MONTGOMERY, Al.
A former state corrections officer has pleaded guilty to federal charges that he violated the civil rights of a former inmate and conspired with his colleagues to cover up the incident.
Scottie T. Glenn pleaded guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Montgomery as part of an ongoing federal investigation into allegations of civil rights violations at the Ventress Correctional Facility in Clayton, Ala.
Glenn's guilty plea is related to an August 2010 incident when an unnamed inmate was severely beaten and suffered significant injuries before dying the next day in a Montgomery hospital. The civil rights charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. The conspiracy charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Friday, November 18, 2011
Two confirmed dead, at least one seriously injured in morning wreck on U.S. 280
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| 280 wreck |
Two people are now confirmed dead in a morning rush hour wreck on U.S. 280 and traffic remains shut down in both directions.
The call for the wreck came in about 6:13 a.m., said Mountain Brook Battalion Chief Chris Mullins. A Mountain Brook firefighter on his way to work came upon the scene just as the wreck happened and pulled people from the burning vehicles, Mullins said.
Here's what police and fire officials believe happened in the wreck:
A pickup truck traveling westbound on U.S. 280 just beyond the Brookwood Village exit, crossed the median and collided with an SUV. The pickup burst into flames on impact.
Another car was struck in the accident and ended up in a ravine. A Birmingham Jefferson County Transit Authority Bus was also struck, but not seriously damaged in the wreck.
One of the occupants of the SUV was dead on the scene and the body had not been removed at 8:15 a.m.
Another occupant of the SUV was taken to an area hospital and pronounced dead.
The driver of the pickup truck was a taken to an area hospital with very serious injuries.
The driver of the car that went into the ravine was taken to the hospital, but did not have life-threatening injuries. No one was injured on the bus.
School bus crash in Covington County sends 5 to hospital
COVINGTON COUNTY, Al.
A school bus collided with a passenger car at the intersection of U.S. 84 and Covington County Road 7, just west of Andalusia, yesterday afternoon .
Clifton Moore, 33, of Evergreen was traveling west on U.S. 84 when the school bus failed to yield the right of way and pulled into the path of Moore’s vehicle. Moore was taken by Life-Flight to Baptist Medical Center South in Montgomery, where he is listed in critical condition. Four students on the bus were transported to Andalusia Regional Medical Center for minor injuries.
The children were believed to be on their way home from Red Level School.
National Weather Service confirms that damages from Wednesdays storm was done by one tornado
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| Storm damage in Ridgewood Village off Webster Road near Wire Road in Auburn, Al |
The National Weather Service confirms that damages from Wednesdays storm surge was done by one tornado, a continuous path from Notalsulga, AL to Shiloh, GA. Initial estimates show the storm may have been more than 50 miles long. Tornadoes are rated on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with 0 being the weakest and 5 being the strongest.
While Lee County experienced damage from an EF-0 to an EF-1 tornado the damage was more extensive in Harris County, GA. NWS says Harris County was hit by an EF-2 storm, since the tornado made its way across a river.
Jim Stefkovich the meteorologist in charge of the National Weather Service in Birmingham, AL. reports he and his crews have been on the ground all day surveying damage from Wednesday's storms in east Alabama.
NWS officials say the tornado's track continues to stretch. In some locations the tornado appears to be a high EF-0 and a low EF-1, with the hardest hit area in Lee County being Lake Harding where speeds reached 105 miles per hour.
NWS officials add that most of the damage in east Alabama may have been done by an EF-0 that had winds that reached 70-80 miles per hour.
Statistics show that in Alabama, November and early December accounts for 30-40% of tornado activity.
Stefkovich says east Alabama residents were well prepared for this storm and many were warned 19 minutes before the storm reached their area.
He believes growing awareness from the April tornado breakout that devastated Alabama, residents were much more apt to take cover and get to a safe location as soon as watches and warnings were issued by local forecasters.
NWS says that they have not had ANY reports of injuries or death in Alabama.
