Raleigh, N.C. — A Wake County grand jury indicted a Cary man on first-degree murder Monday in the death of his wife, more than three months after he said she went jogging and never returned home."With this arrest, it should now be clear to everyone that Cary citizens have been, and are, safe," Cary police Chief Pat Bazemore said at a news conference Monday evening. "This has really never been the case about a jogger being randomly attacked. It has been a case of domestic violence of the very worst kind."Bradley Graham Cooper, 35, of 104 Wallsburg Court, was held in the Wake County jail Monday evening without bond in connection with the July 12 slaying of his wife, Nancy Cooper, 34.
He is scheduled to appear before a Wake County District Court judge at 2 p.m. Tuesday.
A man walking his dog on July 14 found Nancy Cooper's body on the bank of a storm pond off a cul-de-sac, near Holly Springs Road and Fielding Drive — less than three miles from the Coopers’ home in the Lochmere subdivision of Cary. A state medical examiner's autopsy found she had likely been strangled.Since July, Cary police have said little about the case, saying only that they did not believe Nancy Cooper's death was a random act. But search warrants and a temporary custody dispute over the Coopers' two young daughters led to suspicion that Brad Cooper was somehow involved in his wife's death.Brad Cooper, through his attorneys, has denied playing any role in her death. He has said in court filings he last saw her on July 12 before she went jogging. When she did not return, he has said, he went looking for her.One of Brad Cooper's attorneys, Seth Blum, declined to comment Monday afternoon on his client's arrest but said he would have surrendered to authorities if he had been given the chance.
Cary police arrested him at his home shortly after the grand jury handed down its indictment.Brad Cooper has admitted to police that he and his wife were having marital difficulties after he had an extramarital affair. They were in the process of separating at the time of her death.In filing for temporary custody of the Cooper children, Nancy Cooper's parents and identical sister claimed that Brad Cooper is mentally unstable and had been emotionally abusive to his wife in the months prior to her death. Last week, a Wake County District Court judge awarded temporary custody to the family, who lives in Canada.
Nancy Cooper's father, Garry Rentz, said Monday evening that he and his family are grateful that they can care for the Cooper children "during these turbulent days," and he thanked authorities for their for their "tireless and thorough" efforts in bringing forth an arrest. He also thanked his attorneys "who enabled us to seek a just outcome in our matter."
"Nancy's memory has been kept alive by a family who loved her, by a group of incredible friends who were always there for her and for our family," Rentz said. "All of you have our heartfelt thanks."
Bazemore said it took investigators more than three months to rule out possibilities in the case until they were left with facts and what they believed to be the truth."Our commitment to our victims, their families and our citizens at large is to be accurate, thorough and complete," she said.
"This takes patient, restraint, dedication and time."
Bazemore declined to answer questions, saying that since an arrest has been made, the case has been turned over to Wake County prosecutors."No one can take pleasure or joy in this. It's a tragedy – just a tragedy beyond belief," Wade Smith, an attorney representing Nancy Cooper's family in the custody case, said. "And on behalf of the family, we are grateful that the police have pursued this (case) to the point where there is an arrest."Meanwhile, friends of Nancy Cooper's who live in the Lochmere neighborhood, said they were relieved to hear the news of an arrest.
"It's been hard to really grieve for our friend without some start to a resolution," her friend, Hannah Prichard, said. "We're one step closer to a conclusion and justice for Nancy.""She was kindest, most generous loving friend I've ever had," she continued. "She was definitely once in a lifetime."
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Tuesday, October 28, 2008
Warden's wife, killer lived as couple, witness says
MANGUM, Oklahoma -- The wife of a deputy warden and the prisoner she's accused of helping escape lived as man and wife in a small trailer on a chicken ranch in east Texas for more than a decade, an investigator testified Monday.
Bobbi Parker and Randolph Dial were found after their case was highlighted on "America's Most Wanted."
The details of how Bobbi Parker, 46, and convicted murderer Randolph Dial lived together during his time on the lam were detailed at a preliminary hearing to determine if she will be tried on a charge of helping Dial escape.
The trailer had only one bed, and a search of the home uncovered photographs, mail they received, cards they exchanged, condoms, Viagra instructions and a vibrating sex toy, testified investigator Robert Williams with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
"We found items that appeared to us as a husband and wife relationship between a man and a woman," Williams said.
