Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 27 July 2017
Advocate: Trucker in deadly

Fees, loans threaten pardoned brothers’ livelihood smuggling ring to
testify in August

ian ad-litem because of By NOMAAN MERCHANT
concerns about his com- Associated Press
petency. SAN ANTONIO (AP) —
The half-brothers were re- A scheduled detention
leased from prison in 2014 hearing for a truck driver
because of DNA evidence charged in the deaths of
and later pardoned in the 10 immigrants found inside
1983 killing of an 11-year- his sweltering tractor-trailer
old girl. Their civil lawsuit in San Antonio has been
alleges local and state au- canceled.
thorities violated their civil Federal court records show
rights. the hearing for James Mat-
In his filing Wednesday, thew Bradley Jr. that was
Tarlton said the legal fees originally set for Thursday
and interest on loans was waived and a new
would leave McCollum hearing was set for Aug. 23,
with only about $178,000 when Bradley is expected
of his $500,000 share of the to a give video deposition.
proposed settlement with Bradley, 60, of Clearwater,
the town of Red Springs. Florida, faces charges of
A separate state wrong- illegally transporting immi-
ful conviction compensa- grants for financial gain, re-
tion program also award- sulting in death. Authorities
ed McCollum and Brown allege he drove a trailer full
In this Sept. 3, 2014 photo, Henry McCollum walks out of prison after being released from Central of immigrants from South
Prison in Raleigh, N.C. Lawyer fees and high-interest loans are threatening the financial futures each $750,000. Texas that was discov-
of the two North Carolina brothers who have collected hundreds of thousands of dollars for their Yet Tartlon notes that in
three decades of wrongful imprisonment, a court-appointed advocate said Wednesday, July 26, the months after receiving ered in the parking lot of
2017. the payout, McCollum’s fi- a Walmart in San Antonio
(AP Photo/Michael Biesecker) nances had deteriorated early Sunday morning. He
to the point that he took could face the death pen-
By JONATHAN DREW a legal motion that Henry the representation agree- out high-interest loans alty if convicted.
Associated Press McCollum and Leon Brown ment with the men’s cur- of $50,000 and $15,000 At least 29 immigrants sur-
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — Law- were steered into dubious rent lawyers. against any future settle- vived the failed smuggling
yer fees and high-interest financial arrangements In May, Boyle rejected ments. attempt, according to U.S.
loans are threatening the by lawyers who stand to a settlement that would Court documents show the officials. Twelve remained
financial futures of two profit from the men’s law- have allowed the lawyers interest rate on the loans hospitalized Wednesday in
North Carolina brothers suit against the investiga- to claim $400,000 of $1 mil- from Multi Funding USA was San Antonio.
who have collected hun- tors who put them behind lion in settlements with a 18 percent compounded The identities of most of
dreds of thousands of dol- bars. Raymond Tarlton, the town and two of its investi- every six months. Attorney the dead were not imme-
lars for their three decades court-appointed advocate gators, according to court Patrick Megaro signed diately released. However,
of wrongful imprisonment, for McCollum, asked feder- documents. paperwork acknowledg- one victim, a 19-year-old
a court-appointed advo- al Judge Terrence Boyle to In the same ruling, Boyle ing that he had explained who had been deported
cate said Wednesday. rule that McCollum wasn’t appointed Tarlton to repre- each loan contract to Mc- and was trying to get back
The advocate argued in competent enough to sign sent McCollum as a guard- Collum. q to his family in the United
States, was identified as a
Guatemalan national by
Man put to death in first Ohio execution in 3 years diplomat Cristy Andrino.
She told The Associated
By JULIE SMYTH to the child’s aunt and that,” Ohio Prisons Director cruel and unusual punish- Press that Frank Guisseppe
Associated Press half-sister, who were there Gary Mohr said just before ment. Fuentes immigrated to the
LUCASVILLE, Ohio (AP) — A to watch him die for his Phillips’ execution. The drugs include mid- U.S. as a child and was
child killer was put to death crimes. It was Ohio’s first execu- azolam, a sedative used in onboard the sweltering
with no apparent com- “I know that Sheila Marie tion since 2014, when some problematic execu- tractor-trailer in hopes of
plications Wednesday in didn’t deserve what I did an inmate gasped and tions in Ohio, Arkansas and eventually making his way
Ohio’s first execution since to her,” he said. snorted repeatedly during Arizona. The inmates were to family living in Maryland.
a problem-plagued one Donna Hudson, the vic- a procedure that took an backed up by 15 pharma- Fuentes was deported in
3½ years ago triggered tim’s aunt, said: “God for- unusually long 26 minutes cology professors who said March after being convict-
an uproar over the reliabil- gave him, but, I’m sorry, I and involved a never-be- midazolam is incapable of ed of assault and battery
ity of the lethal injection don’t think I can.” fore-tried drug combina- inducing unconsciousness by a mob, a spokeswoman
drugs used by the state. Phillips’ case could open tion. or preventing serious pain. for U.S. Immigration and
Ronald Phillips, 43, was the way for the full resump- Gov. John Kasich reacted Phillips lost his final appeal Customs Enforcement said.
condemned to die for the tion of capital punishment by putting all executions on Tuesday when the U.S. Fairfax County Schools in
1993 rape and slaying of in Ohio, which has 26 exe- on hold. The delays con- Supreme Court denied his Virginia said Fuentes grad-
his girlfriend’s 3-year-old cutions scheduled through tinued when the state had requests for more time to uated from J.E.B. Stuart
daughter, Sheila Marie Ev- 2020, the next on Sept. 13. trouble finding new sup- pursue the challenge to High School in 2015.
ans. He was given a three- “I have confidence that plies of drugs and death the new drug combina- Fuentes had been pro-
drug combination never we are going to continue row inmates sued over tion or his claim that he tected from deportation
used in Ohio before. to do this in a dignified, Ohio’s proposed new deserved mercy because for a time under President
As he lay on the execu- peaceful, humane way, three-drug combination, he was only 19 at the time Barack Obama’s Deferred
tion table, he apologized and I’m committed to do saying it would amount to of the crime. q Actions for Childhood Ar-
rival Program.q