Florida
Man gets 20 years for shooting at Zimmerman's car
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) - A Florida man who fired at George Zimmerman's vehicle during a road-rage confrontation has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The Orlando Sentinel reports that at the sentencing hearing Monday morning, Zimmerman said 38-year-old Matthew Apperson showed no regard for human life during the May 2015 confrontation, and even seemed joyful because he mistakenly thought he'd killed Zimmerman.
Zimmerman is the former neighborhood watch volunteer who was acquitted of second-degree murder after fatally shooting unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in 2012.
Apperson was convicted by a Seminole County jury last month of attempted second-degree murder, armed aggravated assault and shooting into a vehicle. Apperson testified at trial that he acted in self-defense after Zimmerman flashed a gun. Zimmerman disputed that.
South Carolina
FBI seeks dismissal of suit over Charleston church shooting
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - The FBI is seeking the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by survivors of the Charleston church shooting who say federal negligence enabled Dylann Roof to buy the .45-caliber handgun he used.
The federal government filed papers Friday saying it isn't liable for any failure to thoroughly check Roof's background before he bought the gun.
Lawyers for three people who survived the attack and the estates of five who were slain inside Emanuel AME Church argue that Roof's prior drug arrest would have shown up, and the bureau would have denied his gun purchase, if the agency had done its job.
Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon told The Associated Press that a clerk entered incorrect information for Roof's prior arrest, which prevented an FBI examiner from finding the details when Roof attempted the purchase.
Alabama
3 law clerks of suspended chief justice fired
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) - The attorney of suspended Alabama Chief Justice Roy Moore says three of his client's law clerks have been fired.
Attorney Mat Staver tells Al.com in a statement Sunday that acting Chief Justice Lyn Stuart fired Moore's head law clerk and two other law clerks. Stuart sent a letter asking Moore to remove his items and return his keys by Oct. 18.
A judicial panel suspended Moore for the remainder of his term after finding he urged state probate judges to defy the federal courts on gay marriage.
Staver calls the firings and order to remove personal effects "outrageous."
Moore is appealing the suspension.
By the end of his term in 2019, he'll be beyond the age limit of 70 for judges.
Wyoming
New crime added to charges against makers of Yellowstone video
CASPER, Wyo. (AP) - Federal court records show that three men accused of walking on a sensitive hot spring in Yellowstone National Park were recently charged with another crime.
KTWO-AM reports that the Canadian men were also charged Oct. 7 with taking a motion picture or television recording without a permit. A fourth member of the group was not charged with the new crime.
The National Park Service allows people to take pictures for their own enjoyment but requires permits to record images for commercial purposes. The men were with the Canada-based group High on Life/SundayFundayz and used images of themselves walking on the Grand Prismatic Spring to promote their brand.
Their actions damaged the sensitive bacterial mat of the spring.
The group posted the video on their website but later removed it and issued an apology.
Ohio
University, feds OK agreement in student's case
CINCINNATI (AP) - Federal authorities said Monday they have completed an agreement with Miami University that resolves allegations in a blind student's lawsuit that it violated the Americans with Disabilities Act.
The Justice Department, the Ohio university and Aleeha Dudley jointly filed a motion in Cincinnati asking a U.S. District Court judge to approve a consent decree that requires Miami to provide people with disabilities an "equal opportunity" to benefit from the school's services, programs and activities.
U.S. Attorney Benjamin C. Glassman planned a news conference Monday to discuss the agreement.
The decree grew from a lawsuit filed by Dudley, who accused Miami of using technology that presented a barrier to her education. The parties announced earlier they had settled the lawsuit, but they were continuing some negotiations.
The decree states that Miami denies that it violated the disabilities law and is committed to providing equal opportunity.
Dudley, who's from New Paris, sued the university in 2014. Her lawsuit said course materials were inaccessible to her text-to-speech software and she hadn't received material in Braille or other forms she could use without help. Her lawsuit also said Miami violated federal law by failing to provide equal access.
Dudley said her hopes of being admitted to a graduate program were jeopardized by lackluster grades she blamed on barriers to completing coursework. She said touchscreen systems used at Miami prevented her from ordering food or even doing laundry without help.
The Justice Department intervened in the lawsuit.
The university has about 15,000 undergraduate students at its campus in Oxford, 25 miles north of Cincinnati.
Massachusetts
Judge puts brakes on early release bid for ex-speaker
BOSTON (AP) - A federal judge says he needs more information before deciding whether former Massachusetts House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi should be granted a compassionate release from prison.
The U.S Bureau of Prisons and federal prosecutors recommended last week that DiMasi, who has served nearly five years of an eight-year sentence for corruption, be released early as he battles cancer.
U.S. District Court Judge Mark Wolf, in an order issued on Monday, said several key details were missing from the recommendation, including the exact nature of DiMasi's current medical condition.
The judge said the early release request could also raise questions of preferential treatment for the 71-year-old Boston Democrat because of his previous political stature.
Wolf ordered that the additional information be submitted by Oct. 27, and scheduled a hearing for Nov. 1.
Published: Tue, Oct 18, 2016
