The House Oversight Committee is set to vote Thursday on whether to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt of Congress for failing to turn over a document subpoenaed by Chair James Comer. The document, an FD-1023 form, was brought back from Ukraine by Rudy Giuliani and is related to an alleged bribery scheme involving then-Vice President Joe Biden. Attorney General William Barr set up an “intake process” for the material in April.
Posts published in “Crime”
Prince Harry has made history by becoming the first high-ranking member of the British royal family to appear as a witness in court in 130 years. He is accusing the publishers of Britain's Daily Mirror tabloid newspaper of obtaining information about him and his late mother, Diana, the Princess of Wales, illegally through phone hacking and other unlawful methods. In his testimony, Prince Harry spoke of the pain and suffering his mother endured at the hands of the British press, calling the actions of some British tabloids "utterly vile".
Cuba Gooding Jr. has settled accusations of rape against him just before his trial was set to begin, with both sides claiming victory. The terms of the settlement were not disclosed, but the accuser's attorney said her client had achieved a measure of justice, while Gooding's attorney said the actor was pleased to have the matter behind him and maintained his innocence.
Joran van der Sloot, the main suspect in the unsolved 2005 disappearance of American student Natalee Holloway, will not be extradited to the United States as planned on Thursday due to a court action filed by his lawyer, Máximo Altez. Altez has called the extradition an “abuse of authority” that violates his client’s rights, and van der Sloot has reversed course following a meeting with Dutch diplomats. The court action has yet to be heard, and it is unclear when a decision will be made.
Rep. George Santos' lawyer, Joseph Murray, has urged a judge to deny a request by news outlets to unseal the names of the bond suretors who co-signed the $500,000 bond for Santos' pretrial release. Murray argued that revealing the suretors' identities would put them in a position to suffer great distress, lose their jobs, and even physical injury. The news outlets argue that the public has a right to know who is financially backing Santos' release, but Murray believes the potential consequences outweigh this right. The judge has yet to make a decision on the matter, as Santos is currently facing charges of bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy.
The Atlanta City Council approved a $90 million, 85-acre police and firefighter training center, dubbed "Cop City" by opponents, despite 14 hours of public testimony against the project. Mayor Andre Dickens praised the decision, citing the potential for job creation and public safety benefits, while activists have vowed to continue their fight against the project.
The Florida Judicial Qualifications Commission has ruled that Circuit Judge Elizabeth Scherer should be publicly reprimanded for her conduct during the penalty trial of Parkland school shooter Nikolas Cruz. The commission found that Judge Scherer showed bias toward the prosecution, failed to maintain order in the courtroom, and allowed her emotions to overcome her judgement. The report will now be sent to the Florida Supreme Court, which will decide whether to accept the commission's recommendation.
Michael Tisius, 42, is set to be executed Tuesday evening in Missouri for the murder of two jailers 23 years ago. Organizations such as the American Bar Association, the NAACP, the European Union, and the Vatican have urged Gov. Mike Parson to grant clemency, but he has refused. Some of the jurors who sentenced Tisius to death now say they would back or wouldn't object to a commutation to life in prison. This will be the first execution in Missouri since 2017 and the first in the United States since the coronavirus pandemic began.