National Roundup

New York
Sanctioned city court judge to make appeal for return to job
ROCHESTER, N.Y. (AP) — New York's highest court will hear the case of a Rochester judge whose trying to keep her job after a state judicial panel said she should be removed from the bench because of her behavior.

The Democrat and Chronicle reports City Court Judge Leticia Astacio's attorney will argue her case before the Court of Appeals in Albany on Wednesday.

In April, the Commission on Judicial Conduct recommended that Astacio be removed because of a series of incidents that include a 2016 arrest for driving while intoxicated and skipping a court date, resulting in her being jailed.

Astacio and her Syracuse-based attorney, Robert Julian, say the commission's recommendation of removal is unfair and out of step with the panel's precedent.

Astacio remains suspended from the bench but continues to receive her $187,200 salary.

Florida
2 bodies found after blood seen dripping from apartment ceiling
MARGATE, Fla. (AP) — A neighbor's call to police after noticing blood dripping from the ceiling of a South Florida apartment led to a grim discovery in the upstairs unit.

Margate police Lt. Joseph Galaska told news outlets Monday that 84-year-old Nicholas Mantzouranis killed his 66-year-old wife Sally Mantzouranis before turning the gun on himself.

Galaska said the tenant told a maintenance worker about the red substance seeping from the ceiling Sunday afternoon. Paramedics and police were called to the apartment to perform a wellness check. When no one answered the door, they removed it and found the bodies inside. A pistol was next to Nicholas Mantzouranis.

Police are continuing to investigate the case.

Indiana
Trial courts can text defendants about hearings
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — A new service that allows Indiana trial courts to text defendants about upcoming court hearings has generated more than 135,000 texts in the first few months.

The Indiana Supreme Court says trial courts in the 33 counties and three local courts have been using the service since it became available in May.

The texts are sent automatically in any criminal case if the defendant's cellphone number is stored electronically and the court is using the texting service through the online Odyssey court docket system .

Reminders are sent five days and one day ahead of a hearing. If a hearing is cancelled or rescheduled, another message is sent.

Recipients can opt out by texting STOP in reply.

Ohio
30 days in jail for teen who brought gun to school
LORAIN, Ohio (AP) — An Ohio teen who brought a gun to school earlier this year for what he said was self-protection has been sentenced to 30 days in jail.

Eighteen-year-old Codsh'e Berger of Lorain pleaded guilty in July to carrying concealed weapons and illegal conveyance or possession of a deadly weapon or dangerous ordnance in a school safety zone.

Lorain County Common Pleas Court Judge Chris Cook on Friday sentenced Berger to 12 months on each count, but told Berger he would grant judicial release after 30 days.

The Morning Journal reports that defense attorney Robert Forestall said Berger has no criminal record and had brought the gun to Lorain High School in May for protection.

Cook said the teen could have accomplished that without bringing a gun to school.

West Virginia
Jury convicts man of torturing wife
HAMLIN, W.Va. (AP) — A West Virginia man has been convicted of torturing his wife.

News outlets report a Lincoln County Circuit Court jury found Kevin Woodrum of Gordon guilty Friday of kidnapping, malicious assault, domestic battery and assault during commission of a felony.
The jury found Woodrum not guilty of second-degree sexual assault and strangulation.

Prosecutors say Woodrum tied his wife to a bed, beat her, burned her with a lighter and poured water over her face in December 2016.

The trial had been moved to Lincoln County after a Boone County judge declared a mistrial earlier this year and granted a change of venue.

Massachusetts
Fantasy sports site files lawsuit over attack
BOSTON (AP) — Daily fantasy sports giant DraftKings says it was attacked last month with a denial of service that prevented customers from using its website for a short time.

A federal judge in Massachusetts issued an order Friday allowing the company to seek the identities of those who launched a denial of service attack on Aug. 8.

DraftKings says the attack involved overwhelming the site for more than 20 minutes with three times the number of requests for information it normally receives.

The IP addresses of those involved in the attack were traced back to several service providers.  DraftKings says the court order will allow them to subpoena those providers.

The attack came days after DraftKings launched a sports betting operation in New Jersey and a month before the start of the NFL season. But the company says there is no indication it was linked to either event.

Chief Legal Officer R. Stanton Dodge of DraftKings says no confidential customer or company information was stolen.

North Carolina
Judge orders man to forfeit home, pay child porn victims
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge has ordered a North Carolina man to forfeit his home and pay $250,000 to a child he used for producing pornography.

The News & Observer in Raleigh reported Friday that 33-year-old Adam Geoffrey Frankel had created multiple videos involving underage girls in his Cary home. Police said he persuaded them to perform sexual acts on video. Investigators also said they found at least 136,350 images of child pornography.

Chief United States District Judge James C. Dever III on Thursday ordered Frankel to pay $250,000 to a minor victim. Frankel also must pay another $43,500 to three other victims of child pornography that was produced by other people.

Frankel had pleaded guilty to manufacturing child pornography. He was sentenced to nearly 25 years in prison earlier this year.