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Archive of Crime & Courts on Monday May 05, 2008
Fairness of death-penalty panels questioned
Death-penalty supporters are raising questions about the fairness of state commissions charged with studying how capital punishment is carried out in Maryland and Tennessee, claiming the panels will issue reports that ignore their views. Read More
With justices' OK, voter ID moves ahead
A decision Monday (April 28) by the U.S. Supreme Court to let Indiana demand photo identification from voters paves the way for other states to do the same during November’s presidential election, experts say. Read More
Kohring's lawyer makes case for leniency
ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Convicted former lawmaker Vic Kohring's lawyer, John Henry Browne, says eight months in jail would be a fair sentence. Read More
Lawyers in Alabama Rep. Sue Schmitz's two-year college case battle in court filings
The criminal case against a north Alabama lawmaker accused of taking two-year college money for work she never did has erupted into a bitter exchange between defense lawyers and prosecutors. Read More
AP News Analysis -- Ballot measure campaigns to be waged in Arkansas' pews
The best place to hear arguments this fall over whether to create a state-run lottery for education or to restrict public services for illegal immigrants may not be at a campaign rally. It'll be from the pews. Read More
Justice's adobe home slated for preservation
The 50-year-old adobe home where Sandra Day O'Connor often turned heated state politics into decisions over chalupas and tortillas will reign supreme once more as an arena for civic discourse. Read More
States, feds allow assets used in crimes to be seized
State and federal laws allow law enforcement agencies to seize assets used in certain criminal enterprises and use the proceeds to fight crime. Read More
California lawmakers consider new sentencing laws
Lawmakers have revived a pair of bills to overhaul California's criminal sentencing laws, but majority Democrats are still wrangling over which approach to push. Read More
California parolees get a chance in community programs
California corrections officials are again diverting thousands of parole violators into community programs instead of sending them to prison, hoping this time the experiment doesn't fail. Read More
Metal dealers want law scrapped
Carmen Micucio Jr. thinks state lawmakers may have dealt a death blow to the recycling business he's spent 26 years building in Glasgow. Read More
Tampa Bay area's legislative rewards small in lean budget year
Stopping lead-laced toys from being distributed and sold in Florida seemed like "an apple pie bill" to Sen. Charlie Justice. The Senate even passed it. Read More
Winners and losers in the 2008 Florida Legislature
A list of legislation that passed in this year's regular session of the Florida Legislature, which ended Friday, from The Associated Press. Read More
Fla. court to hear anthrax lawsuit
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - The Florida Supreme Court is taking up key issues in a lawsuit over the anthrax death of a photo editor for a supermarket tabloid publisher. Read More
Measure on illegal ATV use advances
The state Department of Land and Natural Resources could soon have the muscle it needs to combat a problem that has plagued Wai'anae Coast residents, pedestrians and motorists for years: Illegal all-terrain vehicles tearing along beaches, roadways and wilderness areas. Read More
Lingle pulls land talks with OHA off the table
Gov. Linda Lingle says the failure of the state Legislature to approve a ceded-lands settlement with the Office of Hawaiian Affairs was shortsighted and a disappointment. Read More
Shield law for journalists awaits governor's OK
Hawaii journalists would be protected from revealing their sources, notes and video recordings to the government under a measure given final approval by lawmakers last week. Read More
Corrections officials begin working on new prison plan
Iowa corrections officials are beginning to work on a $131 million maximum-security prison project in southeastern Iowa that won't begin housing prisoners until 2014. Read More
Supreme court reverses man's drug conviction
The Iowa Supreme Court on Friday reversed a man's drug conviction, ruling a judge who issued a search warrant that led to the man's arrest was not a neutral party. Read More
Troopers target motorists who break 'Move Over' law
State troopers, tired of motorists crashing into patrol cars stopped along Iowa's highways, are cracking down on drivers who fail to slow down and move over. Read More
ISP targets bad drivers
Idaho State Police say they will join with the trucking industry and other agencies to stop aggressive truck and car drivers. Read More
Supreme battling
Idaho Supreme Court Justice Joel Horton - who was appointed to the bench last September by Gov. C.L. "Butch" Otter - disagrees with nearly all of the fiery contentions made by his opponent in an upcoming election. Read More
Hoffman's ties to Gov. Blagojevich now a disadvantage
State Rep. Jay Hoffman's political life has been closely tied for years with that of Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Read More
Rezko trial at turning point
The government's corruption case against Antoin "Tony" Rezko has reached its climax with the kind of hard-hitting eyewitness testimony that at a more routine criminal trial might make a guilty verdict a slam dunk. Read More
Ill. Republicans will make recall amendment an issue in fall
Minutes after the Illinois Senate blocked a recall amendment to the state constitution, Republicans began trying to transform the decision into a political liability for Democrats. Read More
Rezko lawyer, witness bicker about cash, clout, 9/11
CHICAGO - Political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko's defense attorney and the government's last major witness bickered sharply about campaign cash, clout and even the Sept. 11 attacks Friday as prosecutors prepared to rest their case after eight weeks. Read More
Rezko gets bail help from state employees 26.
