VIDEO: Kid touches electrified yard sign

A little disappointing, really. His hair doesn't frizz out, light doesn't shoot out of his eyes. Maybe if they'd upped the voltage.

TX mom threw girl, 4, into traffic, police say

Luckily, the oncoming driver hit the brakes in time. Snip:

A witness at the bus stop told police he saw Gallardo lift her daughter by the arm so forcefully that he thought the girl's arm "was going to dislocate out of the socket." The witness told police that Gallardo then violently threw the girl into the street and pulled her by her hair before throwing her into a parked vehicle, according to an arrest affidavit.

 

The witness said Gallardo told her daughter, "You are dead to me" and "You are a slut."

Hat Tip: Many thanks, JUNGLE JIM!

Depends on what you mean by "convicted"

The latest from Ted Stevens, via the New York Times:

By Thursday night, at a debate with his Democratic rival, Mayor Mark Begich of Anchorage, Mr. Stevens said that not only would he be vindicated but that he had been the victim of a “massive abuse of government power,” one that legal scholars would study for years for the breadth of its injustice.

“I have not been convicted of anything yet,” he said, a reference to the fact that a conviction does not formally take place until a judge enters final judgment upon sentencing. The guilty verdicts, he said, were “a temporary situation,” an incremental setback until a judge throws them out or Mr. Stevens wins on appeal.

Is the Amber Alert being overused?

Kevin Hoffmann had an interesting story this morning about the Amber Alert and how, locally, it's been issued even though it didn't meet the official standards. Local LEOs are getting together today for an annual review of the system.

On the one hand, you've got officers who say the Amber Alert is one of those tools that should be used in only the most dire situations -- otherwise, people might not pay attention to it. Others say it should be issued whenever a kiddo goes missing, even if kiddo is probably just with a noncustodial parent.

UPDATED: Kevin has more from today's meeting ...

The meeting was led by U.S. Congressman Dennis Moore who asked the group how the system was working and whether changes needed to be made. The group reached a consensus that all local Amber Alerts should be cleared by the Metropolitan Police Chiefs and Sheriffs Association before being broadcast.

The chiefs and sheriffs group still has to approve this, though.

Diarrhea is no excuse for speeding, Swedish court rules

I beg to differ ...

Guilty plea in Diane Garner homicide

From the Jackson County prosecutor's office: Derek A. Vaughn (04/26/90) entered a guilty plea today to charges of Second Degree Murder, Armed Criminal Action and Unlawful Use of a Weapon for a May 31 drive-by shooting in Independence that left Diane Garner dead of a gunshot wound to the head.

According to court documents, the shooting was the result of a fight between Vaughn and the victim's son. The victim was not an intended target for the shooting.

Vaughn is scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 19. A co-defendant - Dustin Rinehart (04/31/90) - is scheduled for a court appearance on Nov. 21.

Dance Party Friday ... Halloween Edition

Now for something truly terrifying ... a Bollywood version of "Thriller." You're welcome.

Quote of the day

"I grew up in New York City, I've seen a lot of things in my life. I'm not going to let anyone take my money. I tell him one of us isn't leaving here alive."

Kostas Kolitsidas, 61, a pizzeria owner from Connecticut, who -- when a teenage gunman demanded his money -- went to the kitchen and produced a knife. The gunman then ran away. (Again, please DO NOT try this at home.)

Death By Pornography!

It is precisely what you think ...

Hat Tip: Saw this via QuizLaw!

Midtown Miscreant v. Velma from Scooby-Doo

Double-M does fine pattern analysis ...

Open Thread ... Sweet Merciful Friday

Thanks for spending part of your day on the Open Thread, our blog's space for off-topic comments and discussion. This is also a good spot to post links, if you want to share a story you saw somewhere else.

Please sign your comments, and please avoid profanity, as well as racially and sexually abusive language. And when you sign your comments, please use only one nickname. I read the OT, but if you need to contact me directly, my email is jhart@kcstar.com. Thanks again, and have a great day!

Chiropractor asked patients to kill his wife, police say

Story is from Philly. I just really love this lede. Snip:

After a nearly 30-year marriage, chiropractor Alan Kushner grew to hate his wife so much during their divorce that he hung a Halloween mask resembling her in his office and shouted "Die!" at it, authorities said.

Then, prosecutors accuse him of taking a further step: soliciting patients to assassinate her, and almost succeeding.

