OVERLAND PARK, Kan. (AP) — A Kansas man has been convicted in the deadly shooting of his stepfather.

Jurors found 32-year-old Phillip Stanley, of Overland Park, guilty Thursday of first-degree murder in the July 2017 killing of 62-year-old Henry Gates Jr.

Stanley’s mother called 911 and told the dispatcher that her husband and son were arguing. As officers approached the house they heard gunshots. Stanley came outside and surrendered, and officers found Gates dead inside.

His sentencing is set for Oct. 17.

KANSAS CITY – A former corrections officer at the Jackson County Detention Center was sentenced in federal court Friday for smuggling contraband cell phones and other items to inmates at the Jackson County Detention Center, according to the United States Attorney.

Andre Lamonte Dickerson, 27, of Kansas City, Mo., was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to one year and four months in federal prison without parole.

On April 25, 2018, Dickerson pleaded guilty to two counts of using a telephone in furtherance of the unlawful activity of acceding to corruption, related to a public servant taking a bribe in return for violating his legal duty.

Dickerson admitted that, while employed as a corrections officer at the Jackson County Detention Center, he told a confidential informant that he would smuggle two packs of cigarettes, a cell phone and a cell phone charger to an inmate in the detention center for $500. Dickerson met the informant at a Church’s Fried Chicken restaurant on June 2, 2017, where he received the payment and the contraband items.

The next day, June 3, 2017, Dickerson entered the inmate’s cell and put the contraband on the bed. They engaged in a conversation regarding potential future contraband transactions. Dickerson asked if the inmate would be interested in paying him a monthly fee of $2,500. In exchange, Dickerson would ensure he would be the only inmate on the fifth floor to receive contraband cigarettes, narcotics and telephones. Other inmates would then shop through him for their contraband.

The inmate smoked one of the packs of cigarettes and exchanged the second pack of cigarettes with other inmates for food from the commissary. On the same day, detention center personnel searched his cell and found the phone and phone charger.

On June 18, 2017, a corrections officer found Dickerson’s cell phone in the fifth floor control station. Text messages contained information recording drug deals between Dickerson and inmates within the Jackson County Detention Center.

Dickerson was arrested on June 27, 2017. At the time of his arrest, Dickerson had two cell phones in his possession while he was on duty in the inmate area of the detention center. Corrections officers are not allowed to have cell phones in their possession while on duty and in the areas of the detention center where inmates are housed.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — The Kansas Supreme Court says a grand jury must be convened to investigate whether Republican Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach intentionally failed to register voters in 2016.

Friday’s one-page ruling came on an appeal by Kobach of a Kansas Court of Appeals’ ruling in June that found a Lawrence resident had met the legal requirement for circulating petitions to summon a grand jury.

Kansas is one of six states that allow citizens to request grand juries through petitions.

The Douglas County District Court twice rejected Steven Davis’ petition, saying there wasn’t enough evidence to support allegations that Kobach or his subordinates didn’t process online voter registrations and prevented qualified voters from casting their ballots.

Kobach is running for governor. Davis is a Democratic candidate for the Statehouse.

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JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — A Missouri judge has tossed out a court challenge that sought to remove a medical marijuana initiative from the November ballot.

Cole County Judge Patricia Joyce in a Friday ruling dismissed the lawsuit. It was filed by another medical marijuana initiative organizer who is trying to remove two other competing proposals from the ballot.

Springfield doctor and attorney Brad Bradshaw had argued that New Approach Missouri unlawfully obtained signatures to get that measure on the ballot.

But Joyce wrote that now the secretary of state has certified that there were enough signatures to get it on the ballot, the only relevant issue is whether those signatures are from registered voters.

An attorney for Bradshaw didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment Friday.

DOUGLAS COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating an alleged sexual battery and  continue to work to identify a suspect. They released a security camera image of the suspect.

He is accused of touching a female student as she walked in the 1100 Block of Louisana Street, according to the University of Kansas Public Safety Office

The suspect is described as a 20-30-year-old white male, 5-foot-7, average build, black hair, large beard and wore a salmon colored shirt, boot cut jeans and a green cap.

If you recognize him, call the KU Public Safety Office 785-864-5900.

By DAN MARGOLIES

When a federal judge decided in July that the Veterans Health Administration was liable for the death of an Iraq veteran who was treated at the VA and later killed himself, it was thought to be one of the few instances nationwide where the VA has been held directly responsible for a veteran’s suicide.