Parker told investigators the couple never were intimate, that she wasn't attracted to Dial and that the sex toy was a gag gift from a friend, Williams said.
Parker's defense attorney maintains Dial, who died in prison last year, kidnapped Parker at knifepoint and held her against her will by threatening to harm her and her family.
"From the get-go, Dial was intimidating to her," said attorney Rick Cunningham. "He threatened her and her family, her two daughters ... and that became an oppressive part of that situation.
"She kind of resigned herself to her fate."
Dial escaped the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite on August 30, 1994.
He and Parker were found April 4, 2005, after their case was highlighted on the television show "America's Most Wanted."
Parker's husband, Randy Parker, testified Monday that Dial was an artist who had been allowed to start up a pottery program in the detached garage at the Parkers' home on the prison grounds.
Bobbi Parker told investigators she began to feel woozy on the day of the escape, possibly from being drugged, and that she recalls Dial carrying her to the van.
Williams said Parker had numerous opportunities to escape while living with Dial, including when Dial was near death from a heart attack. Instead, she wrote him a love letter, the investigator said.
"The first night I spent in this house without you was unbearable," Williams said, reading from the letter. "I want us to laugh, do things together, sleep together ... because I love you."
The charge against Parker carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The preliminary hearing is to determine whether there is enough evidence to move the case to trial.
Dial was serving a life sentence for the 1981 murder of a karate instructor.
Prosecutors previously filed court documents that alleged Parker had previous relationships, including sex, with inmates before escaping with Dial and that she had said she was unhappy in her marriage.
Bobbi Parker remains married to Randy Parker, who sat with other family members behind the defendant. She and her husband whispered to each other at times during the proceedings.
To find a pre-screened Attorney in Los Angeles, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
Bobbi Parker and Randolph Dial were found after their case was highlighted on "America's Most Wanted."
The details of how Bobbi Parker, 46, and convicted murderer Randolph Dial lived together during his time on the lam were detailed at a preliminary hearing to determine if she will be tried on a charge of helping Dial escape.
The trailer had only one bed, and a search of the home uncovered photographs, mail they received, cards they exchanged, condoms, Viagra instructions and a vibrating sex toy, testified investigator Robert Williams with the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
"We found items that appeared to us as a husband and wife relationship between a man and a woman," Williams said.
Parker told investigators the couple never were intimate, that she wasn't attracted to Dial and that the sex toy was a gag gift from a friend, Williams said.
Parker's defense attorney maintains Dial, who died in prison last year, kidnapped Parker at knifepoint and held her against her will by threatening to harm her and her family.
"From the get-go, Dial was intimidating to her," said attorney Rick Cunningham. "He threatened her and her family, her two daughters ... and that became an oppressive part of that situation.
"She kind of resigned herself to her fate."
Dial escaped the Oklahoma State Reformatory in Granite on August 30, 1994.
He and Parker were found April 4, 2005, after their case was highlighted on the television show "America's Most Wanted."
Parker's husband, Randy Parker, testified Monday that Dial was an artist who had been allowed to start up a pottery program in the detached garage at the Parkers' home on the prison grounds.
Bobbi Parker told investigators she began to feel woozy on the day of the escape, possibly from being drugged, and that she recalls Dial carrying her to the van.
Williams said Parker had numerous opportunities to escape while living with Dial, including when Dial was near death from a heart attack. Instead, she wrote him a love letter, the investigator said.
"The first night I spent in this house without you was unbearable," Williams said, reading from the letter. "I want us to laugh, do things together, sleep together ... because I love you."
The charge against Parker carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison. The preliminary hearing is to determine whether there is enough evidence to move the case to trial.
Dial was serving a life sentence for the 1981 murder of a karate instructor.
Prosecutors previously filed court documents that alleged Parker had previous relationships, including sex, with inmates before escaping with Dial and that she had said she was unhappy in her marriage.
Bobbi Parker remains married to Randy Parker, who sat with other family members behind the defendant. She and her husband whispered to each other at times during the proceedings.
To find a pre-screened Attorney in Los Angeles, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
Mother of two in troubled marriage vanishes
New York (CNN) -- There is little doubt of the trouble existing in Lisa and Craig Stebic's marriage, say friends, family and court documents.
Lisa Stebic's family says she petitioned the court to have her husband evicted the same day she disappeared.
