Friday, January 23, 2004

 

A Sad Day

I was sad when Mr. Rogers died. I'm even sadder now that we have to say good-bye to Captain Kangaroo. I'm not even ready to put my sadness into words yet.

posted by Anne 1/23/2004 12:01:00 PM (0) comments

Tuesday, January 20, 2004

 

What's in a name?

I first heard about Mike Rowe on Countdown w/Keith Olbermann and I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or be outraged. Still, I'm on the fence about it, although I usually do root for the little guy in situations like this.

What's the situation? Mike Rowe, a Canadian high school kid registered the domain name MikeRoweSoft for his Web design company. Bill Gates and company, including their law firm Smart & Biggar -- no joke! -- aren't too happy about that. One of the arguements is that customers may be confused. In my opinion, if a customer confuses MikeRoweSoft Design for Microsoft, said customer is too stupid to be online in the first place.

At any rate, The Register has an excellent article that explains the legal angles and what's been going on so far.

posted by Anne 1/20/2004 05:33:00 AM (0) comments

Friday, January 16, 2004

 

Around Pennsylvania ...

Indian tribe files suit for Forks land

An American Indian tribe filed a federal lawsuit on Thursday seeking to reclaim ancestral lands in the Lehigh Valley so it can open a casino elsewhere in the state.

The Delaware Nation of Anadarko, Okla., claims a 315-acre parcel in Forks Township that is now home to 25 private residences and the maker of Crayola crayons.

Police: Berwick bar operator hit judge's cars

BERWICK — The operator of a popular bar here was allegedly drunk early New Year's Day when he crashed his truck into two cars at a judge's home.

Rick Larue Harmon, 40, who runs Pepper's Bar on Sixth Avenue, told police he failed to negotiate a curve in a South Centre Township development around 2:43 a.m. Jan. 1, the criminal complaint says.

His black Ford truck went through the yard of Columbia County President Judge Scott Naus. The pickup struck two parked vehicles, a 2000 Saturn and a 1991 Volvo owned by Naus and his wife, causing light damage to both, according to police.

State trout fed feed with toxins

Farm-raised salmon on the West Coast aren't the only ones that have received feed with high concentrations of toxic chemicals. Hatchery-raised trout in Pennsylvania have received it, too.

"What they are seeing in (farm-raised salmon) is ... consistent with what we've seen with hatchery-raised trout," said Dan Tredinnick, a spokesman for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission.

And in breaking news ...

Man sought in family slayings dies in explosion

A man accused of killing a mother, father, and 19-month-old baby died this morning in an explosion following a police chase, officials said.

Armstrong County District Attorney Scott Andreassi said Donald Robinson Barnhart, 31, of Hyde Park, likely set off an "incendiary device" and blew up the car in which he was traveling after he noticed he was being followed by state police.

Barnhart, who had been wanted on three counts of criminal homicide, died at the scene of the 3 a.m. explosion on Route 819 near Route 66 in Washington Township, Westmoreland County, Andreassi said.

posted by Anne 1/16/2004 06:17:00 AM (0) comments

Thursday, January 15, 2004

 

One more ...

Latour convicted in Jenny's Law murder case


DANIELSON, Conn. -- A 26-year-old Plainfield man was convicted Thursday of murdering his pregnant former girlfriend, a crime that led lawmakers to increase the penalties for assaulting pregnant women.

Michael Latour could face life in prison when he is sentenced on March 12. Latour shot 24-year-old Jenny McMechen on New Year's Eve 2001 in Plainfield, when she was eight months pregnant. Her unborn child did not survive.

The case prompted legislation known as "Jenny's Law," which makes assaulting a pregnant woman a Class A felony, punishable by between 10 to 25 years in prison, a fine of up to $20,000, or both.

posted by Anne 1/15/2004 11:58:00 AM (0) comments

 

Yet more news ...

Two Miami Drug Jurors Get 5 Years for Taking Bribes

MIAMI (AP) - Two jurors were sentenced Wednesday to five years in federal prison for taking bribes to acquit two reputed cocaine kingpins in the biggest vote-buying scandal of its kind.

Gloria Alba and Maria Penalver admitted tainting the verdict for Sal Magluta and Willy Falcon nearly eight years ago in the only known federal trial with more than one corrupt juror.

"This has got to be most significant jury travesty that we've ever seen," said U.S. Attorney Marcos Jimenez. "They struck at the very heart of our system of justice."

~~ I found the link here.

posted by Anne 1/15/2004 10:27:00 AM (0) comments

 

More news across the country ...

Pedophile Is Slain in Va. Prison

Richard Alvin Ausley, a serial child molester whose brutal crimes led to a Virginia law that allows the state to hold some violent sex offenders indefinitely, has been slain in his prison cell, officials said yesterday.

Ausley, 64, was found dead between 10:30 and 11 p.m. Tuesday at Sussex I Prison in Waverly, Va., Department of Corrections officials said. An autopsy conducted yesterday showed that Ausley was strangled and suffered blunt trauma to the torso, said Evelyn Henson, a district administrator for the Virginia medical examiner's office in Richmond.

In 1973, Ausley abducted 13-year-old Paul Martin Andrews, chained the boy inside a plywood box he had buried in the woods and sexually assaulted him at least twice each day for eight days. The boy ultimately forced the box open slightly and yelled for help, and he was rescued by hunters.

County takes strip-club case to Supreme Court

The county took the battle over strippers showing too much skin to the nation's highest court Wednesday.

County attorney Jim Minix said Manatee County filed a petition asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a decision that the county hasn't proven that strip clubs harm the community.

In July, the 11th U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta said a federal judge shouldn't have dismissed a lawsuit filed by two strip clubs seeking to overturn county nudity ordinances.

Gag sought in judicial fraud case

U.S. Attorney Dunn Lampton wants a federal judge to gag the defense team representing lawyer Paul Minor and four others indicted on fraud and bribery charges.

Lampton filed a motion Wednesday in federal court asking U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate to order all lawyers involved in the case, including federal prosecutors, not to speak to the media. He asked for the gag two days after Minor's lawyers accused him of having a personal and political agenda against Minor.

posted by Anne 1/15/2004 06:04:00 AM (0) comments

 

News across the country ...

From The Associated Press:

Bad Spelling Leads Fla. Cops to Suspect

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- A suspect in a series of bank robberies was done in by his own bad spelling, police said.

Robert C. Whitney's consistently confused the words "dye" and "die" in robbery notes given to bank tellers, police said.

A note used in the Gainesville robbery read "If a die pack blows, so do you," said police Sgt. Keith Kameg.

The same wording had been used on notes in two Volusia County robberies, he said.

Mont. Man Convicted for Yelling at Teens

HELENA, Mont. (AP) -- A rural Montana man says he was upset with a carful of teens who played their music too loud - but he was the one punished for turning the volume up.

The Montana Supreme Court on Tuesday upheld Allison Chapman's disorderly conduct conviction for yelling at the teens to get out of town.

Four Accused of Taping Student to Toilet

JONESBOROUGH, Tenn. (AP) -- Four wrestlers at David Crockett High School are expected to be disciplined after taping a 14-year-old boy to a toilet seat, taking a picture and posting it around the school.

The boy's mother, Linda Clark, said the hazing incident happened two weeks ago, but nothing was done about it.

"I think it is a shame and a disgrace that my son was humiliated like this and it was unpunished," Clark said.

Clark said her daughter took one of the photos to Crockett principal Henry Marable around the time of the incident, but nothing was done. Clark went to the school Monday and confronted Marable.

