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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 10 March 2020

U.S. Supreme Court rejects ex-cop's appeal of rape convictions

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Holtzclaw, called the lower following year.
The U.S. Supreme Court on court's ruling "outrageous Oklahoma's criminal ap-
Monday declined to hear flawed and scientifically il- peals court rejected his
an appeal for a former literate". appeals last August that
Oklahoma City police of- "The average time it takes argued a lack of evidence,
ficer convicted of sexually to exonerate an innocent misconduct by prosecu-
assaulting black women he person like Daniel is up- tors and a failure by the
encountered while patrol- wards of 14 years.," she defense attorney at trial to
ling the city's low-income said. "This is devastating present an expert to offer
neighborhoods. and Daniel lives through it an alternative explanation
Attorney James L. Hankins every day, but he remains to how DNA of one victim
asked the highest court in strong in his faith and spirit." wound up on Holtzclaw's
December 2019 to review Prosecutors alleged pants.
a ruling against 33-year- Holtzclaw targeted black His case became a rallying
old Daniel Holtzclaw is- women and girls while on cry of the Black Lives Mat-
sued months earlier by the duty in 2013 and 2014. ter movement.
Oklahoma Court of Crimi- Holtzclaw was found guilty A 2015 Associated Press In this Jan. 21, 2016, file photo, former Oklahoma City police
officer Daniel Holtzclaw, is seen at a sentencing hearing in
nal Appeals. The Supreme in 2015 of 18 charges, in- investigation highlighting Oklahoma City.
Court's denial of the written cluding rape and sexual it found about 1,000 of- Associated Press
request means the lower battery involving eight ficers in America lost their
court's decision stands. women. He was sentenced licenses for sexual miscon- — an undercount because method for banning prob-
Holtzclaw's sister, Jenny to 263 years in prison the duct over a six-year period some states don't have a lem officers.q
Utility pleads guilty to causing gas blasts that killed 1

BOSTON (AP) — A utility iron pipes in Lawrence.
company pleaded guilty That omission caused high-
Monday to causing a series pressure gas to flood the
of natural gas explosions in neighborhood's distribution
Massachusetts that killed system at excessive levels.
one person and damaged Investigators found that
dozens of homes. Columbia Gas violated
The president of Columbia minimum safety standards
Gas of Massachusetts, Mark for starting up and shutting
Kempic, entered the plea down gas lines through a
in Boston's federal court on "pattern of flagrant indiffer-
behalf of the company re- ence."
sponsible for the blasts that The explosions and fires
tore through three commu- outraged the communi-
nities in the Merrimack Val- ties of Lawrence, Andover
ley, north of Boston, in Sep- and North Andover, where
tember 2018. thousands of homes and
As part of the plea agree- businesses went without
ment, Columbia Gas of gas service for weeks, and
Massachusetts will pay a months in some cases, dur-
$53 million fine for violat- ing the winter.
ing the Pipeline Safety Act. Leonel Rondon, 18, died
It's the largest criminal fine In this Sept. 13, 2018 file image from video provided by WCVB in Boston, flames consume the roof when a chimney collapsed
ever imposed under the of a home following an explosion in Lawrence, Mass. on his vehicle in the drive-
pipeline safety law. Associated Press way of a friend's home —
The company said when hours after he had gotten
the plea deal was an- to buy Columbia Gas of over to the federal govern- overpressurized gas lines, his driver's license. About
nounced last month that Massachusetts' natural gas ment along with the crimi- saying the company failed two dozen others were in-
it takes full responsibility for assets for $1.1 billion. Any nal fine. to account for critical pres- jured, and dozens of build-
the disaster. profit from the sale of the Federal investigators sure sensors as workers re- ings were damaged or
Eversource has agreed company will be handed blamed the explosions on placed century-old, cast- destroyed.q