Washington
Man accused of murder to blame cough syrup
SEATTLE (AP) - Attorneys for a doctor charged with aggravated murder may argue that their client was suffering from cough-syrup induced psychosis, which led him to kill his partner and toddler son in 2011.
The Seattle Times reports that 43-year-old Dr. Louis Chen is accused of fatally stabbing 29-year-old Eric Cooper and 2-year-old Cooper Chen, whose bodies were found inside the couple's Seattle apartment.
Chen's defense team had previously indicated it would pursue an insanity or diminished capacity defense. But a motion filed in October suggests Chen had a buildup of dextromethorphan, a cough suppressant found in many over-the-counter cold medicines, in his system. The motion argues that the drug metabolized slowly in Chen, who is Taiwanese, due to his genetic makeup.
Chen goes to trial in April.
Iowa
Judge delays trial in jackpot-fixing case until July
DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) - A judge has delayed the trial for a former lottery official accused of fixing jackpots in several states.
Former Multi-State Lottery Association security director Eddie Tipton had been scheduled to stand trial Jan. 6 in Des Moines.
But Tipton waived his right to a speedy trial last week, and his attorney asked for a delay. Judge Jeffrey Farrell last week reset the trial for July 18.
Tipton has pleaded not guilty to charges of ongoing criminal conduct and money laundering.
Prosecutors allege that he used his access to random number generators to fix jackpots in Colorado, Wisconsin, Oklahoma and Kansas, and worked with associates to play winning numbers and collect prizes.
A jury in July convicted Tipton of fraud for fixing a $16.5 million Hot Lotto jackpot in Iowa.
Minnesota
Court: Man's assisting-suicide conviction stands
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - An appeals court has affirmed the conviction of a Minnesota man for assisting the suicide of a British man, but reversed his conviction for attempting to assist a Canadian woman's suicide.
The Minnesota Court of Appeals said Monday that there was sufficient evidence to convict William Melchert-Dinkel for assisting the 2005 suicide of Mark Drybrough, of Coventry, England.
However, it said there wasn't enough to convict the ex-nurse of the lesser offense of attempting to assist the 2008 suicide of Nadia Kajouji, of Ottawa, Canada.
The appeals court says Melchert-Dinkel gave Drybrough detailed instructions on how to hang himself, but didn't give specific instructions to Kajouji, who jumped off a bridge.
The case has been the subject of a long legal fight that narrowed Minnesota's law against assisting suicides.
Washington
Court upholds convictions in death of girl
MOUNT VERNON, Wash. (AP) - A Washington state appellate court has upheld the convictions of a Skagit County couple found guilty for their roles in the abuse and death of their adopted daughter.
The Skagit Valley Herald reports that Carri Williams was sentenced to just under 37 years for homicide by abuse in the 2011 death of Hana Williams, who was adopted from Ethiopia. The girl died of hypothermia after collapsing in the family's backyard.
Larry Williams was sentenced to nearly 28 years for manslaughter and child assault.
In a ruling last week, the appellate judges found there was enough evidence to show the girl was under 16, a requirement for a homicide by abuse charge.
The judges also disagreed with Larry Williams, who argued on appeal that there wasn't enough evidence to prove he played a criminal role in the girl's death and abuse.
Iowa
Man shot by police officer in 2013 files lawsuit
CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) - A man shot by a Cedar Falls officer on Christmas Day 2013 has sued the city, alleging civil rights violations.
The lawsuit was filed last week in U.S. District Court in Cedar Rapids by a lawyer for 29-year-old Zachary Church. Police Chief Jeff Olson told the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier that he didn't agree with statements in the lawsuit but would not comment further.
Officer Bob Anderson reported that he found Church asleep in a parked but running car early in the morning on Dec. 25, 2013. Anderson says that when he told Church to sit in his patrol car, Church began punching him. Anderson says he warned Church and then shot Church after feeling a tug on his belt.
The lawsuit says the use of a firearm wasn't justified.
Ohio
Men wrongfully imprisoned seek compensation
AKRON, Ohio (AP) - Two men who say they were wrongfully imprisoned for 16 years in a woman's 1988 slaying are seeking monetary compensation through the Ohio Court of Claims.
The Akron Beacon Journal reports 52-year-old Randy Resh and 51-year-old Bob Gondor each would be entitled to over $415,000 for lost earnings under Ohio's formula for monetary damages in wrongful-conviction cases. In court filings, they say they deserve more for being deprived of building families and careers and suffering emotional distress.
A man who pleaded guilty in the murder and avoided a potential death penalty implicated them as accomplices, but they've argued for years that they're innocent. Charges were dropped against Gondor after Resh was acquitted in his retrial in 2007.
New Jersey
Man gives cops wallet with marijuana in it
HACKETTSTOWN, N.J. (AP) - A northern New Jersey man faces drug charges after handing police officers who asked for his identification a wallet containing marijuana.
Santos Vasques-Hernandez, of Hackettstown, faces drug possession and disorderly conduct charges after the Christmas Day incident.
Hackettstown police say it happened about 8 p.m. on Main Street when officers were called to the scene for a report of an unresponsive, unconscious man.
Authorities say police determined Vasques-Hernandez was breathing and seemed to be intoxicated.
Police say he then became "combative" and began swinging his fists at officers who asked for identification.
Vasques-Hernandez handed his wallet to officers who found a baggy of marijuanain the wallet.
Published: Tue, Dec 29, 2015
