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☆ Georgia Grand Jury’s Probe of Donald Trump Nears End
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-17 | by ( Jan Wolfe | Cameron Mcwhirter | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

ATLANTA—A criminal investigation into former President Donald Trump‘s efforts to overturn his election defeat in Georgia has produced a flurry of activity in the last month, with several high-profile witnesses appearing before a special grand jury that is now nearing its end, according to a person familiar with the matter. While the panel in Atlanta can’t issue indictments, the 23 citizens sitting on it are expected to write a report on their findings, which could include recommendations that indictments be brought. That process could extend into next year, the person said.

☆ First openly transgender woman set to be executed in the U.S. asks for mercy
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-15 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

— The first openly transgender woman set to be executed in the U.S. is asking Missouri’s governor for mercy, citing mental health issues. There is no known case of an openly transgender inmate being executed in the U.S. before, according to the anti-execution Death Penalty Information Center. McLaughlin’s lawyers also listed the jury’s indecision and McLaughlin’s remorse as reasons Parson should spare her life. Missouri has only executed one woman before, state Corrections Department spokeswoman Karen Pojmann said in an email. McLaughlin’s lawyers said she previously was rooming with another transgender woman but now is living in isolation leading up to her scheduled execution date.

☆ Oath Keepers: Second seditious conspiracy trial against Oath Keepers begins with opening statements
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-12 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

The Justice Department prosecuted the first Oath Keepers seditious conspiracy case earlier this fall with mixed success – two leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes, were convicted of the charge while three others were acquitted. That adjustment was on full display Monday, as prosecutor Troy Edwards delivered his opening argument to the jury. Prosecutors struggled at times during the first trial to explain whether Rhodes directly ordered his militia to enter the Capitol building. Rhodes told them it was now time to take their place in history,” Edwards said. When the Oath Keepers heard that the Capitol had been breached, Edwards said they hustled toward the chaos.

Brittney Griner’s release from a Russian penal colony Thursday as part of a prisoner swap for Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout was met with widespread celebration. Griner was sentenced to nine years in prison after vape canisters and cannabis oil were discovered in her luggage at the airport. “I wonder if she will respect our flag and country now,” self-proclaimed Trump supporter Collin Rugg wrote in a tweet liked 21,000 times. Such outdated definitions of patriotism disgrace the national anthem and the flag more than any peaceful protest ever could. She is a Black LGBTQ American, a wife, a daughter, an advocate, an Olympian and a world-class basketball star.

☆ Israeli ambassador to India apologises after filmmaker's remarks spark uproar
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-29 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

MUMBAI, Nov 29 (Reuters) - An Israeli filmmaker's criticism of a film depicting the exodus of India's majority Hindu population from the disputed region of Kashmir has sparked an uproar in India and prompted an apology from the Israeli ambassador. "Calling it 'ugly' and 'propaganda' is uncalled for and beyond any film Jury’s mandate. Naor Gilon, Israel's ambassador to India, Sri Lanka and Bhutan, apologised on Twitter. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has praised the film, which focuses on the violent upheaval of 1989-90 in Kashmir. But some critics said the film may fan anti-Muslim sentiment in a country they fear is being polarised along religious lines.

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Tuesday testified before a Georgia grand jury investigating possible interference in the 2020 presidential election. Graham's office said in a statement he testified for just over two hours and answered the grand jury's questions. “Out of respect for the grand jury process he will not comment on the substance of the questions.”The Supreme Court earlier this month rejected Graham's request to quash a subpoena from the grand jury in the Georgia probe. Willis' office is probing a pair of post-election phone calls Graham made to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff. Graham denied having made such a suggestion, saying he was trying to understand the state’s process for verifying ballot signatures.

☆ 19-year-old asks court to let her watch father’s execution
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +4 min

ST. LOUIS — A 19-year-old woman is asking a federal court to allow her to watch her father’s death by injection, despite a Missouri law barring anyone under 21 from witnessing an execution. Kevin Johnson faces execution Nov. 29 for killing Kirkwood, Missouri, Police Officer William McEntee in 2005. Meanwhile, Johnson has requested that his daughter, Khorry Ramey, attend the execution, and she wants to be there. The ACLU’s court filing said the law barring under 21s serves no safety purpose and violates Ramey’s Constitutional rights. In a court filing last week to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Missouri Attorney General’s Office stated there were no grounds for court intervention.

