Latest news with #TheBailProject
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Monday is "D-day" for Texas bail reform legislation; will you see it on the November ballot?
The Brief On Monday, the Texas House votes on long-awaited bail reform legislation. If the legislation gets a two-thirds vote in the House, it will be on the November ballot. Senate Joint Resolution 5 would give judges the discretion to deny bail to defendants charged with certain violent offenses. What we know The Texas House of Representatives is set to vote Monday on bail reform legislation that lawmakers have been trying to push through since 2021. Senate Joint Resolution 5 will require a two-thirds majority vote in the House to go on the November ballot, since it's an amendment to the state constitution. It would allow — but not mandate — a judge or magistrate to deny bail to a person accused of certain violent offenses, including murder, aggravated robbery, sexual assault of a child, kidnapping of a child and human trafficking. What they're saying Those in favor of the amendment say it will keep violent offenders behind bars while awaiting trial, possibly saving lives. "Sadly, we've actually documented over 200 people just in Harris County that have been murdered by defendants out on more than one felony bond or felony pr bond and I don't want to add any more people to that list," said Andy Kahan with Crime Stoppers of Houston. The other side On the other hand, those against the legislation claim that the amendment would jail more innocent people in Texas. The Bail Project said in an article, "On any given day, over 53,000 people are locked up in Texas jails, most of them awaiting trial – not because they've been convicted of a crime, but because they can't afford bail. Texas taxpayers already spend over $1 billion annually to detain legally innocent people." Saying that the passing of the legislation would increase that number. Dig deeper Kahan says language in the amendment would also allow judges to deny bond for convicted felons charged with additional violent offenses. He also says another provision would allow judges to restrict personal recognizance bonds for those charged with' felon in possession of a weapon'. The Texas Legislature is also set to take action on some other bills of high interest in criminal justice reform, including House Bill 1902 and Senate Bill 3031. HB 1902 aims to create a specific criminal offense for "jugging". Jugging is an act in which a suspect surveils an institution like a bank or ATM and follows a victim from the location to commit a robbery. SB 3031 aims to enhance penalties for those accused of "road rage" shootings. It would enhance the aggravated assault with a firearm charge involving a vehicle, from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. What's next Two-thirds (100 votes) of the House will have to vote in favor of SJR 5 for it to be put on the November ballot, where voters of Texas can decide if the legislation becomes law. The Source Information in this article was sourced from Andy Kahan of Crime Stoppers, the Texas Legislature and The Bail Project.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Cincinnati's daredevil photographer who spawned nationwide manhunt opens gallery in NYC
The photographer who faced a year-long court battle in Cincinnati after taking pictures from some of the highest skyscrapers in the city is showing his work in New York this month. Colerain Township native and Army veteran Isaac Wright, known online as "Drift," has an exhibition at the Robert Mann Gallery opening May 15. Shortly after leaving the military, Wright began making a name for himself by scaling some of the highest structures in the country to create his vertigo-inducing imagery. But after he made photos from the top of Great American Tower at Queen City Square without permission, he became the subject of a nationwide manhunt. It was a sheriff's department in Arizona that arrested him. Deputies swarmed on his car with rifles drawn, helicopter hovering above. But it's not even clear if they knew why he was wanted. Back in Cincinnati, prosecutors said "stealth and deception" were Wright's trademarks as they attempted to hold him in jail on a $400,000 bond. Nearly a year after his arrest, Wright was sentenced to treatment in lieu of conviction. But during that time, Wright went from an artist with a decent Instagram following to one of the top-selling photographers in the world. He took some of the profits from those sales and donated $500,000 to The Bail Project to be used in Hamilton County to post bonds for non-violent offenders who cannot afford it. During another trip home, he was invited by the CEO of Fifth Third Bank to live stream his artistic process from the top of their building on Fountain Square. His new show, "Coming Home," opens May 15 at the Robert Mann Gallery in the Chelsea neighborhood of New York City. The show includes the first-ever public display of his photograph taken from the spire of the Empire State Building, along with images from around the country and the world. "For me, climbing isn't about adrenaline, it's clarity," Wright said. "Above the noise, you feel invisible and infinite. I've been hunted, locked up, written off, but my art gave me a way forward. This show is my first time putting that journey on a wall." The Robert Mann Gallery has expanded its space to accommodate the show. According to a press release, this exhibition is "more than a gallery debut, it's the culmination of a life reclaimed, a city reimagined, and a lens fixed firmly on the impossible." The show's opening reception is May 15 from 6-8 p.m. "Coming Home" will be on display in Chelsea until June 30. This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Daredevil photographer who spawned nationwide manhunt opens NY gallery
Buzz Feed
19-03-2025
- General
- Buzz Feed
