Woman charged in deaths of three babies ADVERTISING Woman charged in deaths of three babies BLACKSTONE, Mass. (AP) — A woman who lived in a squalid, vermin-infested home where the bodies of three infants were found was charged Friday with
Woman charged in deaths of three babies
BLACKSTONE, Mass. (AP) — A woman who lived in a squalid, vermin-infested home where the bodies of three infants were found was charged Friday with covering up the deaths, while neighbors said they wish they had acted themselves to call attention to the house with the foul smell and the shades that were always drawn.
Erika Murray, 31, was arraigned on charges including fetal death concealment, witness intimidation and permitting substantial injury to a child. But basic facts remain a mystery or aren’t being explained by authorities.
Among them: why it took authorities so long to search the home even after removing four other children from it last month; whether the babies were newborns or fetuses; whether the woman was the mother of all the children; the nature of a 2007 report of abuse or neglect at the house that was not deemed a problem; and the identity of a man who also lived there.
A search by crews in hazmat suits for any more remains continued at the house even as not-guilty pleas were entered for Murray in nearby Uxbridge. A court-appointed defender suggested she was mentally ill.
“You want answers in circumstances like this. … Mental illness doesn’t always provide those kinds of answers,” said Keith Halpern, Murray’s attorney, after the arraignment. He did not elaborate on her condition.
Man wins fight to get gay union recognized
PHOENIX (AP) — In a ruling that calls into question Arizona’s gay marriage ban, a judge handed a victory Friday to a gay man who lost his spouse to cancer last month and was denied death benefits because the state prohibits same-sex unions.
U.S. District Judge John Sedwick allowed Fred McQuire to be listed on his spouse’s death certificate, marking another development in the national debate over gay marriage as state and federal judges across the country have struck down bans in more than a dozen states at a rapid rate since a landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling last year.
Friday’s decision only applied to McQuire, but the judge signaled that Arizona’s gay marriage ban may not hold up after he hears a broader challenge to the constitutionality of the law.
“The court has not yet decided whether there is a conflict between Arizona law and the Constitution, but the court has decided that it is probable that there is such a conflict that Arizona will be required to permit same-sex marriages,” said Sedwick, who was nominated to the federal bench in 1992 by President George H.W. Bush.
McQuire and George Martinez were partners of 45 years who got married in California this summer, fulfilling one of their final wishes as they both dealt with serious health issues. Martinez, a Vietnam War veteran, was in the throes of pancreatic cancer blamed on exposure to Agent Orange when they got married, calling it “demeaning and unfair” to have to go to another state to exchange their vows.
Martinez died in late August, but his spouse was unable to receive Social Security and veteran benefits because Arizona bans gay marriage.
Sedwick quickly issued an order granting McQuire’s request to be listed on Martinez’s death certificate as the surviving spouse, which McQuire hoped would qualify him for the federal benefits. But Sedwick said federal regulations unrelated to the legality of gay marriage mean McQuire will not be able to succeed in getting the benefits.
The request from the couple from Green Valley, Arizona, was made as part of a lawsuit in which 19 people are challenging the state’s ban on same-sex marriages. The lawsuit alleges that the ban violates the U.S. Constitution.
Court reinstates voter ID law in Wisconsin
CHICAGO (AP) — In a stunningly fast decision, a federal appeals court in Chicago reinstated Wisconsin’s voter photo identification law on Friday — just hours after three Republican-appointed judges heard arguments on reactivating the hotly debated law in time for the November election.
In a brief order, a three-judge panel of the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago said, “The State of Wisconsin may, if it wishes … enforce the photo ID requirement in this November’s elections.”
Wisconsin officials wasted no time in saying they would do just that.
“We are taking every step to fully implement the voter photo ID law for the November general election,” said Kevin Kennedy, the state’s top election official. “We are now focused on communicating with local election officials and voters, and will have more information about the details next week.”
Wisconsin’s Republican governor, Scott Walker, heralded the court’s decision as a victory for his state.
“Voter ID is a common sense reform that protects the integrity of our voting process,” he said in a statement released by his office. “Today’s ruling makes it easier to vote and harder to cheat.”
Some Democrats were angry.
“This ruling will disenfranchise Wisconsin voters and lower voter turnout in this fall’s election,” Democratic state Rep. JoCasta Zamarripa, of Milwaukee, said.
