Orange Circuit Judge orders acquittal in dog shooting case

Arrest warrant issued, then withdrawn, for dog rescue owner
The owner of a Deer Park pet rescue arrested after at least 22 animals were found dead there last month was so late for a court appearance this morning that the judge issued a $500,001 warrant for her arrest. Lake County Judge James Booras withdrew the warrant after Diane Eldrup, 48, who has been charged with 32 counts of Animal Cruelty and animal Torture, arrived in court about 90 minutes late with her attorney, Sheldon Sorosky. Sorosky had appeared with Eldrup in court on Tuesday after her ...

Judge hears motion to change charges vs. ex-Hawkeye in sexual abuse trial
Cedric Everson’s attorney, Leon Spies, has convinced Judge Paul Miller to consider acquitting his client or alter the charges he’s facing. Spies and Assistant Johnson County Attorney Anne Lahey argued before Miller Thursday morning as to whether the state had presented sufficient evidence for the jury to find Everson Guilty of second-degree Sexual Abuse. Everson, 21, is accused of sexually assaulting a former University of Iowa Student athlete in an unoccupied Hillcrest Residence Hall room on ..

Arrest warrant issued, then withdrawn, for dog rescue owner
The owner of a Deer Park pet rescue arrested after at least 22 animals were found dead there last month was so late for a court appearance this morning that the judge issued a $500,001 warrant for her arrest. Lake County Judge James Booras withdrew the warrant after Diane Eldrup, 48, who has been charged with 32 counts of Animal Cruelty and animal Torture, arrived in court about 90 minutes late with her attorney, Sheldon Sorosky. Sorosky had appeared with Eldrup in court on Tuesday after her fir...

Prosecutors urge judge not to clear ex-Guantanamo detainee
NEW YORK | Tue Jan 11, 2011 7:41pm EST NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors said on Tuesday that a partial conviction of the first Guantanamo detainee to face a civilian trial cannot form a basis for the judge to clear the Tanzanian Terrorism suspect or grant him a new trial. A U.S. jury in November delivered a mixed verdict, convicting Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, 36, of one count of Conspiracy to damage or destroy U.S. property with explosives but clearing him of 284 other Conspiracy and Murder...

Prosecutors urge judge not to clear ex-Guantanamo detainee
NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors said on Tuesday that a partial conviction of the first Guantanamo detainee to face a Civilian Trial cannot form a basis for the judge to clear the Tanzanian Terrorism suspect or grant him a new trial. A U.S. jury in November delivered a mixed verdict, convicting Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, 36, of one count of Conspiracy to damage or destroy U.S. property with explosives but clearing him of 284 other Conspiracy and Murder charges. He was accused of participating ...

Inkster cops should be cleared of perjury, attorney says
In a motion filed this week with Presiding Judge Timothy Kenny of Wayne County Circuit Court, defense attorney David Griem said Scott Rechtzigel and codefendant Robert McArthur should be cleared of all charges because they believed they had the OK from Plants and trial Judge Mary Waterstone to protect their confidential informant by concealing his identity. "It is not Rechtzigel's purpose here to point a finger of blame at Plants or Waterstone," Griem ...

Demjanjuk attorney: testimony raises doubts (AP)
MUNICH – John Demjanjuk's defense attorney said Tuesday that transcripts of testimony by a former guard at a Nazi death camp, who acknowledged that he was tortured by the Soviets into confessing to committing war crimes, show that all such confessions should be considered suspect. In the transcript of the 1951 trial in the Soviet Union, read into the record as evidence Tuesday at the Munich state court, a former Red Army soldier who was captured by the Nazis and then served as a guard at...

Judge Orders Jackson Doctor to Stand Trial
Dr. Conrad Murray in court, April 5, 2010. Los Angeles (AP) A judge on Tuesday ordered the personal physician of Michael Jackson to stand trial for involuntary Manslaughter after hearing Testimony that he administered a lethal dose of a powerful anesthetic and other sedatives then left the pop star alone. The ruling in the case against Houston cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray came after a six-day preliminary hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor. Prosecutors concluded their case with...

