Latest news with #SeventhCircuit
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Florida lawmakers fail to pass Jason Raynor Act
Florida lawmakers fail to pass the Jason Raynor Act for a second time. The bill, named after Daytona Beach officer Jason Raynor, would have stiffened penalties for crimes against law enforcement officers. Othal Wallace shot and killed Raynor while he was on patrol back in 2021. Wallace was convicted of manslaughter with a firearm and sentenced to 30 years in prison. The bill passed in the Senate in April. But it failed in the House over a disagreement about the language in the bill. Seventh Circuit State Attorney R.J. Larizza prosecuted Wallace, and he supports the bill. He said, in a statement, 'We are hopeful that next year we can produce a bill that makes it through both chambers and will be signed by the governor.' Click here to download our free news, weather and smart TV apps. And click here to stream Channel 9 Eyewitness News live.
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal cut to children's advocacy funding ‘abandons American children,' says South Dakota nonprofit leader
Makenzie Huber South Dakota Searchlight A Rapid City-based nonprofit that advocates for children in the state court system lost $15,000 last week after the federal government terminated grant awards to the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association. The decision 'abandons American children' and will cause ripple effects throughout the state, said Seventh Circuit CASA Program Executive Director Kehala Two Bulls. The organization serves children in Pennington, Fall River and Custer counties. Seven other organizations serve South Dakota's other circuit courts. Volunteers with CASA advocate for children who've been removed from their families and placed in state care due to suspected abuse and neglect. The volunteers meet with the children and other contacts, such as teachers, therapists and caseworkers. They also write reports to judges about the children's needs, strengths and interests to create 'customized services and decision making,' Two Bulls said. Over 330 CASA volunteers worked with 658 children in 37 counties last year, according to the state Unified Judicial System. The national organization suspended all services and support to state and local programs, it announced last week, after the Trump administration's Department of Justice terminated funding. In a statement to Reuters, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said grants were rescinded that 'do not align with the administration's priorities,' but she said the Department of Justice will 'continue to ensure that services for victims are not impacted and any recipient will have the ability to appeal and restore any grant if direct impact on victims can be thoroughly established.' The national CASA office said it is appealing. Though the Seventh Circuit was the only South Dakota CASA office receiving grant funds from the national office, other local organizations rely on services provided by the national organization. That includes training and coordination, Two Bulls said. About 80 percent of the Seventh Circuit CASA's cases are Indian Child Welfare Act cases. Shifting that administrative burden and coordination to states will result in redundancy and reduced efficiencies, she added. 'Children will be destabilized by these changes,' Two Bulls said. 'It's important for people to make these decisions responsibly. Whether people agree with this or not, there's a need for people at a local level to partner with us and step up and come up with the funding, the infrastructure, the support needed, because these are real kids that deserve good futures.' Seventh Circuit CASA was awarded $25,000 in grant funding this year — $5,000 to conduct background checks of volunteers and $20,000 to develop support and specialized services for older youth in the system. The organization already received and spent about $10,000, but won't receive the remaining $15,000. In 2014, 207 kids in the Seventh Circuit were in state care over the course of the year, Two Bulls said. In 2024, that grew to 795 children because cases are taking longer to resolve. Older children are staying in the system longer and aging out once they turn 18 years old, she added. Last year, 35 kids aged out of foster care in the area. Nearly a decade ago, that number was closer to five children a year. About 80 percent of the Seventh Circuit CASA's cases are Indian Child Welfare Act cases. Youth who age out of the system are more likely to become homeless, incarcerated or die than their peers, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Two Bulls said the grant was intended to build supplemental training for advocates focused on building life skills for older children. The grants amounted to about 5 percent of the organization's operating budget, Two Bulls said. While the terminated funding won't shutter the program, she'll have to reallocate funds or find new revenue for the increasing need the grant was intended to address. 'This action was completely disconnected from the need and the vulnerability in our community,' Two Bulls said. 'What we have is less funding and less infrastructure to properly address it. We're painfully aware of how many kids it leaves at risk.' Greg Sattizahn, state court administrator for the South Dakota Unified Judicial System, said in a news release that the state is committed to 'providing leadership, support and encouragement' to the eight CASA nonprofits across the state.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Federal cut to children's advocacy funding ‘abandons American children,' says SD nonprofit leader
