- Posted July 24, 2012
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National Roundup
Mississippi
7 former students sue Virginia College in Jackson
JACKSON, Miss. (AP) -- A federal lawsuit filed on behalf of seven women accuses Virginia College's Jackson branch of fraud, breach of contract and negligence in its medical assistants program.
The lawsuit was filed last week in U.S. District Court in Jackson. It claims the privately operated, for-profit school didn't prepare students for the job market and falsely certified they were qualified to be employed as medical assistants. For example, the lawsuit says none of the plaintiffs had sufficient training in drawing blood to meet certification standards.
The lawsuit also claims the college sought out low-income black women with targeted advertising.
Jackson attorney Robert Gibbs, who represents Virginia College, said the college denies the allegations.
Virginia College is operated by Education Corp. of America of Birmingham, Ala.
Arizona
Police: Two girls could face false report charge
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) -- Prosecutors are expected to decide this week whether to file charges against two sisters who police say called them claiming to be a missing Arizona girl.
The 9-year-old and 11-year-old girls were arrested over the weekend on suspicion of false reporting to authorities.
The Arizona Daily Star reports the girls were taken to the Pima County juvenile jail. But officials say they didn't meet the court's criteria for detention.
Tucson police Sgt. Chris Widmer says 25 officers responded to the call Sunday morning from a girl reporting to be 6-year-old Isabel Mercedes Celis of Tucson, who has been missing since April 21.
Investigators traced the call to the girls' home. Police say the sisters admitted making the call, though it's unclear which of the two actually did.
Pennsylvania
Lawyer wants Russian roulette case in juvey
EVERETT, Pa. (AP) -- The defense attorney for a Pennsylvania teen charged in a fatal Russian roulette shooting says he'll try to get the case moved to juvenile court, but otherwise has no comment.
For now, 15-year-old Cole McConoughey of West Providence Township remains charged as an adult with aggravated assault in Bedford County for the shooting at his home shortly before 2 a.m. Friday.
That's when troopers from the Everett barracks say McConoughey pointed the weapon at the head of his friend, 15-year-old Neal Hammond, and fired. Hammond died several hours later.
Police say Hammond and a third teen, who brought the gun and bullets to McConoughey's home, were there for a sleepover. Police say the boys were playing with the gun before McConoughey loaded a bullet, spun the .38 revolver's chamber, and fired the gun against Hammond's head.
Kansas
man gets new trial in fatal accident
TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) -- A Wellsville man who was sentenced to 10 years in prison for a fatal traffic accident will get a new trial.
A panel of the Kansas Court of Appeals on Friday reversed Roger Shaw's 2009 conviction for involuntary manslaughter while driving under the influence. The accident near Wellsville killed 21-year-old Aaron Kichler of Wellsville.
The appeals court sent the case back to Franklin County for a new trial, ruling that state did not prove that Shaw was trying to flee when he hit Kichler. That was one of three claims necessary for a conviction.
The Lawrence Journal-World reports Shaw's truck turned in front of Kichler's motorcycle. Shaw's blood alcohol level was .11, above the legal limit. Court records show Shaw had three previous convictions of driving under the influence.
New Hampshire
Man accused of posing as teen online, NH robbery
BRENTWOOD, N.H. (AP) -- A Massachusetts man has been indicted on charges of posing as a 16-year-old girl online and then as a federal agent to rob a man in a New Hampshire parking lot.
Police say 48-year-old John Ruth of Haverhill is accused of convincing the man to meet him. When the man showed up, Ruth allegedly blocked his vehicle in the parking lot so he couldn't leave, ordered him out of the vehicle and said he was a federal agent with a sex crimes task force. Police say Ruth allegedly frisked the man and took his money, keys and driver's license.
Ruth turned himself into police earlier this year. The Eagle-Tribune reports he was indicted by a Rockingham Superior Court grand jury on charges of false impersonation, false imprisonment and theft.
Virginia
Archaeologists uncover early courthouse
STAFFORD, Va. (AP) -- An effort to update the streets around Stafford's government complex has helped the county discover a major piece of its past.
Archaeologists with an engineering firm uncovered remnants of one of the county's early courthouses, once occupied by federal troops in the Civil War. The find happened during five weeks of excavation work for a project to make the courthouse area more pedestrian-friendly.
Archaeologist Clifton Huston tells the Free Lance-Star that there's "no question" that the dig has uncovered the 1783 courthouse and clerk's office.
Last fall, crews surveyed the area and found broken tableware and shards of green-tinted glass from the 18th or 19th centuries.
The site's now up for review by the National Register of Historic Places.
South Carolina
Suspended lawyer faces lawsuits over $500,000
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- A lawyer suspended last month by the South Carolina Supreme Court now faces two lawsuits that he took more than $500,000 from his clients.
The suspension order signed against Richard J. Breibart gave no indication why he was suspended from practicing law indefinitely.
But lawsuits obtained by The State newspaper accuse Breibart of taking more than $500,000 from his clients and spending the money in unauthorized ways.
The newspaper couldn't reach Breibart for comment, and a friend says he has suffered health problems and has been in and out of the hospital.
Breibart is a Lexington lawyer who has handled a number of high profile civil and criminal cases in his long career in South Carolina.
Published: Tue, Jul 24, 2012
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