#blame the defence attorney

[winepresswrath]

the thing about saltburn is that i'm still recovering from how much i hated promising young woman. usually i don't get this mad at a movie but i've searched my feelings and the rage is still lurking beneath the surface.

[bullet-prooflove]

The General!Series - Part Four: Moving On: Beau 'Cyclone' Simpson x Reader

A little get well soon gift for my girl @dizzybee03

Tagging: @kmc1989 @justameresimp @agentorange9595 @lxaah11 @librarian1002 

Broken Buttons (feat: Harmon Rabb)- Beau discovers the real reason you broke things off with him.

Messy - Companion piece to Broken Buttons - Beau discovers the truth about what happened that night.

Choices - Companion piece to Broken Buttons and Messy - Beau and you discuss your choices moving forward.

Sitting in court is excruciating but Beau endures it, he endures it because no matter how fucking horrified and nauseated he is, you must feel it tenfold. He can’t imagine what it must be like to sit in front of a room of your peers and describe what that man did to you, to have your story questioned and torn apart, to have someone tell you to your face that you were asking for it. They try to paint you as unstable, the kind of woman who intended to sleep her way up the ladder, whose now crying wolf because she was rebuked.

He almost punches the prosecution attorney in the mouth for the shit he says to you. It’s only Mic Brumby’s iron clad grip on his arm that stops him from launching himself across the table and strangling the man.

It’s the physical evidence that’s the worst.

You had the competency to go to the hospital afterwards, you’d been bleeding, scared when the doctor had seen you. You’ve worked with enough women through your time in Victim Support Services to know the procedures, you needed the morning after pill, medication to counteract anything that son of a bitch might have given you.

The hospital had logged you under an anonymous patient I.D. It’s something they do for victims of sexual assault when they collect evidence, when they’re not ready to file a police report.

It sickens Beau to hear the injuries you’d sustained, he hadn’t realised how violent it was, not until then.

You’re found not guilty of the offense. The jury of your peers accepts that you acted in self-defence when you broke the General’s nose, that you were too traumatised to attend work in the aftermath.

Your case, it opens doors for other women it’s happened to because you weren’t the first woman he did it to, you weren’t even the last. He’s arrested during a charity function for victims of sexual assault and the fucking irony of that astounds Beau.

You spend an hour in the shower after you give your testimony, before you fall asleep on the couch with your head in Beau’s lap. He spends the whole night, his fingers running soothingly through your hair as he begins to plan the next steps.

You’ve told him you can’t stay in Washington, that Admiral Chegwidden has granted you a transfer back to San Diego. There’s too much trauma attached to this place.

He spends the next couple of days helping you pack up your things. You throw away more away than you keep because you don’t want the bad memories following you. Harmon Rabb and Mic Brumby turn up on moving day to help carry the boxes down to the truck. Besides him, they’re the only two people who’s touch you don’t flinch away from these days.

“Thank you.” Beau tells Harm when the two of them are alone in the apartment, grabbing the final few boxes. “For bringing me here, for fighting for her.”

“Don’t thank me.” Harm says, his voice gruff as he crosses his arms over his chest and stares out of the window. “It happened on my watch. I  was there that night, I should have stuck around but me and Mac were going through some shit…”

Harm shakes his head, his jaw clenching.

“It never should have happened.”

Beau sighs, shifting the box he’s carrying to his other hip.

“Ally doesn’t blame you and neither do I.” Beau tells the other man. “If it wasn’t that night, it would have been another. You heard the testimony, once he had her in his sights…”

It was the same with all the others, that son of bitch had enjoyed the chase, it made catching his prey all the more sweeter. He treated every single one of those women like a trophy, something to be hunted down, caught.

“I need you to promise that you’ll check in every once in a while, tell me how she’s doing.” Harmon says, his palm rubbing over the back of his neck.

“I will.” Beau tells Harm as he picks up the remaining box and heads towards the apartment door. “Ally may need a little time but I’ll make sure to keep in touch.”

“She’s going to get through this.” Harm reassures him as they step out into the hallway, he waits as Beau closes the door behind him, locking it up for the final time. “It’ll take some time but she has it in her.”

“I know.” Beau says as he slips the key into the mailbox for the landlord to pick up. “If anyone can make it through something like this, it's her.”

Love Beau? Don’t miss any of his stories by joining the taglist here.

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Like My Work? - Why Not Buy Me A Coffee

[raceweek]

trying to keep up with which of alexs agendas im supposed to be peddling when a few months ago he was crashed into and ramble campaigned for stricter penalties for weeks and then today he gets shoved into a wall and the guy doing it gets a harsher penalty like he wanted but then alex becomes his defence attorney and blames the circuit design and says it was a racing incident

[ukrfeminism]

Rape trials will be “delayed for years” because two thirds of barristers who are accredited to prosecute sexual offences are considering quitting. 

