Clerk: Judge John Roll 'greatly dedicated to his family,' 'family of his staff"

Group leader says 'God sent' Ariz. shooter
TUCSON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- The leader of a Kansas sect of self-proclaimed Baptists says "God sent" the man accused of shooting 20 people in Arizona, killing six of them. In a telephone interview with the New Times in Phoenix, Shirley Phelps-Roper, a leader of the Westboro Baptist Church in Topeka, said 22-year-old Jared Loughner acted on God's instructions. "God sent the shooter -- that guy's bat-[expletive] crazy -- but God sent him," she said. The congregation that publicizes Protests at U.S. s...

No explanation for why suspect's hearing was moved
More than two dozen reporters lined up outside a federal courtroom in downtown Phoenix Monday before a hearing for the man charged in Saturday's shooting rampage in Tucson. Cameramen and photographers were stationed on corners, but there were no Protesters. Jared Loughner (LAWF'-nuhr) is accused of killing six people and wounding 14 others, including Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. No official explanation has been given for why the court hearing was moved, and Court Records didn't offer an explanation....

Knights of Columbus Mourns Death of Judge John Roll in Arizona Shooting
The Knights of Columbus, a prominent Catholic group know for its pro-life work, is today mourning the death of one of the Victims of the Arizona shooting Saturday. In addition to the death of Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, Judge John Roll, who was nominated by former President George Bush, was killed along with four other people. Roll, who was the chief judge for the District of Arizona, was a Fourth Degree member of the Knights of Columbus, and was a charter member of a Knights council in ...

Michael McGown: John Roll: A Personal Memory
I still have John Roll's card in my old Rolodex, which dates back to 1979. I first met John when I was directing continuing legal education programs for the National College of District Attorneys, an organization that sponsored training seminars for prosecutors. John was one of several dozen lecturers who toured with me around the country; he gave talks on various topics related to the trial of criminal cases to young attorneys -- mostly recent Law School graduates who had joined the staff of ...

Judges Purpose in Seeing Giffords Could Be Legally Significant
Was U.S. District Court Judge John M. Roll just being sociable when he dropped by an appearance by Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) in Tucson on Saturday, or was he planning to discuss official business? Does it even matter, given the horror of that morning? Yes, it could matter, legally speaking. At first glance, Roll’s state of mind might appear irrelevant, given the tragedy that unfolded on Saturday morning, when Roll was shot dead and Giffords gravely wounded in a rampage that killed ...

Judge in Loughner hearing probably knew judge who was killed
Lawrence O. Anderson, the magistrate judge who will preside over Jared Loughner's initial court appearance Monday, is a Phoenix native who was appointed to his role in 1998 after eight years as a Superior Court judge in Maricopa County. He was a star athlete in college at the University of San Francisco who suffered a severe injury that left him without the use of his legs, said Alan P. Bayham Jr., president of the Arizona Bar Association. He administers his courtroom from a Wheelchair. Anderson...

Giffords shooting suspect held without bail
Jared Lee Loughner, the man accused of shooting Arizona Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D), was orderd to be held without bail by a Federal Judge on Monday. Judge Lawrence Anderson also set Loughner's preliminary hearing for Jan. 24 at 1:30 p.m. Arizona time. According to the Associated Press, Loughner appeared in a federal courtroom in Phoenix donning a tan inmate jumpsuit and a shaved head. Loughner, 22, is accused of killing six and wounding 14 in a Shooting Spree at a meet-and-greet for Giffor...

Arizona Shootings
Holder Statement on Shooting of Arizona Rep. Giffords, U.S. District Judge John Roll Click here to cancel reply. Track leadership changes in the 93 U.S. Attorney offices, with Bush holdovers and Obama Candidates. "That's been dealt with now." - Attorney General Eric Holder on the factors that slowed U.S. Attorney nominations....

