National Roundup

Ohio
Defendant sends court-ordered thank you for testing backlog

WEST UNION, Ohio (AP) — A defendant who pleaded guilty to a reduced charge in a methamphetamine case has sent Ohio’s top prosecutor a court-ordered thank-you letter for a drug-testing backlog at the state crime lab.

The Columbus Dispatch reports Adams County Judge Brent Spencer felt the backlog impacted prosecution of a 57-year-old Hillsboro man, and ordered him to write to Attorney General Mike DeWine about it.

A DeWine spokesman says it’s exaggerating to suggest the backlog endangered the man’s trial. DeWine’s office says the Bureau of Criminal Investigation completed the test for that case before the scheduled trial after authorities requested a “rush,” but the plea canceled the trial.

The investigation bureau’s superintendent says it has hired more forensic chemists to deal with an increased workload because of the opioid crisis.

Pennsylvania
Black Panther’s appeals hearing stayed until Aug.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Former death-row inmate Mumia Abu-Jamal is asking a judge to vacate his failed appeals attempts so he can again appeal his case.

A judge continued the hearing Monday until August 30 after a document Abu-Jamal’s defense says they need was not found.

The former Black Panther spent 29 years on death row while maintaining his innocence in the 1981 murder of white Philadelphia police Officer Daniel Faulkner. Abu-Jamal’s sentence was reduced to life without parole in 2011.

Abu-Jamal’s lawyers are arguing that his rights were violated during his appeals because of the bias of State Supreme Court Justice Ronald Castille, a former Philadelphia district attorney.

As prosecutor, Castille’s office convinced the State Supreme Court to uphold Abu-Jamal’s conviction. Abu-Jamal’s attorneys say Castille should have recused from deciding the appeals.

Louisiana
Ex-officer who killed man faces unrelated charge

BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — A former Baton Rouge police officer who fatally shot a black man nearly two years ago, setting off widespread protests and clashes with police, now faces a misdemeanor charge for an unrelated incident in which he allegedly slapped a suspect.

An attorney for Blane Salamoni told The Advocate the ex-officer received a court summons Friday for a simple battery charge. The lawyer, Brant Mayer, said Baton Rouge police issued the summons even though the alleged victim said he didn’t want to pursue charges.

The newspaper reported the 2016 incident was captured on body camera and occurred weeks before Salamoni shot and killed Alton Sterling, a 37-year-old black man, during a struggle outside a convenience store.

Sgt. Don Coppola, a spokesman for the police department, confirmed Monday that a summons for a simple battery charge was issued to Salamoni. Coppola said he couldn’t immediately release any additional details.

State and federal authorities ruled out criminal charges in Sterling’s July 5, 2016, shooting death.

Last month, Police Chief Murphy Paul fired Salamoni and suspended a second white officer who also struggled with Sterling but didn’t fire his weapon that night.

Salamoni and the other officer, Howie Lake II, both appealed their discipline earlier this month. Salamoni is asking a civil service board to reinstate him.

Mayer, who didn’t immediately respond to an email and telephone message Monday, questioned whether the battery case is designed to influence Salamoni’s appeal.

Paul fired Salamoni on March 30, less than a week after Louisiana’s attorney general ruled out state criminal charges. The U.S. Justice Department announced last May that it wouldn’t pursue federal criminal charges against either officer.

Salamoni shot Sterling six times after he and Lake wrestled Sterling to the ground. The officers recovered a loaded revolver from Sterling’s pocket. As a convicted felon, Sterling could not legally carry a gun.
Paul said he fired Salamoni for violating department policies on use of force and “command of temper.” He suspended Lake three days for violating only the latter policy.

Two cellphone videos of the incident quickly spread on social media after the shooting, fueling protests at which police arrested nearly 200 people.

Body camera footage captured an officer, said to be Salamoni, screaming profanities and insults at Sterling. Salamoni also pointed a gun at Sterling’s head and threatened to shoot him before he and Lake wrestled him to the ground in the parking lot outside the Triple S Food Mart.


Illinois
Chicago federal judge gives  10-year sentence in loan scheme

CHICAGO (AP) — A Chicago federal judge has sentenced the former president of a Florida-based financial firm to a decade in prison in connection with a $179 million loan scheme.

Federal prosecutors in Chicago say Timothy G. Fisher was president of First Farmers Financial LLC when the company sold more than two dozen non-existent loans to a Milwaukee investment firm. Documents given to the Milwaukee firm falsely make it look like the loans were guaranteed in part by the federal government. The Milwaukee company suffered a $179 million loss.

The 41-year-old Fisher of Pasadena, California, was sentenced Thursday. He previously pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering.

First Farmers’ former chief executive officer Nikesh A. Patel of Windermere, Florida, pleaded guilty to five wire fraud counts and was sentenced last month to 25 years in prison.

Virginia
Former student expelled after gun arrest sues Virginia Tech

ROANOKE, Va. (AP) — A former student expelled from Virginia Tech after being arrested on a gun charge is suing the school and police officials in federal court.

Yunsong Zhao filed a complaint Thursday saying police violated his rights in falsely arresting him, and school officials violated his due process rights in dismissing him.

Police claim they saw Zhao at a local range shooting a semi-automatic rifle with a 30-round magazine. Virginia prohibits non-citizens from having guns with magazines holding more than 20 rounds.

But police never found a 30-round magazine in searching Zhao’s room and vehicles. A judge has expressed doubt about a conviction.

Zhao says campus police have repeatedly harassed him because he’s Asian and likes guns. The shooter who killed 32 people at Virginia Tech in 2007 also was Asian.