Category: U.S.

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U.S.

Massachusetts Drug Convictions Tainted by Chemist Charged With Evidence Tampering

evidence tampering, Massachusetts drug convictions
evidence tampering, Massachusetts drug convictions

Massachusetts drug convictions possibly tainted by evidence tampering by a chemist who worked at the lab performing the tests may be retried, and defense attorneys are arguing that anyone who requests a new trial as a result of the evidence tampering should not face a harsher sentence after the new trial than what they received after their first trial. The American Civil Liberties Union also thinks that this is only fair. According to the ACLU more than 40,000 drug convictions are affected by the laboratory scandal that erupted when chemist Annie Dookhan was outed for sloppy methods and sometimes even outright evidence tampering. The individuals who have been convicted of drug charges based on Dookhan’s testing are called Dookhan defendants and they have a right to ask for a new trial because of the misconduct that the chemist committed in the lab.

According to a legal brief filed by prosecutors in the Massachussetts drug convictions and evidence tampering in the lab “Revival of the original charges requires no action by the prosecutor and thus cannot carry a vindictive intent. Rather, the original charge will be revived by operation of law, as they have been in this Commonwealth for over one-hundred years.” There is some concern among defense attorneys that any individual who made a plea deal and had a drug conviction based on evidence tainted by Dookhan would face all of the original charges, even those dropped as part of a plea deal. Some also argue that if a retrial is requested the prosecutors may try for a harsher sentence as a vindictive measure.

 

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Economic U.S.

2014 Saw Increase in Fake IDs Presented at Borders by Illegal Immigrants

fake IDs, illegal immigrants
fake IDs, illegal immigrants

In the USA illegal immigration is a very controversial topic, with people on both sides of the debate. In the last year there was a 25% increase in the number of illegal immigrants who were stopped at American borders who possessed fake IDs. Arizona recently passed legislation that made using a false identity or stealing an identity for any purpose a felony but this legislation has been put on hold by a federal judge for now. Many have accused President Obama of encouraging illegal immigration with his recent executive amnesty actions, and many believe that the fact that the United States President is soft on illegal immigrants caused the child immigration surge seen during 2014. Others point out that the migration pattern of immigrants changes regularly.

Attempts made by illegal immigrants to use fake IDs and other fraudulent documents in order to gain entry to the USA increased by 25% in the fiscal 2014 year, and that gives many US citizens reason for concern. A number of Americans have been the victim of identity theft, and in one case the woman whose identity was stolen was refused a new social security number while the identity thief was issued the new number by the Social Security Administration. The increase is possibly due to the increase in border patrol agents and other security measures that have been implemented, so that fewer illegal immigrants are slipping through the cracks undetected, but it could also signal more interest in getting into American to take advantage of the amnesty that President Obama has offered.

 

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Economic U.S.

Falling Oil Prices Could Lead to Gas Tax Hike in USA

gas tax hike, falling oil prices
gas tax hike, falling oil prices

Falling oil prices could lead to a gas tax hike in the USA if some elected officials have anything to say about it. Right now Americans are enjoying prices at the pump that are the lowest seen in half a decade and some see it as an opportunity to raise some revenue and fix the crumbling US infrastructure. It is undisputed that the roads and bridges in many areas of America need to be repaired, and a gas tax hike could help do this as long as prices stay low. Few people want to see new taxes though, especially at a time when many Americans are still struggling financially. The tax on fuels has been flat for the last 2 decades, while the infrastructure of the country has aged and is starting to show wear and damage.

Some who discuss a proposed gas tax hike as a result of falling oil prices do not see things the same way as many politicians though. Lower oil prices are providing a much needed break for American consumers who are faced with rising costs in many other areas. Food prices continue to go up, healthcare costs and insurance premiums have spiraled out of control, and people are feeling pinched of every penny right now. Raising taxes in any form may not sit well with the voters that the politicians depend on to keep their jobs. Another concern voiced is what happens if oil prices go back up? Will any gas tax enacted be eliminated if this happens?

 

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Entertainment U.S.

