National Roundup

South Carolina Haley, lawmakers fight court ruling on education COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - Attorneys for Gov. Nikki Haley and the Legislature want the state Supreme Court to reconsider its ruling that lawmakers have failed South Carolina's poor, rural children. The State newspaper reports Wednesday that the state's attorneys are seeking a rehearing on the high court's landmark order that lawmakers must fix the educational system to give more students the opportunity to succeed. The filings mean Republican lawmakers are still fighting an education funding lawsuit filed by rural districts 21 years ago. The justices' November decision came two years after the justices last heard arguments on the case. Haley's petition says the 3-2 decision overlooked education initiatives that she pushed and legislators passed in this year's state budget. It also contends the court overstepped its authority in ordering the Legislature to act. California @ROUND UP Briefs Headline:Judge publicly reprimanded for driving drunk REDWOOD CITY, Calif. (AP) - A San Francisco Bay Area judge has been publicly admonished for drunken driving but remains on the bench. The San Francisco Chronicle reports the state's judicial disciplinary agency said San Mateo County Superior Court Judge Joseph Scott violated principles of judicial ethics, including failure to observe high standards of conduct and failure to respect and comply with the law and to act at all times in a manner that promotes public confidence. Scott, 64, was arrested for drunken driving in Redwood City in May. Authorities said his blood alcohol content was 0.12 percent, above the legal limit of 0.08 percent. He pleaded no contest to misdemeanor charges, was fined and placed on probation. The statement of public admonition from the Commission on Judicial Performance is the least-severe form of public discipline. His lawyer was unavailable for comment. Pennsylvania @ROUND UP Briefs Headline:Judge retires after dispute with colleagues WASHINGTON, Pa. (AP) - An embattled western Pennsylvania judge says she's retiring after a dispute with colleagues led to a reduction in her authority. Washington County Judge Debbie O'Dell Seneca's decision comes weeks after the state Supreme Court removed her as president judge and appointed a replacement to handle her administrative duties. The Observer-Reporter reports Seneca's retirement is effective Monday. The newspaper says the 61-year-old told Gov. Tom Corbett of her decision in a Dec. 23 letter but didn't give a reason. The Supreme Court appointed Senior Judge Joseph James to take over Seneca's duties in November after five Washington County judges asked the high court to intervene. They say communication and court management has vastly improved. Seneca is in her third 10-year term on the bench. Kansas Critics of state's science standar­ds appeal ruling TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) - A nonprofit group that contends science standards for Kansas public schools promote atheism has appealed a federal judge's dismissal of its lawsuit against the guidelines. Citizens for Objective Public Education went Tuesday to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, along with parents and taxpayers opposed to the standards. They're seeking to overturn a decision earlier this month by U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree rejecting their claim that the standards violate the religious freedoms of students and parents. Crabtree ruled that the opponents of the standards did not allege specific enough injuries from their adoption last year by the State Board of Education's to allow the lawsuit to proceed. The guidelines treat both evolution and climate change as key scientific concepts to be taught starting in kindergarten. Missouri $250K settlement in inmate's death JOPLIN, Mo. (AP) - The mother of a man who died in a southwest Missouri jail after being strapped in a restraint chair for several hours has settled her lawsuit against Jasper County and other defendants. An attorney for Jane Brown of Joplin says she received $250,000 in her lawsuit over the December 2012 death of her son, 43-year-old Richard Watson, in the Jasper County jail. Attorney Brandon Potter said Tuesday the rest of the settlement is confidential. The Joplin Globe reports Watson suffered from physical and psychological issues. The lawsuit alleged Watson was placed in an emergency restraint chair after injuring his head in a fall and was left for at least 21 hours without proper food, water or his medications. New Hampshire Trooper cleared in fatal shooting sued by family CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A New Hampshire state trooper who authorities said was justified in fatally shooting a woman as she drove at him in 2013 has been sued by her family. Police said the shooting of Wendy Lawrence happened at a Manchester intersection after two high-speed pursuits in which she nearly struck a pedestrian and several vehicles. Attorney General Joseph Foster's report said Lawrence drove aggressively at Trooper Chad Lavoie, who was out of his cruiser; Lavoie thought his life was in danger. The Concord Monitor reports the federal lawsuit filed Tuesday alleges that Lawrence never struck the cruiser and that Lavoie, in fact, hit her. It said she posed no immediate threat. Assistant Attorney General Karen Schlitzer said she had yet to receive the complaint and had no immediate comment. Nevada @ROUND UP Briefs Headline:Mother files wro­ngful death suit in BLM case LAS VEGAS (AP) - The mother of a 20-year-old man shot and killed by federal rangers on a highway outside Las Vegas last February has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the federal government. Tracy Meadows says in the civil rights lawsuit filed Dec. 23 that the two Bureau of Land Management rangers could have gotten medical help for a "disoriented and confused" D'Andre Berghardt Jr. when they found Berghardt walking near Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area. Instead, the lawsuit says the rangers confronted Berghardt with pepper spray, Tasers and a baton before shooting him dead when he climbed into an idling Nevada Highway Patrol vehicle. Meadows' attorney, Jacob Hafter, says she's gotten no answers about her son's death. BLM spokesman Christopher Rose declines comment. He says the incident is still being investigated. Published: Thu, Jan 01, 2015