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Read more: Local, State, Carl Eric Merkerson Death, French Art Theft, Jasper Ga Teacher Assault Charges, Meredith Emerson Photos, Slain Ga Hiker, Superior Court Judges
(AP) -- PRISON MURDER
Inmate charged after prison death
MILLEDGEVILLE, GA (AP) - The GBI has charged an inmate at
Baldwin State Prison with killing a fellow inmate.
Authorities say 30-year-old Carl Eric Merkerson was already
serving a life sentence in Milledgeville for a murder in DeKalb
County. Now GBI Special Agent Tom Davis says he's charged with
murder in the death of 30-year-old Terrence Demond Bowen.
Merkerson allegedly beat up Bowen, who was found in his cell
unconscious Tuesday. Bowen was taken to The Medical Center of
Central Georgia, where he died Wednesday.
Bowen was serving a life sentence for a February 2006 conviction
for rape and burglary in Douglas County.
FRENCH ART THEFT
Appeals panel upholds conviction of art thief
ATLANTA (AP) - A federal appeals panel has upheld the conviction
of a French art thief who admitted stealing and trying to sell
paintings by Claude Monet and other famous artists.
The three-judge panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled
Wednesday that there was "absolutely no error" in the conviction
of Bernard Jean Ternus.
Ternus was sentenced to a 62-month sentence in September 2008 by
a federal judge in Miami. He had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to
steal paintings by Monet, fellow Impressionist George Sisley and
17th-century master Jan Brueghel the Elder.
The paintings were taken by masked, armed robbers in August 2007
from a museum in Nice, France, and have since been returned.
TEACHER ASSAULT CHARGES
Female teacher charged with sexual assault
JASPER, GA (AP) - A 33-year-old Pickens County High School
teacher has been arrested on charges of sexually assaulting a male
student.
Pickens Coun Reasons for ineligibility include children who are no longer
full-time students and divorces that make a child a dependent of
the other spouse.
Employees will get a one-month amnesty period to voluntarily
withdraw their ineligible dependents from coverage. Those who do
not will be dropped from the health insurance along with their
entire family and can reapply for coverage in the fall.
HIKER KILLED-HUSTLER
Georgia judge bans release of photos of slain hiker
ATLANTA (AP) - A Georgia judge barred state authorities from
releasing the crime scene and autopsy photos of a 24-year-old
University of Georgia graduate who was slain while hiking.
DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Dan Coursey said Wednesday
releasing the photos of Meredith Emerson to Hustler Magazine would
cause "irreparable harm."
Authorities had already announced they would refuse the porn
publication's request for photos of the 24-year-old, whose
decapitated body was found in January 2008 in the north Georgia
woods.
But her family filed a lawsuit against the Georgia Bureau of
Investigation to obtain a court order barring the photos' release.
Hustler had requested the photos from the GBI.
SUPERIOR JUDGE CUTS
Senator proposes cutting 19 superior court judges
ATLANTA (AP) - Senator Mitch Seabaugh is proposing cutting 19
superior court judges -- a move he says could save the state up to
$14 million.
Seabaugh says S.B. 485 would reduce the number of superior court
judges from 205 to 186.
Lawmakers have been hard-pressed to find further ways to cut
costs to address Georgia's $1.1 billion budget shortfall.
Seabaugh says the superior court system has not been carrying
its weight during the state's budget crisis and has made far fewer
cuts than many other departments. He also points out that the
number of superior court judges in the state has increased in the
past few years and that under the state constitution, the General
Assembly does have the right to eliminate judgeships.
CUSTOMS AGENT-PLEA
Ex-agent pleads guilty to child porn charges
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - A retired U.S. Customs and Border
Protection officer is facing up to 7.25 years in federal prison
after pleading guilty to child pornography charges.
Prosecutors say 58-year-old Tony Alan Barker pleaded guilty
Wednesday to three counts of possession of child pornography
stemming from the discovery of illegal images on computers and in
documents found in his Sahuarita home in August 2008.
As part of his plea agreement, prosecutors say Barker will
receive a sentence of between 4.25 and 7.25 years on May 19th in
U.S. District Court in Tucson.
Barker spent 35 years as a customs officer in Georgia. He was
indicted in September on the three possession charges and one
charge of attempted distribution of child pornography.
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
