Paralegal One

Cosmetic Class Action Settlement

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 14:42:00 +0000

Did you buy any cosmetics during the period of May 29, 1994 through July 16, 2003? If you did, you may be eligible to receive free products. As part of a class action settlement, $175 million worth of free cosmetics products will be distributed to people who are eligible (check website for eligibility). It should begin sometime in January 2009 but it will only be while supplies last, on a first come, first served basis, and no rain checks will be issued. Go to the following website Cosmetic Settlement for the details.

Former Ill. Police Sergeant Found Guilty of 4 Rapes

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:04:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. -- A jury found a former Bloomington police sergeant guilty Wednesday of brutally raping four women and stalking a fifth after a trial in which he was described as both driven by pornography-fueled fantasies and a man arrested on flimsy evidence.
Jurors deliberated over parts of three days in Bloomington before convicting Jeff Pelo on 35 counts, including 25 of aggravated sexual assault.
The six men and six women reached their decision despite a lack of DNA or similar forensic evidence linking Pelo directly to the rapes, said prosecutor Mark Messman, who added he was pleased for the victims.
"There was no smoking gun; (but) there were several very strong pieces of evidence," he said.
Messman said he would expect jurors had varying reasons for finding Pelo guilty.
"I wouldn't be surprised if you polled the jurors...if you got 12 different responses, or three or four different responses," he said.
Defense attorney Michael Rosenblat said he likely would appeal. He plans to file motions arguing Circuit Judge Robert Freitag shouldn't have let jurors view pornographic images found on Pelo's home computer, and should have let Rosenblat call an expert witness to testify about the reliability of eyewitness identification of suspects.
"I believed before opening statements and I believe today that Jeff is not guilty," Rosenblat said.
Pelo, 43, pleaded not guilty to all 37 counts originally facing him; two charges were dropped during trial.
He has been jailed since his June 2006 arrest, unable to afford the $100,000 he'd have to pay to make his $1 million bail.
Pelo was charged in the rapes of four women between 2002 and 2005 and the stalking of a fifth woman.
The case was long delayed, in part by Pelo's attorneys. His first withdrew from the trial because of health problems, and the two who took his place withdrew after several months because Pelo couldn't afford them.
At trial, prosecutor Mark Messman portrayed Pelo as a man driven on the one hand to rape by violent, pornography-fueled fantasies, and on the other by a desire to be his victims' boyfriend. At least one of the women described her attacker as gentle and polite.
Investigators found numerous images of violent pornography - some depicting forced sex at gunpoint - on Pelo's home computer.
"He has some fantasy, as messed up as it sounds, that they're going to like him," Messman told jurors during his closing arguments.
Rosenblat countered that whatever taste Pelo might have for pornography was irrelevant.
The defense attorney seized on discrepancies offered by the victims, particularly one woman's description of an attacker as young as his early 20s.
"The descriptions of these attacks vary widely," the attorney told jurors. "They differ because different people committed these attacks."
Pelo is scheduled to be sentenced August 12.

Police in NC may have been warned before killing

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 17 Jun 2008 11:58:00 +0000

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina authorities say they are are investigating whether police were warned that a woman with five dead spouses was trying to hire a hit man to kill one of her husbands.
Authorities reopened the cold case last year, and last month, charged 76-year-old Betty Neumar with one count of solicitation of murder in the July 1986 death of Al Gentry.
Detectives say Neumar tried to hire several people to kill Gentry. Lead detective Scott Williams says that police are looking into the possibility that one of those would-be hit men went to police before Gentry's death, but no one took him seriously.
Neumar has been married five times since the 1950s, but each union ended with the death of her husband. Investigators are urging police elsewhere to look into those deaths.

