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Judge dismisses case because of veil

By TIMES WIRES
Published October 23, 2006

A judge dismissed a small-claims court case filed by a Muslim woman after she refused to remove her veil when she testified. Ginnnah Muhammad, 42, wore a scarf and veil that left only her eyes visible during a court hearing this month. She was contesting a $2,750 charge from a rental car company. District Judge Paul Paruk told her he needed to see her face to judge her truthfulness and gave her a choice: take off the veil while testifying or have the case dismissed. She kept it on. "I didn't feel like the court recognized me as a person that needed justice," Muhammad told the Detroit Free Press for Sunday's edition. "I just feel I can't trust the court." Paruk said he told Muhammad to remove her veil Oct. 11 because it is his job to determine whether witnesses are telling the truth. "Part of that, you need to identify the witness and you need to look at the witness," he said. Michigan law lacks rules governing religious attire of people in court, so judges have leeway.

Washington

Ohio teachers win performance bonuses

The Bush administration is handing out money for teachers who raise student test scores, the first federal effort to reward classroom performance with bonuses. The 16 grants total $42-million and cover many states. The government has announced only the first grants, $5.5-million for Ohio, where Education Secretary Margaret Spellings will make the presentation today. It will be shared by schools in Cleveland, Cincinnati, Columbus and Toledo. The department will release the remaining grants in the coming weeks, falling right before the Nov. 7 elections. The Education Department says the election had no bearing on the timing. The grant application process began in May, and the review was done in the early fall, officials said.

Elsewhere ...

Gurdon, Ark.: Six tanker cars on an 85-car Union Pacific train carrying flammable liquids derailed Sunday near a residential area, causing churches to cancel services and prompting evacuation orders for 200 residents, officials said. They were allowed to return later in the day.

New York: Searchers on Sunday found 18 pieces of remains believed to belong to 9/11 victims in apparently overlooked areas of the World Trade Center. Deputy Mayor Ed Skyler said 12 additional underground areas will be examined in coming days.

Vidor, Texas: Flooding along the Neches River in southeast Texas destroyed an estimated 40 homes, forcing people to flee their residences and trailers brought in after Hurricane Rita pounded the region last year. People have been evacuating since Thursday.

[Last modified October 23, 2006, 01:58:05]