Now the federal government is appealing that verdict.

A notice of appeal filed Wednesday said the United States is seeking review of the judgment by U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson, as well as her findings of fact and conclusions of law.

Robinson found the VA liable for the death of Cpl. William Draughon of Kansas City and awarded more than $480,000 in damages to Draughon’s father and his two children.

Draughon, a graduate of North Kansas City High School, was a squad leader and gunner in Iraq for seven months in 2004 before he was honorably discharged from the Marine Corps.

Evidence at the trial showed that after he returned to the Kansas City area, he began drinking heavily and was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder. During one of several hospitalizations at the Kansas City VA, he’d been flagged as being at high risk for suicide. Although no risk assessment was done, a suicide prevention coordinator at the hospital removed the high-risk flag from his electronic medical records 90 days later.

On St. Patrick’s Day, 2010, after arguing with his girlfriend, Draughon shot and killed himself in front of his girlfriend and brother. He was 28 years old.

Draughon’s family, believing the VA was negligent in its care of Draughon, sued the agency for negligence. The case was tried by Robinson, who found that the VA had breached its own standards of care by removing Draughon from its high-risk list for suicides.  

Jim Cross, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office in Kansas, which filed the notice of appeal on behalf of the government, said his office would have no comment.

“The motion speaks for itself,” Cross said.

Michael Raupp, a lawyer who represented the Draughon family, said he was “confident in the decision that Judge Robinson made – all the rulings she made throughout the course of the proceedings.”

“We’ll withhold any comment until we see the basis on which the appeal is proceeding,” he said.

Dan Margolies is a senior reporter and editor at KCUR in conjunction with the Kansas News Service. You can reach him on Twitter @DanMargolies

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — A man convicted in a 2016 murder of a former Topeka high school principal has been sentenced to life in prison.

Michael Timothy Hall was sentenced Friday for felony murder in the May 2016 death of 64-year-old Curt Cochran. Hall won’t be eligible for parole until 2043. He was also given a 20.5 years for robbery.

Hall pleaded guilty in June to killing Cochran, a former Seaman High School principal, at a Topeka warehouse where Cochran managed a moving company.

Investigators say Cochran was bound to a chair and his head was wrapped in plastic. He was beaten and his throat was cut. His bank card was later used to withdraw $600 from an ATM.

In March, co-defendant Calvin Philips Jr., was sentenced to 30 years in prison for Cochran’s death.

TOPEKA, Kan. (AP) — Kansas Republicans want a new GOP state lawmaker to resign and end his election campaign to keep his seat over allegations in a television report that he emotionally abused two boys.

State Rep. Michael Capps, of Wichita said he did nothing wrong and is not resigning.

The Kansas Republican Party on Friday severed its ties with Capps and said it does not support his election. House Speaker Ron Ryckman Jr. called on Capps to resign and said it would be “inappropriate” for him to serve.

Local Republicans appointed Capps to fill a vacancy in July.

He told KAKE-TV that a Department for Children and Families finding of emotional abuse of two boys in foster care was overturned after he appealed it.

He did not return telephone messages seeking comment.

JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) — Attorney General Josh Hawley is suing the owners and operators of a tourist boat that sank in Missouri, killing 17 people.

Hawley filed the lawsuit Friday. He alleges that the owners and operators of the Ride the Ducks tours put profits above people’s safety. His office is suing under the state’s consumer-protection law.

The accident occurred July 19 at Table Rock Lake near Branson. The amphibious duck boat sank amid strong winds, killing 16 passengers and a crew member.

A spokeswoman for Ripley Entertainment, which owns Ride the Ducks, did not immediately comment Friday.

Three federal lawsuits have also been filed in the Western District of Missouri against the duck boat operators.

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SHAWNEE COUNTY — One person died in an accident just after 8:30p.m. Thursday in Shawnee County,

A pickup was westbound in the 2600 Block of SE 6th Street in Topeka and struck a man in a wheel chair, according to Lt. Manuel Munoz. The victim was transported to a local hospital where he died.

The man who drove the truck was taken to the Law Enforcement Center for questioning. 

The Accident Reconstruction Unit and detectives worked at the scene and had the road back open by midnight. 

Police have not released the victim’s name.

Anyone with information regarding this is encouraged to contact the Topeka Police.