Marable said one of the boys was not in school on Tuesday, and he wanted to get all four together before handing down any discipline.

Washington County Director of Schools Grant Rowland said a student typically would be suspended 10 days for this type of offense.

"The whole thing is completely ridiculous," Rowland said.

~~ Looks to me as if some people watched The Breakfast Club over Christmas break.

posted by Anne 1/15/2004 05:38:00 AM (0) comments

 

Around Pennsylvania ...

From the Philadelphia Inquirer:

Cleared death-row inmate to be freed

The family and supporters of the first prisoner on Pennsylvania's death row to be cleared by DNA evidence rejoiced yesterday, because his long-awaited freedom seems only days away.

"I'm exuberant," said Jayne Yarris, mother of Nicholas James Yarris, who was wrongfully sentenced to death in 1982 for a murder and rape that DNA has shown he did not commit.

Prosecutors in Florida notified a judge in Orlando that Yarris owed no more time on sentences imposed there for crimes, including armed robbery, that Yarris committed during a short-lived escape in 1985.

Handling of evidence at issue in rape trial

Police investigating the first attack of the Germantown rapist did not collect blood samples from a long trail left within his victim's apartment and waited three months to submit blood evidence found in her backyard to the crime lab, according to trial testimony yesterday.

During that period between July and September 2002, three other women were raped. Women throughout that section of the city were terrified - locking doors and windows, never walking alone.

Inmate's oft-denied release ordered

Accusing Pennsylvania parole officials of "bad faith" and "willful noncompliance," a federal appeals court yesterday ordered the release of a 75-year-old convicted murderer whose life term was commuted by Gov. Robert P. Casey.

Barring an emergency stay obtained by state lawyers to appeal further, former West Philadelphia cobbler Louis Mickens-Thomas will walk out of the fortress-like Graterford Prison in about two weeks, based on the unanimous ruling by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette:

Suspect sought in slaying of three in Armstrong County

Authorities in Armstrong County issued an arrest warrant for a man they believe was responsible for the slayings of a young couple and one of their two children and suggested that the suspect was an ex-boyfriend bent on revenge.

The suspect was identified as Donald R. Barnhart, 31, a resident of Hyde Park, Westmoreland County, who was released from prison in April after serving a five-year sentence for the aggravated assault of another woman.

Authorities said they believed that Barnhart was armed and considered "extremely dangerous." Barnhart is suspected of killing Rhonda and David Walters, and their 19-month-old daughter, Destiny. A second child, Jesse, 9 months, was later found unharmed.

From the York Evening Sun:

Mystery surrounds disappearance of Hanover attorney

Attorney Floyd P. Jones was a fixture in the York County Courthouse for more than 25 years, first as a prosecutor and public defender and then as one of the best-known criminal defense lawyers in town.

"There wasn't a day that Floyd wasn't in the courthouse, from Day 1 to Day 10,000," York lawyer Harry M. Ness said. "He was busy ­ he's a bright guy, he's a good lawyer."

These days Jones, formerly of Hanover, may need a good lawyer of his own, for reasons that have become the talk of the same courthouse halls he once frequented.

Jones, 55, apparently stopped showing up for court appearances in September, his law license has been suspended, and police want to arrest him on charges that he bounced checks and stole $2,200 a client gave him to pass along as restitution for an auto accident.

posted by Anne 1/15/2004 05:02:00 AM (0) comments

Wednesday, January 14, 2004

 

Joining the Low Carb Bandwagon

Burger King's going bunless

Burger King is joining the low-carbohydrate parade by offering bunless Whopper hamburgers and, soon, salads featuring steak, chicken and shrimp.

The bunless sandwiches will come in plastic salad bowls, with knife and fork.

Dieters also will be able to order Whopper meals that substitute salads for french fries and bottled water for soft drinks. Burger King, the nation's No. 2 hamburger chain, suggests that its restaurants charge the same for burgers with or without the bun. Because most of its stores are franchised, the company cannot mandate prices in them.

~~ It's about time!! Now I can eat at Subway and Burger King again. Yes, I'm an Atkins believer. Since I started in August I've lost 60 pounds and I've never felt healthier in my life.

posted by Anne 1/14/2004 09:28:00 AM (0) comments

 

The Power of One

I saw this story about the Fresno, Calif., zoo on the Ellen DeGeneres show today:

A 9-year-old girl, Angel Arellano, became so concerned about the problems facing the zoo that she wrote a letter to The Bee, enclosed a $1 donation and urged others to donate.

The grass-roots campaign has led people in just over a month to donate $93,000 toward the zoo, including a $1,000 check that was presented by a local union Tuesday.

posted by Anne 1/14/2004 08:31:00 AM (0) comments

 

In other news ...

Pizza deliveryman foils Midtown kidnappers

Some wiseguy wannabes proved not so wise early Tuesday.

According to Anchorage police, three young men ripped off another young man delivering pizza in Midtown, telling him to obey them because they were "from the Bronx." Alas, these guys were short a little juice.

The 20-year-old victim managed to give the robbers the slip, then turned the tables on them, following their car in his, with cell phone in hand, police said. Officers later arrested the three at an all-night convenience store.

MIA probe splits police, feds

Disagreement over a critical corruption investigation at Miami International Airport has prompted the Miami-Dade Police Department to cease working with the U.S. attorney's office, signaling the possible demise of a potent partnership that has sent several public figures to prison in recent years.

The case at the center of the fallout is a probe into the airport's food and beverage concessions. For three years, a task force of police and federal agents has been investigating whether the prime contractor, HMS Host, used minority-owned front companies to channel money to political friends of Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas and county commissioners.

School to ex-NFL star: Where are you - and your $50,000?


Mayor John Hickenlooper's pledge to help Cole Middle School students go to college has stirred some painful memories for parents at another Denver school of a promise not kept.

There was Green Bay Packers lineman Reggie White on a Monday Night Football broadcast in 1998, during halftime in a game with the Denver Broncos, handing a large cardboard check to the Rev. Leon Kelly.

The letters on the mock check were large enough that she could make out the name of her school and the amount: $50,000. The money was to create a tuition fund for a class of 85 first-graders at the northeast Denver school, if they graduated from high school with a C average or better.

Today, the kids are sixth-graders in various middle schools and the school district has seen nothing of either White or the money.

posted by Anne 1/14/2004 07:16:00 AM (0) comments

 

Around Pennsylvania ...

From the Sunbury Daily Item: Trial under way in inmate stabbing death

WILLIAMSPORT — The government and defense agree that Peter N. Georgacarakos was involved in a 1996 fatal stabbing at the Lewisburg Federal Penitentiary, but disagree on whether it was a crime.

The government contends the death of inmate Randall Scott Anderson was premeditated murder. Defense attorney Ronald C. Travis claims the stabbing was justified because Anderson had placed a co-defendant in fear of his life.

From the Erie Times-News: Acquitted teacher sues accusers

A Harbor Creek High School teacher acquitted of sexual-misconduct charges five years ago has filed a lawsuit against the school district, six district employees and three former students.

English teacher James Born is seeking an undisclosed amount in the Court of Common Pleas of Erie County. Born accuses those he's suing of "defaming him and causing him emotional harm and reputational damage," according to the court filing.

From the Allentown Morning Call: Allentown Diocese covered up abuse systematically, suits say

The Catholic Diocese of Allentown systematically covered up decades of sexual abuse by priests through secret files, code words and transfers while assuring victims no other children would be harmed, according to lawsuits by five alleged victims.

