Parents of baby decapitated at birth get $2.25M in Georgia & 5 more legal cases
The summaries below were drafted with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists in our News division. All stories below were reported, written and edited by McClatchy journalists.
Thousands of legal cases reach U.S. courts every year. From accusations of mistreatment in prisons to fraud to sexual abuse and beyond, here are some of the latest from across the country.
Exec steals $9M from CA company, buys 300 luxury bags and visits Paris, feds say
In California, Antonietta Nguyen, a former executive of ABS Seafood, was found guilty of embezzling over $9 million from the San Francisco company, federal prosecutors say. Nguyen used the funds to finance a lavish lifestyle, including purchasing luxury handbags and vacations, according to prosecutors. She faces decades in prison, with sentencing set for Oct. 10. | Published June 16 | Read More
Cops shot at 30-year-old mom 23 times during mental health crisis in WA, suit says
In Washington, the city of Longview agreed to pay $2 million to the family of Katelynn Rose Smith, who was shot and killed by police during a mental health crisis, according to her family's attorneys. A lawsuit filed by her mother says the officers' actions violated the Americans with Disabilities Act. The settlement was reached before the case went to trial. | Published June 18 | Read More
Journalist hit by LA deputies' round at ICE protest needed surgery, claim says
In Los Angeles, photojournalist Nicholas Stern filed a legal claim against the county sheriff's department, saying he needed surgery after being hit by a projectile during an ICE protest. Stern's attorney argues that the deputies' actions were motivated by perceived political affiliations related to immigration. | Published June 18 | Read More
Postal worker caught stealing tax refund check from the mail in CT, feds say
In Connecticut, Ernesto Rodriguez Jr., a former postal worker, pleaded guilty to stealing a tax refund check worth nearly $5,000, according to federal prosecutors. Rodriguez was part of a mail theft scheme and is facing up to 10 years in prison, prosecutors said. He is set to be sentenced on Sept. 24. | Published June 18 | Read More
Captain hits sailor with knockout blow and opens fire on Florida boat, feds say
In Florida, boat captain Terry S. Carrington was sentenced to seven years in prison after federal prosecutors say he assaulted two deckhands during a fishing trip. Carrington's drug use led to the violent incident, according to prosecutors. He attempted to shoot one deckhand and broke another's jaw before the sailors overpowered Carrington and brought the boat to safety, prosecutors say. | Published June 20 | Read More
Doctor posted couple's decapitated baby online, suit says. GA jury awards $2.25M
In Georgia, a jury awarded $2.25 million to parents whose newborn was decapitated at birth, according to their attorneys. Videos of the baby's autopsy were posted online by Dr. Jackson Gates, who the couple sued for invasion of privacy and emotional distress after he shared the videos on Instagram, their attorneys said. A separate civil case against the delivering doctor is ongoing. | Published June 20 | Read More
McClatchy News continues to follow lawsuits and legal cases from around the country. Check back for more legal stories.
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Boston Globe
14 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
‘I'm going to keep on fighting.' AG Campbell testifies before Dems in Congress about fighting the Trump administration in court
'Americans have no greater ally than their state attorneys general,' said Durbin. 'They're engaged in multi-pronged efforts to protect the Constitution, the public interest, and to hold the federal government to account.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Raskin, a former Constitutional law professor, quoted multiple sections of the nation's Advertisement 'The framers [of the Constitution], the founders, were most seriously afraid of a president who would act like a mad king drunk on power,' Raskin said. Since Trump's first days in office, Democratic state attorneys general have vowed to push back in court against what they characterize as the president overstepping his bounds. In the ensuing months, those attorneys general have created a working coalition, often filing litigation together challenging Trump administration actions ranging from federal funding cuts to deportations to bans on diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. Federal judges appointed by both Democratic Advertisement Campbell, along with the attorney generals of Minnesota, Illinois, and New Jersey — all of whom also appeared before the panel of Democratic lawmakers — have been at the forefront of anti-Trump litigation. Many of the successful suits against the White House have played out in federal 'As state AGs, we've been punching above our weight and playing a vital role in this moment. I often say Massachusetts is small, but I feel like Muhammad Ali in this moment, I'm going to keep on fighting,' Campbell said. 'We are fighting for our democracy, our Constitution, a system of checks and balances, the rule of law, and our children, and the next generation to come.' A majority of the questions from lawmakers revolved around the legality of tactics Immigration and Customs Enforcement has used amidst the Trump administration's wide ranging effort to deport undocumented immigrants. Additionally, they raised concerns around racial profiling in immigration arrests, ICE agents masking their faces, and a breakdown of communication between local and federal law enforcement. Campbell, expressed concern about the violation of due process rights of individuals arrested by ICE, and highlighted the stories of Tufts doctoral student since been released from custody. Advertisement Those arrests 'create fear in our communities,' she said. 