OKLAHOMA CITY —Oklahoma City Police have made a second arrest in the New Year's Day shooting that left a Fort Hays State University student-athlete dead.

Destiny Denise Adams, 21, was taken into custody Jan. 18 by the Oklahoma City Police Department on suspicion of accessory to murder after the fact.

According to the probable cause affidavit, Adams acted as the getaway driver from the scene of the shooting that left&nbsp;Daniel Howard, 20, fatally injured and five others with gunshot wounds.

Adams is also accused of washing the clothes of the other man arrested so far in the case —<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/05160483-7329-462a-a0c9-eaf914d6c353"> J'Coal Glover, 30, who was arrested Jan. 7 on suspicion of first-degree murder.</a>

"These efforts demonstrated an attempt to prevent J'Coal from being arrested or punished as a result of this homicide," according to the affidavit.

Howard played two years at Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M before transferring to FHSU in the spring of 2022. Howard, a defensive back, played in all 11 games last season.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674492404051.jpeg" alt="Adams / Oklahoma County Detention Center" />
 <figcaption>Adams / Oklahoma County Detention Center</figcaption>
 </figure>OKLAHOMA CITY —Oklahoma City Police have made a second arrest in the New Year's Day shooting that left a Fort Hays State University student-athlete dead.Destiny Denise Adams, 21, was taken into custody Jan. 18 by the Oklahoma City Police Department on suspicion of accessory to murder after the fact.According to the probable cause affidavit, Adams acted as the getaway driver from the scene of the shooting that left&nbsp;Daniel Howard, 20, fatally injured and five others with gunshot wounds.Adams is also accused of washing the clothes of the other man arrested so far in the case —<a href="https://hayspost.com/posts/05160483-7329-462a-a0c9-eaf914d6c353"> J'Coal Glover, 30, who was arrested Jan. 7 on suspicion of first-degree murder.</a>"These efforts demonstrated an attempt to prevent J'Coal from being arrested or punished as a result of this homicide," according to the affidavit.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673372993423.jpeg" alt="Glover / Oklahoma County Detention Center" />
 <figcaption>Glover / Oklahoma County Detention Center</figcaption>
 </figure>Howard played two years at Northeastern Oklahoma A&amp;M before transferring to FHSU in the spring of 2022. Howard, a defensive back, played in all 11 games last season.

Police make 2nd arrest in shooting that killed FHSU player

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law. Bonds have been posted.

Bonds were posted. Photos were unavailable.

Dominique Patrick, Domestic battery, Arrested 1/18

Alexandria Eisenhauer, DUI-liquor / drugs, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana, Arrested 1/18

Matthew Harley, Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs; misdemeanor, Unsafe turning or stopping; failure to give proper signal, Possession of controlled substance, Use / possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Obstruction or impeding of lawful activities, Arrested 1/18

Jessie Kopietz, Failure to appear ( 2 counts ), Arrested 1/19

Asia Channel-Foster, Cancelled / suspended / revoked driver's license, Exceeding posted speed limit, No proof of insurance, Arrested 1/20

Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law. Bonds have been posted.Bonds were posted. Photos were unavailable.Dominique Patrick, Domestic battery, Arrested 1/18Alexandria Eisenhauer, DUI-liquor / drugs, Possession of drug paraphernalia, Possession of marijuana, Arrested 1/18Matthew Harley, Driving under influence of alcohol or drugs; misdemeanor, Unsafe turning or stopping; failure to give proper signal, Possession of controlled substance, Use / possess with intent to use drug paraphernalia into human body, Obstruction or impeding of lawful activities, Arrested 1/18Jessie Kopietz, Failure to appear ( 2 counts ), Arrested 1/19Asia Channel-Foster, Cancelled / suspended / revoked driver's license, Exceeding posted speed limit, No proof of insurance, Arrested 1/20Recent Booking Activity for the Geary County Detention Center. All persons included in this post are innocent of crimes until proven guilty in a court of law. Bonds have been posted.

Geary County Booking Report Jan. 19-20

SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged theft and have made an arrest.

On January 3, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the Helping Hands Humane Society, 5720 SW 21st Street in Topeka, in reference to a theft, according to a media release. A woman reportedly had her purse stolen at the business.

Officers were able to identify the suspect as 38-year-old Dustin J. Spooner, of Topeka, through video surveillance.

On January 17, police located Spooner near the area of SW 21st Street and

Western Avenue in Topeka. Spooner was arrested and later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Burglary, Theft and a Parole violation

Police thanked Helping Hands Humane Society for their quick response and assistance in this investigation. Because of their ability to share video evidence of the suspect, officers were able to locate and arrest him. 

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674059321205.png" alt="Spooner-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Spooner-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged theft and have made an arrest.On January 3, police&nbsp;were dispatched to the Helping Hands Humane Society, 5720 SW 21st Street in Topeka, in reference to a theft, according to a media release. A woman reportedly had her purse stolen at the business.Officers were able to identify the suspect as 38-year-old Dustin J. Spooner, of Topeka, through video surveillance.On January 17, police located Spooner near the area of SW 21st Street andWestern Avenue in Topeka. Spooner was arrested and later booked into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Burglary, Theft and a Parole violationPolice thanked Helping Hands Humane Society for their quick response and assistance in this investigation. Because of their ability to share video evidence of the suspect, officers were able to locate and arrest him.

Video surveillance helps police catch Kansas purse thief

SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a Kansas house fire that killed two girls and a woman have made an arrest.

Just 5:00 a.m. Friday, crews responded to the report of house fire at 916 SW Warren Avenue in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.

First responding crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house. Crews entered, searched the home and found four individuals.&nbsp;An adult and child were pronounced deceased on the scene.

Fire crews rescued an adult and a juvenile from the home and firefighters began immediate life-saving treatment.&nbsp; American Medical Response (AMR) transported both including 32-year-old Kyle Tyler to a local hospital. The child later died at the hospital, according to Nichols.

The cause of the fire has been determined by Topeka Fire investigators as intentionally set. The incident is being investigated by police as a homicide. The incident is domestic in nature, according to Nichols.

The deceased individuals have been identified&nbsp; as 30-year-old Genny L. Fitzpatrick, 9-year-old&nbsp; Peyton L. Tyler and 1-year-old Kourtney K. Tyler, all of Topeka.

&nbsp;Kyle J. Tyler, 32, of Holton, was released from the hospital Saturday, and transported to the Law Enforcement Center to be interviewed. Police arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree; In the commission of a felony, Aggravated Arson and Aggravated Child Endangerment.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674225989378.png" alt="First responding crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house.-photo courtesy WIBW TV" />
 <figcaption>First responding crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house.-photo courtesy WIBW TV</figcaption>
 </figure>SHAWNEE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities investigating a Kansas house fire that killed two girls and a woman have made an arrest.Just 5:00 a.m. Friday, crews responded to the report of house fire at 916 SW Warren Avenue in Topeka, according to fire department spokesperson Rosie Nichols.First responding crews found heavy smoke and flames coming from the two-story house. Crews entered, searched the home and found four individuals.&nbsp;An adult and child were pronounced deceased on the scene.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674361780426.png" alt="Tyler-photo Shawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Tyler-photo Shawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>Fire crews rescued an adult and a juvenile from the home and firefighters began immediate life-saving treatment.&nbsp; American Medical Response (AMR) transported both including 32-year-old Kyle Tyler to a local hospital. The child later died at the hospital, according to Nichols.The cause of the fire has been determined by Topeka Fire investigators as intentionally set. The incident is being investigated by police as a homicide. The incident is domestic in nature, according to Nichols.The deceased individuals have been identified&nbsp; as 30-year-old Genny L. Fitzpatrick, 9-year-old&nbsp; Peyton L. Tyler and 1-year-old Kourtney K. Tyler, all of Topeka.&nbsp;Kyle J. Tyler, 32, of Holton, was released from the hospital Saturday, and transported to the Law Enforcement Center to be interviewed. Police arrested and booked him into the Shawnee County Department of Corrections on requested charges of Murder in the 1st degree; In the commission of a felony, Aggravated Arson and Aggravated Child Endangerment.

Murder arrest after two girls, woman die in Kansas house fire

KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces multiple felony counts in connection with the July 2022, shootings in the Westport entertainment district that killed Cardell Crawford, and injured others, according Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

Lavont A. Carter, 21, faces Murder 2nd Degree, three counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Assault 2nd Degree and six counts of Armed Criminal Action.

According to court records, on July 10, 2022, a large crowd of individuals were involved in a altercation inside and outside the Westport Ale House. Video surveillance cameras from the area showed police that the defendant outside the location is seen raising his arm in a shooting position. 

Video also shows victims reacting or limping or falling to the floor. Spent shell casings were found at the scene Six total victims were wounded by gunfire. The defendant is shown on video leaving the scene in a vehicle.

The defendant was charged in November 2022, but charging documents were placed under seal until he could be taken into custody. That occurred this week..

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1585864481699.png" alt="Lavont Carter-photo&nbsp; from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co." />
 <figcaption>Lavont Carter-photo&nbsp; from an earlier arrest in Wyandotte Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY —A Kansas City man faces multiple felony counts in connection with the July 2022, shootings in the Westport entertainment district that killed Cardell Crawford, and injured others, according Jackson County Prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.Lavont A. Carter, 21, faces Murder 2nd Degree, three counts of Unlawful Use of a Weapon, two counts of Assault 2nd Degree and six counts of Armed Criminal Action.According to court records, on July 10, 2022, a large crowd of individuals were involved in a altercation inside and outside the Westport Ale House. Video surveillance cameras from the area showed police that the defendant outside the location is seen raising his arm in a shooting position. Video also shows victims reacting or limping or falling to the floor. Spent shell casings were found at the scene Six total victims were wounded by gunfire. The defendant is shown on video leaving the scene in a vehicle.The defendant was charged in November 2022, but charging documents were placed under seal until he could be taken into custody. That occurred this week..

Video shows man flee fatal shooting in KC entertainment district

JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.

Just before 2a.m. Wednesday, a sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1999 Lincoln Town Car on 150th Road west of U.S. 75 Highway for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse.

 During the traffic stop, deputies found illegal drug contraband and arrested the front seat passenger identified as Lashonda Pattillo, 31, of Topeka. 

 Pattillo was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674092903067.png" alt="Patillo-photo Jackson Co." />
 <figcaption>Patillo-photo Jackson Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>JACKSON COUNTY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug allegations.Just before 2a.m. Wednesday, a sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop on a 1999 Lincoln Town Car on 150th Road west of U.S. 75 Highway for a traffic infraction, according to Sheriff Tim Morse. During the traffic stop, deputies found illegal drug contraband and arrested the front seat passenger identified as Lashonda Pattillo, 31, of Topeka. Pattillo was booked into the Jackson County Jail on requested charges of possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia.

Kan. traffic stop: Front seat passenger caught with meth 

OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp;

Just after 11:30p.m. January, 18, aSheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop at 5th and Pine in Quenemo for a traffic violation, according Sheriff Chris Wells.

 During the stop, the vehicle fled. A pursuit was initiated, ending at a residence in Pomona, Kansas.

The driver, James K. Thomas, 62, of Pomona, was taken into custody by Osage and Franklin County Deputies and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Flee/elude law enforcement by engaging in reckless driving, Possession of methamphetamine, Aggravated assault on law enforcement; use of a deadly weapon, Transporting an open container and, Expired registration

The Osage County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol in making the arrest.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674164633801.png" alt="Thomas-photo Osage Co." />
 <figcaption>Thomas-photo Osage Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>OSAGE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating&nbsp;Just after 11:30p.m. January, 18, aSheriff’s Deputy conducted a traffic stop at 5th and Pine in Quenemo for a traffic violation, according Sheriff Chris Wells. During the stop, the vehicle fled. A pursuit was initiated, ending at a residence in Pomona, Kansas.The driver, James K. Thomas, 62, of Pomona, was taken into custody by Osage and Franklin County Deputies and transported to the Osage County Jail Facility on requested charges of&nbsp; Flee/elude law enforcement by engaging in reckless driving, Possession of methamphetamine, Aggravated assault on law enforcement; use of a deadly weapon, Transporting an open container and, Expired registrationThe Osage County Sheriff’s Office was assisted by the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office and the Kansas Highway Patrol in making the arrest.

Kansas man allegedly assaulted officer during arrest

By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina Post

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug and child endangerment allegations after an incident in south Salina early Wednesday afternoon.

Just after 12:30p.m., a witness called in to report that a black SUV was driving erratically in the 2000 block of S. Ninth Street in Salina, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester. The witness also said that the SUV had stopped in traffic and had hit a curb.

Another witness reported that the still-running SUV was stopped in a parking lot in the 2400 block of S. Ninth Street and that the driver appeared to be passed out.

Officers made contact with the driver, identified as Emma Allen, 22, of Salina, and located a two-year-old boy in the back seat in a child safety seat.&nbsp; Allen had difficulty communicating with officers.

After an onsite DUI investigation, it was determined that Allen possibly was under the influence of methamphetamine, Forrester said. She was taken to the Salina Police Department for further testing. While there, Allen left the temporary detention room to use the restroom. Forrester said that while Allen was in the restroom, officers found in the temporary detention room a pouch containing what was believed to be methamphetamine. After Allen exited the restroom, officers located two discarded straws in the restroom, he added.

Allen was arrested on requested charges of Driving under the influence, Driving without a license, Child endangerment, Possession of a stimulant, Possession of drug paraphernalia and a parking violation.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674137350834.jpeg" alt="Emma Allen photo&nbsp;Saline County Sheriff's Office" />
 <figcaption>Emma Allen photo&nbsp;Saline County Sheriff's Office</figcaption>
 </figure>By LESLIE EIKLEBERRY Salina PostSALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas woman on drug and child endangerment allegations after an incident in south Salina early Wednesday afternoon.Just after 12:30p.m., a witness called in to report that a black SUV was driving erratically in the 2000 block of S. Ninth Street in Salina, according to Police Captain Paul Forrester. The witness also said that the SUV had stopped in traffic and had hit a curb.Another witness reported that the still-running SUV was stopped in a parking lot in the 2400 block of S. Ninth Street and that the driver appeared to be passed out.Officers made contact with the driver, identified as Emma Allen, 22, of Salina, and located a two-year-old boy in the back seat in a child safety seat.&nbsp; Allen had difficulty communicating with officers.After an onsite DUI investigation, it was determined that Allen possibly was under the influence of methamphetamine, Forrester said. She was taken to the Salina Police Department for further testing. While there, Allen left the temporary detention room to use the restroom. Forrester said that while Allen was in the restroom, officers found in the temporary detention room a pouch containing what was believed to be methamphetamine. After Allen exited the restroom, officers located two discarded straws in the restroom, he added.Allen was arrested on requested charges of Driving under the influence, Driving without a license, Child endangerment, Possession of a stimulant, Possession of drug paraphernalia and a parking violation.

Kan. woman allegedly on meth caught driving with 2-year-old

SEDGWICK COUNTY —A murder suspect captured by the U.S. Border Patrol and extradited to Kansas&nbsp;

On Jan. 9, a jury found <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=158988">32-year-0ld Patricio Gomez</a> guilty of&nbsp;first-degree murder in the&nbsp;fatal shooting&nbsp;of a&nbsp;42-year-old man at a Wichita hotel in 2021, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

The jury also found Gomez guilty of&nbsp;attempted distribution of methamphetamine.&nbsp;

In March, U.S. Border Patrol Agents&nbsp;in the El Paso&nbsp;Sector&nbsp;arrested Gomez who was wanted for&nbsp;murder in Wichita.

The El Paso Station&nbsp;Border Patrol Agent encountered Gomez walking along&nbsp;the south side of the Border Barrier&nbsp;near Fonseca Drive&nbsp;and Cesar E. Chavez/Border Highway, according to a media release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

When agents questioned the Gomez as to his citizenship, he stated that he was a U.S.&nbsp;citizen and that he had&nbsp;just&nbsp;entered the United States&nbsp;from Mexico, illegally,&nbsp;by attempting to drive his truck across the Rio Grande.&nbsp;

&nbsp;Gomez, was taken into custody, for the illegal entry,&nbsp;and transported to a Border Patrol station for further investigation.&nbsp;Record checks revealed that he had an extensive criminal history&nbsp;and an&nbsp;active&nbsp;warrant&nbsp;out of&nbsp;Wichita for&nbsp;murder.

Gomez was&nbsp;remanded to the&nbsp;custody of the&nbsp;El Paso County Sheriff’s&nbsp;Office until his extradition to Wichita.&nbsp;&nbsp;

On Sept. 30, 2021. police responded to a shooting call at a hotel in the 9400 block of East Corporate Hills, according to Officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located 42-year-old Michael Martinez who had been shot.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.

