Thousands of mailed ballots in Florida were not counted
Cosby lawyers detail alleged errors in trial as they appeal
PHILADELPHIA – Bill Cosby’s lawyers detailed nearly a dozen alleged legal errors Tuesday, including the judge’s decision to send the case to trial, as they appeal his sexual assault conviction and three- to 10-year prison term.
They’ve also asked the Pennsylvania Supreme Court this month to release the 81-year-old disgraced comedian from a state prison while the appeal proceeds.
The lawyers said trial Judge Steven O’Neill had a feud with a pretrial witness, the ex-prosecutor who had declined to charge Cosby in 2005. And they said his decisions to assign himself the case, let five other accusers testify, air Cosby’s prior deposition testimony about quaaludes and dismiss the exprosecutor’s promise not to charge Cosby are mistakes that warrant a new trial.
Virginia jury urges life in prison for man who drove into crowd
A jury in Charlottesville, Virginia, on Tuesday recommended a white nationalist serve the rest of his life – plus 419 years – in prison for murdering a woman after a “Unite the Right” rally last year.
James Alex Fields Jr., who slammed his car into counterprotesters who were singing and laughing on a street at a downtown pedestrian mall on Aug. 12, 2017, stood without emotion as a court clerk read the jury’s verdict.
Judge Richard Moore accepted the jury’s verdicts and said he will formally sentence Fields on March 29.
Melania Trump gives gifts at Marine Corps Reserve toy drive
WASHINGTON – Melania Trump highlighted the spirit of giving Tuesday by sorting toys and making Christmas cards for an annual toy drive held by the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.
The first lady said she had been looking forward to the Toys for Tots event all year. The charity collects new toys and distributes them to needy children at Christmas.
She said her “mission” as first lady is to “shine a light” on programs that provide children with opportunities to succeed. Dozens of children from military families joined her at a Washingtonarea military base to sort scores of toys.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Florida officials say thousands of mailed ballots were not counted because they were delivered too late to state election offices.
The Department of State late last week informed a federal judge that 6,670 ballots were mailed ahead of the Nov. 6 election but were not counted because they were not received by Election Day. The tally prepared by state officials includes totals from 65 of Florida’s 67 counties. The two counties yet to report their totals are Palm Beach, a Democratic stronghold in south Florida, and Polk in central Florida.
Three statewide Florida races, including the contest for governor, went to state-mandated recounts because the margins were so close.
Russia: 114,000 Syrians came home in 2018 out of 6 million refugees
MOSCOW – Nearly 114,000 Syrian refugees returned home this year, the Russian military said Tuesday, a fraction of the nearly 6 million who fled the country since the start of the seven-year conflict. U.N. agencies said they need $5.5 billion in the coming year to support Syria’s neighbors hosting refugees.
The U.N. said Tuesday that Syria’s neighbors, Lebanon, Turkey, Jordan, Egypt and Iraq, are hosting the majority of the Syrian refugees, while dealing with their own economic and social challenges. The U.N. refugee agency, UNHCR, however, said it has verified only around 37,000 refugees who have voluntarily returned to Syria in 2018.
Gunman kills 4, then himself, after Mass at Brazil cathedral
RIO DE JANEIRO – A man opened fire in a cathedral in Brazil after Mass on Tuesday, killing four and leaving four others injured before taking a bullet in the ribs from police and then shooting himself in the head, authorities said.
The shooting happened right after the midday service had ended at the Metropolitan Cathedral in Campinas.
Authorities identified the shooter as 49-year-old Euler Fernando Grandolpho of Valinhos. Authorities said they had not identified a motive.
— USA Today and wire reports