National Roundup

Minnesota
Court denies Chauvin’s request for public defender
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday denied former Minneapolis police Officer Derek Chauvin’s request to have a public defender represent him as he appeals his murder conviction and sentence in the death of George Floyd.

The state’s high court said Chauvin has not established that he is entitled to a public defender.

The justices made that decision after reviewing information about Chauvin’s debts and assets, as well as the Office of the Minnesota Appellate Public Defender’s prior determination that Chauvin was ineligible, Chief Justice Lorie Gildea wrote.

Chauvin may seek a public defender in the future if he’s unable to pay for a lawyer, the Supreme Court said.

Chauvin filed documents last month saying he intends to appeal his conviction and sentence on 14 grounds, including that his trial should have been moved from Hennepin County and the jury should have been sequestered.

Chauvin also filed an affidavit saying he has no attorney in the appeals process, and has no income aside from nominal prison wages.

The Minnesota Police and Peace Officers Association’s legal defense fund paid for his case before Judge Peter Cahill. Chauvin wrote: “I have been informed that their obligation to pay for my representation terminated upon my conviction and sentencing.”

Chauvin was convicted in April  on state charges of second-degree unintentional murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter in Floyd’s 2020 death. He was sentenced to 22 1/2 years.

Chauvin is charged in federal court with violating Floyd’s civil rights when he knelt on the Black man’s neck for about 9 1/2 minutes as Floyd was facedown on the pavement, not resisting and pleading for air. He has pleaded not guilty to those charges.

Texas
Man accused of killing 8 won’t face death penalty in Texas
HOUSTON (AP) — A man accused of fatally shooting his estranged ex-girlfriend, her husband and six children, including his own son, at a Houston home will not face the death penalty, authorities said.

David Conley, 54, was charged with capital murder in the deadly rampage at his former girlfriend’s home in northwest Harris County on Aug. 8, 2015, according to the Houston Chronicle.

He’s set to stand trial this week in the deaths of Valerie Jackson, 40; her husband, Dwayne Jackson, 50; and her children, Nathaniel, 13, Dewayne, 10, Honesty, 11, Caleb, 9, Trinity, 7, and Jonah, 6.

Nathaniel was Conley’s son from his relationship with Valerie Jackson, while the Jacksons were the parents of the other five children, authorities said. All of the victims were shot in the head.

Authorities said Conley had a violent criminal history with Valerie Jackson and all six children had been temporarily removed by Child Protective Services from the household in 2013 after allegations of domestic violence and a lack of supervision.

Philip Scardino, an attorney for Conley, argued in 2016 that Conley should not face the death penalty because he may be intellectually disabled, the Chronicle reported. Scardino indicated at the time that his client would undergo psychological testing.

Conley’s counsel also referenced U.S. Supreme Court rulings that people with intellectual disabilities couldn’t be executed. Conley, however, had also previously faked having issues with his mental health, according to the newspaper.

Conley’s trial is being held this week at the Harris County Criminal Court. Because prosecutors are not seeking the death penalty, he would face life without parole if he’s convicted by the jury.

New York
18 ex-NBA players charged in $4M health care fraud scheme
NEW YORK (AP) — Eighteen former NBA players have been charged with defrauding the league’s health and welfare benefit plan out of about $4 million, according to an indictment Thursday.

Federal prosecutors planned a news conference to describe the case that was brought in Manhattan federal court. It wasn’t immediately clear whether all those charged had been arrested.

The list of former players included Jamario Moon, Glen Davis and Sebastian Telfair.

According to the indictment, the ex-players engaged in a widespread scheme to defraud the plan by submitting false and fraudulent claims to get reimbursed for medical and dental expenses that were never actually incurred.

The 18 players were among 19 individuals charged in the indictment. It said that the scheme was carried out from at least 2017 to 2020, when the plan received false claims totaling about $3.9 million. Of that, the defendants received about $2.5 million in fraudulent proceeds.

The league’s major stars weren’t charged.

Tennessee
Waffle House shooting case returns to court
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The criminal case against a man accused of killing four people in a shooting at a Tennessee Waffle House in 2018 is returning to court.

A hearing is scheduled Thursday in Nashville in the case against Travis Reinking, which had been delayed by mental health issues. He faces four counts of first-degree murder, among other charges.

Reinking pleaded not guilty in February 2019. Authorities alleged he was nearly naked and wearing only a green jacket when he began shooting in the Nashville restaurant before a patron wrestled the rifle away from him.

The case was put on hold for months after the attack while Reinking was being treated for schizophrenia. A judge later deemed him fit for trial and he was indicted in 2019 on 17 counts including murder.

Nashville District Attorney Glenn Funk’s office has said in a court filing that it would seek life in prison without the possibility of parole.

Reinking also faces multiple lawsuits over the shooting, as does his father, Jeffrey Reinking. The father pleaded not guilty to criminal charges in Illinois over accusations that he illegally gave his son the AR-15-style rifle used in the shooting.

The judge in the case has issued a gag order that restricts lawyers from discussing it.