Latest news with #AttorneyGeneral
Daily Mail
15 hours ago
- General
- Daily Mail
State government fails to extend man's sentence it deemed 'manifestly inadequate'
A state government has failed to prove a man accused of using a rope to drag a woman to a car was handed a 'manifestly inadequate' sentence. The Queensland government had sought to increase Brock Andrew McDonald's sentence after he was jailed for assaulting and depriving the liberty of a young woman in October 2023. He was sentenced to two-and-a-half years on parole in December, with 413 days as time served. Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said in January that in her view, the sentence did not meet community standards and was 'manifestly inadequate'. McDonald, 44, is alleged to have put a rope around a young woman's neck before dragging her into a car in the early hours of the morning. He placed the screaming woman in the back seat while repeatedly telling her not to look at his face. She eventually escaped the car and hid in a nearby bush before calling for help. McDonald had pleaded guilty to charges of deprivation of liberty and assault occasioning bodily harm. In the appeal, the attorney-general had sought McDonald's sentence to be increased to no less than three years for the deprivation of liberty charge. The attorney-general's counsel submitted that the Court of Appeal should conclude the sentence was 'unreasonable and plainly unjust' and was so far outside the range of sentences that an error must have occurred. But the Court of Appeal on Friday dismissed the case, finding the attorney-general could not demonstrate the sentence was manifestly inadequate or that an error had occurred. The judges said the prosecution launched the appeal with the 'fundamental misconception' that sentences for kidnapping offences were comparable in McDonald's case on a deprivation of liberty charge. The appeal court referenced the sentencing judge's ruling on the basis that the prosecution had not sought to prove intent that is required for a charge of kidnapping. The prosecution instead pursued deprivation of liberty, which holds a lesser maximum sentence. The appeal judges said the attorney general 'ignored the consequences' of the prosecution's choices in framing the charges of deprivation of liberty instead of kidnapping, which McDonald pleaded guilty to. 'The argument presented on behalf of the attorney-general fails to demonstrate that the sentence was manifestly inadequate,' the appeal judges ruled. Ms Frecklington expressed her disappointment over the outcome. 'This sentence was appealed because I did not believe it met community expectations,' she said in a statement.
New York Times
20 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Cornyn Calls Primary Fight Against Ken Paxton a ‘Test of Character'
Senator John Cornyn of Texas believes he can win a no-holds-barred Republican primary next year with his state's hard-charging attorney general, Ken Paxton, by making the race all about the character of his opponent. It's a tall order, considering that Mr. Paxton has already faced down corruption allegations that played out in public when the Republican-controlled State House impeached him in 2023, only to see the Republican State Senate acquit him. But in an interview with The New York Times, Mr. Cornyn said that there was much more about Mr. Paxton than what voters knew, hinting that the allegations of corruption and abuse of office that led to his impeachment were 'just the tip of the iceberg.' Many more revelations would surface before the March 2026 primary, Texas' senior senator said. 'This is going to be a test of whether character still matters,' Mr. Cornyn said, seated under a painting of Superman in the offices of a small sticker printing business in Waco, Texas. Mr. Paxton remains a darling of the Republican voting base even after his 2015 indictment for securities fraud, a federal investigation into corruption allegations and his impeachment, during which former top aides accused him of using his position to benefit a friend and political donor who had helped Mr. Paxton conceal his extramarital affair. But Mr. Paxton, now in his third term as attorney general, has survived each of those inquiries. Instead of being hobbled, he appeared to emerge stronger with primary voters. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Malay Mail
20 hours ago
- General
- Malay Mail
Isham Jalil awaits July 1 contempt ruling over judiciary remarks on Najib's SRC, 1MDB trials
KUALA LUMPUR, May 30 — Former Umno information chief Isham Jalil will know on July 1 whether he will be held in contempt of court over remarks allegedly undermining public confidence in the judiciary. High Court judge K. Muniandy fixed the date after hearing submissions in the committal proceedings filed by the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC), according to New Straits Times. Deputy public prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalam argued, 'The respondent has tarnished the judiciary's reputation when he questioned the actions and decision of the Federal Court and the High Court involving both 1MDB and SRC International criminal cases.' He said Isham's comments posed a real risk of eroding public trust in the justice system. Isham's lawyer Tan Sri Azizan Harun contended that the statements were not made with the intent to bring the court into disrepute. Azizan also said the AGC failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that his client's actions amounted to contempt. He added that the grounds raised during the hearing differed from those stated during the initial application, leaving Isham unclear on how to mount a proper defence. 'The courts must be strong enough to withstand criticism and should not overreact, especially in today's social media era where everyone is free to express their opinions,' Azizan said. He questioned why Isham could not express views similar to those raised by Datuk Seri Najib Razak's lawyers during court proceedings. The AGC filed the application on December 28, 2023, based on Isham's remarks in an interview titled 'Townhall For Justice: Keadilan Sebenarnya Untuk Siapa? (Who is Justice Really For?)' The interview, which included criticism of Najib's corruption trial and appeal related to 1MDB and SRC International Sdn Bhd, was posted on the Facebook page of The Malaya Post on September 30, 2023.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Business
- Bloomberg
Oregon AG Rayfield on Next Steps In Trump Tariff Fight
Oregon State Attorney General Dan Rayfield, who is leading the multi-state lawsuit against the Trump Administration on tariffs, weighs in on the appeals court saying President Trump's tariffs can stay in effect, and what happens next. He also talks about what could happen if this case is brought all the way to the US Supreme Court. Oregon State Attorney General Dan Rayfield speaks with Kailey Leinz and Joe Mathieu on the late edition of Bloomberg's "Balance of Power." (Source: Bloomberg)
CBS News
a day ago
- Health
- CBS News
Former Detroit pharmacist charged with Medicaid fraud will stand trial
A former Detroit pharmacist who was accused of filling prescriptions while his license was suspended is heading to trial, according to the Michigan Attorney General's office. Remigius Onimo, 64, of Solon, Ohio, was charged in April 2025 with one count of unauthorized practice as a health professional and two counts of Medicaid fraud. The AG's office says Onimo owned Divine Pharmacy in Detroit and held a license in Michigan in 2020 until it was suspended. Despite the suspension, Onimo allegedly continued to fill prescriptions, including those paid by Medicaid. "The overwhelming majority of medical professionals follow licensing rules and requirements to ensure patient safety," said Nessel at the time of Onimo's arraignment. "When individuals choose to disregard those standards, my Department will hold them accountable." Onimo is expected to appear in court on June 11.
