US student's lawyer challenges murder charge
Legal World
A drunken American university student challenged a murder charge Monday after being accused of causing the crash of a Hong Kong taxi and death of its driver before commandeering the vehicle and slamming it into another cab.
Prosecutors said California State University, Chico student Kelsey Michael Mudd was more than three times over the legal alcohol limit on the day of the June 27 accident. They have yet to spell out their case in court, but the murder charge suggests they believe Mudd caused the accident.
The South China Morning Post newspaper reported earlier that Mudd was arguing with his driver before the crash.
Mudd's lawyer, Ian Polson, argued in court that the crash "always was and is a traffic accident," arguing there was no evidence that Mudd, 22, was behind the wheel during the accident that killed the driver.
"It's been blown all out of proportion," Polson told Acting Principal Magistrate Bina Chainrai.
Polson told reporters after Monday's brief hearing that the alcohol test results are irrelevant because there is no evidence that Mudd was driving.
Mudd, who has not entered a plea, appeared in court with his hair shortly cropped and wearing a dark blue suit jacket over a checkered dress shirt and khaki pants. He did not show any emotion, but briefly glanced to the back of the courtroom, where his parents and friends were seated.
He was remanded into custody after Chainrai adjourned his case to Aug. 28 to allow more time for prosecutors to investigate. Polson said he plans to file a bail application in the coming weeks.
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Grounds for Divorce in Ohio - Sylkatis Law, LLC
A divorce in Ohio is filed when there is typically “fault” by one of the parties and party not at “fault” seeks to end the marriage. A court in Ohio may grant a divorce for the following reasons:
• Willful absence of the adverse party for one year
• Adultery
• Extreme cruelty
• Fraudulent contract
• Any gross neglect of duty
• Habitual drunkenness
• Imprisonment in a correctional institution at the time of filing the complaint
• Procurement of a divorce outside this state by the other party
Additionally, there are two “no-fault” basis for which a court may grant a divorce:
• When the parties have, without interruption for one year, lived separate and apart without cohabitation
• Incompatibility, unless denied by either party
However, whether or not the the court grants the divorce for “fault” or not, in Ohio the party not at “fault” will not get a bigger slice of the marital property.