New York prosecutors have dropped the remaining rape charge against Harvey Weinstein after his accuser, Jessica Mann, said she did not want to testify in a fourth trial. Weinstein remains convicted in New York and California and prosecutors are seeking a 20-year sentence in the New York case.
Posts tagged as “Alvin Bragg”
The Supreme Court reinstated Pedro Hernandez’s 2017 murder conviction in the 1979 disappearance of 6-year-old Etan Patz. The 6-3 ruling reversed a federal appeals court decision that had thrown out the verdict over a jury instruction issue.
A judge ruled that a gun and notebook can be used as evidence in Luigi Mangione's state murder trial for the killing of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson, while suppressing other items found in his backpack. The trial has been postponed to September.
Ryan Hemphill, a 43-year-old private equity executive, has been indicted on 116 counts, including predatory sexual assault and rape, by the Manhattan District Attorney's office. The charges involve accusations of severe sexual violence against six women over five months, with prosecutors describing his New York City apartment as a "torture chamber" where he allegedly used methods like waterboarding and a cattle prod, while also recording the assaults. Hemphill, who has pleaded not guilty and remains in custody, is accused of threatening his victims to ensure their silence, and the District Attorney's office suggests there may be additional survivors yet to come forward.
In a recent directive, President Donald Trump has revoked the security clearances of several prominent political figures, including former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Kamala Harris, citing national interest concerns. This decision extends to former officials like Antony Blinken and Adam Kinzinger, as well as New York Attorney General Letitia James and Manhattan Attorney General Alvin Bragg. The move follows a prior announcement revoking former President Joe Biden's clearance and signifies a broader reassessment of access to classified information, though the criteria for these decisions remain unspecified.
Former President Donald Trump was called to testify in a Manhattan courtroom Wednesday in a $250 million fraud case, and was fined $10,000 for violating a gag order. Michael Cohen, Trump's former lawyer, finished his contentious testimony in the afternoon, and Trump's attorney Alina Habba was objected to by a lawyer with the New York attorney general's office. After the court day ended, Trump returned to the courtroom and was seen giving a thumbs-up to Cohen, and the case is ongoing with no comment yet from Trump's attorney.
Congressman Clyde has announced his intention to introduce two amendments to the 2024 Commerce-Justice-Science appropriation bill that would prohibit federal funds from being used to prosecute major presidential candidates prior to the 2024 election. The amendments, if passed, would not affect any existing indictments against President Trump. The bill is currently being considered by the House Appropriations Committee, of which Congressman Clyde is a member, and the Justice Department has released a memo stating that criminal litigation would continue without interruption during a government shutdown. It is unclear at this time whether the amendments will be approved by Congress.
Donald Trump's rhetoric has been intensifying as he faces multiple criminal trials and the 2024 presidential election, according to conservative commentator Charlie Sykes. Recently, the FBI was tipped off to threats made by Craig Robertson against Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg by Truth Social, a social media company owned by Trump. Sykes believes that Trump is ramping up his rhetoric at a time when calmer heads should prevail, and the consequences of his inflammatory rhetoric remain to be seen.