National Roundup

California
LA loses appeal on belongings of homeless hazard
LOS ANGELES (AP) — The U.S. Supreme Court has refused to reverse lower court rulings that prevent Los Angeles city workers from summarily removing and destroying homeless people’s property left on Skid Row sidewalks.
The high court’s ruling, which came without comment on Monday, left standing an order that prevents city workers and police from disposing of belongings that homeless people leave temporarily unattended, the Los Angeles Times reported.
City Attorney Carmen Trutanich had argued that allowing homeless people to leave belongings on sidewalks creates a health hazard and violates municipal ordinances.
The suit was brought by eight homeless people who said they lost important personal documents, medications, family photos, clothing and electronics when they temporarily left their bundles unattended while they went to shower or eat in nearby shelters or attend court hearings.
Carol Sobel, attorney for the homeless plaintiffs, said the city could find no evidence of a public health crisis.
Sobel noted that the city can still clear abandoned property, or remove possessions that pose an imminent threat to public health or safety. The Central City East Assn., a nonprofit business group, since 2002 has run a storage center on skid row for homeless people to store their belongings. The city last year added 500 plastic trash bins to the center’s existing 600 containers, according to the Times.
The city has lost five lawsuits over homeless property seizures since 1987.

Virginia
Homeless man charged in DC machete attack 
ARLINGTON, Va. (AP) — Authorities say a homeless man faces charges in a Washington, D.C., suburb after they say he struck two people with a machete.
Arlington County police say two people were standing outside the Central Library about 2:50 a.m. Monday when a man approached and began arguing with them. Authorities say the man brandished a machete and struck both victims several times.
Police say both victims suffered significant injuries, but they were not considered to be life-threatening. They are being treated at a Washington hospital.
An arrest was made several hours later. Twenty-eight-year-old Derrick Sutherland has been charged with two counts of aggravated malicious wounding. He is being held without bond.

Montana
Judge rules Jesus statue can stay on mountaintop
HELENA, Mont. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled a 6-foot-tall statue of Jesus that was placed on Forest Service land on Big Mountain near Whitefish nearly 60 years ago can remain.
U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen ruled the Flathead National Forest can re-issue a 10-year permit for the statue. The statue was placed on the ski hill by the Knights of Columbus, a Catholic men’s organization.
The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation sued in February 2012, arguing the statue’s placement on leased public land violated the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which prohibits Congress from making any law regarding an establishment of religion.
Christensen ruled Monday that the statue does not convey to a reasonable informed observer that the government, rather than a private party, endorses Christianity over any other faith or the absence of faith.

North Dakota
Midwest drug ring leader gets prison sentence 
FARGO, N.D. (AP) — A man who admitted forming a ring that supplied drugs across North Dakota and Minnesota has been sentenced to federal prison.
Noah Bergland, 27, of Roseau, Minn., was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Fargo, N.D., on Monday to 10 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He also was ordered to forfeit $250,000 to the government — money he made dealing drugs from 2008 through last year.
Bergland a year ago pleaded guilty to charges of operating a continuing criminal enterprise and money laundering conspiracy. He could have faced more than 21 years in prison had he not cooperated.
Authorities said Bergland conspired with 30 others to bring cocaine, heroin, marijuana and Ecstasy from the Minneapolis area to various cities in Minnesota and North Dakota, including as far west as Williston. The other defendants have reached deals with prosecutors and only a handful is still waiting to be sentenced.
Sentences for the other defendants have ranged from supervised probation to 15 years in prison, a term handed down in January to Brian Briggs, 36, of Grand Forks. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Myers told the Grand Forks Herald that Briggs lied about some information and did not cooperate as much as Bergland and the others.
Authorities dubbed the drug conspiracy investigation Operation Noah’s Ark, after Bergland. The investigation included federal officials with Homeland Security, the Internal Revenue Service and the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as state crime agents from North Dakota and Minnesota and local law enforcement.
“This investigation is a terrific example of how federal, state and local law enforcement were able to work closely together to successfully dismantle a major narcotics smuggling organization,” Michael Feinberg, a special agent in charge of the regional office of Homeland Security Investigations, said in a statement.

Vermont
Inmate charged with threatening state prosecutor
BARRE, Vt. (AP) — A Vermont prison inmate is facing charges he sent a threatening letter to the prosecutor who sent him to jail.
Barre police say Timothy Roberts admitted sending the anonymous letter to Washington County Deputy State’s Attorney Megan Campbell.
Police received the report of the anonymous threatening letter on Dec. 27, 2012.
Police say that on Friday, Roberts was interviewed at the Northeast State Correctional Facility in St. Johnsbury where he admitted sending the letter after he was sentenced on a domestic assault charge that was prosecuted by Campbell.
Roberts was cited to appear in court next month to answer the charge.
It’s unclear if Roberts has a lawyer.t