National Roundup

Massachusetts
Inmate pleads guilty to trying to hire hitman to kill 3
BOSTON (AP) — A Massachusetts jail inmate has pleaded guilty to trying to hire someone to kill three people, including a police officer.

Federal prosecutors say 21-year-old Mason Stickney, of Newbury, pleaded guilty Wednesday to three counts of using a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of murder-for-hire.

Authorities say Stickney was an inmate at the Essex County jail in October 2017 when he asked another prisoner for help in killing three people. Prosecutors described them only as “a police officer, a restaurateur from New Hampshire, and a student.”

The other inmate alerted authorities and worked with them to put Stickney in contact with a hitman who was actually an undercover FBI agent.

Stickney told the agent how he wanted the victims killed and promised him $10,000 upon his release. The targets weren’t harmed.

North Carolina
Estate of mom decapitated by son sues his ­psychiatrist
DURHAM, N.C. (AP) — The estate of a North Carolina woman decapitated by her teenage son is suing the doctor who released him from mental health care.

The News & Observer reports the lawsuit filed last week says UNC WakeBrook psychiatrist and medical director Brian Robbins was negligent and acted in reckless disregard in discharging Oliver Funez Machada, six days before deputies found him holding a knife and Yesenia Funez’s head.

Last fall, Machada was found not guilty by reason of insanity and committed to state psychiatric care.

The lawsuit says a doctor had recorded Machada as “clearly psychotic.” Machada declined to take medication, but the lawsuit says Robbins discharged him in February 2017 with some pills and without speaking to his parents about the risk.

UNC Health Care wouldn’t comment on pending litigation.

New Jersey
Firefighter sues, says he grew beard as born-again Christian
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey firefighter has filed a civil rights lawsuit alleging that he is being forced to shave a beard he says he grew for religious reasons.

NJ.com reports that Atlantic City firefighter Alexander Smith says in his lawsuit he began growing out his beard in December as a born-again Christian. He says the department is threatening to suspend him without pay.

Fire department guidelines prohibit beards and goatees, saying facial hair can affect the seal of the breathing mask firefighters wear while battling fires.

Smith requested an accommodation for the beard Jan. 3, but the city denied his request Feb. 15, citing “overwhelming safety concerns.”

Smith works as an air mask technician and says he has never had to enter a burning building or wear a mask in his role.

He says in the lawsuit when he does respond to a fire, it’s for the purpose of refilling air bottles.

Smith is suing the city, Fire Chief Scott Evans and Deputy Chief Thomas Culleny Jr. for violating his religious freedoms and violating the state Civil Rights Act.

He is seeking an injunction to prevent the department from any adverse employment actions and damages to be determined at trial.

His attorney has filed a temporary restraining order while the lawsuit is pending. A judge has not issued a ruling on the order, and Smith is allowed to work with the beard for the time being.

Louisiana
Federal judge approves school religion lawsuit settlement
SHREVEPORT, La. (AP) — A federal judge has approved a settlement in a lawsuit over religious activities at a Louisiana school system.

U.S. District Court Judge Maurice Hicks Jr. on Wednesday approved an agreement reached in January between the Bossier Parish School District and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State.

The group sued the school district in February 2018 after several parents complained their children had been subjected to unwanted religious messages.

Hicks’ order calls for the school board to revise part of its religious expression policy.

Both the school district and the group said the decision was a victory.

The group said the ruling will ensure that the religious beliefs of all students are respected. The school district said the agreement preserves a student’s right to exercise religious freedom.

New York
Justice ­Sotomayor to speak this May at BookExpo
NEW YORK (AP) — Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor will be holding a special session in May, at the annual publishing convention.

Sotomayor will discuss her upcoming book for young readers, “Just Ask: Be Different, Be Brave, Be You,” at BookExpo. The event will take place May 30 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City, where Sotomayor was born.  Convention organizers said Wednesday they could not recall the last time a sitting Supreme Court justice spoke at BookExpo.

“Just Ask” comes out Sept. 3. Sotomayor’s other books include “My Beloved World” and “Turning Pages.”

Florida
Parkland ­shooting: ­Suspended ­sheriff sues ­governor
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The Florida sheriff who was suspended by the governor and accused of failing to prevent the Parkland school shooting has filed a lawsuit alleging Gov. Ron DeSantis improperly ousted him for political reasons.

Suspended Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel says in the lawsuit filed Thursday that DeSantis “engineered a political power play that interferes with the right of the public to determine their elected official.”

DeSantis suspended Israel in January and appointed an acting sheriff. The governor’s office did not immediately comment Thursday.

The Florida Legislature is reviewing the governor’s suspension of Israel.

Before the shooting, Israel had changed his department’s policy to say deputies “may” confront shooters, instead of “shall.” Critics say that gave eight deputies an excuse for not confronting the gunman during the Feb. 14, 2018, shooting.