Most Private Verdict: Ex-Prep Student Cleared of Felony Rape, Guilty on Lesser Charges
A former New Hampshire prep student was cleared of felony rape charges, but found guilty on other sex-related offenses for a sexual encounter with a 15-year girl. The act was allegedly part of a senior tradition at a prestigious school.
According to an Associated Press article, Owen Labrie, a student a former student at St. Paul’s School in Concord, was cited for misdemeanor sexual assault, child endangerment and using a computer to lure a minor for sex as a result of the incident that took place days before he graduated. The jury ultimately questioned both Labrie’s claims that he did not have intercourse with the underage girl as well as the victim’s claims she did not consent to the encounter. Labrie, who was planning to become a minister, will be sentenced Oct. 29. He remains free on a $15,000 bail.
Most Brutal Verdict: Memphis Man Loses Appeal in Graphic Dismemberment Case
The Tennessee Criminal Court of Appeals ruled James Hawkins failed to show the court erred in his 2011 case dealing with the vicious murder of his girlfriend. Hawkins is said to have killed and dismembered Charlene Gaither, 28, in February of 2008, according to an article from The Commercial Appeal. She was the mother of Hawkins' three children.
During the trial, testimony indicated Hawkins had one of his daughters, who was 12-years-old at the time, help to dismember the body with a chainsaw. In addition to the murder count, he has 19 prior felony convictions and was found guilty of filing a false missing person’s report and abusing a corpse. He is on death row at Riverbend Maximum Security Institution in Nashville.
Most Life-and-Death Verdict: Colorado Jury Declines Death Penalty in Another Mass Murder
A Colorado jury passed on the death penalty, instead opting for a life sentence in a case that lead to the deaths of four bar patrons and the bar’s owner, a building fire and a $170 robbery. The key witness against defendant Dexter Lewis was a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, according to an article from Denver's CBS affiliate.
Brothers Lynell and Joseph Hill pleaded guilty to the killings and also testified against Lewis. The incident occurred at Fero’s Bar & Grill on South Colorado Boulevard in October of 2012. Lewis was convicted of “five counts of first-degree murder after deliberation, five counts of first-degree murder-felony murder, five counts of criminal attempt to commit robbery and one count of arson.”
The jury determined that factors relating to Lewis’ difficult upbringing were sufficient to rule out a death sentence. Another jury in nearby Arapahoe County recently passed on the death penalty for Aurora movie theater shooter James Holmes as the defense argued Holmes was mentally ill. A Denver jury has not sentenced someone to die since 1986 and the state of Colorado has not executed a person since 1997.
Most Celebrity Verdict: Jordan to Collect on Supermarket Ad
The parent company of now-defunct Dominick's supermarket chain is on the hook for $8.9 million for using former NBA superstar Michael Jordan’s name without his permission, according to an article in the Chicago Tribune.
A jury in a federal court in Chicago ruled the former Bulls superstar is entitled to the reward after the company used his name in a “one-time, one-page congratulatory ad in a 2009 commemorative issue of Sports Illustrated.” Jordan is reportedly giving the money to charity. Eric Zorn, who penned the opinion piece for the newspaper, expressed confusion and at least a little disappointment over the size of the award and the public’s reaction.
Most Scientific Verdict: Jury Upholds $50M ‘Wrongful Birth’ Verdict
An appellate court decided the Laboratory Corp. of America and a Washington medical center must pay a couple who had a child born with birth defects genetic testing should have caught. Rhea and Brock Wuth asked doctors to look for a specific chromosomal problem that could be caused from a gene carried by Brock Wuth, according an article from the Triad Business Journal.
However, the test came back negative. The couple sued in 2010, claiming testing missteps led to their son’s "wrongful birth." The jury handed the family a $50 million award in 2013, however additional litigation is pending. "LabCorp acted properly and diligently in performing the test that was ordered by the physician," Eberts said. "We are considering further appellate options." The article, citing a Seattle Post-Intelligencer piece, states the couple’s son may require more than $20 million in treatment over the course of his life.