Atlanta Braves Searching for Bands to Perform Before 2009 Braves Home Games

The Atlanta Braves are looking for bands who think they have what it takes to energize and entertain thousands of fans at Turner Field before a home Braves game in 2009. Country, rock, pop, cover, or original bands can submit their information for review at www.braves.com/bravesbands.

"There is an abundance of great musical talent in our region," said Scott Cunningham, Braves Director of Game Entertainment. "This contest gives us an opportunity to tap into the wealth of talent for our fans to enjoy, while supporting up and coming musicians by providing them a venue and audience at the major league level."

Bands selected to perform before a home game during the 2009 season will receive free tickets for their members to that night's game and a special discount code to pass along to their loyal followers to see them live in action.

One group will be named the "Braves Band of the Year" and win a free suite to the final home game of 2009. The "Band of the Year" will be chosen by the Braves game entertainment staff, who will judge the groups based on combination of factors including crowd participation and enthusiasm.

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Third Atlanta Police Officer Pleads Guilty In Fatal Shooting of Elderly Woman

PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Justice Department announced October 30, 2008, that former Atlanta Police Department (APD) Officer Arthur Bruce Tesler pleaded guilty in federal district court to conspiring to violate the civil rights of Kathryn Johnston, 92, in connection with her fatal shooting during the execution of an illegal search warrant at her Atlanta home on Nov.21, 2006.

Tesler, of Ackworth, Ga., joins two other former APD officers who pleaded guilty last year to state and federal charges in the case. Gregg Junnier, of Woodstock, Ga., and Jason R. Smith, of Oxford, Ga., pleaded guilty in state court to voluntary manslaughter, violation of oath by a public officer, criminal solicitation and false statements, and in federal court to a civil rights conspiracy violation that resulted in the death of Ms. Johnston. Smith also pleaded guilty in state court to one count of perjury. Junnier and Smith also agreed to cooperate in a broader investigation of APD officer misconduct, which has since been completed.

"When law enforcement officers do not live up to the high ideals they typically uphold, we will not hesitate to take action," said Grace Chung Becker, Acting Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. "The Department of Justice will continue to vigorously prosecute those who cross the line and commit such violent criminal acts."

According to the information presented in court, Junnier and Smith, on several occasions while working as APD narcotics officers, made false statements in sworn affidavits to state magistrate judges in order to obtain "no knock" search warrants for residences and other locations where the officers believed illegal drugs would be found.

On the afternoon of Nov. 21, 2006, Smith, Junnier and Tesler executed such a warrant at Johnston's home, knowing that the warrant had been obtained on the basis of false information that Smith had presented to a magistrate judge. The victim, who was the only occupant of the house, fired through the door a single .38 caliber shot, which hit no one. Junnier, Smith and four other officers returned fire, hitting the victim with five or six shots, one of which was fatal.

Officers searched the home after the shooting, but found no drugs. Smith then planted in the basement of the house three bags of marijuana that the officers had seized elsewhere earlier that day. Tesler then filed a false APD incident report stating that a purchase of crack had been made at Johnston's home earlier that day and Smith submitted two bags containing crack that falsely indicated the drugs were bought by an informant at 933 Neal Street, the home of the victim. The defendants also met to fabricate a story, which they later recounted to APD homicide investigators, falsely justifying the events leading to the shooting of Kathryn Johnston.

Under Tesler's plea agreement, the parties agreed that the appropriate sentence under the advisory federal sentencing guidelines is 121 months. The federal sentence will run concurrently with Tesler's 54 month state sentence arising from the same criminal conduct. Junnier also faces a guidelines sentence of 121 months, and Smith faces a guidelines sentence of 151 months; those two defendants may, however, receive reductions based on their cooperation with the Government's investigation.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon-Peter Kelly, U.S. Attorney David E. Nahmias, and Department of Justice Civil Rights Division Special Litigation Counsel Paige M. Fitzgerald are prosecuting the case.


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