NATION IN BRIEF

Nebraska High Court Outlaws Electric Chair

LINCOLN, Neb. -- The Nebraska Supreme Court ruled Friday that electrocution is cruel and unusual punishment, outlawing the electric chair in the only state that still used it as its sole means of execution.

The state's death penalty remains on the books, but the court said the legislature must approve another method to carry it out. The evidence shows that electrocution inflicts "intense pain and agonizing suffering," the court said.

"Condemned prisoners must not be tortured to death, regardless of their crimes," Justice William Connolly wrote in the 6 to 1 opinion.

"Contrary to the State's argument, there is abundant evidence that prisoners sometimes will retain enough brain functioning to consciously suffer the torture high voltage electric current inflicts on a human body," Connolly wrote.

While Nebraska is the only state with electrocution as its sole method of execution, the electric chair is an option or a backup method in nine other states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. All normally use lethal injection but have electrocution as an option.

Woman Fatally Shoots 2 Fellow Students

BATON ROUGE, La. -- A 23-year-old woman killed two fellow students in a classroom at a vocational college, then killed herself, police said.

The women apparently were shot in their seats in a second-floor classroom at Louisiana Technical College, said Baton Rouge Police Sgt. Don Kelly. About 20 people were in the emergency medical technology class at the time, he said.

"Why those two women were targeted . . . is still an unanswered question," Kelly said.

The shooter entered the room briefly, spoke with the instructor and left, Kelly said. She returned through another door and fired six rounds, reloaded and shot herself in the head, the officer added.

4 Bodies Found in Ga. Sugar Plant

PORT WENTWORTH, Ga. -- Volatile dust was blamed for an explosion that leveled a sugar refinery, and crews pulled four bodies from tunnels beneath the mangled mass of metal and beams left by the blast. At least four people known to be inside during the explosion were missing. Savannah police Sgt. Mike Wilson said no attempts would be made to find more bodies until Saturday, when heavy equipment will be brought in to remove debris.

Detroit Mayor Vows to Stay On

DETROIT -- Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick defended his decision to stay on the job amid a scandal involving an extramarital affair with his former chief of staff. "I believe I'm on an assignment from God in this position," said Kilpatrick, who accused a Detroit newspaper of stoking the scandal by "illegally" obtaining "some very private phone conversations" -- text messages between the mayor and his aide.

-- From News Services