National Roundup

Tennessee
Judge in Young Dolph murder case removes himself based on court order
MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge removed himself from the Young Dolph murder case Friday after he was ordered to do so by a Tennessee appeals court, which questioned whether he could be impartial to a man charged with killing the rapper two years ago.

Shelby County Criminal Court Judge Lee Coffee asked the court clerk to assign a new judge in the high-profile case. The Tennessee Court of Appeals issued its order Sept. 28 after Coffee refused to step down at the request of the lawyer for Justin Johnson, who is charged with two other men in the fatal shooting of Young Dolph in November 2021.

The lawyer, Luke Evans, had argued that Coffee could not be impartial after the judge failed to inform him about an order limiting Johnson’s ability to communicate with people outside the jail other than Evans.

Johnson and Cornelius Smith have pleaded not guilty in the killing of Young Dolph, whose real name was Adolph Thornton Jr. The rapper, producer and independent music label owner was gunned down in a daylight ambush at a Memphis bakery, where he was buying cookies while back in is hometown to visit a sick relative and hand out Thanksgiving turkeys.

Coffee had set a March 11 trial date for Johnson and Smith, but it was not immediately clear how Coffee’s recusal would affect that.

A third man, Hernandez Govan, has pleaded not guilty to organizing the killing, which shook Memphis and the entertainment world.

Evans asked for Coffee’s recusal after the judge restricted Johnson’s visitation privileges and did not allow Johnson to communicate by phone or in writing with anyone outside the jail but his lawyer, including family. Johnson was accused of using a phone call from jail to record a rap song, media outlets reported.

The judge didn’t contact the defense or hold a hearing before issuing the order, which Evans called “punitive.”

Coffee said he issued the order for Johnson’s safety and he denied the accusations that he was not being impartial. Coffee said he had not made any judgments about Johnson’s guilt or innocence.

The judge also discussed the issue of jail recordings and their release with a law enforcement official in a phone call that the appeals court said was improper because it was not in the presence of Johnson or his lawyer. Coffee said he made the call “in court, on the bench, with another case before the Court,” according to the appeal ruling.

Even though the conversation “did not bear upon the alleged facts of the charges against the Defendant, it would appear to a reasonable person that Judge Coffee has a prejudice” directed at Johnson, the court said.

The appeals court reversed Coffee’s denial of the recusal motion and said that a new judge should be reassigned.

Arizona
City faces accusation of unconstitutional action over ad for shooting range
FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (AP) — A Flagstaff shooting range has gained the support of a conservative think tank in its challenge to advertise at the city’s airport.

The Goldwater Institute issued a letter to the city of Flagstaff this week questioning its rejection of advertising from Timberline Firearms and Training, the Arizona Daily Sun reported Thursday.

Rob Wilson, the owner of the shooting range and gun shop, said he has had a 10-second ad playing on TV monitors at Flagstaff Pulliam Airport since 2019. But the city declined to allow it this year. Officials claimed it violated its advertising policy by showing depictions of violence or anti-social behavior.

The ad Wilson submitted shows his business’ logo, four people standing while holding guns and then a clip of an instructor and a student at the indoor firing range. The student fires on a paper target with an assault-style weapon.

Attorneys for Goldwater said the city’s rejection violates Wilson’s freedom of speech rights. They also accused Flagstaff of “abusing its power to push an anti-gun agenda.”

The Flagstaff City Council has been in discussions to revise the policy on advertisements.

Alabama
Prosecutors seek to jail lawmaker accused of contacting witness in bribery case
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — Federal prosecutors are asking a judge to jail an Alabama lawmaker charged with trying to obstruct an investigation into alleged kickbacks.

In a motion filed this week, prosecutors said state Rep. John Rogers, a Democrat from Birmingham, violated the conditions of his bond by attempting to contact a key witness in the case. Prosecutors said Rogers made FaceTime calls to the witness a week after his arraignment. The witness did not answer and reported the calls to federal investigators.

Rogers’ defense attorney asked the court to provide a transcript of the lawmaker’s Oct. 12 arraignment and the judge’s instructions to the lawmaker. The defense lawyer said the transcript is needed to prepare a response to the prosecutor’s request.

Prosecutors have accused Rogers and his assistant of offering additional grant money as a bribe to persuade a person to give false information to federal agents who were investigating possible kickbacks. They say those bribes were paid to Rogers’ assistant.

Rogers, 82, is charged with two counts of obstruction of justice. His assistant, Varrie Johnson Kindall, is charged with conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud, money laundering, obstruction of justice and tax charges. Both have pleaded not guilty.

Rogers has served in the Alabama House of Representatives since 1982.

Ohio
Woman accused of killing 4 men with fatal fentanyl doses pleads not guilty
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio woman who authorities say killed four men with lethal doses of fentanyl in order to rob them pleaded not guilty to murder charges on Monday.

Rebecca Auborn entered her plea in court accompanied by her attorney, Mark Hunt.

Authorities said there are likely more victims, and the investigation is ongoing.

Auborn 33, of Columbus, is accused of killing the men and nearly killing a fifth man after meeting them for sex in Columbus between December 2022 and June 2023. Authorities did not identify the men.

Auburn had already pleaded not guilty last month to murder and drug-related charges in connection with one of the men's deaths.

She will continue to be held without bond.