Tag Archives: Superior Court

News, Politics, Government

Man with BB gun arrested near Obama's motorcade

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A homeless man, oblivious to President Obama‘s passing motorcade, took BB gun practice in the nearby woods and refused to drop his weapon when confronted by Connecticut cops, officials said today.

Obama was speaking yesterday at the University of Hartford when police, stationed along the president’s route to Bradley International Airport, heard noises coming from a nearby wooded area around 5:50 p.m., said Bloomfield police Capt. Stephen Hajdasz.

A detective from the neighboring town of Simsbury ordered the man — identified as 27-year-old Joseph Stravinskas — to drop what appeared to be a rifle, according to Hajdasz.

“He was aiming it toward the woods, turned around and didn’t immediately drop it,” Hajdasz said.

Other cops responded to the wooded area near Charter Avenue and Cottage Grove Road before the man was thrown to the ground and arrested.

Hajdasz said he’s grateful none of the officers opened fire: “[The BB rifle] was very realistic looking, like an actual rifle.”

It turned out the man was taking aim at cans he had set up for target practice.

Authorities don’t believe the suspect even knew President Obama was passing through.

Stravinskas has been charged with threatening, breach of peace and interfering with police.

He was held in lieu of $15,000 bail last night and is expected to be arraigned in Superior Court in Hartford later today.

The suspect had a Virginia ID, but it believed to be a transient staying with friends near where he was arrested, cops said.

Meanwhile relatives of victims of the Sandy Hook massacre are mounting a face-to-face lobbying effort Tuesday in hopes of turning around enough lawmakers to gain a Senate floor vote on meaningful gun restrictions.

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Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

California Judge Rules Motorist Can't Use Smartphone Map

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By The Associated Press

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Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

By PAUL ELIAS

SAN FRANCISCO — Steven Spriggs was stopped in a traffic jam near downtown Fresno and thought nothing of whipping out his iPhone 4 and clicking on the map feature to see if there was an alternate route around the construction mess.

He was startled when he looked up and saw a California Highway Patrol motorcycle officer ordering him to pull over. He showed the officer that he was looking at a map and not texting or talking.

“‘Pull over,'” Spriggs recalled the officer as saying. “‘It’s in your hand.'”

A little more than a year later, Spriggs is at the heart of a novel court case that has technology blogs and social media sites buzzing about the $160 ticket plus court costs he was ordered to pay for “distracted driving.”

A court commissioner and then a three-judge appellate panel of the Superior Court found Spriggs guilty of violating a California law that bans motorists from texting or conducting phone conversations with hand-held devices.

The judges rejected Spriggs’ argument that they were expanding the law by refusing to toss out the ticket he got in January 2012.

Spriggs, who graduated from law school but isn’t a practicing attorney, represented himself before the commissioner and then the appeals panel. He initially brought a paper map to court to argue that it was legal to hold it while driving. Not persuaded, the traffic court commissioner found him guilty.

Next, he appealed to the three-judge panel of Fresno Superior Court, arguing in a legal brief that the iPhone has a flashlight feature and other functions that can be useful to a driver and aren’t as dangerous as texting or talking. That hearing last all of 30 seconds because no one from the CHP or district attorney’s office appeared to oppose the appeal by Spriggs.

He still lost.

Fresno County Judge Kent Hamlin, writing on March 21 for the three-judge panel upholding the commissioner’s ruling, said “the primary evil sought to be avoided is the distraction the driver faces when using his or her hands to operate the phone. That distraction would be present whether the wireless telephone was being used as a telephone, a GPS navigator, a clock or a device for sending and receiving text messages and emails.”

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The ruling doesn’t apply outside of Fresno County.

Nevertheless, Spriggs said he is troubled that police can now pull over motorists they suspect of simply holding their mobile phones.

Spriggs, a fundraiser for Fresno State University, said he’s unsure if he has the time or money to pursue further appeals to the California Court of Appeal and the state Supreme Court.

