Vernon Woman Killed in Bizarre Accident
A woman was crushed and killed in her driveway when she opened her car door in the rain to see where she was, police said. Vernon police found Robyn April Maguire, 28, in the driveway of her Center Road. She was pinned between her SUV and a tree in her own driveway, police said. Maguire was backing her Ford Explorer downhill in the rain, opened the door to see where she was and was crushed between a tree trunk and the inside of her car door, police said. Police said this a tragic accident and suspect no foul play.
Drug Dogs Expelled in Canton
The American Civil Liberties Union is asking Canton's school board to end the policy of allowing dogs to sniff student lockers and school parking lots for drugs. It's in response to a June drug sweep at Canton's middle and high schools that put classrooms into lockdown and ended in the arrest of one student. The school board has agreed to suspend the searches while it reviews the policy.
Urine Test Defense in Fatal Boat Crash
The lawyer for a Madison man charged in a fatal boating accident in Old Saybrook is challenging the blood alcohol test given to his client. Gregory Siege, 46, is charged with manslaughter and boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The charges stem from the death of a 53-year-old South Windsor woman who was killed when a runaway powerboat collided with a sailboat. Siege's lawyer maintains that the urine test given to his client is unreliable. He's asking a New London Superior Court judge to throw out results of tests taken after the July 2007 accident. Siege fell off his 20-foot motorboat and the unmanned boat sliced through a sailboat, police said. A passenger on the sailboat, Susan Brandes, died of multiple blunt trauma injuries.
Mom Says She'll Sue over Teen Strip Search
The mother of a 15-year-old student at an alternative high school in Ansonia said she's suing because her son was strip searched. Heidi Burwell, the mother of a Pine Academy student, said her son was forced to remove his clothing after being accused of stealing money from a teacher this week. During the time the money was stolen, the teenager was with a social worker and had nothing to do with the missing money, the mother's lawyer said. Attorney Robert Berke said that the school's principal ordered a strip search, which was conducted in a restroom by two male teachers. The missing money was not found. Ansonia police are investigating the incident.
Tables Turned - Court Says No Evidence He's a Cheater
A Central Connecticut State University student has been cleared of cheating on a term paper, now the student who accused him has to pay up. A Waterbury judge handed down the ruling in court Thursday. Matthew Coster was accused of cheating on the paper in 2006 by Cristina Duquette of Watertown. The judge ruled there was a preponderance of evidence supporting Coster's claim that Duquette actually copied his paper. Now, she is being ordered to pay $100 for the use of his paper and more than $25,000 in punitive damages.
More Sex Charges for Norwich Man
A Norwich man, arrested earlier this year on child porn charges, has been arrested on new sex charges. Jalil-Ali Shakur, 29, was arrested, accused of violating a protective order, promoting a minor in an obscene performance and possession of child pornography.
