OCR Text |
Show Friday, April 8, 2011 Page 2 WorldeiNatiOn Utah State University • Logan, Utah • www.utahstatesman.com Clarify Correct The policy of The Utah Statesman is to correct any error made as soon as possible. If you find something you would like clarified or find unfair, please contact the editor at 797-1762 or TSC 105. Nat '/Briefs Trump goes after Obama on citizenship WASHINGTON (AP) — Real estate tycoon Donald Trump said Thursday he isn't convinced that President Barack Obama was born in the United States, but says he hopes the president can prove that he was. Officials in Hawaii have certified Obama's citizenship, but "birthers" have demanded additional proof. And Trump, who is weighing whether to seek the Republican presidential nomination, says not all the questions have been answered. In an interview broadcast Thursday, Trump told NBC News he plans to decide by June whether to run, and said that if he is the GOP nominee, "I'd like to beat him straight up," not on the basis of the question of where Obama was born. Trump insisted he didn't introduce the citizenship issue, but he isn't letting go of it either. Convicted sex offender set free in Utah PROVO, Utah (AP) — A Utah judge on Thursday ordered a convicted sex offender freed from a state hospital after the man was deemed incompetent for trial, but not a danger to society. Prosecutors wanted Lonnie Hyrum Johnson to stay at the Utah State Hospital for continued treatment so he could eventually face the nearly two dozen counts against him of rape, sodomy and aggravated sexual assault of a child. "The constitution prohibits me from holding someone who has not been convicted and who cannot participate in their own defense," 4th District Judge James R. Taylor said. Johnson could be freed as early as Thursday afternoon — but he's not off the hook. Taylor did not dismiss the case and ordered Johnson to meet with new psychiatric evaluators in October. A hearing on those findings is set for Nov. 17. "We're encouraged that Judge Taylor allowed us to have a review in six months," said Deputy Utah County District Attorney Craig Johnson, who is not related to the accused. "We'll come back in the fall and see how he's doing and hopefully get this case back on track." Lonnie Johnson's family, which packed the front row of the Provo courtroom on Thursday, has said he is innocent of the charges. "I'm happy, I'm happy," Johnson's mother, Wanona Pixton, shouted as she left the court after the hearing, Christy Danner, the mother of one of the two victims, was not. "We're not happy, but we've just begun to fight," Danner said. "We're not gonna let this die. We're not gonna lay down. And we're not gonna go away, as much as him and his family would like that to happen. The truth will come out." The case has drawn national media attention, and Craig Johnson has spoken out widely about the need to alter Utah's civil commitment laws. The resulting publicity drew about 100 voicemail messages from individuals in 20 different states, including some that court security officers considered harassing, court spokeswoman Nancy Volmer said. Johnson has a cognitive disorder, prosecutors said. He was charged in 2007 with 21 sexual assault charges. Authorities allege he had inappropriate contact with his stepdaughter and her cousin over five years beginning in 2001. Both alleged victims are now adults. Taylor deemed Johnson incompetent for trial in 2008. Under Utah law, a defendant fits that condition if he suffers from mental illness, cannot understand the charges against him or is unable to participate in his own defense. For a civil commitment, a doctor must find that a person's mental illness makes him a danger to himself or others. The court ordered doctors to attempt to restore Johnson's competency but about a month ago they said they had seen no improvement despite two and a half years of treatment. Taylor then said he believed it was unlikely Johnson would ever be able to stand trial. A civil commitment petition, which would have kept Johnson hospitalized, was also denied last week after three psychiatric evaluators said they did not believe he presented a danger to himself or the community. Arizona board votes yes for tuition hikes U.S. gov't may use social network for terrorism warnings WASHINGTON (AP) — Terror alerts from the government will soon have just two levels of warnings — elevated and imminent — and those will be relayed to the public only under certain circumstances. Color codes are out; Facebook and Twitter will sometimes be in, according to a Homeland Security draft obtained by The Associated Press. Some terror warnings could be withheld from the public if announcing a threat would risk exposing an intelligence operation or an ongoing investigation, according to the government's confidential plan. Like a gallon of milk, the new terror warnings will each come with a stamped expiration date. LateNiteHumor Top 10 President Obama Campaign Promises For 2012 — Wednesday, April 6, 2011 10. Be more of a warlock, less of a troll. 9. Keep unemployment below 75 percent. 8. Fight three wars and the fourth one is free. 7. Replace space shuttle with this (VT of Don Rickles firing a rocket). 6. Get fat like the rest of America. 5. Send troops to quell feud between Meat Loaf and Gary Busey. 4. Fortune cookies actually tell fortunes, no more of this lucky numbers crap. 3. Less talk, more rock. 2. Pardon Lindsay Lohan. 