In the suits — four of which were filed in Lehigh County and one in Schuylkill County — alleged victims describe how they were abused by priests as children and how the diocese rebuffed their attempts as adults to acknowledge their suffering.

posted by Anne 1/14/2004 06:27:00 AM (0) comments

 

News across the country ... from The Associated Press

Condom-In-Soup Case Is Resolved in Calif.

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- Four women have resolved their lawsuit against a restaurant where one of them allegedly found a condom in her clam chowder, attorneys said Monday.

The women had sued McCormick & Schmick's Seafood Restaurant, claiming negligence and intentional infliction of emotional distress after one bit into an unwrapped, rolled-up condom on Feb. 26, 2002.

The case was scheduled to begin Monday in Orange County Superior Court but was canceled after the two sides reached a resolution. Details were not released.

Man Charged With Riding His Bike Drunk

LONDONDERRY, N.H. (AP) -- A man charged with riding his mountain bike drunk will get his day in court. Timothy Bradley, 44, of Londonderry was charged with driving under the influence last July. His driver's license had been suspended after a drunken driving conviction in Massachusetts the year before.

His lawyer says the charge should be dismissed, because the state's drunken driving laws apply only to people operating motor vehicles. He says Bradley was doing the right thing by riding his bicycle instead of getting behind the wheel. But another recent state law says the rules of the road apply to bicyclists. And prosecutors say if someone on a bicycle crosses the double yellow line, it's dangerous.

Legal experts say it's hard to predict which side will win, because the laws conflict.

Owner Thinks Cat's Marks Honor Earnhardt

DELAND, Fla. (AP) -- First it was the Dale Earnhardt goat, now it's the Dale Earnhardt cat.

David Albury was at home recuperating from surgery several months ago when he noticed the black fur on his cat's back was shaped in the number "3." The fur screamed "Dale Earnhardt" to Albury.

Albury, a NASCAR fan who regularly watches the races on television, called up the Daytona International Speedway to see if officials there were interested. The Speedway officials suggested he call Dale Earnhardt Inc. based in North Carolina. He hasn't gotten a reply.

Woman Faces Jail for Filthy House

BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) -- The former owner of a house that was declared uninhabitable by city officials could go to jail for 90 days when she is sentenced next month on charges of cruelty to her children. Ellen Norton, 46, pleaded guilty Friday to misdemeanor charges of reckless abuse of a vulnerable adult and cruelty by a person having custody of another.

The charges followed the discovery by firefighters and police officers last June that the house at 354 N. Winooski Ave., where Norton lived with her severely handicapped son Andrew, 21, and a younger son, 10, was "uninhabitable," in the words of court papers, "littered with garbage, rotting food and human and animal feces."

posted by Anne 1/14/2004 05:47:00 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, January 13, 2004

 

Of harassment and the homeless

First, the harassment ... Sorry. Alleged harassment. From Allegany, N.Y.: Judge adjourns harassment case against Bona professor

A judge has set aside harassment charges filed against a St. Bonaventure University professor by a Franciscan nun who alleges he sent her sexually explicit photographs via e-mail. Dr. George Lapennas, an associate professor of biology, sent a calendar entitled “Sexual Orientation and Gender Identities Calendar - 2003/2004” on June 27 to Sister Margaret Carney and about 160 other St. Bonaventure faculty and staff through the university’s e-mail server.

And now onto the homeless ....


As reported in the Atlanta Journal-Ccnstitution:
Miami golf course squatter evicted after 40 years

A man who had lived on a public golf course for 40 years lost his home after some golfers complained to the course manager, saying his presence doesn't look good and that he scares them.

But other golfers say Kenny Bethel, 55, is harmless and that he should be allowed to stay. He first came upon the golf course as a young runaway from home in 1963. He collected and resold stray golf balls, used the showers and toilets at night, and slept in a sheltered area on the course that housed the showers at Palmetto Golf Course.

"This course became my job and, later, my home," he said.

posted by Anne 1/13/2004 12:05:00 PM (0) comments

 

News across the country ...

There's lots to report from Birmingham, Ala., today.


Woman admits guilt in death of man on mower

A woman who appealed last year's conviction on charges that she ran into and killed a Chalkville man as he rode his riding mower agreed on Monday to plead guilty in the case. LaKeisha Posey pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide, a misdemeanor, and agreed to serve two years probation and a 12-month suspended sentence in the April 1 death of 69-year-old John Srofe.

Two plead guilty to murder

Two men pleaded guilty Monday to the murder of Crazy Bill's fireworks stand worker Roy Lee Morrison, who was shot as he talked on the phone to his wife. Larry Amerson, the shooter, pleaded guilty to capital murder and was sentenced to life in prison without parole in the Dec. 26, 2002 killing. Steven Palmer, who is accused of aiding and abetting in the crime, pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to life in prison.

Gunned-down woman identified

A cardboard sign, vases of plastic flowers and half-burned candles marked the spot on Second Way Northwest where authorities say a Center Point woman became the victim of a deadly random attack. Authorities on Monday identified the woman as 58-year-old Marlene Jason, a wife, mother of two and longtime school cafeteria cashier.


From the Journal Star in Lincoln, Nebraska:


Bulletin board for gays, lesbians trashed

Someone tore up the department's gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender information board, located on the third floor of Andrews Hall, during UNL's winter break. It's the fourth time the board has been trashed in the past year, leading some professors to plan an open letter demanding a police and university response to damage they say goes far beyond simple vandalism.

"This sort of thing has to stop," English Professor Jim McShane said. "It's an attack on our most vulnerable students."

From the Honolulu Advertiser:


Three charged in beating of homeless man

Two teenagers were arraigned yesterday in District Court on charges of attacking a homeless man Thursday night at a bus stop near 'A'ala Park. Savannah Balai, 19, and Percy Elvenia, 18, were charged with second-degree assault. A boy, 15, also has been charged in the case.

The three are accused of striking and kicking a 51-year-old man at a bus stop. The man also was stabbed with a knife that punctured his left lung. In a police report filed in District Court, a witness said Balai and Elvenia were striking and kicking the man while he was on the ground. The witness also heard the juvenile say, "I got the guy good by knifing him."

From the DelMarVa Daily Times: Delaware trooper trial begins

The trial in a discrimination lawsuit filed by two white troopers against the Delaware State Police began Monday in federal court. Corporals William Bullen and Jeffrey Giles claim they were denied promotions to sergeant in 2001 after Gov. Ruth Ann Minner ordered a freeze on trooper promotions because state officials wanted to put more minorities on the police force.

"This case is about illegal racial politics," attorney Thomas Neuberger told the court. "If my clients' faces had not been white, they would be sergeants in the Delaware State Police today."

The jury hearing the case consists of four white females, two white males, one black male and one black female.

posted by Anne 1/13/2004 08:59:00 AM (0) comments

 

Things that make you go 'huh?'

The Chicago Sun-Times reports:

A musical theater production in California about Andrew Cunanan's 1997 killing spree is drawing opposition from members of the gay community.

Cunanan, a 27-year-old reputed gay escort, was linked to five murders, including the Miami slaying of Gianni Versace and the Chicago murder of real estate developer Lee Miglin

''Cunanan was sick and do you celebrate that? People's lives were gone and do you celebrate that?'' asked Bill Peters of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

~~ I'm not saying "huh?" about the opposition. I'm wondering who came up with the idea that this story should be turned into a musical. There have been plenty of movies/plays about real-life serial killers -- and some of them are even really good. But a musical? That's just wrong.

posted by Anne 1/13/2004 08:26:00 AM (0) comments

 

The Price of Loyalty

I'm not going to comment yet on what I think of Paul O'Neill's claims about Dubya and the White House in Ron Suskind's book The Price of Loyalty. I'd like to read the book first.

