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Archive of Crime & Courts on Monday May 12, 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
Justice faults Ky. lethal injection
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - .S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens says the euthanized Kentucky Derby horse Eight Belles probably died more humanely than Death Row prisoners in the Bluegrass State. Read More
Teen use of drug 'Salvia divinorum,' as seen on YouTube, raises alarms
ATLANTA - Concern about Salvia divinorum, a shamanistic herb from Mexico that some US teenagers are using to get a hallucinogenic high, not only is spurring parents to have heart-to-heart talks with kids, but also has led some states to outlaw it. Read More
Push on to inspect ice cream vendors' pasts
A growing number of communities across the USA are moving to prevent sexual predators from becoming ice cream truck drivers. Read More
Thefts rise with copper prices
CHICAGO - Dave Fusselman figures he has seen a lot of different items come through his family's third-generation scrap metal business in Moberly, Mo. But an attempted sale last fall broke new ground. Read More
Corruption case taints rising political star
CHICAGO - As the corruption trial of the political fund-raiser Antoin Rezko winds to a close here, testimony about power-brokering at the highest levels of state government has battered the career of an Illinois politician who once had his sights set on the White House. Read More
Feds combing jails for illegal immigrants
A little-noticed program to remove criminal immigrants from the U.S. has local immigration officials boasting about big results as they comb jails, juvenile centers and courts across Washington state in search of deportable inmates. Read More
New law helps Wisconsin victims of abuse void rental contracts without penalty
Little things, such as gas cards and movie passes, can brighten the day for victims of domestic abuse. Bigger gestures, such as a new statewide law to protect victims during a time of crises, also are appreciated. Read More
Sex-offense 'deniers' face catch-22
For convicted sex offenders who deny they did anything wrong, completing the full treatment program at Montana State Prison is impossible -- and, therefore, parole is out. That's because most sex offenders are required to complete the treatment before they can be considered for parole. And if you deny your crime, you can't complete the treatment. Read More
Legislature steps in to prisons dispute
The Alaska Legislature is stepping into the internal bickering in the state's prisons that has reached a feverish pitch. Read More
Alabama sees resurgence in meth labs
Alabama is seeing a resurgence in methamphetamine labs, a reversal from the decrease that followed a 2005 state law that made it harder to buy the main ingredients, drug enforcement agents say. Read More
Appeals Court contenders cite differences
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. - One of the state's most outspoken judges faces a challenge in his bid for re-election to the state Court of Appeals in the May 20 non-partisan judicial election. Read More
53 illegal immigrants held captive in Phoenix
PHOENIX - Fifty-three illegal immigrants found Sunday had been held against their will in a fortified home by suspected smugglers demanding more money, authorities said. Read More
In custody, in pain
FLORENCE, Ariz. - Underneath her baggy jail-issue pants, Yong Sun Harvill feels the soft lump just below her left knee. Sometimes it tingles. Sometimes it is numb. Like her cancer felt when it arrived behind the knee a few years ago. Read More
Panel takes bite out of rural crime fighting
WILLOWS, Calif. -- It's true that Glenn County Sheriff's Sgt. Jim Miranda sometimes doubles as dogcatcher and that his and his crew's big activity for the day recently was to shoot down a roaming bull headed for the interstate. Read More
Del. officials praise Web safeguards
Local law enforcement officials applaud recent efforts by social networking sites to better protect children with new safeguards. Read More
Wrongful Incarceration Act may not solve problems it was intended to
Lawmakers have called the bill an "automatic trigger" that will make it easier and quicker for those who unjustly lost their liberty to get a measure of financial compensation from the state. Read More
Judicial nominating commission meeting today
The committee that reviews applicants for judicial seats will meet today to schedule applicant reviews and background checks. Read More
Culver signs bill for new prison
FORT MADISON, Iowa -- There was joy in southeast Iowa Friday, as Gov. Chet Culver signed legislation for $250 million in statewide construction projects that includes money for a new 800-bed maximum-security unit at the Iowa State Penitentiary. Read More
Iowa Supreme Court makes ruling in vehicle drug search case
The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled in a case that could make it easier for police to search cars for drugs. The ruling involves a case where a Polk County sheriff's deputy stopped a vehicle for speeding on a Des Moines street. Read More
High court says evidence of 'lifetime risk' is relevant
DES MOINES, Iowa -- A district court was wrong when it ruled that the state couldn't hold a man who had a history of sexually abusing young children, the Iowa Supreme Court ruled Friday. Read More
Culver OKs prison funding bill