Mow your lawn... or risk jail time in Canton, Ohio

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 17:00:00 +0000

Homeowners, in Canton, Ohio who don't mow their grass in the northeast Ohio city of Canton now face stiffer penalties - including possible jail time.
The city council unanimously passed a law Monday that makes a second high-grass violation a fourth-degree misdemeanor carrying a fine of up to $250 and as many as 30 days in jail.
The previous law only made the first violation a minor misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $150 but no jail time. The new law is to take effect in 30 days.
"This is the type of action we need to take in order to clean up our neighborhoods and our city," Mayor William J. Healy II said.
The laws are an effort to reduce the roughly $250,000 the city spends to cut about 2,000 private lots each year and to address public complaints, Councilman Greg Hawk has said

Tatum O'Neal Arrested For Drug Possession

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 23:14:00 +0000

Police say Academy Award-winning actress Tatum O'Neal has been arrested after buying crack cocaine near her home in Manhattan.
Police say the 44-year-old actress was seen making the illicit purchase at about 7:30 p.m. Sunday. She is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance.
O'Neal, daughter of actor Ryan O'Neal, appears regularly on the cable television series "Rescue Me" and was the youngest person to win an Oscar for her role in 1973's "Paper Moon."
She chronicled her struggles with addiction in her memoir, "A Paper Life."
Police could not say whether she had an attorney. Messages left for a publicist were not returned early Monday

Man Arrested With Maijuana Claims He Was Going To Use It For Compost, Not Smoke It

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 22:51:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) - Police in Iowa say a man caught with a large quantity of marijuana claimed all he had in mind was recycling.

A complaint by the Johnson County Sheriff's Office says the 30-year-old man told police in Iowa City that he planned to turn several large bags of marijuana into compost.

Officers report the bags he had when he was arrested early Saturday held a "gallon" or more of marijuana each.

The complaint says officers didn't buy the compost story. The suspect remained in jail Sunday without posting $14,000 bail on a charge of possessing marijuana with intent to distribute.

Yahoo files suit against lottery spammers

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 28 May 2008 02:53:00 +0000

SUNNYVALE, Calif. Yahoo Inc. has filed a lawsuit against an unknown group of defendants it alleges tricked consumers into thinking they won a lottery or prize offered by the Internet company.

Yahoo filed the lawsuit on May 16 in U.S. District Court in New York City under federal trademark law, federal anti-spam law and other state laws.

In its court filing, Yahoo contends that the defendants masqueraded as the Internet company, sending out e-mails claiming recipients had won prizes ranging from a few thousand to a million dollars and instructing them to click on a link or forward personal information to a "Yahoo lottery coordinator" to get their prize.

At times, recipients were instructed to contact another party to arrange for the prize payment, Yahoo said in the filing, and this other party would charge them "hundreds of dollars in various processing and mailing charges in order to complete the payment process."

Yahoo noted in the filing that it does not offer any such prizes and has no connection with the group or the e-mails it sent.

Such "phishing" scams are meant to trick consumers into sharing financial information.

Although the defendants' identities are unknown, Yahoo thinks that information acquired during a discovery period from third-party e-mail service companies will lead to their identification.

"The unauthorized use of Yahoo's trademarks is misleading, fraudulent, and has actually confused, misled, and deceived the public," said Joe Siino, senior vice president of Yahoo global intellectual property and business strategy, in a statement on Tuesday.

Naked pilot, flight attendant arrested in woods

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 21 May 2008 18:21:00 +0000

HARRISBURG, Pa. - An airline pilot was found hiding behind a shed wearing only flip-flops and a wristwatch as a nighttime romp in the woods with a flight attendant ended with both under arrest, police said.
Jeffrey Paul Bradford, 24, and Adrianna Grace Connor, 24, both employees of Pinnacle Airlines Inc., were at a diner on the outskirts of Harrisburg on Sunday night before they apparently decided to walk into the woods, police said.
They told the officer they wanted to go do it in the woods, essentially," said Lower Swatara Township police Sgt. Richard Brandt. "That's the best answer they had."
The two somehow became separated, and people who live in the neighborhood summoned police around 9:30 p.m., saying they had seen a naked man and an intoxicated woman.
A helicopter with heat-seeking equipment was called in, and Bradford was discovered hiding behind a shed shortly before midnight.
Bradford, of Pittsburgh, was charged with indecent exposure, public drunkenness and other offenses. Connor, of Belleville, Mich., was charged with theft from a motor vehicle, public drunkenness and other offenses; police said she took a flashlight from a neighbor's vehicle.
A spokesman for the Memphis, Tenn., airline said the two were suspended while the company investigates.

