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John K. Fanney Joins DeMent Askew LLP

The law firm of DeMent Askew announces that Criminal Law Attorney John K. Fanney has joined its Raleigh, N.C., office.

Raleigh, NC (Vocus/PRWEB) February 15, 2011

The law firm of DeMent Askew announces that Criminal Law Attorney John K. Fanney has joined its Raleigh, N.C., office.

has nearly 21 years of experience and is admitted to the North Carolina, U.S. District & Court of Appeals, and Eastern District North Carolina bars.John Fanney has been named in SuperLawyers and recognized by Martindale Hubbell Peer Review Ratings. He is also a Board Certified Specialist in both state and federal criminal law, State Delegate to the National College for DUI Defense (NCDD) and a frequent speaker at DWI seminars around North Carolina. He merges his successful criminal law practice with DeMent Askew, an established AV-rated law firm.

DeMent Criminal Law Group is led by Rusty DeMent, who’s attained an AV rating with Martindale-Hubbell and was named to Business N.C.'s Legal Elite for criminal law. The addition of Fanney solidifies DeMent Askew as a leading . In addition to their prowess in criminal law, DWI and traffic violations, the firm is also accomplished in civil litigation, personal injury,and real estate.

“We are pleased and excited to have John Fanney join our firm.We’re looking forward to adding his expertise to the services we offer our clients,” says Rusty DeMent.

About DeMent Askew LLP

DeMent Askew, LLP was founded in 1968 by Russell W. DeMent, Jr. and quickly established a reputation for unwavering trial advocacy.Thenow boasts seven attorneys, five partners and two associates, and an exceptionally experienced and professional staff. They stand ready to protect their clients’ rights in civil and criminal litigation in North Carolina’s state and federal courts.

Attorneys at the law firm of DeMent Askew offer legal counsel primarily in the following areas: Criminal defenseDWI/TrafficPersonal injuryCivil litigation

DeMent Askew is proud that the majority of their new clients are referred to them by former, satisfied clients and other law firms in NC.In most cases, they offer free initial consultations so clients can quickly find out what their rights are, and what they can do to help.

Founded in 1968, the lawyers at DeMent Askew, LLP are confident that our exceptional law firm & litigation team can help you find the right solution to your legal problem.For more information about the firm, please go toor call 919-833-5555.

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Rusty DeMent, PartnerDeMent Askew919-833-5555Email Information

Jury convicts man in 3rd Ohio tub drowning trial

LEBANON, Ohio – A man found guilty of murder in his third trial over his wife's bathtub drowning buried his face in his hands as he heard the verdict Tuesday and continued to maintain his innocence, telling the judge he loved his wife and "would never have hurt her."

A Warren County jury deliberated about 12 hours over two days before convicting Ryan Widmer, who was in tears as the verdict was read. Judge Neal Bronson sentenced him to 15 years to life in prison.

"Judge, I did not do this," Widmer said, breathing heavily. "I don't know why this has to keep going on. I mean, my life has been ruined."

It was the second time Widmer was found guilty. The verdict from his first trial was thrown out over juror misconduct, and his second trial ended in a hung jury.

Defense attorneys didn't immediately comment on appeal plans or return an after-hours call seeking comment.

The couple had been married for about six months when she died. Ryan Widmer told a 911 dispatcher that his wife had fallen asleep in the bathtub.

Prosecutors in this trial for the first time had asked jurors to consider the lesser charge of involuntary manslaughter. The judge had instructed jurors that a murder conviction meant they believed Widmer purposely killed his 24-year-old wife, Sarah, in 2008. Involuntary manslaughter would mean they agreed that he assaulted his wife and caused her death but didn't mean to kill her.

Prosecutors had argued that bruises on his wife's neck supported their contention that Widmer killed his wife at their former Hamilton Township home by grabbing her and forcing her head underwater.

The defense attributed the bruising to rescue workers' efforts to revive her and said she may have suffered a medical problem before drowning.

