Coming Soon.

Looks like Judge George Greer is the recipient of another award of sorts.

Pinellas County has become known throughout the country as the home of judicial tyranny in the persona of probate court Judge Greer, death judge in the Terri Schiavo case.

CREEK COUNTY, OK---After deliberating about 5 ½ hours Thursday, the seven woman, five man jury returned a verdict of guilty in the trial of former district court judge Donald Thompson, charged with four felony counts of indecent exposure as a result of using a penis pump to masturbate while adjudicating trials.

WASHINGTON---"Jesse Jackson Exposed," detailing the intimidation and shakedown tactics of Jackson's so-called civil rights organization, the Rainbow Push Coalition, is the subject of a special report released by Judicial Watch, the public interest group that investigates and prosecutes corruption.

ALBANY---A major flood relief package that will provide crucial and timely assistance to thousands of residents affected by the recent devastating floods in the State Disaster Emergency declaration area which includes Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Montgomery, Oneida, Orange, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan, Tioga and Ulster counties has been announced by Gov. George E. Pataki.

BALTIMORE, MD---A laptop computer and the external hard drive containing sensitive electronic information concerning over 26 million veterans who served in the military and were discharged since 1975 has been recovered, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

ALBANY---Governor George E. Pataki has joined State and local officials on Long Island to sign legislation that will provide an additional $2.7 billion in STAR benefits directly to homeowners in New York State over the next three years. The legislation will provide direct rebate checks to New York homeowners later this year. This new property tax relief plan builds upon the existing STAR program to provide homeowners and seniors with significant reductions in school property taxes.

NEW YORK---It's the first thing you see on movie DVDs and tapes: the FBI anti-piracy warning that leaves little room for interpretation: "The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal."

WASHINGTON---Former Alabama Governor Don Eugene Siegelman and former HealthSouth Chief Executive Officer Richard Scrushy have been convicted of conspiracy, bribery and fraud following a jury trial in Montgomery, Ala.

WASHINGTON - Tenet Healthcare Corporation, operator of the nation's second largest hospital chain, has agreed to pay the United States more than $900 million for alleged unlawful billing practices.

PINELLAS COUNTY---Pornography and sexual perversion seems to have invaded the courtroom.

In Oklahoma, a district court judge is headed to prison after being convicted of four felony counts of indecent exposure for masturbating on the bench during trials.

Myra Christopher, along with many other bioethicists and medical and legal professionals, funded by billionaire donors who support assisted suicide and euthanasia via legislative and public policy change in the U.S., has been instrumental in the push towards legalizing assisted suicide and euthanasia on many fronts. The gains in legalization have largely been through educational programs directed toward the medical field and medical industry, the legal field, government, the media, and the clergy, which leads to policy changes.

OMAHA, NEB---The nun who was the former director of the Omaha Archdiocese's Family Life Office has turned herself into police after a warrant was issued for her arrest.

Are you losing interest in your health and appearance? Not getting enough sleep? Are you spending more time alone and getting less exercise? Not eating right?

It has come to my attention that emails have been sent out on various lists and forums relating to the Schiavo case which associate the name of The North Country Gazette and its publisher with Cheryl Ford, the matter involving nurse Carla Iyer and her allegations regarding Michael Schiavo. The North Country Gazette totally disavows any connection or association with Cheryl Ford and does not promote or endorse her book. An exclusive article concerning Cheryl Ford and the Schiavo case is underway and will be published in the Members Only section within the next week.

ALBANY---Gov. George E. Pataki declared a State Disaster Emergency for Oneida, Orange, Sullivan and Ulster counties on Thursday. He had previously declared Broome, Chenango, Cortland, Delaware, Herkimer, Montgomery, Otsego, Schoharie and Tioga counties as a State Disaster Emergency, bringing the total number of counties included in the Governor's declaration to 13.

ST. JOHNSBURY, VT---A Vermont teenager has been sentenced to serve between one and seven years in prison for breaking into a tomb and cutting off the head of a corpse in order to make the skull into a bong for smoking marijuana.

NASSAU COUNTY---An East Northport man has been charged with second degree grand larceny for fraudulently obtaining Medicaid payments for home repairs delivered to Medicaid recipients suffering from traumatic brain injuries and other disabilities.

BRISTOW, OK---The case of former District Court judge Donald Thompson has gone to the jury.

