June 14 trial date set for Drew Peterson in Savio death

Jury selection to start then in ex-Bolingbrook cop's murder case

May 22, 2010

By DAN ROZEK

Staff Reporter
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Drew Peterson will stand trial beginning June 14 for murder in the 2004 death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio, a Will County judge ordered today.

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Judge Stephen White ordered jury selection to begin that day for the 56-year-old former Bolingbrook cop, who's charged with drowning Savio in her bathtub during their bitter divorce.

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Peterson, who remains jailed, has denied any involvement in her death — which initially was ruled accidental — or in the 2007 disappearance of his fourth wife, Stacy Peterson, who remains missing...

Still to be decided: whether the judge will allow the jury to hear that hearsay evidence — statements that other witnesses say were made by Savio and Stacy Peterson.

also read:

Drew Peterson eager for trial after a year in solitary : "guess he thinks he getting out..."

The Changing Face Of The Drew Peterson Legal Team

Drew Peterson's Harley is sold

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/01/19/illinois.drew.peterson.hearsay/index.html : Stacy Peterson had disturbing things to say about her husband, Drew

Anthony Hopkins Sentenced to Life Plus 51 Years in death of wife Arletha, stored in freezer

wkrg.com

by Steven Norris
Thu, May 20, 2010

Mobile, AL - Anthony Hopkins, the traveling preacher convicted of killing his wife and stuffing her body in a freezer, was handed the maximum sentence for his conviction: Life plus another 51 years.

Anthony Hopkins was found guilty on April 9 for the murder of Arletha Hopkins, and also for the rape of his stepdaughter. Hopkins was arrested almost two years ago in July 2008, after Arletha's body was found in a freezer at the family's home on Rylands Street.

He was taken into custody while preaching at a revival in Jackson, AL. Investigators believe Arletha's body had been hidden for more than three years.

also read:

Murderer US evangelist is evil of worst kind, according to prosecutors

Preacher Convicted in Murder of Wife - Stored Body in Freezer

Hopkins receives life imprisonment

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It has taken a long time for Hopkins to be dealt his sentence. For a while there was not a word written about the case. Its a good thing he's a "man of god". whew, that'll save his soul, huh?

60 percent of Americans support medical marijuana

KSN
ksn.com
April 23, 2010


WICHITA, Kansas – Supporters of medical marijuana told a house panel it’s a good substitute for pain relief prescriptions on the market now. A new poll from the Associated Press and CNBC shows that it’s a feeling that millions across the U.S. share – marijuana should be legalized for medicinal purposes.

"The poll suggests that Americans are in favor of marijuana for medicinal purposes,” said Trish Regan with CNBC. “In fact, 60 percent told us that. Also, the majority of Americans, better than 70 percent, tell us that they believe that there's some medicinal benefit to marijuana."

Democratic Representative Gail Finney from Wichita introduced a bill this year that would allow marijuana be used legally for medical purposes.

"There are people that silently use marijuana for their pain and for their comfort and I don't think they should be criminalized for it,” Finney said.Some even say medical marijuana could help solve state budget problems.

That poll showed between $16 billion and $20 billion in new revenue nationwide from taxing marijuana. Right now, 14 states allow it, but that poll shows that it’s still a topic Americans feel strongly about.

“One-third of the country is saying, ‘Yes, we should legalize pot for any reason, recreational, medicinal, you name it,’ and 55 percent of Americans say, ‘We're still not sure,’” Regan said.

Many lawmakers in Kansas are in that camp. Representative Scott Schwab, a Republican from Olathe said it “has no benefit for pain management.”Finney’s bill stalled in committee and is dead for this legislative session.

read entire article here

Labs To Analyze Haleigh Cummings Evidence

wesh.com
April 20, 2010
ORLANDO, Fla. --
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Evidence collected during a search for Haleigh Cummings along the St. Johns River in Putnam County has been sent for analysis, officials with the Putnam County Sheriff's Office said...
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The Florida Department of Law Enforcement assisted in the search, but an expert said the FDLE laboratory is usually called to analyze physical evidence, which includes human remains or items found near a body.
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The University of Florida was also at the search. The same expert said UF specializes in body evidence, which includes analyzing any bones or body parts that are discovered...
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read entire article here
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Law Enforcement authorities still hold to the statement that no remains have been found.
I wonder if they are Croslin cousins too. just kidding. At least Leonard Padilla wasn't there, so they more than likely aren't chicken bones. I wonder if the bones that were found were attached to the cinder blocks that were removed from the river.
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It was mentioned early on that there were cinder blocks stacked about 50 feet from the house, on the property of the rented Cummings trailer, and that was where the block holding open the door had probably come from. Cinder blocks can be matched by manufacture mark, or by examining the composition of blocks themselves--measuring the ratio of concrete to coal ash & remnants. Maybe even the composition of the concrete.

Helplessly hoping they have found her so her spirit can rest...

Judge Strickland disqualifies himself from Casey Anthony case!!

OMG

Chief Judge Belvin Perry, known for being no-nonsense, will handle Casey Anthony’s case

The Orlando Sentinel

orlandosentinel.com

April 19, 2010

The man who arguably became Central Florida's most recognized judge — without ever making public comment about the case that thrust him into the national spotlight — left some piercing, parting words for Casey Anthony's defense attorneys on Monday.

In an order granting Anthony's request for him to step down from the case, Orange County Circuit Judge Stan Strickland wrote: "At its core, defense counsel's motion accuses the undersigned of being a ‘self-aggrandizing media hound.' Indeed. The irony is rich."

Anthony's defense team filed a motion late Friday asking Strickland to disqualify himself from her first-degree murder case because of a "personal relationship" he has with a blogger who has been critical of their client...

According to the defense's motion, Anthony feared she wouldn't get a fair trial because of the relationship between Strickland and blogger Dave Knechel — known online as "Marinade Dave."
In his order, Strickland noted that he did talk to the blogger in court — with a TV camera rolling, microphones on, and in front of the attorneys.

Strickland wrote that he recently began looking at Internet material and blogs to get an idea of what people are saying about the case, which is relevant to the defense's motion for change of venue...

read entire article here--much more

Judge Strickland recuses himself from Anthony case

STRICKLAND STEPS DOWN: Read His Order Judge Appointed