Roeder's defense rejected in Tiller murder case

KANSAS

Setback for killer of abortion provider

A judge ruled Tuesday that Kansas law does not allow a "necessity defense" in the trial of a man charged with killing one of the nation's few providers of late-term abortions.

Scott Roeder, 51, has confessed to shooting the physician, George Tiller, on May 31 and said it was necessary to save unborn children. Roeder listened intently as the judge gave a lengthy recitation of case precedents that mostly undermined that contention.

In his ruling, Judge Warren Wilbert cited a 1993 criminal-trespassing case involving an abortion clinic, in which the Kansas Supreme Court said that allowing a person's personal beliefs to justify criminal activity to stop law-abiding citizens from exercising their rights would "not only lead to chaos but would be tantamount to sanctioning anarchy." But he noted that the 1993 case dealt only with a property rights issue, whereas the case involving Roeder has elevated the argument to whether it is justified to take one life for another.

Roeder, 51, of Kansas City, Mo., is charged with one count of premeditated first-degree murder in Tiller's death and two counts of aggravated assault for allegedly threatening two ushers during the May 31 melee in the foyer of the doctor's Wichita church.

-- Associated Press

DIPLOMACY

U.S. executives warn North Korea on arms

U.S. business executives said they told North Korean leaders that they must give up their nuclear ambitions if they want foreign investment in the isolated country.

The rare unofficial trip to Pyongyang by independent U.S. business leaders last week came at the invitation of the North Korean government. The delegation was led by retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Charles Boyd, the president of Business Executives for National Security. It included former American International Group chief executive Maurice "Hank" Greenberg and Ross Perot Jr., chairman of Perot Systems and son of the former presidential candidate.

The group met with the head of the North Korean parliament and other officials.