Gomez's sentencing has been&nbsp;scheduled for Feb. 21, according to the district attorney's office.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/3/1648742338695.png" alt="Gomez-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Gomez-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —A murder suspect captured by the U.S. Border Patrol and extradited to Kansas&nbsp;On Jan. 9, a jury found <a href="https://ssc.sedgwickcounty.org/sheriffinmates/SheriffInmateDetail.aspx?nameId=158988">32-year-0ld Patricio Gomez</a> guilty of&nbsp;first-degree murder in the&nbsp;fatal shooting&nbsp;of a&nbsp;42-year-old man at a Wichita hotel in 2021, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.The jury also found Gomez guilty of&nbsp;attempted distribution of methamphetamine.&nbsp;In March, U.S. Border Patrol Agents&nbsp;in the El Paso&nbsp;Sector&nbsp;arrested Gomez who was wanted for&nbsp;murder in Wichita.The El Paso Station&nbsp;Border Patrol Agent encountered Gomez walking along&nbsp;the south side of the Border Barrier&nbsp;near Fonseca Drive&nbsp;and Cesar E. Chavez/Border Highway, according to a media release from U.S. Customs and Border Protection.When agents questioned the Gomez as to his citizenship, he stated that he was a U.S.&nbsp;citizen and that he had&nbsp;just&nbsp;entered the United States&nbsp;from Mexico, illegally,&nbsp;by attempting to drive his truck across the Rio Grande.&nbsp;&nbsp;Gomez, was taken into custody, for the illegal entry,&nbsp;and transported to a Border Patrol station for further investigation.&nbsp;Record checks revealed that he had an extensive criminal history&nbsp;and an&nbsp;active&nbsp;warrant&nbsp;out of&nbsp;Wichita for&nbsp;murder.Gomez was&nbsp;remanded to the&nbsp;custody of the&nbsp;El Paso County Sheriff’s&nbsp;Office until his extradition to Wichita.&nbsp;&nbsp;On Sept. 30, 2021. police responded to a shooting call at a hotel in the 9400 block of East Corporate Hills, according to Officer Charley Davidson.&nbsp; Upon arrival, officers located 42-year-old Michael Martinez who had been shot.&nbsp; He was pronounced deceased on the scene.Gomez's sentencing has been&nbsp;scheduled for Feb. 21, according to the district attorney's office.

Man caught by border patrol found guilty in Kan. hotel killing

By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/19/kansas-juvenile-justice-reform-effort-left-major-flaws-in-system-officials-say/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — Stabbings, 16-year-olds with
 guns and violent attacks: Officials working with young offenders in 
Kansas say they need lawmakers to step up and fix flaws within the 
state’s juvenile justice system.

The debate centered around <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2016/b2015_16/measures/documents/summary_sb_367_2016.pdf">Senate Bill 367</a>,
 which was implemented in 2016. The bill was passed with the intention 
of reducing youth incarceration rates and reforming the juvenile justice
 system in the state. The 
legislation shifted practices away from holding youths in group homes or
 state custody, instead funneling money into community programs and 
treatment. The legislation included limits on probation and case 
lengths, making it less common for youths to be detained or sent to 
correctional facilities.

While juvenile incarceration rates 
and youth arrest rates have decreased in the six years since the 
legislation was implemented, activists and officials working in the 
system say urgent changes are needed.

“We’ve had kids that are out of 
control,” said Rice County Attorney Remington Dalke, testifying 
Wednesday to lawmakers during a joint hearing of House committees 
dealing with juvenile justice and foster care.

Dalke said Rice County doesn’t have 
enough community supervision or treatment plans for juvenile offenders, 
so young offenders are placed on probation instead, spending about an 
hour a week doing self-probation on Zoom. With little accountability, Dalke said, cases of youth-committed violence are on the rise. He mentioned a case in which a girl shot her friend in the leg.

“The end result is I’ve got kids who 
are caught vaping getting the exact same treatment as a kid who at the 
age of 16 showed up drunk at the pool, threw a beer can at a girl, 
threatened to kill her, and was taken by law enforcement home to his 
parents,” Dalke said.

Christina Smith, a single mother living in Sedgwick County, said the legislation ruined her life.

Smith said her 15-year-old son, who 
has a history of violence, needed more intervention than he got after 
threatening to kill her. Smith said he had attacked her when she was on 
crutches following ACL surgery, and shoved her against a wall, saying he
 would kill her if she sent him back for psychiatric treatment.

Smith said she tried different methods, including therapy and psychiatric hospitalization, but he needed more intervention.

“These years have been a path of 
terror,” Smith said. “Bill 367 allows grace for juveniles that made 
mistakes, but the law has put me in danger more times than I can count. 
This last year my oldest son was empowered by the lack of consequences 
for his ever-increasingly violent behavior due to this leniency.”

Smith said he was charged with at 
least four battery charges in the last year but had the charges dropped,
 which she believed was because of SB 367. When she refused to pick him 
up after his release from a mental health hospital, she was charged with
 child abandonment and he was placed in foster care.

“My family’s life was filled with 
insults, putdowns, foul language and threats to be harmed or killed,” 
Smith said. “Bill 367 ensures that juveniles, unless they are involved 
in violent crime, are never actually charged and never convicted. No 
real consequences happen. The situation escalates until the system has 
no other options.”

Linda Bass, president of KVC Kansas, 
an organization that provides foster care and family reunification 
services, said foster care providers were now shouldering the burden of 
juvenile delinquency.

“We have just shifted the problem 
from one location to another,” Bass said. “Children in foster care who 
have juvenile offending behaviors are growing up in congregate care and 
child welfare.”

Bass said out of the 1,400 kids in her organization’s care, about 14% are juvenile offenders.

She said in one case, a 15-year-old 
who entered the foster care system as a registered sex offender couldn’t
 live with anyone under the age of 16 because of a court order. That 
made it difficult to find an appropriate place for him, Bass said.

He is currently on his 20th home 
placement, never completed the sexual offender treatment he was supposed
 to complete, and will turn 18 this year.

“He’s going to exit the foster care 
system, and we have completely failed him,” Bass said. “I would have 
rather seen him stay in detention and at least he would have received 
consistent services because he would’ve been in one location for an 
extended period of time.”

Other officials working with juvenile
 offenders have said the structure of the legislation was a 
well-intentioned start to making long-lasting juvenile justice reforms, 
but more needs to be done to ensure juvenile offenders have proper help 
and oversight.

Suggestions offered during the 
Wednesday meeting included more crisis intervention centers for juvenile
 offenders, treatment through community mental health centers, and 
collaboration across systems. The state has millions set aside for 
juvenile crisis center funding, which is thought to be a potential 
solution to the current lack of resources for juvenile offenders, but 
hasn’t used any of the funding.

In 2018, Johnson County applied to 
create a center but the state government dropped the project. Rep. Cindy
 Neighbor, D-Shawnee, said when she asked fellow lawmakers about the 
delay in the crisis center project, she was not given a good explanation
 about the lack of funding.

“Well, they just haven’t done it 
yet,” Neighbor said. “If that’s the excuse, that’s on us. And that is 
pitiful. Because we have kids out there that are suffering and parents 
that are paying. And they had six years to get that done. And I think 
they deserve an answer on why it hasn’t happened.”&nbsp;

Rep. Susan Concannon, R-Beloit, and 
Rep. Stephan Owens, R-Hesston, who co-chaired the meeting, said they 
were also frustrated by the lack of progress. Owens said they were 
planning to hear legislation that would address some of the flaws in the
 system on Jan. 30.

One piece of legislation, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2021_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2021</a>,
 would extend case length limits for certain juvenile offenders, require
 the creation of juvenile justice data systems, encourage increased use 
of money for intervention programs, and allow detention for probation 
violations.

Another bill, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2033_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2033</a>,
 would change the criteria for admitting young offenders to juvenile 
crisis intervention centers and better define standards for behavioral 
health crises.

Owens said the meeting provided a good opportunity to identify what was working and what wasn’t working with the system.

“I think this is a testament to the 
fact that the Legislature passes legislation with the best of intent, 
but isn’t always able to foresee the consequences,” Owens said.

Concannon said she understood the 
perspective of foster care providers and juvenile justice workers who 
testified at the meeting.

