OC Register, "Her words brought a courtroom to tears"

AJ Egan's husband was killed in 2007 in a botched robbery at the Home Depot in Tustin where he was the manager. Nearly five years later, Egan says she found closure in delivering a victim-impact statement that the prosecutor called one of the most eloquent and articulate ever in Orange County. After hearing her speak, the judge agreed with jurors and sentenced Jason Richardson to death in the murder of Tom Egan. AJ Egan was exercising her right under Marsy's Law to speak during sentencing.  "That chapter of my life is finished and I hope to move forward into a new chapter," she said. - HTN Foundation

Her words brought a courtroom to tears

By LARRY WELBORN / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

AJ Egan, the widow of Thomas Egan, talks to the media after the sentencing of Jason Russell Richardson in Santa Ana on Nov. 28. Richardson was convicted of the special circumstances murder of Tustin Home Depot manager Thomas Egan. Richardson received the death penalty. PAUL BERSEBACH, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERAJ Egan worked on her victim-impact statement for years.

When she was done telling Superior Court Judge William Froeberg about the enormity of the impact her husband's murder in 2007 had on herself and her family, spectators were crying.

It was one of the most eloquent and articulate victim statements in an Orange County courtroom, Deputy District Attorney Cameron Talley said. To read her remarks, click here.

She was entitled to give her remarks under Marsy's Law, which guarantees victims and their families the right to speak during sentencings and at other appropriate times during the legal proceedings.

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OC Register, "She went from gang area to D.C"

The Nicholas Academic Centers held their third annual Thanksgiving dinner celebration Nov. 23 at Valley High School for more than 200 students, NAC staff and community leaders. NAC co-founders Judge Jack Mandel and Dr. Henry Nicholas were joined by Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido in congratulating students on their academic success, while challenging them to succeed in college and become leaders in their chosen careers. Among the speakers was Ana Rodriguez, a NAC alumna and freshmen at Georgetown University, who told the audience that, “The NAC prepared me for leadership and today I stand as a leader. I’ve become an example of the fruits that can be borne from a city like Santa Ana.” Also sharing her experiences was Marylinda Bustamante, who attends Valley High School.  “Since I don’t have Internet access at home or even a computer, it’s really hard to get my work done,” she said. “But I know I can really count on the NAC. I know I couldn’t have been a straight A student last year without the NAC.”

Below is a Q&A that Orange County Register columnist Frank Mickadeit conducted with Rodriguez as she enjoyed her turkey dinner. - HTN Foundation

She went from gang area to D.C

By FRANK MICKADEIT COLUMNIST / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

Ana Rodriguez, left, talks to Rocio Chavez-Bonilla, director of social services for the Nicholas Academic Centers in Santa Ana during the annual Thanksgiving party Henry Nicholas hosts for the students and center alumni. After spending her childhood in a gang area of Santa Ana, Rodriquez graduated from high school last year and is now at Georgetown University. She credits the SAT prep she did at the afterschool center with helping her get into college. FRANK MICKADEIT, THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

In what appears to have become a Thanksgiving tradition for me, I spent the evening before at the little soiree Henry Nicholas hosts for the kids and staff at the academic tutoring centers he funds in Santa Ana. About 150 Nicholas Academic Center students have gone on to college in the last three years.

This party is a time for some of those who've gone off to college to come back and inspire the kids who are still putting in the hours at the tutoring centers. One alum back in town over the weekend was Ana Rodriguez. She grew up on Chestnut Avenue in Santa Ana, the oldest of three. Her father is a roofer and her mother is a housekeeper. Ana graduated from Godinez High School last year and is now at Georgetown. As she ate a plate of turkey and fixings, I got her to do a Q&A.

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OC Register, "Governor revokes parole for prom night killer"

Gov. Jerry Brown has reversed a ruling last year to grant parole to Paul Crowder, who is serving a 15-years-to-life sentence for the second-degree murder of Berlyn Cosman, then 17, as she celebrated her prom night in Anaheim. Brown said in a letter that Crowder does not "understand or accept responsibility for his actions" and "poses a danger to society if released." The Orange County DA and Cosman's sister, Morgan Cosman Kelly, said they will petition the governor to reverse a separate finding by a second parole board that Crowder is suitable for parole. Kelly is represented under Marsy's Law by attorney and former Asst. DA Todd Spitzer. - HTN Foundation

By LARRY WELBORN / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTERPaul Crowder's prison mug shot. COURTESY OF THE DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS AND REHABILITATION

Gov. Jerry Brown has reversed a state board's decision last year granting parole to a La Crescenta man who shot and killed a 17-year girl in 1991 as she celebrated her prom night in Anaheim.

Paul Crowder, now 39, has been serving a 15-years-to-life term for the second-degree murder of Beryln Cosman, a straight-A student who had earned a college basketball scholarship.

In a four-page letter dated Nov, 4, Brown contended that Crowder "does not genuinely understand or accept responsibility for his actions... (and) currently poses a danger to society if released."

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Yahoo Finance, "Nobel Laureate to Participate in Nicholas Academic Center-Chapman University Program to Reach Inner-City High School Students"

Nobel Laureate to Participate in Nicholas Academic Center-Chapman University Program to Reach Inner-City High School Students

ORANGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Nobel Prize-winning economist Vernon L. Smith, and his colleague, Bart Wilson, of Chapman University’s Economic Science Institute on Saturday, Nov. 5, will make their second appearance as part of the Nicholas Academic Centers’ 2011-12 “Visiting Scholar Series” in partnership with Chapman University. Dr. Smith delivered his first lecture in the series in January 2011.

