Alyssa Bustamonte in a 2009 photo, courtesy of the Cole County Sheriff's Department

Alyssa Bustamonte, 18, was sentenced today for the murder of a 9-year-old girl in which she strangled, cut, and stabbed the victim in order to “know what it felt like to kill someone.” Bustamonte gets life in prison with the possibility of parole, avoiding a straight life sentence in an adult prison.

Bustamonte committed the crime when she was 15 in her hometown of St. Martin, a rural town west of Jefferson City, Missouri. She confessed to prosecutors that she strangled her victim Elizabeth Olten, then repeatedly stabbed her in the chest before slicing her throat. Olten’s body was then buried in a shallow grave under a pile of leaves.

Her defense claimed that her depression and prescription of the drug Prozac made her more prone to violence. The prosecution argued that the murder was premeditated and cited the girl’s journal entries as evidence of unwarranted cruelty. “It was ahmazing (sic). As soon as you get over the ‘ohmygawd I can’t do this’ feeling, it’s pretty enjoyable,” read the journals, according to a handwriting expert, “I’m kinda nervous and shaky though right now. Kay, I gotta go to church now…lol.”

A Connecticut judge has sentenced Joshua Komisarjevsky, 31, to die today for the brutal murder of a mother and her two daughters during a home invasion in 2007. “This is a terrible sentence, but one you have written for yourself,” Judge Jon Blue told Komisarjevsky in New Haven Superior Court. “Your crime was one of unimaginable horror and sadness,” the judge said. “Your fate is now in the hands of others. May God have mercy on your soul.”

Jennifer Hawke-Petit, 48, was raped and died of strangulation. Her daughters died of smoke inhalation as the home was set afire. Hawke-Petit’s husband, Dr. William Petit Jr., was tied up and beaten, but escaped before their home went up in flames. “July 23, 2007, was my own personal holocaust,” Petit Jr. said. “Evil does live among us.”

Komisarjevsky targeted Hawke-Petit and her younger daughter at a grocery store and later went with Hayes to their home as the family slept, police said he confessed to investigators. He bashed Petit with a baseball bat, tied him up and ransacked the home.

Police caught Komisarjevsky and his accomplice, Steven Hayes, 48, as they tried to flee.

Komisarjevsky’s sentencing brought to 11 the number of men on the Connecticut’s death row, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.

Connecticut has executed only one person, in 2005, since the death penalty was reinstated in the United States in 1976, the center said.

Police booked Downing on charges of sexual battery and obscenity. He was videotaped Jan. 9 “placing his genitals on an LSU fan’s face. The LSU fan appears to be heavily inebriated and practically unconscious,” a police statement said.

Downing surrendered himself to police peacefully after meeting with his attorney in New Orleans. He was encouraged to give himself up because of his family connection to Russell County, Ala., Sheriff Heath Taylor, who earlier Thursday had said Downing was on his way from Alabama to New Orleans to surrender.

If you or anyone you know has been arrested, call Bloom Legal at 504-599-9997 for immediate help and a free case evaluation.

Police said the 56-year-old Allegheny County judge was confused and smelled of alcohol when he was stopped at 8:51 p.m. on Shady Drive West.

Randal Todd, 2001 photo

The criminal complaint says Todd responded that he was “just a little drunk” when Officer Matthew Mankamyer asked if he’d been drinking. Investigators said Todd then failed two field sobriety tests.

Administrative Common Pleas Judge Jeffery Manning said Todd was temporarily assigned to civil cases until his criminal case is resolved.

Defense attorney Bob Del Greco called the arrest “embarrassing” and said Todd could be a candidate for a first-time offender program.

If you or anyone you know have been arrested for DUI/DWI, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at 504-599-9997 or online at www.bloomlegal.com for a free case evaluation. We are proud to now serve clients at both our original Warehouse District and new Metairie locations!

Photo Courtesy of Zimbio.com

It finally looks like the 150-day NBA lockout will be coming to an end, after both owners and players tentatively agreed to a deal early Saturday morning that would split basketball-related income roughly 50/50 among both sides – and raises hopes for new Hornets ownership that is dedicated to keeping the franchise in New Orleans. The new revenue sharing model, which decreases the portion that players receive of so-called basketball-related income, or “BRI,” from 57 percent to between 49 to 51 percent, means that it is more attractive for a new owner to come forward and invest in the New Orleans franchise. If the deal is ratified, the season would start on Christmas day and would be reduced to 66 games as opposed to the regular 82.

