Highway patrol sheds no new light on Calif. driver’s report of runaway Prius

Report fails to shed light on SoCal runaway Prius

EL CAJON, Calif. – A California Highway Patrol officer responding to a report of a runway Toyota Prius last week arrived to find a Border Patrol agent near the driver with emergency lights on.
The Border Patrol presence raises the prospect that there were other witnesses. It is … Read more >>>.

Va. Tech president urges calm as police investigate new threat in e-mails, YouTube postings

Online postings warn of another Va. Tech attack

BLACKSBURG, Va. – Virginia Tech is urging calm as e-mails and Internet postings originating in Italy threaten another attack on campus.
Though police do not believe the threats are credible, President Charles Steger said in an e-mail to faculty and students Wednesday that classes will be held Thursday with [..] Read the original article: here.

Homegrown terror suspect ‘Jihad Jane’ due in US court in Philly, 6 months after hushed arrest

‘Jihad Jane’ due in federal court in Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA – The Pennsylvania woman who called herself “Jihad Jane” in alleged efforts to help Islamic terrorists is due in court in Philadelphia.
Colleen LaRose has been in prison since her arrest last fall. A recent indictment accuses her of conspiring with several others to kill a Swedish artist …. Source  : Homegrown terror suspect ‘Jihad Jane’ due in US court in Philly, 6 months after hushed arrest.

Chicago man accused of scouting Mumbai, India, before terror attack expected to plead guilty

Chicago terror suspected expected to plead guilty

CHICAGO – A Chicago man accused of helping scout out the Indian city of Mumbai before the 2008 terrorist attack that left 166 people dead is expected to plead guilty Thursday to federal charges.
David Coleman Headley, 49, also is accused of plotting to attack Danish newspaper Jyllands Posten, which … Read more »».

Providence police officer accused of raping woman while he was on patrol heads to trial

RI police officer to stand trial on rape charge

PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A Providence police officer accused of raping a woman in a deserted police substation and then showing up to take a report after she called 911 heads to trial this week at an already difficult time for the department.
Marcus Huffman faces charges of first-degree …. Source article  : Providence police officer accused of raping woman while he was on patrol heads to trial.

Concern in Australia that Rio Tinto employees may not get a fair trial in China

Australia concerned about Rio Tinto trial
SYDNEY – Australia expressed disappointment Thursday that charges of stealing business secrets against one of its citizens would be tried in a closed court in China, and some lawmakers doubted the mining executive involved would get a fair hearing.

Australian national Stern Hu is one of four employees of mining giant …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Concern in Australia that Rio Tinto employees may not get a fair trial in China.

Guatemalan court approves ex-president’s extradition to US to face money laundering charges

Court OKs ex-Guatemalan leader’s extradition to US

GUATEMALA CITY – A Guatemalan court has approved former President Alfonso Portillo’s extradition to the U.S. to face money laundering charges.
Portillo does not face imminent extradition, however. Under Guatemalan law, he must first be tried at home in a separate corruption case before facing charges abroad.
Portillo vows to appeal …. Source article  : Guatemalan court approves ex-president’s extradition to US to face money laundering charges.

Records show San Diego murder suspect lived 16 months near school before he was forced to move

Calif. rape suspect lived by school for 16 months

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – A convicted sex offender charged with murdering a California teenager lived near a preschool for at least 16 months before parole agents forced him to move, according to state corrections records released Wednesday.
A regional administrator let John Albert Gardner III continue living within 126 …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Records show San Diego murder suspect lived 16 months near school before he was forced to move.

Police say man who went to Seattle-area church for counseling session fatally shoots wife

Police say man fatally shoots wife at Wash. church

FEDERAL WAY, Wash. – Police in Washington state say a man who accompanied his wife to a church for a counseling session shot the woman several times at the church, killing her.
Federal Way police spokesman Raymond Bunk says the 42-year-old suspect called 911 to report the shooting …. Source  : Police say man who went to Seattle-area church for counseling session fatally shoots wife.

Attorney General: Jurors convict member of Texas polygamist group of child sexual assault

Texas polygamist guilty of child sexual assault

SAN ANGELO, Texas – Prosecutors say a member of a polygamist group whose sprawling West Texas ranch was raided in 2008 has been found guilty of sexual assault of a child.
Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott says a jury convicted 35-year-old Merril Leroy Jessop on Wednesday in San Angelo. Jurors … Read more »».

