SOMERVILLE, N.J. (AP) — Former NBA star Jayson Williams has been sentenced to a minimum 18 months in prison for fatally shooting a hired driver in 2002, ending an eight-year legal odyssey.
Williams avoided a retrial on a reckless manslaughter count by pleading guilty last month to aggravated assault in the death of Costas Christofi in February 2002. Williams was acquitted of aggravated manslaughter in 2004 but of covering up the shooting.
State Superior Court Judge Edward Coleman sentenced Williams Tuesday to a total of five years on the cover-up counts, which will run concurrent to the assault sentence. He will be eligible for parole after 18 months.
Witnesses testified Williams snapped a shotgun shut in the bedroom of his New Jersey mansion. The gun went off, killing Christofi.
CHICAGO (AP) — Comptroller Dan Hynes concedes Illinois Democratic primary for governor.
DETROIT (AP) — The Associated Press has learned Toyota is sending new gas pedal systems to factories, not dealerships.
NEW YORK (AP) — NBA commissioner David Stern suspends Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton for the season.
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Supreme Court will not allow the immediate closure of shipping locks to prevent invasive Asian carp from infesting the Great Lakes. Read more at www.daily-journal.com
GENEVA (AP) — Red Cross federation estimates 45,000-50,000 dead in Haitian earthquake.
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Source: Prosecutors will seek involuntary manslaughter indictment of Michael Jackson’s doctor.
KAILUA, Hawaii (AP) — Obama leaves golf abruptly for ’personal matter’; ambulance speeds to first family’s compound.
CAIRO (AP) — Al-Qaida in Arabian Peninsula claims responsibility for attempted bombing of US airliner.
WASHINGTON (AP) - The government and the window covering industry on Tuesday recalled more than 50 million Roman-style shades and roll-up blinds because of the risk children may be strangled by the cords.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission said five deaths and 16 near-strangulations from Roman shades have been reported since 2006, while three deaths connected to roll-up blinds have been reported since 2001.
Roman shades can become dangerous, the CPSC said, if a child’s neck gets stuck between the exposed inner cord and the fabric on the backside of the blind, or if the cord gets wrapped around a child’s neck.
Roll-up blinds pose a strangulation threat if the lifting loop slides off the side of the blind and a child’s neck becomes entangled on it, or if a child neck’s gets between the lifting loop and the roll-up blind material. (more…)