“They’ve been living with it for a 
few years, and there’s a lot of frustration,” Concannon said. “Their 
hands are tied. So this was an opportunity just to hear them and let 
these two committees hear this frustration come out. If the system is 
not working, it’s got a major gap. We’re not providing for the needs of 
those in-between youth.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674149731520.png" alt="Rep. Stephen Owens says new legislation is geared toward fixing gaps in the state’s juvenile justice system. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Rep. Stephen Owens says new legislation is geared toward fixing gaps in the state’s juvenile justice system. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure>By RACHEL MIPRO <a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2023/01/19/kansas-juvenile-justice-reform-effort-left-major-flaws-in-system-officials-say/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Stabbings, 16-year-olds with
 guns and violent attacks: Officials working with young offenders in 
Kansas say they need lawmakers to step up and fix flaws within the 
state’s juvenile justice system.The debate centered around <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li_2016/b2015_16/measures/documents/summary_sb_367_2016.pdf">Senate Bill 367</a>,
 which was implemented in 2016. The bill was passed with the intention 
of reducing youth incarceration rates and reforming the juvenile justice
 system in the state. The 
legislation shifted practices away from holding youths in group homes or
 state custody, instead funneling money into community programs and 
treatment. The legislation included limits on probation and case 
lengths, making it less common for youths to be detained or sent to 
correctional facilities.While juvenile incarceration rates 
and youth arrest rates have decreased in the six years since the 
legislation was implemented, activists and officials working in the 
system say urgent changes are needed.<h2>Community impact&nbsp;</h2>“We’ve had kids that are out of 
control,” said Rice County Attorney Remington Dalke, testifying 
Wednesday to lawmakers during a joint hearing of House committees 
dealing with juvenile justice and foster care.Dalke said Rice County doesn’t have 
enough community supervision or treatment plans for juvenile offenders, 
so young offenders are placed on probation instead, spending about an 
hour a week doing self-probation on Zoom. With little accountability, Dalke said, cases of youth-committed violence are on the rise. He mentioned a case in which a girl shot her friend in the leg.“The end result is I’ve got kids who 
are caught vaping getting the exact same treatment as a kid who at the 
age of 16 showed up drunk at the pool, threw a beer can at a girl, 
threatened to kill her, and was taken by law enforcement home to his 
parents,” Dalke said.Christina Smith, a single mother living in Sedgwick County, said the legislation ruined her life.Smith said her 15-year-old son, who 
has a history of violence, needed more intervention than he got after 
threatening to kill her. Smith said he had attacked her when she was on 
crutches following ACL surgery, and shoved her against a wall, saying he
 would kill her if she sent him back for psychiatric treatment.Smith said she tried different methods, including therapy and psychiatric hospitalization, but he needed more intervention.“These years have been a path of 
terror,” Smith said. “Bill 367 allows grace for juveniles that made 
mistakes, but the law has put me in danger more times than I can count. 
This last year my oldest son was empowered by the lack of consequences 
for his ever-increasingly violent behavior due to this leniency.”Smith said he was charged with at 
least four battery charges in the last year but had the charges dropped,
 which she believed was because of SB 367. When she refused to pick him 
up after his release from a mental health hospital, she was charged with
 child abandonment and he was placed in foster care.“My family’s life was filled with 
insults, putdowns, foul language and threats to be harmed or killed,” 
Smith said. “Bill 367 ensures that juveniles, unless they are involved 
in violent crime, are never actually charged and never convicted. No 
real consequences happen. The situation escalates until the system has 
no other options.”Linda Bass, president of KVC Kansas, 
an organization that provides foster care and family reunification 
services, said foster care providers were now shouldering the burden of 
juvenile delinquency.“We have just shifted the problem 
from one location to another,” Bass said. “Children in foster care who 
have juvenile offending behaviors are growing up in congregate care and 
child welfare.”Bass said out of the 1,400 kids in her organization’s care, about 14% are juvenile offenders.She said in one case, a 15-year-old 
who entered the foster care system as a registered sex offender couldn’t
 live with anyone under the age of 16 because of a court order. That 
made it difficult to find an appropriate place for him, Bass said.He is currently on his 20th home 
placement, never completed the sexual offender treatment he was supposed
 to complete, and will turn 18 this year.“He’s going to exit the foster care 
system, and we have completely failed him,” Bass said. “I would have 
rather seen him stay in detention and at least he would have received 
consistent services because he would’ve been in one location for an 
extended period of time.”<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674149784338.png" alt="KVC Kansas president Linda Bass, left, spoke to lawmakers about foster care problems during a Jan. 18, 2023, meeting on juvenile justice reform. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>KVC Kansas president Linda Bass, left, spoke to lawmakers about foster care problems during a Jan. 18, 2023, meeting on juvenile justice reform. (Rachel Mipro/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Legislative response</h2>Other officials working with juvenile
 offenders have said the structure of the legislation was a 
well-intentioned start to making long-lasting juvenile justice reforms, 
but more needs to be done to ensure juvenile offenders have proper help 
and oversight.Suggestions offered during the 
Wednesday meeting included more crisis intervention centers for juvenile
 offenders, treatment through community mental health centers, and 
collaboration across systems. The state has millions set aside for 
juvenile crisis center funding, which is thought to be a potential 
solution to the current lack of resources for juvenile offenders, but 
hasn’t used any of the funding.In 2018, Johnson County applied to 
create a center but the state government dropped the project. Rep. Cindy
 Neighbor, D-Shawnee, said when she asked fellow lawmakers about the 
delay in the crisis center project, she was not given a good explanation
 about the lack of funding.“Well, they just haven’t done it 
yet,” Neighbor said. “If that’s the excuse, that’s on us. And that is 
pitiful. Because we have kids out there that are suffering and parents 
that are paying. And they had six years to get that done. And I think 
they deserve an answer on why it hasn’t happened.”&nbsp;Rep. Susan Concannon, R-Beloit, and 
Rep. Stephan Owens, R-Hesston, who co-chaired the meeting, said they 
were also frustrated by the lack of progress. Owens said they were 
planning to hear legislation that would address some of the flaws in the
 system on Jan. 30.One piece of legislation, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2021_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2021</a>,
 would extend case length limits for certain juvenile offenders, require
 the creation of juvenile justice data systems, encourage increased use 
of money for intervention programs, and allow detention for probation 
violations.Another bill, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.kslegislature.org/li/b2023_24/measures/documents/hb2033_00_0000.pdf">House Bill 2033</a>,
 would change the criteria for admitting young offenders to juvenile 
crisis intervention centers and better define standards for behavioral 
health crises.Owens said the meeting provided a good opportunity to identify what was working and what wasn’t working with the system.“I think this is a testament to the 
fact that the Legislature passes legislation with the best of intent, 
but isn’t always able to foresee the consequences,” Owens said.Concannon said she understood the 
perspective of foster care providers and juvenile justice workers who 
testified at the meeting.“They’ve been living with it for a 
few years, and there’s a lot of frustration,” Concannon said. “Their 
hands are tied. So this was an opportunity just to hear them and let 
these two committees hear this frustration come out. If the system is 
not working, it’s got a major gap. We’re not providing for the needs of 
those in-between youth.”

Kan. officials: Juvenile justice reform effort left major flaws

ANADARKO, Okla. (AP) — A man charged in the Christmas Day beating death of a 4-year-old Oklahoma girl has been returned to the state.

Ivon Adams III, 36, was booked into the county jail Thursday night, the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office said on its website.

Adams&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-oklahoma-e98c18aec68a194338b304a7c494a0a6">was arrested last week</a>&nbsp;in Arizona on murder and child neglect charges in the death of Athena Brownfield in the town of Cyril, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.

The girl&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-1b331093878a39b70fccfdc6ba2e47dc">was reported missing Jan. 10</a>&nbsp;when a postal carrier found her 5-year-old sister alone outside the home where she lived with Adams and his wife, Alysia Adams. Alysia Adams, 31, is charged with two counts of child neglect in the case.

Court documents do not list an attorney who could speak on Adams' behalf. A gag order has been issued in the case against Alysia Adams at the request of her court-appointed attorney.

An affadavit for Ivon Adams' arrest alleges he beat the girl to death the night of Dec. 25 and later buried her on property he and his wife once owned near the nearby town of Rush Springs, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/561482cabb0dd44c8c732650c28a3797">authorities found a child's body</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.

