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Former Racine mayor pleads guilty in sex sting
Legal Business |
2009/12/28 10:15
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Former Racine Mayor Gary Becker has pleaded guilty to two charges stemming from an Internet sex sting. In exchange, prosecutors agreed to dismiss six other charges during Tuesday's hearing. The 52-year-old Becker pleaded guilty to attempted sexual assault of a child under 16 and child enticement. He faces up to 45 years in prison when he's sentenced March 3. Defense attorney Patrick Cafferty declined comment until after Becker's sentencing hearing. Becker was arrested at a shopping center on Jan. 13 in a sting operation after authorities said he was involved in explicit Internet chats with a state agent posing as a 14-year-old girl. Becker was charged Jan. 15 and resigned as mayor five days later. |
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Guilty pleas in June standoff, shootout in ND
Headline Legal News |
2009/12/28 10:14
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Four people involved in a June standoff in North Dakota that followed an Alabama prison break have pleaded guilty to charges including attempted murder, robbery and reckless endangerment. Joshua Southwick, Angela Mink and her brother, Ashton Mink, entered pleas Tuesday. Prosecutors say Ashton Mink's wife, Jacquelin, pleaded guilty last week. Authorities say Angela and Jacquelin Mink helped the men escape from an Alabama prison in May. Southwick was serving time for murder and burglary; Mink for attempted murder. The four are believed to have eluded authorities in at least seven states until a June 5 video store robbery in North Dakota. They fled, holed up in a nearby ranch outbuilding and were arrested after shootouts with law enforcement. |
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Killer adds electrolysis to sex-change lawsuit
Topics in Legal News |
2009/12/07 11:19
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A convicted killer seeking a state-funded sex-change operation hasadded a demand for electrolysis treatments to her lawsuit against stateprison officials. A federal judge has twice rejected Michelle Kosilek’s request forelectrolysis, finding that she had not shown a “serious medical need”for the hair removal treatments. Kosilek’s lawyers filed an amended lawsuit Friday, asking thatprison officials be required to follow recommendations for electrolysisby several doctors. Kosilek is also asking for an independentevaluation by a specialist in gender-identity disorder. Kosilek was named Robert when convicted of killing his wife, Cheryl,in 1990. Kosilek has undergone hormone therapy and seven electrolysistreatments, and dresses as a woman in an all-male state prison. State prison officials oppose sex-change surgery, saying it would create security problems. | | Page rank | | |
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Idaho court upholds decision to toss gaming suit
Legal Interview |
2009/11/30 08:51
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BOISE, Idaho — The Idaho Supreme Court has upheld a lower courtdecision to toss out a lawsuit aimed at removing tribal video gamingmachines from the Fort Hall Casino. The lawsuit was filed againstthe state in 2008 by Wendy Knox and Richard Dotson, who argued thegaming machines at the tribal casino violate the Idaho Constitution'sprohibition on gambling. Knox and Dotson say they became compulsivegamblers who lost tens of thousands of dollars, their jobs and home byplaying at the casino. Fort Hall Casino is located on tribal landand operated by the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes. Tribal gaming was approvedby voters as a ballot initiative in 2001. Seventh District JudgeDarren Simpson dismissed the lawsuit, ruling the eastern Idaho couplelacked standing. The justices unanimously agreed in a ruling issuedFriday. | | Page rank | | |
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Smoker’s Lawsuit Results in $300M Verdict Against Tobacco Company
Court Watch |
2009/11/23 10:11
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In what is believed to be the largest single plaintiff award to dateagainst a tobacco company, a Florida jury awarded $300 million incompensatory and punitive damages to a former smoker who filed alawsuit against Philip Morris USA over her emphysema. Cindy Naugle, 61, was awarded $56.6 million for past and futuremedical expenses, as well as pain and suffering. The jury from BrowardCounty Circuit Court also levied a $244 million punitive damage awardagainst the tobacco company. Naugle, who said that she began smoking in 1968 to make herself lookolder, alleged that she would have never started smoking if she hadknown of the potential health effects. The smoker’s lawsuit claimedthat the tobacco companies knew smoking caused a variety of lungdiseases, but kept those side effects hidden. As a result of smoking for about 25 years, Naugle claimed that shesuffers from emphysema, requires around-the-clock oxygen and isconfined to a wheelchair due to how easily she is winded. The juryfound her to be 10% responsible for her own condition, meaning thatwhile Philip Morris is responsible for all of the punitive damages; itis only responsible for 90% of the compensatory damages. | | Page rank | | |
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