Arizona: Prosecutors strike back: "The attorney for Harold Fish, accused of shooting an unarmed man at a trailhead last May, wants the case dismissed or a different prosecuting agency on the case. His reasons: Coconino County prosecutors interfered with and tried to suppress findings of the lead detective investigating the case, who believed the shooting was self-defense. County prosecutors, in a motion filed Tuesday, say that not only are the defense allegations untrue, the defense is merely trying to stall, through harassing motions, the prosecution of Fish. The lead detective arrived at his conclusion of self-defense prematurely and had lost his objectivity, say prosecutors. Therefore, he used poor judgment when interviewing Fish, and appeared to have given Fish the idea of self-defense."


New York: Victim disarmament bill gains in Albany: "A wider range of semi-automatic rifles and pistols would become legally off-limits to gun buyers under legislation that passed the Democratic-controlled state Assembly yesterday. Assemblyman John Lavelle (D-North Shore) sponsored the bill, arguing that 'military-style guns' -- the kind used in several killings, including the executions of two undercover cops in Tompkinsville two years ago -- should not be sold legally. ... The bill passed the Assembly 93 to 49. To become law, Lavelle's bill must pass the Republican-controlled state Senate and be approved by Gov. George Pataki. Based on history, it's not an impossible road."


Ban kitchen knives (They're serious!): "Long, pointed kitchen knives should be banned as part of a concerted effort to reduce the terrible injuries and deaths caused by stabbing attacks, doctors warned today. Accident and emergency medics claim the knives serve no useful purpose in the kitchen but are proving deadly on the streets of Britain, with the doctors claiming the knives are used in as many as half of all stabbings. The doctors claimed they had consulted leading chefs who said the knives were not needed for cooking - a claim disputed by chefs contacted by The Scotsman. Latest figures from the Scottish Executive show that in 2003, 55 of 108 homicide victims were stabbed by a sharp instrument - often a kitchen knife".