21.  In three past cases, courts have ruled that the Japanese government must pay damages only for past noise pollution around the Yokota base.

22.  It provides not a word of direct explanation for its sudden and enormous departure from the reasoning in past cases.

23.  Japan has often backed down in past cases when sanctions have been threatened.

24.  So the agency did the next best type of study, one in which past cases were examined.

25.  The Mexican government opposes the death penalty and has refused in past cases to extradite suspects to the United States to face capital-punishment prosecution.

26.  The past case involved a Jim Druckenmiller.

27.  When the delegation of U.S. cardinals traveled to Rome in April to meet with Vatican officials, the issue of past cases seemed to be a contentious one.

28.  Although ordering wiretaps is punishable by up to three years in prison, in past cases, jail sentences have rarely been imposed.

29.  An Andersen spokesman did not return telephone calls Thursday seeking additional comment about the past cases.

30.  As a practical matter, many past cases have involved more than one minor victim, so these priests would be defrocked anyway.