The child's body has not been identified and was sent to the state medical examiner's office for identification and to determine the cause of death.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673643845430.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>ANADARKO, Okla. (AP) — A man charged in the Christmas Day beating death of a 4-year-old Oklahoma girl has been returned to the state.Ivon Adams III, 36, was booked into the county jail Thursday night, the Caddo County Sheriff’s Office said on its website.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674236691271.png" alt="Adams" />
 <figcaption>Adams</figcaption>
 </figure>Adams&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/law-enforcement-oklahoma-e98c18aec68a194338b304a7c494a0a6">was arrested last week</a>&nbsp;in Arizona on murder and child neglect charges in the death of Athena Brownfield in the town of Cyril, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City.The girl&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/oklahoma-city-1b331093878a39b70fccfdc6ba2e47dc">was reported missing Jan. 10</a>&nbsp;when a postal carrier found her 5-year-old sister alone outside the home where she lived with Adams and his wife, Alysia Adams. Alysia Adams, 31, is charged with two counts of child neglect in the case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673617381405.png" alt="Alysia Adams remains in custody, according to online jail records" />
 <figcaption>Alysia Adams remains in custody, according to online jail records</figcaption>
 </figure>Court documents do not list an attorney who could speak on Adams' behalf. A gag order has been issued in the case against Alysia Adams at the request of her court-appointed attorney.An affadavit for Ivon Adams' arrest alleges he beat the girl to death the night of Dec. 25 and later buried her on property he and his wife once owned near the nearby town of Rush Springs, where&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/561482cabb0dd44c8c732650c28a3797">authorities found a child's body</a>&nbsp;on Tuesday.The child's body has not been identified and was sent to the state medical examiner's office for identification and to determine the cause of death.

Man charged in death of 4-year-old, returned to Oklahoma

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple Post

MANHATTAN - According to the Riley County Police Department, a Manhattan man has been arrested in connection with shots fired overnight in Manhattan.

RCPD officers responded to the 2500 block of Brook Lane in Manhattan around 3:15 am on Friday, January 20th.

Upon arrival, officers spoke with a 26-year-old woman and 27-year old man, who reported a known 48-year-old man attempted to enter the front door of their home.

The man then allegedly shot multiple rounds from a pistol into unoccupied parked cars in the area. No injuries were reported.

Forty-eight year old, Bradley Smith of Manhattan was arrested in connection with the incident. Charges and bond were still pending as of 9:30 am.

Additional details will be added as they become available.

By BECKY GOFF Little Apple PostMANHATTAN - According to the Riley County Police Department, a Manhattan man has been arrested in connection with shots fired overnight in Manhattan.RCPD officers responded to the 2500 block of Brook Lane in Manhattan around 3:15 am on Friday, January 20th.<div><iframe src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d3736.7068204310635!2d-96.56715948850153!3d39.211706932959416!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x87bdd21bb013a583%3A0xa82425a143901131!2sBrook%20Ln%2C%20Manhattan%2C%20KS%2066502!5e1!3m2!1sen!2sus!4v1674229833965!5m2!1sen!2sus" width="600" height="450" style="border:0;" allowfullscreen="" loading="lazy" referrerpolicy="no-referrer-when-downgrade"></iframe></div>Upon arrival, officers spoke with a 26-year-old woman and 27-year old man, who reported a known 48-year-old man attempted to enter the front door of their home.The man then allegedly shot multiple rounds from a pistol into unoccupied parked cars in the area. No injuries were reported.Forty-eight year old, Bradley Smith of Manhattan was arrested in connection with the incident. Charges and bond were still pending as of 9:30 am.Additional details will be added as they become available.

RCPD: Man fired handgun during alleged home-invasion

RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an incident involving an inmate at the Riley County Correctional Facility.

Just after 11a.m. Thursday, officers filed a report for battery on LEO in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Rd. in Manhattan on January 19, 2023, around 11:15 a.m. 

A 25-year-old male Corrections Officer reported an already confined 61-year-old male inmate identified as Russell Spring of Manhattan spit in his face.

Springer now faces a new charge of battery on law enforcement officer. This arrest holds a bond of $25,000 bringing his total bond to $44,500. He was jailed in December for alleged battery on a law enforcement officer, according to RCPD arrest records.

 Springer has two previous felony convictions for battery of corrections employee, theft and a violation of protective order issued from abuse, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674229576645.png" alt="Springer has previous felony convictions for battery of corrections employee, theft and a violation of protective order issued from abuse, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections." />
 <figcaption>Springer has previous felony convictions for battery of corrections employee, theft and a violation of protective order issued from abuse, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.</figcaption>
 </figure>RILEY COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an incident involving an inmate at the Riley County Correctional Facility.Just after 11a.m. Thursday, officers filed a report for battery on LEO in the 1000 block of S. Seth Child Rd. in Manhattan on January 19, 2023, around 11:15 a.m. A 25-year-old male Corrections Officer reported an already confined 61-year-old male inmate identified as Russell Spring of Manhattan spit in his face.Springer now faces a new charge of battery on law enforcement officer. This arrest holds a bond of $25,000 bringing his total bond to $44,500. He was jailed in December for alleged battery on a law enforcement officer, according to RCPD arrest records. Springer has two previous felony convictions for battery of corrections employee, theft and a violation of protective order issued from abuse, according to the Kansas Dept. of Corrections.

RCPD: Inmate spit on Riley County corrections officer

SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for suspected distribution of methamphetamine.

Just after 1p.m. Thursday, Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Gregory “Bo” Westfall, 55, of Salina, at a hotel at 3932 S. 9th&nbsp;St. in Salina, according to a media release from the KBI.

 Westfall was arrested for alleged distribution, or possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is suspected to have occurred in November 2022 in Dickinson County. The arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the KBI and the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office.

After KBI agents arrested Westfall, they received consent to search a hotel room that was rented by an associate of Westfall. Agents observed drug paraphernalia in the room. They obtained a warrant to search the hotel room. The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) and the Salina Police Department assisted by offering K-9 officers to aid in the search.

During the search they uncovered methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills believed to be laced with fentanyl, and an illegal firearm. A female subject was also detained for questioning.

Westfall was booked into the Dickinson County Jail. Additional charges are pending, according to the KBI.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1674182364949.png" alt="Westfall-photo KBI" />
 <figcaption>Westfall-photo KBI</figcaption>
 </figure>SALINE COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating a Kansas man for suspected distribution of methamphetamine.Just after 1p.m. Thursday, Kansas Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Gregory “Bo” Westfall, 55, of Salina, at a hotel at 3932 S. 9th&nbsp;St. in Salina, according to a media release from the KBI. Westfall was arrested for alleged distribution, or possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is suspected to have occurred in November 2022 in Dickinson County. The arrest was the result of a joint investigation by the KBI and the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Office.After KBI agents arrested Westfall, they received consent to search a hotel room that was rented by an associate of Westfall. Agents observed drug paraphernalia in the room. They obtained a warrant to search the hotel room. The Kansas Highway Patrol (KHP) and the Salina Police Department assisted by offering K-9 officers to aid in the search.During the search they uncovered methamphetamine, counterfeit oxycodone pills believed to be laced with fentanyl, and an illegal firearm. A female subject was also detained for questioning.Westfall was booked into the Dickinson County Jail. Additional charges are pending, according to the KBI.

KBI finds pills believed laced with fentanyl at motel

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal jury convicted a Kansas man on Thursday after he admitted in court that he threatened to kill U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner.

Chase Neill was found guilty after acting as his own attorney and questioning the congressman on the witness stand. Neill also testified during the trial, and he told jurors he was a messenger from God and that he threatened LaTurner for ignoring his concerns about sorcery, wizards, extraterrestrials and a war for people's souls.

Federal prosecutors said Neill, 32, from Lawrence in northeastern Kansas, fixated on LaTurner before leaving an after-hours voicemail with the congressman’s Topeka office that included, “I will kill you.” Neill’s trial comes amid a sharp rise in reported threats against elected officials and their families.

Representing himself in court, Neill admitted that he left that message and others with more death threats the next day. But he told jurors that he was merely the messenger, telling LaTurner and other officials that they faced death by an act of God, such as a tornado or hurricane, for attacking God’s creation.

“This is not me saying, ‘I’m going to chase you down with a knife,’ or something like that,” Neill said in his closing argument.

Presiding U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter had Neill present his testimony Thursday as a narrative from the witness stand because he is acting as his own attorney. He interrupted his comments to get documents projected on four big screens behind him and to conference with the judge and prosecutors over what evidence he could present. Prosecutors did not cross-examine him.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">He faced a single count</a>&nbsp;of threatening a U.S. government official, punishable by 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The jury must decide whether his June 5 voicemail represents a true threat and whether Neill intended to intimidate LaTurner or interefere with LaTurner’s work as a congressman.

“You cannot cloak yourself in religious belief and justify such a threat,” federal prosecutor Stephen Hunting said in his closing remarks. “There is a line you cannot cross.”