Deal names panel to scrutinize potential judges
Gov. Nathan Deal has tapped two influential attorneys to co-chair the panel that recommends lawyers and judges to fill judicial vacancies in the state trial and Appellate Courts. Ga. Politics news, helpful links PolitiFact Georgia » New Georgia Encyclopedia: Georgia lawmakers fuel up for the session by feasting on "wild" hogs. Randy Evans of the McKenna Long & Aldridge Law Firm and Pete Robinson of Troutman Sanders will replace former state Attorney General Mike Bowers, who hea...

Judy Clarke: Jared Lee Loughner's Legendary Lawyer
TIME: When he made his appearance in court on Monday, Jared Lee Loughner, 22, stood next to a woman a head taller than he is. Judy Clarke, 58, embodies his biggest chance at beating a potential death penalty. Loughner's court-appointed public defender is, in fact, a legend among defense attorneys, not for her ability to win Acquittals but for her often confounding and unpopular rescues of people who seemed destined to receive Capital Punishment. Read the whole story: TIME Get Hu...

Sheriff Arpaio warns Sheriff Dupnik hell fight back if he starts attacking him
Sheriff Joe Arpaio warns Sheriff Dupnik that he’ll fight back if he starts attacking him. Sheriff Arpaio, of the pink underwear-mandating Tent City fame, came out swinging against renegade and conservative-slandering Sheriff Dupnik of nearby Pima County. In a TV interview, Arpaio said that he does not want to speak poorly of a fellow sheriff, but he promised to fight back hard against Dupnik if he so much as starts to launch personal attacks against him. In the revealing interview, Arpaio ...

F. Lee Bailey: O.J. Simpson's Innocence Proven By Paper
YARMOUTH, Maine — Evidence of O.J. Simpson's innocence was held back in the 1995 trial in which he was acquitted in the Murder of his ex-wife and her friend in Los Angeles, one of his former lawyers says in a new document. In the 20,000-word document, F. Lee Bailey tells of four people who could have bolstered Simpson's case but never testified. He also gives an overview of the sensational trial from his own perspective. Simpson was found Not Guilty. Most Americans are convinced that he ...

Judge orders Michael Jackson doctor to stand trial
Los Angeles (Reuters) - A judge on Tuesday ordered Michael Jackson's doctor to stand trial on a charge of involuntary Manslaughter in the pop star's 2009 death by an Overdose of the powerful drug Propofol. Judge Michael Pastor gave the order on the sixth day of a preliminary hearing into whether enough evidences exists to hold Dr. Conrad Murray accountable for the death of "Thriller" singer Jackson. Murray has pleaded Not Guilty to the charge of involuntary manslaughter. The member of the Jacks...

Judge orders Michael Jackson doctor to stand trial...
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A judge on Tuesday ordered Michael Jackson's doctor to stand trial on a charge of involuntary Manslaughter in the pop star's drug Overdose death and suspended the doctor's California Medical License. Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor found that enough evidence exists to bring Dr. Conrad Murray to trial for the "Thriller" singer's death in June 2009, due principally to an Overdose of the powerful anesthetic Propofol. "I or...

Judge orders Michael Jackson doctor to stand trial
A judge today ordered the personal physician of Michael Jackson to stand trial for involuntary Manslaughter after hearing Testimony that he administered a dose of a powerful anesthetic and other sedatives then left the pop star alone. The ruling in the case against Houston cardiologist Dr. Conrad Murray came after a six-day preliminary hearing before Superior Court Judge Michael Pastor. Prosecutors concluded their case with Testimony from two doctors who said Murray acted outside the standard ...

Judge orders Michael Jackson doctor to stand trial
By Alex Dobuzinskis Los Angeles | Tue Jan 11, 2011 7:52pm EST Los Angeles (Reuters) - A judge on Tuesday ordered Michael Jackson's doctor to stand trial on a charge of involuntary Manslaughter in the pop star's 2009 death by an Overdose of the powerful drug Propofol. Judge Michael Pastor gave the order on the sixth day of a preliminary hearing into whether enough evidences exists to hold Dr. Conrad Murray accountable for the death of "Thriller" singer Jackson. Murray has pleaded Not Guilty to...