Antoin "Tony" Rezko, the indicted political pal of Gov. Rod Blagojevich, is accused of helping scores of people get state jobs. Now some of them are doing him a favor. Read More
Makers of 'Blow' drink mix won't sell in Illinois anymore
The Las Vegas manufacturer of a white-powdered energy drink mix called Blow has stopped selling the product in Illinois. Read More
IDOT workers say e-mail proves politics fueled firings
Lawyers for 17 former Illinois Department of Transportation workers say a recently disclosed e-mail supports their claim that Gov. Rod Blagojevich?s administration fired them for political reasons. Read More
Thousands removed from child-abuser list
Nick and Judi Brunstein are former foster parents who spent $20,000 in legal fees to clear their names after being accused by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services of child abuse. Read More
Last-minute witness puts cloud over Rezko trial
At the last minute, federal prosecutors have inserted a surprising and powerful stinger in the tail of the biggest corruption trial in Illinois since the George Ryan case. Read More
State still renting space from felon
Even though he's no longer on the state payroll and has pleaded guilty to federal felony charges, a former top Blagojevich appointee is still getting money from taxpayers. Read More
Records show Kline didn't drop efforts
Phill Kline didn't abandon attempts to prosecute Wichita abortion provider George Tiller after leaving the attorney general's office, recently unsealed court records show. Read More
Immigration bill unlikely to live
It appears unlikely that the Legislature this year will pass a law cracking down on illegal immigrants and employers who hire them. Read More
Supreme Court unseals records in abortion cases
The Kansas Supreme Court on Friday unsealed two lawsuits demanding that Johnson County District Attorney Phill Kline return abortion records to Planned Parenthood. Read More
Lawmakers want to sue Sebelius over coal plants
Kansas House leaders Friday introduced a resolution to allow the Legislature to sue Gov. Kathleen Sebelius over coal-fired electric power plants. Read More
House rejects Senate's budget changes
The House voted overwhelmingly Saturday evening to reject a wrap-up budget from the Senate that swept out all new spending. The 4-116 vote sent the bill back to a negotiating committee. Six members of the House and Senate have been working to develop a budget, but haven't been able to come to an agreement. Read More
Bill approved that would test drivers after accidents
Dennis and Denise Bixby wiped tears from their eyes Saturday as they sat in the House gallery and watched lawmakers approve a bill that they helped push through the Legislature. Read More
Inmates exposed to 'superbug,' lawsuits say
Lonnie Napier says he was infected with the flesh-eating bacteria at the Laurel County Detention Center, and that his wound grew so gangrenous that a portion of his scrotum had to be removed. Read More
Bridge police change has no support
A bill to abolish the Causeway Police Department and transfer law enforcement duties on the Lake Pontchartrain Causeway and the Huey P. Long Bridge to the State Police is failing to attract much support among legislators whose constituents traverse the bridges. Read More
Deval's bench warmer$
The more things change, the more they stay the same on Beacon Hill. Especially when it comes to judicial picks. Gov. Deval Patrick named three lawyers to the bench this week, two of whom were (surprise!) campaign donors. Read More
Rep details colleague threat
A state rep who has accused another lawmaker of threatening her during budget deliberations said yesterday she went public to initiate reform in a House chamber where she says some power-hungry reps use intimidation to silence dissenting opinion. Read More
Missouri program strives to rehabilitate inmates
TIPTON, Mo. - With six criminal convictions and two stints in prison, Adam Arnall is a problem for Missouri. Read More
Springfield nursing home cited after resident dies
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. - A Springfield nursing home was cited after investigators determined employees had not adequately addressed the needs of a patient who later died. Read More
Court has not ruled on request for execution date
It's not so much that she wishes death on condemned inmate Earl Wesley Berry, Jena Watson just wants an end to the nightmare that began with her mother's murder more than two decades ago. Read More
Democrat AG candidates' resumes make for competitive race
Democrats Steve Bullock, John Parker and Mike Wheat are in a tough spot. Each wants to be Montana's next attorney general. Each has raised enough money and brings enough legal and political experience to make the three-way race truly competitive. That's the rub. Read More
