The woman accused of killing an FBI agent pleaded guilty and was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court.
U.S. District Judge Terrence McVerry sentenced Christina Korbe to 15 years in jail on charges of voluntary manslaughter and discharging a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence. In 2008 Korbe shot Sam Hicks, an FBI agent who came to her house to arrest her husband on drug trafficking charges.
Korbe pled guilty on Tuesday morning in front of a packed courtroom. She read a tearful apology in which she asked for forgiveness from the Hicks family and blamed the FBI for what occurred.
After the plea and sentencing, Sam Hick’s widow Brooke said that the most important thing was that Christina Korbe took responsibility for her actions. She said listening to Korbe’s apology was difficult.
“I would say it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done. To sit there and listen to the person who took him from me talk about how she feels. I just kept thinking about my son and what he’s missing and what he will never get. And it was extremely hard,” she said.
Judge McVerry suggested Korbe be placed in a prison close to Pittsburgh so her two young children can pay her regular visits.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Former Attorney General Becomes PA Governor
Republican Tom Corbett has been sworn in as Pennsylvania’s 46th governor. Corbett took the oath of office a few minutes after noon, in front of a soggy and cold crowd of supporters and legislators, and four former governors.
He promised to push for reform measures, and to shrink the size of government.
"A government that has the courage to find fiscal strength in restraint. A government that shows compassion for those most in need, and recognizes its citizens great investment. A government that must yield them a hopeful, realistic return."
Corbett acknowledged the challenges he’ll face, including a likely multi-billion dollar budget deficit this year.
"You will never hear me say impossible. To say it – or worse, to believe it – would accomplish nothing. I see the possible. I see the possible, and I see a promising future for Pennsylvania."
Corbett also vowed to improve Pennsylvania’s education system, saying school “choice” needs to be part of a solution.
At times, it was hard to hear Corbett over the din of demonstrators a few hundred yards away.
They were there to protest natural gas drilling, and the amount of money energy companies donated to Corbett’s campaign.
The governor is expected to release more details from a legislative reform package in the coming days. He’ll present his budget plan to lawmakers in early March.
He promised to push for reform measures, and to shrink the size of government.
"A government that has the courage to find fiscal strength in restraint. A government that shows compassion for those most in need, and recognizes its citizens great investment. A government that must yield them a hopeful, realistic return."
Corbett acknowledged the challenges he’ll face, including a likely multi-billion dollar budget deficit this year.
"You will never hear me say impossible. To say it – or worse, to believe it – would accomplish nothing. I see the possible. I see the possible, and I see a promising future for Pennsylvania."
Corbett also vowed to improve Pennsylvania’s education system, saying school “choice” needs to be part of a solution.
At times, it was hard to hear Corbett over the din of demonstrators a few hundred yards away.
They were there to protest natural gas drilling, and the amount of money energy companies donated to Corbett’s campaign.
The governor is expected to release more details from a legislative reform package in the coming days. He’ll present his budget plan to lawmakers in early March.
Fitzgerald Wants End to Court-Ordered Reassessments
Allegheny County Council President Rich Fitzgerald will introduce a resolution at this evening's session that calls on newly inaugurated Governor Tom Corbett and the Pennsylvania legislature to pass a bill declaring a moratorium on court-ordered reassessments.
Allegheny County is under a court order to end its 2003 base year assessment process and completely reassess some 550,000 properties in the county. Supporters of the base year process, including County Executive Dan Onorato, say the court order puts Allegheny County at a competitive disadvantage with other counties in the region which have not done reassessment in years...in some cases, decades.
Last year, by a vote of 196-1, the Pennsylvania House approved a bill that would have the state study the assessment system for a year and develop a statewide assessment system. During the course of the study, counties would be immune from court-ordered reassessments.
However, the Senate did not take up the measure before the legislative session ended.
"This court-ordered reassessment singles out the residents and businesses of Allegheny County, and will have a profound chilling effect on private home construction and renovation as well as economic development and business growth within the county," said Fitzgerald.
