Court Roundup

Maine
Man gets 10 years for trying to hire killer for ex-wife
HOULTON, Maine (AP) — A Mars Hill man has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for trying to hire someone to kill his ex-wife.
Mark Stetson was sentenced Wednesday in Aroostook County Superior Court. He had pleaded guilty in January to solicitation of murder, solicitation of robbery, and solicitation of kidnapping.
Authorities say the 43-year-old Stetson was already in jail on charges connected to a dispute with his ex-wife early in 2011 when offered to pay another inmate to kill his ex-wife and, if necessary, tie up their autistic son. The plan was to make it look like a robbery.
Stetson was also sentenced to four years of probation.
Stetson expressed remorse in court.

Texas
Judge overturns convictions of dead attorney
BROWNSVILLE, Texas (AP) — A judge has overturned the convictions of a South Texas lawyer whose body was found on the day he was to report to prison in a judicial bribery scandal.
U.S. District Judge Andrew Hanen set aside the racketeering, extortion and mail fraud convictions of 56-year-old Ray Marchan. Marchan’s appeal was pending at the time of his death.
Marchan’s body was discovered Feb. 28 after he jumped from the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway in an apparent suicide. Marchan was sentenced to more than three years in prison for his role in bribing ex-state District Judge Abel Limas. Limas has pleaded guilty to racketeering and awaits sentencing.
Courts have said deaths, before the appeals process has been exhausted, are grounds for throwing out convictions. Hanen vacated the convictions Tuesday.

Pennsylvania
Man waives prelim in ex-wife’s slaying at church service
COUDERSPORT, Pa. (AP) — A northern Pennsylvania man has waived his right to a preliminary hearing on charges that he murdered his ex-wife while she was serving as organist at a church service.
The Bradford Era reports that 53-year-old Gregory Eldred did not appear in court to waive the hearing Wednesday, but rather signed papers to that effect at the Potter County Jail.
Eldred has been jailed since state police say he fatally shot 53-year-old Darlene Sitler at the First United Presbyterian Church of Coudersport on Dec. 2. The church is about 140 miles northeast of Pittsburgh.
The hearing had been twice delayed so Eldred’s attorney could obtain a mental health evaluation of the suspect.
By waiving the hearing, Eldred acknowledges enough evidence exists for the case to be tried in Common Pleas Court.

Virginia
Worker in Library of Congress faces stalking charges
CULPEPER, Va. (AP) — A Library of Congress film preservationist is facing federal charges for allegedly posting fake sex ads on Craigslist targeting an ex-girlfriend.
The Star-Exponent of Culpeper reports that 61-year-old Kenneth Edward Kuban of Reva was charged last month with stalking a Fauquier County woman he dated briefly in 2011. Kuban is set to appear in federal court in Charlottesville on Friday for a hearing to determine whether he should be freed prior to trial.
Kuban works at the Library of Congress Packard campus in Culpeper. Authorities say he posted the ads from his work computer.
Authorities claim Kuban made several Craigslist postings each week directing men to his ex-girlfriend’s home with the promise of sex or to buy pornographic videos. Some men refused to leave until she called police.

Kentucky
Former Lexington lawyer gets 3 1/2 years for theft
LEXINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A former Lexington attorney has been sentenced in Ohio to nearly 3 1/2 years in prison.
Brian P. Gilfedder lost his law license when he pleaded guilty to stealing nearly $640,000 in Social Security benefits from a disabled military veteran he represented.
The Lexington Herald-Leader quoted a news release from the U.S. attorney’s office for southern Ohio in reporting Gilfedder was sentenced on Wednesday. He had pleaded guilty to stealing federal payments to a client identified in court papers only as “J.M.”
Gilfedder was appointed to manage J.M.’s financial accounts in 1990 as part of the Veterans Affairs Fiduciary Program, established to provide for veterans and other beneficiaries who are unable to manage their financial affairs because of disease, injury or age.
Gifedder was ordered to repay the money.

Louisiana
Dad awarded $300K in son’s dragging death
LAFAYETTE, La. (AP) — The father of a 6-year-old boy who was dragged to death while trying to board a school bus has been awarded $300,000 in damages.
The Advertiser reports the ruling from statel District Judge Kristian Earles on Wednesday came after two days of emotional testimony in a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Marcus Miller of Lafayette.
Miller’s son, La’Derion Miller, died on March 18, 2011, several days after he was injured while getting on to the school bus outside his home.
Earles awarded Miller $250,000 in his wrongful death claim and $50,000 in “survival action” damages. Miller had sought damages of $2.3 million.