National Roundup . . .

Nevada
O.J. Simpson not happy with lawyer on TV show ads
LAS VEGAS (AP) — A lawyer for O.J. Simpson says the imprisoned former football star isn’t happy with ads and interviews about a cable TV series focusing on his 1995 murder acquittal in Los Angeles.

Attorney Malcolm LaVergne in Las Vegas told The Associated Press that Simpson isn’t upset about how he’s shown.

But he admired Johnnie Cochran and believes his defense lawyer at the trial is depicted unfairly.

Simpson won’t be able to see the show, “The People v. O.J. Simpson” — at least not immediately.

State corrections spokeswoman Brooke Keast says Nevada prisons don’t carry the FX network, which will debut the 10-part show on Tuesday.

The 68-year-old Simpson is being held at Lovelock Correctional Center on a 2008 kidnapping and armed robbery conviction. He’ll be eligible for parole in 2017.

Georgia
Ex-Navy sailor set to be executed later this month
ATLANTA (AP) — The state of Georgia is set to execute a former Navy crewman convicted of killing a fellow sailor later this month.

State Attorney General Sam Olens said in a news release Tuesday that 45-year-old Travis Hittson will be put to death Feb. 17. A judge on Monday set an execution window beginning at noon Feb. 17 and ending at noon Feb. 24.

Court documents show that Hittson, a Navy crewman stationed in Pensacola, Florida, in April 1992 went with two other crewmen, Edward Vollmer and Conway Utterbeck, to Vollmer’s parents’ home in Warner Robins.
Prosecutors say Hittson and Vollmer went out drinking and killed Utterbeck upon returning to the house.

Vollmer reached a plea deal with prosecutors and is serving a life sentence for the killing.

Pennsylvania
Congressman’s son sentenced in tax fraud case
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The son of a veteran Philadelphia congressman has been sentenced to five years in federal prison on bank and tax fraud convictions.

Chaka “Chip” Fattah Jr. was convicted in November of 22 counts that he misspent loans and some of the nearly $1 million in education funds he got as a school management subcontractor. The jury acquitted him of one count of tax fraud.

Fattah, who represented himself, contended the government built its case on a “deck of cards.” He said authorities targeted him because of his big-spending lifestyle and also wanted to hurt his father.

Chaka Fattah Sr. is an 11-term Democratic congressman who is accused in an unrelated case of misusing federal grants and charitable donations.

Maryland
Issues found in state’s response to city’s unrest
BALTIMORE (AP) — A report has found several issues with Maryland’s handling of civil unrest after the death of Freddie Gray last spring in Baltimore.

The Maryland Emergency Management Agency report was released Monday to The Baltimore Sun. The newspaper says the report indicates that the state’s response was hampered by the inexperience of some emergency management staff and resulted in slow payment to vendors for services provided.

In addition, the report found that the State Emergency Operations Center was relying on inaccurate information from media coverage during the riots because it received few details from official channels.

The MEMA report is the first to focus on the role of the state rather than the city or its police force. It also notes several strengths of the state’s response.

Nebraska
Judge rejects suit in vote over death-penalty
LINCOLN, Neb. (AP) — A Lancaster County judge has rejected a lawsuit challenging the death-penalty question going to Nebraska voters in November, but has also prevented a pro-death penalty group from being part of another suit challenging ballot wording.

The Lincoln Journal-Star reports that judge Lori Maret issued orders Friday dismissing the case brought by death penalty opponents Christy and Richard Hargesheimer. She also dismissed a motion by Nebraskans for the Death Penalty to intervene in another suit filed by attorney Lyle Koenig of Beatrice.

The Hargesheimers’ suit sought to keep Secretary of State John Gale from placing the question on the ballot. They said the process shouldn’t be valid because it failed to disclose Gov. Pete Ricketts as a sponsor.

The argument in their case largely came down to who qualifies as a sponsor of a petition, which isn’t defined in statutes.

The Hargesheimers’ attorney, Alan Peterson, argued that Ricketts should be included in the language because Nebraska law requires a sworn list of every person sponsoring a referendum.

Omaha attorney Steven Grasz, who represents Nebraskans for the Death Penalty in addition to Judy Glasburner, Aimee Melton and Bob Evnen, who are listed as petition sponsors, argued that sponsor refers to those who assume statutory responsibility for the referendum once the petition begins.

Maret said she was persuaded by the argument that Ricketts wasn’t required to be listed as a sponsor because Grasz’s clients said they were willing to assume the statutory responsibilities once the petition process commenced.

Koenig’s issue with the question had to do with the title and explanatory statement Gale chose to appear on the ballot.

Maret found that the group didn’t file the motion within the time allowed to challenge the decision on wording or provide an alternative.


Arkansas
Judge criticized over cameras in break rooms
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — A Washington County judge is facing criticism after she ordered cameras to be installed in a break room used by justices of the peace and county employees.

Judge Marilyn Edwards’ chief of staff George Butler says two cameras shaped like smoke detectors were purchased for more than $1,000 in August and installed around October.

During a Public Works Committee meeting Monday, Justice Eva Madison said any audio recording may have violated employees’ privacy.

County attorney Steve Zega says the county didn’t violate laws and that signs were put in the break room to notify people of the cameras before recordings were made.

The Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Edwards isn’t running for re-election as county judge but is running against Madison for her Quorum Court seat in the primary election.