Actually, I will say that I'm not surprised by the claim that Dubya planned on bringing Saddam down way before 9/11. But, didn't everyone already know -- or at least suspect -- that already?

posted by Anne 1/13/2004 08:12:00 AM (0) comments

 

Packer Backers

Seems fans of the Green Bay Packers are suffering from depression after the team's playoff loss on Sunday.

Oh boo hoo. Try being a Bills fan.

posted by Anne 1/13/2004 07:35:00 AM (0) comments

 

Across Pennsylvania ...

From the Connellsville Daily Courier: Witness testifies in firefighter's trial

A former Isabella firefighter testified Monday that he pleaded with a member of the fire department's leadership not to set fire to the department's social hall.
Steven Dugan is charged with mail fraud related to two 2002 arsons that destroyed the department's century-old social hall in what federal prosecutors say was a scheme to collect insurance money.


From the Reading Eagle: Mother helps police arrest online sex offender

A Laureldale mother posing as her 12-year-old daughter on the Internet led state police to arrest three men on charges of soliciting sex from children online, prosecutors said Monday. Teri A. Boyer was trying to find a chat room for her daughter, whose name was not released, when she came across men interested in sex with children, police said.

Assistant District Attorney Douglass J. Waltman Jr. said after one defendant pleaded guilty in Berks County Court. Waltman said Boyer notified police about the conversations she had in the chat rooms with the defendants, then continued the correspondence until they were arrested.

John Knox Jr., 34, Wellsville, Ohio, pleaded guilty Monday before Judge Thomas G. Parisi to charges of aggravated indecent assault and unlawful use of a computer. Knox admitted to having more than 20 sexually explicit conversations with Boyer, whom he believed to be a 12-year-old girl.


From the Lebanon Daily News: Activists claim bias in jury selections

Two local activists say Lebanon County's jury-selection system is biased against minorities and low-income residents. Luis Arocho of South Lebanon Township and Bill Dumas of Jonestown testified during a joint hearing held by the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus and the state NAACP last week, claiming minorities rarely serve as jurors and residents who earn less than $5,000 annually are excluded from jury pools. County Court Administrator David Wingert said the claims are untrue.

And in nearby Buffalo, N.Y.: Pornography surfing leads to demotion

An Amherst Highway Department employee has been demoted for using his work computer to surf pornography sites on the Internet, and officials said Wednesday they are tightening the rules to prevent further abuses.
The employee was demoted from his $50,000-a-year job after an investigation showed he used a town-owned computer to obtain "inappropriate material" off the Web, sources said

posted by Anne 1/13/2004 05:42:00 AM (0) comments

Monday, January 12, 2004

 

Around Pennsylvania ...

From the Allentown Morning Call:
Fifth suit filed over suspect nurse

An Allentown couple has taken legal action against five hospitals in connection with the rapidly expanding case against Bethlehem nurse Charles Cullen.

Their case marks the fifth civil suit started against Cullen's employers. Cullen is accused in the murder or attempted murder of two patients under his care and is being investigated in dozens of other deaths.

From the Lock Haven Express: Former Avis man pleads guilty to raping juveniles

A former Avis area man charged with six felonies in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of two boys pleaded guilty this week to two felony counts. Police allege the assaults were conducted with the apparent consent and participation of the victims’ mother. The boys were 7 and 8 at the time of the alleged incidents.

posted by Anne 1/12/2004 05:42:00 AM (0) comments

Sunday, January 11, 2004

 

New Across Pennsylvania ...

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Wal-Mart sued

A Westmoreland County couple has sued Wal-Mart for injuries the wife suffered when a plastic shopping bag broke and spilled heavy groceries on her foot.


From the Scanton Times Tribune: Female Employee Says Jail Practicing a Double Standard

Outraged by her suspension and insisting she is innocent until proven guilty, Corinne Mazzuca complained bitterly about the way she has been treated by the county as compared to other prison officials accused of misconduct. Ms. Mazzuca is accused of having an inappropriate relationship with an inmate.

From the York Daily Record: Families might face fines for absences in light of a federal education law

Eleven-year-old Hannah Grim is missing school this week to work at the 153rd Pennsylvania Farm Show, which opens today in Harrisburg. And even though her parents and school district agree the show will offer a great learning opportunity, Hannah’s family may face fines because of her absence.

posted by Anne 1/11/2004 05:50:00 AM (0) comments

Saturday, January 10, 2004

 

Across Pennsylvania ...

From the Allentown Morning Call: Suspect to be tried as adult

An 18-year-old Allentown man charged with raping and killing a 12-year-old girl won't try to get his case transferred to juvenile court but still wants a judge to block the prosecution's use of his statements at trial.

Brian Bahr was 17 when he was charged as an adult with homicide in the February death of Danni Reese of Allentown. His lawyer later filed a request to have Bahr treated as a juvenile.

From the Bloomsburg Press Enterprise: Danville man gets jail for road rage fight

A Danville man received two months in jail Thursday for punching an older man in the head during a road rage confrontation near the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds last September.

Barry Adams, 21, pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment in the Sept. 12, 2002 incident, but said the older man started the fight. Robert Kobilis Sr., 73, of Bloomsburg, was knocked to the ground by the blow and suffered a serious head injury as a result.

From the Johnstown Tribune-Democrat: In protest of healthy food, prisoners go hungry a day

Inmates at SCI-Cresson don’t want healthy food – and the only dieting most of them prefer is starvation, at least for a day. The surprise introduction of healthy dishes – not fried, with lower amounts of sugar and salt – angered about 1,000 prisoners, nearly three-quarters of SCI-Cresson’s inmates, who staged a daylong food boycott last week, authorities disclosed yesterday.

They quit going to the prison dining room to protest what they called “bland-tasting food,” prison spokeswoman Rebecca Reifer said in a telephone interview. Now everyone seems to be happy because they’re back to eating such epicurian delights as Salisbury steak laden with gravy, potatoes, corn, bread and apple sauce, she added.

posted by Anne 1/10/2004 06:49:00 AM (0) comments

Friday, January 09, 2004

 

News Across the Country ...

From the Anchorage Daily News: Accused child molester halts bail hearing

An accused child molester showed up in court for what he expected to be a routine bail hearing Thursday only to find television cameras and reporters waiting for him.

Richard Pomeroy, 46, who faces trial on four counts of molesting a 6-year-old, started yelling at the sight of the cameras and struggled briefly with a trooper who tried to make him sit down, prompting the trooper to radio for assistance.

Pomeroy wanted his $20,000 cash-only bail reduced to a $10,000 bond, meaning he would have to post only about $1,500. He also sought release on an electronic monitoring system the prosecution said is untested. Assistant district attorney Taylor Winston said her office fears the system won't keep Pomeroy from harassing the victim or her family.

A special guardian for the victim also objects to Pomeroy being allowed to act as his own attorney because it means he will be able to question the victim at trial, Winston said. Pomeroy was assigned a public defender but said he preferred to represent himself and has been doing so. Although defendants have a conditional right to act as their own attorney, the guardian has asked Judge Larry Card to arrange for someone else to cross-examine the victim, who is now 7.

From the St. Petersburg Times:: Man's work on hydrants was fraud, police say

Police have arrested a Clearwater man suspected of defrauding local businesses into thinking they needed their fire hydrants fixed. Police arrested Thomas M. McGee, 42, on a scheme to defraud charge Wednesday.