4 People in New Hampshire Caught Grave Digging in Search for Real Will

grave digging, search for real will
grave digging, search for real will

4 people in New Hampshire was caught grave digging in order to help a woman locate the real will of her father, and has plead guilty to the charges filed against him. According to the prosecutor in the case the situation is like something out of an Edgar Allan Poe story. When businessman Eddie Nash passed away his daughter Melanie was convinced that a real will was hidden, and apparently she thought that her father was buried with the will. Melanie convinced 38 year old Michael Day and two other individuals to help her break into the vault which held her father’s remains at the Colebrook Village Cemetery. According to the police no will was discovered by the 4 grave robbers, but they did take cash, vodka, and cigarettes.

The grave digging quartet in New Hampshire were all caught after their search for the real will. Defense attorneys argued that some of the statements made by Melanie Nash should be suppressed because she was not read her rights before she made the statements. A judge disagreed though, and stated that since Melanie came to the police department of her own free will after she found out that there was an arrest warrant issued for her. According to the statement that Melanie Nash wrote out for the police “All this was done for the right reasons and I know my father would be OK with it. We did it with respect.” In 2004 Eddie Nash had a heart attack and this caused his death, the construction company that he started in 1979 is still operated by family members today.

 

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Politics U.S.

Kirby Delauter’s Newspaper Lawsuit Threat Backfired Against Him

newspaper lawsuit threat, Kirby Delauter
newspaper lawsuit threat, Kirby Delauter

The newspaper lawsuit threat made by Kirby Delauter, a politician in Maryland, has backfired against him and ended up with different results than what he expected. Delauter made the newspaper lawsuit threat on Facebook after he was upset about a story that was published by the Frederick News Post that covered a disagreement between the politician and a county executive. The disagreement was over keys to county offices and parking spaces, a trivial matter. Kirby posted on his Facebook page “Use my name again unauthorized and you’ll be paying for an attorney, Your rights stop where mine start.” Delauter is a Republican who serves on the Frederick County Council, and apparently he was upset about being mentioned in the article. Instead of backing off the threats made by Kirby just made matters worse for the politician.

After the newspaper lawsuit threat was made on Facebook by Kirby Delauter the newspaper published an article about the threat, mentioning the politician by name once more. In addition an editorial was published that was titled Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter, Kirby Delauter. In this editorial the politician’s name is mentioned no less than 25 times, along with citations from the First Amendment of the US Constitution regarding the guarantee of a free press. On top of this the paper published an acrostic puzzle and the first letter of each paragraph in the puzzle spelled Kirby Delauter as well. According to the paper’s managing editor Terry Headlee “ At first I thought the threat was a joke. I just couldn’t believe that an elected official would say something so stupid,”

 

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Breaking News U.S.

Fatal Shooting Between Siblings in Florida Results in Child Abuse Charges Against Parents

child abuse, fatal shooting, Florida
child abuse, fatal shooting, Florida

A fatal shooting in White Springs, Florida has led to child abuse charges against the parents of the siblings involved. The 15 year old girl who is not being named shot her 16 year old brother and called him after she says he beat her and locked her in her room. When police investigated the home the 15 year old girl’s bedroom only contained a bucket in the closet for bathroom purposes and a blanket. After the parents were contacted they admitted that they often locked the girl up, for as long as 20 days at a time. The teens father was a truck driver and their mother often went along on trips, leaving the 16 year old boy in charge of his 15 year old sibling as well as two other female siblings who were 11 and 3 years old at the time.

The fatal shooting in Florida occurred after the 16 year old beat the 15 year old girl and then locked her in the bedroom. Police say the girl has been abused for years, and she finally had enough. The 15 year old convinced the 11 year old to unlock the door, and she then went through her parent’s bedroom window in order to get to the gun because their door was locked. The 16 year old was sleeping in the living room when he was fatally shot. Both older sisters are in a juvenile facility and the 3 year old was taken into protective custody by the state. The parents admit that the 15 year old was very disturbed, saying she had attempted suicide several times and been molested by an uncle who was convicted in 2010. In 2011 the parents found the siblings having sex. In spite of this the police and protective workers were never called by the parents who are now being charged with child abuse.