1.   The council primarily has been involved in the fight over special masters appointed to monitor federal court orders on prison conditions.

2.   And the company also filed a motion to have the court-appointed special master, Lawrence Lessig, a Harvard law professor, removed.

3.   Another problem is that no one knows what criteria the special master will use in determining individual awards.

4.   Any evidence of a bias that affects current conduct is a legitimate issue in the debate over special masters, he said.

5.   As it nearly always does in these disputes, the court had referred the case of Louisiana vs. Mississippi to a special master for factual findings and recommendations.

6.   At the same time, the news executives who were interviewed said that neither they nor their reporters had not been contacted by the special master.

7.   At the time, Judge Johnson also appointed a special master to investigate possible illegal leaks by the prosecutors.

8.   Attorney General John Ashcroft is expected to appoint a special master to administer the fund.

9.   Boyle said the special master should not take into account the impact to the government in determining the amount to pay each family.

10.   A special master acts much like a trial judge and jury, listening to evidence and making findings of fact and law.