Man admits motiveless' killing of mobility scooter rider after leaving jail
The man pleaded guilty to manslaughter by diminished responsibility for a motiveless knife attack on an 87-year-old mobility scooter rider shortly after his release from prison. [ more ]
Migrants suicidal' at former RAF base housing hundreds of asylum seekers
A new report accuses the Home Office of using Wethersfield airfield as a large open-prison camp for asylum seekers.
The report reveals that asylum seekers at the camp are experiencing worsening mental health, including anxiety, depression, and suicidal ideation. [ more ]
Donald Trump, now a convicted felon, won't face accountability before the 2024 election. The legal system is addressing his wrongs and frauds, transitioning from civil to criminal justice. [ more ]
Texas's pardon of a man who killed a Black Lives Matter protester is chilling | Tayo Bero
The pardon and release of Daniel Perry, convicted killer of Garrett Foster, raises concerns about politically motivated killings and pandering to political pressure over protecting lives. [ more ]
Can Tough-on-crime Ballot Measure Deliver on Promises to Reduce Homelessness?
Proponents of the 'Homelessness, Drug Addiction, and Theft Reduction Act' aim to increase penalties for drug and theft crimes without addressing homelessness and lack funding for housing or treatment beds. [ more ]
Judge vacates Brooklyn man's conviction in 1995 East Flatbush botched robbery case: DA * Brooklyn Paper
A man in Brooklyn had his wrongful 1995 homicide conviction vacated after 23 years in prison due to mistaken identity and problematic identifications. [ more ]
Judge vacates conviction of man whose identity was stolen in 'Kafkaesque' case
A man's wrongful conviction was vacated after his real identity thief pleaded guilty, showcasing a Kafkaesque situation in the criminal justice system. [ more ]
Opinion: Weinstein conviction reversal will create a chilling effect
The recent decision by New York's highest court to reverse Harvey Weinstein's conviction has a chilling effect on justice for sexual assault survivors. [ more ]
BK Man Sent To Prison, Had Arsenal of Ghost Guns In Apartment: DA
Ghost guns pose a serious threat to public safety, and law enforcement is actively pursuing those who manufacture and possess these untraceable firearms. [ more ]
Opinion: Train California judges better to offer equal justice for women and minorities
A bill on equal justice for women and minorities in California's courts aims to address gender and minority bias, creating a more just legal system. [ more ]
Man was 'executed' as he ate alone at California restaurant, officials say. 2 charged
Two men charged with murder and conspiracy after man is shot while dining alone at a California restaurant.
The shooting was premeditated and planned with one suspect executing the victim and the other providing support and attempting to destroy evidence. [ more ]
Josef Fritzl could never come to UK under visa rules, says home secretary
Josef Fritzl, notorious for imprisoning his daughter, expressed a desire to move to the UK upon release, but the UK Home Secretary declared he would not be allowed entry.
UK government guidelines dictate that individuals convicted of serious offenses like Fritzl would be denied entry into the country. [ more ]
Opinion: Why is California still paying for prisons it doesn't need?
Despite a decline in the incarcerated population and rising costs, Gov. Gavin Newsom has authorized billion-dollar raises for corrections officers and additional funding for prison buildings.
Efforts to address the issue, such as prison realignment and releasing thousands of inmates during the pandemic, have not solved the systemic problems and wasteful spending endemic to California prisons. [ more ]
Hochul called on to remove Bragg after soft-on-crime DA let migrant mob walk free despite caught-on-camera cop beating
New York Republican lawmakers are calling for the removal of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg after migrants accused of attacking NYPD officers were released without bail.
Critics claim Bragg has been lenient on criminals and selective in enforcing laws, putting the public's safety at risk. [ more ]
Brooklyn Defender Services outlines goals for 2024 legislative session
Brooklyn Defender Services and other public defender offices in New York City are pushing for legislative reforms targeting injustices within the criminal legal, family regulation, and immigration systems.
Advocacy efforts include the Youth Justice and Opportunities Act, the Family Miranda Rights Act, the End Predatory Court Fees Act, and the Treatment Not Jail Act. [ more ]
Post office owner says Horizon system used to frame him for wife's murder
Robin Garbutt, who is serving a life sentence for murdering his wife, claims that the faulty Horizon IT system used in the Post Office scandal was also used to frame him.
Garbutt says the evidence relied upon during his trial is faulty and that a man wearing a balaclava and holding a gun forced him to hand over £16,000, after which he found his wife dead.
The prosecution argued during the trial that Garbutt may have staged the robbery to cover up losses reported on the Horizon accounting system. [ more ]
A Troubling Trump Pardon and a Link to the Kushners
Jonathan Braun, who received a commutation from President Trump, returned to working as a predatory lender after being freed from prison.
The consequences of Braun's commutation raise questions about Trump's intervention in criminal justice decisions and his potential actions in a second term.
The New York Times investigation uncovered additional ramifications from Braun's commutation and revealed new details about his predatory lending activities. [ more ]
From prison to art gallery, former inmates take center stage
Installation view, No Justice Without Love (April 4 - June 30, 2023).Sebastian Bach/Ford Foundation Gallery When Sherrill Roland talks about his art, he's sure to mention steel, resin and Kool-Aid.These materials, easily accessible during his time in prison, still figure prominently in the art he creates now that he's free.
A Founding Member of This Church Was Enslaved by Its First Pastor
Good morning.It's Friday.We'll look at how a Manhattan church is reckoning with the discovery that one of its founding members was an enslaved woman.We'll also find out about a proposed change in the way restaurants dispose of trash.Image The artist Clayton Singleton's depiction of Betsey Jackson, a founding member of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church in Manhattan.Credit...Clayton Singleton; Photograph by Porter Binks The room where the trustees of the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church meet every month, on the fifth floor of the building on West 55th Street adjacent to the sanctuary, has always been called the boardroom.
The chatty daytime talk show The View might seem like an unlikely platform for Tim Scott, a senator from South Carolina and a presidential candidate, to get his footing with Republican primary voters, but he saw an opening on Monday and tried to make the most of it.Mr. Scott, the first Black Republican from the South elected to the Senate since Reconstruction, had asked for an audience on the show after a co-host, Joy Behar, said Mr. Scott doesn't get it when he denies the existence of systemic racism, which is why, she said, he is a Republican.
Impact of warmer seas on fish stocks leads to rise in pirate attacks
Dwindling fish stocks caused by the climate crisis are leading to an increase in pirate attacks, according to a new study looking at two piracy hotspots over the past two decades.Warmer seas have negatively affected fisheries in east Africa, one of the world's worst areas for piracy; while in the South China Sea, another hotspot for attacks, it has had the opposite effect: fish populations have risen.
Banko Brown: Supes unanimously call on DA to release shooting video
Tonight's five-and-a half-hour Board of Supervisors meeting ended in a unanimous vote in favor of Board President Aaron Peskin's resolution urging the District Attorney's office to release video evidence of Banko Brown's April 27 killing by a Walgreens security guard.This evidence has thus far been withheld by District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, citing Administrative Code 7923.600, which states that disclosure of investigations and information is "not required."