National Roundup

California: DirecTV settles with Ohio, other states for $14.3M
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Satellite TV provider DirecTV Inc. says it has settled a dispute with state prosecutors across the country that solidifies how it tells customers about cancellation fees and other contract terms.

El Segundo, Calif.-based DirecTV said Tuesday it also will pay $14.25 million to the states to cover legal and investigation costs and fund consumer protection programs.

Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray says the state has received more than 1,700 consumer complaints about DirecTV since Jan. 1, 2007. He says the settlement will   compensate Ohioans he says were deceived by misleading ads or confused by contract language.

DirecTV agreed to make it clear to customers that they must pay a $20-per-month fee for the time remaining on a 24-month contract if they cancel.

California: Judge tosses suit challenging $26M NFL union deal
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A federal judge has tossed out a lawsuit by several retired NFL players who are dissatisfied with a $26 million settlement between the NFL union and about 2,000 retirees.

Lawyers representing the retirees agreed to the settlement last year in exchange for the NFL Players Association dropping its appeal of a jury verdict. The jury found in 2008 that the union failed to pursue marketing deals on their behalf.

After the settlement, several retirees accused the plaintiff lawyers of malpractice, saying they settled for too little because of mistakes made at trial.

U.S. District Judge William Alsup on Monday dismissed the lawsuit against the law firms Manatt, Phelps & Phillips and McKool Smith. He lauded the players’ lawyer, Peter Parcher, for “excellent trial work.”

Kentucky: Guilty plea to burying cash on golf course
COVINGTON, Ky. (AP) — A man who was a neighbor and golfing partner of northern Kentucky homebuilder Bill Erpenbeck has pleaded guilty to lying to the FBI about burying stolen cash on a golf course.

Steven Michael Skidmore entered his plea on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Covington, reports The Kentucky Enquirer. Sentencing of the 48-year-old Skidmore was set for March 28.

Skidmore now lives in Florida and is free on bond. The newspaper reported he could not be reached for comment after the court hearing   and his attorneys declined comment.

The plea agreement revealed the amount of money dug up at Summit Hills golf course in Crestview Hills as $257,611.

In the summer of 2009, Erpenbeck called agents to the Florida prison where he is serving 25 years for bank fraud and said he gave Skidmore a quarter-million dollars to hide for him.

Nebraska: U.S. attorney helps collect more than $8M
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — The Nebraska U.S. Attorney’s office helped collect more than $8 million in fiscal 2010.

Most of the money collected — some $6.3 million — as related to civil lawsuits, but $1.7 million was collected in criminal actions.

Some of the money collected goes to compensate victims directly, but the criminal fines and felony assessments help fund state victim assistance programs. And some of the money helps the federal budget.

Nebraska U.S. Attorney Deborah Gilg says the collections were especially important during this past year because of the weak economy.

South Dakota: Attorney on trial for possessing child pornography
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) — The lawyer for a Sioux Falls defense attorney being tried on child pornography charges told a federal court jury that Leo Flynn sought out the material so he could give legal advice to clients.

The 62-year-old Flynn is facing charges including possession and distribution of child porn. South Dakota law gives immunity to lawyers and some others who work on such cases, but federal law doesn’t. Defense attorney Rory Durkin says the state law should apply in Flynn’s case.

Prosecutors say they found hundreds of pornographic files on Flynn’s computer. On Tuesday, they played audio of an interview with investigators in which Flynn said he searched for child porn about once a week.

The Argus Leader reports that Flynn’s trial is expected to last late into the week.

California: Judge rebuked for crude gestures, remarks on bench
SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — A Southern California judge has been publicly admonished for crude gestures and improper remarks, the second time in a decade he’s been rebuked by the state Commission on Judicial Performance.

The commission says San Bernardino County Superior Court Judge John Gibson failed to act in a manner that promotes public confidence in the integrity of the judiciary.

Incidents leading to the latest discipline include an in-chambers May meeting with a female lawyer to criticize a male attorney who appeared on her behalf earlier in the day.

The Los Angeles Times says Gibson told her the male lawyer was incompetent and he picked his nose and scratched his genitals or buttocks during a hearing.

Gibson illustrated the behavior with gestures.

Gibson lawyer Paul Meyer says the judge regrets his conduct.

Georgia: Court hearing set for  ‘Stocking Strangler’ Dec. 20
COLUMBUS, Ga. (AP) — A court hearing is scheduled for next week in the “Stocking Strangler” case in Columbus, and officials say Carlton Gary, who was sentenced to death in the series of killings, will attend.

Officials say Gary will be transported from death row in Jackson, Ga., for a hearing on Monday.

DNA test results have revealed that Gary’s semen was not found Martha Thurmond, a woman he was convicted of killing, but was found in the body of a woman for whose homicide he was not tried.

Gary’s attorney, Jack Martin, says he will file a motion for a new trial next week.

District Attorney Julia Slater says the semen sample from Thurmond’s body may have been tainted or degraded. Martin calls that suggestion dishonest.