It will take a few days to tabulate the cost of the widespread damage in Lee County, AL and Harris County, GA.
Birmingham airport remains open after shooting; ABI to investigate incident
BIRMINGHAM, Al.
An altercation between a Birmingham police officer and a driver outside the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport ended with a man being shot tonight and a portion of the building closed off as investigators swarmed the scene.
According to police, the incident occurred after a police officer on duty outside told a driver he would could not park in the pickup area.
The man returned to the area, speeding, when an exchange again occurred between him and the officer, said Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams Jr.
"When he came around the second time there was another altercation between the officer and the driver of that vehicle, resulting in our officer discharging his weapon," Williams said.
Williams did not specify whether or not the man attempted to run over the police officer, but he did say the officer felt threatened.
The man was shot in the face. Williams said the man's injuries were not life-threatening.
While the airport remained open, visitors tonight were greeted with multiple police vehicles, blue lights and yellow crime scene tape.
People downstairs were sent upstairs after the lower level outside and near the baggage claim area was restricted after the incident occurred at about 6:45 p.m.
Jackie Wheeler of Texas was just arriving following her flight when she heard several shots.
"I heard it," said Wheeler, who was inside the airport near the pickup area. "The airport employees took off running and we all ran."
Williams said the Alabama Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.
The police officer involved was assigned to the airport. Williams said he would be put on paid administrative leave as is standard during investigations.
An altercation between a Birmingham police officer and a driver outside the Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport ended with a man being shot tonight and a portion of the building closed off as investigators swarmed the scene.
The man returned to the area, speeding, when an exchange again occurred between him and the officer, said Birmingham police spokesman Sgt. Johnny Williams Jr.
"When he came around the second time there was another altercation between the officer and the driver of that vehicle, resulting in our officer discharging his weapon," Williams said.
Williams did not specify whether or not the man attempted to run over the police officer, but he did say the officer felt threatened.
The man was shot in the face. Williams said the man's injuries were not life-threatening.
While the airport remained open, visitors tonight were greeted with multiple police vehicles, blue lights and yellow crime scene tape.
People downstairs were sent upstairs after the lower level outside and near the baggage claim area was restricted after the incident occurred at about 6:45 p.m.
Jackie Wheeler of Texas was just arriving following her flight when she heard several shots.
"I heard it," said Wheeler, who was inside the airport near the pickup area. "The airport employees took off running and we all ran."
Williams said the Alabama Bureau of Investigation is handling the case.
The police officer involved was assigned to the airport. Williams said he would be put on paid administrative leave as is standard during investigations.
Questions raised about immigrant status of HB 56 protesters in jail
MONTGOMERY, Al.
An odd turn of events yesterday over the citizenship of the 13 self-proclaimed undocumented immigrants arrested at a demonstration Tuesday has brought to the surface many questions about the rally that brought 200 people to the Capitol earlier this week in protest of HB 56, Alabama's strict immigration law.
Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said that he received word from authorities that the people arrested at the event were actually U.S. citizens.
An odd turn of events yesterday over the citizenship of the 13 self-proclaimed undocumented immigrants arrested at a demonstration Tuesday has brought to the surface many questions about the rally that brought 200 people to the Capitol earlier this week in protest of HB 56, Alabama's strict immigration law.
Montgomery Mayor Todd Strange said that he received word from authorities that the people arrested at the event were actually U.S. citizens.
Montgomery Police Sgt. Donna Mackey, a department spokeswoman, said Immigration and Customs Enforcement has confirmed it will not become involved in the case, meaning that the arrested parties claiming undocumented status will not risk deportation because of the offense.
Mike Winter, a Montgomery lawyer representing the 12 people, said the rumors are untrue and that they are all in the country illegally.
