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Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. will be resentenced without a court hearing

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

FARGO, N.D. — The man convicted of killing North Dakota college student Dru Sjodin 20 years ago is to be resentenced without a hearing after a judge overturned his death sentence in 2021.The U.S. Attorney’s Office in North Dakota and defense attorneys for Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. have asked federal Judge Ralph Erickson to convert the sentence in the case to life imprisonment, according to court documents filed Tuesday. Rodriguez has waived his right to be present at any sentencing hearing.Erickson will have to approve the request before Rodriguez is moved off death row.Alfonso Rodriguez Jr. and Dru Sjodin (AP Photo/File)The 70-year-old Rodriguez is being held at a high security federal penitentiary in Terre Haute, Ind.Rodriguez was initially sentenced to death in 2007 after a jury found the convicted sex offender guilty of kidnapping and killing Sjodin. Rodriguez abducted the 22-year-old University of North Dakota student from Pequot Lakes, Minn., on Nov. 22, 2003, from the Columbia Ma...

Paid sick time requirement passes Minnesota Legislature; Walz plans to sign bill

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

Minnesota will soon require all employers to provide workers with more than a week of paid sick time each year.A final jobs and labor package passed by the House and Senate on Tuesday night creates a new “sick and safe time” mandate, where employers must offer 48 hours of paid time each year for illness, medical appointments, child care or seeking help for domestic abuse. Around 900,000 workers in Minnesota do not have any paid time off, and most of them are low-wage, supporters say.Democratic-Farmer-Labor lawmakers say their jobs and labor package jobs and labor package will protect worker safety and economic well-being. The bill passed the House 70-61 and the Senate 34-32 on Tuesday on party-line votes, with no Republican support.“When this session began, we told people across our state that we would build an economy that works for all Minnesotans,” said Senate Majority Leader Kari Dziedzic in a floor speech ahead of the bill’s passage.“It helps ensure that no working Minnesotan h...

Derek Chauvin appeals George Floyd murder conviction to Minnesota Supreme Court

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

Former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin appealed his murder conviction in the killing of George Floyd to the Minnesota Supreme Court on Wednesday, saying the district judge’s decision not to move the proceedings out of the city deprived him of a fair trial.His attorney, William Mohrman, filed a petition for review with the state’s highest court a month after the Minnesota Court of Appeals upheld Chauvin’s conviction for second-degree murder and let his 22½-year sentence remain in place.Morhman had unsuccessfully asked the appeals court to throw out the ex-officer’s conviction for a long list of reasons, including the massive pretrial publicity. But the three-judge panel last month sided with prosecutors who said Chauvin got a fair trial and just sentence. Chauvin raises several of those arguments again in his latest appeal.“We’re very hopeful that the Minnesota Supreme Court will accept review of the case,” Mohrman said.Floyd died on May 25, 2020, aft...

Montana says 1st-in-nation TikTok ban protects people. TikTok says it violates their rights.

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

HELENA, Mont. — Montana became the first state in the U.S. to enact a complete ban on TikTok on Wednesday when Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte signed a measure that’s more sweeping than any other state’s attempts to curtail the social media app, which is owned by a Chinese tech company.The measure, scheduled to take effect on Jan. 1, 2024, is expected to be challenged legally and will serve as a testing ground for the TikTok-free America that many national lawmakers have envisioned. Cybersecurity experts say it could be difficult to enforce the ban.“Today, Montana takes the most decisive action of any state to protect Montanans’ private data and sensitive personal information from being harvested by the Chinese Communist Party,” Gianforte said in a statement.TikTok spokesperson Brooke Oberwetter argued that the law infringes on people’s First Amendment rights and is unlawful. She declined to say whether the company will file a lawsuit.“We want to reassure Montanans that they can cont...

NYSP honor two fallen troopers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- It was a somber day at the New York State Police Academy on Wednesday. Troopers honored two fallen members of the force at their annual memorial and awards ceremony.Both honored sergeants died in 2022 due to illnesses connected to their duties at the World Trade Center on 9/11. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "Today is a day of remembrance, honoring the sacrifice that state police members back on a daily basis," NYSP Superintendent Steven Nigrelli said. "But specifically this year, Sgt. Ivan M. Morales and Sgt. F. Brent Chomyszak, who gave their lives serving the state of New York and made sure that our citizens and our communities were safer."Thirty other law enforcement officials were given awards. The highest award for heroism went to Trooper Francis Rush, who rescued a trapped driver who had driven into a lake in Dutchess County.

