North Carolina
Drag race kills 4; driver to face murder charges
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - A man who police say was illegally drag racing has been charged with second-degree murder after he lost control of his vehicle and careened into a group of people nearby, killing four people and injuring at least three others, authorities said Monday.
North Carolina Highway Patrol Sgt. Michael Baker said investigators believe two cars were involved in what he called a "pre-arranged speed competition." One driver, 37-year-old Jimmy Pearce II of Zebulon, is charged with three counts of second-degree murder and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon. He made his first court appearance Monday. Jail records didn't show whether he had an attorney.
Pearce is expected to be charged with the death of the fourth victim once the person is positively identified, and he would face further charges if a victim in critical condition succumbs to her injuries, Baker said.
"We're hoping that she will be saved," Baker said.
Little is known about the second driver, who fled the scene. Baker said the public's help is needed to find that person.
Three of the people killed were identified as: Undra Montrell Taybron, 40, of Wilson; Garland Earp, 39; and Carlton Ray Brooks, 42.
Two other bystanders were in fair condition Monday, said Teresa Moss, a spokeswoman for WakeMed hospitals in Raleigh.
A Highway Patrol news release said Pearce hit the victims with his 1989 Ford Mustang in Johnston County, about 30 miles east of Raleigh. After plowing through the bystanders on the shoulder of the road, the car hit a tree.
A team of investigators was at the scene trying to piece together exactly how the crash occurred.
Oklahoma
Trial date set for former deputy charged in killing
TULSA, Okla. (AP) - A jury trial has been set for a former volunteer sheriff's deputy in Oklahoma who says he accidentally shot and killed an unarmed, restrained man.
Seventy-three-year-old Robert Bates pleaded not guilty to second-degree manslaughter charges during his district court arraignment on Monday. He is charged in the April 2 killing of Eric Harris, who ran from Tulsa County deputies after a sting involving gun sales.
Bates has said he confused his stun gun and handgun in the shooting.
Judge James Caputo set a trial date for Feb. 8 and declined to recuse himself from the case. He had considered stepping down over his close ties to the Tulsa County Sheriff's Office, where he worked for several years.
Mississippi
Judge finds school district in contempt over school prayer
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) - A federal judge says the Rankin County school district is in contempt of court for continuing to promote Christianity during school hours after it agreed to stop.
U.S. District Judge Carlton Reeves, in an order filed Friday, fined the district $7,500 and again ordered it to stop sponsoring prayers at graduations, assemblies, athletic competitions and other school events.
The district first got into trouble when a Northwest Rankin High School student sued over having to attend a school assembly that promoted Christianity. The district agreed in 2013 to settle the suit, and was supposed to implement a policy that activities during school hours would not advance, endorse or inhibit any religion.
However, in 2014, the same student attended an honors assembly that was opened by a minister's prayer.
Montana
Judge says he won't stop sheep grazing over wildlife worries
BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) - A federal judge has denied a wildlife group's request to halt the grazing of domestic sheep this summer on U.S. Forest Service land in southwest Montana's Gravelly Mountains.
The Gallatin Wildlife Association had argued that allowing the animals in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest near the Idaho border threatened to harm endangered grizzly bears and was blocking the return of wild bighorn sheep.
But U.S. District Judge Brian Morris said in a Friday ruling he was not convinced that irreparable harm was likely if grazing continues while a lawsuit from the Bozeman-based group is pending
Morris rejected an injunction sought against two grazing allotments held by members of the extended Helle family of Dillon.
The family is authorized by the Forest Service to graze almost 8,000 sheep in the Gravelly range.
Arizona
Junior judges drafted to decide retirement issue
PHOENIX (AP) - Some of the state's most junior judges will be deciding a pocketbook issue involving their more senior colleagues.
Arizona Chief Justice Scott Bales has appointed five Superior Court and Court of Appeals judges who took office since late 2011 to consider a lawsuit challenging the constitutionality of contribution and benefits changes that the Legislature made to the judicial retirement system earlier that year.
All five Supreme Court justices excused themselves from considering an appeal of a lower court ruling. The justices all joined the judicial retirement system before the changes took effect.
Most current Arizona judges have a stake in the class-action case, but the five judges who will consider the appeal before the Supreme Court hadn't become judges and joined the retirement plan before the changes took effect.
New Jersey
Judge denies groups' effort to intervene in case
TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - A judge has denied environmental groups' and a Democratic state senator's attempt to intervene in New Jersey's proposed $225 million settlement with ExxonMobil.
Superior Court Judge Michael Hogan said Monday in a ruling the groups did not show the state Department of Environmental Protection failed to represent their interests.
The groups and state Sen. Raymond Lesniak sought to become a party to the 11-year-old suit because they wanted an opportunity to appeal in the event the court approves the settlement later this month. They argue the state settled for too little after arguing for an $8.9 billion settlement.
Hogan was also unpersuaded by Lesniak's case. Hogan writes allowing a lawmaker to intervene if a matter affects her district would set a precedent without any limit.
Published: Tue, Jul 14, 2015
