NYC NEWS BRIEFS

Bin Laden kin gets OK to hire NY lawyer

A federal judge has approved a request from Osama bin Laden's son-in-law to be defended by a Manhattan lawyer, known for defending accused terrorists, who is himself under indictment in Syracuse on tax charges.

Manhattan U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan sat for nearly two weeks on the request from Sulaiman Abu Ghaith to be represented by Stanley I. Cohen, worried that despite a waiver, the criminal charges against Cohen might impede his defense of Abu Ghaith, a onetime al-Qaida spokesman.

But late Tuesday, Kaplan signed an order removing public defenders from the case and appointing Cohen. Cohen, best known for successfully fighting extradition to Israel of a Hamas leader, has said he is being paid by a brother of Abu Ghaith who lives in Kuwait.

Abu Ghath, 47, is charged with plotting to kill Americans overseas. Officials say he is the most senior leader of al-Qaida ever to go on trial in New York, but they have not accused him of involvement in the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks or operational leadership of other plots.

The trial is scheduled to begin in January.

-- John Riley

Suit settled in fray over Warhol image

The Velvet Underground and pop legend Andy Warhol's foundation have settled a licensing dispute over rights to the iconic peel-off banana image used on a 1967 album cover they collaborated on.

Settlement of the lawsuit filed last year by band headliners Lou Reed and John Cale was reported in a brief order Wednesday from Manhattan U.S. District Judge Alison Nathan. A lawyer for the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts said in a letter filed with the court that the terms were "confidential."

The banana album, "The Velvet Underground and Nico," was rated 13th greatest album ever by Rolling Stone magazine in 2003. The band sued last year when the Warhol foundation signed a deal licensing the banana logo for use on iPad and iPhone sleeves.

In the suit, the Velvet Underground claimed the banana was a band trademark, while the foundation said that Warhol -- who worked with the group to create the album art -- had copyrighted the banana.

Josh Paul, a lawyer for the Warhol foundation, had no comment on the settlement. A lawyer for the Velvet Underground did not return a call for comment.

-- John Riley

Brooklyn lawmaker wants Silver to quit

A Democratic assemblywoman Wednesday called for Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver to resign his leadership position for his role in a secret settlement to end sexual harassment claims against a now-former assemblyman.

Democratic Assemb. Inez Barron of Brooklyn accused Silver of "egregious behavior" in crafting the $103,000 settlement using public money to silence the first accusations against veteran Assemb. Vito Lopez.

Barron called for Silver to resign the leadership post he's held for 19 years hours after several Republicans called for criminal investigations of Silver to end what they called "Silver's war on women."

They said two previous investigations were limited to avoid a close look at Silver's role in handling sexual harassment complaints against Lopez, a Brooklyn Democrat.

Barron called Silver's actions "an unacceptable attempt to cover up the allegations" by two of Lopez's former staff workers. "I call upon you to step down from your position as speaker . . . you jeopardized the safety of and respect for female employees."

Silver had said he kept the cash settlement secret at the request of the Lopez's accusers. But attorneys for the women denied they sought a confidentiality clause, which carried a $10,000 penalty if violated.

Silver dismissed the calls for his resignation Wednesday. "None of them ever voted for me, so it's insignificant," Silver said. "None of them ever supported me, none of them ever wanted me to be speaker, so nothing is new."

Officer guilty in 2 wrongful arrests

A New York City police officer has been convicted of official misconduct for faking paperwork to conceal his involvement in a wrongful search and arrest of two men.

Isaias Alicea was convicted Wednesday by a jury on 10 counts. He became an NYPD officer in 2006, and was assigned to the NYPD's housing bureau. He stopped and arrested two men in Harlem last year, and then later falsely told his supervisors he saw them in a drug transaction. But surveillance images showed no transaction occurred and the charges against the men were dropped.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. says Alicea betrayed the public's trust.

He will be sentenced July 12. He will be fired from the department based on felony conviction.

Compiled from AP reports