'We are doing everything in our power, collectively, to hold the administration accountable, not just through our litigation efforts to protect due process, but also putting out guidance... But I do hope folks continue to mobilize in the streets. It makes a difference.' Multiple times over the course of the three hour forum, members of Congress singled out Campbell for praise on her work leading a suit against cuts to National Institutes of Health funding, which resulted in a permanent injunction against the cuts. After the hearing concluded, Campbell told the Globe she was 'grateful' for questions about that case. 'It lifts up the leadership of Massachusetts and our standing when it comes to biomedical research, our healthcare institutions, which are internationally renowned, along with our higher ed institutions,' she said. 'At the same time, the devastating effect that these NIH cuts have, not just on Massachusetts, but the country as a whole and our international standing.' But, Campbell said, labeling the NIH funding decision a complete victory doesn't tell the whole story because, despite the favorable ruling, 'people are still losing their jobs, a clinical trial for someone who has pediatric cancer has still been canceled, folks are still losing resources.' Julian E.J. Sorapuru can be reached at
Buzz Feed
25 minutes ago
- Buzz Feed
California Bill Would Ban ICE From Wearing Face Masks
With deportation raids continuing across the country, ICE agents and other immigration enforcement have shown a particular fondness for hiding their faces with gaiter- and ski mask-style face coverings. It's caused an uproar on the internet, with many people calling out the hypocrisy of President Donald Trump being adamantly against protesters wearing face masks while rallying behind police officers who do the same. ICE agents presumably cover their faces to conceal their identities on camera, but the Department of Homeland Security says it's to "protect themselves from being targeted by known and suspected gang members, murders, and rapists." This debate made its way over to Reddit's r/politics recently. User Aggravating_Money992 started the conversation with a Newsweek article about the "No Secret Police Act," a new bill proposed last week in the California State Senate that would ban law enforcement, including ICE, from covering their faces on duty. Newsweek reported that bill co-author Scott Wiener wrote in a press release that, "The recent federal operations in California have created an environment of profound terror. If we want the public to trust law enforcement, we cannot allow them to behave like secret police in an authoritarian state." Here's what some of the 16,000+ commenters had to say: "How about they start announcing themselves as law enforcement, too, instead of just wearing plain clothes and pushing people into unmarked vans. Or maybe, how about this, they provide due processes as well, so people are not deported to Salvadoran death camps without due process." "In California, when a cop pulls you over, the first thing they have to do is tell you why you're being pulled over. It's a fucking game changer." "Yeah, but think about these poor, poor ICE officers. How else are they going to get their KGB cosplay on? The Gestapo and NKVD/MVD at least had the courtesy of wearing military style uniforms, before shoving you into a van or truck to who knows where." —The_Shitty_Admiral "ICE agents lack qualified immunity. That's why they are wearing masks, and that's why the DOJ is relentlessly pretending to arrest anyone who opposes them (who they then have to immediately release without charges)." "Fun fact, we don't actually know for certain that people haven't been thrown into vans by people who aren't actually ICE officers and had god knows what happen to them." "Amazing double standard when Trump wants to ban masks for protestors." "DHS policy already requires that agents wear ID, but of course, Homeland Secretary Puppy Shooter refuses to enforce her agency's own requirements." —AcadiaLivid2582 "I cannot believe this has to be a law... of course they shouldn't wear masks." "I genuinely think they know that morale/zealotry will drop if ICE agents have to be identifiable. These guys like being cruel bullies if they get to hide behind their mask, but if you see their face, they'll wilt." "Some of these are 'fallen officers' — dismissed or criminal. Obviously not a job an upright cop would do, given the tactics and bounty-pressure from Trump. I mean they're rounding up and rendering working people dropping off kids at school, off menial jobs on farms, in slaughterhouses, and such. Hardly the pinnacle of a crime-fighter's fantasy." "Question: If an ICE agent is wearing a mask, refusing to show ID or a badge, and with no paper warrant is then shot by a terrified homeowner during one of their no-knock raids, does the homeowner have any sort of legal Castle defense, or does the fact that these invaders seem to be law enforcement officers negate that?" "How is a person supposed to differentiate between ICE and a different bad guy home invasion in the heat of the moment?"