National Roundup

Oklahoma
Indicted judge is removed from criminal trials
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — An Oklahoma County judge facing a felony charge of failing to file her state income tax returns has been removed from presiding over criminal trials.

The Oklahoman reports that Judge Kendra Coleman was reassigned Friday by Presiding Judge Ray C. Elliott to handle victim protective order requests and mental health cases.

Coleman is facing a felony charge for failing to pay state taxes in 2017, was admonished by the state Supreme Court for failing to pay her taxes and more than 60 parking tickets, and has been found in contempt by the Oklahoma Ethics Commission.

Coleman’s attorney, Joe White, has called the felony indictment “false on its face,” saying the taxes were eventually paid.

The judge’s attorney has also said the contempt citation must be more specific about the allegations against her.

Rhode Island
Judge clears way for trial in student’s rape claim lawsuit
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A federal judge in Providence has ruled that a lawsuit can proceed to trial in the case of a Rhode Island School of Design student who claims she was raped by another student during a study abroad program in Ireland in 2016.

U.S. District Judge John McConnell ruled last month that the female student’s claims that RISD was negligent can proceed to trial, rejecting a request by the college to dismiss the allegations, The Providence Journal reported.

McConnell said that while colleges should not be held liable for students’ misdeeds, the alleged rape occurred in a bedroom provided to the student by RISD and the student relied on the college to protect her from harm.

The lawsuit refers to the female student as Jane Doe and the alleged assailant as John Doe.

Jane Doe alleges John Doe raped her in her room in June 2016 on the first night of her term abroad in Ballyvaughan. Jane Doe reported the sexual assault and filed a formal complaint.

The judge’s ruling says John Doe was ordered to leave the program the next day and RISD suspended him for three years after he took responsibility for the sexual assault.

An RISD spokeswoman said school officials “look forward” to a jury hearing the evidence and noted the judge has dismissed one of Jane Doe’s claims.

Ohio
ACLU questions county prosecutor over charging juveniles as adults
CLEVELAND (AP) — Records show that an Ohio county prosecutor was on track to send around 100 children to adult court to face criminal charges for the second consecutive year, a practice criticized by the American Civil Liberties Union of Ohio as being unnecessary in most cases.

As of mid-December, Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court records indicate 99 teenagers have had cases bound over to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court in 2019, cleveland. com reported. Nearly nine in 10 of those juveniles are black, records show.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley, whose jurisdiction includes Cleveland, said many of the juveniles his office prosecutes as adults previously were charged in juvenile court and then committed more crimes.

O’Malley, a Democrat who took office in January 2017, told cleveland.com in October that he does not apologize for trying to keep the community safe.

The ACLU is not opposed to transferring juvenile offenders to adult court, but said it is not necessary in most cases.

“Binding over a youth to adult court leads to the denial of age-appropriate supports for that youth, and increases the likelihood of trauma and recidivism,” said ACLU advisory counsel Claire Chevrier.

Louisiana
Gunshot wound found on body of man police said overdosed
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) —  A Louisiana  man who detectives said died of an accidental drug overdose may have been fatally shot.

Joah Ross, 26, was found dead in a Baton Rouge home on New Year’s Day, news outlets reported.

Authorities initially declared the death an overdose, The Advocate reported. Officials with the police department and coroner’s office told the newspaper drugs were found in the room where Ross died. It’s unclear what kind of drugs were found.

Funeral workers later discovered a gunshot wound, the newspaper reported. The body was sent to the East Baton Rouge Coroner’s Office for an autopsy, according to chief of investigations Shane Evans. He also said the coroner’s office carried out an internal investigation, but didn’t reveal the outcome.

“Somebody’s got to be held accountable,” Ross’ sister Jamie Edwards said. “That one mistake could be what turns this into a cold case while my brother’s killer goes free.”

Detectives returned to the home to collect evidence the day after the discovery, but family members told The Advocate that blood had been wiped up and furniture rearranged in the home following the death.

Ross had a history of drug possession, The Advocate reported citing court documents. But family members said they don’t believe he struggled with addiction.

Baton Rouge police said in a news release Friday that Ross had been shot. It said a motive and suspects were unknown.

Minnesota
Charges: Man killed woman who honked at him to hurry up
ROSEAU, Minn. (AP) — Prosecutors in northern Minnesota accused a man of fatally shooting a woman who yelled at him to hurry up and honked her horn while waiting for him outside his home.

Angelo Borreson, 56, was charged Friday with second-degree murder and second-degree assault in the death of 51-year-old Angela Wynne.

Borreson told authorities Wynne drove to his home near Badger on Wednesday morning to help him get gas for his vehicle. According to the complaint, Wynne arrived before Borreson was ready to leave and started yelling at him to hurry while honking her horn.

Borreson told authorities that he accidentally shot Wynne multiple times. He said he did not mean for his shotgun to fire, the complaint said. He then called 911.

Borreson remained jailed Sunday with bail set at $750,000 ahead of a March 16 court appearance, the Star Tribune  reported. A message could not be left Sunday for his public defender.