Craig Stebic admits to filing for divorce just four months before his wife's disappearance.
They'd been in the midst of a tumultuous separation, while still living under the same roof. They had hardly spoken to one another in the last months before she vanished.
On the very day Lisa Stebic went missing -- April 30, 2007 -- she had petitioned the court to have her husband evicted from the family home, her family said.
It has now been a year and a half since the mother of two disappeared.
According to her husband, she left at 6 p.m., taking her cell phone and purse, while he was working in the backyard. Lisa Stebic often went jogging at the local track field around that time, but no one saw her that evening at the track.
Police say there has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards. For weeks afterward, police and search teams combed nearby areas, hoping to find the missing 37-year-old from Plainfield, Illinois.
The FBI joined in and divers searched bodies of water located near the Stebic home, but they have found nothing.
Police searched the Stebic home with a warrant in mid-May 2007. During the search, Craig Stebic was cooperative, allowing them access to the family computer and two vehicles, police said.
Police have not released the results of this search or investigation. But despite his cooperation with police, Stebic still refuses to take a voluntary polygraph and will not permit his children to be interviewed by police about their mother. While he has not been named a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, police say he is officially a person of interest.
Police did announce that they believe foul play was a likely factor in Stebic's disappearance, though they have not said what evidence leads them to that conclusion. They say that Craig Stebic's refusal to let anyone question his children has been impeding their investigation.
Lisa Stebic's parents and friends insist she would never go off on her own, leaving behind her children, who were 10 and 11 at the time. Even Craig Stebic says that he doesn't believe she would stay away this long voluntarily, especially from her children.
Craig Stebic and Lisa Stebic's family have been locked in a battle over visitation rights with the children in the last year, but finally last month a settlement agreement was reached. This gives hope to police and family that they might finally be able to question the children about the day their mother disappeared.
Craig Stebic maintains his innocence in the disappearance of his wife. His attorney, Dion Davi, says, "I don't understand why the police have named my client a person of interest. He has told police everything he knows about the day his wife disappeared."
Craig Stebic filed for sole custody of the children not long after his wife vanished. This request was denied by the court. Also, a few days after he was named a person of interest in his wife's disappearance, Stebic filed a motion to have their divorce proceedings dismissed. Stebic said his reason was that high legal bills adding up while they waited for news about his wife made a divorce proceeding impossible at the time.
Lisa Stebic's family and the Plainfield, Illinois, Police Department ask anyone having information on the whereabouts of Lisa Stebic to please call their tip line at 815-267-7217. They are offering a $75,000 reward. Stebic is described as being 5 feet 2 inches tall and 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
To find a pre-screened Attorney in Los Angeles, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
Lisa Stebic's family says she petitioned the court to have her husband evicted the same day she disappeared.
Craig Stebic admits to filing for divorce just four months before his wife's disappearance.
They'd been in the midst of a tumultuous separation, while still living under the same roof. They had hardly spoken to one another in the last months before she vanished.
On the very day Lisa Stebic went missing -- April 30, 2007 -- she had petitioned the court to have her husband evicted from the family home, her family said.
It has now been a year and a half since the mother of two disappeared.
According to her husband, she left at 6 p.m., taking her cell phone and purse, while he was working in the backyard. Lisa Stebic often went jogging at the local track field around that time, but no one saw her that evening at the track.
Police say there has been no activity on her cell phone or credit cards. For weeks afterward, police and search teams combed nearby areas, hoping to find the missing 37-year-old from Plainfield, Illinois.
The FBI joined in and divers searched bodies of water located near the Stebic home, but they have found nothing.
Police searched the Stebic home with a warrant in mid-May 2007. During the search, Craig Stebic was cooperative, allowing them access to the family computer and two vehicles, police said.
Police have not released the results of this search or investigation. But despite his cooperation with police, Stebic still refuses to take a voluntary polygraph and will not permit his children to be interviewed by police about their mother. While he has not been named a suspect in the disappearance of his wife, police say he is officially a person of interest.
Police did announce that they believe foul play was a likely factor in Stebic's disappearance, though they have not said what evidence leads them to that conclusion. They say that Craig Stebic's refusal to let anyone question his children has been impeding their investigation.
Lisa Stebic's parents and friends insist she would never go off on her own, leaving behind her children, who were 10 and 11 at the time. Even Craig Stebic says that he doesn't believe she would stay away this long voluntarily, especially from her children.
