Free Republic

The inmate accused of strangling John Geoghan in his prison cell hated homosexuals and began plotting the attack on the child molesting former priest weeks ago, a prosecutor said yesterday. 'He looked on Father Geoghan as a prize,' District Attorney John Conte said. No question he had been planning it for well over a month.Joe L. Druce, who is serving a life term for killing a gay man 15 years ago, cut apart a book to make a perfect tool for jamming the door of Geoghan's cell and spent time stretching the socks used in the strangling, Conte said.'Druce had...

The blasé summer days of hangin' out, lyin' around and doin' nothing are ending this week for many Bay Area teenagers, but that doesn't necessarily mean a return to the manic mode typical of ambitious high school students. Lynbrook High School in San Jose will kick off school today with new guidelines that discourage teachers from assigning homework over weekends and holidays. And Palo Alto High School, which welcomes students back Tuesday, is granting its first homework holiday at the end of the semester to give high-gear students some time to chill. Administrators' attempts to lighten the homework load are...