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US court rejects Virginia death row inmate's appeal
U.S. Court News |
2015/12/01 23:11
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A federal appeals court has rejected a Virginia death row inmate's appeal of his murder-for-hire conviction.
Ivan Teleguz was sentenced to death in 2006 for hiring a man to kill his former girlfriend, Stephanie Sipe, in Harrisonburg. After two key prosecution witnesses recanted, the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in 2012 ordered a judge to conduct a hearing on Teleguz's innocence claim.
After one of those witnesses refused to testify and the other did not attend the hearing, U.S. District Judge James P. Jones determined that affidavits recanting their previous testimony were unreliable. A three-judge panel of the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Monday that it found no reason to overrule Jones on that issue. |
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Perry's indictment in hands of top Texas criminal court
U.S. Court News |
2015/11/19 22:23
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Attorneys for former Texas Gov. Rick Perry urged the state's highest criminal court Wednesday to dismiss felony abuse-of-power charges that the Republican blames in part for foiling his short-lived 2016 presidential run.
After two hours of arguments, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals gave no timetable for ruling whether Perry should face trial in the case that has dragged on since August 2014 — about five times longer than his second unsuccessful White House bid.
Perry didn't attend the crowded hearing in a courtroom behind his old Texas Capitol office, but his high-powered lawyers told judges that enough was enough.
"The danger of allowing a prosecutor to do this is mind-boggling," Perry attorney David Botsford said.
Perry is accused of misusing his power in 2013 when he vetoed funding for local prosecutors after Travis County District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg, an elected Democrat, refused calls to resign following a drunken driving arrest. He was indicted a year later by a grand jury in liberal Austin and faces up to life in prison if convicted.
Perry has denounced the charges as a partisan attack. But in a lively back-and-forth with an eight-judge panel, all but one of whom is an elected Republican, Perry's legal team didn't raise claims of political retribution and instead framed the veto as a rightful constitutional power.
Special prosecutors say that's for a trial to determine — and not for the court to settle now. Judges met that with a tone of skepticism, with Republican Judge Kevin Yeary pressing at one point whether going through with a trial would be "wasting everyone's time."
Perry was originally indicted on two counts, but a lower court has already thrown out the other charge of coercion of a public servant. Prosecutors are asking the court to not only order a trial on the remaining charge but also reinstate the other one.
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Appeals court temporarily halts upcoming Cosby deposition
U.S. Court News |
2015/11/13 22:22
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A California appeals court on Thursday temporarily halted an order requiring Bill Cosby and his former attorney to give sworn testimony in a defamation lawsuit filed by model Janice Dickinson.
The order Thursday by the 2nd District Court of Appeal puts plans to depose the comedian and his longtime attorney on hold. The depositions were ordered to occur this month by a Los Angeles Superior Court judge on Nov. 2, but Cosby's attorneys appealed and the appellate court wants legal briefs filed by the end of the month.
An email message sent to Cosby's lawyers was not immediately returned.
"We are confident that once the Court of Appeals hears full argument on the issues it will allow the deposition of Mr. Cosby and his attorney to go forward," Dickinson's attorney Lisa Bloom wrote in an email.
Dickinson is suing Cosby for defamation over denials over her claims that she was drugged raped by the comedian in in 1982. Cosby's lawyers want the case dismissed, but a judge ordered the depositions so Dickinson's lawyers can properly oppose the motion.
She sued Cosby in May, claiming she has been re-victimized and her reputation has suffered because of pointed denials by Cosby's attorney, Martin Singer, that the comedian drugged and raped her in a Lake Tahoe, California, hotel room more than 30 years ago.
Dickinson never reported the rape to authorities and has said she was afraid if she did that her career would be damaged and Cosby would retaliate.
Cosby, 78, has never been charged with a crime and has denied allegations that he drugged and sexually assaulted women.
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Woman charged in slayings of Connecticut couple due in court
U.S. Court News |
2015/11/03 09:38
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A Connecticut woman accused of conspiring with her boyfriend to kill his parents when they were considering cutting him out of their will is scheduled to make her first court appearance.
Jennifer Valiante of Westport is expected to be arraigned Monday in Bridgeport Superior Court on charges including conspiracy to commit murder and hindering prosecution. It's not clear if she has a lawyer.
Her boyfriend, 27-year-old Kyle Navin of Bridgeport, is facing murder charges in the slayings of his parents, Jeanette and Jeffrey Navin of Easton. His arraignment hasn't been set. His lawyer declined to comment.
The Navins disappeared Aug. 4 and their bodies were found Thursday in Weston.
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