Latest news with #Walsh
15 hours ago
- Politics
Defendants argue to state's high court that a Pennsylvania DA has been misusing the death penalty
HARRISBURG, Pa. -- Two men accused of homicide and facing a potential death sentence if convicted asked Pennsylvania's highest court Tuesday to restrict a county prosecutor's pursuit of the death penalty, accusing him of misusing it to pressure defendants into guilty pleas or get them to turn state's evidence. The two defendants filed a petition before the state Supreme Court that suggests a range of actions to limit Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh's discretion in asking for capital punishment. 'The arbitrary seeking of the death penalty has become a crisis in Washington County, where a wildly disproportionate number" of the state's prosecutorial death penalty notices of aggravating factors are filed, wrote lawyers for Jordan Clarke and Joshua George. They say Walsh, a Republican appointed in 2021 and elected to keep the job nearly two years ago, has sought the death penalty in 11 of the county's 18 homicide cases during his term in office. Walsh on Tuesday disputed the numbers, saying the county has had more than 18 homicide cases over that period. He said several of the cases during his tenure have involved the deaths of children, where one of the aggravating factors required for the death penalty, the young age of the victim, is simple to demonstrate in court. 'If it fits under the law, prosecutors can seek the death penalty,' Walsh said in a phone interview. 'That's just the law.' The petition asks the justices to adopt 'some or all' of the changes they want. They are asking for Walsh to be required to have an out-of-county judge, the attorney general's office or a court-appointed special master review decisions to seek the death penalty; to stop the death penalty from being pursued in the cases of the two petitioners; and to get an outside judge to review all death penalty cases filed since the year Walsh took office. Washington County is a suburban and rural area of more than 200,000 people with a history of coal mining and gas drilling in the state's southwesternmost corner, about 28 miles (45 kilometers) southwest of Pittsburgh. 'No county has a bottomless well of money to fund defense teams representing indigents facing capital punishment,' lawyers with the Philadelphia-based Atlantic Center for Capital Representation argued in asking the justices to take the unusual step of accepting a case without an underlying appeal. 'The excessive, abusive, and coercive use of the death penalty by District Attorney Walsh has surely strained Washington County's ability to fund constitutionally adequate defenses.' As an example, the filing describes how the prosecutor's office upgraded a woman's charge of conspiracy to commit homicide to add criminal homicide after being told by defense lawyers that conspiracy was not sufficient to face a death penalty. She spent nearly four years in jail before the case was dismissed. Walsh said there is evidence supporting the case and he plans to appeal the dismissal. In Clarke's case, involving a 2-month-old boy's death, the petition alleges Walsh 'intervened to improperly influence the manner of death determination, filed homicide charges and a notice of aggravators before the manner of death was determined, and is pursuing a death sentence based on facially inappropriate aggravating circumstances.' Walsh said state and federal courts have long upheld the legality of the death penalty. In Pennsylvania, only three people have been executed since the 1970s, and all had given up on their appeals. Appeals and natural deaths have shrunk Pennsylvania's death row from well over 200 two decades ago to 94 inmates currently. 'This is nothing but a liberal Hail Mary from a liberal think tank,' Walsh said of the newly filed court petition. 'Those allegations are nonsensical and without merit.'
Winnipeg Free Press
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
Defendants argue to state's high court that a Pennsylvania DA has been misusing the death penalty
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Two men accused of homicide and facing a potential death sentence if convicted asked Pennsylvania's highest court Tuesday to restrict a county prosecutor's pursuit of the death penalty, accusing him of misusing it to pressure defendants into guilty pleas or get them to turn state's evidence. The two defendants filed a petition before the state Supreme Court that suggests a range of actions to limit Washington County District Attorney Jason Walsh's discretion in asking for capital punishment. 'The arbitrary seeking of the death penalty has become a crisis in Washington County, where a wildly disproportionate number' of the state's prosecutorial death penalty notices of aggravating factors are filed, wrote lawyers for Jordan Clarke and Joshua George. They say Walsh, a Republican appointed in 2021 and elected to keep the job nearly two years ago, has sought the death penalty in 11 of the county's 18 homicide cases during his term in office. Walsh on Tuesday disputed the numbers, saying the county has had more than 18 homicide cases over that period. He said several of the cases during his tenure have involved the deaths of children, where one of the aggravating factors required for the death penalty, the young age of the victim, is simple to demonstrate in court. 'If it fits under the law, prosecutors can seek the death penalty,' Walsh said in a phone interview. 