“I’m just a little guy who is frustrated,” Spriggs said. “I don’t see how they can extend this law.”<br …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Tyler Technologies Signs $6 Million Contract With the State of Rhode Island Judiciary

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Tyler Technologies Signs $6 Million Contract With the State of Rhode Island Judiciary

Rhode Island Judiciary to use Tyler’s comprehensive Odyssey ® court case management and e-filing solution

DALLAS–(BUSINESS WIRE)– The Rhode Island Judiciary has signed an agreement with Tyler Technologies, Inc. (NYS: TYL) for its Odyssey®integrated courts and justice solution. The agreement is valued at approximately $6 million and includes software licenses, related professional services, maintenance and support. Rhode Island represents Tyler’s ninth statewide client for Odyssey.

The Rhode Island Judiciary has invested in a wide range of integrated Odyssey applications, including case management, financial management, public access, supervision and SessionWorks® Judge Edition and Clerk Edition to aid in courtroom efficiency. Additionally, the Judiciary will use Odyssey File & Serve, replacing their current manual filing processes, for simplified e-filing (electronic filing) that will benefit the courts and legal community.

“We were looking for a vendor that had proven experience with statewide court case management implementations and e-filing; after a thorough competitive evaluation it was clear Tyler was our best choice,” said Peter Panciocco, Rhode Island Supreme Court’s executive director and member of the state’s courts executive committee and vendor evaluation team. “Odyssey’s large network of successful users will provide Rhode Island a valuable resource, and we plan to leverage their best practices and apply those lessons to our new business processes. In addition, e-filing will provide tremendous benefit to the state by eliminating our current paper process, saving time and money.”

The comprehensive Odyssey solution selected by Rhode Island will create an end-to-end electronic process — starting at the initiation of the case, via e-filing, and ending with an electronic case file used by judges on the bench. The Rhode Island Judiciary serves a population of approximately 1,050,000 with seven physical court locations throughout five counties. Odyssey will support approximately 750 internal court users at Rhode Island‘s Supreme Court, Superior Court, Family Court, District Court, Worker’s Compensation Court and the Rhode Island Traffic Tribunal.

In addition to innovative products, Tyler has mature systems and expert processes that help courts generate efficiencies and cost savings from their technology investments. This has led to a track record of success for Odyssey clients in more than 450 counties across 18 states serving more than 75 million citizens.

“We are proud that Rhode Island has selected Odyssey to create an electronic process from initiation to disposition,” said Bruce Graham, president of Tyler’s Courts …read more

Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Magellan Files Protest and Lawsuit Regarding Contract Award for Regional Behavioral Health Authority

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Magellan Files Protest and Lawsuit Regarding Contract Award for Regional Behavioral Health Authority in Maricopa County, Arizona

PHOENIX–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Magellan Health Services, Inc. (NAS: MGLN) announced today that it has filed a formal protest regarding the State’s decision to award the Regional Behavioral Health Authority (RBHA) in GSA6 (Maricopa County) to another vendor. The RBHA contract is for the management of the publicly funded behavioral health system that delivers mental health, substance abuse and crisis services for approximately 720,000 eligible adults, youth, and children and includes an integrated behavioral and physical health care system for a small number of individuals with serious mental illness. Magellan’s existing contract to manage behavioral health services began on September 1, 2007, and was previously extended through September 30, 2013.

The decision to file a protest comes after the Company evaluated the scoring of its bid and other relevant information regarding the bidding and award process. The protest includes the following claims: (i) one sponsor of the winning bidder is a provider of behavioral health services and, as a result, the winning bidder has serious conflicts of interest and was not legally permitted to bid on the Request for Proposal (“RFP“), (ii) the winning bidder did not properly meet the requirements of the RFP because it was not licensed by the State of Arizona as an HMO by the date specified by the state, (iii) the RFP was improperly amended to permit the winning bidder to qualify as an eligible bidder, (iv) there were numerous scoring errors and irregularities, and (v) there was an overall bias in favor of the winning bidder.

