Federal judge suspends fines against Detroit
DETROIT (AP) — A federal judge has suspended $1,000-a-day fines against Detroit after the city submitted a plan to clear a backlog of complaints against police.
U.S. District Court Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr. says Detroit has paid $8,000 since June 18. He stopped the penalty last week after eight business days.
Cook levied the fines after expressing frustration over Detroit’s delays in complying with his orders.
The city finally has turned in a plan to clear a backlog of complaints against police, set up a case management system and establish procedures for the Office of Chief Investigator.
The judge still must approve it.
Since 2003, the police department has been operating under two consent decrees, including one that deals with the use of force.
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Class action status given to pizza drivers
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A federal judge has granted conditional class certification to a lawsuit alleging Domino’s Pizza under-reimbursed its delivery drivers for automobile expenses, causing them to receive less than minimum wage.
Judge Donovan Frank’s order says the group could include all Domino’s delivery drivers who worked in any state except New York and California from March 4, 2006, to the present. Over 20,000 drivers could be included.
The lawsuit was filed last year on behalf of two Domino’s drivers in Minnesota.
In court documents, Michigan-based Domino’s says the situation of each driver is different so the case should not be designated class-action.
Domino’s spokesman Tim McIntyre says in a recent e-mail that the reimbursement for automobile expenses is separate from compensation, and is communicated to all drivers that way.
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Man found innocent of murder gets $750,000
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man who served almost 17 years in prison for murder before being found innocent figures that the $750,000 he received in compensation from the state comes to about $5 an hour for his time behind bars.
“Every time I think about spending it, I think about an hour in prison,” said Greg Taylor.
Taylor, 48, said he plans to repay his family for the money they spent on attorneys and investigators on their quest to prove he did not kill Jacquetta Thomas.
That quest ended in February, when a three-judge panel found him innocent of killing Thomas.
Taylor says he is taking baby steps as he adjusts to life outside prison. For example, he has gotten a driver’s license again with restrictions that include a ban on driving between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. for five years.
“I’ll be free in 2015,” Taylor said.
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Congress approves home tax credit extension
WASHINGTON (AP) — Congress has sent President Barack Obama a plan to give homebuyers an extra three months to finish qualifying for federal tax incentives that boosted home sales this spring.
The legislation would give buyers until September 30 to complete their purchases and qualify for tax credits of up to $8,000. Under the current terms, buyers had until April 30 to get a signed sales contract and until June 30 to complete the sale.
The bill only allows people who already have signed contracts to finish at the later date.
The House approved the measure earlier.
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Man found innocent of murder gets $750,000
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A North Carolina man who served almost 17 years in prison for murder before being found innocent figures that the $750,000 he received in compensation from the state comes to about $5 an hour for his time behind bars.
“Every time I think about spending it, I think about an hour in prison,” said Greg Taylor.
Taylor, 48, said he plans to repay his family for the money they spent on attorneys and investigators on their quest to prove he did not kill Jacquetta Thomas.
That quest ended in February, when a three-judge panel found him innocent of killing Thomas.
Taylor says he is taking baby steps as he adjusts to life outside prison. For example, he has gotten a driver’s license again with restrictions that include a ban on driving between 8 p.m. and 6 a.m. for five years.
“I’ll be free in 2015,” Taylor said.
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