Federal Judge retires ( Montana Judge retires after sending racist E-mail about Obama )

Chief Judge Richard F. Cebull / AP

Written by

John S. Adams

Tribune capital bureau

HELENA — Former Montana Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull will fully retire on May 3, according to a statement published on the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals’ website on Tuesday.
Cebull, who stepped down from full active service on March 18 to take senior status, was under investigation by a special committee of the 9th Circuit after he sent a racist email from his court chambers about President Barack Obama. The email contained a “joke” that implied that Obama’s mother had sex with a dog.
After the Great Falls Tribune uncovered the email Cebull admitted to sending it and later publicly apologized. Cebull subsequently asked 9th Circuit Chief Judge Alex Kozinski to initiate an investigation into whether his transmittal of the email constituted misconduct under the Judicial Conduct and Disability Act.
Kim Abbott, of the Montana Human Rights Network, welcomed the news that Cebull would be fully stepping down next month. The network last year filed an official judicial misconduct complaint against Cebull and circulated a petition calling on the judge to resign.
“We filed the complaint because we believed the email Cebull sent called into question his ability to perform his duties impartially and he did violate judicial conduct rules,” Abbott said Wednesday. “We're happy that Montanans will be able to appear before a different judge, because Montanans deserve fairness. Women and people of color would have valid concerns appearing before judge Cebull.”
According to the statement published on the 9th Circuit’s website, the special committee conducted “a thorough and extensive investigation, interviewed numerous witnesses, considered voluminous documentation, including emails, and conducted an interview with Judge Cebull.”

Colorado ( District attorney shoots and kills intruder at home ) WTH?

Intruder shot dead at home of rural Colorado prosecutor

By Keith Coffman | Reuters – 14 hrs ago

By Keith Coffman

 

 

DENVER (Reuters) - An intruder who forced his way into the mountain home of a Colorado deputy district attorney was shot dead by either the prosecutor or her police officer husband, authorities said on Tuesday.
The shooting, shortly before midnight Monday, comes two weeks after Colorado's prisons director was slain as he answered the front door to his home, and two days after the district attorney of Kaufman County in Texas was found shot to death with his wife.
An assistant prosecutor in the Kaufman County district attorney's office was shot to death on January 31, and authorities have said both Texas murders and the March 19 slaying of Colorado prisons chief Tom Clements appeared to be targeted killings rather than random acts of violence.
In light of the three previous cases, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation is leading the probe into the latest shooting, which occurred in Hot Sulphur Springs, about 95 miles northwest of Denver.
"There are no apparent ties to recent shootings; however, investigators continue to pursue all possible leads and background information on this (dead) person," the bureau said in a written statement.
Authorities did not immediately release the names of the deputy prosecutor and her husband in connection with Monday night's shooting.
The deputy district attorney made a 911 emergency call and reported that a man was at her door "behaving very erratically," police said.
The prosecutor then told dispatchers that the stranger forced his way into her home. An altercation ensued inside and shots were fired, leaving the unidentified man dead, police said.
A spokeswoman for one of the agencies investigating the incident told Reuters that the prosecutor and her husband, himself a sheriff's deputy, both fired at the intruder, but it is too early in the probe to know who fired the fatal shot.
The Colorado prosecutor and her husband both suffered minor injuries and have been placed on paid leave pending the results of the investigation.
Clements, the state's prisons chief, was shot to death on March 19 when he answered the front door of his home near Monument, Colorado, about 45 miles south of Denver.
Authorities have matched the handgun used in Clements' slaying to the weapon used by a recent Colorado parolee, 28-year-old Evan Spencer Ebel, in a gun battle with police following a high-speed chase through Decatur, Texas, last month.
Investigators have named Ebel, a member of a white supremacist prison gang, as a suspect in the killing of Clements and in the death of pizza delivery man Nathan Leon, 27, who was found dead in suburban Denver two days earlier.

Ebel was killed in the shootout with Texas police. A search of his car turned up a pizza deliverer's shirt, visor, pizza box and heat bag.

Afghanistan ( Angelina Jolie Opens All-Girl School ) See photo

Angelina Jolie Opens All-Girls School in Afghanistan

By Suzy Byrne

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By Suzy Byrne | omg! – 8 hours ago

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Angelina Jolie visiting the site of her school in 2011 (Getty Images)
Angelina Jolie is doing it for the girls.

The 37-year-old actress – and UNHCR Goodwill ambassador – has extended her generosity to a small village outside Kabul, Afghanistan, where she has opened an all-girls elementary school, she told E! News.
The doors of the school are already open – there are 200 to 300 students enrolled – and the location was targeted not only because there is a high-refugee population, but it's also a place where the education of boys is valued higher than that of girls.

