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Steven Giardini specialized in prosecuting sex crimes against minors, but Tuesday, he was arrested for doing exactly what he was prosecuting against. CNN reports that Giardini, ex Alabama district attorney (resigned in 2009), was arrested on Tuesday, after attempting to solicit a 15-year-old girl via the internet. Instead, Giardini was really speaking to an FBI Internet Crimes agent.

Quote from CNN: “The crimes alleged in this indictment are all the more horrifying in that the defendant was a prosecutor entrusted to protect citizens from evil and criminal wrongdoing, The people of Alabama should be reassured, however, that no one is above the law, and that those who seek to harm and exploit our children will be punished, whoever they are.”

Giardini is currently being charged with 3 felonies. First, he is being charged with attempting to have intercourse with a child under 16. Second, he is being charged with the intent to create child pornography. Finally, Giardini is being charged with using a computer for the purpose of coming into contact sexually with a minor.

The Mahatma Gandhi (MG) University BTech Results for this 2010 year have been released on the official website. If you’re interested in seeing the results, you can see them here. But remember, this is a PDF file. You will need Adobe Reader 8 to access the results. Also note: The document is 141 pages, so it may take a moment to load.

Mahatma Gandhi University was created back on October 2nd, 1983. The university has many different available courses. We’ve managed to obtain the following list from Indian MBA Results dot Blogspot dot Com. “MG university provides academics on Gandhian Thought, Technology, Physics, Behavioural sciences, Sociology, Journalism, Chemical Sciences including Polymer Chemistry, Nursing, Hospital Administration and Disaster Mangement, Environmental Sciences and Management.” We’ve also learned from South Asia Blog dot Com, that the university has 250 courses in graduate, post graduate, and M.Phil/Ph.D. programs.

With a total of 8 satellite campuses, the university enrolls 1,50,000 students every year (South Asia Blog). And today, the BTech Results have been released. BTech stands for “Bachelor of Technology.” From Wikipedia, “In general, the degree is awarded to those who have undertaken a Bachelor of Science degree program which is additionally  supplemented by either occupational placements (e.g., supervised practica or internships) or practice-based classroom courses. Due to these requirements, the degree normally takes at least four years.” This is just one of the degrees offered at MG University.

35-year-old Peter Anthony Cantu’s execution has received national attention, after he and 4 others received death sentences. The gang was convicted of raping and killing 2 young teenage girls back in 1993. According to the Daily Caller, 14-year-old Jennifer Ertman and 16-year-old Elizabeth Pena were coming home from a summer pool party, when they were raped and killed by a 5 people.

All 5 individuals were convicted, and all were sentenced the death penalty. Currently, all but Cantu have been executed and two will serve life. Cantu will be the last to be executed, later today. The other two individuals aren’t legally allowed to be executed, because of a new law which the US Supreme Court created. The law states that those who are under 18 at the time they commit the crime, cannot be executed.

From BontangFC, “Texas plans to kill Peter Cantu Tuesday by lethal injection — the 16th execution this year in the nation’s busiest death chamber. Execution Watch will provide live reports from outside the building, along with a discussion of the issues and an interview with the author of Capital Punishment on Trial, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian David Oshinsky.”

Randy Ertman, the dad of one of the girls was recently interviewed by the Associated Press. Cantu will be the last of the executions Ertman will see. “He should have been hung outside the courthouse. I don’t mean this in a gruesome way, but if they want to make the death penalty a deterrent, up in front of (Houston) City Hall, they’ve got all these beautiful trees. They should have hung them. If they hung all five of them, that would be a deterrent.” The girls’ bodies were found 4 days after they were killed, in a wooded field, in Houston.

We’re getting numerous reports in that Collin County Community College is on lockdown, after a shooting took place near the campus. According to College News, the shooting took place at the McKinney Police Department, near the Central Park Campus, at around 9:00 AM CT, today. The shooter has been confirmed dead and no other injuries have been reported.

College News reports that the shooter could have been driving a Ford F-150 Pickup, with a trailer hitched on the back. According to the source, the trailer went up in flames, possibly because of the ammunition inside.

Since the incident, we’re being told that the campus is on lockdown. Students who are not on campus are being told to take the day off* [unconfirmed]. They were recently sent an email alert, “Shots fired. Campus on lockdown. Cops on the scene. Details to follow.” A press briefing will take place around 4:00 PM ET, where more information will be released.

Collin County Community College is located in McKinney, Texas, north of Plano.

Nobody expected the California 200 race to turn into a disaster, but on Saturday evening, hell on earth was evident at the event, when one of the drivers lost control of his vehicle, killing 8, and injuring 10 others. The driver “got airborne and, when he landed, rolled over straight into the spectators. People didn’t have much of a chance . . . to get out of the way,” said Officer Joaquin Zubieta of the California Highway Patrol.

Currently, the department is investigating the wreck, but reports show that alcohol was not a factor. 7 of the 8 individual who were killed have been identified by the San Bernardino County coroner’s office: Brian Wolfin, 27, of Escondido, Calif.; Anthony Sanchez, 23, of Escondido, Calif.; Aaron Farkas, 25, of Escondido, Calif.; Andrew Therrin, 22, of Riverside, Calif.; Zachary Freeman, 24, of Fillmore, Calif.; Dustin C. Malson, 24, of Ventura, Calif.; and Danica Frantzich, 20, of Las Vegas.

A video of the crash has also been released on Youtube, and can be seen here. In the video, you can see hundreds of spectators standing within 5 feet of speeding cars, with no railing to protect them. Many people are questioning the safety of the vent. Information for this article was obtained via Clevland.com.