Eleven of the protesters were arrested by Montgomery police officers on South Union Street after blocking the road for two hours in protest of the legislation. They were taken into custody without incident and transported to city jail. One person, said to be a minor, was released the day of the protest to her parents. The remaining 10 were charged with disorderly conduct for blocking the road, a misdemeanor offense carrying a $500 bail
Another two protesters who sat back-to-back in the lobby of the State House for over two hours after delivering a letter to Sen. Scott Beason, R-Gardendale, and sponsor of the bill, were arrested by state troopers after the building closed at 5:30 p.m. The two, who claimed to be college students in the country illegally from Los Angeles and Philadelphia, were taken to the county jail on trespassing charges.
The 10 people taken to city jail will be released today at 3 p.m. after the group that organized the demonstration raised $5,600 to post bail. They will be tried in district court Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. The other two remain in the Montgomery County Detention Center.
Dream Activist spokesman Mohammad Abdollahi said that the group was forced to raise the money because the arrested parties were all undocumented immigrants, making it impossible for the group to go through a bail bondsman.
Abdollahi also said two people who were arrested in a similar demonstration in Mobile last Thursday were taken to a Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in Louisiana after police confirmed that they were in the country illegally.
Thursday, November 17, 2011
Milton McGregor's lawyers argue that Gov. Bob Riley should testify in new bingo trial
MONTGOMERY, Al.
A federal magistrate this morning held a hearing on VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor's efforts to put former Gov. Bob Riley on the stand as a defense witness in McGregor's upcoming trial on vote-buying charges.
McGregor lawyer Joe Espy told the judge defense lawyers want to ask Riley what he knew about the federal investigation and whether his political motivations to shut down McGregor's casino affected the case. A lawyer for Riley called those claims outrageous and said the defense lawyers were creating "a sideshow for the media."
Espy said he believes Riley has relevant knowledge about the case. He said that questions he might want to ask Riley included whether he rewarded a key prosecution witness with a judgeship appointment for participating in the case.
McGregor is accused of offering legislators campaign contributions in exchange for yes votes on a bill that would have allowed electronic bingo casinos at select locations in the state. Espy said Riley, who was fighting the legislation and attempting to close such casinos with an illegal gambling task force, offered a lawmaker a government project to vote against the bill.
"We have information that Bob Riley was doing the exact same thing that the defendants were doing or accused of doing," Espy said. "We're accused of yes votes, he did it for a no vote."
Riley lawyer Matt Lemke outside court called the accusation "outrageous slander."
"Governor Riley never once offered a single dollar for a vote," Lemke said.
Lemke said the defense lawyers have failed to show Riley has any relevant knowledge about the accusations in the case that would merit calling a former governor to the witness stand.
"Nobody says Bob Riley has any information about the bribery case that was going on," Lemke said.
"Everything else is a sideshow for the media."
A key strategy of the McGregor defense has been to cast doubt on the motivations of prosecution witnesses and others associated with the case.
A federal magistrate this morning held a hearing on VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor's efforts to put former Gov. Bob Riley on the stand as a defense witness in McGregor's upcoming trial on vote-buying charges.
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| Milton McGregor |
Espy said he believes Riley has relevant knowledge about the case. He said that questions he might want to ask Riley included whether he rewarded a key prosecution witness with a judgeship appointment for participating in the case.
McGregor is accused of offering legislators campaign contributions in exchange for yes votes on a bill that would have allowed electronic bingo casinos at select locations in the state. Espy said Riley, who was fighting the legislation and attempting to close such casinos with an illegal gambling task force, offered a lawmaker a government project to vote against the bill.
"We have information that Bob Riley was doing the exact same thing that the defendants were doing or accused of doing," Espy said. "We're accused of yes votes, he did it for a no vote."
Riley lawyer Matt Lemke outside court called the accusation "outrageous slander."
"Governor Riley never once offered a single dollar for a vote," Lemke said.
Lemke said the defense lawyers have failed to show Riley has any relevant knowledge about the accusations in the case that would merit calling a former governor to the witness stand.
"Nobody says Bob Riley has any information about the bribery case that was going on," Lemke said.
"Everything else is a sideshow for the media."
A key strategy of the McGregor defense has been to cast doubt on the motivations of prosecution witnesses and others associated with the case.
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