National Roundup

Connecticut Man gets 60-year sentence in New Haven killing NEW HAVEN, Conn. (AP) -- A former New Haven man has received the maximum possible prison sentence after being convicted of killing a man at a city nightclub. Twenty-three-year-old Billy Ray Wright declined to speak as he was sentenced to 60 years in prison for the 2008 murder of 29-year-old Ronald Bethea. A surveillance video outside the club showed Wright approaching Bethea from behind and shooting him, in what Superior Court Judge Brian Fischer called a "premeditated, cold-blooded execution." Wright could have received as little as 25 years in prison. Fischer said he imposed the maximum sentence on Friday because of Wright's extensive criminal record and the suffering of Bethea's family. Wright has maintained his innocence, saying the shooter's face was too obscured on the surveillance tape to positively identify him as the killer. Georgia Court tosses teen's murder conviction ATLANTA (AP) -- The conviction of a teenage girl for the murder of her mother was reversed by the Georgia Supreme Court. The court's unanimous opinion Tuesday found that a Gilmer County court abused its discretion by allowing "inflammatory evidence" that suggested the girl held satanic beliefs. Debra Boring's 15-year-old daughter was arrested two months after her mother was found dead in the front doorway of their home in December 2005 with a gunshot wound to the back of her head, and she was convicted after a two-week trial. The court found that the evidence was enough to conclude that the teenager was guilty of the crimes, but took issue with prosecutors' characterization of her "gothic lifestyle." Prosecutors now have the option to retry the girl. Massachusetts Man accused of forklift assault after spat SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (AP) -- Police in western Massachusetts say a man is facing assault charges after he used a forklift to pick up his girlfriend's car with her inside and carried the vehicle for several feet before dropping it. Springfield police say Brian Hurley is scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in Springfield District Court on charges including assault and battery with a dangerous weapon. Authorities say the 41-year-old Hurley and his girlfriend argued over money as she drove him to work at a warehouse on Saturday morning. She told police Hurley slapped her, got out of the car and kicked it, then got in the forklift. He fled the scene but was found at his home several hours later. It was not immediately clear if he had a lawyer. South Carolina Fortune teller case seen as free speech issue CHARLESTON, S.C. (AP) -- The case of a fortune teller arrested in Charleston is either one of free speech or simply one of a man blocking the sidewalk. The Post and Courier of Charleston reported Tuesday that Jonathan Spiel was ticketed last year for blocking the sidewalk after setting up chairs and a table to read fortune-telling cards. Susan Dunn with the American Civil Liberties Union says Spiel is a street performer and wants a city livability court to throw out the tickets. Dunn says if the tickets stand, it would allow the city to target others using items of furniture in exercise of free speech. The city says it can regulate who sets up on sidewalks to protect pedestrians and drivers. It wants Spiel to pay tickets totaling $732. Maine Trial lawyers' group sues Bank of America AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) -- The Maine Trial Lawyers Association is suing Bank of America claiming that a former employee who is charged with embezzling $166,000 from the group should not have been allowed to set up online banking or cash checks made out to her. In a suit filed this month in Kennebec County Superior Court, the association says former administrative assistant Bettysue Higgins of Gardiner was not authorized to establish online banking accounts, which the group says allowed her to cover up her alleged thefts from 2006 to 2010. According to the Kennebec Journal, North Carolina-based Bank of America denies the allegations and maintains the association itself is at fault. Higgins was charged with theft and forgery in February, and the association recently won a $170,000 civil judgment against her. Pennsylvania Judge faces conduct hearing over behavior ALLENTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A judge accused of telling one defendant to call himself a "scumbag" in open court faces a trial before a Pennsylvania judicial review panel. The review of Lehigh County Magisterial District Judge Maryesther Merlo's conduct is scheduled to begin Monday in Philadelphia. She was charged in November with violating conduct rules and the state constitution. The Judicial Conduct Board says Merlo was frequently late for court or failed to show up entirely. She is also accused of placing bizarre requirements on the defendants she sentenced. Merlo's attorney tells The Morning Call of Allentown the judge's actions will be put "in the proper perspective" during this week's trial. Merlo has been suspended with pay since December. Vermont Sheriff sues city over police coverage contract ST. ALBANS, Vt. (AP) -- A Vermont sheriff is suing the city of St. Albans for providing police services to the legally separate town of St. Albans. Last month, the town decided to replace its law enforcement coverage from sheriffs' deputies with police patrols from the adjoining city of St. Albans. Town officials wanted 24-hour coverage, and officials felt Franklin County Sheriff Bob Norris was asking for more money than the city was. Now Norris is suing. He says the bidding process was so unfair that it killed any competition. He tells Vermont Public Radio he can't compete with a larger police department with more resources. But supporters of the town say working with the city is a natural because the town surrounds the city and sharing police is the most cost-effective option. Published: Wed, Jun 1, 2011