Page 6 - ARUBA TODAY

A6 U.S. NEWS
Thursday 4 July 2019
Florida woman who took husband’s guns faces misdemeanor

By MIKE SCHNEIDER had “cleaned out” their
Associated Press bank account, Courtney
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — A Irby took two watches and
Florida woman who took a GoPro camera with the
her estranged husband’s intent to sell them, as well
guns after his arrest and as items belonging to her
turned them over to the children. She also took the
police will be charged with two guns, Haas said.
misdemeanor trespassing “Taking the guns was mere-
instead of theft and bur- ly an afterthought,” the
glary, a prosecutor said prosecutor said.
Wednesday. When Courtney Irby re-
Courtney Irby originally had turned to her home to fin-
faced the more serious ish packing, another friend
charges after her arrest last found out about the guns
month in a case that crit- and told Courtney Irby she
ics said unfairly pitted the should turn them over to
safety of domestic violence the police, which she did,
victims against guns rights. Haas said.
But State Attorney Brian Courtney Irby was arrested
Haas said at a news con- at the police station and
ference in Bartow that the This file combination of booking photos provided by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office shows spent almost six days in the
case was more about a Courtney Irby on June 15, 2019, and her husband, Joseph Irby, on June 14. jail in Bartow, located mid-
messy divorce than either Associated Press way between Tampa and
of those issues and the Anna Eskamani, who had reporting a crime.” Law- times at low speed, Haas Orlando.
marital discord was leading called Courtney Irby’s ar- rence Shearer, an attorney said. After her husband’s While Courtney Irby’s en-
to charges against both rest last month “ridiculous,” for Courtney Irby, didn’t arrest, Courtney Irby ob- try into her estranged hus-
spouses. said Wednesday that she return messages seeking tained a temporary injunc- band’s home is something
The prosecutor said he was grateful the state at- comment. Parts of Court- tion for protection against that can’t be ignored, the
was filing an aggravated torney wasn’t proceeding ney Irby’s initial story were her husband, saying she dispute over the property
battery charge against with the original charges. misleading when she said was in fear of her husband she took is “a matter best
Joseph Irby for hitting his “As we have made clear she took her husband’s because of his texting and handled by a divorce
wife’s vehicle with his car many times before, we guns and turned them over made no mention of his judge,” Haas said.
at low speed a day before must support and empow- to the police because she guns, the prosecutor said. Divorce “brings out the ab-
her arrest. “This is case of a er our domestic violence feared for her life, accord- Deciding she and her chil- solute worse in people,”
highly contested divorce, survivors, not incarcerate ing to the prosecutor. dren needed to leave the the prosecutor said. “If my
escalating to the point of them,” Eskamani said in a The Irbys had gotten into area, Courtney Irby went office gets into the business
husband and wife being statement. “We want do- an argument at their child’s with a friend to Joseph of husbands and wives dis-
charged with crimes,” Haas mestic violence survivors day camp last month, and Irby’s home to retrieve a puting over property, I’m
said. to trust law enforcement, Joseph Irby followed his luggage key. Because of going to have to hire 10
Democratic state Rep. and to feel comfortable wife’s car, tapping it three frustration that her husband more lawyers.”q

Judge to reassess $80 million award in Monsanto cancer case

Chhabria said at a hearing Hardeman’s diagnosis of ed compensation require
Tuesday that he will reduce non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. special justification, and
but not entirely eliminate Hardeman was diagnosed cannot exceed nine times
punitive damages for what with the cancer in 2015 af- the compensation except
he called the company’s ter spraying the product on in extraordinary cases.
“reprehensible” conduct, his Sonoma County prop- Hardeman’s lawyer, Ai-
the San Francisco Chroni- erty for more than 26 years. mee Wagstaff, argued
cle reported. Jurors awarded him that Monsanto’s conduct
The judge said evidence at $200,000 for economic loss- proved that the case was
the trial showed “Monsanto es, $3 million for past pain extraordinary, and the high
not really caring whether and suffering, another $2 damage award was nec-
its products cause can- million for emotional dis- essary to send a message
cer,” after questions arose tress in his future years, and to the company, which is
within the company about $75 million in punitive dam- valued at $7.8 billion.
the product’s safety and a ages. Wagstaff also pushed back
World Health Organization Hardeman’s cancer is now against the judge’s ques-
agency classified glypho- in remission. tioning of the $2 million
sate as a probable human Chhabria showed no signs award for Hardeman’s re-
carcinogen in 2015. of granting Monsanto’s re- maining years, saying, “The
Monsanto attorney Brian quest to overturn the ver- fears come back with ev-
Stekloff replied that the dict, but he planned to ery test.”
In this Feb. 24, 2019, file photo, containers of Roundup are company’s actions were reduce the $75 million pu- Thousands of similar law-
displayed on a store shelf in San Francisco. “consistent with the regula- nitive damage award to suits against Monsanto are
Associated Press tory and scientific consen- comply with the Supreme pending in state and fed-
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A cer victim who used Mon- sus.” Court’s constitutional stan- eral courts.
U.S. judge will reconsider a santo’s Roundup weed- In March, a jury found that dards, which specify that Monsanto is appealing ver-
jury’s $80 million damage killer. glyphosate was a likely awards more than four dicts in the few cases that
award to a California can- U.S. District Judge Vince cause of 70-year-old Edwin times the amount of award- have been decided.q