NATION BRIEFS
KANSAS
Manslaughter plea barred
The judge in the trial of a man accused of murdering an abortion doctor dealt the defense a major setback Thursday, ruling that the jury cannot consider a lesser charge of manslaughter. The ruling came hours after Scott Roeder, 51, took the stand and admitted killing Dr. George Tiller, saying he acted to save the lives of unborn children. Roeder's attorneys had hoped to win a lesser conviction of voluntary manslaughter, which requires them to show their client had an unreasonable but honest belief that deadly force was justified. District Judge Warren Wilbert ruled that the jury would not be permitted to consider the charge because abortion is legal in Kansas and because Tiller was not an imminent threat.
LOUISIANA
Lawyer: No phone tap
Four conservative activists accused of trying to tamper with the phones of Democratic Sen. Mary Landrieu were just trying to record embarrassing video of her staff ignoring phone calls from constituents angry that she supported health care reform, one of their attorneys said Thursday. Attorney J. Garrison Jordan denied they were trying to disable or wiretap the phones. "You're dealing with kids," he said. "I don't think they thought it through that far." Landrieu was not impressed. "Attorneys are hired to spin for their clients," she said yesterday in Washington. "Good luck."
MARYLAND
Killing with sword justified
Prosecutors say a Johns Hopkins University student feared for his life when he used a samurai sword to kill an unarmed intruder and they have decided not to file any charges. Baltimore State's Attorney Patricia C. Jessamy said Thursday that John Pontolillo will not be charged in the death of career criminal Donald D. Rice. She said a review of the evidence and witness interviews shows Pontolillo was justified in striking Rice. Pontolillo, 21, a junior chemistry major from New Jersey, killed Rice by creating a huge gash in his chest and nearly severing his left hand.
Wind damage on LI ... Cold Spring Harbor cuts ... Empty space, hungry commuters at Grand Central ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV
Wind damage on LI ... Cold Spring Harbor cuts ... Empty space, hungry commuters at Grand Central ... Get the latest news and more great videos at NewsdayTV