February 4, 2024 7:00 am
A Washington man was sentenced to two years in prison followed by three years of supervised release in a cyber-stalking case. Eric Scholl, 56, of Washington was sentenced on January 31, 2024, by United States District Judge Marilyn J. Horan. He was also ordered to pay restitution to the victim, his ex-wife, whom he admitted cyber-stalking after she had obtained a Pennsylvania Protection from Abuse (PFA) order against him. Among other things, authorities say Scholl placed a GPS tracking device on the victim’s car to track her movements; directed harassing and intimidating emails, texts, and phone calls to her, including using a web-based service that allowed him to disguise his phone number; and posted lewd content about her on the internet.
February 3, 2024 5:04 am
ATLANTA (AP) — Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in a court filing has acknowledged having a “personal relationship” with a special prosecutor she hired for the Georgia election interference case against former President Donald Trump. But Friday’s court filing argues there are no grounds to dismiss the case or to remove Willis from the prosecution. Willis hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade in November 2021 to assist her investigation into whether Trump and others broke any laws as they tried to overturn the Republican’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. An attorney for a Trump co-defendant has argued the case should be dismissed due to allegations of their relationship.
February 3, 2024 5:03 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate negotiators have reached a deal on a proposal to overhaul the asylum system at the U.S. border with Mexico. It clears the way for Democratic and Republican Senate leaders to begin the difficult task of convincing Congress to pass a national security package that will include tens of billions of dollars for Ukraine and immigration enforcement, as well as funding for Israel and other American allies. Sen. Chris Murphy, the lead Democratic negotiator, posted on social media Friday that a deal had been reached and text of the bill would be released over the weekend.
February 3, 2024 5:02 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Washington has formally postponed Donald Trump’s March trial on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election as a key legal appeal from the former president continues to work its way through the courts. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday vacated the March 4 trial date but did not immediately set a new date. The postponement comes as a federal appeals court has yet to resolve a pending appeal from Trump arguing that he is immune from prosecution for actions he took in the White House.
February 3, 2024 4:57 am
WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. military has launched an air assault on dozens of sites in Iraq and Syria used by Iranian-backed militias and the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. It is the opening salvo of retaliation for the drone strike that killed three U.S. troops in Jordan last weekend. The massive barrage of strikes hit more than 85 targets at seven locations, including command and control headquarters, intelligence centers, rockets and missiles, drone and ammunition storage sites and other facilities. President Joe Biden says the strikes demonstrate to “all those who might seek to do us harm” that “if you harm an American, we will respond.”
February 3, 2024 4:53 am
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — State courts in Pennsylvania must allow people on probation to take medication for opioid withdrawal as part of a Justice Department settlement announced Thursday. Several plaintiffs say they suffered withdrawal rather than test positive and be sent back to prison. Lawyer Sally Friedman represented them as senior vice president of legal advocacy at the Legal Action Center in New York. She says the loss of the medication can be life-threatening. The settlement mandates training for judges and court personnel involved in court-ordered supervision. The plaintiffs will also share in a $100,000 settlement.
February 3, 2024 4:49 am
KENNETT SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — A district judge in Pennsylvania says prosecutors have sufficient grounds to continue to press escape and other charges against a convicted murderer captured last year after two weeks on the run. The judge in Chester County on Friday determined there’s enough evidence to forward to county court for trial all of the charges against 34-year-old Danilo Cavalcante. That also includes car theft, burglary and trespassing. Cavalcante’s escape from the Chester County Prison on Aug. 31 was captured on video and involved scaling a wall, climbing over razor wire and jumping from a roof. A message seeking comment was left with the Chester County public defender’s office, listed on the court docket as representing Cavalcante.
February 3, 2024 4:46 am
DOYLESTOWN, Pa. (AP) — A Pennsylvania prosecutor says the man accused of shooting and decapitating his father in their home northeast of Philadelphia and posting a video of the severed head purchased a gun the previous day. Bucks County District Attorney Jennifer Schorn said Friday that 32-year-old Justin D. Mohn was “acting with clear mind” when he allegedly killed his father, Michael F. Mohn, at their home in Levittown on Tuesday. Mohn’s mother discovered her husband’s body. Justin Mohn faces charges of first-degree murder, abusing a corpse and possession of instruments of crime. The public defenders representing him are declining comment.
February 3, 2024 2:32 am
NEW YORK (AP) — Carl Weathers, a former NFL linebacker who became a Hollywood action movie and comedy star, playing nemesis-turned-ally Apollo Creed in the “Rocky” movies, has died. He was 76. His other major roles were facing-off against Arnold Schwarzenegger in “Predator” and teaching golf in “Happy Gilmore.” Comfortable flexing his muscles on the big screen in “Action Jackson” as he was joking around on the small screen in such shows as “Arrested Development,” Weathers was perhaps most closely associated with Creed, who made his first appearance as the cocky, undisputed heavyweight world champion in 1976’s “Rocky,” starring Sylvester Stallone. (Photo: ABC)
February 2, 2024 5:14 pm
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal judge in Washington has formally postponed Donald Trump’s March trial on charges of plotting to overturn the 2020 election as a key legal appeal from the former president continues to work its way through the courts. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday vacated the March 4 trial date but did not immediately set a new date. The postponement comes as a federal appeals court has yet to resolve a pending appeal from Trump arguing that he is immune from prosecution for actions he took in the White House.
