Neither the defendants' lawyers nor the prosecutors would comment after the brief hearing.

At the brief hearing, Clarke was said to have "stood firm and spoke with perfect composure."

After what is expected to be a brief hearing, Ferrell could then agree to end the legal dispute.

The couple, who were married in 1988, were not present at the brief hearing.

A state appeals court affirmed the verdict after a relatively brief hearing.

He pleaded not guilty in the brief hearing before being returned to custody.

When he finally came to trial in 2010, he was acquitted on all charges after a brief hearing.

The first three to face hearings are among 12 former government leaders who last appeared in public at a brief hearing in July.

The request for such a brief hearing may be wishful thinking, according to legal scholars.

He entered his plea in Spanish through an interpreter during a brief hearing.