MOUNT CLEMENS, Mich. - A judge removed a juror from a trial in suburban Detroit after the young woman wrote on Facebook that the defendant was guilty. The problem? The trial wasn't over.

Hadley Jons, of Warren just north of Detroit, could be found in contempt when she returns to the Macomb County circuit court Thursday.

Jons, 20, was a juror in a case of resisting arrest. On Aug. 11, a day off from the trial and before the prosecution finished its case, she wrote on Facebook that it was "gonna be fun to tell the defendant they're guilty."

The post was discovered by defense lawyer Saleema Sheikh's son.

Circuit Judge Diane Druzinski confronted Jons the next day and replaced her with an alternate.

"You don't know how disturbing this is," Druzinski said, according to The Macomb Daily.

A message seeking comment was left for Jons on Monday.

"I would like to see her get some jail time, nothing major, a few hours or overnight," Sheikh said. "This is the jury system. People need to know how important it is."

Sheikh's son, Jaxon Goodman, discovered the comment while checking jurors' names on the Internet. He works in his mother's law office.

"I'm really proud of him," Sheikh said.

Without Jons, the jury convicted Sheikh's client of a felony but couldn't agree on a separate misdemeanor charge.

Read more: http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2010/08/30/20100830facebook-post-gets-detroit-juror-in-hot-water30-ON.html#ixzz0y8EwolBN

The Giants say the third-round draft pick from LSU was scheduled to be released from the Hospital for Special Surgery in Manhattan on Tuesday morning to return to home.

Jones was transferred to the hospital after suffering serious injuries to his left leg and ankle in an early morning car accident in New Orleans.

Jones has undergone several surgeries both in New Orleans and New York since the accident. He plans to rest and recuperate in New Orleans before returning to New York in several weeks and undergoing further surgery.

http://www.azfamily.com/sports/national/99316439.html

The 71-year-old woman’s name has not being released because her family has not been notified.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/local/Elderly-woman-killed-in-red-light-running-crash-in-Phoenix-99178799.html

The Brooklyn district attorney's office says Officer Louis Ramos was charged Tuesday with assault, reckless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

According to a criminal complaint, Ramos hit the cyclist June 14. The complaint says Ramos got out of the car, pulled the cyclist to the curb, handed him a tissue and then drove off without reporting it or calling an ambulance.

The accident was captured on surveillance cameras.

Ramos has pleaded not guilty. He has been suspended without pay. The Patrolmen's Benevolent Association declined to comment.

The cyclist was treated for cuts, bruises and a fractured wrist.

Read the article

Lexus says about 137,000 vehicles in the U.S. could be affected by potential engine problems with cars produced by Toyota.  They are among 270,000 cars sold worldwide that could stall while the vehicle is moving causing major accidents and serious injuries. Lexus says it has not received any reports of accidents or injuries related to the issue.

Lexus general manager Mark Templin says the affected vehicles have some contaminated materials used for valve springs in the engine, which could cause abnormal noises or rough idling. In extreme cases the engine could stall and drivers would likely hear noises or idling before the vehicle stalled.

Toyota is still dealing with fallout from its recall of 8.5 million vehicles because of sticking accelerator pedals and pedals that can get trapped in floor mats.

An event that she says has filled her with guilt her whole life, former First Lady Laura Bush reflects with Oprah Winfrey about the November 1963 car crash in Midland, Texas, that killed her high school friend.

Mrs. Bush opens up about the accident, saying it occurred when she was rushing to a drive-in movie and ran a stop sign, hitting the car of her school's star athlete, Mike Douglas. Douglas passed away following the collision.

The former first lady tells Oprah that the accident was never talked about and that she never spoke with the Douglas family again. "I wanted to go to the funeral but I could tell my parents didn't want me to go," Mrs. Bush disclosed. "I felt guilty for my whole life."

She continued, "You can move on ... but you can never forget."

Mrs. Bush's memoir Spoken from the Heart is out on bookshelves today.
http://www.etonline.com/news/2010/05/86735/index.html

(Reuters) - Whirlpool Corp is recalling 1.7 million dishwashers sold at its U.S. stores from February 2006 through April 2010 due to a potential fire hazard.

The recall, made by the company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, covers Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana, Admiral, Magic Chef, Performa by Maytag and Crosley branded dishwashers.

An electrical failure in the dishwasher's heating element could pose a serious fire hazard, the top appliance maker said in a statement on Thursday.

The company received 12 reports of dishwasher heating element failures that resulted in fires. No injuries have been reported.

The affected units were sold at various U.S. stores for between $250 and $900.

Whirlpool spokeswoman Jill Saletta said in an email the company has already set aside $75 million to address any potential costs from the recall.

In a regulatory filing in April, the company had warned about a potential charge due to "a corrective action to address a supplier-related quality and potential product safety issue."

Whirlpool shares were down 3 percent at $100.54 on Thursday afternoon.

DETROIT — Chrysler is recalling nearly 600,000 minivans and Jeep Wranglers because of brake or wiring problems that could create safety issues and possibly fatal accidents, the company and federal regulators said Monday.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said on its website the automaker is recalling 288,968 Jeep Wranglers from the 2006 through 2010 model years due to a potential brake fluid leak.