1. Go back to being that cool, smoking badass we all fell in love with. NANCY GARRIDO CONSULTS WITH ATTORNEY Stephen Tapson before the start of an arraignment hearing Thursday,April 7. Both of the Garridos pleaded not guilty to all charges regarding the I 99 I kidnapping of Jaycee Dugard. AP photo Plea deal derailed in abduction case PLACERVILLE, Calif. (AP) — A California woman who was abducted as a girl in 1991 and held captive for 18 years must wait longer to see justice done after an expected plea deal was derailed Thursday by defense concerns that a grand jury might have been improperly selected and acted inappropriately. Phillip Garrido, a convicted sex offender charged with kidnapping Jaycee Dugard and fathering her two children by rape, entered a surprise plea of not guilty to an amended indictment that his lawyer intends to challenge. "If there are defects in the grand jury, it's my job to argue those things and that's what I am going to do," Deputy Public Defense Susan Gellman told reporters after a 10-minute court hearing. The developments were unanticipated because prosecutors and defense lawyers previously said they hoped to reach a settlement and spare Dugard, now 30, and her two daughters, ages 13 and 16, from having to testify. Attorney Stephen Tapson, who represents Garrido's wife and co-defendant Nancy Garrido, 55, went even further, stating publicly that the couple gave full confessions to authorities and that Phillip Garrido, 60, had agreed to plead guilty at Thursday's hearing and spend the rest of his life in prison. Gellman blasted Tapson for telling reporters that her client planned to plead guilty. "He shouldn't have been speaking for Phillip. He should speak for his client," Gellman said, adding her client had not been offered any plea deal. Tapson said he only found out about Gellman's plans late Wednesday. Nancy Garrido also pleaded not guilty Thursday to kidnapping, rape and other charges contained in the amended indictment. Tapson advised her against pleading guilty unless prosecutors offer a deal that holds the possibility — however remote — that she would one day be freed from prison. TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Despite recent student protests, regents for Arizona's public universities voted Thursday to dramatically hike tuition, but also will offer rebates to some students to help ease the financial strain. The Arizona Board of Regents' vote raised tuition and fees at the University of Arizona in Tucson by 22 percent to $10,027 for in-state freshman undergraduates in the fall. Those costs will jump by 19.5 percent, to $9,716, for in-state undergraduates at Arizona State University in Tempe and by 15 percent, to $8,824, at Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff. The increases are far larger than average tuition hikes seen last year, when public universities nationwide increased in-state tuition and fees by an average of 7.9 percent, with the average price at $7,605, according to the College Board, the nonprofit group that runs the SATs. But the regents also decided to give rebates of $350 to incoming in-state freshman undergraduates at NAU and $750 rebates to all in-state undergraduates at UA because those schools have rainy day funds to address cuts in their budget by the Arizona Legislature. Board Chair Anne Mariucci said UA had $28 million and NAU has $18 million in unused money set aside in the event of legislative cuts to their budgets. ASU has no such money. The rebates only apply for one year. "I think it's certainly better than nothing," Mariucci said after the vote. "Next year it'll be a new ball game." The board voted for the increase 72 after about six hours of debate, with members arguing over various alternative proposals that were mostly turned down. Students have been strongly pro- Logan's Premier Student Apartments 677 EAST Goo NORTH testing against the tuition increases and legislative cuts. Hundreds of students rallied at the three universities on March 23, carrying signs that read "Keep education alive" and "Say no to cuts." "Are you kidding me? That's stupid," said Jordan King, a 20-year-old UA business sophomore, after learning of the vote. Of the rebates, he said, "That's just a slap in the face. That's like taking $1,000 from us and giving us $10 back." "That's so much money. My parents are paying my tuition and they can't afford that," he said. "We're all struggling," said nursing sophomore Candace Jackson, 20, who goes to Arizona State University, before the vote. "It's a big chunk of money." Jackson has a $9,000 yearly scholarship for books and tuition, and said she'd probably have to get a job to cover any increases in tuition. She said that would take away some of her study time and threaten her ability to maintain a 3.5 grade-point average or higher to keep her scholarship. "Not everyone is fortunate enough to have a scholarship," she said. "I know a good handful of people who wouldn't be able to afford tuition increases at all." The tuition spike was also tough to take for some regents, including Dennis DeConcini, a former U.S. senator. "We are absolutely going crazy on tuition, it's absolutely out of sight," he said. "It is really absurd what we get ourselves talked into here, with all due respect to the great work of the presidents. This board is drinking the Kool-Aid. We're taking these figures right down the line." • • DVI CLARKSBURG • BRESLAW • STONELEIGH CLARKSBURG LONNIE JOHNSON WALKS to his attorney during a hearing at the 4th District Courthouse in Provo, Utah on Thursday,April 7. AP photo BRESLAW STONELEIGH 679 EAST 600 NORTH 675 EAST 600 NORTH For more information call Darla • (435) 755-8525 • Pager (435) 206-1926 • darladclark@pcu.net or go online at www.cbsapartments.com • . . • • . . . • . • • • . Single Student Apartments Across the Street from Campus Fully Furnished Private Bedrooms and Bathrooms Desk, Bed, Bookshelves in Bedrooms Large Closets - Vacuum Living Room with TV, DVD, and VCR Modern Fully Equipped Kitchens Digital Cable TV with Outlets in Bedrooms Washer and Dryer in each Apartment Central Heating and Air Conditioning High Speed Wireless Internet Service Private Parking - No Hassles Fire Places |