If convicted of the four felony counts of indecent exposure he is accused of for using a penis pump which presiding over proceedings including murder trials, Thompson could face a stiff sentence.

QUEENS---Three Astoria women claiming to be psychics have been charged with fortune telling following an investigation in which undercover officers posed as clients interested in obtaining readings. In one case, it is charged that the alleged psychic defrauded one of the officers of more than $1,000 by claiming to be able to perform exorcism rites to remove evil spirits.

QUEENS---A former member of Mensa, the high IQ society, has been sentenced to one to three years in prison for welfare fraud while engaging in a reign of terror against his ex-girlfriend.

ULSTER COUNTY---Severe mismanagement and inadequate oversight, as well as problems with design and with how contracts were written and enforced contributed to delays and to $12.9 million in unnecessary costs during the construction of the Ulster County Law Enforcement Center, according to a final audit released Wednesday by State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. State auditors found that the county's collective missteps significantly hindered its ability to effectively deal with problems as they developed and have left taxpayers with unnecessary costs.

ALBANY---The state Attorney General's office has obtained a consent judgment against a Long Island-based web site operator and his associates who ran a string of fraudulent internet operations.

WESTCHESTER COUNTY---A Westchester County middle school principal and a former secretary to the superintendent have each pleaded guilty to criminal charges stemming from false representations they made to illegally receive reimbursement from a benefit fund that the district maintained.

CLEARWATER, FLA--The Partnership for Medical Ethics Reform (www.forethics.com) applauds the response of California's Judiciary Committee for allowing the proposed California physician assisted suicide bill, Assembly Bill 651, to be blocked in Committee, following the strong objections of expert witnesses on June 20 and public objections on June 27.

LAKE GEORGE---As part of its continuing investigation into the capsizing of the Ethan Allen in Lake George last fall, the National Transportation Safety Board will open a public docket and release a series of factual reports on Friday at 11 am.

Has China somehow annexed the northern Ohio counties of Cuyahoga, Erie and Ottawa?

China's censorship polices omit politically sensitive information that might be retrieved during Internet searches such as details about the 1989 suppression of political unrest in Tiananmen Square.

I truly believe that this is a world governed by the aggressive use of force. I believe that the United States should do what is necessary to defeat its enemies. I also believe that, after 9/11, if there is a one percent chance that a nation or group is a threat then we treat them as if that threat is proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Having said that, though, I am questioning my view of war in the modern world.

ALBANY---Grants totaling more than $2 million to expand and improve New York's child care facilities have been announced by Gov. George Pataki. The 74 grants will enhance safety at existing child care facilities and create 404 new child care slots for New York's families.

MINEOLA---A Hempstead man has been arrested and charged with masterminding and executing a plan that allegedly defrauded hundreds of travelers out of tens of thousands of dollars.

NEW YORK---Backed by the mounting support of thousands of New Yorkers who have signed onto a request for investigation in the past two weeks, the New York Civil Liberties Union has again called upon Attorney General Eliot Spitzer and the Consumer Protection Board to investigate allegations that New York telephone service providers AT&T and Verizon have improperly shared customer telephone records with the National Security Agency.

WASHINGTON - The American Civil Liberties Union has welcomed the Senate Judiciary Committee's examination of President Bush's use of presidential "signing statements," noting that such statements are a tool the president uses to subvert his duty to uphold U.S. law.

WASHINGTON - The Supreme Court has decided to heed more than 30 years of precedent and reject a Vermont measure that would have allowed the state to impose expenditure limits on political campaigns.

WESTCHESTER---An Eastchester bookkeeper is facing up to 15 years in state prison, accused of stealing more than $380,000 from an elderly Scarsdale woman and her disabled daughter.

BERKLEY, MICH---It really is time to rein in the judges and to take away their black robes.

Most of them, particularly at the town and village courts where having passed the bar exam isn't a requisite, have no concept of the Bill of Rights and believe that the black robe gives them right to do whatever they chose.

The Supreme Court has reaffirmed a ruling first made in the landmark case of Powell v. Alabama in 1932 in which provides that a defendant has a Sixth Amendment right to the counsel of their choice in criminal cases.

ALBANY---The New York State Legislature has reached an agreement on "Timothy's Law", legislation that would provide parity in insurance coverage for mental illnesses. The agreement would require insurance companies to cover most mental illnesses and would require coverage for a broad range of mental illnesses and conditions specifically related to children. The bill has been sent to the Governor and it is expected the agreement will be acted on the next time the Legislature reconvenes.

