Latest news with #prosecution
CBS News
16 hours ago
- General
- CBS News
More than 130 retired judges urge federal court to drop charges against Wisconsin Judge Hannah Dugan
A bipartisan group of more than 130 retired judges filed a brief Friday urging a federal court to drop charges against Wisconsin judge Hannah Dugan, saying her arrest undermines "centuries of precedent on judicial immunity." Dugan, a Milwaukee County circuit court judge, was arrested April 25 by FBI agents on federal allegations she prevented the arrest of a man by immigration authorities during a federal law enforcement operation at her courthouse. The man, Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, was arrested and detained at an immigration detention center. In an amicus brief filed Friday, the group of judges argue that Dugan shouldn't be prosecuted because "she is entitled to absolute immunity for her official acts." "This bar on prosecution is the same absolute immunity that is given to members of the legislative and executive branches for their actions taken in an official capacity," the brief read. The group of 138 former state and federal judges called the prosecution of Dugan, who was indicted by a grand jury earlier this month on one count each of concealing an individual to prevent arrest and obstruction, an "egregious overreach by the executive branch" that "threatens public trust in the judicial system and the ability of the public to avail themselves of courthouses without fear of reprisal." "Allowing prosecution of Judge Dugan for the alleged actions would create a chilling effect on judges that would stifle independent decision-making and cast doubt on the universal recognition that judges are in charge of maintaining order and decorum in their courtrooms and courthouses," the group of judges wrote. They also argued that prosecuting Dugan "threatens to undermine centuries of precedent on judicial immunity, crucial for an effective judiciary." Dugan, who was released from custody following her arrest, pleaded not guilty earlier this month. A federal judge set her trial to begin the week of July 21. Dugan has served as a judge in Milwaukee County Circuit Court since 2016, after she was elected with about 65% of the vote. She was reelected in 2022 after running unopposed. and contributed to this report.
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Comedian Reginald D Hunter prosecuted over ‘anti-Semitic messages'
Reginald D Hunter, the American comedian, is being prosecuted over alleged anti-Semitic social media posts, a court has heard. The stand-up is accused of three counts of sending an offensive communication on three different occasions – on Aug 24, Sept 10 and Sept 11 last year – to Heidi Bachram on X. He was due to appear at Westminster magistrates' court on Friday, but in his absence Tan Ikram, the deputy chief magistrate, issued a warrant for him to attend court on July 7. Donal Lawler, prosecuting, told the court that Hunter was a 'well-known comedian' who was being privately prosecuted by the Campaign Against Antisemitism. It is alleged Hunter sent a computer-generated sexual image to Ms Bachram in August last year, with the charges claiming it was 'grossly offensive'. On Sept 10, he is said to have tweeted Ms Bachram: 'THIS is why I HATE these people and am committed to their destruction not because JEW hatred Not even because they are European Nazis pretending to be JEWS Because of all the lying. Mama HATED liars and bequeathed that hatred to ALL of her children.' The following day, it is alleged he sent another message saying: 'Hey sugar. I don't hate you for being an agent of evil. Not new Not even uncommon. You being a liar a persistent liar KNOWING the truth, is why I will see you and your kind ended, even if it costs me EVERYTHING. You are not even a JEW. Run tell that.' Hunter, who regularly tours the UK, has appeared on the comedy panel shows Never Mind The Buzzcocks, Have I Got News For You and 8 Out of 10 Cats. Mr Lawler told the court on Friday that the comedian was due to begin a tour of England and Wales. The prosecutor said Hunter was scheduled to do a gig in London on July 6, adding that his legal team may be able to serve him his court summons in person at the venue on that date. The Campaign Against Antisemitism describes itself as an organisation of volunteers which works to 'expose and counter anti-Semitism through education and zero-tolerance enforcement of the law'.
