Judge backs off from threat to arrest reporter

Associated Press

CLEVELAND

A judge threatened to arrest a newspaper reporter who saw a psychiatric evaluation of a serial-killing suspect, then backed off Wednesday when she learned that her predecessor in the case had made it available.

The story by Gabriel Baird of The Plain Dealer said the psychiatric report concluded that suspect Anthony Sowell was unlikely to assault women after he finished a prison term for attempted rape.

Sowell, 50, was arrested and released without charges in 2008 after a woman alleged he attacked her. But the remains of 11 women were found at his home in fall 2009. He has pleaded not guilty.

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