Court upholds conviction in Iowa coach's death
Court Alerts
An appeals court has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of a mentally ill man who shot his former football coach in the school's weight room.
Mark Becker had argued that he was legally insane when he shot Aplington-Parkersburg High School Coach Ed Thomas in June 2009. A jury found Becker guilty and rejected his insanity defense.
Doctors testified at the trial that Becker is a paranoid schizophrenic but they disagreed over whether he knew right from wrong when he shot Thomas.
Becker's lawyers argued that jurors were given incorrect instructions about the legal definition of insanity.
The Iowa Court of Appeals on Thursday agreed one instruction was incorrect but said jurors were given another instruction that correctly defined insanity. Taken together, the court says jurors were properly instructed.
Related listings
-
Court tosses Sivak's death sentence
Court Alerts 09/08/2011The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals has reversed the death sentence of an Idaho man convicted of brutally slaying a former coworker because the state allowed a jailhouse informant to lie on the witness stand. Lacey Mark Sivak was sentenced to death...
-
US Space Scientist Pleads Guilty To Attempted Espionage
Court Alerts 09/07/2011U.S. government space scientist Stewart David Nozette has pleaded guilty to one count of attempted espionage for trying to sell classified information to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence officer, the Associated Press reported Sept. 7. T...
-
Citigroup ex-VP pleads guilty to embezzling $22M
Court Alerts 09/07/2011A former Citigroup vice president in New York City has admitted to embezzling more than $22 million from the bank for his personal use. Gary Foster pleaded guilty to bank fraud charges in Brooklyn federal court on Tuesday. The New York Post says that...
Victorville CA DUI defense Attorneys
The outcome of a DUI defense will have a long-term effect on anyone’s life, making the decision to receive legal representation an easy one. The fact is, most people accused of a DUI are first offenders with no criminal background. Whether this is your first run in with the law or you have had previous convictions, you are in need of a DUI defense attorney.
The charges you are facing for a DUI range from fines, a 12-month suspension on your license and worst-case scenario, prison time. Your attorney will be able to analyze your situation to decide the best way to go about your case.
Our attorneys know the tricky ways to challenge all of the DUI tests and know how to claim improper collection of evidence. We will be able to negotiate on your behalf and free you from charges and help you keep your drivers license. The DUI process can last up to several months, we can make this process easier on you. .