Trial for Chandra Levy slaying suspect stays in DC
Headline Legal News
A judge has decided to keep the trial of a man charged in the killing of federal intern Chandra Levy in the District of Columbia.
Attorneys for 28-year-old Ingmar Guandique (gwan-DEE'-kay) had argued he would not get a fair trial in Washington because of the extensive publicity. But Judge Gerald Fisher denied a motion Friday to change the venue of Guandique's trial in October.
Levy disappeared in May 2001 and her remains were found a year later in Rock Creek Park. Guandique faces a first-degree murder charge in her death.
The judge still has to rule on another defense request to suppress statements Guandique made to authorities in 2008.
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Texas Adopts Statewide Texting-While-Driving Ban
Effective September 1, 2017, Texas will become the 47th state to pass a statewide ban on texting while driving. Governor Abbott’s signing of House Bill 62 is an effort to unify Texas under a uniform ban and remedy the “patchwork quilt of regulations that dictate driving practices in Texas.”
The bill specifically prohibits drivers from reading, writing, or sending an electronic message on a device unless the vehicle is stopped. That includes texting and emailing. It does not, however, prohibit dialing a number to call someone, talking on the phone using a hands-free device, or using the phone’s GPS system.
Violations would be punishable by a fine ranging from $25 to $99, to be set by each municipality. Although penalties could rise to as much as $200 for repeat offenders.
Studies have found that a driver’s reaction time is half as much when a driver is distracted by sending or reading a text message. According to state officials, in 2015 more than 105,000 traffic accidents in Texas involved distracted driving, leading to at least 476 fatalities.