Alabama
8th judge hands off murder trial of police officer
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - Another judge has recused himself from the trial of a white Alabama police officer charged with murder in the death of an unarmed black man.
News outlets report Judge Sam Welch was appointed Friday and recused himself this week, becoming the 8th judge to drop the case.
Montgomery police officer Aaron Cody Smith said he acted in self-defense when killing 58-year-old Greg Gunn, who fled a random stop-and-frisk and was chased, shocked, beaten and then shot five times in 2016.
Welch is a former presiding judge of the state court of Criminal Appeals who says he had denied motions asking for another judge's recusal.
The state Supreme Court has now tapped retired Dale County Circuit Judge Philip Ben McLauchlin in a 9th attempt to pick a judge.
New Hampshire
Text message reminders helped divorce, parenting cases
CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - New Hampshire's judicial branch says that its pilot program offering text message reminders to people involved in a divorce or parenting case reduced the failure-to-appear rate by 40% in a six-month period.
The circuit court launched the program last summer. People who chose to provide a cellphone number received three simple text messages reminding them of their mediation day and time: one each at seven days, three days, and one day before the event.
The judicial branch hopes to expand the availability of text message reminders to other case types within the circuit court, as well as to superior court cases. Criminal cases are under consideration.
New Mexico
Judge Murdoch who resigned amid sex misconduct claims dies
ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) - Albert "Pat" Murdoch, a former New Mexico judge known for his fairness on the bench but who was forced to retire early in the wake of sexual misconduct allegations that rocked the state's judiciary, has died. He was 67.
Officials with New Mexico's Second Judicial District Court said Murdoch died Monday. They did not provide any details about the cause of death and it was unclear when services would be scheduled.
A 1978 graduate of the University of New Mexico law school, Murdoch started his legal career as a public defender. In less than a decade, he went on to become the youngest person ever appointed as a state district judge in New Mexico. He was 33 at the time.
As the judicial district's chief criminal judge, he was respected by both prosecutors and defense attorneys.
Chief Judge Stan Whitaker said Murdoch leaves a legacy of fairness and compassionate insight.
"His strength throughout his life are equally admirable and remarkable," Whitaker said in a statement Tuesday. "The court extends its deepest sympathy and condolences to Judge Murdoch's family."
Murdoch served on the court for nearly three decades until his career was derailed in 2011 when a prostitute accused him of rape. He also was accused of intimidating a witness.
The accusations came at time when New Mexico's judiciary was under increased public scrutiny due to a series of cases of alleged misconduct.
Murdoch maintained his innocence and his attorneys argued that the allegations were groundless. They sought dismissal of the case, arguing that police were investigating whether the woman may have tried to extort the judge with a video of a sexual encounter.
Murdoch ended up stepping down as part of an agreement with the state Judicial Standards Commission, which had started a disciplinary investigation. Prosecutors three years later decided not to press charges.
During his tenure, Murdoch presided over numerous high-profile cases, including fraud allegations involving former Secretary of State Rebecca Vigil-Giron and other defendants. He also issued rulings in the case of John Hyde, an Albuquerque man accused of killing two police officers and three others during a single day in 2005.
Murdoch once recounted one of his toughest cases, that of a decorated Marine whom he sentenced to two years in prison for chasing and killing a suspected thief. The ruling spurred letters to the editor and he was denounced by then-Gov. Bill Richardson for being too harsh.
The judge reconsidered the sentence months later, exchanging prison time with probation after he said the defendant had shown remorse.
Murdoch also was known for his work with a wheelchair basketball team for youths. He contracted polio as a child and spent his life using crutches to get around.
Court officials said he always was patient and fair with those who landed in his courtroom.
"He was courageous in his legal rulings," said Judge Charles Brown. "His passing is a tremendous loss."
Missouri
Court nixes bid to send suit over Rams' move to arbitration
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) - A Missouri court has turned down an effort by Rams owner Stan Kroenke and the NFL to send a lawsuit over the team's relocation from St. Louis to Los Angeles into arbitration.
The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that a three-judge panel of the Missouri Appeals Court's Eastern District ruled Tuesday that the Rams can't force the lawsuit to be ironed out behind closed doors.
The Rams cited language in a 1995 lease agreement when the franchise moved to St. Louis from LA. Kroenke moved the team back to LA in 2016.
The court said rules governing arbitration weren't in place until eight years after the 1995 contract.
The suit by St. Louis city and county and the Regional Convention and Sports Complex Authority alleges breach of contract and fraud, among other things.
Texas
Houston man, Nigerian gets prison for $10M housing fraud
HOUSTON (AP) - A Houston man and a Nigerian national have been sentenced to prison for what investigators in Texas call a $10 million scam over funds meant for title companies to close on homes.
Prosecutors say James Campbell was sentenced Tuesday to 7 1/2 years in prison. The 53-year-old Campbell was convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in thefts since 2016.
A federal judge in Houston earlier sentenced Hammed Akinola to 15 years for conviction in the same international fraud case linked to about 45 victims and bogus requests for payment.
Investigators say the victims thought they were sending money to title companies to close on homes.
Prosecutors say fake emails and hacking of legitimate accounts led the victims to transfer funds to accounts controlled by Campbell and Akinola.
Published: Thu, Apr 18, 2019
