Justices toss award to child porn victim
WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a plea to make it easier for victims of child pornography to collect money from people who view their images online, throwing out a nearly $3.4 million judgment in favor of a woman whose childhood rape has been widely seen on the Internet. Two dissenting justices said Congress should change the law to benefit victims.
The justices said in a 5-4 ruling that a 1994 federal law gives victims the right to seek restitution from offenders, but only to the extent that the victim’s losses are tied to the offenders’ actions.
In this case, Doyle Randall Paroline was held liable by a federal appeals court for the entire amount of the woman’s losses, though his computer contained just two images of her, among more than 150 illicit photographs.
Justice Anthony Kennedy said for the court that the appellate judges went too far when they said that Paroline was responsible for all of the woman’s losses, without determining how much harm he caused her.
Convicted soldier gets OK to change name
LEAVENWORTH, Kan. – An Army private convicted of providing classified documents to WikiLeaks won an initial victory Wednesday toward living as a woman when a Kansas judge granted a petition to change her name to Chelsea Elizabeth Manning.
The decision clears the way for official changes to Manning’s military records, but does not compel the military to treat the soldier previously known as Bradley Edward Manning as a woman.
That includes not being moved from the U.S. Disciplinary Barracks at Fort Leavenworth, where Manning is serving a 35-year prison sentence, to a prison with a women’s unit.
Groups accuse Syria of using poison gas
BEIRUT – Syrian government forces have attacked rebel-held areas with poisonous chlorine gas in recent weeks and months, leaving men, women and children coughing, choking and gasping for breath, according to Associated Press interviews with more than a dozen activists, medics and residents on the opposition side.
Syria flatly denied the allegations, and they have yet to be confirmed by any foreign country or international organization.
Hagel looks to increase U.S. ties with Mexico
MEXICO CITY – U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said Wednesday he is exploring ways to deepen U.S.-Mexican defense ties, including the possibility of training exercises with Mexican forces.
Hagel made the comment Wednesday to reporters traveling with him to Mexico City for talks Thursday with his Mexican and Canadian counterparts.
Military relations between the U.S. and Mexico have long been troubled, beginning with Mexico’s loss of territory to the U.S. in the 1800s.
Associated Press