Threats against members of Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">have increased</a>&nbsp;since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In October, an intruder severely beat former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">Local school board members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">election workers</a>&nbsp;across the nation also have endured harassment and threats. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week arrested a failed Republican legislative candidate over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-1410b516f5b66c18d62342a0d7a9b60f">series of shootings</a>&nbsp;targeting elected Democratic officials’ homes or offices.

In Neill’s case, he said his concerns about a war for souls were sparked by a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/13/kelly-uses-veto-authority-to-reject-infectious-disease-medicaid-and-election-bills/">May 13 story</a>&nbsp;on the Kansas Reflector news site about a legislative debate in which a western Kansas lawmaker urged colleagues to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a measure that would have restricted public health officials’ power in epidemics following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republican state Rep. Tatum Lee was quoted as saying, “The war is real you all. We are fighting for the soul of our nation.”

In court Thursday, Neill told jurors he values his soul and was required by God to act when he “heard the sound of the trumpet.”

He also showed jurors a LinkedIn page for himself, saying he dealt with “matters concerning over 400 million lives lost with high sorcery.”

“I am held to an obligation by our Creator,” Neill said.

LaTurner testified Wednesday that the June 5 voicemail made him concerned about the safety of his family and staff and prompted him to beef up security at his home and Topeka office.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-lawrence-df22820adfa2c5515085eb20279317a0">Cross-examined by Neill</a>, the congressman said he considered some of Neill’s language “ridiculous talk” but added, “I’m more focused on the the threats of death.”

A U.S. magistrate judge said in an August order refusing to release Neill from custody that Neill had suffered a head injury four or five years ago “characterized as a head fracture.” Neill told jurors Thursday that in 2018, “God came to me very directly,” without elaborating.

But the trial judge concluded last month that Neill is capable of following what goes on in court and assisting his lawyers, making him mentally competent to stand trial. She granted his request to act as his own attorney, starting Wednesday.

Neill, a convert to Judaism, said his special relationship with God causes natural events, including a hurricane and fires. He said he conveyed messages to LaTurner even though he knew it would likely result in his being prosecuted.

“I’m really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it’s a difficult explanation,” Neill told jurors during his testimony. “I apologize.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A jury began deliberating Thursday in the federal criminal case of a man who told them that a death threat he made against U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner came from God, prompted by the Kansas Republican ignoring concerns about sorcery, wizards, extraterrestrials and a war for people's souls.

Federal prosecutors say Chase Neill, 32, from Lawrence in northeastern Kansas, fixated on LaTurner before leaving an after-hours voicemail with the congressman's Topeka office that included, “I will kill you.” Neill's trial comes amid a sharp rise in reported threats against elected officials and their families.

Representing himself in court, Neill admitted that he left that message and others with more death threats the next day. But he told jurors that he was merely the messenger, telling LaTurner and other officials that they faced death by an act of God, such as a tornado or hurricane, for attacking God's creation.

“This is not me saying, ‘I’m going to chase you down with a knife,' or something like that,” Neill said in his closing argument.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">He is charged</a>&nbsp;with a single count of threatening a U.S. government official, punishable by 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The jury must decide whether his June 5 voicemail represents a true threat and whether Neill intended to intimidate LaTurner or interefere with LaTurner's work as a congressman.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">Local school board members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">election workers</a>&nbsp;across the nation also have endured harassment and threats. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week arrested a failed Republican legislative candidate over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-1410b516f5b66c18d62342a0d7a9b60f">a series of shootings</a>&nbsp;targeting elected Democratic officials’ homes or offices.

In Neill's case, he said his concerns about a war for souls were sparked by a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/13/kelly-uses-veto-authority-to-reject-infectious-disease-medicaid-and-election-bills/">May 13 story</a>&nbsp;on the Kansas Reflector news site about a legislative debate in which a western Kansas lawmaker urged colleagues to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a measure that would have restricted public health officials' power in epidemics following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Republican state Rep. Tatum Lee, was quoted as saying, “The war is real you all. We are fighting for the soul of our nation."

LaTurner testified Wednesday that the June 5 voicemail made him concerned about the safety of his family and staff and prompted him to beef up security at his home and Topeka office.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-lawrence-df22820adfa2c5515085eb20279317a0">Cross-examined by Neill,</a>&nbsp;the congressman said he considered some of Neill's language “ridiculous talk” but added, “I'm more focused on the the threats of death.”

“I'm really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it's a difficult explanation,” Neill told jurors during his testimony. “I apologize.”

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man told jurors Thursday that a death threat he made against U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner came from God, prompted by the Kansas Republican ignoring concerns about sorcery, wizards, extraterrestrials and a war for people's souls.

“I'm not going to try to pursue him for some sort of violent crime,” Neill said.

Presiding U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter had Neill present his case as a narrative from the witness stand because he is acting as his own attorney. He interrupted his comments to get documents projected on four big screens behind him and to conference with the judge and prosecutors over what evidence he could present. Prosecutors did not cross-examine him, clearing the way for closing statements.

<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">He is charged</a>&nbsp;with a single count of threatening a public official, punishable by 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The jury will have to decide whether his June 5 voicemail represented a true threat meant to interfere with LaTurner's official duties.

