News Roundup

A deadly terrorist attack outside the British Parliament in London is dominating international headlines this week.  As the New York Times reports, a British-born man, Khalid Masood, has been identified as the perpetrator and the Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attack.  Three people were killed, including a Utah man, when Masood drove a vehicle into pedestrians on Westminster Bridge and then fatally stabbed a police constable.  Masood was shot and killed by police.  Keep reading for more news.

Opioid Pilot Proposed.  The News Roundup previously has noted that while use of the opioid overdose-reversal drug naloxone is increasingly common, protocols for guiding people into addiction treatment following an overdose and rescue are relatively uncommon.  Without treatment, addicts often return to using and eventually overdose again.  The Wilmington Star News reports that proposed North Carolina legislation, House Bill 324, aims to break the overdose cycle by establishing a pilot program in Wilmington that would provide follow-up treatment after a naloxone rescue.

Jail Nurse Charged.  The News & Observer reports that a woman who worked as a nurse at the Franklin County Detention Center is facing drug trafficking charges arising from an alleged scheme where she would obtain opiates by using the names of former jail inmates.  Tamsey Hight Watkins was arrested while at work at the jail.

Former Prosecutor Disciplined.  Former Wake County assistant district attorney Colleen Janssen, whose father was kidnapped by gang members in a dramatic plot for retribution against Janssen, cannot work as a prosecutor or provide legal representation to any government agency for two years as a disciplinary sanction for withholding evidence in a 2014 robbery trial.  A previous News Roundup has links to stories about the evidence issue that gave rise to the disciplinary action.

Modern Times.  The Salisbury Post has an opinion piece promoting the “e-Courts Strategic Technology Plan” developed by the Technology Committee of the North Carolina Commission on the Administration of Law and Justice.  The plan calls for an overhaul of the information technology systems used by North Carolina courts.

Charlotte School of Law.  The Charlotte Observer reports that the dean of the Charlotte School of Law has stepped down.  Jay Conison, who had been the dean at the school for about four years, has been replaced by Charlotte faculty member and former federal prosecutor Scott Broyles.  According to the Observer report, the future of the school still is uncertain.

Hacker Hunt.  Wired has a lengthy article that takes a reader behind the scenes of a massive law enforcement effort to catch a notorious Russian hacker.  Described as “Russia’s greatest cybercriminal,” Evgeniy Mikhailovich Bogachev reportedly developed sophisticated hacking software which he used to steal millions.  The FBI was able to dismantle much of Bogachev’s nefarious cyber infrastructure, but he remains at large.

Death Row Basketball.  The Marshall Project has an interesting account of a death row basketball league and tournament from an inmate at Central Prison.  As you might imagine, the story says that there are numerous obstacles to team cohesion throughout the course of a season – coaches are sent to “the hole,” players are prone to tantrums, and technical fouls are common.

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