Iraqi dad charged with murder may need mental exam

PHOENIX (AP) -- An Iraqi immigrant accused of killing his 20-year-old daughter because he believed she had become too westernized doesn't understand court proceedings and may need a mental-health evaluation, his lawyer said Wednesday.

The lawyer, Billy Little, said he first met with 49-year-old Faleh Hassan Almaleki on Tuesday, and the immigrant didn't understand the role of his lawyer, the judge or a grand jury.

"He just doesn't have a clue as to what's going on," Little told The Associated Press. "I can't determine if it's language, cultural or a mental-health issue."

A mental-health expert typically evaluates a defendant's competency to stand trial in such cases, Little said. If the lack of comprehension has to do with language or culture, Almaleki may just need to be taught about the American justice system in his native Arabic.

Authorities say Almaleki ran down his daughter and another woman with his Jeep on Oct. 20 as they were walking across a parking lot in the Phoenix suburb of Peoria. Family members told police that Almaleki attacked his daughter because she was not living according to his traditional Iraqi values.

Noor Faleh Almaleki died Nov. 2. The other woman, Amal Khalaf, survived; she is the mother of Noor's boyfriend.

Almaleki was in court Wednesday in a black-and-white jail uniform and said only his name and birthday when prompted by the judge. His next scheduled court date is Feb. 8.

Almaleki had a different attorney from the Maricopa County public defender's office until Tuesday, when Little took over. Little is on the office's capital case team, and although prosecutors haven't decided whether to seek the death penalty against Almaleki, Little said his office believes it's likely, so he needs to begin defending the case now.

Mike Scerbo, spokesman for County Attorney Andrew Thomas, declined to comment on the case, instead referring to a news release his office issued Dec. 21.

"We will fully prosecute this tragic case of alleged homicide and domestic violence," Thomas said at the time.

Several court appearances had to be canceled after Almaleki was put on suicide watch, but Little said that has no longer been an issue.

Almaleki is charged with first-degree murder, attempted first-degree murder, aggravated assault and leaving the scene of a serious injury accident.

Almaleki and his family moved to the U.S. in the mid-1990s and lived in the Phoenix suburb of Glendale. Friends said Noor simply wanted to be a normal American woman, and that she was never disrespectful to her father, just independent.

Friends said Almaleki forced Noor to quit her job at a fast-food restaurant, and in 2008, he took her to Iraq under the guise of visiting family. Actually, he had picked out a husband for her and told her she couldn't return to Arizona unless she married him.

Noor married the man and returned, and friends said her husband was in the process of trying to move to the U.S. But Noor fell in love with another man, they said, and she was living in his home with his mother when she was killed.

Source

Causes of Car Accidents

It is no secret that automobile accidents can be stressful. There is typically damage to your car, and injuries can range from a few scratches to serious injury and even death.

The causes of auto accidents are as varied as the types of injuries that can result. But there are few accident-causing factors that are more common than others.

Drunk Driving (or Driving Under the Influence of Drugs)
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), drunk drivers are responsible for 30 percent of all crashes resulting in death that occur during the week. (That number increases to more than 50 percent on the weekends.)

Speeding
Driving above the posted speed limits means that you are increasing your chance of having an auto accident by a significant amount. Speeding also increases your risk of having a more serious wreck.

Aggressive Driving
Behind-the-wheel behaviors, such as tailgating, failure to yield and frequent, unsafe lane changes, can make the roads less safe for drivers around them.

Weather Conditions
Bad weather, such as high winds, fog, rain, hail or snow, can certainly cause an auto accident quickly, especially if you don't slow down to accommodate the change in road and weather conditions.

Ignoring Traffic Rules
Not stopping at a stop sign or speeding through a red light are just two of the types of incidents that can cause major traffic accidents.

Driver Fatigue
More than 100,000 accidents are caused by driver fatigue, according to the NHTSA. This is often a contributing factor to truck accidents, when drivers of 18-wheelers are pushed to meet unrealistic deadlines and drive long hours without a break.

Cell Phone Use by Drivers
Some studies estimate that at least one-fourth of all automobile accidents in the U.S. are caused by distracted drivers. And one growing distraction is the use of cell phones while driving. That is concerning, considering that drivers on cell phones are four times more likely to be seriously injured in an automobile accident. Plus, studies have shown that a driver talking or texting on a cell phone has the same driver impairment as someone who is legally drunk.

If you have been injured in an automobile accident, and that accident was caused by someone else, you may be able to receive financial compensation for your property damage, injuries and more.

For more information, visit the comprehensive auto accident lawyer resources provided by the experienced Phoenix, Arizona Mayro Law Firm, emphasizing automobile accident and personal injury cases.


Source

Arizona personal injury - Elderly man falls 4-feet

Legal news for Arizona personal injury attorneys. An elderly man lost his balance and fell while exiting a plane.
Arizona personal injury lawyers alerts- An elderly man was injured after fall at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport while exiting a US Airways flight.
Phoenix, AZ—An elderly 91-year-old man fell 4-feet to the ground as he tried to exit a small CRJ900 plane at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on Monday afternoon, December 21, 2009. The elderly man reportedly lost his balance when he fell around 3:30 p.m., as reported by the Arizona Republic.
Robert Collins, 91, reportedly arrived at the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport on a US Airways flight 2889 that departed from Bakersfield, California, when he exited from Terminal 4 and lost his balance. As Collins lost his balance, he fell 4-feet to the ground from the jet bridge. Emergency medical services (EMS) teams rushed to the scene to provide medical aid to the elderly man. Collin was taken to St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center for further treatment of his injuries by doctors and nurses. He reportedly did not sustain any life-threatening injuries.
The passengers who exited the express flight had to cross over a short plank that linked the airplane to the jet bridge. The plank had rails and nets on either side for safety. But as Collins exited the plane he tripped over a bag as he was standing on the jet bridge. He then fell through a space between the plane and jet bridge that allowed him to fall to the hard ground below.


Source