The Pennington County Courthouse and jail complex in Rapid City, in June 2023. (Seth Tupper/South Dakota Searchlight) A Rapid City-based nonprofit that advocates for children in the state court system lost $15,000 last week after the federal government terminated grant awards to the National Court Appointed Special Advocates Association. The decision 'abandons American children' and will cause ripple effects throughout the state, said Seventh Circuit CASA Program Executive Director Kehala Two Bulls. The organization serves children in Pennington, Fall River and Custer counties. Seven other organizations serve South Dakota's other circuit courts. Volunteers with CASA advocate for children who've been removed from their families and placed in state care due to suspected abuse and neglect. The volunteers meet with the children and other contacts, such as teachers, therapists and caseworkers. They also write reports to judges about the children's needs, strengths and interests to create 'customized services and decision making,' Two Bulls said. Read more South Dakota Searchlight coverage of Trump administration firings, funding freezes, spending cuts, grant cancellations, tariffs and immigration enforcement on our Federal Fallout page. Over 330 CASA volunteers worked with 658 children in 37 counties last year, according to the state Unified Judicial System. The national organization suspended all services and support to state and local programs, it announced last week, after the Trump administration's Department of Justice terminated funding. In a statement to Reuters, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said grants were rescinded that 'do not align with the administration's priorities,' but she said the Department of Justice will 'continue to ensure that services for victims are not impacted and any recipient will have the ability to appeal and restore any grant if direct impact on victims can be thoroughly established.' The national CASA office said it is appealing. Though the Seventh Circuit was the only South Dakota CASA office receiving grant funds from the national office, other local organizations rely on services provided by the national organization. That includes training and coordination, Two Bulls said. Shifting that administrative burden and coordination to states will result in redundancy and reduced efficiencies, she added. 'Children will be destabilized by these changes,' Two Bulls said. 'It's important for people to make these decisions responsibly. Whether people agree with this or not, there's a need for people at a local level to partner with us and step up and come up with the funding, the infrastructure, the support needed, because these are real kids that deserve good futures.' Seventh Circuit CASA was awarded $25,000 in grant funding this year — $5,000 to conduct background checks of volunteers and $20,000 to develop support and specialized services for older youth in the system. The organization already received and spent about $10,000, but won't receive the remaining $15,000. In 2014, 207 kids in the Seventh Circuit were in state care over the course of the year, Two Bulls said. In 2024, that grew to 795 children because cases are taking longer to resolve. Older children are staying in the system longer and aging out once they turn 18 years old, she added. Last year, 35 kids aged out of foster care in the area. Nearly a decade ago, that number was closer to five children a year. About 80% of the Seventh Circuit CASA's cases are Indian Child Welfare Act cases. Children will be destabilized by these changes. – Kehala Two Bulls, executive director, Seventh Circuit CASA Program Youth who age out of the system are more likely to become homeless, incarcerated or die than their peers, according to the Annie E. Casey Foundation. Two Bulls said the grant was intended to build supplemental training for advocates focused on building life skills for older children. The grants amounted to about 5% of the organization's operating budget, Two Bulls said. While the terminated funding won't shutter the program, she'll have to reallocate funds or find new revenue for the increasing need the grant was intended to address. 'This action was completely disconnected from the need and the vulnerability in our community,' Two Bulls said. 'What we have is less funding and less infrastructure to properly address it. We're painfully aware of how many kids it leaves at risk.' Greg Sattizahn, state court administrator for the South Dakota Unified Judicial System, said in a news release that the state is committed to 'providing leadership, support and encouragement' to the eight CASA nonprofits across the state. SUPPORT: YOU MAKE OUR WORK POSSIBLE
