Latest news with #NewYorkCountySupremeCourt
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Yahoo
Prosecutors Reveal New Details From Luigi Mangione's Alleged Notebook
The Manhattan District Attorney's office filed an 82-page document in their case against Luigi Mangione at the New York County Supreme Court on Wednesday. In the document they provided photographs of what they say are handwritten notes Mangione wrote in the months leading up to the assassination of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson. Mangione, 27, is currently facing federal, New York state and Pennsylvania state charges for allegedly murdering Thompson last December. In the federal case, the government is currently pursuing the death penalty. 'If ever there were an open and shut case pointing to the defendant's guilt, this case is that case,' New York prosecutors say in their filing. 'Simply put, one would be hard pressed to find a case with such overwhelming evidence of guilt as the identity of the murderer and the premeditated nature of the assassination.' More from Rolling Stone Palm Springs Bombing Suspect Apparently Promoted Human Extinction Court Dismisses Lawsuit Claiming Lil Nas X Copied Instagram Posts Luigi Mangione Seeks to Dismiss State Murder Charges, Citing Double Jeopardy Prosecutors filed this as a response to Mangione's team omnibus request that the court dismiss the indictment of murder and terrorism on account of this being 'double jeopardy' because of the multiple prosecutions he's facing. The prosecutors suggested that Mangione use the one million dollars his supporters raised for him to 'hire new counsel' if the state and federal prosecutions were 'too much' for his attorney Karen Friedman Agnifilo to handle. In the filing, the prosecutors used excerpts from a notebook they say Mangione used as a journal to plan Thompson's murder. The notebook was allegedly found on Mangione when he was arrested in Altoona, Pennsylvania, five days after the shooting. A letter addressed to the 'Feds,' which has been previously shared widely — and controversially censored on Reddit – was also included in the filing. Friedman Agnifilo's motion to dismiss also seeks to suppress this notebook and the firearm found on Mangione, which his team claims was found in a warrantless search of his backpack. Judge Gregory Carro will rule on these motions on June 26. An entry from the notebook in question, dated Aug. 15, 2024, states the writer was in San Francisco for a month at the time. 'I finally feel confident about what I will do,' the entry says. 'The details are coming together. And I don't feel any doubt about whether it's right or justified. I'm glad — in a way — that I've procrastinated [because] it allowed me to learn more about UHC. [Indecipherable] would have been an unjustified catastrophe that would be perceived mostly as sick, but more importantly unhelpful. Would do nothing to spread awareness/improve people's lives.' The writer says they've been 'feeling foggy' and cannot write with 'speed, clarity and confidence' but that they want to write their ideas down. 'The target is insurance, it checks every box.' An entry on Oct. 22, 2024 calls the upcoming investor conference a 'windfall' and says it 'embodies everything wrong with our health system.' 'Most importantly — the message becomes self-evident,' reads the entry. 'The problem with most revolutionary acts is that the message is lost on normies.' The writer goes on to say 'Ted K.', presumably the Unabomber, Ted Kaczynski, made some 'good points on the future of humanity, but to make his point he indiscriminately mailbombs innocents.' 'By committing indiscriminate atrocities — he becomes a monster, which makes his ideas those of a monster, no matter how true. He crosses the line from revolutionary anarchist to terrorist — the worst thing a person can be.' As the entry continues, the writer talks about how rebelling against the 'deadly, greed-fueled health insurance cartel' shouldn't involve bombing the headquarters because that might make it seem like 'the unjustified anger of someone who simply got sick/had bad luck and took their frustration out on the insurance industry, while recklessly endangering countless employees.' The notebook entry states that, instead, killing 'the CEO at the annual parasitic bean-counter convention' would make the point 'self-evident.' The writer even suggests a headline for the news, 'Insurance CEO killed at annual investors conference' and says that when the public learns about investment bankers meeting to 'extract human life force for money' the discourse can 'focus on greed, on the event through reasonable acceptable discussion.' The entry also says the hit is a 'real blow to the company financials.' In the filing, prosecutors argue that the terrorism charges against Mangione are appropriate because they claim his intent was to 'violently broadcast a social and political message to the public at large.' Earlier in the week, Mangione's defense team filed a request that his bulletproof vest and hand shackles be removed while seated at the defense table at his next state court appearance on June 26, as they could influence the public to see him as guilty. They have not requested that his legs be unshackled, as a compromise. 