Catherine Stevens says she thought oil workers were part of construction crew
Anchorage Daily News Oct 16, 08 2:48 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Ted Stevens’ wife, testifying at the Alaska senator’s Washington corruption trial today, said she didn’t know that two men working on a home renovation were oil-company employees, the Anchorage Daily News reports. Catherine Stevens, herself a lawyer, often spoke directly to the jury as the defense pushed its case that the senator paid all relevant bills, and is innocent of lying about gifts.
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USA Today Oct 15, 08 4:19 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Justifiable homicides committed by cops and civilians are at their highest levels in more than 10 years, USA Today reports. Last year's totals: 391 for police and 254 for civilians. Analysts attribute the rise to a growing “shoot-first” attitude among both groups, especially as criminals improve their arsenals.
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Man subdued by other passengers during flight from Turkey to Russia
BBC Oct 15, 08 2:57 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A man claiming to have explosives was foiled in an attempt to hijack a Turkish Airlines plane today, the BBC reports. The man, who was drunk, handed an attendant a note saying he had a bomb, then tried to force his way to the cockpit, but was overpowered by passengers. The man was arrested when the plane reached its destination in St. Petersburg, Russia.
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Criminals use chat features on social, game sites to hide conversations: authorities
Guardian (UK) Oct 15, 08 2:17 PM CDT
(Newser)
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With social-networking, gaming, and video sites offering stealth chatting that criminals and terrorists exploit, the British government is moving to require such websites to collect and provide user data to authorities. Accessing chat contents would still require a specific warrant, but demographic information could help find pedophiles, kidnappers, drug traffickers, and terrorists, the Guardian reports.
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Man chooses to wear the sign, not do the time
WEAU-TV (Wisconsin) Oct 10, 08 8:31 PM CDT
(Newser)
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A Wisconsin drunk driver who crashed into a water treatment plant has chosen humiliation over jail time, WEAU reports. Instead of serving a sentence for property damage, Shane McQuillan, 22, who admitted he was “just being stupid,” was sentenced to wear a sign reading “I was stupid.” The judge often offers such punishment by sign, and said “it’s an option for the person. It's not something that's forced on them.”
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analysis
Los Angeles Times Oct 4, 08 2:08 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Don't expect a miracle legal rescue to set OJ Simpson free anytime soon, writes Richard Abowitz in the Los Angeles Times . Simpson will be imprisoned until his December sentencing—the judge didn't have to do that but chose to anyway—then sent into the Nevada prison system. His appeal probably won't reach the courtroom for at least 2 years. "These are likely to be very hard years for Simpson," says Abowitz. "Nevada's prison system is not meant for celebrities."
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UPDATED
Lawyer: Appeal is "only hope" after Simpson found guilty on all counts
Las Vegas Sun Oct 4, 08 3:47 AM CDT
(Newser)
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OJ Simpson’s lawyer has said that “you would have to be living on another planet” to not anticipate his client’s guilty verdict, reports the Las Vegas Sun . Simpson was found guilty on all 12 counts of armed robbery, kidnapping and other charges late last night and could be in jail for life after his December 5 sentencing. His lawyers say the verdict and corresponding sentences are excessive. An appeal is expected.
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breaking
Associated Press Oct 4, 08 1:20 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Thirteen years to the day after being acquitted of murdering his ex-wife, OJ SImpson was found guilty late last night in Las Vegas of all counts in the 2007 robbery of two sports-memorabilia dealers. The disgraced NFL great faces life when he is sentenced Dec. 5. Simpson, 61, sighed as the court clerk read the verdict, the AP reports.
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Las Vegas jury could get robbery-kidnap case tomorrow
Las Vegas Review-Journal Oct 1, 08 5:30 PM CDT
(Newser)
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OJ Simpson’s defense team rested its case today without calling the former football star to testify in his armed robbery and kidnapping trial in Las Vegas. Though the prosecution can still call rebuttal witnesses, the case could go to jury tomorrow, the Review-Journal reports. Lawyers for Simpson's co-defendant called just one witness before resting.
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Lineman suffered infections from 14 wounds in shooting
Florida Times-Union Sep 29, 08 7:20 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Jacksonville Jaguar Richard Collier has lost a leg and is paralyzed below the waist from a shooting earlier this month, doctors said today. The third-year player suffered serious infections from 14 bullet wounds, but is close to recovery and going home. He is “very fortunate to have survived his injuries,” a surgeon told the Florida Times-Union . "That really helped a lot to be a young, strong athlete.”
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Snack, drug habits can be traced on bullets, similar surfaces
Boston Globe Sep 29, 08 3:24 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Advances in fingerprint technology are making the century-old forensic tool even more vital, the Boston Globe reports. Scientists have developed methods that can not only detect traces of food or chemicals in prints, but also single out targets at a confused crime scene. “We're using fingerprints to learn more about the individual, not just make an identification,” a scientist said.
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Equity scammers take advantage of ignorant, desperate owners
MSNBC Sep 22, 08 1:03 PM CDT
(Newser)
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Running parallel with spiking foreclosure rates, so-called “foreclosure rescue scams” have reached epic proportions, and many state and local agencies aren't equipped to fight back, MSNBC reports. Companies that promise to help floundering property owners keep their homes and avoid the stigma of foreclosure are instead milking them for tens of thousands of dollars, and further damaging their credit scores.
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Underage breastfeeding pics could carry pornography charges
TMZ Sep 22, 08 10:04 AM CDT
(Newser)
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A stolen photo of teen mom Jamie Lynn Spears breastfeeding has turned what seemed to be a breach of Wal-Mart security into a federal case, TMZ reports. Copies of a dozen snapshots, allegedly purloined when baby daddy Casey Aldridge had legit copies made at a Louisiana store, could result in pornography charges because the underage mom’s breast is exposed. State and federal law enforcement are on the case.
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