Jury recommends death for killer of 11-year-old

Jury recommends deathfor killer of 11-year-old
SARASOTA, Fla. -- Jurors recommended the death penalty Thursday for a mechanic convicted of abducting and killing an 11-year-old girl in an attack that was taped by a surveillance camera and broadcast worldwide. Jurors deliberated five hours before arriving at their recommendation, voting 10-2 for the death penalty for Joseph Smith. Circuit Judge Andrew Owens ultimately will issue the sentence, as early as next month. Under the law, he must give great weight to the jury's decision before imposing a sentence of death or life in prison without parole. Smith, 39, showed no reaction as the recommendation was read. Carlie's mother, Susan Schorpen, let out deep sobs and hugged relatives after the verdict was read. Patricia Davis, Smith's mother, left the courtroom crying. In closing arguments earlier, prosecutor Debra Riva sought the death penalty, saying Smith was clear-headed enough to get rid of evidence and recount his crimes to his brother, which she said showed he was not impaired by a mental disorder or drugs. Defense attorney Adam Tebrugge argued for a sentence of life in prison without parole, saying it would punish Smith, protect society and provide "a fitting conclusion to this horrific case."
Rosa Parks to havestatue in nation's Capitol
WASHINGTON -- While honoring civil rights hero Rosa Parks, President Bush delighted modern-day black leaders Thursday by calling on Congress to renew the provisions of the landmark 1965 Voting Rights Act that are set to expire. On the 50th anniversary of Parks' refusal to give up to a white man her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Ala., Bush, above, signed into law a bill directing that a statue of Parks go up in the Capitol's Statuary Hall. Parks, who died Oct. 24 at age 92, will be the first black woman represented in Statuary Hall, where many states have statues honoring notable people in their history. Bush credited Parks for helping to "set in motion a national movement for equality and freedom." "Eventually the civil rights movement would succeed in persuading Congress to pass more sweeping legislation that dealt with voting rights and discrimination in public places, and school segregation," said the president. "And the United States Congress should renew the Voting Rights Act of 1965." That declaration surprised many of the civil rights leaders, Parks' relatives and politicians who had gathered at the White House for the signing ceremony. They erupted in applause and rose to give Bush a standing ovation.
Officials think body is thatof mobster who vanished
NEW YORK -- A body believed to be that of a mobster who vanished during his waterfront corruption trial was found in the trunk of a car parked behind a diner in New Jersey. Investigators had yet to identify the victim positively as Lawrence Ricci, a reputed Genovese family capo last seen Oct. 7. But Ricci's lawyer said the body found Wednesday at the Huck Finn Diner in Union, N.J., was definitely his client. "There's not the slightest doubt. The vehicle was the last vehicle he was seen in. Does anyone think it's somebody other than him?" said attorney Martin Schmukler. Schmukler won an acquittal for Ricci in federal court in Brooklyn after the mobster's disappearance. The 60-year-old Ricci had been accused of steering a dockworkers union contract to a mob-connected pharmaceutical company.
FDA approves first testto screen for West Nile
WASHINGTON -- The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it has approved the first test to screen blood, organ and tissue donations for West Nile virus. The test has been widely used since 2003 at blood banks on an experimental basis. The FDA's action Thursday does not appear to significantly widen the test's availability. But it may improve testing of organ donations for the disease, an FDA spokeswoman said. The test, the Procleix WNV Assay, was developed by Gen-Probe Inc. and is marketed by Chiron Corporation. Since it was introduced, U.S. blood banks have detected and removed 1,600 donations infected with West Nile. At least 30 people caught West Nile from infected blood transfusions, and nine died, the FDA said.
South African high courtrules for gay marriage
JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- South Africa's highest court ruled in favor of gay marriage Thursday, a landmark decision that clears the way for the country to become the first to legalize same-sex unions on a continent where homosexuality remains largely taboo. The decision does not take immediate effect, however. The Constitutional Court, which decided it is unconstitutional to prohibit gays from marrying, gave Parliament a year to make the necessary legal changes. That disappointed gay rights activists, some of whom have been waiting years to wed. Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain are the only nations that now allow gay marriage nationwide.
Associated Press