Latest news with #victimImpactStatement
The Independent
17 hours ago
- The Independent
Ashling Murphy's boyfriend settles defamation action against BBC
The boyfriend of murdered Ashling Murphy has settled a defamation claim against the BBC. The 23-year-old schoolteacher was killed along a canal path in Tullamore, Co Offaly in 2022 by murderer Jozef Puska. Her partner, 27-year-old Ryan Casey, sued the BBC over a broadcast of an episode of the View following Puska's sentencing. It contained commentary on Mr Casey's victim impact statement that he delivered ahead of sentencing. He initiated High Court proceedings against the broadcaster alleging that he had been defamed during the television programme. The action was settled on Thursday, with the BBC saying it acknowledged Mr Casey's personal tragedy. It stood by the journalism of the broadcast and added: 'The BBC is however happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist, or someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the far right through his victim impact statement.' It is understood Mr Casey received a substantial figure in the settlement.
Irish Times
21 hours ago
- Irish Times
Ashling Murphy's partner Ryan Casey settles action against BBC
The defamation case taken by Ryan Casey, partner of murdered schoolteacher Ashling Murphy , against the BBC following comments made about his victim impact statement during a live broadcast has been settled, the High Court has heard. In a statement released after the settlement on Thursday, Mr Casey said the resolution of the case marked 'the end of a long and difficult chapter of frustration and censorship'. The BBC said it was 'happy to clarify' it does not consider Mr Casey to be 'someone guilty of, or attempting to, incite hatred'. Mr Casey had taken the case in relation to a BBC Northern Ireland broadcast of The View programme in November 2023. It related to Mr Casey's victim impact statement at the sentencing of Ms Murphy's murderer Josef Puska. READ MORE Ashling Murphy was killed at Cappincur, Tullamore, Co Offaly in January, 2022. [ Monstrous crime that shocked the nation Opens in new window ] Mr Casey was represented in his case by Ronan Lupton SC, instructed by Tullamore firm, Brian P Adams & Company. At the High Court on Thursday, Alan Keating SC, for the BBC, read out a statement on the settlement of the case on behalf of the broadcaster. 'In the BBC's November 30th, 2023 episode of its live political programme The View, Mr Ryan Casey's victim impact statement at the sentencing of his late partner's murderer was discussed,' it said. 'The BBC stands by the journalism involved in this episode which debated serious issues of public interest. [ Who was Ashling Murphy? The 'shining light' teacher Opens in new window ] 'The BBC is happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist or someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the far right through his victim impact statement. 'The BBC acknowledges Mr Casey's personal tragedy. This statement clarifies any unintentional inferences that could have been drawn from the broadcast and has enabled the BBC and Ryan Casey to resolve this matter amicably.' It is understood the settlement is a six-figure sum. Mr Justice Alexander Owens then struck out the case and made no order. Jozef Puska (35) killed Ms Murphy (23) on January 12th, 2022, by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck after attacking her while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore. He was convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. Originally from Slovakia, he had lived in Offaly since 2015 with his wife and five children.
BreakingNews.ie
a day ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Ashling Murphy's boyfriend settles defamation case against the BBC
The partner of murdered school teacher Ashling Murphy has settled a High Court action for alleged defamation against the BBC. Ryan Casey sued the BBC following the broadcast of an episode of the political programme The View on November 30th, 2023. Advertisement The programme was broadcast nearly two weeks after Mr Casey had delivered a victim impact statement at the sentence hearing of Jozef Puska for the murder of Ms Murphy. In a statement released after the High Court settlement on Thursday Mr Casey said the resolution of the case marked "the end of a long and difficult chapter." He said it was never about him, but was about truth, fairness and decency. The BBC said it was "happy to clarify" that it does not consider Mr Casey to be "someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred". Advertisement Mr Casey had taken the case in relation to a BBC Northern Ireland broadcast of 'The View' programme in November 2023, relating to Mr Casey's victim impact statement at the sentencing of Ms Murphy's murderer Josef Puska. At the High Court Alan Keating SC, for the BBC, read out a statement on the settlement of the case on behalf of the broadcaster. "In the BBC's November 30th, 2023 episode of its live political programme 'The View', Mr Ryan Casey's victim impact statement at the sentencing of his late partner's murderer was discussed. "The BBC stands by the journalism involved in this episode which debated serious issues of public interest. Advertisement "The BBC is happy to clarify that it does not consider Ryan Casey to be a criminal or a racist or someone guilty of or attempting to incite hatred, or someone seeking to pose as a hero of the Far Right through his victim impact statement. "The BBC acknowledges Mr Casey's personal tragedy. This statement clarifies any unintentional inferences that could have been drawn from the broadcast and has enabled the BBC and Ryan Casey to resolve this matter amicably," the statement read. It is understood the settlement is a six-figure sum. Mr Justice Alexander Owens then struck out the case and made no order. Advertisement Jozef Puska (35) murdered Ms Murphy (23) on January 12th, 2022, by repeatedly stabbing her in the neck after attacking her while she