The council president says Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that doesn't have a statewide system of property assessment and that is now resulting in "one county (Allegheny) being targeted for disparate treatment. But this is an issue that, sooner or later, will affect every county in the Commonwealth."
Fitzgerald urged the General Assembly to pass the moratorium and create a uniform solution "rather than have a separate solution for each county imposed upon it by court action."
The bill will make reassessment a state responsibility and prevent property taxes from dramatically rising.
Allegheny County is under a court order to end its 2003 base year assessment process and completely reassess some 550,000 properties in the county. Supporters of the base year process, including County Executive Dan Onorato, say the court order puts Allegheny County at a competitive disadvantage with other counties in the region which have not done reassessment in years...in some cases, decades.
Last year, by a vote of 196-1, the Pennsylvania House approved a bill that would have the state study the assessment system for a year and develop a statewide assessment system. During the course of the study, counties would be immune from court-ordered reassessments.
However, the Senate did not take up the measure before the legislative session ended.
"This court-ordered reassessment singles out the residents and businesses of Allegheny County, and will have a profound chilling effect on private home construction and renovation as well as economic development and business growth within the county," said Fitzgerald.
The council president says Pennsylvania is the only state in the country that doesn't have a statewide system of property assessment and that is now resulting in "one county (Allegheny) being targeted for disparate treatment. But this is an issue that, sooner or later, will affect every county in the Commonwealth."
Fitzgerald urged the General Assembly to pass the moratorium and create a uniform solution "rather than have a separate solution for each county imposed upon it by court action."
The bill will make reassessment a state responsibility and prevent property taxes from dramatically rising.
Guilty Plea in Killing of FBI Special Agent
Under an agreement with federal prosecutors, 42 year old Christina Korbe has pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and a firearms charge in connection with the fatal shooting of FBI Special Agent Samuel Hicks November 19, 2008. Hicks and other law enforcement officers came to Korbe's Indiana Township, Allegheny County home to serve an arrest warrant on her husband, Robert Korbe, for drug trafficking charges.
Christina Korbe fired a single shot, killing Hicks. She claimed she thought it was a home invasion and that she fired in self defense. Korbe was to read a letter to the Hicks family saying that she was "deeply, deeply sorry" and asking forgiveness.
But the letter also blames the "unnecessary tactics of the FBI" and accused the agency of fabricating evidence and said the chances of getting a fair trial were "almost impossible."
She is to be sentenced this morning.
Christina Korbe fired a single shot, killing Hicks. She claimed she thought it was a home invasion and that she fired in self defense. Korbe was to read a letter to the Hicks family saying that she was "deeply, deeply sorry" and asking forgiveness.
But the letter also blames the "unnecessary tactics of the FBI" and accused the agency of fabricating evidence and said the chances of getting a fair trial were "almost impossible."
She is to be sentenced this morning.
Plea Deal in Killing of FBI Agent
The Allegheny County woman accused of killing an FBI agent at her Indiana Township home is expected to plead guilty at this hour in to charges in connection with that shooting. Christina Korbe is appearing before U.S. District Judge Terrence McVerry. It was on November 19, 2008 when FBI Special Agent Samuel Hicks was shot to death. He was part of a law enforcement team conducting a raid on the home to arrest Korbe's husband on drug trafficking charges. Christina Korbe claimed she fired the gun in self defense thinking it was a home invasion. Family members claim she's accepting the plea deal because she would not have gotten a fair trial.
Federal prosecutors had said they would not seek the death penalty.
Federal prosecutors had said they would not seek the death penalty.