FORT MADISON, Iowa -- Gov. Chet Culver traveled to one of the nation's oldest prisons Friday to sign into a law a measure setting aside more than $200 million for renovations to Iowa's jammed and aging prisons. Read More
Idaho Supreme Court candidates push reputation, reform
The Idaho Supreme Court race between incumbent Justice Joel Horton and challenger, Second District Judge John Bradbury, is shaping up as a tame affair. Read More
Audit clears UI Post Falls research center
POST FALLS, Idaho -- The Idaho attorney general's office concludes that researchers at a University of Idaho research center at Post Falls broke no state laws in blending the interests of the university and two private companies. Read More
Embattled Blagojevich's agenda could take hit with Rezko verdict
While there is arguably no good time for a governor to have one of his political insiders on federal trial, the looming verdict in the case of Gov. Rod Blagojevich's pal Tony Rezko likely couldn't come at a worse time. Read More
What to expect on last day
Federal prosecutors termed Antoin "Tony" Rezko's alleged crimes a "pay-to-play scheme on steroids" when they indicted him in 2006. Read More
Review -- CeaseFire effective in curbing violence
An outside review of the Chicago-based anti-violence group CeaseFire found that the program - which lost its state funding - has led to "distinct and statistically significant declines" in violence in neighborhoods across the city. Read More
Ex-state official Ali Ata had state leases despite irregularities, records show
Former state agency director Ali Ata, a one-time business associate of political fundraiser Antoin "Tony" Rezko, was paid more than $6.5 million in rent on four state office leases despite failing for years to disclose his partners in the deals as required, state and court records show. Read More
Tony Rezko trial nears conclusion as prosecution, defense strategize on best closing arguments
Closing arguments are the gut-check moment of any trial, the stage at which lawyers try to sway the outcome with brilliance and panache?or at least avoid blowing it big time. Read More
10 key developments in case of gov's indicted fund-raiser
Tony Rezko is accused of wielding his vast influence as a fund-raiser and adviser to Gov. Blagojevich to control two state-government boards on which star prosecution witness Stuart Levine sat. Read More
Payday loan law loophole swallows borrowers whole
Kirk Donald was stuck in financial quicksand and sinking fast. Read More
Guard accused of beating girl for snoring
NEW CASTLE, Ind. -- A prison guard beat his live-in girlfriend's daughter in the head while she slept because of her loud snoring, police said. Read More
GOP race for AG begins
The battle for the north has begun in the Republican race for Indiana attorney general. Read More
Ethics panel reprimands Fletcher administration official
The Executive Branch Ethics Commission yesterday reprimanded former Fletcher administration personnel official Robert H. Wilson Jr. for taking part in hirings and firings based on politics rather than merit. Read More
Domestic violence bills languish on judiciary panel
Members of Maryland's defense bar don't just go to court to guard the rights of clients accused of domestic violence. Some of their biggest victories come in Room 101 of the House Office Building in Annapolis, where many victims' rights bills go to die. Read More
State police get new weapons
They fired hundreds of bullets and emptied dozens of magazines. Read More
Worthy puts all gun cases on hold
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has brought all gun cases in Detroit to a standstill in an effort to stem a deluge of appeals from defense lawyers while the Detroit Police firearms analysis unit is under scrutiny. Read More
Kilpatrick lawyer who chided Worthy owes taxes, too
A member of Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's legal team who scolded Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy for not paying taxes owes $23,602 to the state of Alabama for unpaid income taxes, public records show. Read More
Delays worsen at state crime lab
The shutdown of the Detroit Police Department's firearms analysis laboratory over revelations about mishandled evidence is creating a statewide delay in criminal investigations and prosecutions, tying up a third of all Michigan State Police forensic technicians and adding to a deep backlog in the preparation of scientific evidence. Read More
Hard-to-peg attorney general defined by those around her
In a Hennepin County courtroom last month, a corporate lawyer urged a judge to throw out a lawsuit alleging insurance fraud against the elderly, arguing that the insurer had reached a settlement with the Commerce Department.Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson defended the suit she had filed. Read More
National 'Click It or Ticket' campaign aims to get drivers to buckle up
"Buckling up only takes seconds, but these seconds could save your life in a traffic crash," the Missouri Coalition for Roadway Safety said in a news release announcing the start of "an aggressive national 'Click It or Ticket' program to crack down on unbelted drivers and save lives." Read More
Tornado death toll climbs to 14 in Missouri
SENECA, Mo. - Crews continued searching for survivors and culling through the wreckage of demolished homes Sunday after a killer tornado swept through this sparsely populated countryside, killing 14 people. Read More
Missouri legislators look for common ground as session enters final week
In a Missouri legislative session notable for its lack of hard-charging issues, the final week could resemble a steady jog more than a mad dash. Read More
