National Roundup

Maine L.L. Bean loses lawsuit with Maine wreath maker HARRINGTON, Maine (AP) -- A Maine wreath-making company has won a nearly $1 million judgment in a legal dispute with L.L. Bean over the production of wreaths and other products for the 2008 holiday season. A Maine Business and Consumer Court judge ordered the outdoors retailer to pay Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington after finding that L.L. Bean ordered more wreaths than it could ultimately sell. The judge said Worcester had to step up production of balsam wreaths, centerpieces and other items that never sold. L.L. Bean's sales took a hit that year because of the recession. An L.L. Bean spokeswoman tells the Bangor Daily News (http://bit.ly/xA94SU) no appeal decision has been made. An attorney for Worcester says the judgment is a "positive decision" that allows the company to fulfill its financial obligations. North Carolina Jury again finds lesbian couple trespassed ASHEVILLE, N.C. (AP) -- A lesbian couple has been found guilty of trespassing after refusing to leave a county office building when their request for a North Carolina marriage license was refused. The Asheville Citizen-Times reports a jury convicted Rev. Kathryn Cartledge and partner Elizabeth Eve of misdemeanor second-degree trespassing after they used their trial to make their case for the right to marry. The couple refused to leave the Buncombe County office in October after they were denied a marriage license. Marriage is limited to one man and one woman in North Carolina. A lower court judge last month fined the women $10 each after a brief trial. Their appeal to Superior Court resulted in the judge imposing no penalty and allowing their conviction to stay off their records. Kentucky State high court to take up DNA testing case LOUISVILLE, Ky. (AP) -- The Kentucky Supreme Court has taken up a request for DNA testing law brought by two men convicted in a Satanic ritual slaying of a woman in 1992. The high court last week said it would hear an appeal from 42-year-old Garr Keith Hardin and 41-year-old Jeffrey Dewayne Clark. The two men are seeking test hair found in the hand of 19-year-old Rhonda Sue Warford, whose remains were found near Brandenburg. Their case is a challenge to the scope of Kentucky's post-conviction DNA testing law, which applies only to death row inmates and is considered by defense attorneys to be among the weakest in the country. The two men are serving life in prison for murder in Warford's death. Prosecutors said the killing had Satanic overtones. Ohio Mom-in-law sane at time of septic tank death LOGAN, Ohio (AP) -- A judge has ruled that the mother-in-law of a southeast Ohio woman found strangled in a septic tank was sane at the time of the alleged crime. Sandra Inman has been charged with murder, kidnapping, tampering with evidence and gross abuse of a corpse. Inman had earlier pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to kidnapping 25-year-old Summer Inman in Logan in March 2011. Summer Inman's estranged husband and father-in-law have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder and kidnapping. The Logan Daily News reports a Hocking County Common Pleas Court judge also ruled Thursday that a jury trial should be set. The Hocking County Common Pleas Court has previously declared Sandra Inman competent to stand trial. Indiana Insanity defense planned in fatal Kokomo shootings KOKOMO, Ind. (AP) -- Defense attorneys plan on arguing that a man was insane when he went on what Kokomo police say was a random shooting spree during which he killed two people and wounded two others. Turama Stitts of Kokomo remains in the Howard County jail on two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder. The Kokomo Tribune reports his attorneys filed the insanity defense notice with a Howard County court this week along with a request for a psychiatric examination. Police say Stitts shot one person on Jan. 26 and the others Jan. 27. A friend told police that Stitts was off his medication for several days and was acting strangely before the shootings. Prosecutors are seeking life in prison without the possibility of parole in the case. Pennsylvania Jury: School district, teacher liable UNIONTOWN, Pa. (AP) -- A former western Pennsylvania high school student has won a $300,000 award in a civil lawsuit over sex with a teacher. The Uniontown Herald-Standard reports Friday that the 22-year-old woman was awarded $200,000 in damages from her former teacher and $100,000 in damages from the Albert Gallatin Area School District. The teacher, 61-year-old Donald Rosie, of Uniontown, had sex with the student in 2006. Rosie previously pleaded no contest to criminal charges in the case. An attorney for the school district says they don't agree with the verdict and will appeal. The woman's attorney, Thomas W. Shaffer, says the school should have done something after earlier complaints about Rosie's behavior. Illinois Woman can offer evidence of police code of silence CHICAGO (AP) -- A federal judge has ruled a bartender beaten by an off-duty Chicago police officer can present evidence in a lawsuit that police engaged in a "code of silence." U.S. District Judge Amy St. Eve on Thursday denied the city of Chicago's attempt to dismiss bartender Karoline Obrycha's lawsuit against the city and former police Officer Anthony Abbate. Abbate was convicted of aggravated battery in June 2009 for the 2007 beating of Obrycka, an attack that was caught on videotape and circulated on the Internet worldwide. Abbate was spared prison by a Cook County Circuit Court judge, who sentenced him to probation. In her ruling, St. Eve noted the failure of investigating officers to include in their report Abbate was a police officer, or that the incident was captured on tape. Published: Mon, Feb 27, 2012