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8/8 cops and courts

Police are offering tips on avoiding credit card fraud, which has been on the rise nationwide, according to a recent press release from the Clovis Police Department.

Among the tips, according to the release:

• Make sure credit card receipts are protected. If a customer does not take the receipt, store employees should make sure to mark out the account number with a black or red pen and shred the receipt. Never throw a receipt in the trash.

• Be cautious of onlookers when completing a credit card transaction. Credit card numbers can be photographed with cell phones.

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A trial originally scheduled this week for a Clovis man charged with first-degree murder has been rescheduled for either February or March.

Ninth Judicial District Attorney Brett Carter said lawyers for Dominic L. Murphy, 25, said they’ll need two weeks for the trial, which pushes the date back at least six months.

In addition to the murder charge, Murphy is accused of being a felon in possession of a firearm, bribery, intimidation, or retaliation against a witness, and two counts of tampering with evidence in connection with a double homicide in February, 2003. His co-defendant, Joey G. Martinez, 27, pleaded guilty on Dec. 15, 2003, to two counts of being an accessory to the act and one count of shooting at a dwelling or occupied building.

Martinez received a 29-year sentence in state prison with 26 years before being eligible for parole.

Cops and Courts is compiled by CNJ News Editor Mike Linn. He can be contacted at 763-6991 or:

[email protected]