Rape sentence appalls juror

Rape sentence appalls juror

PALO ALTO, Calif.

A juror who helped convict a former Stanford University student-athlete of sexually assaulting an unconscious woman thinks the presiding judge’s “ridiculously lenient” six-month jail sentence has made a mockery of the verdict.

The Palo Alto Weekly on Monday published a letter that the juror sent to Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Aaron Persky over the weekend to convey his shock and disappointment over Brock Turner’s sentence.

The man is the first juror to speak publicly about the case. He spoke to the Weekly anonymously to maintain his privacy in a case that has attracted intense media coverage.

Jet loses part of engine cover

PHOENIX

Authorities say an American Airlines plane bound for San Francisco had to return to Phoenix’s airport after losing part of an engine cover.

Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Ian Gregor says the incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. Monday and the plane landed safely about 20 minutes later at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

American Airlines spokeswoman Polly Tracey says the carrier is working to determine what caused the part – a removable engine cover known as a cowling – to come loose during takeoff.

Gregor says the FAA also is investigating.

Tracey says the part was recovered on Sky Harbor property, and no one was injured.

Judge blocks city from disclosing FBI surveillance info

SEATTLE

A federal judge on Monday blocked the city of Seattle from releasing information that the FBI said could jeopardize ongoing investigations.

U.S. District Judge Richard Jones issued the temporary restraining order after the Justice Department sued the city, seeking to prevent officials from releasing documents about where the FBI has placed six hidden surveillance cameras on utility poles.

The city said it had planned to release the information pursuant to public records requests by news reporters and a privacy activist. But the DOJ said that if the locations of the cameras are made public, the information could tip off investigation subjects that they are being monitored.

The Justice Department said the FBI provided the information to the city under a promise of confidentiality to prevent the cameras from being removed or destroyed by utility workers.

UN assembly elects Israel as committee chair for first time

UNITED NATIONS

The U.N. General Assembly has elected Israel to chair one of its six major committees for the first time, a decision denounced by the Palestinians and Arab nations.

In Monday’s secret ballot election in the 193-member world body, Israel received 109 “yes” votes. Nobody voted against Israel but there were 23 abstentions, 14 invalid ballots, and 43 votes for other countries in the Western European and Others group which nominated Israel to chair the assembly committee dealing with legal issues.

Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters: “I am very proud to be the first Israeli to serve as the chairman of a committee.”

Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour said the group should have nominated “a very responsible qualified candidate, not a big violator of international law.”

Associated Press