Inmate attacks women at metro detention center

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 17 May 2008 03:06:00 +0000

Two women from the public defenders office survived a brutal beating Thursday morning at the Bernalillo County Metro Detention Center.

Investigators say somehow the women were locked in with an inmate who attacked them.

One of the women is a paralegal, and the other is a client service agent.

Investigators say 180 pound Derek Kirven was locked alone with the two women when he attacked.

Investigators will not release the video of the beating, but they say it is extremely violent.

"They appear to go unconscious following the first couple of strikes. He stands over them and begins to continue striking the two women," said Sgt. Mark Kmatz of the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Department.

Investigators say it took guards about a minute to get the doors unlocked and get inside to restrain Kirven.

The two women were taken to Presbyterian Hospital where they were treated and released.

Kirven was in jail for two misdemeanor warrants.

He is now facing two additional counts of aggravated battery

Man accused of handing pot to court security

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 15 May 2008 04:30:00 +0000

CLEVELAND, Tenn. - A man was arrested after pulling marijuana from his pocket at a security check at a court. The man was visiting the courts section of the Bradley County Justice Center on Monday when he was asked to empty his pockets into a plastic bowl, a standard procedure.
Sheriff Tim Gobble said the items he placed in the bowl included marijuana and rolling papers. When questioned, the man ran from the building, but officers captured him within minutes.
`The man faces charges of having contraband in a penal institution and evading arrest

N.Y. jury rejects lawsuit over rectal exam man didn’t want

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 03:12:00 +0000

NEW YORK - A hospital did nothing wrong when it tried to examine the rectum of a construction worker who had been hit on the head by a falling wooden beam, a jury found Monday.
After deliberating for about an hour, a state Supreme Court jury awarded nothing to Brian Persaud, who sued New York-Presbyterian Hospital for unspecified damages. The panel found the hospital and its emergency room medical staff were not liable.

Persaud's lawyers, Gerard Marrone and Gary DeFilippo, said he might appeal.
"We're very disappointed," Marrone said after the two-week trial. "It's a miscarriage of justice."
The hospital's lawyer, Jeffrey Lawton, declined comment.
Marrone said Persaud, 38, was injured while working at a construction site in midtown Manhattan on May 20, 2003. Persaud received eight stitches for a cut over his eyebrow at the hospital, but denied emergency room staffers' request to examine his rectum, the lawyer said. He said doctors told Persaud the exam could help determine whether the accident caused spinal damage.
When Persaud resisted, staffers held him down while he begged, "Please don't do that," Marrone said. Persaud hit a doctor while flailing around, so the staffers gave him a powerful sedative and performed the rectal exam, he said.
Hospital witnesses testified at trial that the exam was never completed, but Marrone said that when Persaud woke up he was handcuffed to a bed and had an oxygen tube down his throat and lubricant in his rectum.
"He resisted because he didn't know what they were doing," DeFilippo said. "Once he said he didn't want the rectal exam, everything should have stopped."
DeFilippo said he believes the rectal exam was done as retaliation because his panicked client hit the doctor.
A judge dismissed a misdemeanor assault charge that was filed against Persaud because he hit the doctor.
DeFilippo said his client is unemployed and has been unable to hold a job since the accident.

911 call recounts aftermath of teen's videotaped beating

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 02:19:00 +0000

BARTOW, Fla. A newly released 911 call recounts the aftermath of the videotaped beating of a central Florida teen. The 16-year-old victim tells the 911 operator: "I got jumped."
The Polk County Sheriff's Office released the recording of the call Tuesday
The girl called from a friend's house in Lakeland after the March 30 beating. The friend's mother got on the phone and told the operator: "She's got blood in her mouth a big old knot on her left eye, and we think she's got a tooth broke."
Eight teens have been charged as adults in the beating.
Part of the video was released by the sheriff's office and has been seen widely on national TV and the Internet. Authorities believe the girl was attacked and taped so the video could be posted on YouTube. You can listen here at USA Today.