exercised along the canal towpath outside Tullamore, Co Offaly. He was later convicted of murder and is serving a life sentence. Originally from Slovakia, he had lived in Offaly since 2015 with his wife and five children. At his trial he claimed she had been killed by a masked man who had also attacked him. But the jury found him guilty of murder. Ireland Josef Puska's two brothers and their wives guilty... Read More Outside court Mr Casey said he took the legal action against the BBC not solely out of anger, but out of a need for accountability and dignity for Ashling, for himself, their families and for all victims, who he said deserved to have their voices heard without such harsh criticism or judgement. Advertisement He said he hoped it would be a reminder to all media organisations of the high level of responsibility that came with running such public platforms. He said he was now finally free to use his voice again to honour Ashling, and, he said, advocate for the changes desperately required in this country. He said he wanted everyone to honour Ashling by building a better and safer Ireland.
CBS News
08-05-2025
- CBS News
Man murdered in 2021 "speaks" at killer's sentencing hearing thanks to AI video
A man who was killed in a road rage incident in Arizona "spoke" during his killer's sentencing hearing after his family used artificial intelligence to create a video of him reading a victim impact statement. In what's believed to be a first in U.S. courts, the family of Chris Pelkey used AI to give him a voice. Pelkey was shot by Gabriel Paul Horcasitas on Nov. 13, 2021, as both drivers were stopped at a red light. According to records, Pelkey was shot after getting out of his truck and walking toward Horcasitas' car. The AI rendering of Pelkey told the shooter during the sentencing hearing last week that it was a shame they had to meet under those circumstances — and that the two of them probably could have been friends in another life. "I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do," Pelkey's avatar told Gabriel Paul Horcasitas. The AI version of Pelkey went on to share advice for people to make the most of each day and to love each other, not knowing how much time one might have left. The Army dress uniform and photo of the late Christopher Pelkey is shown at his mother's home, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Chandler, Ariz. Matt York / AP While use of artificial intelligence within the court system is expanding, it's typically been reserved for administrative tasks, legal research and case preparation. In Arizona, it's helped inform the public of rulings in significant cases. But using AI to generate victim impact statements marks a new — and legal, at least in Arizona — tool for sharing information with the court outside the evidentiary phases. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Todd Lang, who presided over the case, said that he "loved that AI," according to CBS News partner BBC News. Lang also noted the video said something about Pelkey's family, who had expressed their anger over his death and had asked for Horcasitas to receive the maximum sentence. Family and friends also submitted nearly 50 letters to the judge, echoing the video's message. Horcasitas, 54, was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10.5 years in prison. Horcasitas' lawyer, Jason Lamm, told The Associated Press they filed a notice to appeal his sentence within hours of the hearing. Lamm said it's likely that the appellate court will weigh whether the judge improperly relied on the AI video when handing down the sentence. Pelkey's sister, Stacey Wales, raised the idea of her brother speaking for himself. For years, while the case worked its way through the legal system, Wales said she thought about what she would say at the sentencing hearing. She struggled to get words down on paper. But when she thought about what her brother would say to the shooter, knowing he would have forgiven him, the words poured out of her. Stacey Wales, sister of the late Christopher Pelkey, displays her brother's image at her mother's home, Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in Chandler, Ariz. Matt York / AP "We approached this with ethics and morals because this is a powerful tool," she told the BBC. "Just like a hammer can be used to break a window or rip down a wall, it can also be used as a tool to build a house and that's how we used this technology." Pelkey was born in Poughkeepsie, New York, and later lived in Arizona, according to his obituary. He was a veteran who served three tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was actively involved in his local church and went on local and international mission trips, the obituary said. AI in the courtroom In Arizona, victims can give their impact statements in any digital format, said victims' rights attorney Jessica Gattuso, who represented the family. Arizona Supreme Court Chief Justice Ann Timmer didn't address the road rage case specifically in an interview Wednesday. But she said the rise in popularity and accessibility to AI in recent years led to the creation of a committee to research best practices in the courts. Gary Marchant, a member of the committee and a law professor at Arizona State University, said he understands why Pelkey's family did it. But he warned the use of this technology could open the door to more people trying to introduce AI-generated evidence into courtrooms. "There's a real concern among the judiciary and among lawyers that deepfake evidence will be increasingly used," he said. "It's easy to create it and anyone can do it on a phone, and it could be incredibly influential because judges and juries, just like all of us, are used to believing what you see." Marchant pointed to a recent case in New York, where a man without a lawyer used an AI-generated avatar to argue his case in a lawsuit via video. It took only seconds for the judges to realize that the man addressing them from the video screen didn't exist at all.
