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U.S. NEWS Thursday 7 February 2019

Conviction upheld for woman

who urged boyfriend’s suicide

By ALANNA DURKIN RICHER get out of the truck as she A spokesman for the Bris-
Associated Press listened to him choke and tol County District Attor-
BOSTON (AP) — A young die,” Justice Scott Kafker ney’s office said it will file
woman who as a teenager wrote. Carter’s lawyers said a motion in the coming
encouraged her boyfriend in an email they are disap- days asking the trial court
through dozens of text pointed in the ruling and to impose Carter’s jail sen-
messages to kill himself is will consider appealing to tence now that the state
responsible for his suicide, the U.S. Supreme Court, high court has ruled. “This
Massachusetts’ highest among other legal op- case is a tragedy for all of
court ruled Wednesday in tions. Carter, now 22, was the people impacted by
upholding her involuntary sentenced to 15 months in this case,” District Attorney In this June 8, 2017 file photo, Michelle Carter sits in Taunton
manslaughter conviction. jail, but has remained free Thomas Quinn III said in a District Court in Taunton, Mass.
The Supreme Judicial Court while she pursues her ap- statement. Associated Press
said in a unanimous deci- peals. “However, as the court munications. Both teens provided a disturbing look
sion in the novel case that “Today’s decision stretches found in two separate de- struggled with depression. at teenage depression
Michelle Carter’s actions the law to assign blame cisions, her conduct was Carter had also been treat- and suicide. “I thought you
caused Conrad Roy III to for a tragedy that was not wanton and reckless, and ed for anorexia, and Roy wanted to do this. The time
die in a truck filled with tox- a crime. It has very trou- caused the death of Con- had made earlier suicide is right and you’re ready
ic gas in a deserted parking bling implications, for free rad Roy,” he said. attempts. — just do it babe,” Carter
lot nearly five years ago. speech, due process, and Carter and Roy both lived Carter was 17 when Roy, wrote in one message.
“After she convinced him the exercise of prosecuto- in Massachusetts but met 18, took his own life in “You’re finally going to be
to get back into the car- rial discretion, that should in Florida in 2012 while both Fairhaven, a town on Mas- happy in heaven. No more
bon monoxide filled truck, concern us all,” said Attor- were on vacation with their sachusetts’ south coast in pain. It’s okay to be scared
she did absolutely nothing ney Daniel Marx, who ar- families. Their relationship July 2014. Her case raised and it’s normal. I mean,
to help him: she did not gued the case before the consisted mainly of texting thorny legal questions you’re about to die,” she
call for help or tell him to high court. and other electronic com- about free speech and wrote in another.q

Gas line explosion in San Francisco sets buildings on fire

By JANIE HAR buildings in the area were tion’s largest utility $3 mil-
Associated Press evacuated, including a lion for a conviction on six
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — medical clinic and several felony charges of failing to
A gas explosion in a San apartment buildings. Fire- properly maintain a natural
Francisco neighborhood fighters worked to keep the gas pipeline that explod-
shot flames high into the air fire from spreading while ed under a neighborhood
Wednesday and was burn- Pacific Gas & Electric crews south of San Francisco in
ing four buildings as utility have been trying for more 2010. The explosion killed
crews scrambled to shut off than an hour to shut off the eight people and wiped
the flow of gas. natural gas line. out a neighborhood in sub-
Construction workers cut a “It’s complicated,” Hayes- urban San Bruno. California
natural gas line, San Fran- White said of stopping the regulators also fined PG&E
cisco Fire Chief Joanne flow of gas through the $1.6 billion, and the util-
Hayes-White said. Authori- damaged pipe. ity remains under a federal
ties initially said five of them PG&E, which is under judge’s watch in that case.
were missing, but the en- heightened scrutiny over its Wednesday’s fire began
tire construction crew was gas pipelines, didn’t imme- shortly after 1 p.m., appar-
San Francisco firefighters battle a fire on Geary Boulevard in San found safe, and no other diately return a phone call ently by crews working on
Francisco, Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2019. injuries were reported. seeking comment. fiber-optic wires, Hayes-
Associated Press Hayes-White said several A U.S. judge fined the na- White said.q