Alabama

Ten Commandments judge begins appeal

Roy Moore, ousted from the Alabama Supreme Court for refusing to move a Ten Commandments monument, filed a notice of appeal Wednesday with the state Supreme Court and asked a former colleague to step down from the case.

The Alabama Court of the Judiciary removed Moore from office Nov. 13 for refusing to obey a federal court order to remove the granite monument he had installed in the state Judicial Building’s public rotunda.

The notice of appeal precedes the full appeal, which Moore was expected to file later this month to the court where he served for three years and was the chief justice.

In a separate motion Wednesday, Moore asked that acting Chief Justice Gorman Houston step down because of statements Houston has made to the media about the case.

Baltimore

Police chief resigns after being indicted

Maryland’s police superintendent resigned Wednesday after being indicted on charges of spending charity money on extramarital affairs and personal trips while he was Baltimore’s police commissioner.

Edward Norris will be re-instated if he is cleared of the charges, said Gov. Robert Ehrlich, who accepted the resignation.

Indicted with Norris on Tuesday was his former chief of staff in Baltimore, John Stendrini. They are accused of misusing more than $20,000 between May 2000 and August 2002 from an account created from three Depression-era charity funds set up to benefit police officers. The indictment was unsealed Wednesday.

U.S. Atty. Thomas DiBiagio said the pair used police officers to “transport female companions in connection with romantic encounters” between Norris and at least six women.

Illinois

Couple charged in children’s drownings

A woman and her boyfriend were charged with first-degree murder Wednesday in the deaths of her three children, who drowned when their car plunged into a lake in September in what initially looked like a tragic accident.

Sheriff Roger Massey would not say how the car went down a boat ramp into Clinton Lake, killing the 6-year-old, 3-year-old and toddler inside.

Massey said authorities know what the motive was, but he would not provide details other than to say it did not involve life-insurance money.

Maurice Lagrone Jr., 28, and Amanda Hamm, 27, were each charged with three counts of first-degree murder for each death, Massey said. They were arrested Tuesday and were being held on $5 million bail.

Deputies arrived at the lake in central Illinois on Sept. 2 within five minutes of receiving a 911 call from Hamm saying her children were in the water.