Death of Singer Sean Levert Encourages New Jail Drug Policy

The death of the singer Sean Levert has encouraged a proposed new policy that provides more flexibility in giving inmates their anti-anxiety medication. Levert died on March 30th of 2008 after becoming sick at a county jail in Cleveland, OH and was not given the Xanax prescription that he had brought to the jail after he was sentenced for not paying child support. The jail administrator and a jail doctor proposed the policy to allow inmates to get their prescription medication as soon as their prescriptions are verified.

Online Church Collections

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese church in Cincinnati, Ohio has made online collections an option for its 230 parishes and 110 parochial and diocesan schools in their 19 county region. They want to make giving easier for people and for them to be more regular in giving to the church. They will still keep the collection basket during Mass. This change is suppose to go with the modern changes in society and technology and with less people carrying cash and more people using credit cards and ATM cards and the Internet to make transactions. Some churches around the nation already have ATMs placed inside their church.

Visit the Roman Catholic Archdiocese church Website: http://www.catholiccincinnati.org

Murder Victim's Father Chokes Killer in Courtroom

It is reported in Steubenville, OH that the father of a murder victim dived across the defense table and tried to choke his son’s killer in the courtroom.

A man by the name of Antonio Clifford had pleaded guilty to aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, and tampering with evidence in the shooting death of Joshua Ryan Sweat that took place in 2006. Joshua Sweat tried to buy drugs behind a bar when he was robbed and shot once in the back of the head and died later at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.

Before sentencing on Monday, August 6th, the judge allowed Sweat’s relatives to stand and read statements. The father approached Clifford and told him that he wanted to show him a picture. He then attacked Clifford and screamed obscenities at him while the police wrestled the father to the ground. The father will not be charged with anything. Clifford was sentenced to 33 years to life in prison and prosecutors chose not to give him the death penalty since he pleaded guilty.