Crime and Courts

Washoe County Judge Bridget Robb, 63, abruptly retired and withdrew from a re‑election bid days after a Nevada court granted a temporary protective order to Reno attorney Kelci Binau, who accuses Robb of stalking her for more than a year. Court documents describe dozens of alleged encounters at Binau’s homes, workplaces and a fitness studio, with police surveillance reportedly catching Robb loitering near a gym and later pulling her over as she drove repeated 'routine' circuits. After the order was issued, Chief District Judge Egan Walker removed Robb from all cases and committees, and the Second Judicial District Court opened an internal investigation while Reno police continue their probe. Binau says Robb ignored multiple requests to stop and alleges the judge admitted during a body‑cam‑recorded interview that she was following the attorney, which Robb framed as 'collecting information' tied to a past relationship. A February 13 hearing will determine whether to extend the protective order, and no criminal charges have been announced so far.

Lafayette police say Tippecanoe Superior Court Judge Steven Meyer and his wife, Kimberly, were shot inside their Mill Pond Lane home after an assailant knocked, said “We have your dog,” and fired through the front door around 2:15 p.m.; both were wounded (Meyer in the arm, his wife in the hip) and remain hospitalized in stable condition, and police say there were no prior recorded threats or 911 calls from the address. A multi‑agency manhunt involving Lafayette PD, Indiana State Police, the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office, West Lafayette PD, the Tippecanoe County prosecutor and the FBI is ongoing with no arrests, suspect description or motive released; Kimberly Meyer and local leaders have publicly thanked investigators and responders, and the attack has drawn attention in part because Meyer presided over the high‑profile Natalia Grace case.

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office in Florida arrested 81‑year‑old Elouise Ruth Leland of Hernando on Friday, charging her with solicitation to commit first‑degree murder after investigators say she tried to hire a killer and laid out the plan to an undercover detective posing as a hitman. Detectives opened the case earlier this month after receiving confidential information that Leland was actively seeking someone to carry out a killing, then arranged and recorded a meeting at which she allegedly discussed details and agreed to pay for the murder. After the meeting, investigators obtained a warrant and took her into custody without incident; she is being held without bond at the Citrus County Detention Facility. Authorities say they have identified no co‑conspirators, have notified the intended victim, and believe there is no ongoing danger. The sheriff publicly credited quick work by his Criminal Investigations Division and assistance from the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office with preventing a "senseless" killing, while local coverage notes Leland previously drew attention in 2025 when 90 dogs were seized from her home in an animal‑cruelty case.

A Sedgwick County District Court judge in Wichita, Kansas has ruled that former television news anchor Angelynn “Angie” Mock, 48, is not mentally competent to stand trial on a first-degree murder charge in the stabbing death of her 80-year-old mother, Anita Avers, on Oct. 31, 2025. Judge Jeffrey Goering ordered Mock committed to a state psychiatric hospital for further evaluation and treatment and stayed the criminal proceedings until she is deemed competent. Police previously said they found Avers with multiple stab wounds in the home she shared with Mock and that Mock, who had cuts on her hands, made statements indicating she believed her mother was the devil and told authorities she stabbed her “to save herself.” Court records cited in the article say Mock had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and suffered from delusions and depression. The Sedgwick County District Attorney’s Office emphasized that a finding of incompetency neither dismisses the case nor results in Mock’s release; the prosecution can resume if doctors later determine she understands the proceedings and can assist in her defense.

A New York judge sentenced 46‑year‑old Daniel Hyden to 24 years to life in prison for driving drunk into a July 4, 2024 barbecue at Corlears Hook Park in Manhattan, killing four people and injuring seven others. Prosecutors said Hyden, a substance‑abuse counselor who had written a book on addiction, was intoxicated when his Ford F‑150 jumped a curb, tore through a chain‑link fence and plowed into families gathered for a holiday picnic, stopping only when bodies were trapped underneath. He was convicted in a non‑jury trial of murder, aggravated vehicular homicide and related charges after evidence showed he accelerated through a stop sign and a construction zone and did not hit the brakes until half a second before impact. In court, Hyden called the crash an "accident" and linked his relapse to his sister’s death in a separate drunk‑driving case, while survivors and victims’ relatives said he had shown no real remorse and that the sentence offers only limited closure. The case underscores persistent concerns about repeat impairment, failures to intervene before dangerous drivers get back behind the wheel, and the use of severe homicide charges in egregious DUI fatalities.