Daily Briefs

Man sentenced to life in killing streamed on Facebook Live


JACKSON, Mich. (AP) — A Michigan man convicted of murder after he was accused of breaking into a home and shooting a woman while streaming the attack on Facebook Live has been sentenced to life in prison without parole.

Twenty-year-old Anthony Gelia was given the mandatory punishment Wednesday after a jury in March convicted him of first-degree felony murder, home invasion and a felony firearms charge stemming from the November 2016 killing of 26-year-old Brittany Southwell.

Jurors at the trial watched a Facebook Live recording recovered from Gelia's cellphone showing him kicking in a door and opening fire.

Gelia's lawyer suggested at trial that involuntary manslaughter was a more appropriate charge, saying Gelia didn't know Southwell was behind a door when he fired. A bullet entered her side and punctured her lungs.

 

Prison for employee who stole hundreds of Shinola watches
 

DETROIT (AP) — An employee who stole at least 500 watches from Shinola, a Detroit watch maker, has been sentenced to a year and a day in federal prison.

Judith Walker was a quality inspector at Shinola. She admits stealing and selling watches that were returned for possible repair.

Her 366-day sentence, ordered Wednesday, will make her eligible for good behavior credits, which will reduce her prison stay. Walker also owes $331,000 in restitution.

In a court filing, Walker's attorney says she resold watches because she was "financially strapped" while supporting five children. Walker was "deeply ashamed" but needed money.

Federal prosecutor Andrew Yahkind says Walker saw a weakness at a young company and exploited it.

 

Raising the Bar series looks at pros and cons of ‘Virtual Employment’   
 

Raising the Bar revisits the pros and cons of virtual employment from 8:30-11:45 a.m. Wednesday, May 23 at the Management Education Center, 811 West Square Lake Rd. in Troy. Raising the Bar is an educational series raising employer awareness of current issues in employment and labor law and is offered by Detroit-based Nemeth Law, P.C. As some employers now seek to rein in their work-from-home policies, the legality and practicality of virtual employment is in the spotlight — and it’s time for employers to take stock of their practices. Nemeth Law attorneys will discuss a variety of labor and employment law topics, including: when working from home works and when it doesn’t; data security, confidentiality and privacy issues when working remotely; is telecommuting required as a reasonable accommodation for a disability; wage and hour issues of offsite work; “I injured myself while working in my own home, do I get workers comp for that?”; and best practices for implementing (and rescinding) work from home practices. The cost to attend is $75 per person and includes a continental breakfast at 8:30 a.m. Pre-registration is requested. To register, e-mail Pamela Perkowski at pperkowski@nemethlawpc.com or call (313) 567-5921.
 

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