A man who sneaked a bag of his feces into a San Diego courtroom during his home-invasion robbery trial, smeared it on his lawyer and threw it at jurors has been sentenced to 31 years in prison.

Superior Court Judge Frank Brown on Monday sentenced Weusi McGowan for robbery, burglary and two assault charges stemming from the feces-flinging incident during his January trial.

McGowan, who attorneys say suffers from mental illness, had asked for a mistrial because he believed jurors had seen him in restraints when he entered the courtroom.

Several days after his request was denied, McGowan pulled out a bag of excrement he had hidden in his clothing, rubbed it on his lawyer and tossed it at the jury, hitting one juror's computer case.

Court records show a former government scientist accused of attempted espionage last week pleaded guilty earlier this year to overbilling NASA and the Department of Defense more than $265,000 for contracting work.

The January plea by 52-year-old Stewart Nozette of Chevy Chase, Md., was detailed in court records unsealed Friday. The records state the documents were sealed because Nozette was cooperating in unrelated government corruption investigations.

Nozette was arrested last week and accused of selling sensitive government secrets to an FBI agent posing as an Israeli intelligence operative.

The unsealed court documents say Nozette pleaded guilty in January to overbilling the government between 2000 and 2006 and spending the money on personal bills and maintaining his swimming pool.

In Minnesota, bong water can count as an illegal drug.

That decision from Minnesota's Supreme Court on Thursday raises the threat of longer sentences for drug smokers in that state who fail to dump the water out of bong — a type of water pipe often used to smoke drugs

The court said a person can be prosecuted for a first-degree drug crime for 25 grams or more of bong water that tests positive for a controlled substance.

Lower courts had held that bong water is drug paraphernalia. Possession of that is a misdemeanor crime.

The case involved a woman whose bong had about 2 1/2 tablespoons of liquid that tested positive for methamphetamine. A narcotics officer had testified that drug users sometimes keep bong water to drink or inject later.

Three once-powerful members of Mexico's Arellano Felix drug cartel have pleaded guilty to criminal charges in San Diego.

Jorge Aureliano Felix admitted Wednesday to working with members of the Tijuana-based cartel to smuggle hundreds of tons of cocaine into the United States and bringing hundreds of millions of dollars in proceeds back to Mexico.

The U.S. Attorney's office says Armando Martinez Duarte pleaded guilty Friday. Efrain Perez pleaded guilty Monday.

The defendants were arrested in Mexico between 2002 and 2004 and extradited in late 2008. A 2003 federal indictment calls them "second-level managers" of the cartel.

Last week, Jesus "Chuy" Labra, pleaded guilty in the same case. He was a top cartel leader until his arrest in 2000.

A 45-year-old District man has pleaded guilty to threatening the life of a federal prosecutor, according to court records and trial testimony.

Darryl Tipps and a co-defendant, Wayne W. Pannell, 47, were charged with threatening the life of Assistant U.S. Attorney Deborah Sines and threatening to kidnap her son. A jury convicted Pannell of all charges Oct. 7. Tipps pleaded guilty in a deal with prosecutors and testified against Pannell at his trial early this month, according to court records.

During his testimony, Tipps disclosed he had pleaded guilty to threatening to injure or kidnap a person and to obstructing justice in the case, according to lawyers and others who attended the trial.

Further details about Tipps's plea deal could not be learned because the agreement and supporting documents are sealed. Court papers filed by Pannell's defense lawyer disclosed the secret agreement but did not specify the charges. Pannell is scheduled to be sentenced in January. It is not known whether a sentencing date for Tipps has been set. At the time of Pannell's conviction, the status of Tipps's case was not clear.

A Northern California man accused of sending threatening e-mails to President Barack Obama and other officials has pleaded not guilty to federal charges.

Federal authorities say 59-year-old John Gimbel of Crescent City sent a new batch of messages on Sept. 28 after previously being warned to stop. Authorities say the e-mails contained racist, profane language and included threats to the first lady.

Gimbel was arrested Oct. 6 by the U.S. Secret Service and was indicted before Obama appeared in San Francisco on Thursday for a fundraiser.

Randall Davis, Gimbel's former attorney, says Gimbel argues he was exercising his free speech rights.

On Monday, a federal public defender was appointed to the case, which has been transferred to San Francisco.

The former Yale lab technician charged with killing a graduate student last month is scheduled to appear in a Connecticut courtroom.

Raymond Clark III is due in New Haven Superior Court on Tuesday. His lawyer says he will plead not guilty after deciding whether waive his right to a probable cause hearing.

Police say Clark strangled the 24-year-old Annie Le (LAY') and hid her body behind a wall in the laboratory building where they both worked. Authorities have not released a motive.

People charged with murder in Connecticut have the right to a probable cause hearing, in which both sides can introduce evidence and call witnesses. A judge then decides whether the case can move to trial.

Le's body was found on what was to be her wedding day.