Capital Region military members recognized by state lawmakers

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- New York State lawmakers recognized members of the Capital Region military on Wednesday. They honored the important role local military members have in protecting national security.It also highlighted the United Military Affairs Council. The program is run by the Capital Region Chamber and supports military units located in the area. It received $100,000 in last year's state budget to continue its work. Get the latest, news, weather, sports and community events delivered right to your inbox! "They had a really tough time through the pandemic. They lost a lot of their sponsors and financial support through that pandemic period," Assm. Angelo Santabarbara said. "It was difficult for everyone, so to see the state approve funding -- was able to secure that funding -- means they are acknowledging Capital Region Military Day."Lawmakers said the funding will sustain the organization for the next couple of years.

Man knocked unconscious during brawl at Dodger Stadium

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

A cell phone camera was recording when a brawl erupted outside Dodger Stadium Tuesday night after the Los Angeles Dodgers lost to the Minnesota Twins.A witness, Jonathan Lopez, told KTLA that a group of drunken fans started fighting outside of the centerfield entrance around 10:15 p.m.“They started pushing each other and then they got into a fight … and then a couple of seconds later (one guy) was knocked out on the floor, unconscious,” he said.Cell phone video shows several people wrestling and exchanging punches. May 16, 2023. The cell phone video shows several people wrestling and exchanging punches. Suddenly, a man in a white Clayton Kershaw shirt charges at another man in a dark-colored Dodgers jersey who, with a left hook, knocks him out.The man's head appears to hit the pavement.Lopez says stadium security guards broke up the fight, put the unconscious man on a stretcher, and handcuffed the man who knocked him out.Cell phone video shows several people wrestling and exchangin...

$30K reward offered for information in slaying of father in Hawaiian Gardens

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

A $30,000 reward is being offered in the search for a gunman who killed a 40-year-old father in Hawaiian Gardens last year.The victim, Carlos Alvarez-Diaz, was driving with a 14-year-old relative when shots rang out, striking and killing him on the morning of Oct. 8, 2022.His family members are now pleading for answers and justice, hoping the $30,000 reward can help them track down the suspect responsible.Alvarez-Diaz was shot while driving northbound on Norwalk Boulevard at 226th Street.Police found Alvarez-Diaz with a fatal gunshot wound in the upper torso. The 14-year-old passenger was also shot but survived.“He leaves behind a wife, two girls, and a baby boy who’s never going to meet his dad,” the victim’s brother, Adrian Alvarez, said. “He was loved by everybody.”Carlos Alvarez-Diaz is seen in a photo provided by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.Detectives haven’t announced whether they’ve retrieved surveillance video from the residential area where Alvarez-Diaz was ...

Walk This Way: DragCon Queens on the Pink Carpet (Slideshow)

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

Another DragCon is in the herstory books and a fabulous time was had by all. This year, the ACLU had a presence at the Los Angeles Convention Center raising money for its Drag Defense Fund, which supports drag performers as they face increasing threats and censorship across the country. According to reports, they raised $40,000 during the two day convention, which featured vendors, performances and photo ops galore. The pop culture spectacular was pure eye candy, especially as queens showed off their colorfully creative looks on the event’s pink carpet. Here, we offer a super-sized photo gallery of the hair, makeup and fashion served. Met Gala, eat your heart out!Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.The post Walk This Way: DragCon Queens on the Pink Carpet (Slideshow) appeared first on LA Weekly.

House GOP sidesteps vote on ousting Rep. George Santos

Published Fri, 21 Feb 2025 16:45:34 GMT

By Kevin Freking | Associated PressWASHINGTON — A resolution to expel Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., from Congress was referred to the House Ethics Committee on Wednesday as Republicans successfully sidestepped an effort to force them into a vote that could have narrowed their already slim four-seat majority.The House voted along party lines, 221-204, to refer the matter to the ethics panel, with Santos himself joining his GOP colleagues in voting to do so.The freshman congressman has been charged with embezzling money from his campaign, falsely receiving unemployment funds and lying to Congress about his finances. He has denied the charges and has pleaded not guilty.Rep. Robert Garcia, D-Calif., introduced a resolution in February to expel Santos, something the House has only done twice in recent decades. He sought to force a vote on that resolution under a process that left three options for Republicans: a vote on the resolution, a move to table, or a referral to committee.House Spea...