Craig Stebic and Lisa Stebic's family have been locked in a battle over visitation rights with the children in the last year, but finally last month a settlement agreement was reached. This gives hope to police and family that they might finally be able to question the children about the day their mother disappeared.
Craig Stebic maintains his innocence in the disappearance of his wife. His attorney, Dion Davi, says, "I don't understand why the police have named my client a person of interest. He has told police everything he knows about the day his wife disappeared."
Craig Stebic filed for sole custody of the children not long after his wife vanished. This request was denied by the court. Also, a few days after he was named a person of interest in his wife's disappearance, Stebic filed a motion to have their divorce proceedings dismissed. Stebic said his reason was that high legal bills adding up while they waited for news about his wife made a divorce proceeding impossible at the time.
Lisa Stebic's family and the Plainfield, Illinois, Police Department ask anyone having information on the whereabouts of Lisa Stebic to please call their tip line at 815-267-7217. They are offering a $75,000 reward. Stebic is described as being 5 feet 2 inches tall and 120 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes.
To find a pre-screened Attorney in Los Angeles, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
Teen shot over vandalized McCain sign, police say
A Warren Township, Ohio, man faces charges of felonious assault after authorities say he fired his rifle at two teens who were attempting to deface his McCain presidential campaign yard sign.
Police say the man's sign is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs.
Kenneth Rowles, 50, pleaded not guilty to the charge Monday, according to CNN affiliate WBNS.
Bail was set at $10,000.
Rowles told police he was sitting on his porch Saturday when a tan SUV pulled up and a black youth jumped out and ran toward his house, screaming, "This is for Obama."
He said another male was hanging out of the passenger window screaming the same thing.
Rowles said he went inside, got his rifle and fired three shots to scare the youths away, according to a Warren Township police report.
He told officers he believes that the men "were the same two that have been destroying his McCain sign."
Just hours before the shooting, Rowles called police and said that a car had stopped in front of his house and that a black male "ran up and said something about Obama," according to the report, and "damaged his sign again."
One of the youths, 17-year-old Kyree Flowers, was shot in the arm, according to a police report. He and the second youth, Patrick Wise Jr., 16, told police they were in the car attempting to leave when Rowles fired at them.
"Kyree stated that he witnessed the homeowner trying to shoot Patrick but he was having trouble chambering a round," the police report said.
The teens admitted that they had defaced the McCain sign several times, Warren Township police Lt. Don Bishop told CNN.
Rowles' is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs, he said.
Bishop said the teenagers probably will not be charged -- and are unlikely to damage campaign signs again, as the incident scared them.
Warren Township is in Trumbull County not far from Cleveland, Ohio.
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Police say the man's sign is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs.
Kenneth Rowles, 50, pleaded not guilty to the charge Monday, according to CNN affiliate WBNS.
Bail was set at $10,000.
Rowles told police he was sitting on his porch Saturday when a tan SUV pulled up and a black youth jumped out and ran toward his house, screaming, "This is for Obama."
He said another male was hanging out of the passenger window screaming the same thing.
Rowles said he went inside, got his rifle and fired three shots to scare the youths away, according to a Warren Township police report.
He told officers he believes that the men "were the same two that have been destroying his McCain sign."
Just hours before the shooting, Rowles called police and said that a car had stopped in front of his house and that a black male "ran up and said something about Obama," according to the report, and "damaged his sign again."
One of the youths, 17-year-old Kyree Flowers, was shot in the arm, according to a police report. He and the second youth, Patrick Wise Jr., 16, told police they were in the car attempting to leave when Rowles fired at them.
"Kyree stated that he witnessed the homeowner trying to shoot Patrick but he was having trouble chambering a round," the police report said.
The teens admitted that they had defaced the McCain sign several times, Warren Township police Lt. Don Bishop told CNN.
Rowles' is the only McCain sign on a street full of Obama signs, he said.
Bishop said the teenagers probably will not be charged -- and are unlikely to damage campaign signs again, as the incident scared them.
Warren Township is in Trumbull County not far from Cleveland, Ohio.
To find a pre-screened Attorney in Los Angeles, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
Ex-Detroit Mayor Kilpatrick sentenced to 4 months
Calling him "arrogant and defiant," a Wayne County Circuit Judge on Tuesday sentenced former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to four months in jail with no early release under the terms of a plea deal.
