National Roundup

Texas Judge blocks release of Manson follower's tapes DALLAS (AP) -- A Texas judge has blocked the release of decades-old tapes of conversations between a Charles Manson follower and his trial attorney while the matter is under appeal. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Schell Wednesday granted a motion by Charles "Tex" Watson to stay a bankruptcy court ruling making the tapes available to the Los Angeles Police Department. Watson is serving a life sentence for his role in the 1969 murders of actress Sharon Tate and six others. The tapes are part of a bankruptcy proceeding involving the law firm of Bill Boyd, who died in 2009. The bankruptcy judge ordered that they be turned over to the LAPD in May, ruling that Watson waived attorney-client privilege when he allowed them to be cited in a book he co-authored in 1978. Florida Pill mill mogul gets 20 years in prison MIAMI (AP) -- A former South Florida pill mill kingpin has been sentenced to 20 years in prison but could serve far less time because of his extensive cooperation with investigators. A federal judge imposed the sentence Friday on 43-year-old Vincent Colangelo. He pleaded guilty earlier to drug, tax evasion and money laundering charges. Court records show Colangelo's eight clinics in Broward and Miami-Dade counties dispensed at least 660,000 oxycodone and other pills between January 2009 and December 2010. Authorities seized cash, 50 vehicles and other assets from Colangelo after his arrest. Prosecutors say Colangelo is helping them build many other cases. They could later recommend a sentence reduction. Colangelo was one of 20 people arrested in a February 2011 pill mill sweep, one of several in a recent crackdown. Vermont Trial set for Vermont man in 12-year-old's death BURLINGTON, Vt. (AP) -- The trial of the Vermont man facing the federal death penalty in the sexual assault and killing of his 12-year-old niece is now scheduled for September 2013. Prosecutors and defense attorneys for Michael Jacques (Jakes) attended a status conference Friday in U.S. District Court in Burlington. The 46-year-old Jacques has been in federal custody since shortly after Brooke Bennett went missing in June 2008. Her body was found a mile from his home. He has pleaded not guilty. Federal prosecutors are planning to seek the death penalty. The trial was first scheduled for last year, but was delayed due to a series of court motions. Lawyers are waiting for a ruling from a judicial panel in New York on whether past allegations of sexual misconduct can be mentioned. Pennsylvania Judge: Police beating civil lawsuit won't be split PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A federal judge says that a civil lawsuit claiming that Pittsburgh police used excessive force against an art student will be decided at one trial. District Judge Gary L. Lancaster made the ruling Friday. Three officers are accused of badly beating 18-year-old Jordan Miles during an arrest in 2010. Miles filed a federal civil rights suit claiming physical and psychological injuries. Attorneys for the officers had sought one trial on whether the officers were liable, and a second on damages. The city has paid $75,000 to settle claims that it improperly supervised the officers, but would still have to pay any monetary verdict. A local prosecutor and the Justice Department chose not to file criminal civil rights charges against the officers. The trial is set to begin July 16. Pennsylvania Settlement reached in state troopers urination case PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A southwestern Pennsylvania woman has settled a civil rights lawsuit involving state police she says urinated on her while she was shackled hand and foot. Derena Marie Madison's civil rights lawsuit against five state troopers was formally dismissed Thursday, more than two months after the end of mediation. Madison said the troopers from a Fayette County barracks also pepper-sprayed her after a February 2011 arrest on charges of public drunkenness and disorderly conduct. The troopers denied urinating on Madison and said they used pepper spray because she was being verbally abusive. They said they used warm water to wash out her eyes after she calmed down. Online court records don't show the terms of the settlement. Attorneys for both sides didn't immediately return messages Friday. Wisconsin Utility to pay millions to settle EPA lawsuit MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- A western Wisconsin utility has agreed to spend nearly $156 million to settle a federal clean air lawsuit. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency filed a lawsuit Thursday against La Crosse-based Dairyland Power Cooperative. The agency accused the utility of making modifications to its coal-fired power plants in Alma and Genoa without obtaining the proper permits or installing the best pollution control technology, resulting in large amounts of pollutants in the atmosphere. EPA officials said in a statement released Friday morning the utility has agreed to a consent decree calling for it to invest about $150 million in pollution control technology, spend $5 million on projects to benefit the environment near the plants and pay a penalty of $950,000. Dairyland's attorney didn't immediately return a message Friday. Louisiana BP, EEOC reach $5.4M deal over gender bias claims NEW ORLEANS (AP) -- BP and its contractors have agreed to pay up to $5.4 million to resolve complaints that some women weren't considered for temporary jobs responding to the 2010 Gulf of Mexico oil spill because of their gender. The agreement announced late Thursday ends an investigation by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission without the federal agency filing a lawsuit over the allegations. The EEOC says it hasn't determined that London-based BP PLC violated any anti-discrimination laws. BP denies it engaged in any wrongdoing. An undetermined number of women from Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida who applied for BP spill response jobs will be eligible for shares of the money. The EEOC said its probe was based on complaints by several women in Louisiana and Alabama. Published: Mon, Jul 2, 2012