Man Caught Texting 12-Year-Old Girl Gets 6 Years: A story from the AP reports that a man from Oregon has been sentenced to 6 years in prison for attempted rape after a mother discovered his inappropriate text messages on her 12-year-old daughter's cell phone. Patrick Lee Kenney pleaded no contest to attempted sexual abuse and furnishing obscene material to a minor. Kenney met the girl on the MySpace site. Prosecutor David Groff said the case is a reminder about the dangers children face from Internet predators.

Jury Recommends Death Sentence; Defendant Says He Doesn't Blame Them: Alabama Press Register reporter Gary McElroy reports that a man condemned to die for the 2003 slaying of Mobile, Alabama motel owner Pete Patel told jurors they should not feel bad about their decision. Under Alabama law, the jury's decision in capital cases is considered a recommendation; the judge can accept or override it. Although Whatley's defense counsel had asked Judge Johnston to immediately adopt the jury's sentence, the judge told Whatley he simply could not agree to sentence him Wednesday because, "frankly, I have not made up my mind." The sentencing hearing has been set to Dec. 11.

Italy's High Court Rules In Favor Of Mercy Killing: An AP story by Ariel David reports that Italy's highest court ruled Thursday in favor of a man's request to disconnect his daughter's feeding tube and allow her to die after 16 years in a vegetative state. Italy does not allow euthanasia using methods such as fatal doses of drugs. Patients have a right to refuse treatment, but no law allows them to have a living will in case they become unconscious. Englaro's father said his daughter visited a friend in a coma shortly before her accident and expressed the will to refuse treatment should she fall into a vegetative state. Today's ruling has evoked comparisons to that of Terry Schiavo, the American woman at the center of a right-to-die debate until her death in 2005. Schiavo was diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state after her heart stopped in 1990.