Published May 20, 2011

Next stop…the courtroom?

Authorities said yesterday they had uncovered a massive scheme that defrauded the MBTA out of millions of dollars. Attorney General Martha Coakley accused a Revere man of fabricating “ghost” MBTA passes that looked and worked like the real thing, and of selling them online and keeping the profits.

Even as defense attorneys worked to portray him as a liar and a cheat, former software salesman Joseph Lally continued to testify that he was part of a scheme that funneled kickbacks to former House Speaker Sal DiMasi. Lally has already pleaded guilty to charges connected to the scheme.

The bizarre case of the man sometimes known as Clark Rockefeller (nee Christian Gerhartsreiter) is back in the news. Gerhartsreiter’s lawyer said yesterday that his client won’t fight Los Angeles County prosecutors’ efforts to extradite him to California to face murder charges.

A tireless advocate for the nation’s only publicly funded art college, MassArt President Kay Sloan will follow the school’s students in moving on after commencement. Sloan is retiring after 15 years on the job.

Boston University will honor Nina Totenberg, NPR’s legal affairs correspondent, with an honorary degree. Totenberg studied journalism at BU, but left before graduating to embark on her now legendary career.

What we’re following: We’ll continue to report on a new contract for nurses at Tufts Medical Center, developments in the trial of Nancy Kerrigan’s brother and the preparations for what could be a busy hurricane season.