(PHOTO GALLERY) If you’re in Ames, Iowa, you likely woke up around 5:00 AM to a code red phone call, alerting you of the life-threatening floods, in the area. Heavy rainfall caused flooding in Ames, Iowa, and has led to the death of a teenage girl. The girl’s body was recovered around 2:20 PM, in Mud Creek. Local authorities declined when asked to release the girl’s identity. As much as 2 – 4 inches of rain fell overnight, in some areas, and as much as 6 inches of rain fell in other areas. Associated Content reports that the Iowa State University basketball arena was and still could be under 4 to 5 feet of water.

Meteorologist Jim Lee gave his reasoning for the recent floods, “The bulk of this has been caused by those recent extreme rainfalls, especially back-to-back-to-back.” Because of the recent flooding, the city had to shut off its water supply to the nearly 55,000 residents that it holds. City officials note that if you do have access to water, that it could be contaminated. You are strictly asked that if you use any water, to boil it before use, to avoid any health risks. Information for this article was obtained from the Des Moines Register and Associated Content.

If you don’t like shopping, you may want to avoid Santa Monica Place, at all costs. This holds especially true if you’re in a relationship where your partner likes shopping. The Santa Monica Place mall, which is 550,000 square feet, has finally reopened, after a 2 year, $265 million dollar remodel. The night before the reopen was like a huge celebration. There was a deejay, people camped out, and Coke Zeros, among other items, were being handed out, free of cost. The super fancy mall has many amazing qualities, but if you’re in Santa Monica, I highly recommend checking them out for yourself.

Many people are commenting on the new mall. Cyndi Walters, a 30-year-old nurse from Santa Monica stated, “Finally, finally they’ve done something to improve.” On the reopening of the remodeled mall another individual named Nina stated, “This is, like, a classic American experience; the great mall opening.” Originally, the mall owner planned to demolish Santa Monica Place, and build condominiums, offices, and shops, which would lay over underground parking. These plans changed in 2006, after people around the city said it would cause too much downtown commotion. But luckily, it seems people are extremely satisfied with the new Santa Monica Place. If you haven’t checked it out, I highly recommend doing so, but only if you like shopping.

Source: LA Times

The “Grim Sleeper” case, which managed to continue between 1985 and 2007 has finally come to a conclusion. Lonnie Franklin Jr. was arrested Wednesday for the murder of 10 people and the attempted murder of another individual.

The case had detectives spinning for more than 2 decades, when finally a break came in. Franklin’s son was arrested, DNA tested, and out of coincidental luck, his DNA matched to the DNA found at the scenes of the Grim Sleeper murder crimes. That’s when police strategically began to plan their arrest of 57-year-old, Lonnie Franklin Jr.

Franklin was arrested and charged with 10 counts of murder and 1 count of attempted murder. Huffington Post reports that Franklin could be eligible for the death penalty.

Prior to Franklin’s arrest, police had a description and DNA of the killer, and even with a $500,000 reward, Franklin managed to stay low. And although it’s taken sometime for the police to finally close this 25-year-long case, Donnell Alexander, brother of victim Monique Alexander, is simply happy with the case finally being closed. “Today is a good day,” said Alexander (Huffington Post).

The “Grim Sleeper” received his name after he stopped committing his crimes between the years of 1988 and 2002. Between 1985 and 1987 and between 2002 and 2007, Franklin committed 10 murders. Neighbors said Franklin was “friendly” and “quiet.” Currently, no other information is available.

Although I am not a big fan of Twitter, most people I know use it for the smple things. They’ll let there friends know that they’re going to the movies, the mall, or simply going out for icecream. Other friends I have use Twitter for things like following their favorite celebrities, or as a way of getting news updates. Basically, everyone I know Tweets things of what’s considered to be normal.

Today, marks the first day Twitter has been used to announce the go-ahead on a death penalty. At least, I think it’s the first day that someone has used Twitter for this option. Around midnight, Utah Attorney General Mark Shurtleff Tweeted, “A solemn day. Barring a stay by Sup Ct, & with my final nod, Utah will use most extreme power & execute a killer. Mourn his victims. Justice.” He then Tweeted, “I just gave the go ahead to Corrections Director to proceed with Gardner’s execution. May God grant him the mercy he denied his victims.” The Utah firing squad then proceeded to follow orders sent out towards killer, Ronnie Gardner. [Wired.com]

Since the execution, many people have been researching the Utah Firing Squad. On Wired.com, I found a comment that noted that the firing squad was banned from use in 2004. Because Gardner chose the firing squad over lethal injection before it was banned, he was able to still go through with the firing squad, as a form of punishment. Gardner will likely be the last person to do so.

Many people have mixed emotions regarding the Tweet. Some people are okay with it, while others are making sarcastic comments like, “So… When will we have live streaming?” Because of this reason, I think it’s a great idea for a poll. Do you guys think Utah Attorney General, Mark Shurtleff had the right to post what he posted on his Twitter page? Be sure to take the poll below, and leave your comments at the end of this article.

If you’re looking for something to do today, the annual Mermaid Parade and Mermaid Parade afterparty ball just may be the places for you to attend.

The Mermaid Parade takes place at around 2:00 PM. The event will begin on West 21st Street and Surf Avenue, and will continue to move east to West 10th Street, before finally turning south, to head back towards the boardwalk. [Continental Daily]. People in the parade will dress as sea creatures, such as mermaids and neptunes. In the past, celebrities like David Byrne, Queen Latifah, Curtis Sliwa, Moby and Harvey Keitel, have been featured in the parade. [Brooklyn Eagle].

After the Mermaid Parade, the 8th annual 21 and up Mermaid Parade Ball afterparty will take place. The afterparty will take place at the New York Aquarium, at Surf Avenue and West Eighth Street. The event will begin at 6:00 PM and last until 11:30 PM. Burlesque shows, raffle tickets, and live music will all be available at the event.