News Tag: Pittsburgh Post Gazette

DeAndre Brown was inside his Chevy Trailblazer at Kelly and North Lang streets in the city’s Homewood section just before 11 a.m. Sept. 16. The young man, who worked security for the Carnegie Library branch there, looked on in disbelief when at least five police officers swarmed his vehicle, pulled him from the SUV and handcuffed him.

A man who was convicted of causing more than $15,000 worth of damage during G20 protests in 2009 will restart his five years’ probation after pleading guilty to summary charges of obstructing roadways and disorderly conduct stemming from another protest last year.

Police arrested five people who they said blocked roadways and became disorderly during a rally Wednesday night in Bloomfield. One of those arrested was on probation after previously serving time for $15,000 in damage he caused in Oakland during the G-20 protests in 2009.

A G-20 protester convicted of breaking $15,000 worth of windows in Oakland was sentenced Tuesday to six to 18 months incarceration. David Japenga, 21, of Lawrenceville, told Allegheny County Common Pleas Judge Edward J. Borkowski that he’s had a lot of time to reflect on his actions, and recognizes now that they were inappropriate.

Beating a criminal charge in federal court is hard enough. But what about when the defendant is combative, mentally ill and very smart? That was the challenge for court-appointed defense attorney Douglas Sughrue over the past several months in representing the woman accused of participating in a 2003 bank robbery and fatal collar-bombing in Erie.

The man convicted of the 1997 killing of a popular chaplain who served two Pittsburgh universities will get a new trial. Kristopher Heggins, 30, of Highland Park, was found guilty of shooting the Rev. Salvatore “Sam” Brunsvold on Jan. 28, 1997. But the judge who heard the original case granted a new trial because she said his previous attorney allowed the jury to hear that Mr. Heggins had been charged with other crimes.

After three separate juries failed to convict Jerry Gaines on homicide charges, he pleaded guilty Tuesday to voluntary manslaughter.

At Abay, an ultra-hip eatery in East Liberty, pro-medical marijuana activists are recruiting and organizing new members over martinis. And in Harrisburg, some legislators are pushing for passage of a bill that would make Pennsylvania the 15th state to legalize medical marijuana — if New York and Maryland don’t beat them to it.

A man who caused more than $200,000 in damage as a member of a notorious graffiti crew pleaded guilty Thursday to vandalism charges.

A 21-year-old man was ordered to stand trial today on charges of smashing windows at three businesses in Oakland last week during G-20 protests.