For the last few months, police said, McGee has been calling local businesses and apartment complexes and telling managers he works for the city fire or water departments. Police said McGee told the managers that their hydrants were faulty and needed to be fixed. He then recommended they call a company called West Coast FHMI, which he said could fix the hydrants for them. What the managers didn't know is the number was McGee's. Police said McGee charged businesses up to $1,600 for the work. They suspect him of defrauding at least four businesses in the city of Clearwater and others in Largo and Palm Harbor.

From the Cincinnati Post: Council vote splits on racial lines

In a vote split along racial lines, Cincinnati City Council rejected a proposal Wednesday for spending $100,000 on initiatives to reduce black-on-black violence in inner-city neighborhoods.

Council's four African-American members supported the proposal, which was opposed by their five white colleagues.

posted by Anne 1/09/2004 05:04:00 AM (0) comments

 

Around Pennsylvania ...

From the Erie Times-News: Doctor charged in death; authorities say illegal prescription contributed to patient's overdose

Dr. David A. Klees was arrested on a count of involuntary manslaughter and 12 other charges. Erie police and state drug agents on Thursday arrested Klees, 46, charging that his recklessness or negligence in writing an illegal prescription helped caused the death of 40-year-old Erie resident Sherry Lee Ziroli. She died May 17 of an accidental overdose of painkillers other than OxyContin.

Police also allege that Klees wrote illegal prescriptions, including those for the highly addictive OxyContin, to 11 other patients. Some of them had to enter drug detoxification programs once they left Klees' care, according to arrest records.

From the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader: Landlord's view may get soldier's family evicted

Even before he sets foot in Iraq, Staff Sgt. Mark Brown has a battle on his hands as his landlord tries to evict the soldier's family from their home. The dispute stems partly from Staff Sgt. Brown's refusal to pay an extra $100 a month in rent to allow his mother-in-law to move in for up to 18 months while he is on active duty in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

From the Butler Eagle and the Pocono Record: Fatal crash driver objects to carrying photo of victim

A woman who caused a crash that killed a wrestling coach and left his pregnant wife in a coma has objected to carrying a photo showing the dead man in his casket.
Jennifer Langston smashed her truck head-on into a pickup truck carrying Glenn Clark and his wife in June 2002. The crash in Butler County killed Clark and his wife, Annette, remains in a coma. The Clarks' son was delivered by Caesarean section and is being raised by relatives.

Langston pleaded guilty in September to vehicular homicide, reckless endangerment, reckless driving and driving at an unsafe speed. A judge ordered Langston to carry a picture of Glenn Clark for five years but her attorney said the "spirit of the agreement" was that the photo be of Clark when he was alive.
Instead, Clark's parents gave court officials a photo of their son in his coffin. Langston asked the judge and prosecutors to allow her to carry a photo of Clark while he was alive and Butler County District Attorney Tim McCune agreed to have the family provide one.

From the Centre Daily Times in State College: Assault may not disqualify teacher
A math teacher's guilty plea to simple assault should not necessarily disqualify him for a teaching certificate, Commonwealth Court ruled Thursday, sending the case back to the state Education Department for further review.

Andrew John Bowalick Jr., a substitute teacher in Lancaster County, had challenged the agency's ruling that his criminal conviction by itself amounted to evidence of "moral turpitude," prompting the revocation of his teaching certificate.

The three-judge panel reversed the decision, saying the department's Professional Standards and Practices Commission must first conduct a hearing to examine the facts of Bowalick's case.

posted by Anne 1/09/2004 04:38:00 AM (0) comments

Thursday, January 08, 2004

 

Will it Make a Difference?

The judge in the Scott Peterson case ruled to move the trial out of Stanislaus County because intense media attention may have prejudiced the juror pool.

Prosecutors fought to have it remain in Modesto, arguing that the publicity was so widespread that moving the trial would not make a difference.

I agree with the prosecuters. I mean, c'mon. I live in Pennsylvania and I've heard as much about it as anyone in Modesto. A memorial service for Laci Peterson was broadcast on three cable news networks for goodness sake. Is there anyone in the country who doesn't know more about this case than he/she wants to know?

posted by Anne 1/08/2004 12:50:00 PM (0) comments

 

Lottery Lawsuit Lyin' Loser

Elecia Battle admitted she lied about losing the winning ticket for a $162 million lottery prize, saying: "I wanted to win so badly for my kids and my family."

"I wanted to win," Battle said. "The numbers were so overwhelming. I did buy a ticket and I lost it. ... I apologize."

Battle apologized to her husband, her lawyer and lottery winner Rebecca Jemison, saying she wanted to use the money to help her family and recently laid-off Cleveland police officers.

"I'm not a bad person, I'm really not," she said. "Everyone has a past."

Recently laid-off Cleveland police officers?!? Well, I suppose she's gotten to know them pretty well because of her "past." Personally, I think she came clean after Keith Olbermann confronted her about her criminal record, which is documented at The Smoking Gun.

posted by Anne 1/08/2004 12:32:00 PM (0) comments

 

Who’s the turkey?

This story from Bakersfield, Calif., made me gag ... so I have to share.

Tainted turkeys lead to penalty

A former Bakersfield food distributor has been fined $10,000 and placed on one-year probation after admitting that he delivered turkeys laced with rodent feces and hair to schools.

Thomas L. Ford, 55, was originally charged with felonies in a 2000 indictment by a federal grand jury in Fresno that named him, his company -- Fordco Foods Co. Inc., of Bakersfield -- and his warehouse manager.

In January 2001, Ford pleaded innocent to charges that he delivered whole-body turkeys and turkey roasts that had been corrupted by rats to elementary and junior high schools.

In October, he pleaded guilty.

posted by Anne 1/08/2004 12:19:00 PM (0) comments

 

News Across the County ...”

From Birmingham, Ala.: Wrestlers' suit spurs review of records

A Bessemer Cutoff circuit judge has ordered a review of Hoover High School's disciplinary records over the past five years in light of a lawsuit by three Hoover High wrestlers kicked off their team and sent to alternative school.

At issue is whether the Hoover school system issued appropriate punishment for three wrestlers accused of going to a Hoover High football game in November after drinking alcoholic beverages.

The principal kicked the students off the wrestling team, sent them to an alternative school for 90 days and banned the two seniors from the graduation ceremony this spring. The three wrestlers and their fathers sued the Hoover school board on Friday, claiming the punishment was "severely harsh and unjust," given the boys had no history of problems.

From the Detroit Free Press: Woman sentenced to at least 15 years in prison for killing boyfriend

A woman was sentenced to at least 15 years in prison for killing her 32-year-old boyfriend at their home in June and then burying his body in the back yard. Linda Marquardt pleaded guilty to second-degree murder in the shooting death of James Lee Wilkerson.

Marquardt, a 32-year-old mother of three, said she killed Wilkerson because he abused her. "He would tell me I was his world," Marquardt said. "I loved James and I do grieve and I wish with my whole heart that we had gotten professional help."

However, assistant prosecutor Joyce Draganchuk said prosecutors found evidence that Wilkerson did not abuse Marquardt. "She actually gave a very good description of domestic violence," Draganchuk said. "But it was a fiction in her case."

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: Arm from a cadaver too 'gross' for some

Dr. Michael Horowitz was headlining a fifth-grade science lesson on the human body. His prop was a human cadaver arm, which he opened to show its nerves and other parts.

At least one child vomited; five children left the classroom feeling ill. Another child fainted almost immediately. The experience angered some Fairview parents, kept school board member Shirley Wiley's phone ringing yesterday and had school officials scrambling with damage control much of the day.

posted by Anne 1/08/2004 11:59:00 AM (0) comments

Wednesday, January 07, 2004

 

Lottery Lawsuit

Talk about frivolous lawsuits! A woman has filed a lawsuit against the Ohio lottery in an attempt to block the lottery from paying out the jackpot in the Mega Millions game.