'The authorities — both state and federal — have already prejudiced Mr. Mangione in the media more than virtually any defendant in recent memory,' writes Mangione's legal team, saying authorities are perpetuating 'a false narrative that Mr. Mangione is an unusual danger requiring extraordinary security measures.' Mangione's lawyers say they visit him nearly daily in a large open room, where he is unshackled and among dozens of people including young children visiting other inmates. They say he has never been cited for misconduct while incarcerated, is in the general population at Brooklyn's Metropolitan Detention Center and has been assigned to work detail. Additionally, his lawyers urged Judge Gregory Carro to allow Mangione to appear without the bulletproof vest he was required to wear at his February 21 state court appearance. 'To counsel's knowledge, there have been no threats to Mr. Mangione's safety,' writes his legal team, adding, 'and the only one wishing to execute him is the federal government.' Best of Rolling Stone Every Super Bowl Halftime Show, Ranked From Worst to Best The United States of Weed Gaming Levels Up
Yahoo
05-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Filmmaker Paul Schrader accused of sexually assaulting, harassing assistant
Filmmaker Paul Schrader, the screenwriter behind 'Taxi Driver' and 'Raging Bull,' has been accused of sexually assaulting his much younger assistant and, after firing her in the fall, reneging on a settlement. According to documents filed in New York County Supreme Court, the 26-year-old assistant, identified only as Jane Doe, is suing Schrader and his production company for alleged breach of contract, and is asking a judge to enforce the agreement. Doe claims the settlement was intended to keep confidential her accusations against the 78-year-old Oscar nominee. She says they agreed to an undisclosed monetary amount on Feb. 5, but that Schrader backed out of the deal late last month. According to Doe, she worked as a personal assistant for the writer and director from May 2021 until her termination in September. During those three and a half years, Schrader 'used his position of power over Ms. Doe (who is 52 years younger than him)' to sexually harass and assault her on multiple occasions, court documents allege. In one such instance last May, Doe claims Schrader trapped her in his hotel room during the Cannes Film Festival, 'forcibly grabbing her and kissing her, despite her protests.' She was eventually able to free himself from his grasp and flee the room, Doe says. Three days later, Schrader allegedly lured her back to his hotel room under the guise of needing help packing his bags, then proceeded to expose himself from beneath a bathrobe. Throughout their working relationship, Doe says she was subjected to 'near-constant inappropriate sexual questions and lewd and misogynistic commentary,' according to the filing. Among those alleged remarks, Schrader repeatedly professed his 'desire to touch' her, both verbally and in writing, while seeming to admit she was clearly uncomfortable. In a May 2023 email, quoted in the documents, Schrader allegedly wrote, 'I sense you are uncomfortable with my affection for you.' Another email from a year later purportedly read, 'I sense you recoil every time I have the impulse to touch you.' After repeatedly rejecting Schrader's advances, Doe claims she was fired out of retaliation in September. Two days later, he allegedly emailed her to acknowledge his predatory behavior. 'So I f—ed up. Big time,' Schrader wrote, per the filing. 'If I have become a Harvey Weinstein in your mind, then of course you have no choice but to put me in the rear view mirror.' Following months of negotiations, Doe claims he eventually agreed to her terms for a confidential settlement. But by late March, he 'unequivocally stated that he would not perform his obligations under the settlement agreement' and refused to sign the paperwork she sent to him. Schrader's lawyers have denied that he 'ever made an attempt to have a sexual relationship of any kind with his former assistant,' calling the lawsuit 'desperate, opportunistic and frivolous.' They also said the settlement cannot be enforced since Schrader never signed the documents. 'The agreement that they're trying to enforce against Mr. Schrader, in plain English, required both parties to sign it before it became legally effective,' said New York attorney Philip J. Kessler. 'Mr. Schrader declined to sign it. It's frankly as simple as that.' With News Wire Services
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Diddy Sued By Man Claiming He Forced Him To Perform Oral Sex