Republican attorney general hopefuls emphasize background, legal opinions
Lee Bruner and Tim Fox have almost nothing bad to say about each other. The two Republican lawyers are in a gentlemanly showdown to be the GOP's attorney general candidate in November. The primary race, which has kept both Fox and Bruner busy for months, but hardly measured a ripple outside political circles, will be decided June 3. Read More
Gang bill faces obstacles
State lawmakers say they have a new plan to curb gang-related crime, but questions remain about whether the legislation unfairly targets some groups and whether it will be effective. Read More
State -- More gas stations cheating
The administrator for the Nebraska Department of Weights and Measures says his agency has found three to four gas stations a week trying to cheat customers. Read More
McGreeveys' divorce trial set to begin
She claims she was duped into marriage by a closeted gay man who needed the cover of a wife to advance his political career. He says he gave her a child and the coattails she rode to the governor's mansion, thus fulfilling the marriage contract. Read More
State acts silently on smuggled prison gun
It was a major security breach for the state Department of Corrections, with potentially deadly consequences: A loaded .32-caliber semi-automatic handgun was found inside the walls of New Jersey State Prison on Aug. 4, 2006. Read More
McGreevey fireworks set to begin
As Jim and Dina Matos McGreevey's three-and-a-half-year separation approaches the duration of their marriage, they are about to become unhitched - finally - when their divorce trial starts tomorrow. Read More
Attorney general says he complied with gift law
A company building a uranium enrichment plant in New Mexico paid for part of Attorney General Gary King's expenses when he traveled to the Netherlands in March to tour a similar uranium plant. Read More
Nevada judge faces removal in odd courthouse saga
LAS VEGAS - Within six months of being sworn in, District Court Judge Elizabeth Halverson was locked out of her courtroom by the chief judge and accused misusing her position, tainting juries, treating her staff like personal servants and falling asleep on the bench. Read More
A divorce is sought by governor of Nevada
LAS VEGAS - Gov. Jim Gibbons of Nevada, whose marital problems have been a titillating sideshow to the state's more serious budget problems, filed for divorce on Friday, starting a legal battle to force his wife of 24 years to vacate the governor's mansion. Read More
State lawyer resigns amid no-show probe
An attorney under investigation for an alleged no-show state job resigned his post Friday, defending his work but saying he did not want to become a "distraction." Read More
Law Day 'dimmer' for Kaye
Chief Judge Judith Kaye spent her final Law Day address Friday singing a familiar refrain -- that judges need a raise. Read More
Paterson backs away from trooper comments
Gov. David Paterson said Friday in a radio interview that he admitted past marital affairs in part because he feared an "out-of-control" element in the State Police that he said was investigating politicians. But later Friday, he told reporters he had no proof that out-of-control troopers were targeting politicians. Read More
Paterson says he feared exposure by state police
Gov. David A. Paterson said on Friday that he decided in March to admit publicly to an extramarital affair because he feared that a rogue unit of the New York State Police would disclose the information to embarrass him. Read More
Governor, other top Dems call on Dann to resign
All statewide Democratic elected officials and legislative leaders are calling on embattled Attorney General Marc Dann to resign from office. But Dann is rebuffing the request. Read More
Dem leaders call for independent investigation
If embattled Attorney General Marc Dann was looking for political comfort from fellow Democrats, he didn't get much of it from his party's two top leaders, Gov. Ted Strickland and state Democratic Chairman Chris Redfern. Read More
Ohioans warned not to get too wild on Cinco de Mayo
Officials are urging Ohioans to be responsible if they're celebrating Cinco de Mayo today. Read More
Warning went unheeded
A sexual harassment scandal inside Attorney General Marc Dann's office began about seven months ago when aides overlooked the concerns of a staff member who tried to raise the issue with human resources, according to transcripts of a recently concluded investigation. Read More
Dann scandal weighs heavily on Democrats - An analysis
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann has become an election-year live wire. Read More
Dann admits having affair; vows to stay as four leave
Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann vows to stay in office and repair the damage caused by his affair with a staffer and a sexual-harassment investigation that concluded dramatically Friday with four people losing their jobs. Read More
Candidate, major newspaper join calls for Dann to resign
A Democrat running for Congress and one of Ohio's largest newspapers are calling for Attorney General Marc Dann to resign. Read More
Agency studies court decision affecting thousands of workers
The state insurance fund for injured workers is trying to figure out the impact of a court ruling that in theory could allow hundreds of thousands of previously settled injured workers claims to be reopened. Read More
Governor to decide killer's fate
TULSA, Okla. - A woman sentenced to life in prison for beating her husband to death with the help of a teenage accomplice could be released if the governor approves a recommendation from the pardon and parole board. Read More
Extortion claims aired in judge case
TULSA, Okla. - If a special prosecutor used extortion in hopes of forcing a Tulsa judge to resign, the prosecutor should face criminal charges, an expert on legal ethics says. Read More
Death row inmate deemed sane by Pittsburg County jury
McALESTER, Okla. - A Pittsburg County jury has determined that a death row inmate is sane enough to be executed, but it's uncertain when the punishment will be carried out. Read More
Nursing home sex harassment case settled
Wildwood Care Center and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission have settled a sexual harassment lawsuit filed by a former employee of the Tulsa nursing home, EEOC officials announced Friday. Read More
Democrats slug it out for attorney general job
John Kroger and Greg Macpherson are Democrats seeking to be the next attorney general. Read More
State Supreme Court clears path for criminal charges in casino case
The state Supreme Court on Friday appeared to clear the way for prosecutors to proceed with criminal charges against a Poconos casino owner accused of lying to state gambling regulators about his ties to mob figures. Read More
'We're fired up, and we can't take it'
After snarling Friday rush hour traffic in downtown Providence with a "Unity March" from the Westin Hotel to the Statehouse, a coalition of labor and community groups held a rally in support of state workers, immigrants and union labor. Read More
Remarks on immigrants raise concerns
A nonprofit group whose board members include First Lady Sue Carcieri asserts that nearly 45 percent of all immigrants in Rhode Island -- legal and illegal -- lack high school diplomas and "this low-skilled cohort of immigrants to Rhode Island costs state taxpayers about $212 million per year." Read More
Out-of-state gifts are OK by Senate
Legislators have voted to make clear that they may accept food, beverages, "amenities, goodie bags or admission tickets" from lobbyists and their employers while attending out-of-state legislative conferences. Read More
Bill seeks to change juror rules
Dodging jury duty will become more difficult and more citizens will be subject to being called upon to decide cases in court under legislation scheduled for votes on the floor of both the state House and Senate this week. Read More
Senator discloses AT&T link after vote
State Sen. Bill Ketron was ready for the first item on Thursday's Senate calendar, the so-called "AT&T bill" he had helped shepherd through the legislature. Read More
Nashville - Bills seek punishment for use, display of fake weapons
Concerns that realistic-looking toy weapons are confusing police and threatening safety have led 15 states to take a crack at going beyond gun control to implement fake-gun control. Read More
CPS limits caseloads over sect children
As Child Protective Services caseworkers track the progress in foster care of children removed last month from a polygamous sect's ranch in Eldorado, they'll work on just 15 cases at a time. Read More
No-question policy at hearing draws criticism
The testimony by Commissioner Carey Cockerell of the Department of Family and Protective Services before a Senate panel Wednesday was unusual -- and not just because the topic was the largest child welfare operation in state history. Read More
House to lawmakers - Get 'ghost' workers off the payroll
Reacting to disclosure about so-called ghost employees working for the Texas House of Representatives and a preliminary criminal inquiry into the practice, House leaders issued orders Friday to immediately get them off the payroll. Read More
Former prisons chief finally free of scandal
Now that a federal judge has given him back his life, Texas' former top prison official soon will decide what to do with it. But first he has to get used to the fact that the very real possibility of a prison sentence -- which hung over his head for more than a decade -- is gone. Read More