Groups Call for Maintaining Drilling Moratorium
Late last year Governor Ed Rendell signed a moratorium halting the awarding of new leases for natural gas drilling in state forests. Governor-elect Tom Corbett has expressed that he plans to repeal the moratorium once he's in office. Now a group of environmental and civic organizations is calling on Corbett to keep the moratorium in place until the impact of natural gas drilling in forests can be further studied. Heather Sage, vice president of PennFuture says the industry has the potential to harm the state's natural assets and the industries that depend on them, including tourism and logging. Sage says another 1,500 well pads containing 5,000-6,000 wells could be drilled in the next ten years on forest land, "and within those forest lands we've got more than 2,500 miles of trails and opportunities for people to hunt, fish, hike, ski...it's really a major industry for Pennsylvania." PennFuture was joined by the Sierra Club, the League of Women Voters, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches and Preservation Pennsylvania in urging Corbett to maintain the moratorium. Sage says if the governor-elect doesn't heed their call "it's not only an environmental issue, it's an economic issue and there's a lot of jobs at stake here. And I think there are a lot of potential ways that citizens and industries can push back on this, but we're hoping that we don't have to do that."
Democrats Look at GOP Change
As Tom Corbett prepares to take office as Pennsylvania Governor, there is speculation about how Democrats and Republicans will get along in the new administration. State Representative Dan Frankel, democrat from Squirrel Hill, thinks there ought to be collaboration on some of the key issues facing the Commonwealth. He says that would include the difficult budget situation. Frankel, who is the Democratic Caucus Chairman, says there are important concerns to be voiced as they go into the process of taking a closer look at spending priorities.
Republican leadership has indicated they want to privatize Pennsylvania’s state store system as a way to get some much needed revenue. Frankel says it seems to be premature to decide what the cost benefit is with the sale of the wine and liquor stores. He says it needs to be studied. Frankel says GOP Representative Mike Turzai of Pittsburgh's North Hills, one of the advocates of privatization, believes it could generate up to $4 billion dollars. But Frankel doesn’t know if that is an accurate number. He says there needs to be more analysis to make the case for selling off the state stores. Frankel says advancing such a proposal in the past has been met with strong opposition from those concerned about labor issues and expanding minors access to alcohol.
When asked whether “compromise” will be the theme for 2011 in Harrisburg Frankel says the Republican party is in a position to drive an agenda. But he says that will only happen as long as they have a unified block. Frankel says the Democrats certainly want some of their ideas to be considered.
Republican leadership has indicated they want to privatize Pennsylvania’s state store system as a way to get some much needed revenue. Frankel says it seems to be premature to decide what the cost benefit is with the sale of the wine and liquor stores. He says it needs to be studied. Frankel says GOP Representative Mike Turzai of Pittsburgh's North Hills, one of the advocates of privatization, believes it could generate up to $4 billion dollars. But Frankel doesn’t know if that is an accurate number. He says there needs to be more analysis to make the case for selling off the state stores. Frankel says advancing such a proposal in the past has been met with strong opposition from those concerned about labor issues and expanding minors access to alcohol.
When asked whether “compromise” will be the theme for 2011 in Harrisburg Frankel says the Republican party is in a position to drive an agenda. But he says that will only happen as long as they have a unified block. Frankel says the Democrats certainly want some of their ideas to be considered.
Corbett Becomes Governor Today
Republican Tom Corbett will brave the elements today when he’s sworn in as Pennsylvania’s 46th governor.
Snow and rain are in the forecast, with temperatures hovering near freezing, but as of this time Corbett’s inaugural will not be moved to an alternate indoor location.
The Allegheny County Republican will take the oath of office on the east side of the state Capitol, using a bible once owned by William Penn. His running mate, Jim Cawley, takes the oath of office about an hour earlier, inside the State Senate’s chamber.
One to three inches of snow are in the forecast, with ice accumulation of up to two-tenths of an inch, as well.
Inaugural events began yesterday, with a concert featuring performers from across Pennsylvania.
Corbett and his wife Susan will attend Mass at Harrisburg’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning, before the inaugural ceremony begins at 11:30.
Tonight’s ball will take place at the Harrisburg Farm Show complex.
Tickets to the event cost 150 dollars.
Some companies paid up to $50,000 to sponsor the events.
Snow and rain are in the forecast, with temperatures hovering near freezing, but as of this time Corbett’s inaugural will not be moved to an alternate indoor location.
The Allegheny County Republican will take the oath of office on the east side of the state Capitol, using a bible once owned by William Penn. His running mate, Jim Cawley, takes the oath of office about an hour earlier, inside the State Senate’s chamber.
