Friend of Charleston Shooter Charged:  A friend of Charleston shooter Dylann Roof, the man accused of gunning down nine black churchgoers during a Bible study, has been indicted on charges of concealing information related to the shooting and making false statements to the FBI.  Evan Perez and Catherine E. Shoichet of CNN report that 21-year-old Joey Meek, in the days after the shooting, told the press about Roof's drunken proclamations to start a race war and "do something crazy," and went as far as to hide Roof's gun from him, returning it the next day.  Meek allegedly informed prosecutors that he had no knowledge of any specifics Roof had planned before he shot and killed nine parishioners at the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal church on June 17, but prosecutors believe this assertion is "false, fictitious and fraudulent." Meek insists that no one ever took Roof seriously, so he never thought much of the statements he made while he was drunk.

Judges Demand that Plea Deals Reflect Crime Committed:  An Ohio judge is leading change in the criminal justice system regarding plea bargaining in sexual assault cases, in which,defendants often plead guilty to lesser crimes bearing no factual resemblance to what occurred and avoid sex-offender registration requirements.  Randy Ludlow of the Columbus Dispatch reports that Judge Michael Donnelly, who has handled plea deals in nearly 200 sexual assault cases, says it is common for rape cases to plead down to aggravated assault, a crime "wildly inconsistent with rape," constitutes "legal fiction," and leaves victims "feeling like the justice system let them down."  Most other justice officials are in agreement with this notion, with the exception of criminal defense lawyers, who are concerned that their options to represent their clients will be limited and that the number of cases going to trial could increase if the issue is reformed.  Unless legislators object, the Ohio Supreme Court could amend court rules to require changes in felony plea deals to be factually based and reflect the crime that actually occurred.

Obama's Silence of Cop Murders Blasted:  The president of the National Sheriff's Association (NSA) called out President Obama and his administration's silence regarding multiple police officer assassinations over recent weeks and the escalating violence against the police.  Ildefonso Ortiz of Breitbart reports that NSA president and Laramie County, Wyoming sheriff Danny Glick says, "This is law enforcement, this is our community's people that are being killed because of these acts and we can't get a condemnation from the President of the United States - it is sad."  Glick emphasizes that the anti-law enforcement sentiment is supported by a vocal minority, while the majority of the nation is still behind the law enforcement community.  "This is a time to be vocal," he says, adding that we must stand in unison and "send a message to Washington DC."