Doctor: No change in Giffords' condition
WASHINGTON, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- The condition of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, shot in an attack at a Tucson political event, was unchanged Monday, and a doctor said that was positive news. "We're not out of the woods yet," said Dr. G. Michael Lemole, section chief of Neurosurgery at University Medical Center in Tucson. "At this phase in the game, no change is good and we have no change," Lemole said at a briefing on the condition of Giffords and others wounded in the Saturday shooting rampage outside o...

Arizona shooting suspect appears in court
PHOENIX, Jan. 10 (UPI) -- A federal magistrate in Phoenix Monday ordered the man accused of shooting Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., and 19 others during the weekend held without bond. Jared Loughner, dressed in a tan detention uniform and shackled, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Lawrence Anderson, who appointed federal public defender Judy Clark as Loughner's attorney, The Arizona Republic reported. Anderson ordered Loughner held without bond, the Arizona Daily Star reported. Loughner is acc...

Government and Violence
[I]t’s worth remembering that the government initiates violence against its own citizens every day in this country, citizens who pose no threat or harm to anyone else. The particular policy that leads to the sort of violence… is supported by nearly all of the politicians and pundits decrying anti-government Rhetoric on the news channels this morning. (It’s also supported by Sarah Palin, many Tea Party Leaders, and other figures on the right that politicians and pundits are sham...

Death of a nation
The tragic shootings in Arizona that left six people — including a child and a Federal Judge — dead and Congresswoman Gabriellle Giffords fighting for her life highlights on one one hand just how violence-pr0ne political debate and Rhetoric has become in our nation. On the other, it showcases the fine line between passion and violence. Political debate is no longer just that — debate. Debate has been replaced by shouting matches, punctuated by threats. Opponents become “t...

Jared Lee Loughner - defense by mug shot?
Is he trying for an insanity defense with this Mug Shot? Judy Clarke has been appointed Jared Lee Loughner's federal public defender. She previously defended the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski. (CNN): Jared Lee Loughner, the suspect accused of opening fire outside an Arizona Supermarket over the weekend, appeared calm and in control during his first court appearance Monday, but gave no indication as to how he would plead to the charges. The 22-year-old faces five federal counts connected to the Sa...

Jon Stewart delivers special message on Tucson shootings (Video)
Last night Jon Stewart cut away from his normal comedic routine to deliver a more serious message on the shootings in Tucson, Arizona over the weekend.  Six people were killed and fourteen more were injured in the shooting.  United States Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, who is currently recovering from a gunshot to the head, was the apparent target of the shooter.  As usual, Stewart brought a different perspective to a story which has come to be dominated by partisan “poli...

Accused gunman appears in court
Jared Lee Loughner appeared in a Phoenix Federal Court Monday afternoon to face a string of federal charges, including one count of attempted Assassination of Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.). Loughner entered the courtroom handcuffed and wearing a Prison uniform. His head is shaved and he had a cut on his right temple. Continue Reading Text Size - + reset As he entered the room, he looked at the crowd gathered there. His attorney whispered to him. Loughner is charged with one count of attem...

Neighbor: Loughner's parents in shock
TUCSON, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- The parents of a Tucson man accused of killing six people and wounding 14 others are in deep shock and have secluded themselves in their home, a neighbor said. Randy and Amy Loughner returned home from grocery shopping Saturday to learn their only child, Jared Lee Loughner, 22, had been arrested for the Shooting Spree at a political event for Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz., the Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday. Neighbor Wayne Smith told the newspaper he broke the new...

Thumbs-Up for Giffords, Loughner Appears in Court, DeLay Sentenced to Three Years, Father Coughlin to Retire, Arrest Made in Ben
THE OFFICIAL WORD: 'NO CHANGE IS GOOD' -- From the University of Arizona Medical Center: "G. Michael Lemole Jr., MD, a leading authority on skull base surgery and section chief of Neurosurgery at the UA Department of Surgery, who performed surgery on Rep. Giffords with Martin Weinand, MD, Professor of surgery in the Neurosurgery section, remains cautiously optimistic about Rep. Giffords’ recovery. 'At this time, no change is good, and we have no change,' Dr. Lemole said. Rep. Giffords...

