Digest

Commonly sold turtles become illegal July 1

By TIMES WIRES
Published June 26, 2007

STATEWIDE - For decades, pet stores in Florida have sold turtles. But starting July 1, sales of the type of turtle most commonly sold, the red-eared slider, will cease. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has banned their sale because owners often turn the turtles loose, and that's bad for Florida's native turtles. Anyone who currently owns a red-eared slider can keep it but they can't breed, or be turned loose outdoors. The ban is part of a battle against exotic species in Florida.

Teen held in shooting

MIAMI - A 15-year-old boy was charged with murder after, police said, he fatally shot two guests at a graduation party. Labron Brown Jr. was arrested Saturday and charged with two counts of second-degree murder in the June 17 deaths of Samuel Brown, 16, and Michael Bradshaw, 20. Samuel Brown, not related to Labron Brown, was shot as he intervened when Labron Brown tried to take money from another guest, police said. Labron Brown then sprayed the crowd with bullets, killing Bradshaw.

Killing self-defense

WEST PALM BEACH - A Westgate man who shot into a Jeep, killing two men and injuring another, was acting in self-defense, a jury ruled Monday. After a six-day trial, the jury found Norman Borden, 44, not guilty of charges that included two counts of first-degree murder and one count of attempted murder. Borden shot at the three men in October 2006 when they confronted him as he walked his dogs.

[Last modified June 25, 2007, 22:59:16]