In brief: Boston marathon bomber asks for new trial

BOSTON – Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev has filed a motion for a new trial, less than two weeks after he was formally sentenced to death for the 2013 attack.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers filed a preliminary motion for a new trial Monday for his conviction and death sentence. The motion did not contain any details on what grounds they plan to argue, saying only that a new trial is “required in the interests of justice.”

The 21-year-old Tsarnaev was convicted of 30 charges in the bombing, which killed three people and injured more than 260. The same jury recommended the death penalty, and a federal judge on June 24 sentenced him to death.

Tsarnaev’s lawyers call the motion a “placeholder” until they can file a more detailed motion next month.

Autistic boy on life support after allegedly being beaten

HAGERSTOWN, Md. – Sheriff’s officials said a 6-year-old autistic boy is on life support after he was beaten by his mother’s boyfriend.

Defendant Aaron Vanmeter, of Hancock, was being held on $1 million bail after a hearing Monday in Hagerstown. His public defender didn’t immediately return a telephone call from the Associated Press.

Vanmeter is charged with first- and second-degree assault and first- and second-degree child abuse. The Washington County Sheriff’s Office said he beat Dustin Barnhart at a home in Hancock on Thursday night.

Lt. Gregory Alton said Vanmeter told him that that he grabbed Dustin forcefully on Thursday night “in an attempt to scare him into being good.”

Clerk wants Kentucky to issue marriage licenses online

FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Kentucky clerk of court wants the state to issue marriage licenses online so he doesn’t have to.

Casey County Clerk Casey Davis said same-sex marriage violates his religious beliefs. He stopped issuing marriage licenses following the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized gay marriage.

Davis said lawmakers should pass a law allowing people to buy marriage licenses online, similar to the process of obtaining a hunting or fishing license.

Same-sex couple gets license after filing federal lawsuit

DALLAS – A gay couple has received a marriage license after filing a federal lawsuit against a North Texas county clerk who previously cited her religious opposition to gay marriage in denying the license.

Jim Cato and Joe Stapleton filed the lawsuit Monday against Hood County Clerk Katie Lang, saying they repeatedly had been turned away when trying to obtain a license last week.

The couple was quickly granted a license later in the morning in Granbury, the county seat. The city is southwest of Fort Worth.

The couple’s attorney, Jan Soifer, released a statement saying they haven’t withdrawn the lawsuit and are seeking an agreement from Lang that her office will issue licenses to same-sex couples without delay. They’re also seeking attorney fees.

Lang was not immediately available for comment Monday.