When a nurse employed at Palm Garden of Largo Convalescent Center in Largo, gave an interview last March to CNN about the conduct of Michael Schiavo towards his ward and wife, she didn't expect that her nursing license would be placed in jeopardy or that her First Amendment rights would be violated.

When legal counsel for Gov. Jeb Bush asked Carla Iyer to give an affidavit to aid in the Governor's defense of Schiavo's lawsuit against him challenging the constitutionality of Terri's Law, she didn't expect retaliation by a state agency against her that would result in the revocation of her nursing license and single her out for speaking out against Michael Schiavo.

A few brave veterans.

As this legislative session expires, it is once again time to consider the impact of a few brave media veterans who have year after year taken on all-comers, no matter how powerful and influential, to make this a better safer State for all those who live here and come here to visit.

The "Missing Piece of the Puzzle" is an extremely good piece of journalistic reporting, and it's obvious you did plenty of homework to write this piece. You should be commended for the work to put this piece together. It is excellent!
http://www.northcountrygazette.org/articles/062406SchiavoPuzzle.html

ALBANY---A federal grand jury in Albany has returned a four count indictment against the wife of a former New York attorney who is serving a sentence in federal prison for stealing from the clients of his debt relief practice known as the Law Centers for Consumer Protection of Burlington, Vt.

GLOVERSVILLE---A long-time insurance agent has been indicted by a Fulton County Grand Jury on charges that he falsified records to show that customers had insurance policies when they didn't because he had allegedly failed to pay the premium money he collected to insurance companies.

BRISTOW, OK-When trial resumes Monday in the case of former District Court Judge Donald Thompson on four felony counts of indecent exposure from the bench, the judge's former court reporter is expected to testify that she saw the judge's penis "12 to 15" times during trials.

LINDENHURST---Dum de dum dum. The dragnet is out by Suffolk County police for the pet owner who endangered the public on Long Island, that's right, Long Island, with an alligator.

Slats Grobnik left Sam's Tavern about two months ago and hasn't been seen in public since. Slats dropped by his favorite tavern for a quick beer after being released from an extended 30 day stay at a Denver gulag at the request of the U.S. Gestapo.

Strangulation is defined as a form of asphyxia, lack of oxygen, characterized by closure of the blood vessels and/or air passages as a result of external pressure on the neck.

It is indisputable that at age 26, Terri Schindler Schiavo sustained brain damage as the result of a suspicious incident at her Florida home which occurred sometime during the evening of Feb. 24, 1990, or the early morning hours of Feb. 25, 1990, which resulted in the deprivation of oxygen to her brain for four to six minutes.

Doug Henning he's not.

Michael Schiavo is playing smoke and mirrors, creating illusions, trying to make it appear that he's telling the truth when he's trying to divert the overwhelming suspicion away from himself.

Does the Florida Attorney General's office investigate fraud on the consumers of the state?

If so, their primary focus should be Charlie Crist.

His advertising for his gubernatorial campaign is an affront to the people of Florida and is pure fiction and hyperbole.

On his website he claims that he has been a champion for ensuring that government meets its primary obligation: to protect life and domestic tranquility.

Charlie Crist flipflops on the issues like the palm trees sway, whichever way the wind is blowing.

MIAMI - Seven Florida men have been arrested on charges that include conspiring to provide material support to the al Qaeda terrorist organization and conspiracy to levy war against the United States by discussing and planning attacks on targets in the United States, including the Sears Tower in Chicago and the FBI building and other federal buildings in Florida.

RENO, NEV---A prominent Las Vegas businessman wanted for questioning in the murder of his estranged wife and shooting of a Reno Family Court judge surrendered to Mexican Immigration authorities without incident in the lobby of a hotel in Puerta Vallarta, Mexico early Friday.

MINEOLA---Charges have been filed against 16 defendants accused of stealing in excess of $209,000 from the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

WHITE PLAINS---The Nassau County legislator who sued Google, claiming that the Internet giant was "obscenely" profiting from child pornography has dropped his lawsuit.

BRISTOW, OK---A gag order has been issued on all officers of the court including clerks, attorneys, witnesses and jurors as the penis pump trial of former District Court judge Donald Thompson became more graphic and bizarre.

ROCHESTER-The cop who was supposed to stopping cyber crime was instead using his position to spy on his neighbor.