Fox News
a day ago
- General
- Fox News
Karen Read looks to crash prosecution's crash theory as defense opens case
incoming update… Karen Read's defense team is ready to begin tearing down the prosecution's murder case against her after the commonwealth rested its case this week. Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, outside an acquaintance's house party just after midnight on Jan. 29, 2022. The prosecution alleges that Read struck him with her 2021 Lexus SUV in a drunken rage, before leaving him to freeze to death in the front yard of 34 Fairview Road in Canton, Massachusetts, 20 miles south of Boston. Read's defense team is set to begin presenting their case on Friday as attorneys Alan Jackson, David Yannetti and Robert Alessi look to sow reasonable doubt around the state's allegations, Live Coverage begins here
Yahoo
a day ago
- General
- Yahoo
Who to watch as Karen Read's defense steps up to plate – and it's not slugger Alan Jackson
Karen Read's defense team of heavy-hitting attorneys is ready to begin tearing down the prosecution's murder case against her after the state rested its case this week. Read is accused of killing her boyfriend, Boston Police Officer John O'Keefe, outside an acquaintance's house party just after midnight on Jan. 29, 2022. The prosecution alleges that Read struck O'Keefe with her 2021 Lexus SUV in a drunken ragme after an evening of fighting before leaving him to freeze to death in the front yard of 34 Fairview Road. Karen Read Defense Grills Crash Expert Over $400K Price Tag And Experimentation Methods Special prosecutor Hank Brennan rested the state's case on Thursday, nearly two months after jury selection began. Brennan's final witness, Aperture crash reconstructionist Dr. Judson Welcher spent three days on the stand providing testimony on his findings supporting the state's allegations that Read fatally struck O'Keefe with her vehicle. He pointed to his own experimentation using a Lexus taillight and wet paint to illustrate how O'Keefe could have sustained the injuries to his arm, and he said that a "glancing" blow from the vehicle could explain why the victim didn't have typical car-strike injuries. Read On The Fox News App "If you impact the hand with a 1-inch narrow metal bar, that's a lot different than if you have a broad, plastic taillight or rear body panel," Welcher said. "So when you have distributed loads, you can take much more." Read's defense team is set to begin presenting their case on Friday as attorneys Alan Jackson, David Yannetti and Robert Alessi look to sow doubt around the state's allegations, with Yannetti viewed as the strongest member of Read's team by experts. Karen Read's Suv Reached '74% Throttle' Moments Before John O'keefe's Final Movements, Crash Expert Testifies "David Yannetti is the best trial lawyer in the case," retired Massachusetts Superior Court Judge and Boston College law professor Jack Lu told Fox News Digital, "with the possible exception of Brennan." Yannetti is a seasoned criminal defense attorney and has been with Read since before her first trial. "He has the range that Mr. Brennan might lack," Lu said. "Brennan, with all his spectacular talent, mostly has one speed, well, two speeds. Yannetti, an award-winning advocate since law school, has seen it all and fights for a position from which the defense can possibly salvage things." Karen Read Judge Blocks Sandra Birchmore Mentions; Expert Says Cases Should Be Wake-up Call For Police The defense will look to dismantle the state's case, which often pointed to Read's interviews with various news outlets, addressing the public in her own words. "So I thought, 'Could I have run him over?'" Read said in a 2024 interview with Investigation Discovery. "Did he try to get me as I was leaving and I didn't know it?" Read's legal team insists her vehicle never came in contact with O'Keefe while pointing to the possibility that something or someone else was responsible for the police officer's death. Karen Read Defense Floats Theory That 'Jealous' Brian Higgins Fought John O'keefe Before Death "And then when I hired David Yannetti, I asked him those questions," Read said in the same clip. "The night of Jan. 29, David, what if I ran his foot over? Or what if I clipped him in the knee and he passed out or went to care for himself and threw up or passed out? And David said, 'Yeah, then you have some element of culpability.'" Lu believes the primary goal for the defense team should be to humanize Read in a way that paints her in a favorable light to the jurors while taking aim at an alleged cover-up scheme by the Massachusetts Police Department. Follow The Fox True Crime Team On X "The prosecutor has made her into a self-absorbed caricature," Lu told Fox News Digital, adding, "They must get into the hatred of her by [former investigator] Michael Proctor." Proctor is on the witness list, but it remains unclear whether the defense will put him on the stand. Prosecutors did not call him this time around after his testimony in the first trial saw jurors shaking their heads as they heard his inappropriate texts about Read in court. The case ended in a mistrial, and he lost his job days before the second trial kicked off. Read has pleaded not guilty. If convicted, she faces the possibility of life in prison for the most serious charge of second-degree murder. "Right now Ms. Read's legal case is badly wounded," Lu said. "Mr. Yannetti has the ability to charm the jury, fight the judge as needed, present the defense witnesses – some of whom are hostile – and in closing, inspire the jury."Original article source: Who to watch as Karen Read's defense steps up to plate – and it's not slugger Alan Jackson
Free Malaysia Today
a day ago
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
Corruption charges can only be brought with enough evidence, says PM
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said a proper probe must be carried out before the case is referred to prosecutors. PETALING JAYA : Those suspected of engaging in corrupt practices can only be taken to court if there is sufficient evidence, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said today. He also said that the prosecution of such cases must be done according to procedure, The Star reported. 'I don't want to be a prime minister who is like, 'oh, we must arrest' or 'oh, we must charge',' he said when officiating the Kaamatan celebration in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. 'I am not a dictator who (orders) arrests immediately,' he said, adding that the fight against corruption must be waged at all levels. Anwar also said that videos released 'in bits and pieces' could not be used to charge people, and that a proper probe must be carried out before the case is referred to prosecutors. He said this when commenting on the videos leaked by a purported whistleblower implicating several assemblymen in an alleged mining scandal. Anwar said some had asked why he did not intervene in the case, and implied that he had tried to cover up the alleged graft when the videos were first circulated. 'But when things grew hotter, of course I asked MACC about it,' he said, referring to the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission. Last week, MACC said it had completed a forensic report on the controversial videos linked to the alleged mining scandal in Sabah. MACC chief commissioner Azam Baki however declined to comment on the videos' authenticity. The alleged mining scandal was reported in 2024 after a series of videos linking several Sabah assemblymen to it were leaked. The videos allegedly depicted discussions involving bribery and misconduct related to mineral exploration projects in the state. In February, Azam said the initial batch of videos lacked credibility as they were heavily edited.
