The newly assigned judge who will determine the antitrust fate of Microsoft Corp. sold stock this year worth $45,000 to $165,000 in technology companies whose fortunes could be affected by her verdict. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly sold all her family's technology holdings between Jan. 1 and Sept. 28 to avoid potential ethical conflicts, she said in response to questions from The Associated Press. Kollar-Kotelly sold the shares in the midst of a serious slump in the technology sector - the Nasdaq composite index is down roughly 31 percent since January - but her losses would be less if she sold the stock early in the year. She did not specify whether she sold her shares before her appointment as the new trial judge on Aug. 24 or the amount she received. By law, she doesn't have to report that until next year.
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