Elecia Battle claims she bought the ticket that would have made her the sole winner of the $162 jackpot. She said she lost the ticket in the parking lot of the store where she claims she bought the ticket. However, Rebecca Jemison does have the lone winning ticket -- and can prove she bought it.

Ohio Lottery Commission officials said they are confident Jemison is the real winner - in part because she still has the losing Pick 3 game ticket that lottery records show was purchased at the same time as the winning Mega Millions ticket. She also had a ticket for the Dec. 26 Mega Millions drawing for which she picked the same numbers that won the Dec. 30 jackpot. He said the winning ticket Jemison brought to lottery headquarters was in excellent shape and didn't appear to have been lying around in a parking lot.

Battle could be charged by police with filing a false police report.

posted by Anne 1/07/2004 05:13:00 AM (0) comments

 

News Across the Country ...

From the Dayton (Ohio) Daily News: Teen trips purse-snatch suspect
A 14-year-old Miamisburg girl is being commended by Miami Twp. police for her quick thinking and bravery in helping a group of residents make a citizens arrest.

Morgan Ruppert spotted a purse snatch suspect running in her direction, being chased by a group of residents, when she instinctively ran toward him. She reached out and grabbed at the purse strings of the stolen purse, and gave the running man a hefty kick in the shins.

It caused him to trip, and he fell to the ground, where the men chasing him pinned him down and held him until police arrived.

Also from Dayton: Husband shot wife in argument about $600, police chief says
An 85-year-old man has been charged with murder in connection with the death of his wife at their German Twp. home Sunday evening.

Emory C. Atkins is accused of shooting his wife, Vatura A. Atkins, 79, twice in the head at about 5:15 p.m. during a heated argument about missing money, according to German Twp. police. Atkins said he found $600 missing from a bank box at the residence and began arguing with his wife about the cash, said police chief W.L. Wilcox. "At some point he grabbed a revolver and shot her," Wilcox said.
From the Bakersfield Californian: Caregiver pleads no contest
A 38-year-old Bakersfield woman pleaded no contest Tuesday to second-degree murder in connection with the Aug. 4 beating death of a toddler in east Bakersfield. Coyetta Cooper entered the plea on the condition she be sentenced to no more than 15 years to life in prison.
The murder charge stems from the death of Raymonte Devon Bailey, 22 months, who was one of five children Cooper cared for in an apartment on the 3400 block of Edison Highway.
The investigation into Raymonte's death also led to seven child molestation charges against her husband, Keithen Cooper, 43. The charges allege he repeatedly engaged in various sexual acts with five children between 1993 and 2000. Four of those children were no longer with the Coopers in 2003. Keithen Cooper is also charged with child abuse in the case of a 3-year-old boy who suffered second-degree scalding burns in April.

From the Houston Chronicle: Former judge barred from office seeks DA job
Four months after a state panel removed him from the bench, former District Judge Terry Canales is running for district attorney.
The state Commission on Judicial Conduct ruled in September that Canales should be removed from the bench and barred from holding judicial office in Texas.
According to the panel's unanimous opinion, Canales sometimes engaged in inappropriate, unsolicited, sexually suggestive behavior in his chambers, including forcibly kissing and fondling two young women.

posted by Anne 1/07/2004 05:02:00 AM (0) comments

Tuesday, January 06, 2004

 

News Across the Country ...

From Bakersfield, California: Man sentenced to a year in paintball shooting

A man will spend a year in jail after he was convicted of assault for his role in a drive-by paintball shooting that injured a girl in September.

Daniel Lee Wilson, 18, was sentenced Monday on charges of assault with force likely to produce great bodily injury. Wilson was driving the car while his friend was leaning out the window shooting at pedestrians near Centennial High School.

From Allentown, Pennsylvania: Pazuhanich is sworn in as judge, but charges will delay duties

Former Monroe County District Attorney Mark Pazuhanich was sworn in by a notary Monday to become the county's newest judge.

But Monroe County President Judge Ronald E. Vican said Pazuhanich — who is facing charges of child molestation and public drunkenness — will not be holding court.

From the Cleveland Plain Dealer and The Associated Press: Little League treasurer, a mom of 3, charged with grand theft

The treasurer of the Maumee Little League was charged with three counts of grand theft after being accused of stealing more than $30,000 from the group, police said.
Catherine Eppard, the mother of three Little-Leaguers in the Toledo suburb, also was charged Friday with three counts of tampering with records and one count of misdemeanor theft.

From Sioux City, Iowa: Council adopts revised adult entertainment ordinance

Sex and the city got a thorough discussion among City Council members Monday night with the lawmakers adopting a more detailed adult entertainment law that reflects 21st Century technology.

No one from Sioux City's adult book stores or representing Doctor John's Lingerie Boutique testified on the proposal. The owner of Doctor John's has sued the city claiming the zoning laws are too restrictive. The owner wants to open a store on Singing Hills Boulevard on land zoned for general business, which does not allow for adult entertainment-type stores.

In a related story from the Dallas-Fort Worth Star Telegram: Sex-shop rules may get tougher

ARLINGTON - City officials plan today to ask the City Council to place restrictions on viewing rooms in sexually oriented businesses.

The businesses targeted are sexually oriented movie theaters, bookstores, adult video arcades and strip clubs that have private viewing rooms.

City Attorney Jay Doegey said the council recently clarified the code for sexually oriented nightclubs and cabaret-type establishments last spring, but the regulations did not address issues common to sexually oriented businesses that have separate viewing or reading rooms.

From the Sacramento Bee: Family again a victim of hate

ANDERSON -- Police awakened members of an African American family just after dawn Friday when an 8-foot-tall wooden cross was discovered burning in their yard, officials said.

(Police Chief Neil Purcell) said it was the second time in as many weeks that the single mother, her 5-year-old child and two 14-year-old foster children had been the victims of a hate crime.

From the Seattle Post-Intelligencer: Man accused of trying to post bail with counterfeit bills

A man got his mother to try to post bail with $500 in poorly made counterfeit bills from his wallet, city police and Clark County authorities say.

His mother, Angela R. Beckham, 44, of Vancouver, picked up his car and his dog, and police also gave her Ludwig's wallet for safekeeping.

At 5:30 a.m. Ludwig asked his mother to bail him out with money in his wallet. She handed $500 to a clerk, who saw the money was phony, told her to wait and called police.

The police report, made available Monday, described the counterfeit bills as bad copies that were the wrong size.

When asked by police she knew it was funny money, Beckham said she was surprised but should have known because she works as a cashier.

posted by Anne 1/06/2004 05:17:00 AM (0) comments

Monday, January 05, 2004

 

News Across the Country ...

From the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Nuwaubian cult leader Malachi York has alternately claimed to be Egyptian royalty, a rabbi, a Muslim imam and a space alien. He's pleaded guilty to child molestation charges -- twice. After a federal judge rejected one of those pleas as being too lenient, York, the leader of the Middle Georgia-based United Nuwaubian Nation of Moors, is scheduled to go on trial today in Brunswick on 13 federal counts of racketeering and child molestation and using his sect to satisfy his sexual appetite for children and to hide monetary proceeds.

Authorities fear the trial could degenerate into a circus-like atmosphere, so U.S. District Court Judge Ashley Royal has closed the courtroom to all but the news media to prevent outbursts from York's followers. He also has banned protests outside the Glynn County Courthouse. Contingents of York's followers have packed court hearings and have sometimes chanted and beat drums outside court while handing out literature.

