Latest news with #BrooklynSupremeCourt
New York Post
19-05-2025
- New York Post
Cold-blooded NYC killer who gunned down childhood friend in ‘evil act' learns her fate as victim's family tears into her: ‘No remorse'
A cold-blooded killer who gunned down her childhood friend on a crowded Brooklyn street has shown 'no remorse' in the years since the shocking slaying — and the motive remains a mystery even as she was sentenced on Monday. Claudia Banton, 46, deserved to rot in prison for the 'evil act,' victim Delia Johnson's grieving relatives said in Brooklyn Supreme Court before the convicted murderer was slapped with a 23-year-to-life prison sentence. 'It's an act of pure evil and what makes it even more painful is that she showed no remorse for what she did,' Johnson's brother, Mathis Lemons, 51, told Justice Margaret Martin at the hearing, urging the judge to throw the book at Banton. Advertisement 4 Claudia Banton, 46, received a 23-years-to life sentence for murdering childhood friend Delia Johnson. Gregory P. Mango 'My sister's killer should never see the world again,' Lemons said. Banton showed no emotion as Johnson's family expressed shock that the woman they once took into their home had turned out to be their kin's killer. Advertisement 'I saw you as family at one point in my life,' Johnson's daughter, Ladeya Jenkins, 21, told Banton. 'To say this hurt, I cannot even say that. That's putting it lightly.' Johnson's sister, Khadijah Berry, 31, echoed the heartrending sentiment. 'You and her were friends… but what broke my heart is knowing you did it and knowing how you did it to my sister,' she said. Advertisement 4 Delia Johnson's grief-stricken family expressed shock that the killer was a friend. Gregory P. Mango Banton was convicted last month of second-degree murder and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon for the gruesome execution-style killing, which took place outside another friend's funeral on Franklin Avenue in Crown Heights on Aug. 4, 2021. Banton and Johnson were former friends, but no information about the killer's motive came out over the course of her trial. Authorities said Banton blasted the 42-year-old mom at least five times in front of shocked mourners, sending them running for cover. Advertisement 'The first shot wasn't enough for this defendant,' Brooklyn Assistant District Attorney Michael Diamond told the court during the sentencing. 'She stepped over and pulled the trigger again and again as people ran for their lives.' 4 Delia Johnson's slaying was captured on surveillance footage. Chilling police bodycam video shown during the trial captured a wounded Johnson bleeding out from her eyes as she lay face-up gasping for air. Her slaying was also caught on surveillance footage. Police stopped Banton in her white Mercedes moments after the shooting, but she was let go after witnesses claimed the shooter was a man. Banton spoke to police like 'nothing happened' when she was pulled over, the prosecutor said. 4 Delia Johnson was shot multiple times by childhood pal Claudia Banton. Brigitte Stelzer Advertisement Three months later, US Marshals tracked Banton down in Jacksonville, Fla. after she changed her appearance — including by wearing a blonde wig — and deleted her social media. It remains a mystery why Banton killed her former friend, whose family let her live with them multiple times. 'The first time I saw you with chains on, it broke me,' Johnson's mom, Delia Berry, recalled inside the courtroom as she shook with emotion and held photos of her beaming daughter. Advertisement 'It broke my heart,' she said. 'I took care of you.'
Express Tribune
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Express Tribune
3 Doors Down cancels 2025 tour after Brad Arnold's cancer diagnosis
Michael Pitt, known for his role in HBO's Boardwalk Empire, is facing serious legal trouble after being charged with multiple counts of sexual abuse and assault in Brooklyn. The actor was arrested on May 2, 2025, and charged with a series of alleged violent crimes that reportedly occurred between April 2020 and August 2021. Court documents reveal that Pitt has been indicted on charges including sexual abuse, criminal sex act, assault, and strangulation. He pleaded not guilty during a recent appearance at Brooklyn Supreme Court and is scheduled to return for another hearing in June. According to reports, the first alleged incident occurred in April 2020, when Pitt is accused of sexually abusing a victim through forcible compulsion inside his Brooklyn residence. In August of the same year, he allegedly forced the victim to engage in oral sex and assaulted them with a wooden four-by-four. Further accusations detail an assault involving a cinderblock in June 2021, followed by an alleged strangulation in August 2021. While the name of the victim has been redacted in legal documents, some reports, including from the New York Post, suggest the individual may have been Pitt's former girlfriend. This is not Pitt's first run-in with the law. In 2022, he was arrested for assault and petty larceny, and later that year, he was hospitalized after being found in a mentally disturbed state. Requests for comments from Pitt's legal team and the Brooklyn District Attorney's office remain unanswered at this time.