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick listens as he is sentenced Tuesday in Wayne County, Michigan.
Kilpatrick pleaded guilty last month to two felony obstruction of justice charges stemming from his efforts to cover up an extramarital affair. He also pleaded no contest to charges of assaulting a police officer attempting to serve a subpoena on a Kilpatrick friend in that case.
In imposing the sentence, Judge David Groner harshly criticized Kilpatrick for his conduct, particularly for a televised speech that aired hours after he entered his pleas.
"That night, the community expected to hear a message of humility, remorse and apology," Groner said. "Instead, we heard an arrogant and defiant man who accused the governor, among others, for his downfall."
While a presentencing report submitted to the court said Kilpatrick accepts responsibility for his actions, Groner said he questioned the former mayor's sincerity.
"Many defendants have stood before this court. However, this case is different, and you are not the typical defendant," the judge said. "... You were expected to lead from the front and set an example."
Kilpatrick was accused of blocking a criminal investigation into his office and firing a police deputy to cover up an affair with his then-chief of staff, Christine Beatty. When that deputy, Gary Brown, filed a whistle-blower suit last summer, Kilpatrick and Beatty denied under oath that an affair had taken place.
Groner noted that after a jury found in Brown's favor, Kilpatrick publicly vowed to appeal, only to do a "180-degree" turn after he found out the plaintiffs were in possession of text messages that gave evidence of the affair. Brown then urged the City Council to approve settlements, which cost the city $8.4 million -- closer to $9 million after legal costs.
In January, the Detroit Free Press revealed the text messages that contradicted Kilpatrick's and Beatty's testimony.
After the text messages were made public, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Kilpatrick and Beatty with multiple counts of perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. The most serious charges would have carried a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison upon conviction.
Beatty resigned her post after the text messages were made public, but the case against her remains pending, Worthy said. The Free Press reported Beatty has rejected several plea deal offers, the last of which would have required her to serve 150 days in jail.
Worthy told reporters after Kilpatrick's hearing that she was satisfied with the result, but could not comment extensively on Kilpatrick's case. "We have another defendant to try," she said. "I don't want to step over that line."
Kilpatrick must also pay the city of Detroit $1 million in restitution, Groner ordered, and forfeit any future pension.
He initially refused to resign, and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm had called a hearing on whether she should remove him from office at the request of the Detroit City Council. Granholm adjourned those hearings after Kilpatrick pleaded guilty and agreed to resign.
In the speech after he pleaded guilty September 4, Kilpatrick told reporters Granholm and city officials should work for the people of Detroit as hard as they did to get him out of office.
He told the crowd his marriage is better than ever, and kissed his wife to resounding applause when he concluded his remarks. He said he decided to step down so the city could move forward.
Groner also ordered Kilpatrick to sign an order of revocation regarding his law license. Because of a pending complaint against Kilpatrick, he could not surrender the license, but instead had to agree to revocation -- something his defense attorneys argued vehemently against. Groner told them the issue could be raised on appeal if necessary.
The judge did, however, deny prosecutors' request that Kilpatrick repay $22,000 in costs unique to prosecuting his case -- including the purchase of new door locks for their offices.
He also refused a prosecution request to order that Kilpatrick attend anger management counseling based on the July 24 incident involving the police officers, saying it was "an isolated incident" and he knows of no other evidence that Kilpatrick is violent or requires counseling.
Worthy said she was disappointed with that decision, but acknowledged, "It is unusual to ask for prosecutors' costs. ... A lot of judges aren't familiar with that."
On the law license, she said, "Frankly, I'm surprised we were even having that discussion," adding that defense attorneys, prosecutors and "everybody was clear that the license should be given up. He should not practice law."
Groner imposed the sentence at the end of a lengthy hearing featuring remarks from a phalanx of prosecutors and defense attorneys. The judge grew impatient with members of Kilpatrick's defense team, most of whom made extended remarks.
The hearing itself began more than a half hour late, as attorneys met to discuss terms of Kilpatrick's plea bargain, according to the Detroit News. And the imposition of the sentence was punctuated by two court recesses as attorneys wrangled over conditions.
During the hearing, Kilpatrick's defense attorneys pleaded with Groner to keep in mind the benefits he had brought to the city as mayor. But prosecutors read statements from both police officers involved in the incident, saying they had suffered lasting effects from it.
