Weather stalls RICO trial

March 27, 20091:23 p.m.

Weather interfered with the continuation of the federal racketeering trial against six accused Crips gang members this morning.

As sleet peppered the windows of the federal courthouse, U.S. District Judge J. Thomas Marten halted the trial and sent jurors home under the threat of more severe winter storms this afternoon.

Marten spent nearly 2 1/2 hours reading 89 pages of legal instructions, upon which jurors will base their deliberations.

With the storm expected to pass this weekend, Marten recessed the trial until 9 a.m. Monday for lawyers to present their closing arguments.

The charges stem from the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, known as RICO.

We will continue live courtroom updates Monday, via Twitter.

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Man accused of shooting Rosann Kapaun ruled competent to stand trial

Jan. 15, 200912:47 p.m.

Sedgwick County District Judge Ben Burgess this morning reinstated the case against Charles Cullum, who is accused of shooting Rosann Kapaun nearly two years ago.

Cullum’s case had been taken off the docket last spring for him to undergo a mental evaluation. Cullum returned to court this morning after being determined competent to understand the charges against him and assist in his defense.

Kapaun, 43, was the niece of the Rev. Emil Kapaun, the man for whom Kapaun Mount Carmel High School in Wichita is named. Police say she was abducted from her apartment in west Wichita on May 16, 2007. She was shot and killed the next day. Her body was found in the 1600 block of East 46th Street South.

In October, two co-defendants were sentenced for participating in the killings of Kapaun and Chad Clayton.

Clayton, 26, was shot during a robbery at a house in the 6700 block of West O’Neil, six days after Kapaun’s kidnapping. Steven Cornelius received a 24-year prison sentence and Eric Huerta is serving 31 years for second-degree murder, aggravated kidnapping and other charges.

Cullum’s trial is tentatively set for next month.

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Man authorities call Nazi accused of sex with runaway

Thursday7:38 p.m.

Update: Angel was found not guilty.

A local man prosecutors call a Nazi is set to stand trial next week, accused of taking in a runaway girl and having sex with her.

Harold Angel has pleaded not guilty to aggravated indecent liberties with a child and will take his case to a jury next week before Sedgwick County District Judge Greg Waller. Marc Bennett is prosecuting the case and Jama Mitchell is Angel’s public defender.

The trial begins with jury selection Monday.

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Repeat parole violator faces trial in dragging, beating of police

July 18, 20086:46 p.m.

RienerUpdated: The jury is set to get the case this afternoon.

A man set for trial next week had skipped out on his parole five days before police reported pulling him over in a traffic stop on June 27, 2007. Apparently to avoid detection, Scott Riener, 40, gave officers the name of his brother as his own, police said.

Problem was, Riener’s brother had a warrant for his arrest.

When confronted with his brothers’ warrant, police said Riener drove off, dragging an officer, who had reached into the car, about 50 feet. Another officer gave chase north on Broadway, then west on Morris before Riener’s car hit a curb. The officer chased Riener and became involved in a lengthy fight before finally arresting him. Police said both officers required treatment at a local hospital.

Riener, listed in prison records as 6 feet, 7 inches tall and weighing 230 pounds, has pleaded not guilty to aggravated battery of an officer. He had been on parole six times in the past 15 years. He’d stopped reporting to his parole officer four times.

Wichita lawyer Mark Schoenhofer, a candidate for district attorney, represents Riener. Deputy District Attorney Kevin O’Connor is prosecuting.

The trial began Monday before Judge Rebecca Pilshaw.

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Mommy, witness

March 6, 200810:42 a.m.

Prosecutors sometimes have trouble locating witnesses for a murder trial. But Elizabeth Munos not only showed up to testify in the trial of Eric Martinez, she did so just days after giving birth.

Munos had a baby on Saturday and took the stand on Tuesday to say that Martinez fired the shots that killed his uncle David Martinez and wounded his cousin Adrian Martinez last summer.

“We’ll try to make this quick, so you can get back to that baby,” prosecutor Shannon Wilson said as she began her questioning.

Update:  Wilson later said that Munos’ labor went so quick, she ended up giving birth in the restroom at Via Christi Medical Center/St. Joseph’s campus.  Father Angel Martinez helped deliver the couple’s fourth baby.

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