National Roundup

Florida Woman pleads not guilty in 'toxic tush' case FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- A Florida woman accused by authorities of illegally injecting toxic substances into women's buttocks as an enhancement procedure has pleaded not guilty. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports Oneal Ron Morris sent a written plea of not guilty to a Broward County judge on Thursday. She faces unlicensed practice of medicine and related charges in Broward County. Morris, who police say was born a man and identifies as a woman, was arrested in November on similar charges in Miami-Dade County. Her attorney says his client maintains her innocence. Authorities say Morris injected flat-tire sealant, glue, caulk and cement into women's buttocks. All three victims suffered medical complications and infections. Indiana Union says right-to-work law violates free speech INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Union attorneys are using a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gave corporations and unions the green light to spend unlimited sums of cash on campaign ads as part of a legal effort to overturn Indiana's new right-to-work law. Attorneys for the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 150 argue in a court brief that the new law interferes with the union's free speech rights because it stifles the collection of money that helps pay for political speech. But the Indiana lawyer who crafted the argument that resulted in the 2010 Supreme Court decision says it would turn the ruling "on its head" if a judge accepted the union's argument. Jim Bopp of Terre Haute says there's no right to force someone else to pay for your free speech. Iowa EEOC to ask for rehearing in key class-action case IOWA CITY, Iowa (AP) -- The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission plans to ask a federal appeals court to reconsider a ruling that could hurt its ability to pursue class-action discrimination lawsuits on behalf of workers in the Midwest. The agency's petition for a rehearing was filed Monday with the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, which dismissed a lawsuit in which more than 100 women claimed they were sexually harassed by male trainers at an Iowa trucking company. The 2-1 ruling set a new standard that requires EEOC to investigate every workers' claim and seek informal settlements before suing a company. The standard applies in the federal circuit that stretches from Arkansas to the Dakotas. EEOC's top lawyer says the standard would make it more expensive and time-consuming to bring such cases. Illinois Jury selection begins in McCullough rape case SYCAMORE, Ill. (AP) -- Potential jurors in the trial of a Seattle man suspected in the sexual assault of an Illinois teenager 50 years ago were in court Monday. Jack McCullough of Seattle was charged with rape and indecent liberties with a child for the alleged abuse of a 14-year-old Sycamore, Ill., girl from 1961 to 1962. Jury selection is expected Monday. The 72-year-old also faces kidnapping and murder charges in the 1957 death of Maria Ridulph, also of Sycamore. Those charges aren't part of the trial starting Monday. The (DeKalb) Daily Chronicle reports that public defender Regina Harris says it'll be difficult to pick jurors in the high-profile case. She says there's a larger than usual pool of jurors for that reason. McCullough is being at the DeKalb County Jail. Illinois Judge does wedding of son of man he sent to prison EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (AP) -- A southwestern Illinois man who grew up without his once-incarcerated dad says he won't be following in his father's footsteps. And to help make the point he just got married by the federal judge who had sent his dad to prison. The Belleville News-Democrat reports that Donald Brown Jr. tied the knot about two weeks ago to his childhood sweetheart in U.S. District Judge William Stiehl's East St. Louis courtroom. Brown was just 9 when Stiehl sentenced Donald Brown Sr. to 12 years in prison for drug dealing. Now, Air Force-bound Donald Jr. plans to attend law school, having studied many proceedings in Stiehl's courtroom. It's during that time that Donald Jr. learned from his dad that Stiehl was the one who ordered the elder Brown to prison. Georgia Family of HERO worker upset about plea deal ATLANTA (AP) -- The family of Georgia's first HERO worker killed in the line of duty is upset about a plea agreement prosecutors reached with a suspect in his death. Spencer Pass of Jonesboro was killed Jan. 31, 2011, while helping a motorist on Interstate 85 south of downtown Atlanta. Authorities say 47-year-old Kirk Sherwood of Loganville is due in court Monday to face charges of second-degree vehicular homicide and violating the state's "move over law." The Pass family's attorney, Thomas Cuffie, said a plea deal will result in one year of probation for Sherwood. Cuffie tells WSB Radio that relatives had hoped Sherwood's sentence would include some jail time. Authorities say the plea deal has been approved by Fulton County Solicitor General's Office but must be finalized by a judge. Virginia ACLU of Va. seeks strip-search policies RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- The American Civil Liberties Union of Virginia is asking sheriffs and jailers for copies of their policies on the use of strip searches. The request was prompted by the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling last week that detainees for even minor crimes may be strip-searched by law enforcement personnel. Kent Willis, executive director of the state ACLU, says the ruling is not a license to expand strip searches in Virginia. He says state law makes it clear that strip searches for minor crimes are prohibited in most circumstances. Willis says he hopes the responses to the ACLU's Freedom of Information Act request will show that local and regional jails are complying with the state law. The request was emailed to Virginia's 145 sheriffs and jail superintendents Thursday. Published: Tue, Apr 10, 2012