Attorney General

The Senate Judiciary Committee recently grilled retired U.S. District Judge Michael B. Mukasey at his attorney general confirmation hearing. Senators will confirm him because many had called for Alberto R. Gonzales' resignation and replacement with someone of Mr. Mukasey's stature. Although he forthrightly answered numerous questions, Mr. Mukasey did not respond to some and was unclear in his answers to others. Accordingly, before confirming him to one of the most powerful and important positions in government, senators ought to submit follow-up questions.

An opinion sought from the Maryland attorney general's office may help determine when 220 houses will be built in the North Carroll Farms neighborhood of Hampstead.Hampstead's Board of Zoning Appeals delayed action on two related cases Thursday pending an opinion on whether a subdivision may be deferred because public services are considered inadequate.Area homeowners have appealed the town Planning and Zoning Commission's Aug. 29 preliminary approval of North Carroll Farms Section IV.They say the approval was in error because schools, water and roads in Hampstead are inadequate or approaching inadequacy.

State Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. is leading challenger Richard D. Bennett just days before Tuesday's election, although Mr. Bennett remains within striking distance, a new poll shows.Another Democratic incumbent, Louis L. Goldstein, continues to hold a wide lead against Republican Timothy R. Mayberry in the race for state comptroller.A Mason-Dixon Political Media Research poll released yesterday shows Mr. Curran, a Democrat, with 47 percent of the vote and his Republican challenger with 35 percent.

The consumer protection division of the Maryland attorney general's office is trying to mediate a dispute between the developer of an Anne Arundel County retirement community and a group of its residents.About 300 of the 1,100 residents of Heritage Harbour, near South River, have asked the attorney general's office to look intoalleged wrongdoing by the community's developer, U.S. Home Corp.Among other things, residents claim U.S. Home Corp. sold to other developers land that had been set aside as community common space.

WASHINGTON -- The Justice Department has taken the first step toward appointing an independent counsel to investigate the government's handling of a politically sensitive bank-fraud case involving Iraq, the official leading the department's internal inquiry said yesterday.The official, Frederick B. Lacey, a former federal judge, was appointed by Attorney General William P. Barr last month to help him decide whether to recommend appointing an independent counsel. Mr. Lacey said in an interview that allegations of wrongdoing by U.S. officials were serious enough to move on to the next phase of the investigation.

Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. has joined private litigants in urging that the Baltimore County Board of Appeals be forced to conduct its deliberations on decisions in open session.So far, the board has refused to end its closed-door policy, even though a new state open-meetings law took effect July 1, 1992. The county liquor board also holds its deliberations on decisions in private.In a "friend of the court" filing in Baltimore County Circuit Court yesterday, Mr. Curran joined private groups opposing the expansion of Villa Julie College in Green Spring Valley that are seeking a court order to force the board to discuss its decision in public session.

A new political action committee designed to increase the number of women elected officials in Maryland gave its support yesterday to 10 candidates for various state offices.The PAC, known as Harriet's List, made the expected selections in the races for governor and attorney general. It chose state Sen. Mary H. Boergers of Montgomery County for governor and Eleanor M. Carey for attorney general.While the choices came as no surprise, the selection of Ms. Carey is drawing attention because she is running against an incumbent -- Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. -- who has a strong record on women's issues.

In a campaign of escalating charges, Republican Richard D. Bennett alleged last night that Maryland Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. has used his state police driver and state car to ferry family members on out-of-state trips.Mr. Bennett, who is trying to unseat the two-term Democrat, made the charges at a debate at the University of Baltimore.In response, Mr. Curran acknowledged that his wife had accompanied him on business trips to New York and to Washington, and he said he had once received permission for the driver to take his wife to New York while he was in a hospital.

As outgoing Attorney General J. Joseph Curran Jr. packed his belongings into boxes yesterday in his increasingly empty Baltimore office, he said he is looking at potential job prospects and would be willing, if approached, to serve as temporary president of the Injured Workers' Insurance Fund. The agency has terminated its relationship with former state Sen. Thomas L. Bromwell, president and CEO since 2002 of the state's largest insurance fund for injured workers. Facing federal public corruption charges and due to go to trial in March, Bromwell's last day will be Sunday.

WASHINGTON -- President Clinton has held his first meetings with candidates for attorney general, his spokesman said, and sources say federal District Judge Rya Zobel of Boston was among them.White House spokesman George Stephanopoulos confirmed yesterday that Mr. Clinton met with "at least one" candidate for the job as he tries to find a replacement for Zoe Baird, who withdrew from consideration last week after controversy over her hiring of undocumented workers as domestic servants.Ms. Zobel, 61, is a highly regarded federal judge who has handled a number of extremely complex cases, including litigation involving asbestos and a massive patent infringement case that Polaroid Corp.