Judgment Day Friday for Microsoft

Long-awaited U.S. District Court decisions in the Microsoft(MSFT Quote) antitrust saga will be released Friday afternoon, according to the court.

In a notice Thursday, the U.S. District Court said Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly will issue opinions in the Microsoft cases at about 4:30 p.m. EST Friday.

Kollar-Kotelly has been weighing two different points in the Microsoft antitrust case. First, under the Tunney Act, she must decide whether a settlement reached between the Redmond, Wash.-based giant and the Justice Department is in the public's best interest. Separately, she also is considering a request for stricter penalties from nine states that did not join the settlement. ...