In addition, the Company’s subsidiaries, Magellan Health Services of Arizona and Magellan Complete Care of Arizona today filed a civil lawsuit in the Superior Court of Arizona for Maricopa County against Mercy Maricopa Integrated Care, Maricopa County Special Health Care District d/b/a Maricopa Integrated Health System (“MIHS“), and the CEO of MIHS. The lawsuit alleges claims against the defendants arising out of assertions that confidential and proprietary information disclosed by the Company to MIHS under confidentiality agreements was wrongfully used and disclosed in connection with the winning bidder’s response to the State’s solicitation. The lawsuit seeks an award of compensatory damages and punitive damages as well as a permanent injunction prohibiting the defendants from using or disclosing any of the Company’s confidential and proprietary information.

The company’s full year 2013 guidance assumed the contract would be awarded to Magellan Complete Care of Arizona. The company is assessing the impact of this award notification on its 2013 guidance, and …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

New Jersey man admits to killing teen 23 years ago

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A New Jersey man told a judge in his first court appearance since turning himself in to police that he would plead guilty to the killing a teen 23 years ago.

“I did the crime. I’m prepared to do whatever I got to do,” said Steven L. Goff, 41, of Ventnor.

But the hearing Tuesday in Superior Court was not to accept a plea, and the judge warned him anything he said could be used against him. He also told him he needed to get a lawyer.

MyFoxNY.com reported that Goff surrendered at the police station in Galloway on Monday morning. Within hours, he was charged with murder in the 1990 death of 15-year-old Frederick Hart in woods behind a condo complex in Galloway, authorities said.

Goff was 18 at the time Hart was killed. His remains were not found until 1991, when a hunter discovered them in the woods, the station reported.

The cause of death was never able to be determined from the remains, but prosecutors now say he had been stabbed, prosecutors told the station.

Goff is being held in lieu of $1 million bail.

As a prosecutor described how the victim was stabbed, Goff raised and then dropped his head, appearing to fight back tears.

“I’m prepared to enter a plea, a guilty plea, right here now,” he told the court.

No motive for the killing was given.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click here for more from MyFoxNY.com.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

Powerball winner resolves $30k child support debt

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The New Jersey man who just won a $338 million Powerball jackpot has resolved a child support warrant.

Pedro Quezada appeared Monday afternoon in state Superior Court in Paterson.

Authorities had said the 44-year-old Passaic resident owed about $29,000 in back support. During the court hearing, officials said Quezada had paid about $30,000 to settle the debt.

Quezada claimed a lump-sum payment last week worth $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes.

The unpaid child support payments dates to 2009. But it’s not clear which of Quezada’s five children are covered by the payments.

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News, Politics, Government

New Jersey Powerball winner due in court over child support

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The New Jersey man who just won a $338 million Powerball jackpot is now due in court.

Pedro Quezada is scheduled to appear Monday afternoon in state Superior Court in Paterson.

The 1:30 p.m. hearing stems from a child support warrant issued for the 44-year-old Passaic resident, who authorities say owes about $29,000 in back support. Authorities announced Saturday that the warrant had been stayed until the scheduled court appearance.

Quezada claimed a lump-sum payment last week worth $221 million, or about $152 million after taxes. Sheriff’s department spokesman Bill Maer (mayr) says the state Lottery Division generally satisfies such judgments before winnings are released.

The unpaid child support payments go back to 2009. It’s not known which of Quezada’s five children are covered under the payments.

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Business, Finance, Occupation & Industry

Heckmann Corporation Announces Preliminary Settlement in Shareholder Derivative Litigation

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By Business Wirevia The Motley Fool

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Heckmann Corporation Announces Preliminary Settlement in Shareholder Derivative Litigation

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Heckmann Corporation (NYSE: HEK) (“Heckmann” or the “Company”) today announced that it has entered into a stipulation of settlement with plaintiff and all defendants in a shareholder derivative lawsuit related to the Company’s acquisition of China Water & Drinks, Inc. (“China Water“) that was filed in 2010 in the Superior Court of California. The stipulation of settlement, which will be filed with the Superior Court of California within the next week, remains subject to the court’s preliminary and final approvals.

