Parents accused in Illinois boy's beating death due in court
National Court News
An Illinois mother and father charged with murder in the death of their 5-year-old son are due in court for preliminary hearings in the case.
Court records show 36-year-old JoAnn Cunningham and 60-year-old Andrew Freund Sr. of Crystal Lake are scheduled for Friday morning preliminary hearings in McHenry County court. Both face murder charges in Andrew "AJ" Freund's beating death last month. Police found AJ's body in a shallow grave covered with straw April 24, nine days after authorities say he died and a week after his parents reported him missing.
Public defenders represent both parents. Freund's court-appointed attorney on Tuesday asked for a psychological evaluation of his client.
According to an affidavit, the parents forced AJ to take a cold shower before he died as punishment for lying about soiling his underwear.
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USCIS Adjusting Premium Processing Fee
U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) announced today it is adjusting the premium processing fee for Form I-129, Petition for a Nonimmigrant Worker and Form I-140, Immigrant Petition for Alien Workers beginning on Oct. 1, 2018 to more effectively adjudicate petitions and maintain effective service to petitioners.
The premium processing fee will increase to $1,410, a 14.92 percent increase (after rounding) from the current fee of $1,225. This increase, which is done in accordance with the Immigration and Nationality Act, represents the percentage change in inflation since the fee was last increased in 2010 based on the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers.
“Because premium processing fees have not been adjusted since 2010, our ability to improve the adjudications and service processes for all petitioners has been hindered as we’ve experienced significantly higher demand for immigration benefits. Ultimately, adjusting the premium processing fee will allow us to continue making necessary investments in staff and technology to administer various immigration benefit requests more effectively and efficiently,” said Chief Financial Officer Joseph Moore. “USCIS will continue adjudicating all petitions on a case-by-case basis to determine if they meet all standards required under applicable law, policies, and regulations.”
Premium processing is an optional service that is currently authorized for certain petitioners filing Forms I-129 or I-140. The system allows petitioners to request 15-day processing of certain employment-based immigration benefit requests if they pay an extra fee. The premium processing fee is paid in addition to the base filing fee and any other applicable fees, which cannot be waived.