41.   In any event, Tribe said, the Florida Legislature had given the state courts the authority to interpret election law for all elections except their own.

42.   In the constitution it would have been an overriding principle influencing the way courts interpret the law.

43.   In the absence of clear congressional intent, the appeals court said it would not interpret the law to have such a drastic effect.

44.   In some cases laws could be interpreted as banning field excursions by Boy Scouts as well as collecting expeditions by dealers.

45.   Initially, Hamilton conceded that the federal courts would have some freedom in interpreting the laws and that federal judges would have lifetime tenure.

46.   Instead, the judge interpreted the law narrowly, telling the jury Smaltz had to prove there was a quid pro quo for the gifts.

47.   James Guthrie, a tax attorney in San Rafael, interpreted the law exactly the same way.

48.   Knight says her agency interprets the law to allow gaps of a day or more.

49.   Legal experts say courts have interpreted the law to allow discrimination in certain cases to ensure the safety of customers and to protect their privacy.

50.   Legal scholars have questioned whether Judge Wright correctly interpreted federal law in citing Clinton for civil contempt, a tool generally used to compel testimony in ongoing court cases.