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Not guilty plea entered for teen in NJ webcam case
Topics in Legal News |
2011/05/23 08:49
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A former Rutgers student accused of using a webcam to spy on his roommate's same-sex encounter pleaded not guilty Monday to 15 charges including bias intimidation, invasion of privacy and evidence tampering.
It was the first court appearance for 19-year-old Dharun Ravi, the main suspect in the crimes allegedly committed against Tyler Clementi, a fellow Rutgers freshman who killed himself days after the alleged spying. His death sparked a nationwide conversation about bullying against young gays.
Ravi, of Plainsboro, was silent throughout the court appearance, which lasted less than 10 minutes. Clementi's parents and brother sat in the back of the courtroom for the brief hearing.
Ravi wore a dark suit and appeared to bite his lower lip as a chorus of cameras clicked his photo.
Lawyer Steven Altman entered a not guilty plea for Ravi and waived having the indictment against him read in court.
Authorities say the case began in early August, when Ravi learned who he'd be rooming with in his first year at Rutgers. |
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Ohio couple pleads guilty in terror funding case
Court Watch |
2011/05/23 08:49
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An Ohio husband and wife pleaded guilty Monday to charges that they plotted to help finance a Mideast terrorist group under a deal that spares them from potential life sentences.
Hor and Amera Akl were arrested in June 2010 after authorities said an FBI informant provided them with cash that they were planning to hide in a vehicle to be shipped to Lebanon. They intended to conceal up to $1 million for Hezbollah, the Lebanese group the U.S. government lists as a terrorist organization and blames for numerous attacks on Israel, federal prosecutors said.
The Akls, dual citizens of the United States and Lebanon, had previously pleaded not guilty to several counts carrying the possibility of life prison terms, prosecutors said. They pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge James Carr in Toledo to conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization.
Hor Akl now faces a sentence of a little more than seven years in prison, while his wife could receive up to four years. They remained free on bail after their pleas, and it was not immediately clear when they would be sentenced.
Prosecutors said Hor Akl traveled to Lebanon in March 2010 to arrange the delivery of money. He returned to the United States claiming that he had met with Hezbollah officials, the government's said. |
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Maine lawmaker due in court on gun-threat charges
Court News |
2011/05/21 08:49
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A Maine lawmaker charged with pulling a gun in a parking lot confrontation is due in court as a legislative leader seeks to ban him from the State House.
Rep. Frederick Ladd Wintle, a Republican from Garland, has been in jail since being charged Saturday with criminal threatening with a dangerous weapon and carrying a concealed weapon. He is due in court Monday afternoon.
The confrontation happened outside a Dunkin' Donuts in Waterville. The victim told police that Wintle accused him of being a drug dealer and mentioned the death of a boy earlier in the week in a homeless shelter.
Lawmakers have expressed concern about Wintle's increasingly erratic behavior. House Speaker Robert Nutting asked that a judge make it a condition of bail that he's banned from the State House complex in Augusta. |
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High court backs cuts in Calif. prison population
Headline Legal News |
2011/05/20 08:48
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The Supreme Court on Monday endorsed a court order requiring California to cut its prison population by tens of thousands of inmates to improve health care for those who remain behind bars.
The court said in a 5-4 decision that the reduction is "required by the Constitution" to correct longstanding violations of inmates' rights. The order mandates a prison population of no more than 110,000 inmates, still far above the system's designed capacity.
There are more than 142,000 inmates in the state's 33 adult prisons, meaning roughly 32,000 inmates will need to be transferred to other jurisdictions or released.
Justice Anthony Kennedy, a California native, wrote the majority opinion, in which he included photos of severe overcrowding. The court's four Democratic appointees joined with Kennedy.
"The violations have persisted for years. They remain uncorrected," Kennedy said.
Justice Antonin Scalia said in dissent that the court order is "perhaps the most radical injunction issued by a court in our nation's history." |
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SD Supreme Court disciplines circuit judge
Court News |
2011/05/19 09:07
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The South Dakota Supreme Court has ruled that Circuit Judge A.P. "Pete" Fuller of Rapid City must retire or undergo a six-month suspension followed by strict probation for misconduct that involved mistreating lawyers, court personnel and others.
The Judicial Qualifications Commission had recommended that Fuller be removed from office or forced to retire because he repeatedly displayed a lack of courtesy and respect for lawyers and court staff.
The case marked the first time in the 121-year history of the South Dakota judicial system that the Supreme Court had been asked to remove a judge from the bench.
In a hearing last month, Fuller told the high court he is ashamed of his behavior but believes he could return to the bench and be an effective judge. |
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