Man Uses Hedgehog As A Weapon

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 08 Apr 2008 02:50:00 +0000

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A New Zealand man has been accused of assault with prickly weapon - a hedgehog.
Police allege that William Singalargh picked up the hedgehog and threw it several yards to hit a 15-year-old boy in the North Island east coast town of Whakatane on Feb. 9.
It hit the boy in the leg, causing a large, red welt and several puncture marks," police Senior Sgt. Bruce Jenkins said Monday. The teen did not need medical treatment, he added.
The Herald on Sunday newspaper reported that it was not known whether the hedgehog was dead or alive at the time of the attack, but that it was dead when collected as evidence.
Jenkins said Singalargh, 27, was arrested shortly after the incident on a charge of assault with a weapon. He is expected to appear in court again on April 17.
His lawyer, Rebecca Plunket, said Singalargh intends to plead innocent. The maximum penalty for the charge is five years in prison.
While using a hedgehog as a weapon in an assault is uncommon, Jenkins said, "People often get charged with assault for throwing things at other people."

Woman Bites Dog Who Attacked Her Dog

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Sat, 05 Apr 2008 12:53:00 +0000

Minneapolis - Amy Rice feared for her dog's life when a pit bull jumped over a fence into her yard and attacked her pooch. So she took matters into her own mouth.
Rice says she bit the pit bull on the nose Friday after trying to pull the dog's jaws off her Labrador retriever, Ella. The dog had jumped a fence to get into Rice's northeast Minneapolis yard, and Rice says she feared the pit bull would kill Ella
"I didn't plan it, that's what happened. I broke the skin and had pit bull blood in my mouth," said Rice, 38. "I knew what happened, and I knew that it wasn't good."
The pit bull was quarantined Wednesday by Minneapolis Animal Control officers while rabies tests are being completed. Rice's doctor will determine whether she needs shots for rabies."I was sure that my dog was dying in my arms; it was horrible," Rice said.
Ella is recovering with staples and stitches to her head and a crushed ear canal, but she is afraid to go for walks, Rice said.

Racing in Womens High Heels Trips Man on Workers Comp

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:08:00 +0000

HARTFORD, Conn. - Prosecutors say a video shows a Connecticut correction officer running a 40-yard-dash in women's clothing and high heels - at a time he had claimed he was too injured to work.
Garrett A. Dalton of Naugatuck has been charged with workers compensation fraud. He's accused of taking part in a radio station's contest for Hannah Montana concert tickets last year. Not only did he have to dress in drag but he had to carry an egg on a spoon.

Authorities were alerted after someone saw Dalton in a TV news report. Prosecutors say the 41-year-old collected more than $5,000 in workers' compensation after he reported a work-related injury in June.
Court documents do not list an attorney for Dalton, and his phone number is unlisted. And no, he didn't win the contest.

Business Man Injured While Getting Lap Dance, Files Law Suit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 08:14:00 +0000

NEW YORK - A businessman claims in a lawsuit that he was injured when a stripper giving him a lap dance swiveled and smacked him in the face with the heel of her shoe.
Stephen Chang, a securities trader, said in court papers filed Friday that he was at the Hot Lap Dance Club near Madison Square Garden and was getting a paid lap dance when the accident occurred early Nov. 2, 2007

According to the lawsuit, as the dancer swung around, the heel of her shoe hit him in the eye, causing him "serious injuries."
A man who identified himself as the manager of the Hot Lap Dance Club said he was unaware of the accident or the state Supreme Court lawsuit. The club's lawyer, did not immediately return a call.

Woman sits on boyfriend’s toilet for two years, Authorities considering charges.

