WASHINGTON, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- U.S. Senate Democrats should know issuing contempt citations and pursuing a criminal case in the firings of U.S. attorneys is futile, the White House said.

Dana Perino, White House press secretary, said Thursday the Senate Judiciary Committee's issuing contempt citations against former White House adviser Karl Rove and White House Chief of Staff Joshua Bolten is pointless because "the constitutional prerogative of the president would make it a futile effort for Congress to refer contempt citations to U.S. attorneys."

The committee issued citations because Bolten did not provide information or documents in the firing of nine U.S. attorneys. Rove, who resigned as deputy chief of staff in August, was cited because he did not appear before the committee to testify. The White House said Rove was immune because of executive privilege.

"The Department of Justice would not require a U.S. attorney to convene a grand jury or otherwise pursue a prosecution of an individual who carries out a president's instruction not to provide documents or testimony on the basis of the president's assertion of executive privilege," Perino said.

The matter will go before the full Senate.

N.J. close to abolishing the death penalty

TRENTON, N.J., Dec. 13 (UPI) -- The New Jersey Assembly gave final legislative approval Thursday to a bill that would make the state the first in decades to abolish the death penalty.

Gov. Jon Corzine said he expects to sign the bill within a few days, The Star-Ledger of Newark reported.

The bill replaces execution with a life sentence with no parole.

The measure, which passed the state Senate this week, was approved 44-36 in a largely party-line vote. Opponents of capital punishment argued that doing away with the death penalty would be good for the families of murder victims.

"It creates a false sense of security for those who want to see justice done," said Democratic Assemblyman Wilfredo Caraballo, a primary sponsor of the bill. "And it is hurtful for families of murder victims who only want to see justice done."

New Jersey held its last execution in 1963. Although more than 60 people have been sentenced to death under the 1982 law, most have had their sentences commuted and some have died in prison.

New Jersey has eight men on deathrow, including two who have been there for more than 20 years.

Mistrial in Miami domestic terror case

MIAMI, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A federal jury Thursday acquitted one of seven Florida men charged with conspiring to bomb Chicago's Sears Tower and was unable to reach a verdict on the rest.

U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard declared a mistrial for the remaining six defendants after the jury deadlocked nine days after starting its deliberations, The Miami Herald reported. Federal prosecutors indicated they would seek to retry the six defendants.

The seventh, Lyglenson Lemorin, was acquitted of four conspiracy charges related to domestic terrorism.

The "Liberty City 7" were accused of conspiring to wage a jihad, or holy war, against the United States -- including a plot to attack the 110-story Sears Tower in Chicago, the tallest building in North America and third tallest in the world, and FBI buildings.

Wintry weather keeps deadly hold on U.S.

MANCHESTER, N.H., Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Winter-like storms blamed for at least two dozen deaths in the central United States moved east Thursday to the mid-Atlantic region and New England.

In Connecticut, state troopers responded to more than 100 crashes in the hours after the storm started, The Hartford Courant reported. One of the worst hit areas was Hartford, Conn., where two interstates meet in the center of the city. In Manchester, outside Hartford, two tractor-trailers jackknifed, partly blocking an icy I-84.

"We're holding our head above water," said Trooper William Tate, a state police spokesman. "It's just a matter of getting through the storm."

The National Weather Service predicted as much as 10 inches of snow in parts of New Jersey and 6 inches in neighboring states.

In the central United States, thousands of people remained without power after ice storms, with Oklahoma hit the worst. Hotels were filled by people without electricity or heat at home, and restaurants reported heavy business from those seeking a hot meal.

5 charged with starting Malibu wildfire

LOS ANGELES, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- Five young Los Angeles-area men were arrested Thursday on charges of starting a wildfire that swept through Malibu, Calif., gutting dozens of homes.

Investigators say the five suspects appeared to have built an illegal campfire in Corral Canyon during Thanksgiving weekend, the Los Angeles Times reported. The investigators found fire logs, liquor containers and food wrappers in the vicinity.

"They checked store receipts at a Ralphs market in Malibu and found one revealed a possible purchase of the items in question," said Steve Whitmore, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County sheriff's office. "With probable cause, they then got a search warrant allowing investigators to retrieve information from the debit card, which authorities believe was used to purchase the items."

Brian Allen Anderson, 22, William Thomas Coppock, 23, Brian David Franks, 27, all of Los Angeles, and Eric Matthew Ullman, 18, and Dean Allen Lavorante, 19, both of Culver City, face charges that include recklessly causing a fire to an inhabited structure and recklessly causing a fire resulting in serious injury. Because a state of emergency had been declared in the area after the October wildfires they could face sentences of up to 10 years.