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