17 "Obvious" Things People Had No Idea Were Obvious Until Someone Else Pointed It Out To Them
Listen — it's happened to all of us. You know, that "aha!" moment when you finally put two and two together and have a sweet, sweet to share that new finding with someone else and realize it was totally obvious and you were actually way late to the game. ABC Personally, mine was (after three years of French class) realizing that "mermaid" was mer (which means sea in French) plus maid. I thought this was absolutely groundbreaking, and my friend was like, "Girl......" Humbling, truly. 1. "How the American bail system works. I thought it was a sum of money you paid to avoid jail. I was surprised when I realized you get the money BACK if you show up for your trial." — u/Electronic-Pool-7458 It's true! According to "The Bail Project," if a judge grants bail, that means the defendant can pay that amount of money to the court and does not have to stay in jail until their court date. At the end of the trial, regardless of whether the defendant is determined to be guilty or not guilty, they get their bail money returned simply for showing up. 2. "Water towers are for water pressure, not just a town putting its name on a tank and saying, 'Hey, look how much dang water WE have.'" Nickbeer / Getty Images — u/agreeswithfishpal "They also store water to compensate for peak demand hours. This prevents the pumps from switching on and off frequently." — u/bigrob_in_ATX 3. "That it's called metal because it's harder than rock (music)." — u/Salty-Director538 4. "I recently learned that goodbye is a shortened form of 'God Be With You,' which people in Ye Olde England would say to each other." 5. Google / Oxford Languages / Via — u/OneCoolStory The phrase "how do ye" or "how d'ye" dates back to the 1570s, in which it was similarly used as a greeting, predominantly in England. In the early 19th century, it was shortened to "howdy" as we know it today. 6. "I was, like, 25 when I found out the jugs of washer fluid outside the gas station aren't free. I was walking out of the gas station with a buddy one day, grabbed a jug of washer fluid, and he asked me, 'Did you just steal that?' I was like, 'No, dude, it's free.' Turns out it's not. I stole washer fluid for nearly ten years of driving, and no one ever said anything to me about it." — u/BruceWang19 7. "I was a 20-something regular cannabis user struggling to clean my pipe when I finally realized that that's what pipe cleaners are for. Those fuzzy bendable tubes weren't just for childhood crafts." 8. "My 21-year-old cousin just realized he is mildly allergic to peanut butter and has been his whole life. Until now, he had assumed EVERYONE'S throat closed up a little while eating a PB&J sandwich, but they just fought through it." — u/itisverboten 9. "In my high school science class, we were watching a video and it was then that I realized reindeer are, in fact, real creatures and not just mythical beings for the purpose of pulling Santa's sled." 10. "I was at least 50 when I learned that the little piggy who went to market wasn't going shopping." — u/HBC3 The first line in Mother Goose's poem "This Little Piggy" reads, "This little piggy went to market." As it is often recited or sung by children, people tend to assume the piggy is simply having a nice little trip to the supermarket to get groceries. In actuality, though, that unfortunate little piggy is headed to the slaughter to be put up for sale at the supermarket. 11. "That the 'Mad' in Mad Men meant 'Madison Avenue.'" 12. "I know 'Felix' is the Latin word for 'happy,' but only recently did I discover the name Felix also means 'lucky.' There's a cartoon character named 'Felix the Cat' who is a black cat, and I'm just now getting the irony of naming him that." courtesy Everett Collection 13. "In the song 'I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause,' it's the husband dressed up as Santa that's kissing his wife. Mommy is not having an affair with Santa." — u/Stevemachinehk 14. "I was 50. 50 FUCKING YEARS OLD. When I learned that bats are not, in fact, blind." — u/Eclectophile You may have heard the phrase "blind as a bat" before, which people say to imply that someone has bad eyesight. Well, as it turns out, bats aren't even blind! While they see differently than humans, their eyes work pretty darn well, especially in the dark. 15. "That my car key remote isn't broken, the battery just died after nearly 10 years." — u/MykeCecc "You don't have to go to the dealership to get it fixed. Any auto parts store will have the battery, and most will replace it for you!" — u/theflyinghillbilly2 A dead battery is unsurprisingly the most common reason a car key fob might stop working. Replacing them can get pretty pricey, so it's important to make sure it's not a simple fix like this before spending the big bucks. 16. "We have a local plumbing company call 'Abacus' with the tag line 'you can count on us.' After 20 years, I realized their logo was an abacus." Westend61 / Getty Images/Westend61 — u/whatyoucallmetoday If you're not familiar with an abacus, it's a tool that dates waaay back to ancient times and was (and still is!) used for counting. Odds are, you probably played with one as a kid — for some strange reason, they tended to be in pediatricians' waiting rooms. Anyway, the name and tagline are a pun! 17. And finally, "I should take this to the grave, but I somehow thought Mickey Mouse was a dog until I was 17. I'm 24 now. One day, I just saw a Mickey Mouse somewhere and went, 'Why does he have such a skinny little tail??? It looks like a ra-…wait…'" Traveler1116 / Getty Images I hope you had a laugh and perhaps learned something new from this! Now, it's your turn: Have you ever missed something that was seemingly obvious to everyone else and had an "aha!" moment like these people? If so, tell us about it in the comments below! Note: Submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.