'That's just the law.' The petition asks the justices to adopt 'some or all' of the changes they want. They are asking for Walsh to be required to have an out-of-county judge, the attorney general's office or a court-appointed special master review decisions to seek the death penalty; to stop the death penalty from being pursued in the cases of the two petitioners; and to get an outside judge to review all death penalty cases filed since the year Walsh took office. Washington County is a suburban and rural area of more than 200,000 people with a history of coal mining and gas drilling in the state's southwesternmost corner, about 28 miles (45 kilometers) southwest of Pittsburgh. 'No county has a bottomless well of money to fund defense teams representing indigents facing capital punishment,' lawyers with the Philadelphia-based Atlantic Center for Capital Representation argued in asking the justices to take the unusual step of accepting a case without an underlying appeal. 'The excessive, abusive, and coercive use of the death penalty by District Attorney Walsh has surely strained Washington County's ability to fund constitutionally adequate defenses.' As an example, the filing describes how the prosecutor's office upgraded a woman's charge of conspiracy to commit homicide to add criminal homicide after being told by defense lawyers that conspiracy was not sufficient to face a death penalty. She spent nearly four years in jail before the case was dismissed. Walsh said there is evidence supporting the case and he plans to appeal the dismissal. In Clarke's case, involving a 2-month-old boy's death, the petition alleges Walsh 'intervened to improperly influence the manner of death determination, filed homicide charges and a notice of aggravators before the manner of death was determined, and is pursuing a death sentence based on facially inappropriate aggravating circumstances.' Walsh said state and federal courts have long upheld the legality of the death penalty. In Pennsylvania, only three people have been executed since the 1970s, and all had given up on their appeals. Appeals and natural deaths have shrunk Pennsylvania's death row from well over 200 two decades ago to 94 inmates currently. 'This is nothing but a liberal Hail Mary from a liberal think tank,' Walsh said of the newly filed court petition. 'Those allegations are nonsensical and without merit.'
Irish Examiner
21 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Cork man who performed 'donuts' in front of 150 people gets two-year driving ban
A Cork man who performed 'donuts' in front of a crowd of more than 150 people has been disqualified from driving in the district court. Court presenter Inspector Anthony Harrington told Mallow District Court that a garda patrol came upon a meeting of car enthusiasts after midnight at a rural location at Tooreen South, Bottle Hill, Mallow on February 21, 2025. Giving evidence, Garda James Cullinane said that at 12.42am he approached a large crowd of spectators he estimated to be between 150 and 200 people watching a car doing donuts on the public road. He told the court that the car was spinning its wheels and there was a lot of smoke from the manoeuvres it was carrying out. Gda Cullinane said it was a wet night and the conditions at the time were foggy. He approached the car to prevent it from driving off and he spoke to the driver, identified as Dale Walsh, aged 21, of Mannix's Cottage, Killeens, Co Cork. Walsh was arrested for dangerous driving and taken to Mallow Garda Station where he was formally charged. Defence solicitor Cathal Lombard said the incident occurred at a remote rural location near forestry and asked Judge Colm Roberts to consider reducing the charge from one of dangerous driving to the lesser charge of careless driving. Mr Lombard said his client was fully co-operative, had no previous convictions and was a very young man. He said his client has since undertaken a pro-social driving course and had never been in trouble before. Judge Roberts said: 'If the court takes the view that doing donuts with 100 or 150 people watching after midnight is not dangerous driving, we may as well all go home.' The judge said that Walsh had obtained his licence and he wasn't aware of the part of the driving test exam that stated 'it's grand to do donuts'. The judge said it was not a marginal case where he could reduce the charge and clearly came under the definition of dangerous driving. He convicted Walsh of dangerous driving and disqualified him from driving for the mandatory two-year period and agreed to defer commencement of the driving ban to November 1. He also fined Walsh €250 and allowed him one month to pay. The judge added: 'It was a serious error of judgement. It seems I'm being told to care about his driving licence — when he didn't.' Recognisance for appeal was fixed at €500 with €250 cash. This article is funded by the Courts Reporting Scheme
The Age
3 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Inside departing AFL spinner's all-star farewell
