael Boudreaux, the city's former budget director.