Stabbing suspect may argue self-defense in high-profile case
Kyle Bisson, 25, of Manchester, faces charges of first-degree assault, attempted first-degree assault and two counts of falsifying physical evidence. His lawyers filed a notice of potential defense that evidence 'may show that he was legally justified in using physical force in self-defense.'
His case became part of a political firestorm after Bisson was released on personal recognizance bail. Gov. Kelly Ayotte and other Republican leaders used his release as a rallying cry for changes to the state's bail laws.
Ayotte signed a bill in March that many politicians say will close a revolving door of criminals being released only to go on to reoffend.
Bisson is set to be arraigned on June 20, according to court records.
The charges stem from an incident in front of Bunny's Convenience store on Elm Street between Bisson and Michael Perry, 42.
Public defender Tom Stonitsch says the notice is being given based on evidence, including police reports, body-worn camera footage and surveillance videos.
'Based upon the facts contained in discovery, the evidence at trial may show that Mr. Bisson used non-deadly & deadly physical force to defend himself from what he reasonably believed was the imminent and/or continued deadly force by M.P,' Stonitsch wrote.
The surveillance video from the store does not have audio, but shows the exchange, according to court documents.
'In the footage, it is clear M.P. was the initial physical aggressor, punching Mr. Bisson. Mr. Bisson then appears to pull a pocket-style knife out from his pocket, but does not advance towards M.P.,' the notice reads. 'However, the knife drops, and as Mr. Bisson goes to pick it up, he is attacked yet again by M.P., this time from behind.'
A police affidavit indicates Perry also called Bisson a racial slur before the stabbing. Perry claimed to have a knife and told police he went into 'combat mode,' the notice reads.
In a rare move, the Hillsborough County Attorney's Office tried to have Bisson's district court bail revoked as part of a civil filing in superior court. Court documents revealed that Bisson has been released without objection from a police prosecutor.
According to the complaint, Bisson stabbed Perry nine times with a pocket knife during the fight with most of the wounds coming as Perry tried to flee.
In an unrelated case, Bisson was convicted of criminal threatening (domestic violence) in October and was given a 60-day sentence suspended for two years.
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American Press
26 minutes ago
- American Press
Appeals court throws out massive civil fraud penalty against President Donald Trump
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After finding Trump flagrantly padded financial statements that went to lenders and insurers, Judge Arthur Engoron ordered him last year to pay $355 million in penalties. With interest, the sum has topped $515 million. Additional penalties levied on some other Trump Organization executives, including Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr. — bring the total to $527 million, with interest. An 'excessive' fine 'While the injunctive relief ordered by the court is well crafted to curb defendants' business culture, the court's disgorgement order, which directs that defendants pay nearly half a billion dollars to the State of New York, is an excessive fine that violates the Eighth Amendment of the United States Constitution,' Judges Dianne T. Renwick and Peter H. Moulton wrote in one of three opinions shaping the appeals court's ruling. 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Yahoo
35 minutes ago
- Yahoo
After Trump's gains, the next big test of the Latino vote is looming this year
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Trump's gains in Passaic and other New Jersey counties with sizable Latino populations reflected his broader gains among Latino voters across the country in 2024. Now, this year's race for governor in New Jersey, one of two governor's races in the country in 2025, is an early testing ground for both parties as they try to grapple with that shift. Republicans are looking to sustain Trump's gains among Latino voters without the president on the ballot, while Democrats are trying to win back voters who used to be in their corner. 'It's going to be the decisive factor,' Patricia Campos-Medina, a Sherill campaign vice chair, said of the Latino vote. Mike Madrid, a Republican strategist who has studied Latino voters, said the New Jersey race is 'a perfect petri dish to ask this question as to whether or not Latinos are an ethnic voting bloc or an economic pocketbook, blue-collar voting bloc.' 'We are both,' Madrid later added. 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And No. 1 ... is the economy,' Campos-Medina said, later adding that Democrats' main message to Latino voters boiled down to: 'Trump is bad. Trump doesn't like immigrants.' Campos-Medina noted the sizable swath of Latino voters in New Jersey — incorporating significant numbers who are Puerto Rican, Dominican, Central American, Cuban and Mexican — include many small-business owners who 'felt disconnected from the' Democratic Party. But she is confident that Sherrill's focus on driving down costs will appeal to Latino voters who may be disenchanted with Democrats. 