Economic Times
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Actor Michael Pitt faces sexual assault and strangulation charges in Brooklyn Court
'Boardwalk Empire' actor Michael Pitt has been charged with multiple violent felonies, including sexual assault, strangulation, and assault with a weapon, stemming from alleged domestic abuse incidents between 2020 and 2021. Pitt, who pleaded not guilty, was released on $15,000 bail. He is scheduled to return to court on June 17, 2025 Actor Michael Pitt faces sexual assault and domestic violence charges in Brooklyn Supreme Court after alleged attacks on his former girlfriend between 2020 and 2021 Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Actor Michael Pitt, best known for his roles in Boardwalk Empire and Murder by Numbers, has been charged with a series of violent crimes, including sexual assault, strangulation, and assault with a weapon, Brooklyn prosecutors 44-year-old actor was arrested on Friday, May 2 and arraigned in Brooklyn Supreme Court on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and several related charges tied to four separate incidents between April 2020 and August 2021. The alleged assaults occurred at Pitt's Bushwick home and involved his then-girlfriend, law enforcement sources read: Sean Diddy Combs's trial begins; these are the A-list celebrities who may be called as witnesses Prosecutors allege Pitt forcibly fondled the woman, struck her with a wooden plank, assaulted her with a cinderblock, and strangled her during separate incidents. He is also facing charges of first-degree criminal sex act, third-degree criminal sex act, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of second-degree attempted assault, and second-degree who previously faced legal trouble in 2022 for assault and petty larceny, pleaded not guilty before Judge Joanne Quinones. Bail was set at $15,000, which he posted after the arraignment.'Unfortunately, we live in a world where somebody like Mr. Pitt — an accomplished professional who would never so much as contemplate these crimes — can be arrested on the uncorroborated word of an unhinged individual,' Pitt's attorney Cary London is scheduled to appear in court again on June 17.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Dawson's Creek star arrested for ‘attacking woman with concrete block and sexual assault'
Actor Michael Pitt has been accused of sexually assaulting an ex-girlfriend and attacking her with a block of concrete. Pitt, best known for starring in Dawson's Creek and Boardwalk Empire, was arrested in New York City on Friday night on two counts of first-degree sexual abuse and other related charges, per the New York Post. The 44-year-old was charged over four domestic incidents that allegedly took place at his home in Bushwick between April 2020 and August 2021. Pitt first 'forcibly fondled' his former girlfriend and, several months later, sexually assaulted her and hit her with a wooden block, prosecutors alleged. ADVERTISEMENT He is also accused of attacking her with a cinderblock - a cement block with a hollow interior - in June 2021 and strangling her in August 2021. The TV star - who played Jimmy Darmody in the HBO hit drama Boardwalk Empire - has pleaded not guilty to all charges at Brooklyn Supreme Court and posted bail, which was set at $100,000. Pitt pictured on Dawson's Creek (The WB) The formal charges are first-degree criminal sex act, third-degree criminal sex act, two counts of second-degree assault, two counts of second-degree attempted assault, and second-degree strangulation. Pitt's lawyer told TMZ: 'Unfortunately, we live in a world where somebody like Mr Pitt – an accomplished professional who would never so much as contemplate these crimes – can be arrested on the uncorroborated word of an unhinged individual. 'In reality, this baseless claim is suspiciously raised some four or five years after the alleged incident, at a time when the two parties were in a completely consensual and voluntary relationship. This case will be dismissed.' ADVERTISEMENT He is next due in court on June 17. Pitt - who played Henry Parker in Dawson's Creek from 1999 to 2000 - has faced legal troubles in the past. Pitt with Steve Buscemi on Boardwalk Empire (HBO) He was arrested in July 2022 for assault and petty larceny after allegedly taking a man's phone out of his hand and repeatedly punching him in the head. Two months later, he was taken into police custody after it was reported that a man was shouting in the street in New York and later throwing items at people from a building rooftop. The Hedwig and the Angry Inch star was restrained on a stretcher at the scene but was not charged after being deemed 'emotionally disturbed'. It was reported that he was taken to a local hospital.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
‘Boardwalk Empire' Actor Michael Pitt Arrested for Sexual Abuse in New York
Michael Pitt in 2024. - Credit:Michael Pitt, the actor best known for his roles in Dawson's Creek and Boardwalk Empire, was arrested and charged with sexual abuse and assault in New York City. Pitt was arrested last Friday, May 2, and arraigned on the charges in Brooklyn Supreme Court. He's facing eight counts total, including two counts of first-degree sexual abuse, assault with a blunt object, and strangulation. More from Rolling Stone According to online court records, Pitt pleaded not guilty to all the charges against him and was released on $15,000 bail. His next court appearance is scheduled for June 17. Jason Goldman, a lawyer for Pitt, told Rolling Stone, 'Unfortunately, we live in a world where somebody like Mr. Pitt — an accomplished professional who would never so much as contemplate these crimes — can be arrested on the uncorroborated word of an unhinged individual. In reality, this baseless claim is suspiciously raised some four or five years after the alleged incident, at a time when the two parties were in a completely consensual and voluntary relationship. This case will be dismissed.' According to court documents obtained by the New York Post — which was the first to report on Pitt's arrest — the charges against the actor stem from four alleged incidents involving an ex-girlfriend that occurred between April 2020 and August 2021. Pitt is accused of forcibly groping his ex on one occasion, and sexually assaulting her and hitting her with a wooden plank on another. Prosecutors also alleged that Pitt assaulted his ex with a cinderblock in June 2021 and strangled her in August of that year. The Brooklyn District Attorney's Office did not immediately return Rolling Stone's request for comment. Pitt was previously arrested in July 2022 for assault and petty larceny after allegedly hitting a man several times and taking his phone. He was hospitalized a few months later after being accused of throwing items at people in the Bushwick neighborhood of Brooklyn. He was not charged with a crime in that instance as the police determined that he was emotionally disturbed. Best of Rolling Stone Sign up for RollingStone's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