Subject to final approval of the settlement by the Superior Court of California, and in exchange for a release of all claims by plaintiff, among others, and a dismissal of the shareholder derivative action, the Company has agreed (a) to adopt certain corporate governance measures, (b) to pay plaintiff’s attorneys $300,000, which will be paid by the Company’s insurers, and (c) to issue to plaintiff’s attorneys up to 562,320 shares of Company common stock. As part of the settlement, the Company and all defendants specifically deny each of plaintiff’s allegations of wrongdoing.

The information contained in this news release does not constitute an offer of any securities for sale. The securities referenced in this press release will not be, or have not been, registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements.

About Heckmann Corporation

Heckmann Corporation is an environmental solutions company. The Company is one of the largest companies in the United States dedicated to providing comprehensive and full-cycle environmental solutions to our customers in energy and industrial end-markets. The Company focuses on the delivery, collection, treatment, recycling, and disposal of restricted solids, water, waste water, used motor oil, spent antifreeze, waste fluids and hydrocarbons. Heckmann continues to expand its suite of environmentally compliant and sustainable solutions to a collection of customers that demand stricter environmental compliance and accountability from their service providers.

Interested parties can access additional information about Heckmann on the Company’s web site at http://www.heckmanncorp.com, and in documents filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, on the SEC‘s web site at http://www.sec.gov.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at DailyFinance

News, Politics, Government

Lawyer for Georgia teen charged in baby killing says client '1,000-percent' not guilty

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The lawyer for one of the Georgia teenagers charged with murder in a baby’s shooting said Monday his client is “absolutely” not guilty and the grandmother of the second suspect said her grandson would never be involved in such a crime.

“My client is absolutely, 1,000-percent not guilty,” public defender Kevin Gough, who represents 17-year-old De’Marquise Elkins, told The Associated Press. He made the comments Monday, while preparing for Elkins’ first court appearance on the murder charge. It was scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday.

Elkins and a 15-year-old are charged in Thursday’s shooting of 13-month-old Antonio Santiago who was in his stroller on a walk with his mother, Sherry West, who was also shot. Both suspects are charged as adults.

At a Monday hearing, the 15-year-old came into the courtroom shackled and wearing a baggy orange jumpsuit, The Florida Times-Union reported.

The teen glanced at the few members of the media allowed into the courtroom for the initial appearance as he shuffled to a lectern facing Glynn County Magistrate Tim Barton.

The magistrate told the boy he couldn’t set a bond because only Superior Court judges can do so in murder cases.

“I’m going to see that you get a lawyer immediately,” Barton said.

The teen was in the eighth grade at Glynn Middle School before his arrest, said Jim Weidhaas, a spokesman for the school system.

The teen’s relatives said he would never get involved in such a crime. His grandmother told WJXT-TV in Jacksvonville the boy is a baby himself, not a baby killer.

Elkins was last a student in October 2011, when he left Ombudsman, an alternative school program, Weidhaas said.

Sherry West said she was walking home when two boys confronted her to try to rob her and one of them opened fire. Police say she was shot in the leg, and her baby was shot in face.

Gough, Elkins attorney, said he has demanded a bond hearing and filed a request for a speedy trial for Elkins.

“We look forward to our day in court,” he said.

Firstcoastnews.com interviewed Ashley Glassey, the 21-year-old daughter of West, who told the station that the night of the shooting, West asked her how soon a life insurance policy would send her a check.

“She changed her story she told me the baby was shot first and then she told me she was shot first,” Glassey told the station.

West has said she picked the gunman out of a photo lineup of 24 mugshots and insists he killed her baby.

Click for more from Firstcoastnews.com

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News, Politics, Government

Lawyer for Georgia 17-year-old says his client 'absolutely' not guilty of killing baby in stroller

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The lawyer for a suspect in the shooting death of a baby who was killed in his stroller says his client is “absolutely” not guilty.

“My client is absolutely, 1,000 percent not guilty,” public defender Kevin Gough, who represents 17-year-old De’Marquise Elkins, told The Associated Press. He made the comments Monday, while preparing for Elkins’ first court appearance on a murder charge. It was scheduled for 2 p.m. Monday.