Defense attorney Jay Clark said investigators made mistakes, took shortcuts and made assumptions, and he suggested that the death of an elderly woman in a bathtub under similar circumstances wouldn't have resulted in charges.

The trial featured a new prosecution witness, who testified that Ryan Widmer confessed to her in a phone call. Jennifer Crew, 36, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, testified that Widmer told her on Oct. 26, 2009, that he killed his wife after she said she was going to leave him. Crew said Widmer was crying and so upset he could barely talk.

Crew said she had never met Widmer in person but sent him e-mail and text messages because she thought he was innocent after she saw a "Dateline NBC" episode about the case that aired after Widmer's first trial.

The defense said the confession never happened, that Crew got information about the case from news media coverage, and then they called their own new witness. The woman, Melissa Waller, 29, who lives near Seattle, testified that she talked to Widmer three times on that night, Oct. 26, and that he never seemed drunk or so emotionally upset that he could hardly talk. Phone records showed her last conversation with Widmer that night ended six minutes before he talked with Crew.

Emergency responders, medical experts, friends and family also took the stand, and much of that testimony was repetitive of the first two trials.

Clinton puts U.S. focus on Egypt transition

MUNICH (Reuters) – The United States said on Saturday it backs Egypt's drive for orderly reforms to allow democratic elections in a sign of a new U.S. emphasis on gradual transition to resolve the crisis over President Hosni Mubarak's rule.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton threw her weight behind the reform effort launched by Mubarak's handpicked Vice President, Omar Suleiman, saying the government's fragile dialogue with the opposition must be given time to unfold or risk being derailed by radical forces.

"There are forces at work in any society, and particularly one that is facing these kinds of challenges, that will try to derail or overtake the process to pursue their own specific agenda," Clinton told a security conference in Munich.

"Which is why I think it's important to support the transition process announced by the Egyptian Government, actually headed by now Vice President Omar Suleiman."

Suleiman began meeting independent opposition figures on Saturday to go through various options, including a proposal for him to assume the president's powers for an interim period.

Vice President Joe Biden telephoned Suleiman on Saturday to ask about progress on the transition as well as to express concern over continued attacks on civil groups and detention of journalists, activists and human rights advocates, the White House said in a statement.

"He stressed the need for a concrete reform agenda, a clear timeline, and immediate steps that demonstrate to the public and the opposition that the Egyptian government is committed to reform," the statement said.

In one reform gesture, the leadership of Mubarak's ruling party quit on Saturday following 12 days of protests that have shaken Egypt to its core. But protesters dismissed the move as a ruse that would not deter them from their goal of ousting the president immediately.

U.S. officials said Clinton was not explicitly endorsing a future political role for Suleiman, Mubarak's long-time intelligence chief who is viewed skeptically by many in Egypt's opposition movement.

President Barack Obama himself has urged Mubarak to "make the right decision" and U.S. officials have over the past week indicated they believe his days in power may be numbered.

But Clinton, seeking to place renewed emphasis on the process of political transition, underscored the U.S. view that it will take both time and patience to lay the groundwork for truly democratic new elections to take place.

"Our view is the early discussions are the right thing for the government to have initiated and now the opposition should get involved in them to test the proposition that the government is serious," said one senior U.S. official.

Obama has repeatedly urged Mubarak to begin the transition immediately, and Clinton said she believed that this process was already under way and should be allowed time to mature.

"The principles are very clear, the operational details are very challenging," Clinton said on organizing future elections.

"President Mubarak has announced he will not stand for re-election, nor will his son," she said, noting that the government had also pledged constitutional reforms and allowing greater political participation.

"That is what the government has said it is trying to do, that is what we are supporting, and hope to see it move as orderly but as expeditiously as possible under the circumstances."

A BREATHER FOR MUBARAK?

The U.S. position was further clouded Saturday by comments from a retired U.S. diplomat who Obama sent as his envoy to speak to Mubarak. Frank Wisner told the Munich meeting by teleconference Mubarak should stay in place at least for now.

"We need to get a national consensus around the pre-conditions for the next step forward. The president must stay in office to steer those changes," Wisner said.