One to three inches of snow are in the forecast, with ice accumulation of up to two-tenths of an inch, as well.
Inaugural events began yesterday, with a concert featuring performers from across Pennsylvania.
Corbett and his wife Susan will attend Mass at Harrisburg’s St. Patrick’s Cathedral this morning, before the inaugural ceremony begins at 11:30.
Tonight’s ball will take place at the Harrisburg Farm Show complex.
Tickets to the event cost 150 dollars.
Some companies paid up to $50,000 to sponsor the events.
Monday, January 17, 2011
Toomey to Afghan Pres.: Get Rid of Corruption
Pennsylvania Republican Pat Toomey took his first trip abroad as a U.S. Senator spending the last few days in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Toomey and three other freshman Republicans joined Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on the trip. They spent the past few days meeting with military and political leaders, including General David Petraeus.
Toomey says he delivered a message to Afghanistan’s president, Hamid Karzai.
"The main point that I wanted to stress with him was that his government needed to do more to rat out the corruption that has been, really, very pervasive. I was perhaps a little bit more subtle about it than that, but that was really my essential point."
Toomey says Karzai needs to turn Afghanistan’s government around.
"We’ve put so much resource. We’ve sacrificed many lives. And the ongoing expense of this effort is very significant at a time when we have serious budget constraints. And my message was that it’s really critical for his government to aggressively pursue corruption."
Toomey last visited Afghanistan in 2002, when he was a congressman.
He says there’s a “night and day” difference in the capital city of Kabul, since his last trip, with much more commerce and traffic in the city this time.
Still, Toomey says there’s a lot of work to be done in Afghanistan.
He says he assumes American troops will still be there in 2016, when his Senate term expires.
Toomey and three other freshman Republicans joined Minority Leader Mitch McConnell on the trip. They spent the past few days meeting with military and political leaders, including General David Petraeus.
Toomey says he delivered a message to Afghanistan’s president, Hamid Karzai.
"The main point that I wanted to stress with him was that his government needed to do more to rat out the corruption that has been, really, very pervasive. I was perhaps a little bit more subtle about it than that, but that was really my essential point."
Toomey says Karzai needs to turn Afghanistan’s government around.
"We’ve put so much resource. We’ve sacrificed many lives. And the ongoing expense of this effort is very significant at a time when we have serious budget constraints. And my message was that it’s really critical for his government to aggressively pursue corruption."
Toomey last visited Afghanistan in 2002, when he was a congressman.
He says there’s a “night and day” difference in the capital city of Kabul, since his last trip, with much more commerce and traffic in the city this time.
Still, Toomey says there’s a lot of work to be done in Afghanistan.
He says he assumes American troops will still be there in 2016, when his Senate term expires.
Meeting Set for the South Side Carnegie Library
People will have the opportunity to voice their opinion over the renovation of the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh's South Side Branch this Wednesday. During the meeting, project architects from Loysen and Kreuthmeier will present several possible designs based on past community input.
Suzanne Thinnes, spokesperson for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, says the meeting is for the South Side community to share what they think about the plans. "We value input from everyone in the community. Even if you haven't been to the library in a while and you would like to see what's coming up in the future. This is a great opportunity to come in, get your library card, and see what the library has to offer."
The renovation is part of the Carnegie Library's "Libraries for Life" capital campaign, where there are plans to renovate 11 libraries. The South Side library renovation is expected to cost 2.7 million dollars, take 12 months to complete and start mid-summer.
Suzanne Thinnes, spokesperson for the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, says the meeting is for the South Side community to share what they think about the plans. "We value input from everyone in the community. Even if you haven't been to the library in a while and you would like to see what's coming up in the future. This is a great opportunity to come in, get your library card, and see what the library has to offer."
The renovation is part of the Carnegie Library's "Libraries for Life" capital campaign, where there are plans to renovate 11 libraries. The South Side library renovation is expected to cost 2.7 million dollars, take 12 months to complete and start mid-summer.
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