Earlier, a 14-year-old boy who also faces a murder charge appeared in court Monday morning in the death of 13-month-old Antonio Santiago in Brunswick. The baby was killed Thursday as his mother walked him on a Brunswick street.

At Monday morning’s hearing, the 14-year-old came into the courtroom shackled and wearing a baggy orange jumpsuit, The Florida Times-Union reported.

He glanced at the few members of the media allowed into the courtroom for the initial appearance as he shuffled to a lectern facing Glynn County Magistrate Tim Barton.

The magistrate told the boy he can’t set a bond since only Superior Court judges can do so in murder cases,

“I’m going to see that you get a lawyer immediately,” Barton told the boy.

The 14-year-old was in the eighth grade at Glynn Middle School before his arrest, said Jim Weidhaas, a spokesman for the Glynn County school system.

Elkins was last a student in the system in October 2011 when he left Ombudsman, an outsourced alternative school program, Weidhaas said.

The baby’s mother, Sherry West, said she was walking home Thursday morning when two boys confronted her and one of them opened fire. Police say she was shot in the leg, and her baby was shot in face.

Gough said he has demanded a bond hearing and filed a request for a speedy trial for Elkins.

“We look forward to our day in court,” he said.

…read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

News, Politics, Government

President Obama Nominates Two to Serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

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By The White House

WASHINGTON, DC – Today, President Obama nominated Michael Kenny O’Keefe and Robert Okun to serve on the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

“Throughout their careers, these nominees have displayed unwavering commitment to justice and integrity,” said President Obama. “Their records are distinguished and impressive and I am confident that they will serve the American people well from the bench of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. I am honored to nominate them today.”

Michael Kenny O’Keefe: Nominee for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Michael Kenny O’Keefe is a sole practitioner with a focus on criminal defense and family law. He has represented individuals in over 2,000 cases in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, and litigated over 200 trials. He served as an adjunct professor of law at the University of Baltimore School of Law in 2010. Prior to starting his private practice, O’Keefe was a consultant to the District of Columbia law firm O’Connor & Hannan, where he also served as a law clerk. O’Keefe earned his B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and his J.D. from American University’s Washington College of Law, where he was an Associate Editor of the Law Review. Prior to law school, he served as a Legislative Aide to United States Senator Christopher J. Dodd.

Robert D. Okun: Nominee for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia

Robert D. Okun is Chief of the Special Proceedings Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, which handles all post-conviction motions filed in D.C. Superior Court and the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. He also has served as Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney for Operations, and as Special Counsel to the U.S. Attorney for Professional Development and Legal Policy, and he advises and trains Assistant U.S. Attorneys on issues involving ethics and the Rules of Professional Conduct. Prior to his service at the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Okun served as a trial attorney in the Department of Justice’s Office of Consumer Litigation and in the Fraud Section of the Civil Division, as well as in the Office of Policy and Evaluation at the Federal Trade Commission. Okun earned his B.A. magna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and his J.D. cum laude from Harvard Law School. Following law school, he served as a law clerk for the Honorable Frank E. Schwelb, then-Associate Judge of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at The White House Press Office

Articles of Interest

Secondhand Smoke Lawsuit: Family Wins Judgement Against Landlord, Smoking Neighbors

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By The Huffington Post News Editors

An Orange County jury has found a homeowners association negligent for failing to resolve a secondhand smoke dispute between neighbors at a Trabuco Canyon condominium.

After a five-week trial, Superior Court jurors last week awarded a family more than $15,000, finding the condo association and management failed to ensure the non-smoking family’s right to the “quiet enjoyment” of their own unit.

The verdict comes amid a growing trend in California. Non-smokers are complaining to homeowners associations, filing lawsuits and appealing to city councils to try to stop tobacco smoke from infiltrating their apartments and condominiums. A bill is pending in the state Legislature that would ban smoking in multiunit residences.