The State Department scrambled to distance itself from Wisner's remarks, saying it appreciated his work in Cairo but did not necessarily share his views on Mubarak's future.

"He has not continued in any official capacity following the trip. The views he expressed today are his own. He did not coordinate his comments with the U.S. government," State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said.

Egypt has dominated Clinton's schedule at the Munich conference, where she used her speech to warn that the broader Middle East faces a "perfect storm" of unrest unless regional leaders get cracking on political reforms.

Egypt has been a U.S. ally throughout Mubarak's 30-year tenure and it is strategically vital to American interests because of its peace treaty with Israel, control of the Suez Canal and steadfast opposition to militant Islam.

Washington's approach to the Egyptian crisis is also being closely watched by other U.S.-allied leaders in the region, ranging from oil giant Saudi Arabia to Yemen, now an important frontline state in the battle against al Qaeda.

The United States gives Egypt more than $1.3 billion a year in military aid, giving Washington political leverage, albeit limited.

(Editing by Diana Abdallah)

Indonesian disasters draw tourist dollars

KINAHREJO, Indonesia (AFP) – Javanese villagers who survived the violent eruptions of Mount Merapi volcano last year are tapping into the macabre market for disaster tourism to help rebuild their shattered lives.

Suwarni lost her house and father-in-law when the volcano burst into life in October and November, killing more than 350 people in searing rivers of lava, ash and gas that swept across the surrounding countryside.

Government assistance was scant and with little prospect of employment the 26-year-old mother started selling video CDs of the disaster to tourists who have been flocking to the mountain north of Yogyakarta.

"It's a strange feeling. I'm selling video CDs about my devastated home to tourists," Suwarni told AFP.

"I have no choice. Although it's difficult for me, I have to get over it and bring some money to my family."

Tourists from around Indonesia and the world have been coming to Merapi to see the devastation first-hand since the threat level was downgraded in December, officials said.

The eruptions were the biggest since 1872 and the 2,970-metre (9,740-foot) peak is still rumbling deep within its molten core. The official alert level now stands at "vigilant", but the eruptions have stopped.

Almost 400,000 people who spent weeks in emergency shelters have returned home, many finding nothing but ash or mud where their villages once stood.

The scene is still one of utter devastation, especially on the southern slopes where pyroclastic flows of gas and debris caused most of the destruction.

Burnt trees and car wrecks litter the area around Suwarni's village of Kinahrejo, about four kilometres (2.5 miles) from the summit. The once-picturesque village is gone, buried under a moonscape of black earth.

Suwarni's family kept dairy cows before the disaster. Now she sells her videos for about 40,000 rupiah ($4.40) each and makes just enough to get by.

Dutch tourist Hans Van Der Weide, 62, said he could barely believe how the landscape, once lush and green, had been transformed.

"I wanted to see the impact of the eruptions because I'd been here before... It's unbelievable that everything here has been destroyed," he said.

US geography student Kyle Miller, 21, said he didn't expect to see so many other tourists.

"I was surprised to see so many people on the mountain and walking around in the ruins... I saw what seemed to be thousands of people arriving to simply see an area of devastation," he said.

"I hope that the money being generated by parking fees, as well as souvenir and food sales, will somehow benefit the community and speed up the process of rebuilding the lives of the locals who lost so much."

Kinahrejo's most famous resident was Merapi's traditional "guardian", Grandfather Marijan.

The old man, appointed by the sultan of Yogyakarta to tend to the volcano's restive spirits, ignored warnings to evacuate his home and died in the first seconds of the first eruption. His sacrifice has become local legend.

One of his daughters, Panut, 59, now sells cigarettes, instant noodles and drinks to tourists.

Even before the eruptions, Marijan's house was a popular attraction for curious visitors. Panut said visitor numbers had tripled since his death as people come to pay their respects or simply gawk at the destruction.

"Although a lot of tourists come here I'm still poor because my house was destroyed," she said.

"The government has to give us new homes."

Indonesian day-tripper Cahyo Sunarko, 22, from the Javanese town of Magelang, said he was offended by tourists who came to Merapi only for leisure.