☆ Reality TV star Todd Chrisley sentenced to 12 years, wife Julie Chrisley gets 7 for bank fraud and tax evasion
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-22 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Dianadasrath-Headshot.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Reality television couple Todd and Julie Chrisley were sentenced Monday to years in prison, five months after they were found guilty of federal fraud charges and hiding their wealth from tax authorities. Todd Chrisley was sentenced to 12 years, and Julie Chrisley was sentenced to seven, according to the U.S. attorney's office. The couple, known for their USA Network series “Chrisley Knows Best,” were found guilty in June of fraud, tax evasion, and conspiracy to defraud the United States by a federal jury in Atlanta. Their accountant was also found guilty of tax fraud for filing false corporate tax returns on their behalf, and Julie Chrisley was further found guilty of wire fraud and obstruction of justice. Meanwhile, Julie Chrisley’s lawyers claimed she had a minimal role in the conspiracy and asked she receive a sentence of probation, restitution and community service, the Associated Press reported.

Briana Sanchez/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoDALLAS, Nov 22 (Reuters) - Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones on Tuesday failed in his bid to slash a nearly $50 million defamation verdict against him over his false claims that the 2012 Sandy Hook mass shooting was a hoax. The judge in that case tacked on an additional $473 million in punitive damages for Jones’ “cruel” conduct earlier this month. Evidence in both cases showed that bogus Sandy Hook claims turbocharged traffic to Infowars and drove sales of its products, including supplements and doomsday supplies. The Sandy Hook families have intervened in the case, alleging Jones is using the proceedings to shield his assets and avoid paying. Another defamation lawsuit against Jones brought by Sandy Hook parents is set to go to trial in Austin, Texas, in March.

☆ Alabama calls off execution of man convicted in murder-for-hire after problem with IV access
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-18 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

It is the second execution since September that the state has canceled because of difficulties with establishing an IV. Because the death warrant expired at midnight, the state must go back to court to seek a new execution date. Some three decades ago, a promise was made to Elizabeth’s family that justice would be served through a lawfully imposed death sentence. Smith was initially convicted in 1989, and a jury voted 10-2 to recommend a death sentence, which a judge imposed. The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday denied Smith’s request to review the constitutionality of his death sentence on those grounds.

☆ National feminist organizations break their silence on Amber Heard in an open letter of support
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Kat Tenbarge | Https | Media-Cldnry.S-Nbcnews.Com Image Upload Newscms Kahlan-Rosenblatt.Jpg | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +6 min

It was written by a group of people who identify as domestic violence survivors and supporters of Heard. Many who did speak out in support of Heard, including the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, were met with ferocious backlash from Depp’s supporters online. Others who signed the letter echoed their concerns that reaction to the trial on social media was harmful to everyday victims of domestic violence. Since the trial, there has been more public support for Heard on social media, the spokesperson for the group behind the letter said. She and other anonymous Heard supporters had been “working to combat disinformation for months” when they joined for the open letter initiative.

☆ Michael Flynn ordered to testify in Trump election interference probe
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-16 | by ( Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +5 min

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who’s overseeing the special grand jury, has said that the special grand jury’s investigation is a criminal proceeding. Cassidy Hutchinson, who served as an aide to Meadows, is expected to appear before the special grand jury Wednesday. Wood told The Associated Press that he testified before the special grand jury last week. The special grand jury operates in secret with witness testimony closed to the public. Special grand juries in Georgia are generally used to investigate complex cases with many witnesses.

☆ Ex-NYPD officer guilty of murder in freezing death of 8-year-old son
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-06 | by ( The Associated Press | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

Michael Valva was found guilty of four counts of child endangerment and faces a maximum potential sentence of 25 years to life. Thomas Valva died in January 2020, the day after sleeping in the garage in the family’s Long Island home in temperatures that dropped under 20 degrees. A medical examiner ruled the boy’s death a homicide and found that hypothermia was a major contributing factor. According to prosecutors, the boys spent 16 consecutive hours in the freezing garage leading up to the 8-year-old’s death, Newsday reported. The child endangerment counts stemmed from the beating and starving of both boys.

