National Roundup

Oregon Medford murder trial begins in 1996 death of teen MEDFORD, Ore. (AP) -- A murder trial began Tuesday in circuit court in Medford where 31-year-old William Frank Simmons is accused of killing a 15-year-old girl in 1996. The skeletal remains of Kaelin Glazier were found in a field in 2008 in Applegate Valley. Jackson County District Attorney Mark Huddleston says Simmons was the last person to see the South Medford High School sophomore the night she disappeared. Defense lawyer Andy Vandergaw says the prosecution's case is weak and based on circumstantial evidence and that police botched the investigation. The Mail Tribune reports jurors are scheduled for a bus ride Wednesday to see the field where the body was found. Montana UM sexual assault investigation complete MISSOULA, Mont. (AP) -- University of Montana's president says he'll discuss the results of an investigation of reported sexual assaults involving UM students next week during two public forums. Royce Engstrom received the report Tuesday from former state Supreme Court Justice Diane Barz, who was hired in mid-December to perform an independent investigation. UM Vice President Jim Foley says there is significant detail in the report and Engstrom wants time to review it before commenting. Engstrom plans to discuss the investigation at two public meetings on Feb. 7, one on campus that afternoon and another downtown that evening. The probe was spurred by reports that two UM students were drugged and raped by multiple male students. New Mexico Former Carlsbad attorney facing aggravated assault CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) -- A Carlsbad man who can no longer practice law is facing more trouble. Former attorney Shawn Lunsford is facing aggravated assault stemming from an incident in early January involving his wife. The Carlsbad Current-Argus reports police responded to the Lunsford's home on Jan. 18 on a domestic disturbance involving a gun. Lunsford's wife alleged he had threatened her as she attempted to leave. On Friday, a warrant for Lunsford's arrest was issued for negligent use of a deadly weapon, aggravated assault on a household member and interference with communications pertaining to the Jan. 18 incident. Early Saturday, Lunsford was taken into custody without incident and later posted bond and was released. Lunsford was stripped of his law license by the state Supreme Court when a client complained that Lunsford closed his local office and ceased contact with clients with no advance notice. Pennsylvania Men jailed in bomb threat diversion heist SHARON, Pa. (AP) -- Two western Pennsylvania men are jailed on charges the robbed prescription drugs from a pharmacy -- while police were diverted to an elementary school targeted in a phony bomb threat. Online court records don't list an attorney for 22-year-olds Aaron Bradley and Joseph Van Meter, both of Hermitage. The Herald newspaper of Sharon, Pa. reports Wednesday that the men were arrested Monday on charges including robbery and terroristic threats. Police say the bomb threat was phoned in to West Hill Elementary School in Sharon on Oct. 29, 2008. While that drew police attention while the school was evacuated, the men allegedly robbed the Medicine Shoppe. The men allegedly tied up two female clerks and stole drugs, but not money. Both men remained jailed Wednesday, unable to post bail. Pennsylvania Prosecution witness recants drug slaying ID HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- The stepbrother of a man on trial in a central Pennsylvania killing claims physical abuse by police prompted his earlier statements identifying the killer. Twenty-six-year-old Rashawn Mosley is on trial in Dauphin County Court in the July 2004 killing of Christopher Thompson. Mosley's stepbrother Christopher Stevenson told the court Tuesday he'd been roughed up by officers and threatened with criminal charges if he didn't implicate Mosley in the killing. Prosecutors played a recording of a statement Stevenson gave police, in which he says Mosley told him he hadn't meant to kill Thompson when he came to Harrisburg to buy heroin. The Patriot-News of Harrisburg reports police deny Stevenson's claims of coercion. Mosley previously pleaded guilty but was later granted an appeal and a trial. Missouri Appeals court cuts $6.5 million award to officer KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- A Missouri appeals court threw out most of a $6.5 million judgment awarded to a former Kansas City police officer after he was fired. Danny Holmes received the $6.5 million judgment after he alleged in a lawsuit that he was fired because of racial discrimination, breach of contract and whistleblower violations. On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the Western District Court of Appeals reduced the award to $500,000 in actual and punitive damages. The court said a Jackson County jury was correct when it found the fact that Holmes is black contributed to his firing. The Kansas City Star reports the appeals court ruled Holmes' whistleblower claim was barred by sovereign immunity, and that Holmes did not have a contractual right to sue for wrongful termination. South Dakota Child porn convict gets sentence reduced PIERRE, S.D. (AP) -- A 100-year prison sentence handed down to a Pierre man convicted of possessing child pornography has been cut about in half. The South Dakota Supreme Court last year ruled that the initial sentence for 48-year-old Troy Bruce was excessive and ordered a new sentencing. KCCR radio reports that Judge Mark Barnett on Tuesday sentenced Bruce to a total of 55 years in prison. Bruce will be eligible for parole after serving one-fourth of the sentence. He also was given credit for about two years he already has served behind bars. A jury in December 2009 convicted Bruce on 55 counts of child porn possession. It was Bruce's second trial -- the first ended in a mistrial when a police detective on the stand violated a judge's order regarding allowable testimony. Published: Thu, Feb 2, 2012