Courtroom

Mark R. Madler Glendale resident and businessman Scott Schaffer entered a not guilty plea on Monday to charges that he sold handguns to a gang member in exchange for cocaine. Schaffer stood in an area separated from the rest of the courtroom of U.S. District Magistrate Judge Paul Game by glass partitions and gave clear, loud responses when asked his name and if he understood the charges against him. "Not guilty," Schaffer responded when asked how he plead to the charges.

Paul Clinton DOWNTOWN LOS ANGELES -- Jewish activist Irv Rubin has won the first round of his fight to stop Burbank City Council invocations that include references to Jesus. At a Thursday hearing, Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Alexander H. Williams rejected Burbank's request to toss out Rubin's Dec. 20 lawsuit against the city. Williams, who also moved the lawsuit's trial date from Sept 15 to Nov. 3, said Rubin had good cause to object to the invocation at a Nov. 23 meeting that he attended.

GAIN TOUGH IT OUT WITH TEXTBOOKS Seems like some of the tots attending Burbank Unified School District schools are learning a lot more than simple science these days, now that the district has adopted science textbooks that are more academically challenging than prior books. We congratulate district officials for spending money on books that will reward students -- at least the ones who study and learn their lessons -- with a sense of accomplishment, thus a greater sense of self-confidence, which is one of the greatest gifts given to children by adults.

If you like spooky courtroom dramas about the occult, "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" will be the perfect movie for you. If you're looking for a typical teen slasher flick, steer clear of this recent release and see something else or head to Knott's Scary Farm. "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" is based on the true story of a teenage girl who is either possessed by the devil or suffering a severe mental illness. That's the main question of the film and the audience has to draw their own conclusion.

Tim Willert BURBANK -- Adam Walker, the 19-year-old Montrose resident arrested and later released in connection with the slayings of two La Crescenta teenagers, appeared in court Thursday along with six other men suspected in a series of burglaries. The preliminary hearings for Walker, Grant E. Meyer, 18, of Burbank, Jason Rabine, 18, of Glendale, Keith W. Shill, 18, of Glendale, Gregory Furnish, 18, of Montrose, Nathan Casey, 18 of La Crescenta and a La Canada Flintridge male whose age was unavailable, was continued until Aug. 31. Only the La Canada Flintridge resident, whose attorney refused comment, was free on bail.

Tim Willert PASADENA -- A pediatrician who strangled his pregnant lover before pushing her car off a cliff was sentenced Thursday to 20 years to life for his crime, despite a plea from his attorney for probation. Kevin Paul Anderson, 42, looked straight ahead as Judge Teri Schwartz sentenced him for the November 1999 murder of Dr. Deepti Gupta, a 34-year-old Glendale resident and fellow pediatrician who was carrying Anderson's child. Schwartz added five years to the sentence because of a special-circumstance charge that the victim was pregnant.

Jury selection begins in wrongful-death case The wrongful-death lawsuit brought by the widow of actor John Ritter moved forward Tuesday as a pool of potential jurors was interviewed by lawyers and Judge Laura Matz in Glendale Superior Court. Amy Yasbeck is suing two Providence St. Joseph Medical Center doctors in connection with her husband’s 2003 death, following the actor’s heart failure. Many of the 73 potential jurors were asked questions about their awareness of the case, their personal legal history and employment status by lawyers for Yasbeck and for Matthew Lotysch and Joseph Lee, the two doctors accused of not doing enough to prevent Ritter’s death.

A registered sex offender was indicted by a grand jury Tuesday in connection with the 1992 disappearance and slaying of a Northridge model, according to news reports. Burbank resident David Rademaker, 40, pleaded innocent in a Los Angeles courtroom to charges that he killed Kimberly Pandelios, 20. The indictment includes the special circumstance allegations of kidnapping and sodomy, according to the district attorney's office, which could make Rademaker eligible for the death penalty, reports said.

Ben Godar A tearful Joong Myung Kim appeared in a Burbank courtroom Thursday to face first-degree murder charges for allegedly strangling his wife in their Burbank apartment last month. Kim, 53, was scheduled to be arraigned, but the public defender representing him asked that the proceeding be delayed until Aug. 14. Dressed in yellow and blue prison fatigues and speaking through a Korean interpreter, Kim answered only "yes" when asked if he agreed to the delay.