Attorney General Luther Strange says Alabama will receive around $2 billion under terms of a settlement arising from the April 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The Justice Department and four other Gulf Coast states will receive a share of a $20 billion payout from BP. The deal announced Monday resolves all civil claims against BP and ends five years of legal fighting.
Recycling Shutdown
Montgomery's high tech recycling center has temporarily shut down. The Advanced Mixed Materials Recovery Facility on Louisville Street in north Montgomery ceased operations last Thursday, that's according to parent company, Infinitus Energy. Montgomery City officials were notified about the shutdown. A spokesman said the city will send trash to the city landfill until further notice. The company blamed the shutdown on failing prices in the market. The high tech recycling facility opened in April of last year.
Wrongful Convictions
A legal group that won the release of two innocent men from Alabama prisons is urging state officials to review other possible wrongful convictions. Director of the Equal Justice Initiative Bryan Stevenson Monday urged Alabama to create a conviction integrity unit that would review claims of innocence and to expand availability of forensic testing. Beniah Alton Dandridge was freed last week after 20 years in prison on a murder conviction based on a faulty fingerprint match. Ray Hinton was freed in April after nearly 30 years on death row. Stevenson says the men would not have lost decades to prison if forensic evidence in their cases had been reviewed sooner.
Ford Press Conference
Tuskegee Mayor Johnny Ford, surrounded by local agency representatives held a news conference Monday about VictoryLand's recent ruling. The group said they're encourage by Circut Judge William Shashy's ruling that orders the state of Alabama to return gaming machines and money to VictoryLand owner Milton McGregor. The state has 45 days to appeal the judge's ruling.