Dallas man exonerated after 27 years in prison
James Lee Woodard walked out of a Texas prison last week after 27 years behind bars. The state now agrees that Woodard was wrongfully convicted in 1981 of killing a girl he had been dating. Read More
Reports show systemic abuse at Texas' psychiatric hospitals
Patients with severe mental illness are committed to Texas' state psychiatric hospitals to be protected from themselves. Instead, some are suffering vicious abuse from the very caregivers hired to look after them. Read More
Bills seek punishment for use, display of fake weapons
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Concerns that realistic-looking toy weapons are confusing police and threatening safety have led 15 states to take a crack at going beyond gun control to implement fake-gun control. Read More
After hiatus, states set wave of executions
HUNTSVILLE, Texas - Here in the nation's leading death-penalty state, and some of the 35 others with capital punishment, execution dockets are quickly filling up. Read More
States divided on approach to polygamous sect
PHOENIX - It was a showdown, of sorts, over how far states should go to keep tabs on the Fundamentalist Church of Latter Day Saints, the group known to endorse multiple wives for men and motherhood for underage girls. Read More
Fiscal pressures lead some states to free inmates early
NEW YORK - Reversing decades of tough-on-crime policies, including mandatory minimum prison sentences for some drug offenders, many cash-strapped states are embracing a view once dismissed as dangerously naive: It costs far less to let some felons go free than to keep them locked up. Read More
Utah's 300 new laws to take effect today
Friends will gather today to raise a glass and bid farewell to a dear friend, the Long Island Iced Tea, the potent concoction of five different liquors that has been the source of countless hangovers and untold regrets. Read More
State hopes to reduce unintentional prescription drug overdoses
Shane Player, 26, was badly injured in a head-on car crash in 2006. His ear was torn off, he had 64 stitches on his face and he suffered extensive nerve damage. Read More
Virginia tries to ensure students' safety in cyberspace
Alan Portillo didn't think much, if at all, about his online vulnerability. Then the 15-year-old heard technology teacher Wendy Maitland list three pieces of information an online predator would need to find him. Read More
Vermont Supreme Court upholds DNA sampling of felons
The Vermont Supreme Court has upheld a 2005 law that allows the state to collect genetic samples from nonviolent felons. Read More
Vermont targets cycle of "domestic violence"
Longtime law enforcement officials have noticed a trend in dealing with domestic violence assaults: Add a junior to the name of today's offender and you may have identified tomorrow's abuser. Read More
Using cell phones to find missing persons pushes law
The call came in to police just after midnight April 16. Hours before, a distraught young man had phoned his mother, hinting he wanted to kill himself. When he didn't meet her as planned, she telephoned Seattle police and reported her son missing. Read More
Guards use sick days to inflate salary
October 2006 was a busy month for one Green Bay Correctional Institution sergeant. Read More
WVU law school to get $8 million from settlement
West Virginia University's College of Law is getting an $8 million windfall. Read More
Lawyers give most money to Maynard
Chief Justice Elliot "Spike" Maynard says it's the "worst hypocrisy" to focus on campaign donations from business interests while ignoring big money from lawyers. Read More
Repeat offenders a large part of drunken driving problem
HUNTINGTON. W.Va. - Repeat offenders may be the most frustrating component of the drunken driving problem: no matter what sanctions they face, they continue to get behind the wheel while intoxicated. Read More
Latest ad in Supreme Court race sparks controversy
Massey Energy chief Don Blankenship called a new television ad sponsored by the Affiliated Construction Trades Foundation a childish poke at Justice Elliott "Spike" Maynard in what is a serious political race. Read More
WVU hopes scandal won't drive donors away
MORGANTOWN, W.Va - With one major donor revoking an offer of $2 million worth of donations, West Virginia University hopes the furor over an unearned master's degree won't plague its fundraising efforts. Read More
Oh say, is that banner made in the U.S.A.?
Lawmakers in 10 states have taken steps to require that American flags bought with state funds be manufactured in this country. While not all the legislation has passed, one state’s new law even bans the sale of foreign-made American flags in that state. Read More |
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