spacetoday.net: Judge bars Nowak statement, evidence

Posted: Sat, Nov 3, 2007, 8:57 AM ET (1257 GMT)
Nowak, Lisa (NASA)

A Florida judge on Friday barred prosecutors from introducing a statement provided by Lisa Nowak, as well as evidence collected from her car, in their attempted kidnapping case against the former astronaut. An Orlando judge ruled that the statement, made by Nowak hours after her arrest at the Orlando airport in February, had been given without police clearly informing her of her constitutional rights. A search of her vehicle, which had turned up incriminating evidence ranging from a BB gun cartridge to latex gloves, had been performed without written consent from Nowak, and hence were inadmissible in court, according to the judge. Several other items that Nowak was carrying, including a knife and mallet, are admissible, however. Nowak is charged with attempted kidnapping, battery, and attempted vehicle burglary with a battery after an encounter with Air Force officer Colleen Shipman in an airport parking garage; both were romantically linked to astronaut William Oefelein. Both Nowak and Oefelein were removed from the NASA astronaut corps after the incident.