National Roundup

Pennsylvania Ex-lawmaker gets at least 21/2 years for scheme HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) -- Former Pennsylvania House Speaker John Perzel must spend at least 2 1/2 years in prison for his role in a scheme to use public resources for campaign purposes. The 62-year-old Republican from Philadelphia also was ordered to pay $1 million in restitution. Perzel sat stone-faced as Dauphin County Judge Richard Lewis handed down his sentence of 2? to 5 years Wednesday. Perzel was among seven Republican defendants who pleaded guilty in the case. Prosecutors say he masterminded a scheme to spend millions of dollars on computer technology and expertise to give GOP candidates an advantage in election campaigns. Perzel had no comment as he left the courtroom. Defense attorney Brian McMonagle says he felt Lewis fully considered his client's good works and the impact of his crimes in handing down the sentence. Massachusetts Family: Mother accused of slashing kids sick SALEM, Mass. (AP) -- Family members of the Massachusetts woman accused of slashing her children's throats and setting fire to her apartment say she has a history of mental illness. They tell The Salem News that they didn't see any warning signs before 25-year-old Tanicia Goodwin allegedly cut her 8-year-old son and 3-year-old daughter Sunday night. Goodwin has pleaded not guilty to assault with intent to murder and arson. She's being held without bail pending a dangerousness hearing Monday. As of Tuesday, the boy was in critical condition, and the girl was stable. Her brother, Derek, says she recently asked if she could move to Atlanta to live with him and their cousin, Wayne Cox. He says that may have been a sign she was stressed. Goodwin's cousin, Deborah Cox, says she remembers Goodwin as a "very loving mother." Oregon Pfizer to pay state $3.3M in antibiotic case SALEM, Ore. (AP) -- Drugmaker Pfizer Inc. has agreed to pay Oregon more than $3.3 million to settle claims that the company used misleading statements and studies to market an antibiotic. The settlement announced Tuesday by Oregon Attorney General John Kroger comes after a two-year state investigation of Pfizer's marketing of Zyvox, which is used to treat pneumonia and bacterial skin infections. Pfizer used "unreliable and unsubstantiated claims" in marketing Zyvox as a better choice than a cheaper, generic antibiotic, the state said. Pfizer's sales representatives distributed copies of flawed clinical studies throughout Oregon to support the marketing claims, according to the state Justice Department. The settlement was filed in Marion County Circuit Court. Pfizer denied the allegations, The Oregonian reported (http://is.gd/oWUCwe). In a statement, the company said it was "pleased to resolve this investigation and avoid the further time and cost of litigation." The Oregon settlement builds on a 2009 multistate settlement that involved Zyvox and other drugs, the newspaper reported. In that case, federal prosecutors hit Pfizer with $2.3 billion in fines. "Our investigation was aggressive, detailed, went places that the federal settlement didn't and provided additional settlement to the state of Oregon," said David Hart, a state senior assistant attorney general who headed the probe. The money will reimburse the State Accident Insurance Fund and the Department of Corrections for previous Zyvox purchases. It also will go to fund a new program for consumer education and efforts to teach consumers about proper use of antibiotics. Some of the proceeds will go into a fund for the state's consumer protection activities. Massachusetts Court rules against vet in civil rights suit BOSTON (AP) -- The highest court in Massachusetts has ruled against a veterinarian who claimed Tufts University violated her civil rights and caused her emotional distress when she was banned from attending a lecture on the alleged dangers of feeding a raw diet to pets. Margo Roman said in her lawsuit that a Tufts veterinarian accused her of malpractice for using holistic methods and refusing to euthanize her horse who was suffering from cancer, then threatened to have her arrested when she arrived on campus. On Wednesday, the Supreme Judicial Court upheld a ruling by a judge who dismissed her lawsuit. The court found that Tufts did not exclude Roman from the lecture because of her views on diet or because of their dispute over her horse, but because she owed the school money. Idaho Man charged in death didn't thi n k gun was loaded BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- A 22-year-old Meridian man charged with involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of an acquaintance told police he didn't believe the gun was loaded. Gregory M. Shain made an initial court appearance Tuesday, where his bail was set at $500,000. His preliminary hearing is set for April 2. The Idaho Statesman reports Shain told Boise police that he and 23-year-old Gary Dean Arlen Jr. were passing a handgun back and forth and pointing it at each other before the fatal shot. Shain said one of them took the magazine out and racked the slide to make sure the gun was not loaded. However, later, a different magazine was put in the gun. The shooting was reported at 11:44 p.m. Monday. Massachusetts Charges dropped in death of Mass. woman LOWELL, Mass. (AP) -- Prosecutors have dismissed charges against a 73-year-old Chelmsford man who was accused of being drunk when he accidentally ran over and killed his wife of 53 years in their own driveway. A prosecutor told a judge Tuesday in Lowell District Court that charges of motor-vehicle homicide, operating under the influence and reckless endangerment against Harry Conover Jr. were being dropped because the state "could not successfully sustain its burden of proof." There were questions over the medical evidence linked to 73-year-old Sandra Conover's death. Harry Conover's attorney tells The Sun of Lowell (http://bit.ly/GDGIDc) that what happened was "a tragic accident." Police said the couple had been arguing when he got in his car to drive away and "cool off." His wife followed him outside and was fatally injured. Published: Thu, Mar 22, 2012