"You can see that everything here has been devastated. It's a perfect area for reflection that God can take away anything in seconds," the student said.

Merapi is not the only disaster zone in Indonesia that is popular with tourists.

The mud volcano known as "Lusi" also attracts a lot of visitors to Sidoarjo district in East Java province, where the geyser began oozing from the bowels of the earth on May 29, 2006.

The mud -- a hot, bubbling, grey substance the consistency of wet concrete -- has already wiped out 12 villages, killed 13 people and displaced more than 42,000.

Bond-X Green®, the Environmentally Friendly Cold Patch Asphalt Repair Product, is Now Available for West Coast Consumers

NuGeneration Technologies (NuGenTec) announced today their first bulk manufacturing of Bond-X Green® on the West Coast.

Emeryville, California (PRWEB) February 1, 2011

NuGeneration Technologies (NuGenTec) announced today their first bulk manufacturing of Bond-X Green® on the West Coast.Bond-X Green® is a breakthrough in the cold asphalt industry since the product contains none of the petroleum based softeners such as diesel, toluene, kerosene, and naphthalene used in traditional asphalt that includes VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). Without sacrificing quality or increasing costs, Bond-X Green® is the ideal green solution for making roads safer, smoother and less dangerous, quickly and efficiently.Produced at the BoDean Asphalt Company in Santa Rosa, the 400 tons of the environmentally friendly cold patch asphalt repair product is ready for consumption by all organizations committed to green repair technology and VOC compliance.This first production run of Bond-X Green® is one of the many scheduled as NuGenTec introduces this green and economical cold patch asphalt repair solution to the western United States.

Bond-X Green® contains zero VOCs and is manufactured at a much lower temperature than the conventional mix, which reduces fuel consumption.Furthermore, the manufacturing process involves the use of only renewable resources with long-term sustainability as well as recyclable packaging for distribution in order to achieve a significant reduction in its overall carbon footprint.With the recently more stringent EPA and California Air Quality Management (AQMD) regulations for VOC emissions, switching to Bond-X Green® allows cities and municipalities not only to meet all regulatory standards but also exceed them substantially.Simply put, Bond-X Green® is a natural solution for compliance with California VOC regulation AQMD 1152, since it is the only cold patch product with zero VOC emissions in the market.

Given the ever-increasing environmental and health concerns of businesses, governments, organizations, and consumers, Bond-X Green® represents the only viable solution as the asphalt repair product for safer, smoother, and less dangerous roads.The product can be used to repair dangerous potholes, wide cracks, ruts, etc. within minutes on both concrete and asphalt pavements, regardless of weather conditions.Repaired areas can also be open to traffic immediately after application. In addition, Bond-X Green® is a “permanent patch” solution and should remain in the repaired area indefinitely.Cities and municipalities would save considerable labor costs as workers will not be constantly repairing an area where other types of asphalt mix were used previously.

NuGenTec offers Bond-X Green® in bulk quantities and in 60-lb bags. The company has multiple distribution points throughout California and the entire West Coast. Interested parties wishing to purchase or distribute Bond-X Green® are encouraged to contact NuGenTec at 1-800-409-3142.

About NuGeneration Technologies

NuGeneration Technologies (NuGenTec) supplies advanced green solutions to customers in high-tech, medical device, biotech, government, and semi-conductor industries. NuGenTec’s new Bond-X Green® high performance cold patch and USDA BIO-Based line are industry leaders in the quest for greener and more earth-friendly products. The company, founded in 1997, has its headquarters and R&D Labs in Emeryville, CA. It provides over 600 products and develops customized solutions for its customers with its focus on scientific and technological breakthroughs. NuGenTec employees include highly qualified and experienced chemists and engineers. Its business philosophy adapts Total Process Integration through specialty-formulated chemistries and the management team is dedicated to the innovation of new green products and processes with more than 175 years of combined experience in the specialty chemistry industry.

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Donato PolignoneNuGeneration Technologies1-888-996-8436Email Information