“I'm really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it's a difficult explanation,” Neill told jurors. “I apologize.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2023/1/1673992624611.png" alt="Neill-photo Shawnee Co.&nbsp;" />
 <figcaption>Neill-photo Shawnee Co.&nbsp;</figcaption>
 </figure>TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A federal jury convicted a Kansas man on Thursday after he admitted in court that he threatened to kill U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner.Chase Neill was found guilty after acting as his own attorney and questioning the congressman on the witness stand. Neill also testified during the trial, and he told jurors he was a messenger from God and that he threatened LaTurner for ignoring his concerns about sorcery, wizards, extraterrestrials and a war for people's souls.Federal prosecutors said Neill, 32, from Lawrence in northeastern Kansas, fixated on LaTurner before leaving an after-hours voicemail with the congressman’s Topeka office that included, “I will kill you.” Neill’s trial comes amid a sharp rise in reported threats against elected officials and their families.Representing himself in court, Neill admitted that he left that message and others with more death threats the next day. But he told jurors that he was merely the messenger, telling LaTurner and other officials that they faced death by an act of God, such as a tornado or hurricane, for attacking God’s creation.“This is not me saying, ‘I’m going to chase you down with a knife,’ or something like that,” Neill said in his closing argument.Presiding U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter had Neill present his testimony Thursday as a narrative from the witness stand because he is acting as his own attorney. He interrupted his comments to get documents projected on four big screens behind him and to conference with the judge and prosecutors over what evidence he could present. Prosecutors did not cross-examine him.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">He faced a single count</a>&nbsp;of threatening a U.S. government official, punishable by 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The jury must decide whether his June 5 voicemail represents a true threat and whether Neill intended to intimidate LaTurner or interefere with LaTurner’s work as a congressman.“You cannot cloak yourself in religious belief and justify such a threat,” federal prosecutor Stephen Hunting said in his closing remarks. “There is a line you cannot cross.”Threats against members of Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">have increased</a>&nbsp;since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In October, an intruder severely beat former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">Local school board members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">election workers</a>&nbsp;across the nation also have endured harassment and threats. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week arrested a failed Republican legislative candidate over a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-1410b516f5b66c18d62342a0d7a9b60f">series of shootings</a>&nbsp;targeting elected Democratic officials’ homes or offices.In Neill’s case, he said his concerns about a war for souls were sparked by a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/13/kelly-uses-veto-authority-to-reject-infectious-disease-medicaid-and-election-bills/">May 13 story</a>&nbsp;on the Kansas Reflector news site about a legislative debate in which a western Kansas lawmaker urged colleagues to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly’s veto of a measure that would have restricted public health officials’ power in epidemics following the COVID-19 pandemic.Republican state Rep. Tatum Lee was quoted as saying, “The war is real you all. We are fighting for the soul of our nation.”In court Thursday, Neill told jurors he values his soul and was required by God to act when he “heard the sound of the trumpet.”He also showed jurors a LinkedIn page for himself, saying he dealt with “matters concerning over 400 million lives lost with high sorcery.”“I am held to an obligation by our Creator,” Neill said.LaTurner testified Wednesday that the June 5 voicemail made him concerned about the safety of his family and staff and prompted him to beef up security at his home and Topeka office.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-lawrence-df22820adfa2c5515085eb20279317a0">Cross-examined by Neill</a>, the congressman said he considered some of Neill’s language “ridiculous talk” but added, “I’m more focused on the the threats of death.”A U.S. magistrate judge said in an August order refusing to release Neill from custody that Neill had suffered a head injury four or five years ago “characterized as a head fracture.” Neill told jurors Thursday that in 2018, “God came to me very directly,” without elaborating.But the trial judge concluded last month that Neill is capable of following what goes on in court and assisting his lawyers, making him mentally competent to stand trial. She granted his request to act as his own attorney, starting Wednesday.Neill, a convert to Judaism, said his special relationship with God causes natural events, including a hurricane and fires. He said he conveyed messages to LaTurner even though he knew it would likely result in his being prosecuted.“I’m really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it’s a difficult explanation,” Neill told jurors during his testimony. “I apologize.”___TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A jury began deliberating Thursday in the federal criminal case of a man who told them that a death threat he made against U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner came from God, prompted by the Kansas Republican ignoring concerns about sorcery, wizards, extraterrestrials and a war for people's souls.Federal prosecutors say Chase Neill, 32, from Lawrence in northeastern Kansas, fixated on LaTurner before leaving an after-hours voicemail with the congressman's Topeka office that included, “I will kill you.” Neill's trial comes amid a sharp rise in reported threats against elected officials and their families.Representing himself in court, Neill admitted that he left that message and others with more death threats the next day. But he told jurors that he was merely the messenger, telling LaTurner and other officials that they faced death by an act of God, such as a tornado or hurricane, for attacking God's creation.“This is not me saying, ‘I’m going to chase you down with a knife,' or something like that,” Neill said in his closing argument.Presiding U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter had Neill present his testimony Thursday as a narrative from the witness stand because he is acting as his own attorney. He interrupted his comments to get documents projected on four big screens behind him and to conference with the judge and prosecutors over what evidence he could present. Prosecutors did not cross-examine him.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">He is charged</a>&nbsp;with a single count of threatening a U.S. government official, punishable by 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The jury must decide whether his June 5 voicemail represents a true threat and whether Neill intended to intimidate LaTurner or interefere with LaTurner's work as a congressman.“You cannot cloak yourself in religious belief and justify such a threat,” federal prosecutor Stephen Hunting said in his closing remarks. “There is a line you cannot cross.”Threats against members of Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">have increased</a>&nbsp;since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In October, an intruder severely beat former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">Local school board members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">election workers</a>&nbsp;across the nation also have endured harassment and threats. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week arrested a failed Republican legislative candidate over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-1410b516f5b66c18d62342a0d7a9b60f">a series of shootings</a>&nbsp;targeting elected Democratic officials’ homes or offices.In Neill's case, he said his concerns about a war for souls were sparked by a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/13/kelly-uses-veto-authority-to-reject-infectious-disease-medicaid-and-election-bills/">May 13 story</a>&nbsp;on the Kansas Reflector news site about a legislative debate in which a western Kansas lawmaker urged colleagues to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a measure that would have restricted public health officials' power in epidemics following the COVID-19 pandemic.Republican state Rep. Tatum Lee, was quoted as saying, “The war is real you all. We are fighting for the soul of our nation."In court Thursday, Neill told jurors he values his soul and was required by God to act when he “heard the sound of the trumpet.”He also showed jurors a LinkedIn page for himself, saying he dealt with “matters concerning over 400 million lives lost with high sorcery.”“I am held to an obligation by our Creator,” Neill said.LaTurner testified Wednesday that the June 5 voicemail made him concerned about the safety of his family and staff and prompted him to beef up security at his home and Topeka office.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-lawrence-df22820adfa2c5515085eb20279317a0">Cross-examined by Neill,</a>&nbsp;the congressman said he considered some of Neill's language “ridiculous talk” but added, “I'm more focused on the the threats of death.”A U.S. magistrate judge said in an August order refusing to release Neill from custody that Neill had suffered a head injury four or five years ago “characterized as a head fracture.” Neill told jurors Thursday that in 2018, “God came to me very directly,” without elaborating.But the trial judge concluded last month that Neill is capable of following what goes on in court and assisting his lawyers, making him mentally competent to stand trial. She granted his request to act as his own attorney, starting Wednesday.Neill, a convert to Judaism, said his special relationship with God causes natural events, including a hurricane and fires. He said he conveyed messages to LaTurner even though he knew it would likely result in his being prosecuted.“I'm really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it's a difficult explanation,” Neill told jurors during his testimony. “I apologize.”-------------TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man told jurors Thursday that a death threat he made against U.S. Rep. Jake LaTurner came from God, prompted by the Kansas Republican ignoring concerns about sorcery, wizards, extraterrestrials and a war for people's souls.Federal prosecutors say Chase Neill, 32, from Lawrence in northeastern Kansas, fixated on LaTurner before leaving an after-hours voicemail with the congressman's Topeka office that included, “I will kill you.” Neill's trial comes amid a sharp rise in reported threats against elected officials and their families.Representing himself in court, Neill admitted that he left that message and others with more death threats the next day. But he told jurors that he was merely the messenger, telling LaTurner and other officials that they faced death by an act of God, such as a tornado or hurricane, for attacking God's creation.“I'm not going to try to pursue him for some sort of violent crime,” Neill said.Presiding U.S. District Judge Holly Teeter had Neill present his case as a narrative from the witness stand because he is acting as his own attorney. He interrupted his comments to get documents projected on four big screens behind him and to conference with the judge and prosecutors over what evidence he could present. Prosecutors did not cross-examine him, clearing the way for closing statements.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-mental-kansas-topeka-lawrence-537e4ab84e3c459053d19f12352981bd">He is charged</a>&nbsp;with a single count of threatening a public official, punishable by 10 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The jury will have to decide whether his June 5 voicemail represented a true threat meant to interfere with LaTurner's official duties.Threats against members of Congress&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-san-francisco-nancy-pelosi-congress-government-and-politics-b8a3fb8b3e6f491fcfb16e155b877427">have increased</a>&nbsp;since the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. In October, an intruder severely beat former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband with a hammer in their San Francisco home.<a href="https://apnews.com/article/health-education-coronavirus-pandemic-school-boards-35db5c9eec87b85ca8eb95a64c2f6dd7">Local school board members</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/2022-midterm-elections-new-mexico-donald-trump-presidential-9356ff48f081250aa54040cbd7cf1cc3">election workers</a>&nbsp;across the nation also have endured harassment and threats. Police in Albuquerque, New Mexico, this week arrested a failed Republican legislative candidate over&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-new-mexico-state-government-crime-albuquerque-1410b516f5b66c18d62342a0d7a9b60f">a series of shootings</a>&nbsp;targeting elected Democratic officials’ homes or offices.In Neill's case, he said his concerns about a war for souls were sparked by a&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/2022/05/13/kelly-uses-veto-authority-to-reject-infectious-disease-medicaid-and-election-bills/">May 13 story</a>&nbsp;on the Kansas Reflector news site about a legislative debate in which a western Kansas lawmaker urged colleagues to override Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly's veto of a measure that would have restricted public health officials' power in epidemics following the COVID-19 pandemic.Republican state Rep. Tatum Lee, was quoted as saying, “The war is real you all. We are fighting for the soul of our nation."In court Thursday, Neill told jurors he values his soul and was required by God to act when he “heard the sound of the trumpet.”He also showed jurors a LinkedIn page for himself, saying he dealt with “matters concerning over 400 million lives lost with high sorcery.”“I am held to an obligation by our Creator,” Neill said.LaTurner testified Wednesday that the June 5 voicemail made him concerned about the safety of his family and staff and prompted him to beef up security at his home and Topeka office.&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/topeka-kansas-lawrence-df22820adfa2c5515085eb20279317a0">Cross-examined by Neill,</a>&nbsp;the congressman said he considered some of Neill's language “ridiculous talk” but added, “I'm more focused on the the threats of death.”A U.S. magistrate judge said in an August order refusing to release Neill from custody that Neill had suffered a head injury four or five years ago “characterized as a head fracture.” Neill told jurors Thursday that in 2018, “God came to me very directly,” without elaborating.But the trial judge concluded last month that Neill is capable of following what goes on in court and assisting his lawyers, making him mentally competent to stand trial. She granted his request to act as his own attorney, starting Wednesday.Neill, a convert to Judaism, said his special relationship with God causes natural events, including a hurricane and fires. He said he conveyed messages to LaTurner even though he knew it would likely result in his being prosecuted.“I'm really trying to explain how I interact with God, and it's a difficult explanation,” Neill told jurors. “I apologize.”