ALBANY---The New York State Senate has given final legislative passage to legislation that would prohibit mentally ill inmates from being placed in solitary confinement "special housing units" and would establish residential treatment program for these inmates.

ALBANY-- Jessica's Law, which would impose tougher penalties on those who commit sexual crimes against children, further strengthening New York's sexual assault, has been passed by the state Senate.

SANDUSKY, OHIO--It is well established that a criminal defendant has an absolute constitutional right to counsel at trial.

Chalk up another violation of the rights of judicial whistleblower Elsebeth Baumgartner of Oak Harbor in the northern courts of Ohio.

SCHENECTADY-- Beginning Monday, June 26, radio listeners in the Northeast will be able to hear the Rollye James show weeknights from 10 p.m. to l a.m. on WGY radio, 810 AM.

STEUBEN COUNTY---The state Attorney General's office has filed a lawsuit against a former public official in Steuben County who used his public service position to attract business to his privately-owned contracting company.

MAHOPAC---A Mahopac man has been indicted for illegally operating a landfill on the grounds of the Eastchester Middle School/High School.

TALLAHASSEE---The annual Top 10 Fraud List summarizing 10 of the costliest or boldest securities, financial and insurance fraud scams investigated by the Florida's Department of Financial Services' Division of Insurance Fraud (DIF) and resulting in convictions in the fiscal year that began July 1, 2005, and ends June 30. These 10 cases represent nearly $15 million in fraud.

The current flap involving Wiccans in the military is a conflict that should never have happened. But years of foot-dragging by the Department of Veterans Affairs has turned an easy case into a major controversy complete with charges of discrimination and threats of lawsuits.

SCHENECTADY---The handicapped woman who reported a Niskayuna doctor for allegedly taking prescription medications from his patients and allegedly selling them on the black market was set on fire in her wheelchair Saturday night by an unknown assailant.

LAKE GEORGE---More legislation which has evolved as the result of the capsizing of the tour boat Ethan Allen last fall on Lake George has been approved by the state Senate and sent to the Assembly.

ALBANY---The state Assembly will take up a 12-bill package aimed at encouraging greater organ donation participation in New York State. Joined at a Capitol news conference by a bipartisan group of key legislators who are sponsoring bills in the package, as well as numerous advocates, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver stressed the importance of raising public awareness in order to increase the rate of organ donation in New York State.

ALBANY---Get caught stealing a pack of gum at the local convenience store and you'll be required to submit DNA samples to the state's DNA databank under proposals approved by the Legislature and sent to the Governor.

NEW YORK CITY---A probation officer has been charged with stealing 22 days of paid leave and submitting 12 fraudulent military leave notes to the New York City Department of Probation.

STATEN ISLAND---A paramedic employed by the New York City Fire Department Emergency Medical Service has been arrested for submitting eight forged medical notes to the FDNY to excuse her absences from work.

NEW YORK CITY---A senior supervisor with the financial services department of the NYC Administration of Children's Services and another individual have been charged with defrauding the agency of over $65,000 in funds that were intended for the care of foster children.

ALBANY---The state Senate has passed what is being hailed as major property tax reform legislation that could result in the complete elimination of residential school property taxes in school districts that vote to phase out property taxes over five years, with revenue replaced with additional State funding.

ALBANY---Significantly more information about dangerous sex offenders would be provided to concerned parents and members of the community under a bill passed by the Senate and sent to the Assembly.

QUEENSBURY---The Queensbury Town Court continues to be the venue for favorable dispositions of cases involving public officers and officials in Warren County.

WASHINGTON COUNTY--Citing his concern that allegations that he was in violation of the federal Hatch Act would be disruptive to his campaign, Washington County attorney Roger Wickes has abandoned his quest to become the next Washington County Court judge.

ROCHESTER---The Town of Gates in Monroe County went from a $1.7 million surplus in 2000 to a $2.8 million deficit in 2005, a decrease of $4.5 million, because of poor fiscal management and budgeting, including adopting unrealistic budgets, and lax oversight by the town board, according to an audit released Wednesday by State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. The 2000-2005 deficit of $2.8 million does not include an additional projected shortfall of more than $1 million in 2006.

NEWBURGH---An Orange County automobile dealer who allegedly filed false documents with the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles has been indicted. These documents resulted in the improper issuance of titles for 19 vehicles that had been previously salvaged or abandoned, according to the state Attorney's office.

