GREG BLUESTEIN

Associated Press
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Hustler targeted for printing photos of dead woman

Hustler Magazine argued Wednesday in a federal appeals court that its decision to publish nude photos of a model months after she was killed by her wrestler husband was protected by the First Amendment because she was a newsworthy figure.

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Judges weigh HIV-infected man's fight to get job

A panel of federal judges appeared skeptical Wednesday of the Atlanta police department's decision to reject a job application from an HIV-infected man.

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Autopsy: Ga child killer hanged self in prison

A 20-year-old maintenance man who had just begun a life sentence for molesting and killing a 7-year-old north Georgia girl used his sweat shirt to hang himself in his prison cell, according to autopsy results released Friday.

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Ga. student accused of spying has no regrets

As a trilingual ex-Israeli soldier, Ilan Grapel was an adventurous law school student in Georgia. He took an internship in Egypt last summer to offer legal help to asylum seekers, and he heard stories of people being held captive by secret police. He never thought he would have a similar experience.

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Jimmy Carter's latest book offers lessons in faith

Jimmy Carter may never have been president if he didn't go square dancing.

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Carter's advice to Obama: Don't alienate voters

Former President Jimmy Carter has some advice for Barack Obama as he gears up for the 2012 election: Don't alienate voters with controversial positions.

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US police fatalities up 13 percent in 2011 to 173

One Oregon police chief was killed when a man allegedly took the officer's gun and shot him in the head. A policeman in Arizona was fatally shot when he went to a suburban Phoenix apartment complex to help a probation officer. And two South Dakota officers were killed in a shootout after a traffic stop.

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Serial killer blamed for 1974 killing of Ga. girl

Georgia investigators used DNA and other evidence to link the slaying of a 13-year-old girl who went missing in 1974 with a serial killer who was blamed for murdering at least 18 people, authorities said Wednesday.

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Powerful Ga. judge facing ethics probe to resign

A powerful south Georgia judge will resign rather than answer damaging accusations that she abused her authority by indefinitely jailing defendants, allowed family members to appear in cases before her and other "tyrannical" behavior, state officials said Tuesday.

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European Union restricts sale of execution drugs

The European Union said Tuesday it would place new restrictions on the sale of lethal injection drugs to countries that have yet to abolish capital punishment in a move that could worsen a supply shortage that has already delayed some U.S. executions.

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US official charged with bribery to plead guilty

An attorney for a high-ranking Department of Defense employee charged with taking a bribe to steer federal contracts for work in Afghanistan to a contractor says he's set to plead guilty.

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Accused leader of Ga. terror plot seeks release

The 73-year-old Georgia man accused of masterminding a plot to buy explosives and weapons to target government officials asked a judge to release him on bond because he said federal charges accusing him of being a domestic terrorist are "overblown."

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Court reviews Ga. firing of transgender woman

A former Georgia state legislative aide who was fired amid her sex change said she was encouraged Thursday after several federal appeals court judges suggested they could rule in her favor.

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Differing laws on trafficking impede US crackdown

A new report says 41 states have failed to adopt strong penalties against human trafficking, and advocates say a patchwork of differing state laws makes it difficult for authorities to target the crime.

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Ga. counseling student in court over view on gays

An attorney for a graduate school counseling student told federal judges in Atlanta on Tuesday that the student's First Amendment rights were violated when professors at a Georgia university sought to punish her for her biblical views on gay rights.

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11th Circuit upholds strict Ga. execution standard

Death penalty defendants in Georgia will have to prove they are mentally disabled beyond a reasonable doubt to avoid execution, the most stringent legal standard in the nation, a federal appeals court ruled Tuesday.

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Lawsuit: Ga. man fired for refusing to wear '666'

A Georgia factory worker claims in a federal lawsuit that he was fired after he refused to wear a `666' sticker he feared would doom him to eternal damnation.

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Judge: 4 Ga. terror suspects could pose threat

A federal judge has denied bond for the four elderly Georgia men accused of plotting terror attacks against government officials, saying in an order filed this week that there was no other way to "reasonably assure the safety of the community."

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Ga. militia plot suspects ask judge to be released

The four members of a Georgia militia who are charged with plotting attacks with toxins and explosives against government officials are making a final plea to a federal judge to be released on bond.

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Blogger talks of book that inspired alleged terror

On his website, militia leader-turned-blogger Mike Vanderboegh writes about fed-up Americans responding to government violence with guns and grenades. It's an attempt to warn the government that people are armed and angry, he says, just like last year when he urged those upset with President Barack Obama's health care plan to toss bricks at Democratic Party offices.

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Former CEO accused of targeting churchgoers

With confidence and zeal, Ephren Taylor riveted audiences at mostly black churches with a list of his impressive accomplishments and an uncanny business sense. He had the blessing of top clergy as he gave financial seminars from the pulpit on Sundays, promising rock-solid investments — only many of the churchgoers said they haven't seen a dime.

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State budget cuts clog criminal justice system

Prosecutors are forced to ignore misdemeanor violations to pursue more serious crimes. Judges are delaying trials to cope with layoffs and strained staffing levels. And in some cases, those charged with violent crimes, even murder, are set free because caseloads are too heavy to ensure they receive a speedy trial.

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Court blocks Ala. from checking student status

Armando Cardenas says he has thought about leaving Alabama because of the possibility of being arrested as an illegal immigrant and the hostility he feels from residents.

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Court blocks Ala. from checking student status

In a blow to Alabama's toughest-in-the-nation immigration law, a federal appeals court sided with the Obama administration Friday when it blocked public schools from checking the immigration status of students.

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Court blocks Ala. from checking student status

A federal appeals court on Friday blocked a key part of Alabama's law that requires schools to check the immigration status of students, temporarily weakening what was considered the toughest immigration law in the nation.

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