The Independent
08-05-2025
- The Independent
He was killed in a road rage shooting. AI allowed him to deliver his own victim impact statement
There were dozens of statements submitted to the court by family and friends of Christopher Pelkey when it came time to sentence the man convicted of shooting him during a road rage incident. They provided glimpses of Pelkey's humor, his character and his military service. But there was nothing quite like hearing from the victim himself — in this case, an AI-generated version. In what's believed to be a first in U.S. courts, Pelkey's family used artificial intelligence to create a video using his likeness to give him a voice. The AI rendering of Pelkey told the shooter during the sentencing hearing last week that it was a shame they had to meet that day in 2021 under those circumstances — and that the two of them probably could have been friends in another life. 'I believe in forgiveness and in God who forgives. I always have and I still do,' Pelkey's avatar told Gabriel Paul Horcasitas. The AI version of Pelkey went on to share advice for people to make the most of each day and to love each other, not knowing how much time one might have left. While use of artificial intelligence within the court system is expanding, it's typically been reserved for administrative tasks, legal research, case preparation. In Arizona, it's helped inform the public of rulings in significant cases. Using AI to generate victim impact statements marks a new — and legal, at least in Arizona — tool for sharing information with the court outside the evidentiary phases. Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Todd Lang, who presided over the road rage case, said after watching the video that he imagined Pelkey, who was 37 at the time of his killing, would have felt that way after learning about him. Lang also noted the video said something about Pelkey's family, who had expressed their anger over his death and had asked for Horcasitas to receive the maximum sentence. Horcasitas was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 10.5 imprisonment. 'Even though that's what you wanted, you allowed Chris to speak from his heart as you saw it," Lang said. The Associated Press left phone and emailed messages Wednesday seeking comment from Horcasitas' lawyer. Pelkey's sister, Stacey Wales, raised the idea of her brother speaking for himself. For years, while the case worked its way through the legal system, Wales said she thought about what she would say at the sentencing hearing. She struggled to get words down on paper. But when she thought about what her brother would say to the shooter, knowing he would have forgiven him, the words poured out of her. In Arizona, victims can give their impact statements in any digital format, said victims' rights attorney Jessica Gattuso, who represented the family. Arizona Supreme Court Justice Ann Timmer didn't address the road rage case specifically in an interview Wednesday. But she said the rise in popularity and accessibility to AI in recent years led to the formation of a committee to research best practices in the courts. Gary Marchant, a member of the committee and a law professor at Arizona State University, said he understands why Pelkey's family did it. But he warned the use of this technology could open the door to more people trying to introduce AI-generated evidence into courtrooms. 'There's a real concern among the judiciary and among lawyers that deepfake evidence will be increasingly used,' he said. 'It's easy to create it and anyone can do it on a phone, and it could be incredibly influential because judges and juries, just like all of us, are used to believing what you see.' Marchant pointed to a recent case in New York, where a man without a lawyer used an AI-generated avatar to argue his case in a lawsuit via video. It took only seconds for the judges on the appeals court to realize that the man addressing them from the video screen didn't exist at all. In the Arizona case, Wales said the AI-generated video worked because the judge had nearly 50 letters from family and friends that echoed the video's message. 'There was a solid gold thread through all of those stories — that was the heart of Chris,' Wales said. 'This works because it talks about the kind of person Chris was.' ___ Yamat reported from Las Vegas. Associated Press reporter Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque, New Mexico, contributed to this report.