To find a pre-screened Attorney in Los Angeles, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
Former Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick listens as he is sentenced Tuesday in Wayne County, Michigan.
Kilpatrick pleaded guilty last month to two felony obstruction of justice charges stemming from his efforts to cover up an extramarital affair. He also pleaded no contest to charges of assaulting a police officer attempting to serve a subpoena on a Kilpatrick friend in that case.
In imposing the sentence, Judge David Groner harshly criticized Kilpatrick for his conduct, particularly for a televised speech that aired hours after he entered his pleas.
"That night, the community expected to hear a message of humility, remorse and apology," Groner said. "Instead, we heard an arrogant and defiant man who accused the governor, among others, for his downfall."
While a presentencing report submitted to the court said Kilpatrick accepts responsibility for his actions, Groner said he questioned the former mayor's sincerity.
"Many defendants have stood before this court. However, this case is different, and you are not the typical defendant," the judge said. "... You were expected to lead from the front and set an example."
Kilpatrick was accused of blocking a criminal investigation into his office and firing a police deputy to cover up an affair with his then-chief of staff, Christine Beatty. When that deputy, Gary Brown, filed a whistle-blower suit last summer, Kilpatrick and Beatty denied under oath that an affair had taken place.
Groner noted that after a jury found in Brown's favor, Kilpatrick publicly vowed to appeal, only to do a "180-degree" turn after he found out the plaintiffs were in possession of text messages that gave evidence of the affair. Brown then urged the City Council to approve settlements, which cost the city $8.4 million -- closer to $9 million after legal costs.
In January, the Detroit Free Press revealed the text messages that contradicted Kilpatrick's and Beatty's testimony.
After the text messages were made public, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy charged Kilpatrick and Beatty with multiple counts of perjury, obstruction of justice and misconduct in office. The most serious charges would have carried a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison upon conviction.
Beatty resigned her post after the text messages were made public, but the case against her remains pending, Worthy said. The Free Press reported Beatty has rejected several plea deal offers, the last of which would have required her to serve 150 days in jail.
Worthy told reporters after Kilpatrick's hearing that she was satisfied with the result, but could not comment extensively on Kilpatrick's case. "We have another defendant to try," she said. "I don't want to step over that line."
Kilpatrick must also pay the city of Detroit $1 million in restitution, Groner ordered, and forfeit any future pension.
He initially refused to resign, and Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm had called a hearing on whether she should remove him from office at the request of the Detroit City Council. Granholm adjourned those hearings after Kilpatrick pleaded guilty and agreed to resign.
In the speech after he pleaded guilty September 4, Kilpatrick told reporters Granholm and city officials should work for the people of Detroit as hard as they did to get him out of office.
He told the crowd his marriage is better than ever, and kissed his wife to resounding applause when he concluded his remarks. He said he decided to step down so the city could move forward.
Groner also ordered Kilpatrick to sign an order of revocation regarding his law license. Because of a pending complaint against Kilpatrick, he could not surrender the license, but instead had to agree to revocation -- something his defense attorneys argued vehemently against. Groner told them the issue could be raised on appeal if necessary.
The judge did, however, deny prosecutors' request that Kilpatrick repay $22,000 in costs unique to prosecuting his case -- including the purchase of new door locks for their offices.
He also refused a prosecution request to order that Kilpatrick attend anger management counseling based on the July 24 incident involving the police officers, saying it was "an isolated incident" and he knows of no other evidence that Kilpatrick is violent or requires counseling.
Worthy said she was disappointed with that decision, but acknowledged, "It is unusual to ask for prosecutors' costs. ... A lot of judges aren't familiar with that."
On the law license, she said, "Frankly, I'm surprised we were even having that discussion," adding that defense attorneys, prosecutors and "everybody was clear that the license should be given up. He should not practice law."
Groner imposed the sentence at the end of a lengthy hearing featuring remarks from a phalanx of prosecutors and defense attorneys. The judge grew impatient with members of Kilpatrick's defense team, most of whom made extended remarks.
The hearing itself began more than a half hour late, as attorneys met to discuss terms of Kilpatrick's plea bargain, according to the Detroit News. And the imposition of the sentence was punctuated by two court recesses as attorneys wrangled over conditions.
