Month: July 2022

On Monday, the Supreme Court issued an order clearing the way for Indiana to try to implement a state law requiring parental consent in order for a minor to get an abortion. Chief Justice John Roberts granted a request by state officials seeking a quick legal judgment on the measure, which was passed in 2017 but has since been blocked as unconstitutional under the Roe vs. Wade decision. That landmark decision was overturned last month in the Dobbs vs. Jackson case.

Monday’s order grants the state of Indiana’s request to bypass normal court procedures and move the case quickly to a federal appeals court for immediate implementation in light of Dobbs vs. Jackson. Without the order, it would have taken 30 days for the case to return to the lower courts.

Indiana’s strict parental notification law was first blocked by the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in 2017, when it ruled the law ran afoul of precedent on nationwide abortion rights. The law would require anyone under age 18 to notify a parent or guardian, or to obtain permission from a juvenile court, to obtain the procedure in Indiana.

The move comes shortly after the controversy surrounding the case of a 10-year-old rape victim from Ohio who traveled to Indianapolis for an abortion, which has become a national flashpoint in the abortion debate.

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On Monday, the death penalty trial for Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz began in Florida, and in opening arguments, the state prosecutor called Cruz “cold, calculative, manipulative and deadly.” Prosecutor Mike Satz told jurors during a trial to determine whether Cruz will spend the rest of his life in prison or be put to death.  Satz told jurors that Cruz fired 139 shots killing 14 students and three adults during his rampage at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla., on Feb. 14, 2018.

According to Satz, Cruz allegedly spoke into his cell phone camera three days before the attack, saying, “Hello, my name is Nik. I’m going to be the next school shooter of 2018.”  Satz said there were seven aggravating factors that warrant the death penalty: “These aggravating factors far outweigh any mitigating circumstances, anything about the defendant’s background, anything about his childhood, anything about his schooling, anything about his mental health, anything about his therapy, anything about his care.”

Cruz, 23, pleaded guilty last October to 17 counts of first-degree murder and is facing a sentencing trial to determine whether he will receive the death penalty after weighing the aggregating factors established by Satz. Seven men and five women were chosen to sit on the panel after nearly three months of jury selection, and there are 10 alternates. All 12 jurors would have to agree on giving Cruz the death penalty; if even one juror disagrees, Cruz would receive life in prison without parole.

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Four people were killed after a Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office helicopter crashed in New Mexico.  Authorities confirmed on Sunday that the helicopter was headed back to Albuquerque after assisting firefighters in another New Mexico city.

Sheriff’s officials said three people from the sheriff’s office and a county firefighter were aboard the helicopter when it went down near Las Vegas, New Mexico, about 123 miles northeast of Albuquerque. Killed in the crash were Undersheriff Larry Koren, Lt. Fred Beers, Deputy Michael Levison and county Fire and Rescue Department Specialist Matthew King.   Further details were not made immediately available.

According to a Federal Aviation Administration spokeswoman, the Bell UH-1H helicopter crashed around 10 p.m. Saturday. The cause of the crash is unknown and will be investigated by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board. New Mexico State Police confirmed the crash and the fatalities around 12:15 a.m. Sunday, saying that the helicopter and its crew had been assisting with a wildfire in the Las Vegas area Saturday, providing bucket drops and other air logistics needs to fire crews on the ground. In the past several days, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office used its Metro 2 helicopter to fight a small fire in the East Mountains near Albuquerque and another fire near Santa Fe.

New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham said in a statement: “I am heartbroken by the tragic loss of four New Mexicans while in the line of duty. As we await additional details on the investigation, my office will offer any available support and assistance to the sheriff’s office and the county. State resources will be fully available to assist the investigation.”

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Officials confirmed that four people were killed when two small airplanes collided in mid-air at an airport near Las Vegas.  The collision happened around noon Sunday at the North Las Vegas Airport, a public-use facility about three miles north of downtown Las Vegas. It is used primarily by smaller aircraft for general aviation and scenic tours.

According to the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) a single-engine Piper PA-46 and a single-engine Cessna 172 collided in the traffic pattern around noon on Sunday. FAA officials say the Piper PA-46 was preparing to land when it collided with the Cessna 172. The Piper crashed into in a field east of Runway 30-Right and the Cessna fell into a water retention pond.

Authorities say two people were in each plane; the North Las Vegas Fire Department confirmed four fatalities at the scene. The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the cause of the crash.

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