National Roundup

Indiana
Veteran detective files sexual harassment suit
FORT WAYNE, Ind. (AP) — A female detective claims in a lawsuit that male police officers in Fort Wayne invited her to watch pornographic videos, used obscene names and gestures and kept a sex toy for an office “mascot.”
Bridget Glaser is suing the police department in federal court, claiming her civil rights were violated. Neither her attorneys nor attorneys representing the city immediately returned phone calls from The Associated Press seeking comment Friday.
Glaser says women in the Fort Wayne department were treated like “second-class citizens.”
Court documents allege a police sergeant kept a sex toy on his desk that was rotated around the office and at least once placed on Glaser’s chair.

Nebraska
Rights group backs governor in inmate case
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) — A group backing states’ rights and a conservative Washington, D.C., think tank are joining the American Civil Liberties Union in an unusual alliance backing Gov. Lincoln Chafee’s (CHAY-’fee’s) efforts to prevent a murder suspect from prosecution in federal court where he faces the death penalty.
The Providence Journal reports that the Colorado-based Independence Institute and Cato Institute are supporting Chafee’s request that the U.S. Supreme Court overturn a lower court ruling that the state surrender Jason Pleau (PLEW) to federal custody.
David Kopel, research director at the Independence Institute, says state sovereignty would be jeopardized if the appeals court ruling stands.
Chafee refuses to turn over Pleau from state prison, citing the state’s longstanding rejection of the death penalty.
The ACLU said last month it also supports Chafee.

California
Insanity is part of former Marine’s plea in Fresno
FRESNO, Calif. (AP) — A former Marine sergeant diagnosed with mental illness has pleaded innocent by reason of insanity to thefts at two California banks in 2011.
Twenty-nine-year-old Marco Lopez entered his plea Thursday. A Fresno County judge told him he could be sent to a mental hospital for the rest of his life and attorney Michael McKneely said Lopez was prepared for that.
McKneely says Lopez is bipolar and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after two tours in Iraq.
Lopez told The Fresno Bee recently that his job with the Marines was to seek out the enemy and confront them ahead of the main division.
Lopez has been declared legally competent to stand trial. His mental health will be evaluated by two doctors who will report back to the court in December.

Pennsylvania
Judge rejects insanity-based appeal in case
HOLLIDAYSBURG, Pa. (AP) — A central Pennsylvania judge has denied requests for a new trial or resentencing for an Iraq war veteran serving life in prison in the shooting deaths of a clerk and a bystander during the robbery of a sandwich shop.
The Altoona Mirro reports Friday that Blair County Judge Jolene Kopriva rejected defense claims that she erred in refusing to permit an insanity defense in 32-year-old Nicholas Horner’s March trial, among other alleged errors.
Horner was convicted in the deaths of 19-year-old Scott Garlick and 64-year-old Raymond Williams during a robbery of the Altoona Subway shop on April 6, 2009.
The defense argued Horner was suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder at the time, but prosecutors said psychologists ruled that out.
Horner’s attorney says he’ll now appeal to Superior Court.

Mississippi
Grand jury indicts inmate for his role in prison riot
NATCHEZ, Miss. (AP) — A federal grand jury has indicted an inmate who authorities have identified as an alleged instigator of the May 20 prison riot at the Adams County Correctional Center that left a guard dead.
The Natchez Democrat reports that Yoany Oriel Serrano-Bejarano has been charged with instigating and conspiring to cause the riot.
Court records say prisoners were angry about their treatment the day the riot erupted.
In September, an FBI agent stated in an affidavit that Serrano-Bejarano was one of a number of inmates who stacked food carts in order to reach correctional officers on the roof of one of the prison’s buildings during the riot.
Prison guard Catlin Carithers was assaulted on the roof and later died from his injuries. At least 20 people were injured.
Authorities say Serrano-Bejarano had a prison staff radio during the riot, assaulted a hostage and contributed to the destruction at the facility.
An FBI agent’s affidavit in the case said the riot was started by a group of Mexican inmates, known as Paisas, who were angry about what they considered poor food and medical care and disrespectful guards. Paisas are a loosely affiliated group within the prison, without ties to organized gangs, FBI spokeswoman Deborah Madden said.
Court records show Serrano-Bejarano was released from prison Aug. 28 for his previous crimes, but has been in federal custody since Sept. 5.
Another inmate, Juan Lopez-Fuentes, pleaded guilty in August to charges related to the riot and is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 19.

Mississippi
Judge tosses lawsuit in cop’s stun gun case
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit that alleged 21-year-old Rafael Forbes was killed in 2007 by a Jackson policeman’s stun gun.
U.S. District Judge Henry Wingate ruled last week that there was no proof that the city had a policy that led to Forbes’ death.
“This lawsuit ... is devoid of allegations or evidence of wrongful actions by city policy-makers,” Wingate said.
In her 2009 lawsuit filed on behalf of her son, Patricia Forbes alleged negligence and excessive force by a Jackson police officer against her son.
The city, in its motion to dismiss the lawsuit, said an autopsy showed Rafael Forbes died as a result of hypertensive heart disease, morbid obesity and hyperthermia — all of which Patricia Forbes denied was true.
Police reports said Forbes was arrested Aug. 14, 2007, after a foot chase and a stun gun was used because he was resisting arrest. Forbes began showing signs of shortness of breath and was taken to Central Mississippi Medical Center, where he died at 12:15 a.m. the next day.
A court document filed for Patricia Forbes said medical records show Rafael Forbes was 6-foot-2 and 228 pounds, “not even close to being obese.”