Kansas man convicted of threatening to kill Kan. congressman

WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Dobbs_Public_Report_January_19_2023.pdf">it has not determined who leaked a draft</a>&nbsp;of the court's opinion overturning abortion rights, but that the investigation continues.

Eight months after Politico published its explosive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">leak detailing the draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the court said its investigative team “has to date been unable to identify a person responsible by a preponderance of the evidence.”

Never before had an entire opinion made its way to the public before the court was ready to announce it.

Chief Justice John&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-us-supreme-court-health-john-roberts-7737a7e3a2fbbcac985549941b884a61">Roberts ordered an investigation</a>&nbsp;the next day into what he termed an “egregious breach of trust.”

Investigators “conducted 126 formal interviews of 97 employees, all of whom denied disclosing the opinion” in sworn statements, the court said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Dobbs_Public_Report_January_19_2023.pdf">a 23-page document posted on its website</a>.

Some employees had to amend their written statements after they “admitted to telling their spouses about the draft opinion or vote count,” the report said.

The court said it could not rule out that the opinion was inadvertently disclosed, “for example, by being left in a public space either inside or outside the building."

Investigators looked closely at connections between court employees and reporters, and they found nothing to substantiate rampant speculation on social media about the identity of the leaker.

The investigation concluded that it “is unlikely that the Court’s information technology (IT) systems were improperly accessed by a person outside the Court,” following an examination of the court’s computers, networks, printers, and available call and text logs.

The “risk of both deliberate and accidental disclosures of Court-sensitive information” grew with the coronavirus pandemic and shift to working from home, the report said. More people working from home, ”as well as gaps in the Court’s security policies, created an environment where it was too easy to remove sensitive information from the building and the Court’s IT networks,” the report said.

Investigators are continuing to “review and process some electronic data that has been collected and a few other inquiries remain pending,” the report said.

Roberts also asked former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, himself a onetime federal judge, to assess the investigation. Chertoff, in a statement issued through the court, described it as thorough.

Politico published the draft decision on May 2. Less than 24 hours later, Roberts confirmed the draft’s authenticity and said he had directed the court’s marshal, former Army Col. Gail Curley, to lead the investigation.

Since then, there had been silence from the court — until Thursday.

The court had declined to say anything about the status of the investigation or whether an outside law firm or the FBI has been called in or whether it had taken steps to try to prevent a repeat. Speaking in Colorado in September, Justice Neil Gorsuch said he hoped a report was coming “soon” but he did not say whether it would be made public.

Gorsuch joined Roberts in condemning the breach of trust the leak engendered. Justice Clarence Thomas spoke in even starker terms about the leak’s effect on the justices.

“When you lose that trust, especially in the institution that I’m in, it changes the institution fundamentally. You begin to look over your shoulder. It’s like kind of an infidelity that you can explain it, but you can’t undo it,” he said while speaking at a conference in Dallas less than two weeks after the leak became public.

The leak itself sparked protests and round-the-clock security at justices’ homes. Alito said it made the conservative justices who were thought to be in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade “targets for assassination” that “gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us.”

In early June, a man carrying a gun, a knife and zip ties was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house in Maryland after threatening to kill the justice. The man told police he was upset by the leaked draft.

Responding to protests outside the court, officials ringed the building with hard-to-climb fencing, the same barrier that was in place for months following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.

When the final decision was released on June 24, it was remarkably similar to the draft that was leaked. Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted to overturn Roe.

Speculation has swirled since the draft’s release about who might be the source. Only the justices, a small number of staff and the justices’ law clerks, young lawyers who spend a year at the court helping the justices with their work, would have had access to the document.

Conservatives pointed fingers at the liberal side of the court, speculating that the leaker was someone upset about the outcome. Liberals suggested it could be someone on the conservative side of the court who wanted to ensure a wavering justice didn’t switch sides.

It would have taken just one conservative justice to side with Roberts to alter the decision. Instead of overturning Roe entirely, Roberts favored weakening abortion rights.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2022/6/1656081470334.png" alt="Protestors outside the court when the Roe decision was announced June 24-photo courtesy CSPAN" />
 <figcaption>Protestors outside the court when the Roe decision was announced June 24-photo courtesy CSPAN</figcaption>
 </figure>WASHINGTON (AP) — The&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/us-supreme-court">Supreme Court</a>&nbsp;said Thursday&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Dobbs_Public_Report_January_19_2023.pdf">it has not determined who leaked a draft</a>&nbsp;of the court's opinion overturning abortion rights, but that the investigation continues.Eight months after Politico published its explosive&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/supreme-court-abortion-draft-opinion-07439f9fc4542f1500ab78dfd34036b1">leak detailing the draft of Justice Samuel Alito’s opinion that overturned Roe v. Wade</a>, the court said its investigative team “has to date been unable to identify a person responsible by a preponderance of the evidence.”Never before had an entire opinion made its way to the public before the court was ready to announce it.Chief Justice John&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/abortion-covid-us-supreme-court-health-john-roberts-7737a7e3a2fbbcac985549941b884a61">Roberts ordered an investigation</a>&nbsp;the next day into what he termed an “egregious breach of trust.”Investigators “conducted 126 formal interviews of 97 employees, all of whom denied disclosing the opinion” in sworn statements, the court said in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/publicinfo/press/Dobbs_Public_Report_January_19_2023.pdf">a 23-page document posted on its website</a>.Some employees had to amend their written statements after they “admitted to telling their spouses about the draft opinion or vote count,” the report said.The court said it could not rule out that the opinion was inadvertently disclosed, “for example, by being left in a public space either inside or outside the building."Investigators looked closely at connections between court employees and reporters, and they found nothing to substantiate rampant speculation on social media about the identity of the leaker.The investigation concluded that it “is unlikely that the Court’s information technology (IT) systems were improperly accessed by a person outside the Court,” following an examination of the court’s computers, networks, printers, and available call and text logs.The “risk of both deliberate and accidental disclosures of Court-sensitive information” grew with the coronavirus pandemic and shift to working from home, the report said. More people working from home, ”as well as gaps in the Court’s security policies, created an environment where it was too easy to remove sensitive information from the building and the Court’s IT networks,” the report said.Investigators are continuing to “review and process some electronic data that has been collected and a few other inquiries remain pending,” the report said.Roberts also asked former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, himself a onetime federal judge, to assess the investigation. Chertoff, in a statement issued through the court, described it as thorough.Politico published the draft decision on May 2. Less than 24 hours later, Roberts confirmed the draft’s authenticity and said he had directed the court’s marshal, former Army Col. Gail Curley, to lead the investigation.Since then, there had been silence from the court — until Thursday.The court had declined to say anything about the status of the investigation or whether an outside law firm or the FBI has been called in or whether it had taken steps to try to prevent a repeat. Speaking in Colorado in September, Justice Neil Gorsuch said he hoped a report was coming “soon” but he did not say whether it would be made public.Gorsuch joined Roberts in condemning the breach of trust the leak engendered. Justice Clarence Thomas spoke in even starker terms about the leak’s effect on the justices.“When you lose that trust, especially in the institution that I’m in, it changes the institution fundamentally. You begin to look over your shoulder. It’s like kind of an infidelity that you can explain it, but you can’t undo it,” he said while speaking at a conference in Dallas less than two weeks after the leak became public.The leak itself sparked protests and round-the-clock security at justices’ homes. Alito said it made the conservative justices who were thought to be in favor of overturning Roe v. Wade “targets for assassination” that “gave people a rational reason to think they could prevent that from happening by killing one of us.”In early June, a man carrying a gun, a knife and zip ties was arrested near Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s house in Maryland after threatening to kill the justice. The man told police he was upset by the leaked draft.Responding to protests outside the court, officials ringed the building with hard-to-climb fencing, the same barrier that was in place for months following the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol.When the final decision was released on June 24, it was remarkably similar to the draft that was leaked. Alito, Thomas, Gorsuch, Kavanaugh and Justice Amy Coney Barrett voted to overturn Roe.Speculation has swirled since the draft’s release about who might be the source. Only the justices, a small number of staff and the justices’ law clerks, young lawyers who spend a year at the court helping the justices with their work, would have had access to the document.Conservatives pointed fingers at the liberal side of the court, speculating that the leaker was someone upset about the outcome. Liberals suggested it could be someone on the conservative side of the court who wanted to ensure a wavering justice didn’t switch sides.It would have taken just one conservative justice to side with Roberts to alter the decision. Instead of overturning Roe entirely, Roberts favored weakening abortion rights.