Authorities: Officer responding to report of runaway Prius in US saw Border Patrol vehicle

Authorities: Prius seen near Border Patrol vehicle

EL CAJON, Calif. – A California Highway Patrol report released Wednesday says an officer responding to a report of a runaway Toyota Prius arrived to find a Border Patrol agent near the driver with lights flashing.
The Border Patrol presence raises the prospect that there were other witnesses, but the …. Read the original article  : Authorities: Officer responding to report of runaway Prius in US saw Border Patrol vehicle.

Life sentence upheld for former Chinese supreme court judge convicted of corruption

Life sentence upheld for China supreme court judge

BEIJING – A court in northern China has upheld a life sentence for a former supreme court judge convicted of embezzlement and bribery, a state-run newspaper reported.
Huang Songyou, former vice president of the Supreme People’s Court, is the highest judge to be tried and convicted on such charges, …. Original article on Gaea Times at  : Life sentence upheld for former Chinese supreme court judge convicted of corruption.

Authorities: Booby traps targeting police prompt arrests of biker gang members in West

Traps for police prompt raid on bikers in West

RIVERSIDE, Calif. – Three booby-trap attacks on an anti-gang task force in Southern California prompted the arrests of about 30 members of California’s largest motorcycle gang, prosecutors said Wednesday.
Members of the Vagos were arrested as part of the crackdown in Riverside and Shasta counties in California, Arizona, …. Read the original article  : here.

Suspect arrested in Calif. cinema thermometer stabbing attack

Suspect arrested in cinema thermometer stabbing

LANCASTER, Calif. – Detectives in Los Angeles County have arrested a man on suspicion of stabbing a moviegoer in the neck with a meat thermometer during a screening of the film “Shutter Island” last month.
Sheriff’s spokesman Steve Whitmore said 39-year-old Landry Boullard was arrested Wednesday after detectives received an anonymous … Read more : Suspect arrested in Calif. cinema thermometer stabbing attack.

Senate votes to reduce penalty disparity between crack and powder cocaine

Senate votes to change cocaine sentencing rules

WASHINGTON – Legislation approved by the Senate on Wednesday would significantly reduce the disparity in sentences handed out to those convicted of crack and powder cocaine charges.
Currently, a person convicted of crack cocaine possession gets the same mandatory jail time as someone with 100 times the same quantity of …. Source  : Senate votes to reduce penalty disparity between crack and powder cocaine.

Colorado company charged with exporting technology used by US military to South Korea, Russia

Colo. company accused of exporting military tech

DENVER – A Colorado company is accused of illegally exporting defense technology used by the U.S. military to South Korea, China, Russia and Turkey, federal prosecutors said Wednesday.
Rocky Mountain Instrument Co., based in Lafayette, said it is working toward a plea agreement with prosecutors and that it has been …. Source article  : Colorado company charged with exporting technology used by US military to South Korea, Russia.

Idaho Supreme Court says no new trials needed for 6 death row inmates sentenced by judge

Idaho high court: No new trials for 6 on death row

BOISE, Idaho – The Idaho Supreme Court has denied requests from six death row inmates who said they were entitled to new trials because a U.S. Supreme Court ruling made after their convictions called on juries, not judges, to impose the death penalty.
All the men … Read : Idaho Supreme Court says no new trials needed for 6 death row inmates sentenced by judge.

Death of Ala. snack food heir a mystery intensified by bag of chips, angry note found in car

Was Ala. snack food heir’s death tied to business?

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – An angry letter and a bag of Golden Flake chips were taped inside Major Bashinsky’s abandoned car when it was found near downtown Birmingham.
Days later the snack food heir’s body was fished out of a public golf course pond a few miles away, and …. Source article on Gaea Times at  : Death of Ala. snack food heir a mystery intensified by bag of chips, angry note found in car.

Viacom, YouTube to dish dirt with unsealing of court documents in lengthy legal battle

Viacom-YouTube secrets to be exposed in lawsuit

SAN FRANCISCO – A legal tussle pitting media conglomerate Viacom Inc. against online video leader YouTube is about to get dirtier as a federal judge prepares to release documents that will expose their secrets and other confidential information.
The information expected to be unsealed Thursday will include some of the [..] Read the original article: here.

2 suspects, including 1 dressed as leprechaun, shot dead after bank robbery and chase in Tenn.

Leprechaun-garbed holdup suspect among 2 shot dead

GALLATIN, Tenn. – Two bank robbery suspects, including one dressed in a green leprechaun costume, were shot dead after a St. Patrick’s Day chase and shootout with police in Tennessee, authorities said.
First State Bank in the Nashville suburb of Gallatin was held up by a man who wore a …. Source  : 2 suspects, including 1 dressed as leprechaun, shot dead after bank robbery and chase in Tenn..