Texas Headlines

VIOXX LITIGATION

Texas court scraps $26M verdict in Vioxx case

NEWARK, New Jersey (AP) - A Texas appeals court has scrapped a 26 million-dollar verdict against the drugmaker Merck stemming from the first trial involving its once popular painkiller Vioxx.

The 14th Court of Appeal in Houston found no evidence that Robert Ernst suffered a fatal heart problem from a blood clot triggered by Vioxx. He had been taking the now-withdrawn drug for eight months before being stricken in May 2001.

His widow had won a $253 million verdict against New Jersey-based Merck in 2005, but Texas punitive damage caps later cut that to about $26 million.

BLOCKBUSTER-CIRCUIT CITY

Blockbuster still considering Circuit City bid

NEW YORK (AP) - Dallas-based Blockbuster says it is still considering a possible acquisition of electronics retailer Circuit City.

Blockbuster's proposed takeover of Richmond, Virginia-based Circuit City was only mentioned briefly during the rental chain's annual meeting Wednesday.

Chairman and Chief Executive Jim Keyes said the company is still in the due diligence stage and did not disclose when a decision will be made on the bid of just over $1 billion.

Keyes said acquiring Circuit City would be an "accelerator" of the company's strategy to grow Blockbuster's core rental business and enhance its product offerings of movies, games and entertainment gadgets.

CIRCUIT CITY-INSTALLATION JOBS

Circuit City shrinks cable installation service business

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - Circuit City says it is cutting 123 employees nationally from a pilot program of its Firedog service business.

The cuts in Virginia, Texas, Georgia, Maryland and Massachusetts represent slightly more than 4 percent of the unit's work force of 3,000.

As part of an 18-month pilot program, the Richmond-based electronics retailer acted as a subcontractor for Charter Communications and Comcast. The cuts include installers and support staff.

Circuit City says the program was shut down because it did not meet goals or expectations.

In March, the company announced it would lay off 67 workers who sold, installed or managed programs to wire and install electronics in new single-family homes. Those cuts were in response to the nationwide slowdown in home construction.

JUDGE-HOUSE FIRE

Lawyer with case before court helped judge's wife get bail

HOUSTON (AP) - A Houston lawyer whose firm has a case before the Texas Supreme Court helped the wife of Justice David Medina arrange for bail when she was indicted earlier this month.

Attorney Frank G. Harmon didn't put up any money for Francisca Medina's $42,000 in bonds. But he did ask bail bondsman Edd Blackwood to write her bond.

Harmon told the Houston Chronicle that he didn't help pay for the bond, hasn't given the Medinas any money and won't help pay their legal fees. Harmon also said the Medinas did not ask for his help.

Harmon said he called the bail bondsman because he felt sympathy for the Medinas and had worked with the bondsman when he was a prosecutor.

Harmon is a partner in Crain Caton & James, which is representing Crown Cork & Seal, a defendant in an asbestos liability lawsuit. The state supreme court has not issued a ruling on the case, which was argued in February.

The plaintiffs in the case are challenging a 2003 law that retroactively eliminated pending and future asbestos claims against Crown Cork & Seal.

Harmon said his involvement in the case is minimal. The lead attorney for Crown Cork & Seal is former Supreme Court Chief Justice Tom Phillips, Harmon said.

Francisca Medina has pleaded not guilty on charges of felony arson, felony criminal mischief and state jail felony criminal mischief.

Francisca Medina were indicted on charges related to the June 28 fire in the Houston suburb of Spring. The fire damaged their home and two nearby houses as well, causing about $900,000 damage.

DOG ATTACK

Two people arrested in dog attack that killed 7-year-old

ABILENE, Texas (AP) - Two people face second-degree felony charges in the dog-mauling death of a 7-year-old Breckenridge child who was killed by their pit bulls.

The Stephens County Sheriff's Office arrested 45-year-old Jack Smith and 27-year-old Crystal Watson. They each face a felony charge of a dog attack resulting in a death, which is punishable by 20 years in prison and a maximum $10,000 fine.

Bail for each person was set at $250,000 each. Both remain in custody.

Seven-year-old Tanner Joshua Monk of Breckenridge died May 18 after he was attacked by pit bulls while playing outside near his rural home.

Two of the put bulls were shot on site, while two more remain at an animal shelter. A hearing is scheduled for tomorrow at which the dogs' fate will be decided.

OFFICER-TEEN SHOOTING

City council settles with parents of teen killed by police

HOUSTON (AP) - The parents of an unarmed teenager shot to death in 2003 by a rookie police officer say they are happy with the Houston City Council's decision to settle their lawsuit.

The settlement voted on last night includes a new set of gun-training standards for officers and cadets that emphasize when not to shoot and how to avoid accidentally firing weapons.

The agreement also includes a $1.5 million payment, a condolence letter from Houston Mayor Bill White, a plaque on city property honoring the life of slain 14-year-old Eli Eloy Escobar and more crisis intervention training for police officers.

Eli was killed in November 2003 by rookie officer Arthur J. Carbonneau, who was convicted of criminally negligent homicide. Prosecutors said Carbonneau deliberately shot Escobar as the teen fought with him and Officer Ronald Olivo outside a friend's northwest Houston apartment. Carbonneau contended the shooting was accidental.

MEXICO-US GOVERNORS

Border governors head to Mexico as violence rises

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) - Governors from both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border are in Mexico City to push for more crime-fighting and border security amid unprecedented violence in Mexico.

The governors of California, Texas and New Mexico planned to offer support today to Mexican President Felipe Calderon's crackdown on the drug trade. Calderon has deployed more than 20,000 federal troops across Mexico.

Cartels have responded with increasingly bold attacks against police and other security officials. On Tuesday, seven federal officers were killed in a shootout at a suspected drug safe house.

Beyond policy talks, it's not clear what the U.S. governors and the governors of the six Mexican states will be able to accomplish because many of the actions they are seeking require congressional approval.

The coalition made a similar anti-crime appeal to President Bush in February, but progress has been slow. Still, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration says the partnership and continued pressure already have produced results.

(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)