Brian Walsh, the outgoing AFL corporate affairs and communications executive general manager boss man, hosted his farewell drinks (before he skips out of AFL House at the end of the month) on one of the few Fridays when there were no footy matches being staged in Melbourne. Truly, the guy thinks of everything. It was an All Australian turnout with the AFL's past, present and future on hand to a) pay their respects to a sports executive nice guy and b) make sure he was really leaving this time (Walsh had previously quit during the reign of Andrew Demetriou, only to return in 2019). One early arrival was Martin Pakula, the former Victorian major events minister who has reinvented himself as chair of not only the Australian Grand Prix Corporation but also of Tourism North East, board director of Hello World and, as of two weeks ago, chair of Crown Melbourne (truly, how can one man have so much talent?). Enjoying the party pies and spring rolls at Richmond's historic London Hotel were AFL chief executive Andrew Dillon, AFL executive Laura Kane, former AFL executive turned Victoria Racing Club chief executive Kylie Rogers, media lawyer Justin Quill, ABC presenter Michael Rowland, Seven sport supremo Chris Jones, SEN supremo Craig Hutchison, former AFL Commission chairman Mike Fitzpatrick and former AFL chief executive Gillon McLachlan. AFL sibling-in-chief and Channel Seven broadcaster Hamish McLachlan entered chaperoning a beer and two packets of Red Rock Deli Honey Soy Chicken – in one hand – while funnyman Titus O'Reily road-tested his grand final jokes in front of AFL Commission chairman Richard Goyder. It seems Walsh is set to enter the world of consultancy (possibly for the AFL – see what we mean?). CBD hears that the process to find a replacement is well advanced. One name in the replacement frame from the many sports journalists in attendance was Matt Kitchin, who recently left his role as head of sport at News Corp after 34 years. One word of advice for novice attendees of functions hosted by the AFL city-state: never enter a conversation huddle about AFL governance with Age chief football writer Jake Niall and commentator Eddie McGuire without an escape plan. Or an ejector seat. On the Block
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- General
- Irish Examiner
Sidle up to Cork's Shakey Bridge at €1.45m Sunday's Well classic
Great shakes in Sunday's Well THERE must be an irony in the fact that a second-generation civil engineer ended up living beside a structure with a title almost guaranteed to rattle his professional nerves and instincts — the much-cherished Mount Vernon is a Sunday's Well home snuggling right up to Cork city's iconic 'Shakey Bridge.' Mount Vernon is a Sunday's Well classic The famed suspension pedestrian bridge over the River Lee's north channel is known properly as Daly's Bridge, but far more widely as the Shakey Bridge because of its wibbly wobbly wonder swaying nature: It links the salubrious Sunday's Well suburb to the Mardyke, next to Fitzgerald Park, a location dear to the hearts of Corkonians everywhere, as well as to visitors. Great shakes setting Leeside's Shakey Bridge is one of the most-photographed settings in and around the city, and featured affectionately as a location-marker in the 2016 film and subsequent TV series The Young Offenders: Brief exposure of Cork's Young Offenders It also means that this elegant home, Mount Vernon, has also been widely circulated at home and abroad as a backdrop. Dating to 1840, the detached riverside Mount Vernon is one of Sunday's Well's better-spotted river-fronting homes, not just because of its proximity to Daly's Bridge but also due to the attractive novelty of its architectural detailing, roof crenellation to the west, façade, with window bays to the city side to the east, and south- and river-facing at the front, and its highly distinctive mid-level window treatment with what's known as ogee-headed windows framed in red brick. Gee ogee The ogee shape, with both convex and concave 'S' curves, dates back almost 1,000 years to Islamic architecture, and enjoyed later Gothic and Victorian revivals in the 19th century, when Mount Vernon tested its builder's and glazier's skills, mixing many varied window shapes on its three levels, as well as to the side and rear. Interior grace And, gratifyingly, the array of windows — shaped from Gothic to round headed to ogee-arched and lattice style — are all still here today, in tremendous condition, testament to appreciation by a succession of mindful owners who curated this home that stands out from the crowd, as much for its authenticity as for its aspect. For much of the 20th century, and possibly before it, Mount Vernon (also officially No 68 Sunday's Well Road) was associated with the Guy family who had built up a noted business in Cork city in printing, lithography, photography, and other ink-related skills and services. The latest family owners were the Walsh family, engineer John and his wife Claire, with the Walsh family also having long roots in Sunday's Well (living at No 47 Sunday's Well Road) and who got the chance to buy here some 40 years ago after it had temporarily been split into three units, one lived in by an older generation of the Guys until the family-to-family handover. John Walsh's father, Henry (Harry) Walsh, had been professor of civil engineering in UCC from the early 1920s up until the 1950s, and also established an engineering practice with its offices initially in Sunday's Well: Venerable items of engineering curiosity, as well as a considerable library, still adorn the gentle, and much-buffed timepiece that is Mount Vernon. The family's appreciation of Mount Vernon spanned its aesthetic and architecture, as well as the very special setting right next door to the Shakey Bridge, say family members. The couple also clearly cherished the stepped garden, thoughtfully planted up and maintained, with as much attention back in the day to trees, flowers, and shrubs, as well as to vegetables and fruit: the late John Walsh was a keen strawberry grower, thereby either wittingly or unwittingly continuing a long local heritage and horticultural