National Roundup

Florida
Man guilty; used claw hammer, knife to kill family
PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) — A Florida man could get a death sentence after being found guilty of using a claw hammer, knife and gun to kill his mother and half-brothers.

Jurors in Pensacola convicted Donald Hartung Sr., 63, on three counts of premeditated, first-degree murder, news outlets reported.

His mother, Voncile Smith, 77, and two half-brothers, John Smith, 49, and Richard Smith, 47, were found dead in their home July 31, 2015. All were struck multiple times with a claw hammer and their throats were slit. Richard Smith was also shot in his right ear.

Assistant State Attorney Bridgette Jensen told jurors Hartung had been written out of his mother’s will and believed he would never get the money — nearly $900,000 — unless his family members died.

Defense attorney Michael Griffin said his client didn’t know about the will and had nothing to hide from law enforcers, who never investigated any other suspect, the  Pensacola News Journal reported.

Marlin Purifoy, another inmate who testified in hopes of reducing his own sentence, testified that Hartung confessed to the killings while behind bars.

Hartung told Purifoy that he “tortured his mother by cutting her pinkie in order to get safe combinations,” Jensen said. “How can Marlin Purifoy know that? The medical examiner didn’t know that.”

Purifoy said other inmates feared Hartung because he claimed to have Wiccan beliefs, and that he feigned an interest in voodoo to gain Hartung’s confidence before he confessed. Retired professor and ordained Wiccan minister Paul Larson testified Monday that human sacrifices are not a part of modern Wiccans’ religious practices.

The case now moves to the penalty phase.

Alabama
Federal grand jury subpoenas 3M over chemical discharges
DECATUR, Ala. (AP) — 3M has been subpoenaed by a federal grand jury in connection to discharges from a chemical plant in northern Alabama that may not have complied with permit requirements.

Michael Roman, the Minnesota-based company’s CEO, announced the subpoena during an investor conference call Tuesday, WHNT-TV reported. The company faced lawsuits and public scrutiny last year after it was accused of releasing chemicals from its factory in Decatur into the Tennessee River without disclosing its actions.

“As previously disclosed in 2019, 3M discovered and voluntarily informed the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and appropriate state authorities that discharges from our Decatur, Alabama, facility may not have complied with permit requirements,” Roman said during Tuesday’s call. “We immediately idled the relevant processes and took steps to address these issues.”

In September 2019, 3M halted  some work related to fluoropolymer manufacturing at its Decatur plant to work with environmental regulators on compliance issues. Substances known as PFAS are used to make fluoropolymer coatings and products that resist heat, oil, stains, grease and water.

The subpoena was filed in late December by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama, Roman said. U.S. Attorney Jay Town declined WHNT-TV’s request for comment.

“We are cooperating with this inquiry,” Roman said.

It’s unclear whether the grand jury has completed its work or whether the investigation is still ongoing.

California
Apple, Broadcom told to pay Caltech $1.1B in patent lawsuit
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal jury on Wednesday decided that Apple Inc. and Broadcom Inc. must pay $1.1 billion to the California Institute of Technology for infringing on patents.

Apple was on the hook for nearly $838 million of the damages awarded in a lawsuit that said Broadcom used its patented Wi-Fi data transmission technology in computer chips that went into iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and other Apple devices.

Caltech, the superstar tech school based in Pasadena, said it was pleased by the verdict of the Los Angeles jury.

“As a non-profit institution of higher education, Caltech is committed to protecting its intellectual property in furtherance of its mission to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education,” a school statement said.

Emails seeking comment from Cupertino-based Apple and Broadcom weren’t immediately returned Wednesday night but they are expected to appeal.

Last week, San Jose-based Broadcom announced it had reached agreements to supply components to Apple devices released for the next three years.

It wasn’t immediately clear what impact the lawsuit award would have on those deals, which Broadcom said could generate $15 billion in revenues.

Ohio
Trial date set for ex-vice officer over sex charges
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — A federal judge set a trial date for a former Ohio vice squad officer accused of forcing women to have sex with him under threat of an arrest.

Former Columbus police officer Andrew Mitchell, 56, is also charged with pressuring others to help cover up crimes and lying to federal investigators when he said he’d never had sex with prostitutes.

U.S. District Court Judge Edmund Sargus this week set a March 30 date for Mitchell, who has pleaded not guilty. A federal indictment accused Mitchell, a 30-year veteran, of arresting two different women and forcing them to have sex before he would release them. Mitchell’s attorney says the allegations are unfounded.

Mitchell also faces state charges accusing him of fatally shooting a woman during an undercover prostitution investigation.

Columbus police said Mitchell shot and killed 23-year-old Donna Castleberry in August 2018 after she stabbed him in the hand during an undercover prostitution investigation. Mitchell, who has pleaded not guilty, said it was self-defense.

Castleberry’s family is seeking more than $3.5 million in damages in a federal wrongful death lawsuit against Mitchell, the city of Columbus and its police department.

In addition, a new lawsuit was filed this week by a woman accusing Mitchell of raping her while she was handcuffed in an unmarked police car. Mark Collins, Mitchell’s attorney in his criminal cases, said he hasn’t seen the lawsuit but that Mitchell will “fight it vigorously” once he obtains an attorney who handles civil cases.