Boy Convicted of Killing Grandparents

Christopher Pittman who was 12 years old at the time went into his grandparents bedroom and shot both of them. He was given 30 years in prision for the double murder and the court denied his request for another court date. Defenders argued that the boy's punishment was too harsh for him being only 12 at the time. According to the article Supreme Court turns down boy killer's appeal, Michele Deitch quoted "have recognized a growing national trend against sentencing young children to harsh mandatory terms in prison, and wants to give state legislatures the opportunity to correct this problem before it rules on the issue." Pittman has been passed around homes for years and was abandoned him as a child. During the time of the crime, christopher was taking antidepressant pills. The boy days before the started a new antidepressant pill which might have caused the boy to have violent outbreaks. What a sad story. It is too bad that antidepressant pills may have had to do with the crime. Doctors should be a lot more concerned about what they give kids because kids bodies are different and still maturing different than adults.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/14/juvenile.killer/index.html

Who Stole the Last Doughnut?

Virginia Tech Shooting Settlement

A $11 million settlement was made with the state on Thursday. Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. According to the article Settlement reached in Virginia Tech shootings, lawyers say, "Earlier this year, a settlement proposal called for representatives of each of the 32 people killed by a student gunman last April 16 to receive $100,000. A pool of $800,000 was set aside for the injured in the plan, with individuals eligible to receive up to $100,000 each." The families victims are going to meet with the governor and university officials to talk about the shootings. The shootings were a horrible deal that should never happen. Too much crime is going on in the world today and I believe more action and protection needs to take place to prevent crime.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/10/va.tech.settlement.ap/index.html

Two Men With Infared Cameras Arrested

Two men attempting to board a plane in China on Saturday were arrested for holding on to a dozen infared cameras. Federal agents stopped the plane in time that was going to Beijing. The men had actually been in the United States for nearly two years prior to that. According to the article Men with "hightly sensitive cameras arrested at airport, "Yong Guo Zhi, a Chinese national, and Tah Wei Chao, a naturalized U.S. citizen, were arrested for investigation of trying to take thermal imaging cameras with potential military use to China without the proper export licenses." They told authorties that they told the seller that they were for domestic use only. The measurements of the cameras were about 2 inches square while the cost was about $5,000. It is too bad that the two men lied to the seller about using them only in the United States. They were going to use the cameras for military use which is illegal.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/04/05/airport.arrests.ap/index.html

Airlplane Number Three Shuts Down This Week

Airline Skybus is the third to shut down this week. They announced the shut down on Friday. According to Skybus becomes third airline this week to close, Skybus company quotes, "the combination of rising jet fuel costs and a slowing economic environment. These two issues proved to be insurmountable for a new carrier." The airline was created in 2004 and them being a low-cost carrier they will stop operating on Saturday. ATA airlines, an Indiana based airline, and Aloha airlines are the other two low-cost carriers that shut down because of bankruptcy problems. Aloha airlines, an Hawaii airline, has even been in business for 61 years. This is too bad that the economy and gas prices has caused businesses to shut down. It is an never-ending cycle because the economy depends on businesses. When businesses have to shut down because of the economy both suffer and neither the economy nor the business gets better. I hope that no more airlines need to shut down because of the economic hard times the country is going through now.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/TRAVEL/04/04/airlines.bankruptcy/index.html

Woman in Love Helps Two Inmates Escape

Twently-four year old Amber Lynn Goff fell in love with one of the inmates in Wichita, Kansas. She helped two men escape later finding out she was just used. According to the article Lovestruck guard helped inmates escape, Laurie Ann Nutter, Amber's mom, quotes, "She feels like one of the world's greatest fools. She realizes now there wasn't anything real in the relationship. She feels so extremely foolish, she is angry about it." Goff pleaded guilty for reduced charges. She is said to have 5-years in prision, three years' probation, and a fine of $11,000. Jess Bell, 34, and Steven Ford, 27, were the two Goff helped escape. They were found a few days later in Grants, New Mexico. I believe Goff deserves the sentence she gets but it is unfortunate that she was blinded by fake love. Sad that a man would do that to a girl but I am glad that the two men were found again. This is quite an interesting article and suprises me a lot that somebody would do that.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/04/escape.plot.ap/index.html

Children Freed From Polygamist Ranch

Fifty-two children ranging from 6 months to 17 years were removed from a poylgamist ranch. Warren Jeffs is the sect leader of the West Texas ranch. Troopers were called in with search warrants. According to the article Dozens of children removed from poylgamist ranch, "They were responding to a report of "physical abuse" and neglect involving a 16-year-old girl. At this point in the investigation, she added, the abuse does not appear to be sexual." Eighteen girls were put in state custody after reports of abuse. The children were placed on church buses and taken to a civic center. Fifty-two year old Warren Jeffs bought the land for the ranch four years ago. He was convinced a year ago of rape and illegal perfomance of a marriage in 2001. I am glad the ranch was taken over. Many of those children do not even know the difference between what is right and wrong because they grew up in those conditions. Many think arrange marriages to much older men is what they have to do. They have no choices and must do what the "prophet" of the ranch, Warren Jeff, tells them to.

http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/04/texas.ranch/index.html