Court Roundup

Ohio Defense wants leniency in 9 Ohio arson deaths CLEVELAND (AP) -- The defense wants a lenient sentence for a man convicted in the arson deaths of eight children and a woman at an Ohio birthday sleepover. Attorneys for 27-year-old Antun Lewis have told a judge in Cleveland that he deserves less than life in prison because he's mentally disabled and once saved a 2-year-old's life in a car wreck. Federal prosecutors say in their sentencing memo that Lewis deserves life in prison because of the horrific crime and because there's nothing redeeming about his background. On Wednesday, Judge Solomon Oliver delayed sentencing until June 22 to consider a request for a new trial. The judge earlier ruled out the death penalty on mental grounds. The 2005 fire in Cleveland killed a woman, four of her children and four other youngsters. Florida Elderly Keys couple die in apparent murder-suicide LITTLE TORCH KEY, Fla. (AP) -- Officials say an 81-year-old man shot his wheelchair-bound wife and cat, and then turned the gun on himself in their home about 25 miles from Key West. A neighbor called the Monroe County Sheriff's Office about noon Wednesday after hearing shots fired. Sheriff's deputies arrived at the home on Little Torch Key but didn't enter the home right away, fearing a suspect could be inside. The bomb squad arrived, and sent a robot inside before the SWAT team entered the home and found 77-year-old Joan Tucker in a room on the first floor. Upstairs, they found Glen Tucker, along with the couple's cat. The sheriff's office said the motive for the killings was not immediately known. Indiana 3rd man sentenced in church bond scheme SULLIVAN, Ind. (AP) -- A third man has been sentenced to prison by an Indiana judge for his role in a scheme through which prosecutors say investors were bilked out of $6 million they thought was going toward church construction projects. The judge on Tuesday sentenced 42-year-old Jonathan Reeves to eight years in prison on his guilty pleas in a Sullivan County court to 10 felony counts of securities fraud. His father, Vaughn Reeves, was sentenced in December to 54 years in prison for the scheme involving the family's shuttered Sullivan-based church-bond company, Alanar. One brother has been given a six-year sentence on similar charges, while another is awaiting trial. The Tribune-Star reports county Prosecutor Bob Hunley wouldn't say whether a plea agreement was expected with Vaughn "Chip" Reeves Jr. Colorado Court: Witness details can remain secret AURORA, Colo. (AP) -- The Colorado Supreme Court has ruled that details of witnesses who testified against a man convicted of slaying a witness can remain secret. Robert Ray is on death row for the June 2005 slaying of Javad Marshall-Fields and his fiancee, Vivian Wolfe. A jury convicted Ray in 2009 of ordering the slaying Marshall-Fields in order to stop him from testifying in another murder case. Ray's defense team sought addresses of witnesses as part of an appeal. The Aurora Daily Sentinel reports that an opinion handed down by the Supreme court April 25 overturned a judge's decision that some details be released. Another man, Sir Mario Owens, was convicted of being the triggerman and has also been sentenced to death. Arkansas State Supreme Court grants stay for Frank Williams LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) -- The Arkansas Supreme Court has granted a stay of execution for a convicted murderer who was scheduled to die by lethal injection on June 22. The court issued a one-paragraph order Thursday granting the stay for Frank Williams Jr. The court said it was granting the stay because two appeals involving constitutional issues regarding the death penalty are pending before the court. The justices didn't specify which lawsuits were in question. Williams is involved in two court actions, one of which challenges a drug used in the lethal injection process. Williams was sentenced to die for the 1992 killing of Lafayette County farmer Clyde Spence. Williams had worked for Spence as a work-release prisoner at his farm. Arkansas hasn't executed an inmate since 2005. Nevada 2nd arrest made in shovel slaying of Nevada teen ELKO, Nev. (AP) -- A second Nevada teenager has been arrested in the shovel slaying and shallow burial of a 16-year-old West Wendover girl not far from the Utah state line. The Elko Daily Free Press reports the arrest of the 16-year-old alleged accomplice followed a courtroom revelation Tuesday that 18-year-old accused killer Kody Cree Patten was recorded talking with her on the telephone about the slaying of Micaela "Mickey" Costanzo. Patten's defense lawyers allege the 16-year-old girl had a hand in killing Costanzo near where her body was found about 5 miles west of the Nevada-Utah line. Elko District Court Judge Andrew Puccinelli ordered the two microcassettes turned over to the Elko County sheriff's office. Elko County District Attorney Mark Torvinen hasn't decided whether to seek the death penalty for Patten. Missouri Owners of KC chimp fined, but custody not resolved KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A judge has fined two people who brought a chimpanzee into Kansas City, but did not decide where the animal should live. A municipal judge ruled Wednesday that the owners of Suco, who raised the 21-year-old chimp, must pay for damage the she caused last October while running through a south Kansas City neighborhood. One of the owners, Mark Archigo was fined $500 and his girlfriend, Debbie Kaumans, was fined $250. Both will serve two years of probation. And they must pay $1,524 for damage Suco caused to a police cruiser. Suco has been kept at the Kansas City Zoo since her escape. The Kansas City Star reports that city officials believe Suco's owners need a circuit court order to force the zoo to return the chimp to them. North Carolina No verdict in Wilmington teacher sex abuse case WILMINGTON, N.C. (AP) -- A New Hanover County jury has failed to return a verdict in a case against a former pre-school teacher accused of sexually abusing a 4-year-old pupil. The StarNews of Wilmington reported Thursday that prosecutors may schedule a new trial for Johnny Lewis, who was charged with first-degree sex offense with a child. The charges stem from accusations by a child at the Peabody School in Wilmington. The child told his mother that Lewis had sexually abused him. Prosecutors said the jury was split 10-2, with most of the jurors wanting to convict. Lewis' defense said the accusations against him were hard to believe and that police failed to investigate other suspects. The 52-year-old Head Start teacher was arrested in February 2010. Nevada Man gets 20 years for killing Las Vegas student LAS VEGAS (AP) -- A Nevada man found guilty in the killing of an 18-year-old University of Nevada, Las Vegas student could serve 20 years in prison. A Clark County District judge handed down the maximum sentence to Vladimir Lagerev Wednesday for the death of Lindsay Bennett. The Las Vegas Sun reports Lagerev was sentenced to eight to 20 years. He was found guilty in March. Prosecutors say Lagerev was traveling against traffic on a Las Vegas interstate exit ramp when he caused the head-on collision that resulted in Bennett's death. Lagerev's blood-alcohol level was twice the legal limit. Bennett died two days after the crash. She was a member of the UNLV dance team. Lagerev maintained he didn't realize he was traveling in the wrong direction because of unclear traffic signs. Published: Fri, May 6, 2011