National Roundup

Pennsylvania
DA says drugs, robbery motive in trail slaying
CLYMER, Pa. (AP) — A prosecutor says two men charged in a fatal shooting on a rural western Pennsylvania walking trail were trying to rob the victim during a drug deal.
The criminal complaints against 33-year-old Gregory Patterson and 22-year-old Christopher Salsgiver, both of Glen Campbell, were not immediately available Wednesday.
But Indiana County District Attorney Patrick Dougherty says it’s believed that Salsgiver shot 46-year-old James Alexander in the head Monday night after Salsgiver and Patterson met to buy drugs from Anderson.
Authorities say Alexander was at a party in Clymer before he walked onto the trail near Route 403 where shots were heard about 9:30 p.m. Friends who heard the shots found Alexander’s body.
Online court records don’t list attorneys for Patterson and Salsgiver, who remained jailed without bond Wednesday.
They face a preliminary hearing July 2.

New York
Court: Starbucks’ baristas must share tips
ALBANY, N.Y. (AP) — New York’s highest court says Starbucks’ baristas must share their tips with shift supervisors, but assistant managers are left out in the cold.
The Court of Appeals on Wednesday found that shift supervisors who do much of the same work as the coffee servers get to share in the tips. The court also ruled the company can deny those tips to assistant managers.
The court backed Starbucks’ policy of divvying up the tips, saying it’s consistent with labor law.
Hospitality industry groups say the state court decision will be felt far beyond shops owned by Seattle-based Starbucks Corp. It will affect 42,000 New York businesses statewide and a quarter-million hospitality industry workers in New York City alone.

Oregon
‘TriMet Barber’ sentenced to 2 years in prison
PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man who was nicknamed the TriMet Barber in 2009 after he was arrested for cutting a woman’s hair on a bus was sentenced Tuesday in Portland to two years in prison for lewd acts on buses.
The 26-year-old Jared Weston Walter pleaded guilty to sexual abuse and public indecency for two incidents in May, shortly after he was paroled in the hair-cutting incident.
The Oregonian reports Walter said in court he wants to get help to deal with his obsession.
Walter grew up in Houston and the judge said he might be allowed to return to Texas for probation after his prison term.

Connecticut
Police say boy meant to harm kids with knife
DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — A 12-year-old Danbury boy has been charged with criminal intent to commit murder after police say he brought a knife to school, intending to harm classmates.
Police arrested the boy Monday, the last day of classes at the Broadview Middle School.
The News-Times reported that a teacher noticed something amiss and asked to inspect the 12-year-old’s backpack. The boy then ran into a bathroom and threw a knife out a window.
“Our colleagues and staff acted swiftly and appropriately, putting their training and experience to work to diffuse a difficult situation,” Superintentent Sal Pascarella told parents Tuesday. “Due to their actions, I can assure you that at all times your children were safe in our schools.”
The incident occurred at about 12:30 p.m., just before classes were dismissed for the year.
The boy’s name has not been released because of his age. He is being held at a juvenile facility in Bridgeport and is scheduled to appear in court Monday.
Pascarella said the boy did not make any threats.

Pennsylvania
Death row inmate charged with slugging lawyer
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A man on death row in the killing of his girlfriend nine years ago must stand trial on charges that he sucker-punched his attorney by swinging his cuffed hands during a court hearing.
Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio testified at a preliminary hearing Tuesday that he saw the blow delivered by 45-year-old Andre Staton.
Consiglio called the shot “cowardly” and a district judge ordered aggravated assault and other charges against Staton to be held for court.
The Altoona Mirror reports defense attorney Tim Burns is still suffering from a severe concussion in the May 13 attack.
Staton is appealing his conviction on charges he fatally stabbed Beverly Yohn, of Altoona, in February 2004. Staton was reportedly angry because he wanted to represent himself instead of Burns, the court-appointed attorney for the appeal.

West Virginia
Suspects in 1974 slayings want trials moved
FAIRMONT, W.Va. (AP) — Two men charged with killing three people in Fairmont in 1974 want their trials moved outside Marion County.
Media outlets report lawyers for 59-year-old Phillip Reese Bush and 64-year-old Eddie Jack Washington filed change of venue motions Tuesday.
Marion County Circuit Court Judge Michael Aloi didn’t rule on the motions during a pretrial motion hearing Tuesday.
Both trials have been pushed back.
Bush was scheduled to stand trial in May. Washington’s trial was set for the court’s June term.
Aloi rescheduled Washington’s trial for Aug. 27. A new trial date for Bush hasn’t been set.
Bush and Washington are accused of killing 20-year-old Lester Phillips, 19-year-old Wanda Jane Phillips and 27-year-old Billy Ray Cobb at Windmill Park.

International
Player to oppose claim of $1m by former caddie
JOHANNESBURG (AP) — A lawyer representing Gary Player says the golfer will oppose a claim of $1 million by his former caddie and business partner in South Africa for an unpaid loan.
Dave King has gained an interim court order that potentially allows him to sue Player for assets the nine-time major champion holds in South Africa, including shares in a stud farm. King claims he loaned Player the money in 1999.
Rael Gootkin, an attorney for Player, says “Mr. Player denies from his perspective that the funds advanced ever constituted a loan” and says they will oppose the interim order and any intention to sue. Gootkin says court papers suing Player for the $1 million haven’t yet been filed.?