10 to vie for 4 high court seats
This fall Mississippians will elect four state Supreme Court justices, and three Appeals Court judges will run unopposed, the Secretary of State's office announced Friday, which was the deadline to qualify for judicial races. Read More
McCrory assails Perdue over policy on which they concur
The Republican candidate for North Carolina governor, Pat McCrory, in his first attack of the general-election campaign, slammed his Democratic rival yesterday for supporting a policy that allows illegal immigrants to attend the state's community colleges. Read More
McGreeveys' custody deal done; more to go
ELIZABETH, N.J. -- Former Gov. James E. McGreevey and his estranged wife, having reached a deal on custody of their child, return to court today in a bid to settle other issues as they work to dissolve their marriage. Read More
Like McGreeveys, lawyers a case study in contrasts
After a morning of negotiation in a difficult divorce case, the opposing lawyers -- John Post for the wife, Stephen Haller for the husband -- decided to take a stroll in the afternoon sunshine outside Union County Courthouse in Elizabeth. Read More
Appeals court upholds dismissal of Vegas securities case
LAS VEGAS - A federal appeals court has upheld a judge's ruling that prosecutorial misconduct required a mistrial and dismissal of charges against three men accused of running a multimillion-dollar securities fraud. Read More
Police attitude on race faulted
NEW YORK -- Civil rights advocates said Sunday that a recent incident in which a high-ranking black police official was ordered out of his car by a white officer points out ongoing racial problems in the city's police department. Read More
Analysis - NY unsettled amid claims of rogue state police
The allegation is startling and the pattern it's based on unsettling: A rogue element in the state police has for years tailed and snitched on elected officials and political enemies. Read More
A.G. scandal divides Dems
The Ohio standoff between Gov. Ted Strickland and company against Attorney General Marc Dann ought to appear to followers of this year's contentious Democratic presidential primary as just more of the same. Read More
Democrats vote to distance themselves from Dann
In an episode of political Shakespeare, Ohio Democrats have voted not to bury Marc Dann but to keep the scandal-ridden Ohio attorney general as far away from the party as possible. Read More
Six felons ruled retarded are spared execution
AKRON, Ohio - Six men are likely to die in prison, but not at the hands of an executioner. Read More
Studios file suit against 4 Ohioans accused of illegal Internet movie distribution via file sharing
Three film studios have filed a series of federal lawsuits to stop what they say is the illegal sharing of movies online. Read More
Democrats revoke '06 endorsement of Dann
The shunning has begun. With one negative vote, the Ohio Democratic Party's state executive committee yesterday retroactively stripped Attorney General Marc Dann of its endorsement for the 2006 election. Read More
Immigrants' fear of police aids criminals
Criminals are increasingly targeting illegal immigrants - or people they perceive to be illegal immigrants - because the victims are reluctant to report crimes due to fear of being deported, police say. Read More
Ohio legislators want inspector general to investigate Attorney General Marc Dann
State legislative leaders say they will bring in Ohio Inspector General Tom Charles next week to launch an independent investigation into allegations swirling around Attorney General Marc Dann. Read More
State adds bridge to lawsuit
ROGUE RIVER, Ore. -- Another bridge has been added to the racketeering lawsuit the state attorney general?s office filed against Ross Bros. & Co. Read More
Clearing immigrants from Oregon jails means more work
EUGENE, Ore. -- The Lane County Jail is serving as a staging area for federal efforts to process illegal immigrants. Read More
'Community' takes root within prison walls
The old block of the state prison in Woods Run smells of urine. Prisoners live two to a cell, in cells stacked five tiers high. Read More
Intern shredded papers sought in House inquiry
A former intern for the House Democratic Caucus says he was instructed to shred boxes of personnel records later sought in a grand jury probe into whether state employees were given taxpayer-funded bonuses in return for political work. Read More
Indigent defense -- System gets 'win-win' overhaul
South Carolina's patchwork system that provides attorneys to defendants who can't afford them is undergoing a multimillion-dollar transformation -- one that advocates say is long overdue. Read More
Public defender system improving in South Carolina
State officials hope to have a new public defender system in place in all of South Carolina by July 1. Read More
Republican proposal on judicial selection changes faces deadlock
A Republican-led effort to overhaul the state's method of selecting appellate court candidates appears to be running out of steam just as two more judicial vacancies await being filled. Read More
Edmund Ford's trial set to start
The FBI called it Operation Main Street Sweeper, a relatively short undercover investigation that yielded several indictments, three guilty pleas to date and one memorable quote. Read More
Tennessee - Lawmakers eye jury system overhaul
Being the town drunk used to be a guaranteed way to dodge jury duty. Read More
Polygamist ranch is considered one household, state says.