The Kangaroo Court is in session
The charges are Perjury related to alleged false statements made during an Immigration interview almost six years ago. That fact, however, means nothing to Eric Holder's Justice Department when it comes to prosecuting former CIA asset, Luis Posada Carriles. Holder and his prosecutors want Carriles in Prison, and if they have to  hold a Kangaroo Court in order to accomplish this, well so be it. Regardless of the charges, the evidence, or lack thereof, Luis Posada Carriles must go to prison. ...

Judge in Burge case refuses to step down
A Federal Judge said she won't step down from the case of a former Chicago police lieutenant convicted of lying about the Torture of suspects. U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said Wednesday she won't recuse herself before Jon Burge is sentenced Jan. 20. He was convicted in June of Perjury and obstruction of justice. In a recent motion, Burge's attorneys said they should have been notified before the trial about a prior connection between the lead prosecutor in the case and Lefkow. The prosecuto...

Judge orders Michael Jackson doctor to stand trial
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge has ordered the personal physician of Michael Jackson to stand trial for involuntary Manslaughter in the death of the pop superstar. The ruling against Dr. Conrad Murray came Tuesday after a six-day preliminary hearing in Los Angeles. Authorities contend the 57-year-old Murray gave Jackson a lethal dose of the powerful anesthetic Propofol mixed with other sedatives then failed to provide proper care. Prosecutors concluded the hearing with Testimony from two docto...

Federal judge won't step down from Burge case
A Federal Judge says she won't step down from the case of a former Chicago police lieutenant convicted of lying about the Torture of suspects. U.S. District Judge Joan Lefkow said Wednesday she won't recuse herself before Jon Burge is sentenced Jan. 20. He was convicted in June of Perjury and obstruction of justice. In a recent motion, Burge's attorneys said they should've been notified before the trial about a prior connection between the lead prosecutor in the case and Lefkow. The prosecutor, ...

California budget: Jerry Brown calls for major shifts of state prisoners to county jails
Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday called for a major shift of state Prisoners to the County Jail system, a plan aimed at saving the state money, reducing overcrowded Prisons and attempting to better handle juveniles and low-level offenders who cycle through the justice system at great cost to the public. Brown's plan would eliminate altogether the state's juvenile prison system, sending offenders to their home counties and reducing costs that have reached more than $200,000 annually per youth inmate. ...

California budget: Jerry Brown calls for major shifts of state prisoners to county jails.
Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday called for a major shift of state Prisoners to the County Jail system, a plan aimed at saving the state money, reducing overcrowded Prisons and attempting to better handle juveniles and low-level offenders who cycle through the justice system at great cost to the public. Brown's plan would eliminate altogether the state's juvenile prison system, sending offenders to their home counties and reducing costs that have reached more than $200,000 annually per youth inmate. ...

Half the states now suing the federal government over Obamacare
While ObamaCare will pay for all of the benefit expansion for the first three years of the law, and 90% of it after that, ObamaCare never pays for any of the state administrative costs for adding those 18 million Americans to their welfare rolls. That amounts to billions in unfunded federal mandates for states to absorb. That is why 33 Republican governors signed a letter to the White House and Congress making an emphatic appeal that Obamacare’s Medicaid provisions be repealed. It is also ...

DuPage won't seek death penalty in Gilford case
DuPage County prosecutors announced today that they will not seek the death penalty for a Downers Grove man accused of murdering his estranged pregnant wife last May. But Eric A. Gilford could face a sentence of Life Imprisonment if convicted, Assistant State's Attorney David Bayer said. Bayer told Judge Kathryn Creswell that State's Attorney Robert Berlin made the decision after consulting with the Victim's family. Gilford, 31, has pleaded Not Guilty to charges of first-degree Murder, intenti...

First-day gloom in Olympia
OLYMPIA — State lawmakers were a somber bunch when they arrived for the first day of what likely will be a long, cantankerous legislative session to close a nearly $5 billion Budget shortfall. "It's not going to be fun, and it's going to be Controversial," said Democratic Rep. Kathy Haigh, chairwoman of the House Education Appropriations and Oversight Committee. "We're all going to have to whack at the things that are most important to us." That summed up the mood of many lawmakers, alth...