Diddy has found himself at the center of yet another lawsuit. According to multiple outlets, a John Doe filed a complaint at the New York County Supreme Court alleging that Sean Combs sexually assaulted him on the set of a commercial in 2022 or 2023. The Southern California-based man explains that they were filming a 'high-profile commercial,' where he was contracted to work as a 'photographer/production assistant.' The unnamed man then allegedly began speaking with the Bad Boy Records founder, which led the superstar to invite John Doe back to his trailer. Things immediately escalate from there, as Doe recalls Combs demanding oral sex from him, saying, 'If you suck right, I'll make your career take off' — an incident that the man calls 'blatant sexual quid-pro-quo.' Doe's suit details how the alleged predatory behavior was hidden behind what appeared to be an opportunity to change his life, and he couldn't refuse a moment of that magnitude. 'Combs framed this meeting as an opportunity for [Doe] to advance his career. [Doe], although hesitant, could not turn down what appeared to be a career-defining moment few ever receive,' the legal suit reads, per USA TODAY. 'The implication was clear, also, that if [Doe] did not perform oral sex on Combs to his satisfaction, his career would be over.' So, according to TMZ, the straight male claims he complied with Combs' orders and gave him oral sex under a 'coercive threat.' He claims that Diddy eventually 'climaxed,' to which the entertainer allegedly told him to carry his 'semen in his mouth like a squirrel.' After the man refused that demand, Diddy threatened him with physical violence and kicked him out of his trailer. John Doe went back to work on the commercial, 'grappling not only with the trauma of the situation, but with the knowledge that he had Combs' semen on and inside of his body.' John Doe's career didn't take off from the incident. In fact, the man claims he never heard from Diddy again after the alleged assault. Doe's suit states that he suffered from emotional and mental turmoil, anguish, and trauma. Doe is looking to be compensated for an undisclosed amount of cash for damages. Diddy's legal team responded to the claims with a blanket statement to both outlets, saying, 'No matter how many lawsuits are filed—especially by individuals who refuse to put their own names behind their claims—it won't change the fact that Mr. Combs has never sexually assaulted or sex trafficked anyone—man or woman, adult or minor. We live in a world where anyone can file a lawsuit for any reason. Fortunately, a fair and impartial judicial process exists to find the truth, and Mr. Combs is confident he will prevail in court.' Meanwhile, Diddy is currently behind bars, where he will stay until his trial on May 5, 2025. More from Diddy Scores Legal Win As Lil Rod's RICO Claims Are Dismissed By Judge Diddy's Former Chief Of Staff Breaks Silence On "Disturbing" Allegations Tony Buzbee Withdraws As Attorney On Several Diddy Lawsuits
USA Today
18-02-2025
- Business
- USA Today
Harvey Weinstein sues brother Robert, business associates over $45M loan
Hear this story Despite his ongoing legal woes, Harvey Weinstein is waging a new court battle over a multimillion-dollar loan he signed in 2016. The embattled movie mogul, who is awaiting a retrial on his overturned 2020 rape conviction, filed a lawsuit Thursday against his brother Robert and other business associates in New York County Supreme Court, according to court documents obtained Monday by USA TODAY. In the 22-page complaint, Weinstein claims Robert and his associates at The Weinstein Company committed fraud after he became the guarantor on a $45 million loan from AI International Holdings (BVI) Limited. The Oscar-winning producer alleges funds from the loan were "pilfered and misappropriated for their own uses and benefits, in blatant violation of the loan's intended purpose." Co-founded by the Weinstein brothers in 2005, The Weinstein Co. was an independent film production and distribution company that helped produce box-office hits such as "Django Unchained," "Silver Linings Playbook," "Inglourious Basterds" and "Paddington." The company filed for bankruptcy in 2018 after numerous allegations of sexual harassment and rape were made against Weinstein. In addition to his brother Robert, Weinstein is suing Weinstein Co. associates David Glasser, Irwin Reiter and a group of 10 John and Jane Does. Glasser served as chief operating officer, while Reiter worked as the executive vice president of accounting and financial reporting. Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle. Weinstein, who was "solely liable for repayment" of the loan, is seeking compensatory and punitive damages, as well as injunctive relief to be determined at trial. The lawsuit comes just three months after Weinstein and his legal team filed a $5 million claim notice against Rikers Island Correctional Facility, Bellevue Hospital and New York City officials, accusing the parties of negligent care in attending to the movie mogul's various health issues while he remains in custody. 