☆ Parkland school shooter expected to get life in prison without parole after emotional victims’ statements
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-02 | by ( Antonio Planas | Antonio Planas Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

Following dramatic statements from victims and victims' families, a Florida judge is expected to formally sentence Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz to life in prison without parole Wednesday for the 2018 campus massacre that killed 14 students and three staff members. Amy Beth Bennett / Pool/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP fileProsecutors had sought the death penalty, while the defense had asked for life in prison. The jury’s decision on Oct. 13 shook family members of victims who were visibly distraught by the verdict. On Tuesday, survivors of the shooting and victims’ loved ones had the chance to deliver impact statements before the sentence was formally announced. “Whatever pain you experience in prison will unfortunately be a fraction of what Ben endured,” his father, Eric Wikander, said.

☆ Parkland school shooter faces victims in court in sentencing hearing
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Marlene Lenthang | Marlene Lenthang Is A Breaking News Reporter For Nbc News Digital. | ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +3 min

The sentencing of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz began Tuesday with victims and family members sharing their heartbreak before him in court. With so many who wish to be heard, the actual sentencing is expected to take place Wednesday, according to the Broward State Attorney’s Office. Stacey Lippel, a teacher at Parkland who was shot and survived, told Cruz: “You don’t know me but you tried to kill me." “Whatever pain you experience in prison will unfortunately be a fraction of what Ben endured,” his father, Eric Wikander, said. The jury’s recommendation of life in prison last month, was met with tears and outrage by family members of the victims, with many saying the shooter deserved the death penalty.

☆ Inside a Jury’s Five-Hour Journey to Convict Nikola’s Trevor Milton
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-27 | by ( Corinne Ramey | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +1 min

Nikola founder Trevor Milton, shown at a New York courthouse last month, was convicted of securities fraud for what prosecutors said were his lies about the company’s technology. A jury’s journey to convictNikola Corp. founder Trevor Milton of defrauding investors involved negotiations with initial holdout jurors and tense debates about whether the former electric-truck executive acted with criminal intent, producing an unusual mixed verdict. Three women, known during the trial as Jurors 1, 5 and 6, described to The Wall Street Journal how a federal jury in New York over five hours came to find Mr. Milton guilty of two wire-fraud charges and one count of securities fraud—but not guilty of another securities-fraud charge that carried the stiffest maximum sentence. The verdict, delivered Oct. 14, puzzled some court watchers because the two securities-fraud charges involved the same alleged conduct by Mr. Milton and required jurors to make nearly identical findings to convict.

A South Carolina judge ruled Wednesday that former Trump White House chief of staff Mark Meadows must testify before a special grand jury in Georgia investigating possible interference in the 2020 presidential election. Meadows, who lives in South Carolina, has tried to avoid testifying before the grand jury probe into possible election interference by then-President Donald Trump and his allies. A spokesperson for Willis said Meadows won’t appear before the grand jury until sometime after the midterm elections next month, as the investigation is in a “quiet period” around then. A federal appeals court ruled last week that Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., also must testify before the Fulton County grand jury. Trump's former White House counsel Pat Cipollone and former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani have also testified before the grand jury.

☆ $228 Million Privacy Ruling Against Rail Giant Is ‘Wake-Up Call’ for Third-Party Risk
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-21 | by ( David Uberti | ) www.wsj.com time to read: +4 min

Companies have paid out eye-popping sums in recent years to settle claims they violated Illinois’s biometric privacy law. Last week, a historic legal judgment against BNSF Railway Co. highlighted that data lapses by third-party contractors also don’t come cheap. A jury’s award of $228 million to truck drivers whose fingerprints were scanned without proper consent signaled that businesses can’t blame data violations on vendors, privacy lawyers say. Illinois’s Biometric Information Privacy Act provides little distinction between companies and contractors that process data on their behalf, upping the ante for firms as they vet potential vendors’ data practices and structure contracts. There is no comprehensive federal privacy law.

The jury in Kevin Spacey's sexual abuse trial found that the Oscar-winning actor is not liable for battery against “Star Trek: Discovery star” Anthony Rapp. Rapp alleged that Spacey climbed on top of him at a party in New York City in 1986, when Rapp was 14 and Spacey was 26. “I didn’t ask for him to do that,” he told jurors, referring to Spacey’s alleged sexual advance. Rapp alleged that sometime after that evening, Spacey invited him to a party at his apartment. Rapp testified that he did not recognize anyone at the party, so he went into a bedroom to watch television.

