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Yoselyn Ortega enters a New York courtroom Monday before sentencing in the 2012 stabbing deaths of two children.
Yoselyn Ortega enters a New York courtroom Monday before sentencing in the 2012 stabbing deaths of two children.

Nanny who killed 2 children sentenced

NEW YORK -- A once-trusted nanny who was convicted of brutally murdering two small children in her care while their parents were out was sentenced on Monday to life in prison without parole

Yoselyn Ortega wept as she apologized -- a rare show of emotion in a lengthy trial at which she was convicted of the gruesome October 2012 stabbing deaths of 6-year-old Lucia Krim, known as Lulu, and 2-year-old Leo Krim.

"Although many people wish me all the worst, my life is in the hands of God," the 55-year-old Ortega said.

Ortega, who's from the Dominican Republic, had been recommended by her sister, a nanny for another New York family, and her background and references were faked by her family.

After a seven-week trial, jurors grappled with whether Ortega had been too mentally ill to understand what she was doing when she killed the children.

Prosecutors argued that Ortega was jealous of the lifestyle of the mother, Marina Krim, and lashed out at her children.

Unnamed teens forbidden from NRA suit

A Florida judge has denied the National Rifle Association's request to have two 19-year-old gun enthusiasts anonymously join the group's lawsuit challenging new age requirements for gun purchases.

The NRA sued after the state's Republican-led Legislature raised the age for buying guns to 21 from 18 in response to the Feb. 14 massacre at a high school in Parkland, Fla. The NRA had sought to let the teenagers participate as "John Doe" and "Jane Doe" because NRA workers had received threats after the attack.

In a ruling Sunday in Tallahassee, U.S. District Judge Mark Walker said he "would not hesitate" to grant the NRA's request if it were only up to him. But federal courts in Florida are bound by an appeals court's precedent, the judge said, and can't allow anonymous parties except in exceptional circumstances.

"One need only look to the harassment suffered by some of the Parkland shooting survivors to appreciate the vitriol that has infected public discourse about the Second Amendment," the judge wrote. "And this court has no doubt that the harassment goes both ways."

The judge ordered the NRA to file an amended complaint without pseudonyms by May 21.

Oklahoma cuts fines for basic speeding

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A new law going into effect in Oklahoma in early August will cut the cost of a basic speeding ticket by more than half.

The law, which expires in November 2020, will reduce the cost of tickets issued for driving 1 to 10 mph over the speed limit from nearly $225 to $100.

"This legislation will provide a good trial period to see if these changes will result in more tickets, which should discourage motorists from speeding as well as generate revenue for the courts," Gov. Mary Fallin said last week.

Republican Sen. Anthony Sykes said he wrote the bill after hearing from constituents and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers about how unfair the cost is for slightly surpassing the speed limit. He said troopers told him they now write only two to three tickets out of every 15 motorists pulled over for going 1 to 10 miles per hour over the limit, while the rest get warnings.

Oklahoma officials predict the state will lose $2.6 million next year if the pace of ticket-writing stays the same.

ISIS-inspired shooter faces prison time

PHILADELPHIA -- A Pennsylvania man was sentenced Monday to nearly 50 years in prison for shooting a Philadelphia police officer in an Islamic State-inspired ambush in 2016.

Edward Archer did not visibly react as Common Pleas Judge Leon W. Tucker imposed the sentence of 48½ to 97 years -- the maximum allowed. As he had throughout his trial earlier this year, Archer refused to identify himself and mostly declined to respond to the judge or to his lawyers, saying he was loyal only to Allah.

Archer, of Yeadon, fired at least a dozen shots at officer Jesse Hartnett while the officer sat alone in his patrol car in West Philadelphia on Jan. 7, 2016. Hartnett was struck in the arm but managed to open his door with his feet and return fire as Archer ran away.

Archer was convicted of attempted murder, assault against a law enforcement officer and weapons charges.

Investigators found no links between Archer and any terror organization.

A Section on 05/15/2018

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