"That is the area of law that is often referred to as diminished

INDIANAPOLIS - The Pacers biggest win so far this season came Monday — off the court. NMD Shoes Wholesale . One day after breaking out of a slump by beating Oklahoma City and hours before Miami rested its star players, essentially ceding the top seed in the East, the citys Capital Improvement Board approved a new deal that would help the Pacers stay financially competitive in one of the NBAs smallest markets. In exchange for providing $164 million to pay for operating costs at Bankers Life Fieldhouse over the next 10 years, the Pacers agreed to extend a lease agreement that will keep them in Indy for up to 13 more seasons. Board members voted 8-0 in favour of the deal. "This is a major factor helping us get on solid financial ground going forward," Pacers president Jim Morris said Monday. Its not the first time the Pacers have sought public assistance. Three years ago, team owner Herb Simon contended that he was losing money and could not continue to afford paying $15 million in annual operating costs. The CIB stepped in and agreed to spend up to $33.5 million through 2013. Now the quasi-government agency that runs Bankers Life Fieldhouse, home of the citys NBA team and WNBAs Indiana Fever; Lucas Oil Stadium, home to the NFLs Colts, and the citys convention centre will spend in excess of $10.8 million annually over the life of the deal. The contract runs for 10 years and includes three one-year extensions with the Pacers having the option for the first of those years. The last two will be mutually agreed upon. In return, the Pacers have agreed to stay at Bankers Life Fieldhouse and will give city leaders the "right of first offer" in the event the 79-year-old Simon dies and his heirs attempt to sell the team. The provision means the city could designate a new potential owner and that person would be able to make the first offer on the team or could match an offer from someone else. "With this agreement, one of our citys most important facilities will get some critical upgrades and continue to be home to some of our most amazing events," board president Ann Lathrop said after the vote. Critics argue that Simon, who is estimated to be worth more than $1 billion according to Forbes magazine, should foot the bill and that city leaders should fix roads and find more money for its understaffed police department. Mayor Greg Ballard contended the money in this deal couldnt be spent on those services anyway, though the new deal could create more money for those purposes. "By law, this money cant go there anyway," he said. "Its Economics 101. Youre trying to create more revenue for everything else. The assumption is that the pie is one size and thats not true at all. Youre trying to expand the pie." Simon has been frugal with his payroll. Larry Bird, the president of basketball operations, has made it clear Simon will not pay the NBAs luxury tax — the penalty for going substantially over the leagues salary cap. And the CIB investment should help the Pacers bottom line. The deal calls for the board to pay: — $3.7 million annually for fieldhouse operating expenses such as liability insurance, security and utilities; — $7.1 million in reimbursements for management of the arena, a price that includes an annual 3 per cent annual escalator clause: — $26.6 million in capital improvements to "major systems" such as locker rooms, concession stands and seating; — and half of the cost from the scoreboard the Pacers installed two years ago, taking over ownership at the end of the lease. The Pacers and Fever are the primary tenants at Bankers Life, but the arena hosts up to 500 different events throughout the year — everything from Indiana state basketball championships to concerts and other shows, all of which experts say helps the city prosper. But its the Pacers who needed the most help, and Morris believes this deal will keep them more competitive for the long run. "Were doing better," he said. "Weve had 28 sellouts this year, our attendance is up 15 per cent and our sponsorship is up. But weve had a tough 10 years and weve had substantial losses. Were making progress. For 10 or 11 years, we tried to find a way for the franchise to pay for the operating expenses of the building and we just couldnt." NMD Racer Australia . Adam Lind provided the power and rookie starter Marcus Stroman had the best start of his young career as the Blue Jays dumped the Yankees 8-3 at Rogers Centre. Stroman, making his fifth start for Toronto, allowed one earned run and three hits over a career-high eight innings. NMD Clearance Sale . TSN Hockey Insider Bob McKenzie tweeted on Monday that Hemsky will be going to market as an unrestricted free agent on July 1. http://www.nmdaustraliasale.com/superstar-shoes-australia/gold.html . Four years after winning gold on home ice in Vancouver, the Canadians will get a chance to make it two in a row Sunday against Sweden after beating the United States 1-0 in the Olympic semifinals Friday at Bolshoy Ice Dome.JOHANNESBURG, South Africa -- The murder trial of Oscar Pistorius resumes Monday after one month during which mental health experts evaluated the athlete to determine if he has an anxiety disorder that could have influenced his actions on the night he killed girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp. Judge Thokozile Masipa is expected to receive the conclusions of a panel of one psychologist and three psychiatrists who were instructed to assess whether the double-amputee runner was capable of understanding the wrongfulness of his act when he shot Steenkamp through a closed toilet door in his home on Valentines Day last year. The assessments of a panel at a state psychiatric hospital could determine whether he should be held criminally responsible and affect the judges deliberations on a verdict or, in the event of a conviction, the severity of the sentence, according to legal analysts. The evaluation came after a psychiatrist, Dr. Merryll Vorster, testified for the defence that Pistorius, who has said he feels vulnerable because of his disability and long-held worry about crime, had an anxiety disorder that could have contributed to the killing in the early hours of Feb. 14, 2013. He testified that he opened fire after mistakenly thinking there was a dangerous intruder in the toilet. Prosecutor Gerrie Nel has alleged that Pistorius, 27, killed the 29-year-old model after an argument, and has portrayed the Olympic athlete as a hothead with a love of guns and an inflated sense of entitlement. But he requested an independent inquiry into Pistorius state of mind, based on concern the defence would argue Pistorius was not guilty because of mental illness. Pistorius defence team could get a boost if the hospital evaluation roughly aligns with the conclusions of Vorster, the defence witness, said a llegal expert observing the trial. NMD R1 Sale Australia. Kelly Phelps, a senior lecturer in the public law department at the University of Cape Town, said a diagnosis that Pistorius has an anxiety disorder could add weight to his account and compel the judge to consider the question: "Is it more likely that he is telling the truth about what occurred on that night?" Even if the judge rules that Pistorius is guilty despite any disorder that he is suffering, Phelps said, the diagnosis could be a mitigating factor when he is sentenced. "That is the area of law that is often referred to as diminished responsibility," she said. Other possible conclusions in the psychiatric evaluation are that Pistorius is not suffering from any anxiety disorder, which could undermine his defence. Alternatively, it might be found that he was incapable of distinguishing between right and wrong or acting in accordance with that understanding, which could lead to a verdict of not guilty because of mental illness and referral to state psychiatric care. Pistorius faces 25 years to life in prison if found guilty of premeditated murder, and could also face years in prison if convicted of murder without premeditation or negligent killing. He is free on bail. Once Judge Masipa receives the conclusions from the mental health experts, the defence will be in a position to call its few remaining witnesses, prior to closing arguments and Masipas deliberation on a verdict. If, however, the experts who observed Pistorius are not unanimous in their conclusions, the judge can call them to the stand to clarify their findings. Pistorius was evaluated as an outpatient at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria, the South African capital. He has been staying at the upscale home of his uncle. ' ' '