York, 58, now is claiming to be a Creek Indian named Chief Black Thunderbird Eagle and argues the courts have no jurisdiction over him.

York's newest attorney is Adrian Patrick, who practices in Athens and made his first appearance in the case last month. Patrick said the court is abridging York's right to a public trial and his followers their right to free speech.
Patrick said there is no evidence that York had his followers pass out fliers at the Christmas parade.

"The judge is creating a concern that doesn't exist," Patrick said. "There has been no violence, no threats" from York's followers since the arrest. "There have been demonstrations but they are peaceful."


Patrick said his strategy is "aiming at complete innocence. Either [jurors] will believe the sex happened or not. You have to keep it simple."

From The Bakersfield Californian: An armed robbery suspect left Kern County sheriff's deputies with few questions about his identity early Sunday when he dropped a county jail property identification card bearing his photograph, date of birth and jail booking number near the scene. Sheriff's Cmdr. Chris Davis wryly referred to the suspect as "the smartest criminal in Kern County." The 21-year-old suspect was identified as James Paul Egan and was booked into Kern County Jail on Sunday.

Deputies learned Egan's last known address in Bakersfield, and obtained an arrest warrant for him. They said they found him hiding in the attic at that address.
The Sheriff's Department said they thought Egan had tried to disguise his appearance by shaving his head. His hair was found in a kitchen trash can.
Davis suggested the suspect look for another line of work. Armed robbery, he said, wasn't working out for him.


From The Daily Times in Maryland: Though many governments use prayer to launch their meetings on a solemn note, the growing debate over the separation of church and state has caused many to abandon or modify the practice. According to some lawyers, the group recitals in Wicomico and Somerset counties of The Lord's Prayer may be a violation of the U.S. Constitution. The area Federal Appeals Court is studying which prayers are appropriate for governments, and area councils could soon be forced to change the way they begin their sessions. Paul Wilber, attorney for the Salisbury City Council, said he's waiting to see how a South Carolina prayer case before the region's federal court comes out.

From the San Jose Mercury News: Chuck Gillingham puts child molesters behind bars for a living. But for the past six months, the career prosecutor has spent his time setting them free. He has embraced the difficult task of calling many of the victims to explain that a Supreme Court ruling in June has forced Santa Clara County prosecutors to clear 28 convicted molesters or molestation suspects -- many of whom had confessed to sex crimes dating to the 1960s. For most crimes in the state, the statute of limitations is three to six years, meaning charges cannot be brought after that time. There is no statute of limitations for murder. But in response to arguments that children may be too traumatized or confused to talk about sexual abuse until they are well into adulthood, California lawmakers in 1994 opened the door for certain child molestation cases to be prosecuted at any time.
The Supreme Court, however, ruled that changing the law retroactively was unconstitutional.

Also from The Mercury News: Pocahontas Rivera was 4, and her little cousin Carmen Jordan was 2 when they came down with bacterial meningitis in March 2001. Pocahontas was hospitalized at Kaiser-Santa Clara, treated with antibiotics and healthy within a week. Carmen was sent home from O'Connor Hospital's emergency room with what a doctor called a flu-like virus.
She died days later after her parents rushed her to a second hospital. This month, a Santa Clara County jury will be asked to decide whether O'Connor should be blamed for Carmen's death.

From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: The ever-optimistic Gov. Ed Rendell is predicting that a seven-month deadlock over slot machines and property tax cuts will be resolved by February, but an ongoing dispute with a key senator over Indian gambling threatens to derail any agreement.
The principals in the impasse are both powerful Democrats from Philadelphia -- Rendell, the former mayor, and state Sen. Vincent Fumo, Democratic chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and a leading figure in the campaign to bring slot machines to Pennsylvania.

Fumo has been trying to create the possibility that some Indian tribes could obtain one of 13 new casino licenses. Although none have yet done so in Pennsylvania, Fumo fears a tribe could use federal law to prove historic ties to land in the state, set up a casino, circumvent state rules, avoid paying the upfront fee and state taxes and eventually take business away from the state-sanctioned slots parlors.

On a semi-related note, John Grogan, in his column in the Philadelphia Inquirer writes: The problem, it turns out, isn't that Fumo, ranking minority member on the Senate Appropriations Committee, billed taxpayers $73,000 for meals at the upscale Center City restaurant La Veranda, sometimes treating dozens of guests. The problem, as so often is the case, was the media.

"I can easily understand why these news reports would make you concerned and upset," the senator wrote. "Unfortunately, the newspaper articles only tell one side of the story, the spending side... . They imply that I am good only at spending taxpayer money, without telling the readers that I am also good at saving taxpayer money, and at putting public money to work for the benefit of our city and state."

It's a beautiful thing. With every bite of lobster and every rack of lamb, the senator is improving the lives of common Pennsylvanians. Does public service get any more selfless?

I asked how many taxpayers contacted Fumo's office to complain about the dinner bills. I know dozens have written me about them. But again the senator's spokesman declined to say.

"Fewer than four?" I asked. "More than 400?"

"I don't know if we want to comment on that," he said. Oh.

Don't you just hate it when the media give you only half the story?

posted by Anne 1/05/2004 05:23:00 AM (0) comments

Sunday, January 04, 2004

 

izzle shizzle

I've had about enough of this "izzle" thing. A couple of weeks ago the hosts of the local radio station's morning show said the fad will probably end soon because it's getting too mainstream. Case in point, they said, is the Old Navy commercial with Fran Drescher. I hope they're right about that and Snoop Dogg comes up with something new ... and less annoying ... soon.

Just to make sure, I have an idea. If a soon-to-be-middle-aged white woman in rural Pennsylvania is doing the "izzle" thing, Snoop has to realize it's time for something new, right? So I'm thinking of renaming this blog. How does "Mizzle Vizzle on the Nizzle" sound?

Um. Actually, that sounds kind of pornographic, doesn't it? Maybe I should think of something else. Then again, that could get me more hits.

posted by Anne 1/04/2004 07:42:00 PM (0) comments

 

Awesome!

It's not very often that I'm at a loss for words. (Except when I'm talking to a certain someone, at which time I automatically turn into a blithering idiot. But that's neither here nor there.) NASA, however, has had me practically speechless today ever since the Spirit rover began transmitting pictures from Mars.

"For us to see a success here, at least at this point in the mission, is a source of pride for all Americans," said John Marburger, director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.

It is for me anyway. Now that is what I call shock & awe.

posted by Anne 1/04/2004 11:08:00 AM (0) comments

Saturday, January 03, 2004

 

Leaks & Sources

Yes, I realize it's important to find out who leaked the name of an undercover CIA agent to columnist Robert Novak. However, I think it's wrong to ask White House staff members to sign forms waiving their right to have private conversations with reporters.

According to The New York Times: Investigators in leak cases focus on government employees because they almost never succeed in obtaining information from reporters about their sources. It is unclear whether the waiver process would place any additional pressure on a reporter to reveal a source.

As if reporters don't have enough pressure on them. How can reporters expect to get anyone to talk to them if they can't guarantee anonymity? That guarantee isn't always necessary, but sometimes it is. For the juicy, important stories, it almost always is.

posted by Anne 1/03/2004 08:11:00 AM (0) comments

 

Lawyer Jokes

I don't tell jokes about lawyers. Why is that? Lawyers don't think they're funny and no one else thinks they're jokes. Ba dum bum.

