Florida
Sheriff: Massacre suspect's behavior was a 'roller-coaster'
SUNRISE, Fla. (AP) - The sheriff leading the state commission investigating the Florida school massacre said the suspect's behavior before the shooting was a "roller-coaster."
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri told the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School Public Safety Commission on Wednesday that Nikolas Cruz would do well at school for long periods, but then his behavior would deteriorate. He didn't go into details.
The 14 members are hearing Wednesday from experts on "school hardening" and state and federal privacy laws.
On Thursday, the commission will discuss school shootings nationally and the Florida Department of Children and Families' response to calls regarding Cruz. They'll also have a closed session on the 19-year-old's educational, medical and mental health. The commission must file a report by Jan. 1.
Cruz is charged with killing 17 people at the school Feb. 14.
Washington
NRA, others sue Edmonds over gun storage law
EDMONDS, Wash. (AP) - The National Rifle Association, Second Amendment Foundation and two residents in the Seattle suburb of Edmonds are suing the city over its new gun storage law.
The lawsuit accuses the city, Mayor Dave Earling and Police Chief Al Compaan of violating Washington state law, which prevents cities from regulating guns.
The Daily Herald reports the Edmonds law which passed on a 5-1 vote in July requires gun owners to safely store firearms or face fines of up to $10,000 for civil infractions.
The groups filed a similar lawsuit last month against Seattle.
North Carolina
Despite mom's plea, 'Fortnite' lawsuit against teen advances
CARY, N.C. (AP) - Despite a plea from a Delaware teen's mother, developers of popular third-person shooter game "Fortnite" will be allowed to pursue their lawsuit against him after he boasted online about using cheat software.
The Herald-Sun reported Tuesday a federal judge sided with North Carolina-based Epic Games in mid-July, ruling it has a "plausible claim" for copyright infringement and other legal transgressions.
Epic filed multiple such lawsuits last fall, but this case attracted notoriety when the mother of the teen known on YouTube as "Sky Orbit" accused Epic of "using a 14-year-old child as a scapegoat." Her letter to the judge also argued the "Fortnite" license wasn't legally binding, because a minor can't enter into a contract.
The case file indicates the teen hasn't hired a lawyer or formally responded to the lawsuit, despite last month's deadline.
Virginia
Court upholds ex-Norfolk official's corruption convictions
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A federal appeals court has upheld the public corruption convictions of a former city treasurer and councilman in Virginia who was sentenced to six years in prison for selling his votes to developers.
Anthony Burfoot was convicted of wire fraud, extortion and conspiracy in 2016 after developers testified they gave him cash, a luxury automobile and the use of a beach house while he served on the City Council in Norfolk.
In his appeal, Burfoot argued that there wasn't enough evidence to convict him in the bribery schemes because the evidence showed only that he engaged in a conflict of interest.
A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals rejected his arguments Wednesday and affirmed all of his convictions.
Burfoot began serving his sentence in 2017.
Maryland
Driver's test arrest: Pot, gun, cash found in smelly car
GLEN BURNIE, Md. (AP) - A 22-year-old man who went for his driver's test left in handcuffs after the examiner became suspicious about a certain odor emanating from the car.
News outlets report the examiner alerted a trooper at the Motor Vehicle Administration office, who searched the car. A Maryland State Police report says the search found nearly a pound of marijuana, a scale, more than $15,000 in cash and a handgun loaded with a 30-round magazine.
Reginald D. Wooding Jr. of Baltimore did not get his driver's license on Monday, but he did get arrested on multiple counts. It's unclear whether he has a lawyer.
Florida
Holy cow! Bovine herd helps police corral suspect
SANFORD, Fla. (AP) - A herd of 16 cows helped police officers in Florida corral a fleeing suspect who bailed out of a car and ran through a pasture.
A Seminole County Sheriff's helicopter captured the Sunday night incident on video as the crew gave play-by-play to officers on the ground. A crew member offered this nugget to pursuing officers: "If you see a large group of cows, they're literally following her."
The cows eventually ran Jennifer Anne Kaufman into a fence, where police were waiting to arrest her.
An arrest report shows the car Kaufman was in crashed during a police pursuit. A second suspect was captured by a K-9 and arrested.
Kaufman is being held on a $4,500 bond. Charges against her include resisting an officer and drug possession.
Pennsylvania
Woman pleads in mother's death; ex-boyfriend awaits trial
UNIONTOWN, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania woman has pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter in the death of her mother and will cooperate in the case against her ex-boyfriend.
The (Uniontown) Herald-Standard reports that 35-year-old Lisa Nelson of Connellsville agreed Tuesday to a three- to six-year prison term as part of her plea.
In exchange, Fayette County prosecutors dropped charges of criminal homicide and conspiracy in the 2015 death of 63-year-old Sally Nelson.
Nelson and 35-year-old Peter Shoemaker Jr. had cared for the victim beginning in 2014. Authorities said the victim had pressure wounds and signs of blows to the head, neck and ribs as well as chronic severe malnourishment.
Authorities said in a criminal complaint that a child reported seeing Shoemaker hit her in the head with a table leg. He is awaiting trial.
Published: Thu, Aug 09, 2018
