Court Roundup

New Jersey 2 terror suspects plead guilty NEWARK, N.J. (AP) -- Two New Jersey men have pleaded guilty to charges that they tried to join an al-Qaida-affiliated group overseas. Mohamed Mahmood Alessa and Carlos Eduardo Almonte entered into a packaged plea deal in a Newark federal courtroom Thursday morning. They admitted to conspiring to kill, maim and kidnap persons outside the United States by trying to join al-Shabab, a designated terrorist organization. The two were arrested in June at New York's Kennedy Airport and admitted they were headed for Somalia. Twenty-year-old Alessa and 24-year-old Almonte are Muslim. They could face up to life in prison when sentenced in June. Connecticut Smoker gets another $15.7M NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- A federal judge has awarded nearly $16 million in interest to a smoker who already had won $12 million against a tobacco company in the first such jury award in New England. Judge Stefan Underhill awarded about $15.7 million to Barbara Izzarelli, a Norwich resident who developed larynx cancer. She had won her case against R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Co. Underhill rejected claims by R.J. Reynolds that the interest was excessive, saying interest is mandatory under the law and is designed to encourage defendants to accept reasonable settlement offers. Izzarelli's attorney, David Golub, says his side had offered to settle for $400,000. The interest dates back to 1999 when the lawsuit was filed. Published: Fri, Mar 4, 2011