Jolie – who has six children, including three daughters, with fiancé Brad Pitt – is tapping an interesting source to fund the institution: it's bling for books! The "Maleficent" star will be expanding her Style of Jolie jewelry collection, which she creates with her long-time jeweler Robert Procop (he crafted her engagement ring, among other pieces in her personal collection), to retail stores. All of the profits – that's 100 percent – will go to her foundation The Education Partnership for Children of Conflict, which will pay for the school.

Texas ( Texas jail " Lets murder suspect get away " WANTED ) see photo

Two 'Dangerous' Inmates Escaped From Texas Jail

By CHRISTINA NG | ABC News – 2 hrs 0 mins ago

 

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  View PhotoABC News - Two 'Dangerous' Inmates Escaped From Texas Jail (ABC News)

Texas authorities are using helicopters and dogs to search for two "dangerous" Texas inmates who escaped from jail this morning by squeezing through a gate, leaving behind their black and white prison suits on the railroad tracks behind the jail.

Authorities believe Brian Tucker, 44, and John King, 39, escaped from Hopkins County Jail in Sulphur Springs, Texas, at around 8:30 a.m. today.

"Both are considered dangerous," Deputy Alvin Jordan of the Hopkins County Sheriff's Office told ABCNews.com.

Area schools are on lockdown and businesses are on high alert, according to police.
Tucker was awaiting trial in jail for capital murder charges and King had been indicted for evading arrest.
"They were put out on rec yard to have outside rec and undoubtedly squeezed through the gate and took off," Jordan said. "We did find their black and whites about 100 yards behind the facility."
Tucker and King were both segregated from other inmates because of the types of crimes they have committed, according to Jordan.
It is unknown what the men are wearing, whether they may have used some kind of transportation after leaving the jail yard and whether they are still together, Jordan said.
Asked if there is any reason to believe they could be armed, Jordan said, "At this point, unless they picked up anything from here to where they're at, the weapons part is unknown."
Their only known connection at this time is that they were inmates at the same time in the same jail with no known previous ties.
Authorities are warning people to be careful and call 911 if they see the men.
"If they're spotted, make sure they lock their doors, call 911 and tell us what area they're in," Jordan said. "Don't try to let them approach you."
Tucker is 5-foot-7-inches and about 170 pounds. He has brown eyes, brown hair and multiple tattoos. King is 5-foot-8-inches and 165 pounds. He has black hair, hazel eyes and multiple tattoos

New York ( Senator Malcolm Smith and City Councilman Dan Halloran Arrested by FBI ) Bribery

New York Senator, IDC member, arrested today in bribery plot, NY Post reports

New York state Sens. Malcolm Smith, D-Queens, left, and John Sampson, D-Brooklyn, appear at a news conference at the Capitol in Albany in 2009. Today, Smith was arrested in a bribery plot to rig the New York City mayor's race, the New York Post reported.

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By Teri Weaver | tweaver@syracuse.comThe Post-Standard
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on April 02, 2013 at 7:54 AM, updated April 02, 2013 at 8:22 AM

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Syracuse, N.Y. -- State Sen. Malcolm Smith, a Queens Democrat, was arrested this morning at his home by FBI agents investigating a plot to get Smith on the Republican ballot for New York City mayor, the New York Post is reporting.
The New York Times and the Associated Press also reported the arrest this morning.
Smith was charged at his Queens home shortly after 6 a.m., the Post reported. Also charged was New York City Councilman Dan Halloran. Both men are accused of building an alliance built on cash payments and fraud to get Smith placed on the GOP mayoral ballot, the Post said.
Smith did not comment as he was arrested.
Here's more from the Post's report:
"To get on the GOP ballot, Smith allegedly enlisted Halloran, a Republican, to set up meetings with party leaders and negotiate thousands of dollars in bribes. The money was masked as payments for legal and accounting services, sources said.
"Halloran allegedly collected thousands in bribes for himself along the way, the sources said.
"He is separately charged with taking bribes from a consultant in return for up to $80,000 in City Council discretionary funding.
"The feds were already investigating Halloran when they got wind of the alleged ballot-manipulating plan in November, the sources said. Smith met with his alleged co-conspirators as recently as February."
Smith became the fifth member of the Independent Democratic Conference in December, just days before the IDC publicly joined with the Senate Republicans to take charge of Albany's upper house. Sen. David Valesky, D-Oneida, is also a member of the IDC. The coalition left traditional Democrats -- who would have controlled the Senate if the IDC had not broken away -- in the minority.
Smith's trouble would not upset the current coalition configuration, at least by the numbers. Currently, there are 31 Republicans, 27 Democrats (including one who caucuses with the GOP) and the five breakaway Democrats. It takes 32 members to control the Senate.

SEOUL ( United States places warship off Korean coast as a shield for missile attack )

SEOUL (Reuters) - The United States has positioned a warship off the Korean coast as a shield against ballistic missile attack as South Korea's new president vowed swift retaliation against a North Korean strike amid soaring tensions on the peninsula.
But Washington also said it had seen no worrisome mobilization of armed forces by the North Koreans despite bellicose rhetoric over a ramping up of international sanctions against Pyongyang over nuclear weapons tests.