During the hearing, Kilpatrick's defense attorneys pleaded with Groner to keep in mind the benefits he had brought to the city as mayor. But prosecutors read statements from both police officers involved in the incident, saying they had suffered lasting effects from it.
To find a pre-screened Attorney in Los Angeles, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
Four charged in Arkansas campus shooting
Two university students gunned down Sunday were unintended bystanders and not the targets of the people who opened fire at the University of Central Arkansas, a prosecutor said Tuesday.
Student Ryan Henderson, 18, was shot to death on the UCA campus Sunday, according to police.
Police are still trying to figure out the motive for shooting, said Marcus Vaden, prosecuting attorney for the 20th Judicial District of Arkansas. Vaden did not say whom the shooters were targeting.
Four suspects were arrested after the shooting and were charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted murder Tuesday, a prosecutor said.
The suspects also were charged with eight counts of committing a terroristic act and other weapons charges in the Sunday night shooting, Vaden said.
A third man, who is not a student, was wounded in the shooting.
The suspects are Kawin Brockman, 19 of Conway; Kelsey Perry, 19 of Morrilton; Mario Toney, 20 of Little Rock; and Brandon Wade, 20, of Lake Village, the university said.
Police have released few details on the suspects other than saying that they are not university students.
"It does not seem at this time that it was a random act," police Lt. Preston Grumbles said Monday, adding that police are "unsure of the precise motive." He said there was "no indication" that the shootings were gang-related.
Ryan Henderson, 18, of Little Rock and Chavares Block, 19, of Dermott were killed in the incident outside a university dormitory on Sunday night. Block was a sophomore pre-engineering major. Henderson was a freshman who had not declared a major.
First State Bank of Conway established an account Tuesday to accept donations for the families of the two teenagers. Donations to the Block-Henderson Memorial Fund will be passed on to the two families, the university said.
A third victim, Martrevis Norman, was treated at a hospital and released on Sunday. He is not a student at the university, said Lt. Rhonda Swindle of UCA campus police.
"This is something you pray never happens," a visibly upset interim University President Tom Courtway said Monday. "But it happened."
The shooting prompted a campus lockdown and the cancellation of Monday classes. The university, in Conway, has about 12,500 full-time students.
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Student Ryan Henderson, 18, was shot to death on the UCA campus Sunday, according to police.
Police are still trying to figure out the motive for shooting, said Marcus Vaden, prosecuting attorney for the 20th Judicial District of Arkansas. Vaden did not say whom the shooters were targeting.
Four suspects were arrested after the shooting and were charged with two counts of capital murder and one count of attempted murder Tuesday, a prosecutor said.
The suspects also were charged with eight counts of committing a terroristic act and other weapons charges in the Sunday night shooting, Vaden said.
A third man, who is not a student, was wounded in the shooting.
The suspects are Kawin Brockman, 19 of Conway; Kelsey Perry, 19 of Morrilton; Mario Toney, 20 of Little Rock; and Brandon Wade, 20, of Lake Village, the university said.
Police have released few details on the suspects other than saying that they are not university students.
"It does not seem at this time that it was a random act," police Lt. Preston Grumbles said Monday, adding that police are "unsure of the precise motive." He said there was "no indication" that the shootings were gang-related.
Ryan Henderson, 18, of Little Rock and Chavares Block, 19, of Dermott were killed in the incident outside a university dormitory on Sunday night. Block was a sophomore pre-engineering major. Henderson was a freshman who had not declared a major.
First State Bank of Conway established an account Tuesday to accept donations for the families of the two teenagers. Donations to the Block-Henderson Memorial Fund will be passed on to the two families, the university said.
A third victim, Martrevis Norman, was treated at a hospital and released on Sunday. He is not a student at the university, said Lt. Rhonda Swindle of UCA campus police.
"This is something you pray never happens," a visibly upset interim University President Tom Courtway said Monday. "But it happened."
The shooting prompted a campus lockdown and the cancellation of Monday classes. The university, in Conway, has about 12,500 full-time students.
To find a pre-screened Attorney in Los Angeles, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
PERUGIA, Italy -- A judge Tuesday convicted Rudy Guede, a native of the Ivory Coast, in last year's murder of a British woman in Italy and sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
Briton Meredith Kercher was found dead in her Perugia apartment last November.
