National Roundup

Washington Sheriff: Facebook boast leads to arrest YAKIMA, Wash. (AP) -- A suspected reckless motorcycle rider has discovered the law's long arm now reaches into cyberspace. The Yakima County Sheriff's office says they tracked the 19-year-old man down via Facebook. Deputy Chris Gray says early Monday in a release that the incident began when a man on a motorcycle outran pursuing deputies late last week near Moxee, just east of Yakima. Authorities later noticed a Facebook posting by a man boasting about eluding officers, as well as a photo on the page of a motorcycle similar to the one they sought. Gray says that when the suspect was rousted at 4 a.m. Saturday by deputies with both a search warrant and a printout of the page, he acknowledged he was the rider. The man, whose name was not released, has been charged with reckless driving and other infractions. Nevada Man held in slaying of sister's boyfriend in Reno RENO, Nev. (AP) -- Authorities say a 32-year-old Reno man faces murder and assault with a weapon charges in the slaying of his sister's boyfriend in a neighborhood near the University of Nevada, Reno. Reno police Sgt. Alan Salter says 32-year-old Salvador Gustavo Gonzalez-Casillas died at a hospital after he was shot several times in the chest about 1:30 a.m. Saturday on the porch of a home on Beech St. Police say Gonzalez-Casillas had been dating Branden Hermansen's sister, and Hermansen and Gonzalez-Casillas argued about issues in that relationship. Salter says Hermansen also threatened Gonzalez-Casillas' roommate before fleeing the shooting to a home on Maddux Drive. Nearby homes were evacuated until Hermansen surrendered to SWAT officers. He's jailed pending an initial court appearance. Illinois Woman acquitted in Ill. man's heroin death EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) -- A federal jury has acquitted a woman of charges that accused her of playing a role in a southwestern Illinois man's heroin death last year. The jury in East St. Louis has cleared Andrea Fields of a felony count of distributing heroin resulting in death. Fields was charged along with her boyfriend, Scott Weldon, with identical charges in the death of 56-year-old David Roth. Both men were from Belleville. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports that, as part of his guilty plea, Weldon said the trio went to East St. Louis last year and Weldon bought heroin. Prosecutors alleged that Fields diluted the heroin before injecting Roth, herself and Weldon. Roth later died. Weldon awaits sentencing. Louisiana SLU contests woman's last will GREENSBURG, La. (AP) -- A state district judge has sealed all records pertaining to a lawsuit the fundraising arm of Southeastern Louisiana University filed against the estate of a Greensburg woman. The Advocate reports the SLU Foundation is contesting the will of Myra Darouse LaRue, who died in October, dividing her estate among her sister and nieces. Employees of the St. Helena Parish Clerk of Court's Office said they were forbidden by Judge Ernest Drake of the 21st Judicial District from releasing any information or documents related to the suit. The foundation alleges LaRue's final will is not legal, according to a copy of the lawsuit. Myra Darouse LaRue died Oct. 22, leaving behind no children and no husband, according to the lawsuit. The suit alleges that LaRue signed a will on March 6, 2009, before Greensburg attorney Clifton Speed. But after Myra LaRue's death, her niece filed a new will with the court, the suit alleges. The new will, which was signed before a notary from Metairie, left all of LaRue's assets to her sister, Mary Elizabeth Pardue, and three nieces, according to a copy of the will included with the suit. The SLU Foundation suit names Pardue, Barbara Pardue, Judy Pardue Polidori and Mary Sue Darouse as defendants in the will. Myra LaRue allegedly signed the contested will Oct. 9, 13 days before she died, according to the copy of the will. The suit alleges she was undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments during that period. The suit also alleges Myra LaRue's niece, Mary Sue Darouse, blocked friends from seeing her aunt during the dying woman's final days and ordered the new will's witnesses to "disobey the Court's subpoenas and not to speak about Ms. Myra." When contacted by phone, Mary Elizabeth Pardue referred all questions to Barbara Pardue. Barbara Pardue did not return several calls for comment. Dennis James, president of the SLU Foundation, refused comment, saying only that the matter was currently under litigation. Iowa Judge denies mo tion to dismiss UI Hospital lawsuit IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- A Johnson County judge has rejected a motion to dismiss a lawsuit filed by a radiologist against the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics. The Iowa City Press-Citizen reported that District Court Judge Robert Sosalla issued his ruling Friday, saying the lawsuit by Dr. Malik Juweid could move forward. Juweid, a tenured professor in the Nuclear Medicine Department, filed the lawsuit in May, claiming hospital officials defamed him by accusing him of being an "academic terrorist." He claims it made it impossible for him to find a job at other U.S. hospitals. The university has denied the claims and says Juweid sent dozens of harassing and unprofessional e-mails to colleagues and engaged in behavior that violated workplace rules. Texas Juror tried to 'friend' defendant FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) -- A North Texas juror who was booted from a trial has been cited for contempt after trying to "friend" the defendant on Facebook. Court records show 22-year-old Jonathan Hudson on July 19 was removed from the jury in a Tarrant County civil case. The trial, over a 2008 car wreck, proceeded with 11 jurors. Hudson last week pleaded guilty to four counts of contempt and has been ordered to serve two days of community service. Texas recently added specific language to jury instructions that bans jurors from discussing the case on social networking sites. Hudson had received those instructions. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported Sunday that Hudson attorney Steve Gordon says his client "made a silly mistake." Further details on the trial were not immediately available. Published: Tue, Aug 30, 2011