Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Death penalty moratorium
UNITED NATIONS — Italy’s premier Tuesday called for a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty with a view to its complete abolition, a move he said would guarantee better justice around the globe and an end to cultures of vengeance. “If genuine politics means showing foresight, we shall perform a great political act through the adoption of this resolution,” Premier Romano Prodi said in his address to world leaders at the U.N. General Assembly. A moratorium was expected to face opposition from the U.S. and other countries that allow capital punishment, including Iran and China.
Bribery conviction
ANCHORAGE, Alaska — A former state legislator was convicted Tuesday of trading his legislative influence for bribes from a company that was seeking to profit from a proposed natural gas pipeline. Former Rep. Pete Kott, a Republican who was House speaker for part of his 14-year tenure, was found guilty of accepting nearly $9,000, a political poll and the promise of a job from VECO Corp., an oil field services company. The case has wide implications because the FBI is investigating whether Ted Stevens, the U.S. Senate’s longest-serving Republican, received illegal gifts from VECO. Stevens has not been charged and has said he paid all bills he received for the remodeling project.
Lessening gay support
NEW ORLEANS — Episcopal leaders, pressured to roll back their support for gays to keep the world Anglican family from crumbling, affirmed Tuesday that they will “exercise restraint” in approving another gay bishop and will not authorize prayers to bless same-sex couples. The statement mostly reiterated earlier pledges by the church, and it will not be known for some time whether the bishops went far enough to help prevent an Anglican schism. Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori said she believed the document met the requests of Anglican leaders. The 77-million-member world Anglican Communion has been splintering since 2003, when Episcopalians consecrated the first openly gay bishop, V. Gene Robinson of New Hampshire. The Episcopal Church is the Anglican body in the U.S.
Craig’s plea to judge
MINNEAPOLIS — Sen. Larry Craig’s lawyers are in search of a rare legal prize — a do-over. And getting it won’t be easy. “He’s already gotten lots of justice and fairness. A court will view this as taking not just a second bite at the apple, but a fourth and fifth bite,” said Mary Jane Morrison, a professor in criminal law at Hamline University. Today, attorneys for the Idaho Republican will join the parade of drunken drivers and teenage lead foots at what is usually a sleepy suburban courthouse. They hope to convince Judge Charles Porter that Minnesota’s justice system made a terrible mistake in accepting the senator’s guilty plea. Judges usually don’t let defendants try another approach after the first one fails. Craig’s first approach was an unnoticed guilty plea after his arrest in a men’s bathroom sex sting. It stayed unnoticed for several weeks and then was widely reported last month, sparking calls for his resignation. Craig contends that he did not solicit sex in the bathroom and erred only in pleading guilty by mail to disorderly conduct without consulting a lawyer.
Club plans ‘nerd auction’
PULLMAN, Wash. — Looking to recruit more women, and perhaps date some sorority women, the largest computer club at Washington State University hopes to hold a “nerd auction.” The idea is to trade their computer skills to sorority girls in exchange for a makeover and, possibly, a date. “You can buy a nerd and he’ll fix your computer, help you with stats homework, or if you’re really adventurous, take you to dinner!” Ben Ford, president of the Linux Users Group, said on its Web site. Ford acknowledged that some of the group’s 213 registered members may not be ready for the auction block. “The problem is that we’re all still nerds. Let’s face it, guys. If anyone’s going to bid on us, we’ll need some spicing up,” he wrote. Ford, who has an undergraduate degree in computer science and is pursuing a master’s in business management, has spoken to several sororities, but so far none has committed to the project.
Magna Carta auction
LONDON — A 13th-century copy of the Magna Carta, a milestone of English freedom, will be offered for sale in New York in December, Sotheby’s auction house said Tuesday. The vellum manuscript owned by the Perot Foundation is estimated to sell for $20 million to $30 million, Sotheby’s said. The document was on display at the National Archives in Washington for more than 20 years until last Thursday. King John was forced by barons to agree to the charter in 1215. It guaranteed that freemen would not be imprisoned or deprived of property without due process, including a right to a speedy trial before a jury.
Associated Press