Texas
Owner of Houston barbershop kills arguing customer
HOUSTON (AP) — Police say a Houston barbershop owner shot and killed a customer during a heated argument when the man refused to leave.
Houston police spokeswoman Jodi Silva says the incident happened around noon Saturday when the customer and the owner of the north Houston business were arguing. The cause of the disagreement remains unknown.
The customer refused to leave and the owner told police that he felt threatened and feared for his life, so he shot the other man.
Silva says the owner called 911 and waited for the police to arrive. The victim was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
Silva says the case will go before a grand jury for review to determine whether charges should be brought.
Arizona
Court halts denial of licenses for young immigrants
PHOENIX (AP) — An appeals court blocked Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer’s policy of denying driver’s licenses to young immigrants who have gotten work permits and avoided deportation under an Obama administration policy.
The ruling Monday by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco marks a victory for immigrant rights advocates who argued the young immigrants were harmed by unequal treatment by the state.
The appeals court agreed on that issue and said the advocates also showed a likelihood that the immigrants would be harmed by the state’s denial.
The Obama administration took steps in June 2012 to shield thousands of young immigrants from deportation.
The state revised its driver’s license policy by halting licenses to all people who receive deportation deferrals from the federal government, not just young immigrants given protection under Obama’s policy.
Wisconsin
Judge listens to arguments in Obamacare suit
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — A government attorney is trying to persuade a federal judge in Green Bay to toss out U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson’s lawsuit challenging rules forcing congressional members and their employees to seek government-subsidized health insurance through small business exchanges.
U.S. Justice Department attorney James Luh told U.S. District Judge William Griesbach on Monday that Johnson lacks can’t sue because he hasn’t shown how the rules have caused him any injury.
Johnson’s attorney, Rick Esenberg, says Johnson is suffering an injury because he must decide which staff members should go through the exchanges. Esenberg also argued the rules force Johnson into illegal activity because he and his staffers aren’t eligible for small business exchanges since they work for a huge employer.
Mississippi
Ex-mayor asks court to toss embezzlement
HERNANDO, Miss. (AP) — Former Southaven Mayor Greg Davis is asking a judge to overturn his conviction on charges of embezzlement and making false representations to defraud the government.
Such motions are common after convictions.
Attorney Steve Farese is arguing that the trial should have been moved out of DeSoto County, The Commercial Appeal reported. His motion said that after five years of headlines about Davis’ personal and professional life, there was no way to find an impartial jury.
Circuit Judge Robert Chamberlin rejected Farese’s pretrial request for a change of venue, saying he wanted to wait and see if it was possible to get an impartial jury.
A DeSoto County jury convicted Davis on both felony charges on June 11, and his sentencing hearing is scheduled for Thursday. Davis could get up to 25 years in prison — 20 for embezzlement and five for fraud
Prosecutors said Davis embezzled gasoline by filling his personal vehicle gas at the city pumps while getting a monthly check to pay for gas and travel. The fraud charge accused him of falsely claiming he had authority as a government official to buy the 2007 Ford Expedition the city had leased for him from Tom Bell Leasing. Davis bought the vehicle, valued at $46,000, for $11,000.
Farese also contends that Chamberlin should have granted the mistrial he requested after state witness James Pike testified.
Pike, former owner of Tom Bell Leasing, produced during his testimony a leasing document that showed Southaven had the option to buy Davis’ sport utility vehicle for $10,000.
Farese said neither the defense nor the state had ever seen the document. He wrote that he is not accusing anyone of intentional misconduct, but Pike’s testimony “was beyond prejudicial to the defendant’s already limited chances at a fair trial in this venue.”
Pennsylvania
Police say drunk killed friend who offered him a ride
SHARPSVILLE, Pa. (AP) — A western Pennsylvania man has been jailed on charges that he was drunk and killed his friend during a fight after the other man offered the suspect a ride home from a social club.
Online court records don’t list an attorney for 36-year-old Fred Earl Abbott, of Sharpsville, who faces a preliminary hearing July 11 on charges of involuntary manslaughter, simple assault and public drunkenness.
Sharpsville police tell The (Sharon) Herald that Abbott drank about a dozen beers on Friday before driving himself to the local American Legion where he had three or four more beers before the bartender shut him off hat night.
Police say several people offered to drive Abbott home, including 50-year-old Charles Frederick, who recently had heart surgery.
Instead, police say Abbott kneed Frederick in the abdomen, which led to his death.
Missouri
Lawsuit targets state’s proposal for early voting
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A St. Louis civil rights leader is challenging the ballot wording for a proposed constitutional amendment allowing early voting.
At issue is a proposal referred to the November ballot by the Republican-led Legislature that would allow six days of early voting, with no excuse necessary, before general elections.
The lawsuit contends the ballot summary is misleading because it fails to note that early voting would take effect only if funded by the Legislature. It also says the summary should note that early voting would be allowed only during regular business hours.
The lawsuit was filed in Cole County Circuit Court by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of civil rights leader Norman Seay.
It asks a judge to either block the measure from the ballot or re-write the summary.