Colorado man admits to shooting wife's cat

As a way to get even with her. While the police were investigating the dead cat, they also found his weed stash, all four pounds of it.

“Operation Bad Candy”

The Clay County Drug Task Force rounded up 32 people with outstanding drug warrants this morning, Glenn Rice reports.

Judge still can't decide if he'll dismiss MySpace suicide case

You know, Lori Drew -- the Missouri woman accused of harassing teenager Megan Meier over the Internet, which reportedly led to the girl's suicide -- might beat this after all. She's accused of committing a federal cybercrime in California, and her lawyers are trying to get the case kicked.

On Thursday, U.S. District Judge George H. Wu indicated he would likely reject the motion but wanted to look at arguments more closely.

"I will probably keep on wavering until the time of the trial," Wu told attorneys. Trial is slated for Nov. 18.

Molestation suspect: 8-year-old took advantage of me

Story is from Utah. I figure if he has a hard time avoiding the sexual advances of an 8-year-old girl, he's probably not going to like prison much.

Chronic shoplifter-prison inmate wins $200K in charity raffle

Story is from Wisconsin. It kind of sounds like a real "My Name Is Earl" situation ...

Many trees were felled to create Delvalle's court files. His shoplifting cases and drug offenses began at 16, and the arrests just kept on coming.

More than once he's been stopped trying to wheel shopping carts of liquor out to his vehicle. He took power tools from a store in Greenfield and a DVD player from another in Greendale. His last arrest was in May 2007 for stealing Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts from a grocery store in West Milwaukee.

                        

Here's hoping somebody tells him about karma.

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Goshel!

KS teen gets 15 years for raping girl, age 8

Story is from Brookville. The defendant here is 17.

KC man accused of sex trafficking, feds allege

From Mark Morris: Federal prosecutors Thursday charged a 35-year-old Kansas City man with commercial sex trafficking violations and attempting to produce child pornography.

Prosecutors said that while operating his prostitution business, Michael L. Buck allegedly beat, choked, burned, bound and cut women if they resisted his control. Some of the women suffered internal bleeding and loss of consciousness and bladder control.

Girls, ages 3 and 11, brought to IN party so they could be abused, police say

Here's how the planning went, police say. Snip:

On Aug. 7, Milligan allegedly emailed Robinson driving directions from Midlothian to Terre Haute, according to the complaint. The subject line read: "map to the party lol" using an abbreviation of "laugh out loud." Five days earlier, Robinson allegedly told Masulla over an Internet chat service that the weekend was "supposed to be fun and exciting!"

Hat Tip: Many thanks, Keith G in PV!

2 accused of downtown KC robbery

From Sara Shepherd: Prosecutors on Thursday accused Tiffany C. Roberts, 18, of helping rob a downtown resident at gunpoint Wednesday. Her alleged accomplice, a 16-year-old girl, was turned over to juvenile authorities.

According to court documents, the victim told police she was entering her home near Seventh Street and Broadway about 8:15 p.m. when two females asked to use her phone.

After she made a call for them, one female sprayed her eyes with pepper spray and the other pointed a gun at her. They took her phone, a laptop and $20.

Should cities be able to set their own immigration laws?

That's what a town in Pennsylvania, Hazleton, wants to do. Officials there passed an ordinance that, basically, prohibited illegal immigrants from renting or working in their town. (There would be fines for landlords, and businesses could lose their licenses.) A court declared the ordinance unconstitutional, but an appeal is in the works.

The town argues that their rules don't conflict with federal policy. The ACLU says all hell would break loose if every town got to have varying rules.

UPDATE on Texas FLDS case

Originally, 439 kids were removed from the Yearning For Zion ranch in Texas. Only 37 of those kids remain under some kind of court supervision -- the rest have all been cleared of any abuse or wrongdoing. Most of the families have NOT returned to the ranch. When the kids were scattered around the state, their parents moved to be closer to them. Eight FLDS members have been indicted on child-sex charges.

Not remotely crime-related

UK vicar goes to the emergency room after a potato becomes wedged in his nether regions. He says he was hanging curtains while naked when he fell backward onto his kitchen table. Riiiiiight ...

KMBC: 1 shot and injured in Olathe parking lot

Happened early this morning in the 800 block of Old 56, KMBC reports. The victim, who ran to 7-Eleven for help, should live.