"If there is any provocation against South Korea and its people, there should be a strong response in initial combat without any political considerations," South Korean President Park Geun-hye told the defense minister and senior officials.

North Korea says the region is on the brink of a nuclear war in the wake of U.N. sanctions in response to its February nuclear test and a series of joint U.S. and South Korean military drills that have included a rare U.S. show of aerial power.

In Washington, the White House has said the United States takes seriously North Korea's war threats. But White House spokesman Jay Carney said on Monday: "I would note that despite the harsh rhetoric we are hearing from Pyongyang, we are not seeing changes to the North Korean military posture, such as large-scale mobilizations and positioning of forces."

Iran News ( Blogger beaten and tortured in prison- denied medical attention )

March 2013

Prison officials continue to block ailing blogger Pourshajari from receiving medical aid

Keywords : Political Prisoners

Committee of Human Rights Reporters - Imprisoned blogger Pourshajari who is in serious need of medical care, continues to be deprived of medical furlough. His daughter said to Kaleme: “They lied to my father and told him to get ready to be taken to a doctor, but instead they transferred him to Ghazal Hesar prison. The physicians have advised that he must undergo surgery yet the prison officials say they will not allow him to leave even for one hour.”

As reported earlier by CHRR, three physicians at the prison facility by the names of Amjadi, Nejadbahram and Gholizadeh made requests for this political prisoner to be transferred to a medical facility outside the prison. They revealed that the prisoner has blocked arteries, which could result in cardiac arrest and his sudden death.

Mitra Pourshajari, daughter of this blogger in Ghezel Hesar prison said to Kaleme: “When I asked the prison official why he refuses to sign off father’s release papers when he is so sick, he responded that he would not put himself in any danger and would not even grant a one hour furlough. I asked why. He said with the crimes that he committed, your father is a danger to the nation. We are not going to jeopardize ourselves with this type of dossier. If the judiciary wanted to grant furlough they would have done so themselves instead of sending the file to us.”

Mohammad Reza Pourshajari is a 53-year-old political prisoner and blogger who wrote under the pen name Siamak Mehr. On September 12, 2010 he was detained at his home in Karaj and transferred to the Security Ward of the IRGC in Rajai Shahr prison. He was eventually tried in Branch 109 of the Karaj Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Gholam Sarabi who handed him a 4-year prison sentence. He endured 7 months in solitary confinement during his “temporary detention” and was subjected to brutal psychological and physical torture. He was beaten with electric rods, and tortured with mock executions prompting him to attempt suicide by cutting his wrists with his glasses, leaving scars.

After spending close to a year at Rajai Shahr, he was inflicted with several illnesses that required him to undergo medical care under supervision outside of prison. But rather than provide him with the necessary medical care, the prison authorities transferred him to his present location at Ghezel Hesar prison, a substandard facility that is reserved for dangerous criminals.

Mohammad Reza Pourshajari has compared the conditions in the prison to an unkempt zoo. His daughter said to Kaleme: “With the price hike that has hit the country for all goods, the same has happened inside prisons. The price for necessary merchandise sold in prisons is a few times higher than it was before. Most prisoners can no longer afford cleaning products to keep their cells clean and this has caused sanitary issues. Warm water and showers are provided only a few hours a week.

Even though my father was already sick, the substandard conditions of this facility, the extreme dirtiness, no peace of mind has worsened my father’s physical condition to a very worrisome level. The physicians who had earlier tested him recommended that he receive surgery but the prison doctors have not even prescribed some medication to give him some temporary relief. My father is held in an uncertain situation while his health is deteriorating day by day.”

In a letter provided to CHRR in February, Mohammad Reza Pourshajari wrote from prison:

I Mohammad Reza Pourshajari, aka Siyamak Mehr, blogger for the blog “Gozareshe Khake Iran,” hereby request from honorable lawmakers and attorneys, to accept my gratitude for their efforts if circumstances permit to represent me in court. I give them my power of attorney to lodge a lawsuit on my behalf against the Islamic Republic of Iran and the judiciary of this regime in any suitable court of law in the United States, for my illegal arrest and severe torture, my 4-year prison sentence on baseless and ridiculous charges such as “propaganda against the regime,” and “insult” to an absurd concept called “Supreme Leader.”

The lawsuit is to condemn the opinions issued in the Islamic courts and to demand compensation from Iranian officials for my emotional duress and physical complications along with the losses endured during my prison term. In hopes that this action will condemn the oppressive regime of Iran and encourage other Iranians sentenced in the courts of the oppressive Islamic regime and victims of clergy crimes to also step forward and in this manner of lodging complaints in the courts of the United States of America, make a loud case that can be heard in the rest of the world.