Child Protective Services officials this week defended their decision to remove hundreds of children from the Eldorado ranch run by a polygamous sect, saying that the group's communal living situation required the removal of all the children in the face of evidence of sexual abuse. Read More
Texarcana - Two-license-plate requirement a crime-fighting tool
For years, Texas has required two license plates on each auto ? one on the front and one on the back. But why? Read More
Mental health workers criticize state's care of sect children
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Mental health workers sent to help care for the women and children removed from a polygamist sect's West Texas ranch are criticizing Child Protective Services, saying the state's decision to seek custody of the children was unnecessary and traumatizing. Read More
Texas state historical markers disappearing
LA VERNIA, Texas - A steel bridge nearly the length of a football field has weathered floods, the South Texas heat and a century's worth of traffic to survive as a rare engineering marvel of its era and to earn recognition as a Texas and national historic landmark. Read More
Texas polygamist sect seeks Bush's help
SALT LAKE CITY - A member of an embattled polygamous church likened a raid by Texas authorities to an act of terrorism in a letter to President Bush. Read More
Immigration raids catch citizens and legal residents
Two U.S. citizens and one legal permanent resident were among those arrested last month in Mount Pleasant, Texas, during a federal immigration crackdown targeting identity fraud at poultry giant Pilgrim's Pride. Read More
House of Yahweh sect case may test Texas' anti-polygamy laws
CALLAHAN COUNTY, Texas - In his first sermon after leaving jail, Yisrayl "Buffalo Bill" Hawkins was in classic form: folksy, paternal and apocalyptic. Read More
Ex-FLDS member exploring custody solutions
SOUTH JORDAN, Utah -- Dan Fischer is conflicted. Read More
Ice cream sellers under scrutiny
Rapid City is among the latest in a growing number of communities across the nation moving to prevent sexual predators from becoming ice cream truck drivers. Read More
Montana counters Wyo filing
Montana's attorney general said Friday that a water agreement with Wyoming protects the decades-old rights of Montana residents to use water from Yellowstone River. Read More
Growing deficits threaten pensions
The funds that pay pension and health benefits to police officers, teachers and millions of other public employees across the country are facing a shortfall that could soon run into trillions of dollars. Read More
Lack of legal aid for the poor tops Utah attorneys' list of concerns
The Utah legal system's tendency to benefit the wealthy is a growing concern for attorneys, a new survey suggests. Read More
Shurtleff donation wrongly attributed
Both Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff and Utah Democrats raised eyebrows when the Deseret News reported Wednesday that Shurtleff's campaign had donated $2,300 to the presidential campaign of John McCain. Read More
Bickering in Va. General Assembly leaves judicial posts open
RICHMOND, Va. - The task of selecting judges for Virginia's courts led to an unprecedented level of squabbling this year in the General Assembly, dividing legislators by political party, chamber and geography. Read More
VCU and Tech strengthen alert systems
Two key Virginia universities, Virginia Tech and Virginia Commonwealth University, have strengthened alert systems by giving campus law-enforcement agencies the authority and technical ability to warn students and faculty about imminent dangers. Read More
Madison feeling growing pains
On April 2, in the light of day, the unthinkable occurred on a quiet street in Madison. Read More
High court lets prison sentence stand
A Michigan man sent to prison for 15 years despite a Sheboygan County prosecutor's errant recommendation for a lesser sentence will not get a helping hand from the Wisconsin Supreme Court. Read More
State gets step ahead on GPS tracking
A new state law expands the definition of what it means for a sex offender to interfere with required tracking equipment, making it a felony to block or disrupt the signal from a global positioning system. Read More
WVU police confiscate fliers with threatening messages
West Virginia University Police have confiscated fliers on campus that read "Kill Joe Manchin" and "Kill a WVU BOG member today" in large, bold letters. Read More
Lawmakers seek another Bresch probe
Two Eastern Panhandle delegates say they want the Legislature's powerful investigative panel to conduct a probe into West Virginia University's granting an unearned degree to Gov. Joe Manchin's daughter, Heather Bresch. Read More
Probe of bogus WVU degree cost $31,000
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - The investigation that determined West Virginia University gave the governor's daughter a master's degree she didn't earn cost more than $31,000, records reviewed by The Associated Press reveal. Read More
Wyo works to avoid absentee ballot fraud
Wyoming county election officials appear to be well ahead of other states in how they prevent fraud with absentee ballots in nursing homes. Read More |
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