—TheRealTinfoil666 "They should be required to wear uniforms, too. A redcoat to show support for their king would be appropriate." "If someone looks like they're posing as a federal or state police, FBI, ICE, etc. I will assume they are bad actors. Especially after the assassinations! Show your face, show your warrant, your badge, or I show you me defending myself and the people around me." "And they must wear their correct name tags… we must be able to face our accusers. Video provides accountability." "But... but... but then they won't be able to hide their identities during the kidnappings!" —phosdick "There's only one reason to wear a mask as a law enforcement officer. You're doing something that will bring harm to you or your loved ones if you are identified. In South American countries, you see drug task force officers wearing masks for fear of the safety of their loved ones should they be identified by the cartels/gangs. That isn't the case here; these guys aren't concerned about violence against them. They're wanting anonymity so if and when the tables turn, they can't be positively identified and held accountable for their heinous actions." "I feel like we've reached a point where passing a law won't do much of anything since nobody will enforce it." "I'm confused. I thought these were the same people who said they couldn't wear masks during COVID because they couldn't breathe?" "As it stands we are expected to SUBMIT to any Tom, Dick, or Harry who pounds on our door wearing a mask. We are not able to verify who the fuck they are and they are not required to prove anything to anyone as they often say they 'are not permitted to' disclose their own identity. How is this not going to be abused? Look what happened in Minnesota, where law-abiding legislators opened their door to someone they believed was law enforcement, only to be executed." "The reasoning for our Miranda rights goes beyond the rights themselves; it is not possible for society to function otherwise. These rights are structural to all procedures, and it is pure dysfunction to remove them. We will see much more abuse, not to mention that the 'official' ICE agents are already a sign of extreme dysfunction."—Friendo_Marx "ICE agents SHOULD be banned from wearing masks. Period. Don't forget that you pay their salaries. Shouldn't we know who our employees are?!" "It's gonna take some masked asshole, pretending to be an ICE agent attacking or killing lawmakers before we do anything. Oh, wait, we are already there." "I see zero reason why they should be allowed to hide their faces. If you're doing your job properly, why do you need to hide your face to protect yourself from lawsuits? If you're the 'good guys,' why do you need to hide your face at all? Why all the secrecy? Kind of hard to abuse your power when people know who you are, I guess." "'It's for their safety!' Right, why do police officers usually not cover their faces, but people who kidnap people do? Weird..."—CharlesB43 "Watch Republicans argue that it's illegal to stop police from having the choice to wear a mask or not." What do you think? Sound off in the comments.
Los Angeles Times
an hour ago
- Los Angeles Times
Afghan national who entered the U.S. legally detained during an immigration hearing in San Diego
An Afghan national who served as a translator for the U.S. military and entered the U.S. legally was arrested during his immigration hearing in San Diego and is now being detained. On June 12, Sayed Naser, whose full name is being withheld because of safety reasons, was at a courthouse in San Diego for a routine immigration hearing and was detained by ICE agents wearing neck gaiters over their faces, according to video of the incident. 'I came here to make a better life,' Naser said in the video clip. 'I worked with the U.S. military. I worked in a very dangerous part of Afghanistan with the U.S. military.' Naser worked as a translator and logistics contractor for the U.S. forces at military bases in Afghanistan, according to a press release from AfghanEvac, a nonprofit created to support the safe relocation of Afghan allies. Naser's brother was killed by the Taliban in September 2023 during a wedding, forcing him and his family to go into hiding in Iran. A representative for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement could not immediately be reached for comment on this case. He got a humanitarian visa to Brazil and entered the U.S. legally in July 2024 through Mexico, according to the release. He was granted humanitarian parole, applied for a Special Immigrant Visa and was in the process of scheduling an asylum hearing when he was arrested by ICE. Naser has no criminal record, has an active asylum case and has another brother who was granted asylum weeks before Naser was detained, according to the release. During the hearing, the U.S. government tried to dismiss his asylum case, saying that Naser's notice to appear was 'improvidently issued' without giving any other explanation, according to the release. The judge didn't dismiss the case and gave Naser and his attorney time to respond to the motion. 'We were one hearing away from having his asylum hearing and we're dismayed that we're so close to him being granted asylum and this administration just has this 3,000-a-day policy and is blindly grabbing what looks like low hanging fruit,' said Naser's attorney, Brian McGoldrick. McGoldrick was referring to White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller who said last month that ICE should arrest at least 3,000 undocumented migrants a day. As of early June, around 51,000 undocumented migrants were in ICE custody, the highest number since September 2019. Naser is being held at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, McGoldrick said. He said Naser is dismayed about being arrested and is also concerned because he hasn't been able to contact his family, who is still in hiding in Iran during an internet blackout. McGoldrick said that Naser thought he would have gotten better treatment after he helped out with the U.S. forces in the Middle East. 'Now they want to short circuit the whole process,' McGoldrick added.
