Death penalty upheld for Ohio man who fatally shot couple

Legal Compliance

The Ohio Supreme Court has upheld the death penalty for a man who shot and killed a couple whose house and dog he was caring for while they were away on vacation.

Death row inmate George Brinkman pleaded guilty to the 2017 deaths of Rogell and Roberta John and was sentenced to death by a three-judge Stark County panel.

The state Supreme Court on Thursday rejected arguments by Brinkman’s attorneys that he should be spared because of childhood abuse he suffered and mental health issues. They said those factors along with remorse he’s shown for the killings don’t outweigh the brutal nature of the attack.

The court also rejected claims that Brinkman wasn’t fully informed by his attorneys and the trial judge about his ability to withdraw his guilty plea.

Brinkman is awaiting a new trial in that case after the state Supreme Court threw out his conviction and death sentence, saying a three-judge panel failed to inform him about his right to question witnesses.

Brinkman, 50, also received a death sentence for the killings in Cuyahoga County of a woman and her two adult daughters the day before the Johns were slain.

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USCIS Adjusting Premium Processing Fee

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today it is adjusting the premium processing fee for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers beginning on Oct. 1, 2018 to more effectively adjudicate petitions and maintain effective service to petitioners.

The premium processing fee will increase to $1,410, a 14.92 percent increase (after rounding) from the current fee of $1,225. This increase, which is done in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, represents the percentage change in inflation since the fee was last increased in 2010 based on the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers.

“Because premium processing fees have not been adjusted since 2010, our ability to improve the adjudications and service processes for all petitioners has been hindered as we’ve experienced significantly higher demand for immigration benefits. Ultimately, adjusting the premium processing fee will allow us to continue making necessary investments in staff and technology to administer various immigration benefit requests more effectively and efficiently,” said Chief Financial Officer Joseph Moore. “USCIS will continue adjudicating all petitions on a case-by-case basis to determine if they meet all standards required under applicable law, policies, and regulations.”

Premium processing is an optional service that is currently authorized for certain petitioners filing Forms I-129 or I-140. The system allows petitioners to request 15-day processing of certain employment-based immigration benefit requests if they pay an extra fee. The premium processing fee is paid in addition to the base filing fee and any other applicable fees, which cannot be waived.