Judge Paolo Micheli also ruled that adequate evidence exists to try an American woman, Amanda Knox, and her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, in the killing of Meredith Kercher, said defense attorneys and Francisco Maresca, the lawyer for the victim's family.
Their trial will begin December 4. Guede, Knox and Sollecito have all denied wrongdoing. Guede's attorney said he will appeal the conviction and sentence.
Kercher, a 21-year-old exchange student at the University of Perugia, was found nearly a year ago, dead in her bed, with a knife wound to her neck. Official reports said Kercher may have been sexually assaulted before she died and that she bled to death.
Members of Kercher's family spoke to reporters following the court proceeding. John Kercher Jr., one of the woman's brothers, said it was "overwhelming" to be in the same room as Guede when the judge convicted and sentenced him.
But Lyle Kercher, a second brother, said that "pleased" wasn't the right word for the family's feelings, noting that his sister was murdered. "Satisfied" was more appropriate given the circumstances, he said.
At his lawyers' request, Guede, hoping for a lesser sentence, received a separate fast-track trial from Knox and Sollecito.
Lawyers for Sollecito, 24, and Knox, 21, asked that their clients -- who have been in jail since shortly after the murder -- be allowed to stay under house arrest if indicted.
However, Sollecito's attorney, Luca Maori, and Knox's attorney, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said the judge had not ruled on their request. They expect an answer in coming days, they said.
Prosecutors allege Guede committed sexual violence against Kercher with the help of Knox and Sollecito. They have said the three then strangled and stabbed the British student and took money, credit cards and cell phones in an attempt to make it look like the crime occurred during a robbery.
Guede has admitted being in the villa when Kercher was killed, but has said an unknown assailant killed her while he was out of the room.
Police say a bloody footprint from a shoe next to Kercher's body came from Sollecito. They also say investigators found traces of blood belonging to both Knox and Kercher mixed together in a bathroom adjacent to the room where Kercher died.
Both Knox and Sollecito have given what prosecutors have said are confusing and contradictory accounts of what happened the night Kercher was killed.
To find a pre-screened Los Angeles Attorney, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
Briton Meredith Kercher was found dead in her Perugia apartment last November.
Judge Paolo Micheli also ruled that adequate evidence exists to try an American woman, Amanda Knox, and her former Italian boyfriend, Raffaele Sollecito, in the killing of Meredith Kercher, said defense attorneys and Francisco Maresca, the lawyer for the victim's family.
Their trial will begin December 4. Guede, Knox and Sollecito have all denied wrongdoing. Guede's attorney said he will appeal the conviction and sentence.
Kercher, a 21-year-old exchange student at the University of Perugia, was found nearly a year ago, dead in her bed, with a knife wound to her neck. Official reports said Kercher may have been sexually assaulted before she died and that she bled to death.
Members of Kercher's family spoke to reporters following the court proceeding. John Kercher Jr., one of the woman's brothers, said it was "overwhelming" to be in the same room as Guede when the judge convicted and sentenced him.
But Lyle Kercher, a second brother, said that "pleased" wasn't the right word for the family's feelings, noting that his sister was murdered. "Satisfied" was more appropriate given the circumstances, he said.
At his lawyers' request, Guede, hoping for a lesser sentence, received a separate fast-track trial from Knox and Sollecito.
Lawyers for Sollecito, 24, and Knox, 21, asked that their clients -- who have been in jail since shortly after the murder -- be allowed to stay under house arrest if indicted.
However, Sollecito's attorney, Luca Maori, and Knox's attorney, Carlo Dalla Vedova, said the judge had not ruled on their request. They expect an answer in coming days, they said.
Prosecutors allege Guede committed sexual violence against Kercher with the help of Knox and Sollecito. They have said the three then strangled and stabbed the British student and took money, credit cards and cell phones in an attempt to make it look like the crime occurred during a robbery.
Guede has admitted being in the villa when Kercher was killed, but has said an unknown assailant killed her while he was out of the room.
Police say a bloody footprint from a shoe next to Kercher's body came from Sollecito. They also say investigators found traces of blood belonging to both Knox and Kercher mixed together in a bathroom adjacent to the room where Kercher died.
Both Knox and Sollecito have given what prosecutors have said are confusing and contradictory accounts of what happened the night Kercher was killed.
To find a pre-screened Los Angeles Attorney, call the 24HR Lawyer Referral Hotline 661 310 7999
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