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:56:00 +0000

Deputies said a woman in western Kansas sat on her boyfriend's toilet for two years, and they are investigating whether she was mistreated.
Ness County Sheriff Bryan Whipple said a man called his office last month to report that something was wrong with his girlfriend.
Whipple said it appeared the 35-year-old Ness City woman’s skin had grown around the seat. At first, she refused emergency medical treatment but ended up going to the hospital after responders and her boyfriend convinced her.
“We pried the toilet seat off with a pry bar and the seat went with her to the hospital,” Whipple said. “The hospital removed it.”
Whipple said investigators planned to present their report Wednesday to the county attorney, who will determine whether any charges should be filed against the woman's 36-year-old boyfriend.
“She was not glued. She was not tied. She was just physically stuck by her body,” Whipple said. “It is hard to imagine. ... I still have a hard time imagining it myself.”
He told investigators he brought his girlfriend food and water, and asked her every day to come out of the bathroom.
“And her reply would be, ‘Maybe tomorrow,”’ Whipple said. “According to him, she did not want to leave the bathroom.”
The boyfriend called police on Feb. 27 to report, “there was something wrong with his girlfriend,” Whipple said, adding that he never explained why it took him two years to call.
Police found the clothed woman sitting on the toilet, her sweat pants down to her mid-thigh. She was “somewhat disoriented,” and her legs looked like they had atrophied, Whipple said.
“She said that she didn’t need any help, that she was OK and did not want to leave,” he said.
She was taken to a hospital in Wichita, about 150 miles southeast of Ness City. Whipple said she has refused to cooperate with medical providers or law enforcement investigators.
Authorities said they did not know if she was physically or mentally disabled.
Police have declined to release the couple’s names, but the house where authorities say the incident happened is listed in public records as the residence of Kory McFarren. No one answered his home phone number.

16 Year Old Dies After Taking Oxycodone, Friend gets Charged

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 04:59:00 +0000

CATOOSA COUNTY, GA-The Catoosa County Sheriff’s Department took a 15-year-old white male from Ringgold into custody Monday night, March 3. The juvenile, whose name has not been released, has been charged with voluntary manslaughter in connection with the death of 16-year-old Timothy Lebron Smith, three counts of distributing prescription drugs and one count of possession of prescription drugs.

The suspect is believed to have supplied 80 mg. Oxycodone pills to three friends at Ringgold High School on Friday, Feb. 29 and retained several pills for his own use, police said. Investigators believe the teen took the Oxycodone from his grandfather, who has cancer, lockbox.

According to Summers, four students consumed the pills, two of them became seriously ill from taking two pills, another was hospitalized from taking three pills, and Timothy Lebron Smith, who consumed four pills, was found dead on Saturday, March 1, at his friends house where he had spent the night. The juvenile charged with voluntary manslaughter was one of the four students.

According to Summers, the 15-year-old will be prosecuted as a juvenile and there are no plans to seek prosecution as an adult. According to drug intelligence, the suspect has not been involved in a situation like this before.

“I don’t think a lot of kids understand the ramifications of taking drugs from home,” said Sheriff Summers. “Oxycodone is a time-released drug,” explained Sheriff Summers. “They were probably uneducated about the drug, took a couple pills and when they felt no effect, they took more. By the time they knew something was wrong, it was too late.”

Duke Lacrosse Players File Lawsuit in U.S. District Court

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 10:55:00 +0000

The players accuse Duke of ignoring, suppressing and discrediting evidence that proved the players innocence, with idly standing by while the players suffered abuse and harassment on campus, and with imposing discipline that implied the team was guilty. Duke suspended and then canceled the highly ranked team's season in the wake of the rape allegation.
Duke spokesman Keith Lawrence declined to comment until the university had time to review the lawsuit. Durham interim City Attorney Karen Sindelar did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment Thursday.
Former Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong won indictments against Dave Evans, Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann after a woman accused them of raping her at a team party in March 2006. The case unraveled amid the woman's changing story and lack of evidence.
The three players were later declared innocent and also have sued the former prosecutor, the City of Durham and the police detectives who handled the case. They reached an undisclosed financial settlement with the university in June.
Nifong was disbarred and spent a night in jail for his handling of the case. Cooper said he is not named in the lawsuit because of his pending declaration of bankruptcy. Nifong is claiming more than $180 million in liabilities, almost all tied to the prospect of losing two other lawsuits stemming from the rape case.
Three other players filed a lawsuit last year, accusing the school, Nifong and numerous others of a conspiracy that inflicted emotional distress.

