Man pleads guilty to 1995 killing
A Washington man has pled guilty to the fatal shooting of another man in 1995. Thirty-five-year-old Maurice Fair plead guilty on Wednesday to voluntary manslaughter while armed in the death of 18-year-old James Belton. Sentencing is scheduled for July 16th and calls for a 10-year sentence.
Belton was shot twice in the head in his northwest apartment. Prosecutors claim Fair went to Belton’s apartment to smoke marijuana but became fearful that Belton would hurt him.
Fair was hospitalized in 2004 for [...]
D.C. Council to decriminalize pot possession.
Two D.C. Councilmemebers plan to introduce legislation that would decriminalize marijuana possession to small amounts. The proposal, introduced by Tommy Wells and Marion Barry, would have to be approved by the mayor and Council Chairman along with Congress. The bill is scheduled to be introduced by this summer.
Those favoring decriminalization are pushing for voters to decide on the issue, but Barry thinks the Council should take the lead. More than a dozen states have eliminated jail time for possessing small [...]
D.C. considers gun owners to have insurance
The D.C. Council is considering requiring gun owners to purchase liability insurance before they become licensed to own a gun. The bill would require that gun owners uphold at least a $250,000 policy, which would cover acts of neglect and intentional acts not undertaken in self-defense.
Although many states have considered similar legislation, none have passed the law. The Council will hold a meeting on Thursday to discuss the insurance requirement. The bill was introduced by Councilmember Mary Cheh.
Firefighters reassigned after Facebook post
Five D.C. firefighters have been placed on desk duty after making a Facebook post that criticized the D.C. police.
The post includes a picture taken by a firefighter of a D.C. police officer giving the firefighter a traffic ticket. Commentary on the picture included, “This is why we should be careful and take our time getting to incident scenes.”
Police officials believe the post was made in regard to a case in March where a police officer waited 20 minutes [...]
Councilmember Tommy Wells launches mayoral bid
D.C. Councilmember Tommy Wells will formally announce his candidacy for mayor on Saturday. Wells will be the second candidate to enter the race, following Councilmember Muriel Bowser, who began her campaign in March.
Mayor Vincent Gray has not stated whether he will run for reelection, since his 2010 federal campaign is under federal investigation along with three of his campaign aides pleading guilty to felonies.
Wells is a 56-year-old Democrat who has served on the D.C. Council since 2007.
Bill Clinton gives Howard commencement speech
Howard University’s 145th graduation ceremony for the class of 2013 was welcomed into the real world by president Bill Clinton. President Clinton flew from Haiti to D.C. to give the speech, although he joked that his contribution was the least important part of the ceremony.
Clinton spoke to the 2,687 graduates about making the most of their lives, “Try to do something that will make you happy,” he said. “And, most people are happiest doing what they are best at.” His [...]
National Aquarium closes
The National Aquarium will close its D.C. location in the fall. The aquarium’s location, the Department of Commerce building, will start renovations in the fall, making the move necessary.
The National Aquarium must move by March 2014, but it is scheduling to close on Sept. 30th in order to begin to move the 1,500 animals to the National Aquarium in Baltimore as well as to other locations.
The National Aquarium in Washington D.C. was established in 1873 and opened in 1885. [...]
Pediatrician faces child porn charges
A pediatrician who has practiced in D.C. for many decades has been charged with possessing child pornography. A criminal complaint stated that when FBI officials entered the office of 73-year-old Dr. Robert Dickey, he was viewing a website with child pornography. There’s no indication that the pornography involved his patients.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children learned that images of child porn were being uploaded to this website via Dickey’s address. According to court documents, Dickey has claimed to [...]
DC officer charged with money laundering
Jared Weinberg was arrested on Monday for involvement with a federal money laundering scheme out of Pennsylvania. Weinberg was arrested at his department’s fourth district station.
Weinberg had been employed in his department since February 2012, but his criminal charges predate his employment. A criminal complaint was filed accusing Weinberg of conspiring with a cocaine dealer in order to hide the proceeds of drug trafficking.
D.C. Council takes up truancy bill
The D.C. Council is taking up a bill that makes parents more accountable for their children if they miss too much school. Councilmember David Catania says the bill will provide a means to crack down on frequent school absences.
The bill was approved unanimously by the Council’s education committee, and it will come up to vote during the legislative meeting on Tuesday.
Sequester cuts cause National Mall decline
Spring and summer activities at the National Mall may not occur this year due to sequestration budget cuts. The Fourth of July fireworks will still be taking place, but the annual Sylvan Theatre concert has been canceled.
The National Arboretum will close to the public from Tuesday to Thursday starting on May 13th, and 10 percent of vacant maintenance jobs will not be filled anytime soon, possibly increasing the amount of trash in the area. The National Archives will also [...]
73-year-old woman rescued from Metro tracks
Metro officials say that a group of Metro riders rescued a 73-year-old woman who had fallen onto the subway tracks. The woman fell on Saturday at Dupont Circle station.
A Metro spokesperson said it is unclear how the woman fell onto the tracks, but she was rescued and taken to George Washington University Hospital with a non-life threatening head injury. The services of the train were not affected, as it was not in the immediate area.