Ohio Executes Another Murderer: Michael Benge, 49, was executed at 10:34 a.m. this morning at the Southern Ohio Correctional Facility near Lucasville, making him Ohio's eighth lethal injection this year, a new record. Benge was convicted and sentenced to death for killing his 38-year-old girlfriend Judith Gabbard. He stole her ATM card, beat her with a tire iron, then weighed down her body with concrete and dumped it in the Miami River. He then proceeded to spend $400 from Gabbard's bank account. After the execution, Kathy Johnson, the sister of the victim, said, "It makes us feel there was justice for my sister. That's what this is all about." Alan Johnson has more on the story here.
Appeals Court Reverses Gov. Schwarzenegger's Parole Decision: San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer Bob Egelko reports on a California appeals court decision overruling Gov. Schwarzenegger's parole veto of Kludip Kler, a Fremont man who has spent 21 years in prison for fatally beating his 10-month old daughter. Kler initially denied guilt, but later admitted that he lost control and beat his daughter to death because he could not stop her from crying. In February, Schwarzenegger reversed the Parole Board's 2009 decision granting parole, saying he believes Kler is still dangerous because he committed a horrible crime and "lacks full insight into the circumstances." The court said Tuesday that the governor had no evidence to support his conclusions and that the governor cannot deny parole because the inmate "cannot answer a question that has no satisfactory answer-why someone would kill their own child." The governor can appeal the court's ruling to the State Supreme Court.
Married Judge Caught With Stripper, Guns, and Drugs: With what started off with a simple lap dance, 67-year-old Judge Jack T. Camp now finds himself in a sticky situation involving prostitutes, guns, and drug deals. Camp developed a close relationship with a stripper, who had a previous drug trafficking conviction and had been secretly working with the FBI to build a case against the judge. The FBI busted Camp shortly after a drug deal involving the stripper and an undercover officer. Camp, a husband and father of two, had a reputation for delivering harsh sentences, especially for drug convictions. Now, Camp could face years behind bars on drug and gun charges. Attorneys are looking into the possibility that Camp was under the influence when he presided or ruled, but it is unclear whether any of his decisions will be revisited. Greg Bluestein of the San Francisco Chronicle has more on the story here.
AP Investigation Prompts Changes in Prison Library Policy: The AP reports that after its investigation revealed Connecticut inmates' unrestricted access to violent and graphic literature, the state Department of Corrections has vowed to revise its prison library policy. In drafting the new policy, corrections officials plan to consider those of other states, as well as that of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which does not explicitly address content-based restrictions. One Connecticut lawmaker is calling for the removal of all books containing violence, but such a sweeping prohibition is expected to meet opposition from the American Library Association, who claims that the denial of the right to read "diminishes the human spirit of those segregated from society," and the ACLU.
Appeals Court Reverses Gov. Schwarzenegger's Parole Decision: San Francisco Chronicle Staff Writer Bob Egelko reports on a California appeals court decision overruling Gov. Schwarzenegger's parole veto of Kludip Kler, a Fremont man who has spent 21 years in prison for fatally beating his 10-month old daughter. Kler initially denied guilt, but later admitted that he lost control and beat his daughter to death because he could not stop her from crying. In February, Schwarzenegger reversed the Parole Board's 2009 decision granting parole, saying he believes Kler is still dangerous because he committed a horrible crime and "lacks full insight into the circumstances." The court said Tuesday that the governor had no evidence to support his conclusions and that the governor cannot deny parole because the inmate "cannot answer a question that has no satisfactory answer-why someone would kill their own child." The governor can appeal the court's ruling to the State Supreme Court.
Married Judge Caught With Stripper, Guns, and Drugs: With what started off with a simple lap dance, 67-year-old Judge Jack T. Camp now finds himself in a sticky situation involving prostitutes, guns, and drug deals. Camp developed a close relationship with a stripper, who had a previous drug trafficking conviction and had been secretly working with the FBI to build a case against the judge. The FBI busted Camp shortly after a drug deal involving the stripper and an undercover officer. Camp, a husband and father of two, had a reputation for delivering harsh sentences, especially for drug convictions. Now, Camp could face years behind bars on drug and gun charges. Attorneys are looking into the possibility that Camp was under the influence when he presided or ruled, but it is unclear whether any of his decisions will be revisited. Greg Bluestein of the San Francisco Chronicle has more on the story here.
AP Investigation Prompts Changes in Prison Library Policy: The AP reports that after its investigation revealed Connecticut inmates' unrestricted access to violent and graphic literature, the state Department of Corrections has vowed to revise its prison library policy. In drafting the new policy, corrections officials plan to consider those of other states, as well as that of the Federal Bureau of Prisons, which does not explicitly address content-based restrictions. One Connecticut lawmaker is calling for the removal of all books containing violence, but such a sweeping prohibition is expected to meet opposition from the American Library Association, who claims that the denial of the right to read "diminishes the human spirit of those segregated from society," and the ACLU.
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