Salt Lake City
Rape conviction voided: Utah’s Supreme Court this week threw out the rape conviction of polygamist cult leader Warren Jeffs and ordered a new trial. In 2007, Jeffs, 54, was convicted as an accomplice in the rape of Elissa Wall, a member of his church who in 2001 was married at age 14 to Allen Steed, her first cousin, then 19. Wall testified that Jeffs, the leader of a renegade Mormon sect, performed the wedding, knowing that Steed would rape her after the ceremony. Jeffs argued that he’d encouraged the marriage, but had never thought it would lead to forced sex. Utah’s high court ruled that the judge should have told the jury that it could convict Jeffs only if he intended for Steed to rape Wall. State prosecutors did not immediately say if they planned a retrial.
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Phoenix
Setback for immigration law: A federal judge this week struck down key sections of Arizona’s controversial immigration law, just one day before it was to take effect. Judge Susan Bolton blocked enforcement of two of the law’s hot-button requirements: that police officers check a person’s immigration status when enforcing other laws, and that immigrants carry their papers with them at all times. She ruled that police would inevitably detain legal immigrants while checking on their status, depriving them of their rights. Bolton will now decide whether the statute as a whole passes constitutional muster. Lawyers for Gov. Jan Brewer are expected to appeal. Legal experts say the case will probably end up before the U.S. Supreme Court.
Monticello, Iowa
Dam-busting flood: Rising floodwaters gouged a 30-foot-wide hole in a dam above the Iowa resort towns of Hopkinton and Monticello last week, forcing thousands of people to seek higher ground. The Maquoketa River hit a record-high 11 feet above flood stage after northern Iowa absorbed up to a foot of rain over a 48-hour period, causing a breach in the Lake Delhi dam. Only minor injuries were reported, but the flood shut down a local sewer plant and caused millions of dollars of damage to homes and businesses. The area had experienced minor flooding before, said resident Mike Willey, but “this time, there was simply too much water.”
Chicago
Jury mulls Blago case: Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich’s fate was in the hands of the jury this week, after a two-month federal corruption trial that was highlighted by the defense’s surprise decision to not call him as a witness. Blagojevich, charged with having misused his office for monetary gain, had wanted to testify, but his attorneys nixed that plan after deciding that the prosecution had failed to prove its case. During closing arguments, defense attorney Sam Adam Jr. scoffed at tape recordings of Blagojevich in which he discussed delivering favors in exchange for political contributions. Blagojevich wasn’t “the sharpest knife in the drawer,” Adam said, and had been misled by scheming aides. Prosecutor Reid Schar argued that the tapes proved that Blagojevich had tried to sell political favors, including an appointment to President Obama’s former Senate seat. Blagojevich “is not stupid,” Schar said. “He is very smart.”
New York City
NFL warns on concussions: The National Football League this week for the first time issued stark warnings to players about the risks of head injuries. “Concussions and conditions resulting from repeated brain injury can change your life and your family’s life forever,” read posters distributed by the league. The posters, prepared with the players’ union and medical experts, list potential disabilities ranging from poor memory to early-onset dementia. The warnings mark a sharp break from the league’s previous stance that there was no proven link between football-related concussions and cognitive difficulties later in life. Veteran Dallas Cowboys linebacker Keith Brooking said the information would be helpful. Still, he acknowledged, “If I knew that 12 years ago, I wouldn’t change a thing.”
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