'Feared for his life':Harvey Weinstein threatens to sue for medical neglect while in jail Harvey Weinstein alleges 2016 loan was misused for 'personal purposes' According to Weinstein's lawsuit, the film producer's brother and business partners had a history of misusing company funds, including the 2016 loan from AI International. Although funds from the $45 million advance were reportedly solely designated for "legitimate business purposes essential to" The Weinstein Co.'s operations, Weinstein claims "significant portions" of the loan were instead used to pay for "unauthorized and personal purposes, including bonuses, unrelated business ventures, and personal expenses." Citing past financial records, Weinstein alleges Robert Weinstein "withdrew or received at least $2.2 million in personal advances and loans from The Weinstein Company Holdings LLC, between August 2017 and February 2018," despite mounting fiscal troubles and outstanding "debt obligations." "These self-serving financial extractions were made while creditors, including AI International, remained unpaid, and the companies faced imminent collapse," the lawsuit states. "The timing and pattern of these payments demonstrate a willful disregard for financial responsibilities, supporting the allegations of fraudulent inducement and misappropriation." Harvey Weinstein:Movie mogul 'begging' for earlier retrial, 'holding on' amid health issues Weinstein accuses Glasser and Reiter of similar financial misconduct in the complaint. Glasser purportedly "engaged in a systematic pattern of self-enrichment," which allegedly included authorizing a $1 million payment to his father using company funds. Meanwhile, Reiter — who purportedly had regular access to financial records in his executive role — allegedly failed to prevent "the self-dealing and misappropriations" of loan funds and "actively participated in the approval, facilitation, and concealment of improper financial transactions." The defendants "wrongfully diverted and misappropriated the loan funds for their own benefit, engaging in a deliberate scheme of self-dealing and mismanagement that left the companies financially drained and unable to meet their obligations," the lawsuit states. Attorneys for Robert Weinstein, Glasser and Reiter were not available for comment at the time of publication. Harvey Weinstein calls brother's loan settlement a 'self-serving agreement' The Weinstein Co.'s inability to pay the AI International loan led to settlement negotiations with the company led by Robert Weinstein and Glasser. Weinstein alleges in his lawsuit that the settlement, which left him financially responsible for the approximately $30 million total on the loan (including interest), was "conducted with fraudulent and disloyal intentions." Defendants "reached a self-serving agreement with AI International to settle the debt for a significantly discounted payment of approximately $15 million," the lawsuit states. "Under this settlement, third-party defendants secured a release from liability for the loan while intentionally leaving Weinstein exposed to the full balance of the loan." Weinstein is in ongoing litigation with AI International in a separate lawsuit after the company filed a complaint seeking to hold him responsible for the loan's repayment. "Weinstein was wrongfully left solely liable for the loan's repayment when AI International demanded payment," the lawsuit concludes. "Defendants' fraudulent actions have caused Weinstein severe financial damages, as well as reputational harm resulting from their reckless and unlawful conduct." Contributing: Andrea Mandell, KiMi Robinson and Taijuan Moorman, USA TODAY
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Huge New Revelation in R. Kelly Saga
No, R. Kelly is still not cleared in terms of legal battles. His latest accusation doesn't come from allegedly kidnapping women into a sex chamber. Instead these women claim he owes them something—big. At the end of January, six individuals - Lizzette Martinez, Lisa Van Allen, Faith Rodgers, Kelly Rogers, Roderick Gartrell and Gem Pratts - filed a lawsuit petition in New York County Supreme Court alleging the singer failed to pay $10.3 million in compensatory damages, per NBC News. The whopping sum came from an August 2023 court order entered against Kelly which was to be paid to the six individuals. However, the court petition accuses Kelly of not paying them their full amount, the report says. So far, they only received a check for a little over $200,000, attorneys wrote in a December filing. The document says the money only covered 'approximately 82 days of interest on Kelly's liability under the judgment.' That leaves Kelly to owe a balance of over $9.9 million. Two of the petitioners, Martinez and Van Allen, were featured on Lifetime's 'Surviving R. Kelly' where they recalled meeting the musician when they were just teenagers and ultimately ending up in abusive relationships with him. Later, they appeared in a lawsuit seeking damages for the alleged abuse. In response to the lawsuit, Kelly's attorney objected to their client owing them anything and also claimed he was innocent of their abuse allegations. 'This outrageous default judgment was entered contrary to court rules, legal precedent, and basic principles of fairness. A New York court conducted a hearing in Mr. Kelly's absence and without his knowledge while he was incarcerated in Chicago, awarding a staggering $10,000,000 to plaintiffs for conduct committed by someone else,' they said in a statement via Lawyer Monthly. Well, part of the reason the payment may have been delayed was because Kelly was already incarcerated for federal child sex convictions in Chicago. He was also found guilty of federal racketeering and sex trafficking charges in New York. He's still sitting in prison. It's unsure how the petitioners financial demands will be met while he's behind bars. For the latest news, Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