'Her message has always been about, 'How am I going to improve the economy? How am I going to help the small-business owners? How am I going to lower the cost of groceries in New Jersey?'' Campos-Medina said. 'And I think that is appealing to folks because they're listening to everyday concerns.' Campos-Medina said the Sherrill campaign has been prioritizing outreach to the Latino community, convening meetings with business leaders and attending local events. A few hours after Ciattarelli greeted customers at El Primito on Saturday, Sherrill, 53, a former prosecutor and Navy pilot, attended the annual Puerto Rican Day Parade & Festival in Jersey City. Afterward, she said, in a statement in Spanish, that it was a 'true honor' to recognize 'the pride, traditions, and valuable contributions that the Puerto Rican community brings to the Garden State.' Some Democrats also believe Latino voters who rejected Democrats last year will ultimately blame Trump for their current economic woes and, in turn, oppose Ciattarelli, amid concerns that Trump's tariff policy could drive up prices and his sweeping tax cut and spending law could slash social safety nets like Medicaid. 'Ciattarelli, in my opinion, is going to have to own everything this administration has done, because he's showing no willingness to act independently of it,' said Rep. Rob Menendez, D-N.J. But Ciattarelli, 63, a former state lawmaker and small businessman, is betting that voters who are concerned about the state's high cost of living will ultimately place the blame on Murphy and his fellow Democrats. Asked if Trump bears any responsibility for voters' persistent economic concerns, Ciattarelli said: 'The economy did better in his first term than it did in Joe Biden's term. And we've just received news the unemployment rate is down and that consumer price index is down significantly. So there is greater confidence in President Trump's economic policies." "But let's be clear, what's going on with our state economy has everything to do with the current administration,' Ciattarelli said, referring to Murphy. Angel Castillo, who owns El Primito restaurant in Passaic, said that's why he's backing Ciattarelli again this year, after voting for him in 2021 when he lost a close race to Murphy. 'Right now, the cost of living throughout the whole state is ridiculous. Especially a little business like this, we're barely making it,' Castillo said. 'And I can show you my electric bill. My electric bill, since Murphy took office, almost doubled.' 'Buyer's remorse'? While the economy remains a top issue for Latino voters, Trump's efforts to crack down on illegal immigration and ramp up deportations are also raising concerns among Latino voters across the country and in New Jersey, where nearly 1 in 4 residents are foreign-born. A national survey of Latino voters conducted in late July by Equis Research, a Democratic firm, found 26% of Latino voters who cast ballots for Trump last year said they are disappointed in him or regret voting for him, citing Trump's focus on mass deportations and inaction on the economy. In New Jersey, a majority of likely voters, including Hispanics, say the Trump administration is doing 'too much' on deportations, according to a July Fairleigh Dickinson University survey. Nearly 30% of voters overall, and half of Hispanic voters, say they are worried a family member or close friend could be deported. 'Every Puerto Rican and Dominican that I've talked to in New Jersey who supported Donald Trump has all said the same thing in focus groups, which is: 'I wanted him to bring prices down. I thought Joe Biden was old and weak, but I did not vote for him to start locking up folks who just came here seeking a better life, who've broken no laws other than trying to flee to this country for safety,'' said Democratic strategist Chuck Rocha, who has conducted focus groups with Latino nonprofits throughout the Northeast. Menendez, the congressman, said Ciattarelli will also have to own Trump's immigration actions, noting: 'There's already buyer's remorse, not just in the Latino community, but in a lot of different pockets of this state and this country. And that's absolutely going to be on the ballot come November.' Campos-Medina said the deportations have stoked fear and uncertainty among Latino communities in New Jersey, which could hurt Hispanic-owned businesses if their customers are wary of going out. While Campos-Medina said Democrats' message should be focused on the economy, she added, 'That doesn't mean that we don't acknowledge the damage that Donald Trump is doing to our communities, in the harassment, in the terrorization of our immigrant neighbors.' Ciattarelli said he did not disagree with Trump's approach to deportations, noting that Trump's victory in Passaic County last year 'strongly suggests that Latinos that are here legally support the president's efforts in securing the border and deporting people that came here illegally who have a history of criminality in their country of origin and/or have committed a crime since arriving illegally.' 'As I go around the state, I find Latino Americans support that policy,' Ciattarelli said. 