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Notebook: Danton pleads innocent in murder-for-hire plot
Danton, wearing an orange jail-issued jumpsuit, spoke in calm and measured tones in brief responses to questions from U.S. Magistrate Gerald Cohn at the federal courthouse in East St. Louis, Ill. He is charged with conspiring and using a telephone across state lines to attempt a murder.
A pretrial hearing was scheduled for July 12. Trial was set for July 20.
Three of Danton's relatives -- mother Sue Jefferson, brother Tom Jefferson and aunt Linda Gebe -- were at the hearing. So were two of Danton's Blues teammates, Scott Mellanby and Doug Weight, along with team marketing director Jim Woodcock.
Cohn set a detention hearing for Friday afternoon. Danton will remain in the Clinton County, Ill., jail until then. Federal prosecutor Randy Massey said the government will recommend that Danton remain jailed.
U.S. crushes Denmark
Matt Cullen of the Florida Panthers had two goals and an assist, leading the United States to a 8-3 win over Denmark in a qualifying round game at the world hockey championships in Prague.
Bates Battaglia of the Washington Capitals, Erik Westrum of the Phoenix Coyotes, Chris Drury and Jeff Jillson of the Buffalo Sabres, Richard Park of the Minnesota Wild and Jeff Hamilton of the AHL's Birdgeport Sound Tigers also scored for the United States.
The Americans already had clinched a quarterfinal berth against the Czech Republic, and U.S. coach Peter Laviolette said his players had a hard time concentrating against Denmark.
The United States, which won its first world championship title in Prague in 1933, will play the Czechs tonight.
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