☆ Tesla seeks full retrial in factory worker’s race bias lawsuit
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-18 | by ( ) www.nbcnews.com time to read: +2 min

The damages trial is scheduled for March. Lawyers for Tesla and Diaz did not immediately respond to requests for comment on Monday. Tesla on Friday said the issues of liability and damages are “inextricably interwoven,” and Diaz must start from scratch with a full retrial. Tesla is facing a series of lawsuits involving alleged widespread race discrimination and sexual harassment at the Fremont factory, including one by a California civil rights agency. The company last month counter-sued the agency, claiming it filed the lawsuit without following the procedures required by state law.

WASHINGTON, Oct 18 (Reuters) - A Russian researcher who contributed explosive details to the "Steele dossier" that alleged ties between former President Donald Trump's campaign and Russia was acquitted on Tuesday on charges he lied to the FBI about the sources of his intelligence. "While we are disappointed in the outcome, we respect the jury’s decision and thank them for their service," Durham said in a statement. The decision marks the second defeat for Durham and his team of prosecutors. Earlier this year, a jury in Washington, D.C., acquitted Michael Sussmann, an attorney for Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign, of charges he lied to the FBI when he passed along a later discredited tip about possible communications between Trump's business and a Russian bank. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Scott Malone and Tim AhmannOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Alex Jones faces long odds hiding assets after $1 billion Sandy Hook verdict
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-14 | by ( Jack Queen | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

It also comes three months after a Texas jury awarded two Sandy Hook parents $49.3 million in a similar case. An economist in the Texas case estimated that Jones is personally worth between $135 million and $270 million. “No bankruptcy judge would allow Alex Jones and his dad to stand in line in front of the plaintiffs,” Myers said. 'EGREGIOUS' CONDUCTInfowars founder Alex Jones speaks to the media after appearing at his Sandy Hook defamation trial at Connecticut Superior Court in Waterbury, Connecticut, U.S., October 4, 2022. D’Amico said a billion-dollar verdict is appropriate given the uniquely tragic circumstances of the case and egregious nature of Jones’ conduct.

A jury reached its decision Thursday in the penalty trial of Nikolas Cruz, who gunned down 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, in 2018. The trial was to decide whether to sentence him to life in prison or the death penalty. The decision by the 12-person jury was determined about three months after opening statements began July 18 and after the jury received deliberation instructions Wednesday. The jury has to reach a unanimous decision for the death sentence. The gunman, then 19, had stormed the high school on Valentine’s Day wielding an AR-15-style rifle and releasing a spray of bullets.

☆ Alex Jones’ conspiracy empire hangs in the balance after jury’s nearly $1 billion award to Sandy Hook families
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-13 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN Business —Judgment Day arrived on Wednesday for Alex Jones — and he said that it felt like he landed in Hell. “This must be what Hell’s like,” the notorious right-wing conspiracy theorist said on an Infowars livestream as a Connecticut jury awarded plaintiffs a staggering nearly $1 billion in damages. The families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School victims actually know what Hell feels like. Jones put them there with his heinous conspiracy theories and lies about the 2012 shooting, which he repeated again and again over the years, ignoring pleas to stop. And it is, unfortunately, more popular than ever, with right-wing media stars and top Republican politicians emulating Jones’ modus operandi.

☆ Alex Jones: Jury decides conspiracy theorist should pay nearly $1 billion in damages to Sandy Hook families for his lies about the school massacre
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Oliver Darcy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Plaintiffs in the trial included family members of eight school students and employees, in addition to one FBI agent who responded to the scene. He was streaming live when the jury’s decision was read in court, mocked the decision on his Infowars show and used it to fundraise. The figure, he said, would represent the more than 550 million online impressions Jones’ Sandy Hook lie allegedly received online. The decision in Connecticut comes two months after a separate jury in Texas determined that Jones and his company should award two Sandy Hook parents who sued in that state nearly $50 million. While Jones initially lied about the 2012 shooting, he later acknowledged that the massacre had occurred as he faced multiple lawsuits.

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