The Securities Investor Protection Corp has asked a federal court to deny the SEC's request to compel SIPC to allow victims of Allen Stanford's alleged Ponzi scheme to file claims for compensation.  In its court filing on Thursday, SIPC based its request on teh fact that Stanford's offshore bank, through which the Ponzi scheme was conducted, was not a member firm. Early in February 2012, federal Judge Robert Wilkins in Washington, D.C., ruled the SEC's effort to force SIPC to initiate a claims procedure for Stanford's victims is subject to judicial review.  Stanford stands accused of bilking thousands of investors by selling fraudulent CDs through his bank in the Caribbean.  The Stanford trial, which is including its 3rd week of testimony, is taking place in federal court in Houston. The SIPC case is:  SEC v. SIPC, U.S. District Court, District of Columbia, No. 11-678.  For the SEC: Matthew Martens;  for the SIPC: Eugene Assaf of Kirkland & Ellis. [Reuters, 2/17/12]