link as Sunday's Well was known back in the 18th century for its vast strawberry beds…. hence the name of nearby Strawberry Hill in Shanakiel. The berries Mount Vernon comes to the market this week as an executor sale with agents Johnny O'Flynn and Ann O'Mahony of Sherry FitzGerald, who launch it at €1.45m. At that, it's pitched into good company of €1m-plus sales in the wider Sunday's Well area and where, traditionally, those making the more significant sums are those with river frontage/direct access the Lee's north channel. Lovely Leeside Five of the six €1m-plus Sunday's Well sales visible on the Price Register are individual homes with that all-important river/garden: One, Woodlawn, made €2.195m back a decade ago, down from a Celtic Tiger times peak sale of €5m (close to an all-time Cork city house sale record) while Sherry FitzGerald also sold Verulam/No 58 Sunday's Well Road the following year, in 2017 for a recorded €1.4m. The strongest recent price was the €1.665m paid for Hazelhurst/No 46 in 2023, while a detached called Inglenook made €1.26m in 2022. Mount Vernon and Inglenook Curiously, Inglenook shares a lineage with Mount Vernon, as it was built by the Guy family in the 1920s to the side of No 68 Mount Vernon, noted in these pages in 2022 and also with an address as 68A Sunday's Well Road. New money as well as old money values these venerable old homes, and buyers typically span academia, medicine, and hospital-based consultants, as well as those who have made sums in tech and finance and want to put a share of it into bricks and mortar. The sale offer of a nearby classic, West View House, aka the Red House, graced these pages last month, offered in a fully restored and upgraded condition via Sherry FitzGerald's Johnny O'Flynn with a €1.825m AMV, for a 3,800sq ft five-to six-bed home with views to the Shakey Bridge on its city side, and to Wellington Bridge in the opposite direction. First viewings only start at the Red House this month once its mindful tenants move out, and there'll be a huge appeal to many as it's in walk-in condition for next occupants. Mr O'Flynn says he has very keen interest already lined up eager to view, despite its upper echelon price level as it is indeed a sort of local prize or trophy property. Mount Vernon is no less a prize, and Sherry FitzGerald expect many people — or at least those with €1.5m to €2m to spend on a home for life — who view one of the properties will also view the other. Those who do will compare the contemporary edge of the larger, West View/Red House with the utter period integrity of Mount Vernon. Both are BER-exempt and both have off-street parking in garages, a feature that gives them an extra lift in Sunday's Well where not every waterside home has a secure off-street place for a horseless carriage or a place to wire in an EV car charger. WestView/Red House also listed with Sherry FitzGerald Like many of its Sunday's Well neighbours, Mount Vernon more-or-less turns its back to the world and passers-by on its doorstep, with no more than a modest access doorway as well as a garage door just to the west of the access point (and steps) down along its high boundary wall the Shakey Bridge. That's in stark contrast to its familiar, ornamental render and window brick-framing façade facing the Lee's north channel opposite the Mardyke. While its building 'envelope' is one of two very different halves of faces, what's inside is all of a piece. Simply, it's a beauty, a well-polished period home gem, never significantly altered but clearly always minded and it's likely the most recent owners adopted the philosophy of 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it,' a bit like a vintage car that's always been serviced, kept garaged, and never needed a rebuild (in contrast, the Red House needed a significant rebuild, and got it). Once past the plain portal of the door onto the street, Mount Vernon is entered via a small glazed porch with encaustic-tiled floor, over a lower level rear service yard with old stores tucked into the hillside, very much a Sunday's Well riverside residence feature. This entry level has three principal rooms, two substantial ones with wide window bays, all have fireplaces, the third is a library/home office right now and there's a good-size bathroom here too. The stairs runs east/west to the back of the house (the floor plan dating to the 1840s is as relevant today for any home with views to the south) and the lower ground level has a plain kitchen, unfussed, with lots of wood panelling, a dining room, a bedroom overlooking the garden/terraces, and a utility room with side external access. There's also more immediate access to the south-facing terrace from the mid-set dining room, and the top floor holds three bedrooms (the centre one has three sash windows in a wide bay and patterned ceiling, plus a shower room with old tiled floor and William Morris-style wallpaper above wainscoting. Elsewhere, original and gleaming wood panelling is also a feature, as in the stairwell (where there's an ornate, tall arched coloured glass nine-paned window on a return), adding to the overall air of times moving at a slower pace than in the world outside its doors. That easy-going 'retreat from the world' feel is as readily appreciated in the mature gardens which drop down to bound the River Lee (salmon, anyone?) with wending paths and a lovely glasshouse for plant propagation and the growing of vines, tomatoes, and strawberries for new occupants' salad days ahead. VERDICT: Some great shakes, it's as exquisitely Cork as it gets....