Tulane sports law expert Gabe Feldman said the deal was not perfect for owners of smaller teams, citing that big-market teams would still be able to exploit loopholes to sign away top players, but was still an improvement because of increased revenue sharing and limits on bigger teams’ spending. “I think there’s no question [it helps the ownership search]. I think it makes it more attractive for all owners, but particularly an owner for the Hornets. I think, first of all, the fact that the lockout is now almost over and revenues will start coming in. And there is a system that does make it easier for a team like the Hornets to compete on and off the court,” said Feldman in an interview on Saturday.

However, even with light at the end of the tunnel, significant doubt remains over whether All-Star New Orleans’ point guard Chris Paul will remain with the Hornets. Ironically, under the new proposed CBA, which the NBA is heralding as a fairer approach to contract negotiation, a bigger market team like the New York Knicks could still leverage its larger cap room to attract a big-name player like Paul. Paul has said the new agreement hasn’t effected his decision of whether or not to remain in New Orleans. “I haven’t had an opportunity to do any of that,” he said. “Right now, I’m more worried about packing up so I can get back to the city.”

Domestic Violence is unfortunately a widespread phenomenon across the United States and causes serious problems and harm between members of the same household.

If you or someone you know has been a victim of or is charged with Domestic Violence, contact Bloom Legal 24/7 at 504-599-9997 or online at http://www.bloomlegal.com for a free case evaluation.

Photo Courtesy of hotcoffeethemovie.com

Hot Coffee producer-director Susan Saladoff also served as a civil lawyer for 25 years, representing individuals in all sorts of tort issues. The documentary is intended to raise awareness for what actually happens in the civil litigation and personal injury process and whether or not the courts are actually full of frivolous lawsuits.

Every year Americans discuss the issue of tort reform but it is often neglected how greatly this affects our civil liberties as well as the fact that the reality surrounding the civil litigation system is often greatly misunderstood.

The film’s namesake case, the high profile civil suit against McDonald’s filed on behalf of plaintiff Stella Liebick, is one of 4 examples used to illustrate and address misperceptions of the civil litigation field. Many people are unaware, for example, than Ms. Liebick tragically permanently lost all reproductive capacity from the notorious accident and that she also originally sued only to seek compensation for her medical expenses.

Tort reform is a contentious issue in modern America and Hot Coffe attempts to reconcile some of the many misperceptions surrounding the central issues of civil liberties, plaintiff’s rights, and personal injury lawsuits.

For more on Hot Coffee, visit the official movie page.

If you are interested in personal injury representation in the state of Louisiana, visit bloomlegal.com for more information.

Photo Courtesy of attractions.uptake.com

According to recent reports, Louisiana’s incarceration rate of 1 in 55 is the highest in the world. As a result, proponents of a reduction in incarceration have proposed a number of bills, some of which are designed to allow non-violent/non-sex offenders easier access to parole and speedier methods of finishing their court-imposed sentences.

In addition reducing the alarming rate of incarceration in the state, these bills are also expected to provide welcome relief to state taxpayers by reducing the number of inmates necessary to be housed, fed, and cared for by state correctional facilities.

Photo Courtesy of plos.org

Loughner, who is widely suspected of mental health issues based upon reports from sources close to him as well as apparently-deranged Youtube postings he created, may be deemed unfit to stand trial at this juncture. Contrary to what some believe, this does not mean that Loughner will no longer face felony murder charges or be released into the community.

When a defendant in a federal trial is determined unfit to stand trial, they are placed in the custody of a mental health institution and treated until they are fit to resume trial. Counter to popular belief, competency to stand trial only involves an individuals ability to accurately comprehended the circumstances surrounding the court proceedings at the current moment, and not at the time that the crime was committed.

If Loughner is eventually deemed fit to stand trial, it will be because it is determined that he is capable of assisting his attorneys in his defense and understands the charges against him. When the trial formally proceeds, Loughner’s attorneys will then be able to address the issue of whether or not he was insane at the time of the shooting.

For our second installment Attorney Seth Bloom, of Bloom Legal fields questions from internet users about having a new lawyer appointed to your case; dropping domestic violence charges out of court; and liability issues involved with underage drinking.

Questions answered this session:
“Can I request a new lawyer if I don’t think my case is being handled properly?”
“Can I drop Domestic Violence charges out of court?”
“Can I be held liable for underage drinking that takes place on my property?”

We look forward to reading and answering your questions each week and would like to invite you to submit them to us either via our LawQA profile or via the Contact Form on our website.

While we will not be able to answer all of the questions we receive, we will do our best to answer those which seem of most interest to our readers.

(It is important to note that the content of these videos is not intended to constitute actual legal advice, these are general commentaries on broad topics of law. If you need assistance with a specific legal question, you will need to hire an attorney. Bloom Legal is available 24/7 by phone at 504-599-9997 or online and we always offer a free consultation.)