Rape Alabama

Jury selection began under tight security Monday for the trial of a man charged with shooting a young woman whose rape and slaying may have been a motive for the mail bomb killings of a lawyer and a judge. The courtroom was inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs, and metal detectors were in place outside the courtroom. Emmanuel Hammond, 24, of Marietta, Ga., is charged with murder, felony murder, kidnaping and armed robbery in the shotgun slaying of Julie Love, 27.

Gov. Forrest (Fob) James Jr. has announced his support for a bill to end Alabama's policy of requiring most rape victims to pay for the exams needed to gather the semen, hair and fiber samples used to prosecute their attackers. The bill nearly died in the Legislature. Rape is the only Alabama crime in which the victim bears the cost of collecting evidence, said Anita Drummond, director of the state Crime Victims Compensation Commission.

Gov. Forrest (Fob) James Jr. has announced his support for a bill to end Alabama's policy of requiring most rape victims to pay for the exams needed to gather the semen, hair and fiber samples used to prosecute their attackers. The bill nearly died in the Legislature. Rape is the only Alabama crime in which the victim bears the cost of collecting evidence, said Anita Drummond, director of the state Crime Victims Compensation Commission.

Jury selection began under tight security Monday for the trial of a man charged with shooting a young woman whose rape and slaying may have been a motive for the mail bomb killings of a lawyer and a judge. The courtroom was inspected by bomb-sniffing dogs, and metal detectors were in place outside the courtroom. Emmanuel Hammond, 24, of Marietta, Ga., is charged with murder, felony murder, kidnaping and armed robbery in the shotgun slaying of Julie Love, 27.

As she entered the Ahmanson Theatre at the Music Center on Wednesday for opening night of “The Scottsboro Boys,” Paula Abdul said she was excited to see the show. A musical theater fan, Abdul said, “I go to everything in New York,” adding that she wished theater could be a more dominant part of the Los Angeles scene. The crowd also included actors Angela Bassett, Regina King of “Southland,” Kym Whitley of “Sparks,” Dawnn Lewis of “A Different World,” Kearran Giovanni of “Major Crimes,” Calvin Sykes of “Funny People," Jason George of “Grey's Anatomy,” and singer Kenny Lattimore.