James M. Gentile: The Leadership of Gabrielle Giffords
For many of us in Tucson, Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords was a cherished friend long before Saturday's stunning Assassination attempt made her a household name. Our prayers go out to her and to all of the shooting's survivors - for their speedy and full recoveries - and to the loved ones of those who perished. Words simply cannot express the sadness of such a devastating loss. The media coverage of the shootings has rightly highlighted "Gabby" Giffords' extraordinary personal traits: her co...

Gabrielle Giffords' Condition Unchanged, Feeling Pain, Doctor Says (VIDEO)
NEW YORK — One of the doctors treating Arizona U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords says there was no change in her condition overnight. Dr. Michael Lemole with the University of Arizona was interviewed Tuesday on NBC's "Today" show. When asked about swelling in her brain on the third day, which is when it often reaches its peak, Lemole said a CAT Scan early Tuesday showed no increase in swelling. But he cautioned that it can sometimes take longer for swelling to peak. Lemole said the fact that ...

Most Americans Reject Tie Between Political Rhetoric, Arizona Shootings
While the Arizona shootings have triggered a national debate about whether the vitriol in political Rhetoric has gone over the top, 57 percent of Americans do not believe the heated partisan tone of public debate had anything to do with the gun rampage in Tucson, according to a CBS News poll released Tuesday. The connection between the state of political discourse and the shootings that critically wounded Arizon Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, killed six and injured 13 others had perhaps been put most ...

Will Bunch: Arizona, Where the American Dream Went To Die
When I arrived in Arizona last March, my bones were still practically numb from the snowiest winter in the modern history of my native Northeast. There was radiant sunshine that made the Valley of the Sun feel like a warm soaking bath, bordered on my far horizon by New-Age red rocks and big sky -- natural beauty that inspired awe for me as it surely once did for so many new arrivals over so many decades. I didn't travel to Phoenix to witness beauty, unfortunately, but to get an up close look a...

Pawlenty separates from Palin on use of cross hairs (The Ticket)
Tim Pawlenty defended potential presidential opponent Sarah Palin over her PAC's use of gun-sight images to mark target districts in the 2010 election cycle, but he also distanced himself from her decision. "There's no indication at present that those cross hairs, Fox News, any particular commentator or show or set of remarks or person was a motivating factor in his thoughts,"  Pawlenty told the New York Times, referring to suspected Arizona gunman Jared Loughner. But Pawlenty went a step fur...

The gun consensus
Molly Ball and Shira Toeplitz write: A Bipartisan truce is in effect on Gun Control issues in Washington — a truce on the National Rifle Association’s terms. The NRA’s recognition of this is evident in the group’s response to the Arizona tragedy. It hasn’t bothered to mount a major Lobbying push to make sure lawmakers have their guns-don’t-kill-people talki...

Supreme Court observes moment of silence
The Supreme Court tweaked its schedule to make sure that its first oral argument on Monday ended precisely before the 11 a.m. moment of silence called by President Obama to honor the Victims of the Arizona shooting. All nine justices bent their heads and closed their eyes, and the packed courtroom fell silent until Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. said, "Thank you." "That senseless shooting on Saturday caused devastating injury to persons who all, in their own way, contribute to the strength of...

Jared Loughner Appears In Court, Giffords 'Still Fighting' (LIVE UPDATES)
PHOENIX — The nation got its first look on Monday at the 22-year-old loner accused of trying to assassinate Rep. Gabrielle Giffords. Jared Loughner, head shaved, a cut above the right temple and his hands cuffed, scanned a packed courtroom and sat down. His attorney, who defended Oklahoma City bomber Timothy Mcveigh and "Unabomber" Ted Kaczynski, whispered to him. (SCROLL DOWN FOR LIVE UPDATES) The judge asked Loughner if he understood that he could get life in Prison - or the death pen...