It also is recalling 284,831 Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country minivans from the 2008 and 2009 model years because a wiring problem can cause a fire inside the sliding doors.

Neither problem has caused any crashes or injuries, according to Chrysler Group LLC.

On the Jeeps, the front inner fender liners can rub against the brake fluid tubes and cause a leak. NHTSA says the leak could lead to a partial brake loss.

The minivans can have improperly placed wires that can come into contact with sliding door hinges. That could cut through the insulation and in rare cases cause a fire inside the door, Chrysler and NHTSA said.

Chrysler will notify owners and dealers about the repairs, which will be made free of charge. The recall is expected to start later this month. The Wranglers affected by the recall were made from May 15, 2006 through Aug. 9, 2010, according to NHTSA. The minivans were made from February 2007 through September 2007.

http://www.azfamily.com/news/Chrysler-recalling-about-600000-Jeeps-minivans-95776219.html

Long-term exposure to the substance can lead to “adverse health effects,” said the Consumer Protection Safety Commission (CPSC) in a statement.

If you have one of the 16-ounce glasses, which came in four versions emblazoned with designs of Shrek, Fiona, Puss n’ Boot,s and Donkey, you should stop using it immediately, the CPSC warns. Customers can obtain full refunds by visiting the company's website .

The recall originated with an anonymous tip last week. The tipster warned Rep. Jackie Speier (D) of California that the glasses contained cadmium. Her office contacted the CPSC, and the glasses were sent for testing.

“Our children’s health should not depend on the consciences of anonymous sources," said Representative Speier in a statement. "Although McDonald’s did the right thing by recalling these products, we need stronger testing standards to ensure that all children’s products are proven safe before they hit the shelves."

Speier is calling for tougher safety standards for children's products.

No injuries resulting from the glasses have been reported. For additional information, contact McDonald’s at (800) 244-6227 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. central time Monday through Friday.

Article: http://www.csmonitor.com/Money/new-economy/2010/0604/Shrek-glass-recall-Toxic-cadmium-found-on-glasses

Cell Phones, Text Messaging, and Car Accident Information for All Drivers

• Talking on a cell phone causes nearly 25% of car accidents.
• One-fifth of experienced adult drivers in the United State send text messages while driving
• In 2008 almost 6,000 people were killed and a half-million were injured in crashes related to driver distraction.
• At any given time during daylight hours in 2008, more than 800,000 vehicles were driven by someone using a hand-held cell phone.
• 4 out of every 5 accidents (80%) are attributed to distracted drivers. In contrast, drunk drivers account for roughly 1 out of 3 (33%) of all accidents nationally.
• Texting while driving is about 6 times more likely to result in an accident than driving while intoxicated.
• People who text while driving are 23% more likely to be in a car accident.
• A study of dangerous driver behavior released in January 2007 by Nationwide Mutual Insurance Co. found that of 1,200 surveyed drivers, 73% talk on cell phones while driving. The same 2007 survey found that 19% of motorists say they text message while driving.
• In 2005, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration found that 10% of drivers are on handheld or hands free cell phones at any given hour of the day.
• A study conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Motorists found that motorists who use cell phones while driving are four times more likely to get into crashes serious enough to injure themselves.
• In 2002, the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis calculated that 2,600 people die each year as a result of using cellphones while driving. They estimated that another 330,000 are injured.
• According to the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, drivers talking on cell phones are 18% slower to react to brake lights. They also take 17% longer to regain the speed they lost when they braked
• Of cell phone users that were surveyed, 85% said they use their phones occasionally when driving, 30% use their phones while driving on the highway, and 27% use them during half or more of the trips they take.
• 84% of cell phone users stated that they believe using a cell phone while driving increases the risk of being in an accident.
• The majority of Americans believe that talking on the phone and texting are two of the most dangerous behaviors that occur behind the wheel. Still, as many as 81% of drivers admit to making phone calls while driving.
• The number of crashes and near-crashes linked to dialing is nearly identical to the number associated with talking or listening. Dialing is more dangerous but occurs less often than talking or listening.
• Studies have found that texting while driving causes a 400% increase in time spent with eyes off the road.

Surgery complications left a 53 year old Harford County women a paraplegic.  She was awarded a $3.5 million medical malpractice verdict on Thursday against two surgeons and their business, Vascular Surgery Associates. 

Victoria Little underwent surgery for blocked arteries in 2007, with disastrous results, according to her Baltimore attorneys. She filed a lawsuit in Harford County Circuit Court in 2008. And Thursday, after nine hours of deliberation, a civil jury held two doctors responsible for Little's injuries: Dr. Roger E. Schneider, chairman of Upper Chesapeake Health System, and his partner, Dr. Mark D. Gonze.

Little's lawyers, James Cardea and Scott Kurlander, claim that the doctors used an improper grafting technique. They say that led to blood loss and various injuries, including damage to Little's spinal cord, which left Little paraplegic and unable to walk.