Yahoo
23-04-2025
- Yahoo
Man gets 40 years in prison for vehicular homicide
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO) – Faron Mesteth, 29, was sentenced today to 40 years in prison for two counts of vehicular homicide stemming from a deadly crash that occurred on Christmas Day in 2021. Mesteth, who was under the influence of methamphetamine at the time, was found guilty by a jury in January of causing the deaths of Jade Richard Fenhaus, 20, and Jamie Scott Sayler, 31. Seventh Circuit Judge Matthew Brown sentenced him to 20 years on each count, to be served consecutively. Sioux Falls murder suspect in court The fatal crash occurred near Highway 44 and Centre Street when Mesteth's vehicle veered off the road, went airborne for more than 70 feet, and struck a utility pole at highway speeds. While Mesteth sustained only minor injuries, both Fenhaus and Sayler died from their injuries. 'Many believe meth only harms the people who choose to put it in their bodies. This case illustrates that it is not true,' said Kelsey Blair, Assistant Chief Deputy State's Attorney, in a press release. Numerous family members of both victims urged the court to impose a significant sentence. Vehicular homicide is a Class 3 felony in South Dakota, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and/or a $30,000 fine per count. However, because Mesteth was sentenced as a habitual offender, he faced enhanced penalties. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Supreme Court sides with ex-Chicago alderperson in corruption conviction appeal
The Supreme Court unanimously sided with a Chicago political scion in his criminal appeal Friday, agreeing an anti-corruption law barring lying to regulators only covers false statements, not misleading ones. Patrick Daley Thompson, a member of Chicago's most famous political dynasty, was convicted in 2022 of lying to regulators about the amount he borrowed from a now-defunct bank and already served a four-month sentence. In a unanimous opinion authored by Chief Justice John Roberts, the justices sent the case back to a lower court for another look at Thompson's charges, since he argues his statements were merely misleading. 'In casual conversation, people use many overlapping words to describe shady statements: false, misleading, dishonest, deceptive, literally true, and more. Only one of those words appears in the statute,' Roberts wrote. 'Section 1014 does not criminalize statements that are misleading but true. Under the statute, it is not enough that a statement is misleading. It must be 'false,'' he continued. The anti-corruption law Thompson was convicted of violating bars making false statements to influence certain government agencies and financial institutions. He also was convicted on tax charges that remain in place and weren't at issue before the high court. The ex-Chicago alderman's legal troubles stemmed from his insistence to a loan servicer's customer service line that he borrowed $110,000 — not the more than $269,000, including interest, the servicer claimed he owed. However, the former alderman neglected to mention two other loans, totaling $109,000. He settled the debt with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation by agreeing to pay the principal balance of $219,000 but not the interest and was later charged with violating the anti-corruption law. In concurring opinions, Justices Samuel Alito and Ketanji Brown Jackson noted that the instructions Thompson's jury received only indicated that false, not misleading, statements should be weighed, meaning the jury was properly instructed. 'Thus, in my view, there is little for the Seventh Circuit to do on remand but affirm the District Court's judgment upholding the jury's guilty verdict,' Jackson wrote. 'Whether Thompson's statements were, in fact, false is a question for the jury— and here, one the jury has already answered.' The justices' decision marks the second case in as many years where the Supreme Court found federal prosecutors overstepped while cracking down on local politicians. Last summer, they narrowed the scope of what can be considered an illegal gratuity to a government official in a case involving former Portage, Ind., Mayor James Snyder (R). Snyder in 2014 received a $13,000 check for consulting services from a garbage truck company after the town awarded lucrative contracts to the company the year before. That ruling was expected to make it tougher to prosecute public officials for accepting bribes. Updated at 10:59 a.m. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