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Source: FULL ARTICLE at Huffington Post

News, Politics, Government

Sandusky lawyer outlines basis for defense appeals

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Jerry Sandusky’s “major claims” as he appeals a conviction for child sexual abuse include the many years that went by before victims notified authorities, according to a pair of defense filings Monday.

Sandusky attorney Norris Gelman listed the failure to report — specifically, the judge’s refusal to instruct jurors on the issue — as a critical element of the former Penn State assistant coach’s effort to overturn the 45-count conviction.

Gelman also argued that the defense lawyers lacked sufficient time to prepare for the three-week trial last summer.

He revisited arguments were previously rejected by the judge who presided over the trial, Judge John Cleland. The new filings set the stage for formal appeals before Superior Court.

Sandusky, 69, is serving 30 to 60 years at a state prison in southwestern Pennsylvania for molesting boys over a period of several years in a case that brought down Hall of Fame coach Joe Paterno and led to sanctions against Penn State‘s storied football program.

Using their initials, Gelman listed the reporting delays by the eight young men who testified against Sandusky. He said only one of them reported the abuse promptly, while the others waited between four and 14 years.

“Reversible error was committed when the trial court refused the defense request to give jury instructions on the failure of the alleged victims to make a prompt complaint to authorities based on its view of ‘the research’ which led the court to believe that in the area of child sexual abuse such an instruction was not ‘an accurate indicia of honesty and may be misleading,'” Gelman wrote.

The state attorney general’s office, which prosecuted Sandusky, offered no immediate comment on the pair of filings — one made to Cleland and the other to Superior Court.

Jeff Anderson, a lawyer who represents two people with claims related to Sandusky, said the prompt complaint issue was unlikely to result in a new trial.

“I think it’s a shallow and predictably made legal argument that has to be made, but it will effectively go nowhere,” said Anderson, whose clients are not among the eight who testified at trial.

Gelman also said Cleland should have given Sandusky’s attorneys more time …read more
Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

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Sandusky says he'll continue to seek new trial

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Jerry Sandusky’s attorney filed notice that he’ll take his quest for a new trial to a higher level court.

Last month, the trial judge rejected arguments that defense attorneys didn’t have enough time to prepare for the three-week trial at which the former Penn State assistant football coach was convicted on 45 child sex abuse charges.

Cleland had also rejected post-sentencing motions regarding jury instructions, hearsay testimony and a comment by the prosecution during closing arguments that referred to the fact that Sandusky, who did not testify at trial, gave media interviews after he was arrested in November 2011.

In documents filed this week in Centre County Common Pleas Court and released Thursday, defense attorney Joseph Amendola didn’t explain the issues he plans to raise in his Superior Court appeal.

A phone call and email seeking comment was left for Amendola.

The trial judge, John Cleland, also rejected defense arguments about jury instructions, hearsay testimony and a comment by the prosecution during closing arguments.

Sandusky is serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence for the sexual abuse of 10 boys, including violent attacks inside Penn State athletics facilities. He maintains his innocence.

…read more
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RI ruling means release of Legion of Christ docs

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Documents related to a disgraced Roman Catholic organization called the Legion of Christ could soon be unsealed and available to the public following a decision Thursday by the Rhode Island Supreme Court.

The state’s high court issued an order declining to delay the release of the sealed documents, which are related to a lawsuit contesting the will of a woman who left $60 million to the Legion. The Legion had argued that the records should remain under court seal because their contents could taint a future jury.

The documents could be available as early as Friday.

The Associated Press, The New York Times, The Providence Journal and the National Catholic Reporter had asked a Superior Court judge to unseal the documents, saying there was no justification to withhold documents that could shed light on the Legion’s operations. Last month, the judge ordered the documents to be unsealed, but he gave the Legion until Friday to ask the Supreme Court to intervene.

Depending on how the documents are stored, some could be available Friday, according to Joseph Cavanagh, the attorney for the media organizations.

“Our issue is to find out exactly what records are there and in what format,” he said.

In a statement, the Legion said it was “disappointed” that the documents are being unsealed. Legion spokesman Jim Fair said the Legion wouldn’t fight to keep them under seal any further.