source:Findlaw

Screenwriter sues Mel Gibson over 'Passion of the Christ' script

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 13:47:00 +0000

A screenwriter is suing Mel Gibson and his production company, claiming he was misled by the actor-director into accepting a small payment for writing "The Passion of the Christ," and was refused extra money when the film became a blockbuster.
Benedict Fitzgerald claimed that when he was asked to write a script about the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, Gibson told him the movie would cost between $4 million to $7 million, according to the lawsuit filed in Superior Court. Fitzgerald also alleged Gibson promised he wouldn't receive any money from the film and any profit would be distributed to people who worked on the movie.
Gibson stated he didn't want "money on the back of what he considered a personal gift to his (Roman Catholic) faith," the lawsuit said.
Fitzgerald, who shared screenwriting credits with Gibson, claimed he agreed to a salary substantially less than what he would have taken had he known the true budget for the film, which the lawsuit claimed had an estimated budget of $25 million to $50 million. The movie went on to gross several hundred million dollars.
The lawsuit doesn't specify how much Fitzgerald was paid for his services.
.

Billionaire Faces $50M Sexual Assault Lawsuit

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 08:16:00 +0000

West Palm Beach, Fl. A woman filed suit Wednesday accusing a New York billionaire of sexually assaulting her when she was underage.
The unidentified woman said she was 16 when she was brought to Jeffrey Epstein's Palm Beach mansion and paid $200 to give the money manager a massage. Instead, she claims he abused her.
The suit seeks more than $50 million in damages from the billionaire money manager.
Epstein's attorney, Guy Lewis, said the lawsuit is defamatory and the allegations are false.
Another teenage girl made similar claims against Epstein in a lawsuit filed last month. She is also at the center of a criminal case against Epstein in West Palm Beach, where he is charged with one felony count of solicitation of prostitution. He faces up to five years in prison if convicted. A hearing in that case is set for March.
He also faces a similar sex abuse lawsuit in New York.
Epstein was named one of New York's most eligible bachelors in 2003 by the New York Post. He has lavish homes in Manhattan, New Mexico, Florida and the Virgin Islands.

Law Would Ban Serving Obese Diners

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 05:30:00 +0000

JACKSON, Miss. A state lawmaker wants to ban restaurants from serving food to obese customers - but please, don't be offended. He says he never even expected his plan to become law.

"I was trying to shed a little light on the number one problem in Mississippi," said Republican Rep. John Read of Gautier.. More than 30 percent of adults in Mississippi are considered it obese, according to a 2007 study by the Trust for America's Health, a research group that focuses on disease prevention.

The state House Public Health Committee chairman, Democrat Steve Holland of Plantersville, said he is going to "shred" the bill. "It is too oppressive for government to require a restaurant owner to police another human being from their own indiscretions," Holland said Monday.

The bill had no specifics about how obesity would be defined, or how restaurants were supposed to determine if a customer was obese.

Al Stamps, who owns a restaurant in Jackson, said it is "absurd" for the state to consider telling him which customers he can't serve. He and his wife, Kim, do a bustling lunch business at Cool Al's, which serves big burgers - beef or veggie - and specialty foods like "Sassy Momma Sweet Potato Fries."

"There is a better way to deal with health issues than to impose those kind of regulations," Al Stamps said. "I'm sorry - you can't do it by treating adults like children and telling them what they can and cannot eat."