A lawyer in Memphis, Tenn., doesn't seem to mind lawyer jokes. In fact, he's written a book with more than 100 pages of courthouse anecdotes.

"I've just collected old stories for years," said Manuel Scarmoutsos, who once did a standup routine at a bench-bar conference to admittedly mixed reviews. "I'd write them down in a little book and then after I got serious about doing this I asked other lawyers for jokes and they contributed."

One of the antecdotes in his book: "Lawyer Warren Miller recalls a defense lawyer representing a man accused of cutting a woman with a knife during an argument. The lawyer asked her in Criminal Court: 'Ms. Jones, I understand you were cut in the fracas?' Her reply: 'No, sir. It was just above the fracas.' "

Gotta love a lawyer with a sense of humor.

posted by Anne 1/03/2004 06:23:00 AM (0) comments

 

Something to Chew On

I'm sure everyone knows about the lawsuits brought against members of the fast food industry claiming what they sell makes consumers fat.

The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel says: Some lawyers have criticized the so-called "fat suits," saying that the cases against fatty foods and cigarettes are vastly different.

"To suggest that hamburgers, french fries and junk food are a basis for lawsuits is stretching the law to the breaking point," says Robert Habush, former president of the Association of Trial Lawyers of America and the lawyer whose firm led Wisconsin's lawsuit against the tobacco industry.

"If children are getting obese, it's their parents' fault. If people want to stuff their faces, it's their fault."

I agree and, until yesterday, I thought those types of lawsuits were the epitome of frivolity. Then I heard about another lawsuit against Frito-Lay, the maker of Doritos.

Charles Grady isn't claiming Doritos made him fat. He's claiming his throat was damaged because of the rigid texture and triangular shape of the chips.

He filed the suit in 1995 but it has yet to be resolved. Just this past Thursday, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, upholding a lower court's ruling, said Grady can't use a retired University of Pittsburgh chemistry professor's work as evidence. The study, which the court said doesn't qualify as evidence, apparently showed how much force and saliva was needed to break up the chips so they could be safely swallowed. The professor, Charles Beroes, concluded the chips were too hard and sharp to be swallowed safely.

I think all the legal wranglings of the last nine years could have been avoided had the plantiff been asked one simple question: Mr. Grady, is there a reason you didn't chew the Dorito before swallowng?

posted by Anne 1/03/2004 04:48:00 AM (0) comments

Friday, January 02, 2004

 

Sunshine

On Dec. 9, 2003, our city council passed on first reading an ordinance that would raise garbage rates by $1.25 a month. Before council voted on the matter, however, those attending the meeting (including me) learned that coupon books with the new rate had already been ordered. Although the mayor, council and their solicitor say no decision on raising the rates had been made before the vote was taken, it seems painfully obvious that a decision was made prior to the meeting.

If no decision was made, why did they order the coupon books with the new, higher rate on them? Here’s the mayor’s story: The coupon books had to be ordered so they would be here before residents’ first payments of the new year were due. The mayor further stated that if council didn’t raise the rate, the books would have to be re-ordered with the old rate on them. She also admitted that the books could have been ordered with no rate on them and sent back to have a number put on them after the vote. But instead of ordering the books blank or with the old rate, they ordered them with the new rate. Sounding fishy yet?

The mayor and the city clerk -- who is not a voting member of city council -- were discussing this dilemna when the city clerk came up with the new rate that should be printed on the coupon books. Apparently, there was no discussion of the refuse department’s budget.or anything else for that matter. Seemingly, according to the mayor, the city clerk came up with the number off the top of his head. Council members say they were unofficially polled on the issue as they entered the city clerk’s office prior to a council meeting

Violation of The Sunshine Act? You betcha. But, following the meeting a reporter asked the city solicitor why this was not a violation. According to him, it wasn’t a violation because the informal gathering of the mayor, council members and city clerk was not a “pre-arranged” meeting. Council members are also claiming this was not a violation of The Sunshine Act, although one council member did admit council should have discussed the issue during a public work session.

Be that as it may, Section 704 of The Sunshine Act states “Official action and deliberations by a quorum of the members of an agency shall take place at a meeting open to the public ...” Deliberations in The Sunshine Act are defined as “the discussion of agency business held for the purpose of making a decision.” Agency business is defined as The framing, preparation, making or enactment of laws, policy or regulations ...” Was agency (city) business discussed? Yes. Was a decision made? Yes. The coupon books were ordered with the new rate on them. Was there a quorum? As soon as the third council member entered the office, yes, there was a quorum.

How is this not a violation of The Sunshine Act?

I’ll admit I wasn’t always the most agressive reporter at the newspaper, but I know I wouldn’t have let city officials sweep this under the rug. If I found the information on the Internet, how did the reporter covering the story not find it? She has access to the PNPA and its lawyers. Apparently, she didn’t contact anyone at the Pennsylvania Newspaper Association. If she did, she didn’t write about it.

What messages does the lack of a follow-up story deliver? If the actions were not a Sunshine Act violation, it tells city officials the reporter doesn’t care about the appearance of impropriety she left in people’s minds. She left her readers up in the air on whether what city officials did was wrong. The other message, the one that concerns me most, is that if city officials did violate the act, she’s letting them get away with it.

If city officials are going to be able to get away with this, what’s next?

posted by Anne 1/02/2004 06:12:00 AM (0) comments

Thursday, January 01, 2004

 

Ah, memories

This story out of Athens, Ga., brought back some memories for me. It seems strip clubs in Athens may not be able to serve alcohol as of today. According to the story, it's a convaluted mess.

I know how that goes.

In the winter of 1998-99 I was writing about the possibility of a nude bottle club opening on Main Street, across from Veterans Square. (Best time I ever had writing a series of stories, by the way.) Even Busty Hearts got in on it. She was against the club opening. You might think she'd be against it because it would be competition. You'd be wrong. According to Busty (aka Susan Sykes), she didn't want the club to open because it takes a professional to run such an establishment. Only professionals, she says, know how to deal with the clientele. What a gal, just thinking about the welfare of the clientele and employees. I'm surprised I remembered what she said. What I remember most is ... well, the reason she's called Busty. How the woman can walk without falling over forward I'll never know. I would think she's defying some laws of gravity by simply standing upright.

Anyway, the club never opened. The city bought the building under the stipulation that the owners must not try to open any type of adult entertainment business within the city limits. An ordinance was also passed in the city, and several neighboring municipalities, banning adult entertainment businesses.

The person who claimed he was going to open the club will forever be linked to that story, as will I, it seems. Of the 7,200 results this search generates the second -- Yes, the second, as in the one right after the first -- is a commentary on a couple of the stories I wrote about the club-that-would-never-be.

posted by Anne 1/01/2004 10:28:00 AM (0) comments

 

Zeitgeist

The year-end zeitgeist at Google is usually fairly interesting. Apparently, however, although several people found their way to this blog via this search it wasn't enough to bump my novel onto the list. Oh well. Maybe next year. But thanks to y'all who searched for it!

posted by Anne 1/01/2004 09:16:00 AM (0) comments

 

Obsession

My newest obsession is blawgs. Blawg, n, a weblog with emphasis on the law or legal related issues and concerns, often maintained by an individual who studies, practices or otherwise works in the legal field.

My favorite kind of news has always been law-related. In fact, when I was a newspaper reporter, my favorite beat was the court beat. Now, with so many new and interesting blawgs out there, I can get my fix of legal news/opinions without having to search a bunch of news sites. The blawgs are so much more interesting than Court TV, too.

Is it sick for me to be so excited about this?

posted by Anne 1/01/2004 07:59:00 AM (0) comments