DISTRICT BRIEFING

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

U.S. DISTRICT COURT

Man Is Sentenced for Jury-Duty Scam

A former postal employee in the District who admitted collecting $38,924 in pay after falsely telling his supervisors that he could not work because he was on jury duty was sentenced by a U.S. District Court judge to five months in prison yesterday.

Postal workers receive their salaries while on jury duty. Joseph S. Winstead, 52, who was a mail sorter, served on a jury in U.S. District Court from October 2003 to April 2004. He later admitted that in documents he filed to collect his pay, he claimed 144 more days of jury duty than he had served. After being called to jury duty again in 2006, Winstead, of the 1100 block of Barnaby Terrace SE, claimed 44 more days that he had served. He pleaded guilty to mail fraud.

-- Paul Duggan

BEER AND MALT LIQUOR

Council to Consider Ban on Sales of Singles

The D.C. Council will consider today a ban on the sale of single bottles of malt liquor and beer of that are 70 ounces or less in wards 4, 7 and 8.

After proposing separate bills to prohibit sales, council members Muriel Bowser (D-Ward 4), Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7) and Marion Barry (D-Ward 8) banded together to back the ban. They said sales of singles contribute to social ills in the communities they represent. Council member Jim Graham (D-Ward 1), chairman of the Committee on Public Works and the Environment, said a temporary ban in Ward 4 has been successful and would be made permanent under the legislation.

Alexander dismissed the idea that stores could go out of business because of the ban. She said that public drunkenness and urination and other problems are often the result of sales of singles. "It's just deplorable to me that a 40-ounce bottle of malt liquor can cost less than a loaf of bread in some of the local stores," Alexander said yesterday.

-- Nikita Stewart

POLICE

Department to Equip Patrol Cars With Rifles

D.C. police patrol cars will be equipped with rifles, police said last night.

Officials said 300 officers have been trained in their use. They said they are working on obtaining mounts and other accessories before deploying the weapons.

-- Martin Weil

SOUTHEAST

2 Are Found Fatally Shot at Different Sites

Two people were shot, one fatally, early yesterday in Southeast Washington, police said. A second homicide victim was found last night in a different Southeast neighborhood.

Jasmin McCray was found in the 4800 block of Benning Road about 3 a.m. She lived in the 4900 block of G Street SE, police said. Police found another gunshot victim, a man, at the scene.

About 6 p.m., Clifton P. Jackson, 29, of the 3800 block of Q Street SE, the victim in the second shooting, was found in the 1500 block of Fort Davis Street.

-- Petula Dvorak and Elissa Silverman