Briefly... CITY/REGION

Prof removed from ballot

A request by an adjunct professor at Drexel University that his name be removed from the ballot for the May 19 primary has been approved by Commonwealth Court. Leon A. King II, a city lawyer, had been a candidate for a Municipal Court judgeship.

King stated in a letter to his supporters that his recent decision was for the greater good of the Democratic Party. "Sometimes one must sacrifice one's own goals, to the betterment of the whole," King wrote.

Despite his removal from the ballot, he said he was still actively pursuing his goal of becoming a Common Pleas judge and would continue to speak about issues concerning criminal justice.

Man rescued near Cape May

The Coast Guard on Saturday rescued a 46-year-old man from a fishing boat 55 miles east of Cape May after he fractured a leg.

The rescue of Fon Chau was nearly fumbled when a hoisting cable on a helicopter malfunctioned and Chau fell 10 feet into the water. A rescue swimmer supported him while the cable was repaired and Chau was hoisted aboard the chopper and taken to Atlanticare Regional Medical Center in Atlantic City.

Bill would require sobriety test

Drivers involved in accidents in which someone dies or is seriously hurt would have to take a sobriety test under a bill recently introduced in the New Jersey Legislature.

Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, a co-sponsor of the bill, said the requirement would help police determine whether the driver should be arrested or charged with a crime. Currently, authorities can only give a sobriety test when there is evidence or clear suspicion that a driver is under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

Cop injured in traffic stop

A police officer who had just made a traffic stop was injured when another vehicle - driven by an alleged drunken driver - sideswiped his cruiser in Barnegat. Patrolman Anthony King suffered neck and back injuries in the accident, which occurred about 11:30 p.m. Friday. Authorities said King's cruiser was pulled over to the side of the road when it was struck by a sport utility vehicle driven by 61-year-old William Ferri of Barnegat. The SUV did not stop, but King - who was sitting in the driver's seat - used his police radio to contact other officers, who soon stopped Ferri's vehicle. *

- Staff and wire reports