“There are yards of documents,” Fair said. “It’s done. They’re public. This ends the debate.”

The Legion, founded in Mexico City in 1941, calls itself a religious congregation of pontifical right and says its mission involves “extending the Kingdom of Christ in society,” according to its website. The Vatican took over the Legion in 2010 after determining that its late founder, the Rev. Marcial Maciel, had sexually molested seminarians and fathered three children by two women.

The Legion, which has facilities in Rhode Island, has faced other complaints, including one from a Connecticut man who claims to be Maciel’s son. Another Connecticut man has alleged the Legion used predatory means to persuade his ailing father to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars, but the Legion says it doesn’t pressure anyone to make a contribution.

The will of Gabrielle …read more
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Police arrest man accused of mass stabbing in Guam

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A man accused of killing two Japanese visitors and injuring a dozen others after crashing his car and stabbing people in a major tourist district in Guam has been arrested and faces multiple charges, police said Wednesday.

Chad Ryan DeSoto, 21, of Tamuning is accused of driving a Toyota Yaris onto a sidewalk and striking seven tourists Tuesday night at an upscale shopping area fronting the Outrigger Guam Resort in Tumon Bay, Guam police spokesman A.J. Balajadia said. DeSoto continued driving on the sidewalk, crashing into the wall of a convenience store. He then left his car and started stabbing people, police said.

DeSoto is charged with two counts of murder, 13 counts of attempted murder and 13 counts of aggravated assault, Balajadia said. No motive or other details on the investigation were released.

DeSoto was scheduled due to appear before a magistrate judge the Superior Court of Guam on Wednesday to be formally charged.

Japan Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said 14 Japanese tourists were attacked, including two who died. Two of the injured have been released from the hospital after being treated, Suga said.

Japanese media reported the dead were two women aged 28 and 82 and the survivors included an 8-month-old baby.

An official with Japanese travel operator H.I.S. Co. said eight of its customers were injured in the attack — including some with broken bones — but none were killed.

The wreck and alleged knife attack among high-end boutiques and hotels in Tumon Bay’s Pleasure Island district sent frightened hotel guests and others fleeing for safety.

A woman at a nearby café with friends told the Pacific Daily News she saw the car plow through the driveway and into a convenience store at the resort. Ashley Quichocho, 18, of Dededo said the driver got out, ran up to bystanders and began stabbing them.

“He started stabbing someone, and I started freaking out,” Quichocho said. “He was just running back and forth stabbing people.”

Quichocho said she ran to the second floor of the hotel with other guests to escape.

Guam Gov. Eddie Calvo issued a statement addressed to “the people …read more
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No new trial for Jerry Sandusky

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Jerry Sandusky isn’t getting the new trial he asked for after arguing that his lawyers weren’t given enough time to prepare for the proceeding that ended with a 45-count guilty verdict.

Judge John Cleland on Wednesday issued a 27-page order that said Sandusky’s lawyers conceded that their post-trial review turned up no material that would have changed their trial strategy. He also has rejected post-sentencing motions regarding jury instructions, hearsay testimony and other matters.

The former Penn State assistant football coach is serving a 30- to 60-year state prison sentence for sexual abuse of 10 boys. He’s maintained his innocence and vowed to appeal.

Sandusky lawyer Norris Gelman says the decision means the defense will appeal to mid-level Superior Court within the next 30 days.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News

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Zumba trial tests patience of prospective jurors

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The trial of a key figure in a prostitution scandal at a Zumba studio in Maine has gone through four days without a jury being selected. And it’s unclear if the process will resume Monday.

A pair of appeals to the state supreme court delayed the trial of Mark Strong Sr. in Superior Court in Alfred.

The defense is worried that the lengthy delays could cause potential jurors to turn against Strong even before jury selection is completed and the trial begins in earnest with opening statements and testimony.

Jury expert Valerie Hans from Cornell University Law School says surveys show jurors hate delays. But she says there’s no research showing that they’d punish a defendant.

Source: FULL ARTICLE at Fox US News