Briefs POT-FRIENDLY STATES WANT MEETING WITH SESSIONS
ANGELES» California, Oregon LOS and other marijuanafriendly states are seeking a meeting with U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions in hopes of resolving the conflict between federal and state laws that has left the nation’s cannabis industry in legal limbo. Marijuana is illegal at the federal level, even as 29 states have legalized pot in some form. State treasurers from California, Oregon, Illinois and Pennsylvania told Sessions in a letter Thursday they need greater clarity on how federal law enforcement will respond to the growing legalization trend.
Relatives demand answers after jail fire kills 68.
VENEZUELA» Tormented VALENCIA, relatives of 68 people killed in a fire at a Venezuelan police station jail waited Thursday for officials to turn over the remains of their loved ones and demanded accountability from officials. The fastmoving fire on Wednesday swept through a station where prisoners were being kept in crowded cells, becoming one of the worst jail catastrophes in Venezuela’s history. Human rights advocates quickly blamed authorities for failing to address deteriorating conditions in jails and prisons as the country slides further into economic ruin.
Cosby judge won’t step aside.
PA.» The NORRISTOWN, judge in Bill Cosby’s retrial rejected demands Thursday from the comedian’s defense lawyers to step aside during a hearing in which they made clear they plan to attack his accuser as a greedy liar who falsely accused the comedian of sexually assaulting her to collect a payoff. Judge Steven O’Neill shot down what amounted to a last-ditch effort to postpone the trial by defense lawyers.
Former French president Sarkozy to face corruption trial.
PARIS» Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy is being ordered to stand trial on charges of corruption and influence peddling. Sarkozy has faced multiple corruption investigations since leaving office in 2012. He was handed preliminary charges last week in the most shocking affair: accusations that he took millions in illegal campaign financing from then-Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi.
Judge denies Stormy Daniels’ bid to expedite case against Trump.
A federal judge on Thursday denied a request from Stormy Daniels, who says she was paid to remain silent about an affair with President Donald Trump, to expedite a jury trial in her lawsuit against the president.
The request for an expedited jury trial and limited discovery — including a deposition of Trump and his personal attorney, Michael Cohen — was deemed “premature and must be denied” because some questions may wind up being answered by a future petition from Trump and Cohen, wrote Judge S. James Otero of the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.