ALBANY---New York State has reached a settlement of the State's natural resource damage claim for Lake Ontario and its tributaries. Occidental Chemical Corporation has agreed to pay the State $12 million in five equal payments over four years, which will be used to support projects to improve the area's recreational fishing.

ALBANY---The state Attorney General's office has filed a lawsuit against a debt collection company alleged to have engaged in illegal and abusive practices to coerce payment on time-barred or unverified debts.

SUFFOLK COUNTY--A state comptroller's examination of the Wyandanch school district found lax internal controls, improper contract procedures, and poor oversight over district assets, including computers, according to an audit released Wednesday by State Comptroller Alan G. Hevesi. The district has agreed to implement changes in response to the audit.

BRISTOW, OK---Former district court judge Donald Thompson, on trial on four felony counts of indecent exposure, had not only not one but two penis pumps on hand in his courtroom according to court testimony.

ALBANY---Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Democratic gubernatorial candidate, says that the bill the state legislature is poised to pass this week dealing with Medicaid reform doesn't adequately address the issue.

FAIRFIELD, CONN---Lewis the attack cat, aka the Terrorist of Sunset Circle, has been given a stay of execution.

SANDUSKY, OHIO--It is well established that a criminal defendant has an absolute constitutional right to counsel at trial. Chalk up another violation of the rights of judicial whistleblower Elsebeth Baumgartner of Oak Harbor in the northern courts of Ohio.

When a nurse employed at Palm Garden of Largo Convalescent Center in Largo, gave an interview last March to CNN about the conduct of Michael Schiavo towards his ward and wife, she didn't expect that her nursing license would be placed in jeopardy or that her First Amendment rights would be violated.

When legal counsel for Gov. Jeb Bush asked her to give an affidavit to aid in the Governor's defense of Schiavo's lawsuit against him challenging the constitutionality of Terri's Law, she didn't expect retaliation by a state agency against her that would result in the revocation of her nursing license and single her out for speaking out against Michael Schiavo.

ARLINGTON, VA---Wonder whether the threat of eminent domain abuse has grown worse since the U.S. Supreme Court's Kelo ruling one year ago this week?

While we focus on relatively trivial scandals such as Ada Smith, Cynthia Mc Kinney, William 'Dollar Bill' Jefferson, Randy 'Duke' Cunningham and Patrick Kennedy, the corruption of Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver (D-Manhattan) is censored by most of the news media.

CUYAHOGA COUNTY, OHIO----The county becoming known nationwide for its judicial tyranny in the free speech case of disbarred attorney Elsebeth Baumgartner has another notch in its belt.

CREEK COUNTY, OK-A key witness in the case of the judge accused of masturbating on the bench has disappeared.

CLEARWATER, FLA---Group sex apparently isn't her thing.

ST. BONAVENTURE-Mary Labyak, chief executive officer of Hospice of the Florida Suncoast of Largo, Fla., will be the keynote speaker Tuesday at a day-long inaugural conference on end-of-life issues, "Grace At The End of Life", hosted by the Bogoni Center at St. Bonaventure University.

OCOEE, FLA---She's three years old, has big floppy ears , a wet nose and only weighs 17 pounds.

But she saved the life of her best friend.

ALBANY---The New York State Senate has passed legislation to crack down on drunk driving by increasing the penalties for DWI offenders with extremely high blood alcohol content (BAC), ensuring that repeat DWI offenders are kept off the road, and increasing the penalties for drunk drivers who kill others. The bill reflects an agreement with the State Assembly.

ALBANY---In the closing days of session for the New York State Legislature, State Senators John Sabini and Liz Krueger have voiced strong opposition to a bill (S.8160) that amends transportation law, expanding the use of State Multi-Modal Capital funding to pay for operating expenditures, including pruning trees along public routes.

ALBANY---The co-director of the Albany Chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) has had his $5 million lawsuit against the Albany Roman Catholic Diocese and Bishop Howard Hubbard dismissed.

What's up with U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony M. Kennedy?

The rights of a black convicted cop killer have more meaning than the rights of an innocent disabled woman?

BROADVIEW HEIGHTS, OHIO---You've heard the expression "look what the cat dragged in?"

Mary Blake, 75, of suburban Cleveland wasn't prepared for what her border collie Buddy brought home.

