Governor Calls for Mexican Death Penalty: Coahuila state Governor Humberto Moreira is asking the legislature to adopt a recommendation that Mexico's Congress restore the death penalty for kidnappers who murder their victims. An Associated Press story reports that a 2/3 majority of the Congress would be required to undo the 2005 Constitutional amendment that abolished capital punishment.
Fired Public Defender Sues: A former Santa Clara County Deputy Public Defender, fired five years ago for refusing to answer questions during a disciplinary hearing, will have his claim that his rights were violated heard by the California Supreme Court tomorrow. A story in the San Jose Mercury News by Howard Mintz reports that Thomas Spielbauer "invoked his Fifth Amendment rights" when his bosses began to investigate allegations that he lied to a judge while representing a criminal defendant.
DNA Links Accused Rapist to Anchorwoman's Murder: An affidavit filed today indicates that police identified the man charged with with October 20 beating death of Little Rock news anchor Anne Pressly with a DNA match. The Associated Press reports that while the police believe that Pressly was killed when she intrupted a robbery, her parents believe that she may have been sexually assaulted. Murder suspect Curtis Lavelle Vance is also accused of raping a school teacher last April and of committing several burglaries in eastern Arkansas. Early reports suggest that the victim died from a massive stroke caused by blunt force trauma. Every bone in her face had been broken and her hand was broken in the attack.
Fired Public Defender Sues: A former Santa Clara County Deputy Public Defender, fired five years ago for refusing to answer questions during a disciplinary hearing, will have his claim that his rights were violated heard by the California Supreme Court tomorrow. A story in the San Jose Mercury News by Howard Mintz reports that Thomas Spielbauer "invoked his Fifth Amendment rights" when his bosses began to investigate allegations that he lied to a judge while representing a criminal defendant.
DNA Links Accused Rapist to Anchorwoman's Murder: An affidavit filed today indicates that police identified the man charged with with October 20 beating death of Little Rock news anchor Anne Pressly with a DNA match. The Associated Press reports that while the police believe that Pressly was killed when she intrupted a robbery, her parents believe that she may have been sexually assaulted. Murder suspect Curtis Lavelle Vance is also accused of raping a school teacher last April and of committing several burglaries in eastern Arkansas. Early reports suggest that the victim died from a massive stroke caused by blunt force trauma. Every bone in her face had been broken and her hand was broken in the attack.