The program, now in its second year, is aimed at introducing high school students from inner-city communities in Santa Ana to a college academic environment, while strengthening ties with highly respected local universities. Since the program launched last fall, Chapman University faculty and staff have delivered lectures to students, parents and community members on a broad range of subjects, from the origins of mathematics to how to build a video game. (Lectures are held from 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at 313 North Birch Street, 2nd floor, in downtown Santa Ana, and are open to the public).

Dr. Smith, known as the “founding father of experimental economics,” will discuss “Using Experiments to Teach The Foundations of Exchange” with Nicholas Academic Center students, parents and staff. Smith was awarded the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics for his work in using laboratory experiments to research why markets and other exchange systems work the way they do. Dr. Wilson will assist Dr. Smith in carrying out sample experiments with the students, using the Economic Science Institute’s portable laboratory.

“We look forward once again to the opportunity to introduce Nicholas Academic Center students to experimental economics,” said Dr. Smith. “Our goal is to help students better grasp the complexities of human behavior in the marketplace.”

“For the second year in a row, we are privileged to introduce our students to the teachings of a Nobel-winning economist,” said Dr. Henry Nicholas, co-founder and former Co-Chairman, President and CEO of Broadcom Corp., who established the Nicholas Academic Centers in 2008 with retired Superior Court Judge Jack Mandel. “Our objective is to provide students with a challenging academic environment and there is no better way to achieve this than with a lecture by one of the most important economic thinkers of our time.”

Media links for previous “Visiting Scholar” lectures:

Video Presentation

Photo Gallery

About the Speakers

Vernon L. Smith, Ph.D. was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002 for his groundbreaking work in experimental economics. He is a professor in Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business and Economics and School of Law and is a member of the Economic Science Institute at Chapman. He is the president of the International Foundation for Research in Experimental Economics, which he founded in 1997. Born in Kansas in 1927, Dr. Smith completed his undergraduate degree in electrical engineering at the California Institute of Technology, his master's degree in economics at the University of Kansas, and his Ph.D. in economics at Harvard University.

Bart Wilson, Ph.D. has joint appointments with Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business and Economics and the School of Law. His broad fields of specialty are industrial organization and experimental economics. He is currently pursuing research on the foundations of exchange and specialization and the origins of property right systems in laboratory economies. His other research programs apply the experimental method to topics in gasoline markets, e-commerce, electric power deregulation and antitrust. Dr. Wilson is a member of the Economic Science Institute at Chapman.

About the Nicholas Academic Centers

Located in downtown Santa Ana and on the campus of Valley High School, the Nicholas Academic Centers serve hundreds of Santa Ana Unified School District students on a daily basis throughout the school year and summer, providing them with tutoring, social support, and individual college guidance. Since the first Center opened in 2008, more than 150 students have gone on to college, with most attending top schools such as Georgetown, Smith, UC Berkeley, UCLA, UC Irvine, Allegheny and Chapman. NAC students have earned a total of more than $2 million in scholarships and financial aide. The NAC staff works closely with school principals, teachers and guidance counselors, as well as with students’ families and community leaders. The Centers are funded by the Henry T. Nicholas, III Foundation and modeled on the tutoring and mentoring program Judge Mandel started before retiring from the bench. Become a fan of the Nicholas Academic Centers on Facebook, or follow the NAC on Twitter.

About Chapman University

Chapman University founded in 1861 and celebrating its 150th Anniversary in 2011, is one of the oldest, most prestigious private universities in California. Chapman’s picturesque campus is located in the City of Orange in the heart of Orange County – one of the nation’s most exciting centers of arts, business, science and technology – and draws outstanding students from across the United States and around the world. Known for its blend of liberal arts and professional programs, Chapman University encompasses seven schools and colleges: Wilkinson College of Humanities and Social Sciences, George L. Argyros School of Business and Economics, Lawrence and Kristina Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, Schmid College of Science, College of Performing Arts, School of Law and College of Educational Studies. Named to the list of top universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report and the Princeton Review, Chapman University enrolls more than 6,000 undergraduate, graduate and law students. Facebook: www.facebook.com/chapmanuniversity.

Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=50054616&lang=en

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OC Register, "D.A. to seek death penalty in 2 cases"

Marsy’s Law advocates Jack and Genelle  Reilley will see the man accused of murdering their daughter in 1986 face the death penalty if convicted. Orange County DA Tony Rackauckas said he will seek a death sentence for Andrew Urdiales, who was recently extradited from Illinois where he is serving a life sentence for murdering three women there. The Reilleys asserted their Marsy’s Law rights to confer on extraditions. - HTN Foundation

D.A. to seek death penalty in 2 cases

By LARRY WELBORN and SEAN EMERY

SANTA ANA – Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas announced this week that his office will seek the death penalty against two accused killers, including a convicted triple murderer from Illinois who is now charged with killing five Southern California women during a crime spree between 1986 and 1995.

The trial for Andrew Urdiales, 47, who is charged with five felony counts of special circumstances murder for committing multiple murders, has been consolidated in Orange County even though four of his alleged victims were killed in Riverside and San Diego counties.

He is accused in Orange County of murdering Robbin Brandley, 23, on Jan. 18, 1986 by stabbing her 41 times in the back, neck, hands and chest when he accosted her as she left a jazz concert at Saddleback College. Urdiales allegedly drove to the Mission Viejo campus armed with a six-inch blade hunting knife looking for a random victim to murder, prosecutors said.

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