Jury selection begins tomorrow in the murder trial of Eric Rudolph, charged with setting a bomb outside of an Alabama abortion clinic in 1998 which killed a police officer. 500 jurors have been summoned to a ballroom where they will fill out questionniares. Individual questioning of jurors is expected to begin in May.

The defense team is led by the great Judy Clarke. Judy also represented the Unabomber Ted Kaczinski, and got a life sentence, beating the death penalty, for Susan Smith, who drowned her two sons and then invented a black male to blame the deaths on. She also served on the Zacarias Moussaoui team for a while, until Rudolph was arrested. Judy is a federal defender and death penalty expert from Spokane and a past President of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers (NACDL)

Issues that will be raised during trial:

by TChris

San Francisco police restrained a man yesterday with a device identified as a "body wrap." Once the officers had him in the device, the man stopped breathing and paramedics were unable to revive him. The connection, if any, between the body wrap and the death isn't yet known.

Who's cashing in on Michael Jackson's legal troubles? Just about everyone, it seems.

Lawyers flying into Santa Maria to comment on tv for free, hoping for fame and a boost to their law practice. Lawyers with offices near the courthouse selling parking spaces and phone lines to the media. The court charging the media excessive access fees. Cops writing extra traffic tickets. Has-been actors. Even the witnesses against him.

by TChris

Two men were driving down I-380 in Iowa when the hood of their car popped open. Undaunted, the men stuck their heads out the side windows and kept driving.

Note to drivers: if you want the police to notice you, drive down the freeway with your hood raised.

Two Linn County deputies on patrol took note, and pulled them over. They arrested the driver, Travis Williams, 25, of Cedar Rapids, on suspicion of driving under suspension, and no proof of insurance. The passenger, Brandon Calmese, 27, of Cedar Rapids, was arrested on a parole violation warrant from Illinois.

by TChris

A woman in Richmond, Virginia returned home after a week's absence to find that her apartment had been burglarized. In addition to taking her computer and television, the burglar ate her food and drank her liquor.

But this was not a thoughtless thief. Police said the rear sliding glass door, which the woman had left open, was closed and locked when she returned. In addition, "clothes and dishes had been washed and dried," according to the police report.

The police theorize that the burglar took up residence while the woman was gone, but didn't want to stay in a dirty apartment.

by TChris

An armed robber who stole a bag that a woman was holding while walking her dog was displeased to discover that the bag contained the dog's fecal droppings. Fortunately for the dog (and its owner), the disgruntled robber's gun didn't fire when he tried to shoot the dog.

"The guy got what he deserved, though," [the woman] said.

by TChris

Free enterprise at its worst:

Three airmen have been arrested in an alleged scheme to steal 35 bulletproof vests from Moody Air Force Base and sell them to drug dealers for $100 each.

Police discovered the plot when they arrested a drug dealer who was wearing one of the stolen vests. Eighteen of the vests have been recovered.

by TChris

Three former Oakland police officers, charged with 15 felonies growing out of accusations that they "beat and framed suspected drug dealers in West Oakland in the summer of 2000," are relying on a familiar defense: the prosecution witnesses were just saying what the government wanted to hear.

In the second week of closing arguments in the Alameda County Superior Court trial of the former officers, who were reportedly nicknamed "The Riders" by bitter West Oakland residents who despised their aggressive tactics, attorney Michael Rains alleged that witnesses were eager to please the prosecutors in the case and their theme was, "If it hurts the D.A., we'll change what we say."

In this case, the defense requires ex-officers to portray other ex-officers as liars. That might be more difficult than discrediting the alleged abuse victims who participated in a lawsuit against Oakland.

The 2003 Protect Act, aimed at prosecuting tourists from the U.S. who travel abroad to commit sex offenses against children, saw its first sentence imposedMonday:

An 87-year-old man convicted of attempting to travel to the Philippines to molest young girls was sentenced Monday to 20 years in prison under a 2003 federal law aimed at fighting so-called sex tourism.

John W. Seljan was the first person to be convicted at trial of violating the Protect Act, which made it easier for U.S. authorities to prosecute people for overseas sex crimes, according to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. ...

Seljan sat in a wheelchair and used headphones to listen to the proceedings when he was convicted by a judge during a non-jury trial in November.

A half-way house or home arrest wouldn't have been been sufficient for this widower, grandfather and former country western singer? Do you feel safer? How much will taxpayers pay for his medical care in prison?

Bump and Update: The Judge has ruled evidence of the 1993 accusation against Jackson can be admitted. The judge also will allow evidence regarding four other accusers, including actor Macaulay Culkin and choreographer Wade Robson. The prosecution had sought to admit allegations from seven former accusers. The jury will hear that Jackson settled two lawsuits, one in 1990 and one in 1993. It will not hear amounts unless the defense brings it up. But this does not mean the five accusers will testify in person. In particular, the 1993 accuser, Jordan Chandler, is not expected to testify:

Jackson's lawyer then went into a point-by-point attack of the old material Sneddon wants to introduce. With the exception of Chandler and the maid's son, the five boys allegedly molested by Jackson--a group that includes actor Macaulay Culkin and choreographer Wade Robson--have all repeatedly denied being abused by the performer, Mesereau said. Additionally, since Chandler is not going to testify, Mesereau said, jurors would only hear direct testimony from one of the seven boys prosecutors claim Jackson sexually abused.

Jeff Weise, the 16 year old who killed seven and then himself this week at his high school, had been taking Prozac. The news will now focus on whether Prozac causes violence and suicide.

David Neiwert at Orcinus has some different thoughts, focusing racial and religious bigotry. Weise was a Native American with neo-Nazi beliefs - a combination, David says, should not be surprising.

Actor Tom Sizemore was sentenced to 17 months on a probation violation today. Among the interesting details of the case:

The 43-year-old Sizemore, who has starred in many films including "Black Hawk Down", "Saving Private Ryan", failed seven drug tests while on probation for a 2003 domestic violence conviction with his ex-girlfriend, "Hollywood Madam" Heidi Fleiss.

According to one report, Sizemore tried to pass one of the drug tests by using urine from a prosthetic penis sewn into his underwear.

Sizemore did not react well to the sentence: