New England in brief
BOSTON
The state’s highest court has ordered a lower court judge to determine whether there were flaws in the process of jury selection at the trial of Dr. Dirk Greineder, the Wellesley allergist who was convicted of killing his wife in a trial that drew national attention. The Supreme Judicial Court acted Friday after Greineder’s lawyer raised questions about the trial’s voir dire, the process in which jurors are questioned to determine their suitability to serve. Attorney Jamie Sultan contended in a hearing earlier this month that the voir dire had been closed, violating Greineder’s right to a public trial. The court asked Superior Court Judge Paul Chernoff to make findings on a number of questions, including who was present in the room, whether there was a sign on the door keeping people out, whether court officers kept people out, and whether the defendant or his lawyer asked for, or agreed to, the procedures.Police say suspect pulled knife on offcers
A Taunton man was in custody yesterday after he allegedly brandished a knife during a struggle with Boston police officers. A woman walked into the Roxbury police station about 6:30 p.m. Monday and reported that her boyfriend had taken her car. The car and the suspect, Mark Tucker, 47, were found at the intersection of Clifford Street and Blue Hill Avenue, police said. Tucker allegedly resisted officers, pulled out a knife, and swung it toward them, the statement said. Officers shot a nonlethal bean bag at Tucker and took him into custody. He was charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, assault by means of a dangerous weapon, resisting arrest, and multiple counts of assault and battery on a police officer.Three indicted in two shooting deaths
Three men were indicted yesterday in connection with a Dorchester shooting that left two dead last August, said Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley. Emmanuel Pina, 26, and Sandro Tavares, 25, both of Dorchester, were indicted on murder charges in the deaths of Jovany Eason, 20, and Manuel Monteiro, 47, both of Dorchester, near the Ka-Carlos Bar and Grill on Hancock Street, according to a statement from Conley’s office. Pina and Timothy Santos, 24, also of Dorchester, were indicted on charges of armed assault with intent to murder. Conley said that Pina and Tavares attacked Eason following an altercation inside the restaurant. Monteiro, who was a cook at the restaurant, had tried to defuse the conflict and was shot while standing near the front door.Teen allegedly brandished gun at bus stop
A Dorchester teenager was arrested yesterday morning by police who said he had pulled a gun on a child waiting for a school bus on Columbia Road. Devante M. Philips, 17, was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, carrying a loaded firearm, and resisting arrest. Police said Philips ran from officers when they approached him on Dudley Street and struggled with them while they detained him in a nearby parking lot. Once he was handcuffed, police said, the arresting officers found a loaded gun.CAVENDISH, VT.
Schools raise money for Guard families
Vermont school children are stepping in to help the families of National Guard soldiers who are deploying to Afghanistan. Secretary of State Deb Markowitz kicked off the “Service-to-Service’’ project yesterday at the Cavendish Town Elementary School, where third- through fifth-grade students raised $1,400 in an all-night fund-raiser to benefit soldiers and their families. Markowitz, a Democratic candidate for governor, said the deployment will affect every community in the state and is an opportunity for children to learn about service. (AP)BANGOR
Governor urges vote for gay marriage
Acknowledging his past opposition to gay marriages, Governor John Baldacci is urging Mainers to vote against the ballot proposal to repeal the same-sex marriage law. Speaking in Bangor yesterday, Baldacci said he once preferred civil unions to gay marriages. But he said he came to believe that a civil union is not equal to civil marriage. He signed the gay marriage bill last May. Maine voters will cast ballots Tuesday on whether to repeal the same-sex marriage law. (AP)
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