'As do I.' That includes Castillo, the Passaic restaurant owner, who dismissed any concerns about deportations. 'If you're here and you're here doing the right thing, why should you be worried about it?' he said. Even as Ciattarelli makes his case, early polling suggests that Sherrill could have an edge among Latino voters this fall. A Fairleigh Dickinson University poll and a StimSight Research Survey from July both found Sherrill with leads in the low double-digits among Latino voters, although both surveys had small sample sizes, meaning there is larger room for error. Both surveys also found sizable chunks of Latino voters remain undecided in the race. Those undecided voters include a woman named Jess, who declined to share her last name while discussing politics. She chatted briefly with Ciattarelli as he visited Parrillada Costambar, a Dominican restaurant in Paterson, later on Saturday afternoon. A Democrat who voted for Vice President Kamala Harris last year, Jess said she is has not yet decided if she'll back Sherrill or Ciattarelli for governor, noting that combating drugs and improving education are among her top issues. 'I have to sit down and see their proposals to see what they are going to do for us,' she said. This article was originally published on Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Candidate for Texas Senate District 3 visits Jacksonville
Rhonda Ward is a Republican candidate for Texas Senate District 3, a seat which will be vacated by retiring Senator Robert Nichols. Ward is currently conducting a 15-stop tour in the counties which comprise Senate District 3 and recently made a stop in Jacksonville. 'I am the true conservative in this race,' Ward said. 'We need to have our representative reflect the values of the district. We need a senator that's going to be a conservative voice for East Texas.' Ward defines 'conservative' as advancing President Donald Trump's America First agenda, limited government, protecting our freedoms and preserving family values. An eighth-generation Texan, Ward was asked to define family values. She said she believes in the traditional family unit and that there are two genders. 'I understand we have single-mother families and single-father families and I support them,' she said. 'We need to promote the family unit. That's what builds communities. That's what America was founded on.' Ward states her priorities include reducing the property tax for all homeowners, reducing insurance rates and supporting law enforcement. She shared some ideas on how to reduce the property tax. 'I think you could do a slight increase in sales tax,' Ward said. 'I also think you could tax some agencies that have not been taxed.' As an example, Ward said as a real estate appraiser she isn't required to charge sales tax, yet a surveyor she knows is required to do so. 'I've talked to a lot of economists that have done a lot of numbers on this,' Ward said. 'With our surplus, we could buy down the M&O (maintenance and operation) in all the school districts. We could buy down a certain portion with the surplus over time.' The implication being that with additional state funds, school districts would not have to raise as much funding from local property tax. Regarding increasing insurance rates, Ward said she would like to form a coalition or task force to investigate who controls the insurance rates. 'When you call around, you get almost the same quote,' she said. At the same time, she recognizes the state has experienced natural disasters. Ward said any action that might be taken would depend on the findings of such a coalition. The mother of two adult sons and grandmother of five is a resident of Nacogdoches. She has served on the State Republican Executive Committee, is a past president of Nacogdoches County Republican Women, has been a precinct chair and election judge. She owns East Texas Appraisal Services. During her meet-and-greet at Postmasters Coffee, Ward was asked a question likely on the minds of many in Cherokee County and the surrounding area. She was asked her opinion regarding the permit request to remove approximately 5 billion gallons of groundwater annually from the Queen City Sand, Wilcox Group and Carrizo/Reklaw Formation aquifers. Ward said she had heard of the permit requests and cautioned against what she termed as 'knee-jerk reactions.' She said any legislation should be carefully crafted and reviewed to ensure farmers and ranchers – and presumably others – who rely on the same groundwater source would not be negatively affected. Tammy Baker, Navarro County Republican Party Treasurer and Precinct 205 Chair, was among those attending the event. She said she traveled to Jacksonville for the event because getting Ward into office is important. 'She's an SREC, so I know her from conventions. I trust her,' Baker said. 'It's just very important to me to get good people in office whether they're in my district or not.' Baker said she hoped Ward's tour of the district would result in many people hearing Ward's plans and greater involvement by the general public in electioneering. Ward maintains a website, and a Facebook page, Rhonda Ward for State Senator. Solve the daily Crossword