Source: AP

Women Conned her way into Harvard

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 06:29:00 +0000

A high school dropout who stole the identity of a missing South Carolina woman and used it to gain admission to two Ivy League colleges has been arrested, police said Sunday.
A fugitive for more than a year, Esther Reed was arrested Saturday by U.S. Marshals in suburban Chicago, said Clark Brazier, a spokesman for the police department in Traveler's Rest, South Carolina.
Reed is scheduled to have a bond hearing this week in Illinois. South Carolina authorities are seeking to extradite her on charges of aggravated identity theft and wire fraud.
Reed assumed the identity of Brooke Henson, who was 20 years old when she disappeared more than eight years ago from Travelers Rest, investigators say.
It's unclear how Reed obtained Henson's personal information, but Reed used Henson's identity to take the SAT and GED, and then applied to the schools, said Jon Campbell, a Travelers Rest Police Department investigator who spoke to CNN last year.
Officials at Harvard University and Columbia University have acknowledged that a Brooke Henson was enrolled at their schools, but said privacy laws prevent them from discussing details.
"There's a little relief that goes with [the news of Reed's arrest]," Brooke's aunt Lisa Henson told CNN Sunday. "But [Brooke] is still missing. I'd like to have some answers. I would love to see [Reed] and look her in the eye and say, 'You're a horrible person.' "
Police say they're confident Reed was not involved in Henson's disappearance.
Authorities believe Henson was killed by someone who knew her. However, no body has been found and no arrests have been made.
Henson's family had heard nothing about their missing relative for years until the summer of 2006, when New York City authorities told police in Travelers Rest that they had found her, alive and well, in Manhattan.
The police relayed that message to Henson's family. "I was jumping for joy," said Lisa Henson. "It was incredible."
But the family's joy was short-lived when it was revealed that the woman found was actually Reed.
An ex-boyfriend told CNN that Reed -- posing as Henson -- often bragged about being a world-class chess player who earned a living playing the game competitively.
The man told CNN that he believed her until he challenged her to a game and beat her.
Originally from the tiny town of Townsend, Montana, Reed had been reported missing by her family in 1999, around the same time that Henson disappeared.

Source: AP

Oregon Supreme Court to decide circumcision case

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 01:16:00 +0000

A divorce dispute over whether to circumcise a 12-year-old boy will be decided Friday by the Oregon Supreme Court.

The nationally-watched case pits a father who converted to Judaism and wants his son to undergo the religious ritual, against his mother, an orthodox Christian who claims the boy doesn't want to be circumcised.
The case has drawn attention from national Jewish groups concerned that Oregon's highest court will accept Lia Boldt's contention that circumcision is dangerous.
An anti-circumcision group based in Seattle also joined the fray, arguing the safety of the procedure.

James Boldt, a former Grants Pass man who has custody of the boy and lives near Olympia, said his son wants to be circumcised so he can convert to Judaism.

Oregon Supreme Court to decide circumcision case Friday

Autopsy on Heath Ledger Inconclusive

noreply@blogger.com (Unknown) — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 15:15:00 +0000

An autopsy on Heath Ledger was inclusive, and more tests are needed, the medical examiner's office said this morning. It will take about 10 days to complete the investigation according to the medical examiner.
Earlier, police said the death was caused by a possible drug overdose and appeared to be accidental.
Fans left flowers and candles outside the apartment building in Manhattan's SoHo where the body of the Oscar-nominated star of "Brokeback Mountain" was found. Fans also left flowers outside the home in Brooklyn where Ledger and Michelle Williams once lived.
Ledger was known for grueling, intense roles that became his trademark after he got his start in teen movies like "10 Things I Hate About You."
The Australian-born actor was found dead Tuesday by his housekeeper and masseuse — lying naked and face-down at the foot of his bed, with prescription sleeping pills nearby, police said.
It was a shocking end to a career built on unpredictability. Ledger avoided the safe path in favor of roles that forced him to bury Australian accent and downplay his leading-man looks: a tormented gay cowboy in "Brokeback Mountain," a drug addict in "Candy," an incarnation of Bob Dylan in "I'm Not There."
In what may be his final finished performance, he took a rare role in a guaranteed summer blockbuster, playing Batman's nemesis, the Joker, in the upcoming "The Dark Knight." But the role was nothing he could phone in; it forced him to rebrand a character last played on the big screen by Jack Nicholson.