NEW YORK - Sweeping new restrictions on lawyer advertising will be enacted in New York to safeguard consumers from potentially misleading advertising and overly aggressive or inappropriate solicitation for legal services. Revisions to the Lawyer's Code of Professional Conduct were approved for public comment this week by the four Presiding Justices of the Appellate Division: Hon. John T. Buckley, of the Appellate Division, First Department; Hon. A Gail Prudenti, Second Department; Hon. Anthony V. Cardona, Third Department; and Eugene F. Pigott, Jr., Fourth Department.

There's an extremely troubling pattern emerging in the northern New York. Well, actually, maybe it's all over New York but it's become very blatant in Warren, Washington and Essex Counties.

NEW YORK---A stolen revolver once owned by former President Theodore Roosevelt has been recovered and returned, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The revolver is a .38 Colt double-action, six-shot revolver believed to have been carried by then Colonel Theodore Roosevelt up San Juan Hill as the regimental leader of the Rough Riders.

CREEK COUNTY, OKLA---The trial of penis pump judge Donald Thompson is waiting for a decision by the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals on the constitutionality of the state property law under which Thompson has been charged for alleged misuse of a state computer.

TAMPA, FLA---A female police officer's complaint of sexual harassment has led to the firing of two Tampa police officers and the reprimand of several high ranking officers.

Is there something unclear about this notice?

QUEENSBURY-In an unanimous decision, the Court of Appeals has ruled against Denis and Paul Przybylo, a Queensbury couple who were seeking to overturn decisions in Warren County Court and the Appellate Division which had awarded a portion of their land to their neighbor under the state's adverse possession laws.

Under new legislation being proposed by Gov. George E. Pataki, the New York State Penal Law would be amended to ensure that those who commit a violent felony offense or a drug felony offense while in possession of a firearm, are sentenced to an additional and mandatory consecutive sentence.

There seems to be an overriding bid to subdue the news that the press prints. Over the last few years it has become more evident. When a reporter wishes not to identify his informant, the reporter should not be forced to do so or go to jail for refusing. This what the press is all about--Truth. If reporters begin to identify their sources, no one would want to bring about the information necessary to keep justice in its' tracks. That is what the First Amendment is all about--Truth.

ALBANY---The state Senate has approved and passed legislation to the Assembly that would expand the number of factors courts consider when they are setting bail for a defendant in order to better protect crime victims and communities.

ST. LOUIS---A woman who allegedly beat a dog breeder on the head about 30 times with a dead Chihuahua is facing two misdemeanor charges.

MILTON, FLA---A young man who was watching a basketball game on TV in his bedroom was killed Thursday night when a car being pursued by police crashed through the roof of his home.

WASHINGTON--- Representative John E. Sweeney (R-Clifton Park) is co-sponsoring the bipartisan Free Flow of Information Act (H.R. 3323), designed to protect reporters and their confidential sources who provide the public with information they have a right to know about.

SAN DIEGO---In a criminal indictment unsealed earlier this week, attorney Michael Robert Suverkrubbe,44, formerly a criminal investigator with the Internal Revenue Service, and Wendy Lee Hixson, 53, have been charged with one count of conspiracy, three counts of mail fraud, five counts of wire fraud, two counts of bank fraud, one count of credit card fraud, and 11 counts of money laundering, all arising from their participation in an alleged scheme to defraud clients of Suverkrubbe's law firm and two federally-insured financial institutions.

UTICA---A Utica man has been charged with the rape of an elderly Rome nursing home resident in May of this year.

ALBANY---Persons who make a swastika on public property or on a private building without the owner's permission or for burning a cross in public view will be subject to a Class E felony under legislation signed into law by Gov. George Pataki. The swastika was the adopted symbol of the barbarous Nazi regime, which murdered millions of innocent civilians, and sought to exterminate the Jewish people. Under its banner, six million Jews were slaughtered, including millions at such infamous and inhumane concentration camps as Auschwitz, Bergen-Belsen and Treblinka. Hate groups seeking to inflict fear in Jewish communities have been known to desecrate synagogues and cemeteries with swastikas.

ALBANY---Delivering a strong call for dramatic governmental and campaign reforms, Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has announced that he is introducing legislation to ban gifts to public officials from lobbyists; further restrict the ability of former legislative employees to lobby and direct the state Board of Elections (BOE) to promulgate regulations prohibiting the personal use of campaign funds. The measure would complement a bill repeatedly passed by the Assembly to create optional public financing for campaigns.

ALBANY---A four-bill legislative package, approved with bipartisan support, aimed