Survey results published on Monday revealed that 64 per cent of barristers who prosecute rape and sexual offence cases do not intend to reapply to be ­accredited by the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) amid growing complaints over pay.

The prospect of a profound collapse in the number of available prosecutors prompted the head of the Criminal Bar Association to tell ministers that “doing nothing to increase … fees is not an ­option unless we want to accept that rape and serious sexual offence trials will continue to be delayed for years, ­repeatedly postponed on the day because there is no barrister to prosecute or defend”. Tana Adkin KC added that “the human cost for victims of these crimes as well as innocent defendants is beyond financial measure”.

Of the 64 per cent who told the survey, which was commissioned by the association, that they would not reapply, 62 per cent pointed to poor pay and 50 per cent cited personal “wellbeing”. Some 78 per cent of barristers with less than five years’ experience said that they would not consider working on rape and sexual offence cases.

The survey results will heap pressure on the Ministry of Justice and the attorney-general’s office, which oversees the CPS.

Fears have been rising over the effect of court delays. Evidence emerged last year that hundreds of rape and sexual assault trials were collapsing every year as alleged victims dropped out of prosecutions. Data obtained from the Ministry of Justice revealed that more than 1,600 cases had collapsed over the previous five years in England and Wales after complaints were withdrawn ­despite charges having been made.

Legal experts say that the backlog of cases — which stands at a record high of about 65,000 — is prompting alleged victims to quit prosecutions because many find waiting up to three years for a case to come to trial to be too stressful.

To be eligible to receive rape and sexual offence prosecution instructions, barristers must be on the specialist advocate panel, which means that they have received CPS training on dealing with vulnerable witnesses. Training ­involves instruction in what the CPS says are myths and stereotypes around rape and sexual offences.

In 2022 criminal defence barristers settled strikes that had brought the crown courts to a halt after they accepted a 15 per cent rise in legal aid rates. Fees for prosecution barristers were not increased until a year ago, when they too were given a 15 per cent pay boost. And it is claimed that junior prosecution barristers are paid significantly less than their defence counterparts.

Association officials said that the average fee for defending in a five-day rape trial was £2,185 while the prosecution pay was about £300 less. They added that those prosecuting five-day fraud trials were paid about £380 more on average than barristers prosecuting rape cases. 

Harriet Wistrich, a solicitor and founder of the Centre for Women’s Justice, said that “the prosecution of sexual crime requires great expertise and knowledge, particularly given the traumatic nature of the crime and the need for understanding the complex laws and procedures surrounding such prosecutions that have developed to encourage victims to come forward and counter a victim-blaming culture”.

The Ministry of Justice said that the pay rise 18 months ago for defence barristers amounted on average to an annual boost of £7,000. It added that ministers had “also increased fees for those doing pre-recorded cross-examinations as part of our action to better support victims and see more rape cases reaching court, with an increase of over 50 per cent in adult rape prosecutions in the latest year”.

[massive-isopod]

okay now I've played Apollo Justice trilogy, I really don't get the "he has 100 backstories" jokes. He doesn't. Let's compare to the Phoenix Wright trilogy, shall we?

full spoilers for Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney Trilogy and Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney Trilogy ahead!!!

PW:AA: We learn a little of Phoenix's childhood, specifically what motivated him to become a defence lawyer. His mentor gets murdered. His best friend is tried for murder. AJ:AA: We learn a tiny fragment about Apollo. We only learn who his mother is, and that he is related to Trucy, he doesn't know any of this, and it's basically irrelevant, if not to explain why he has his perception ability. We learn nothing of his motivations for being a lawyer. His mentor gets imprisoned. PW:AA - JFA: His best friend is presumed dead like most of the game, and he is clearly grieving. Maya gets tried for murder. Maya gets kidnapped and it's traumatic for everyone. AJ:AA - DD: His best friend is murdered, he is grieving, although his character design looks dramatic, there is good reason for it. He is injured in a courtroom bombing. ※ I think the difference here is that we get to see Apollo effected, he is bandaged, he is making his own choices outside of what would be expected of the protagonist. We don't see Phoenix injured, his sprites don't change, but he's been plenty assaulted and stressed/grieving himself. I think if Apollo's sprite stayed the same people would react kinder to this.

PW:AA - T&T: Major backstory for Phoenix, his college days. He was almost murdered by his girlfriend, framed for murder, turns out his girlfriend is downright evil and has caused multiple murders. This past comes back to haunt him as he gets caught up in the plans of Dahlia to murder Maya, learning that he wasn't even dating who he thought he was?? Literally falls from a burning bridge trying to save Maya and is hospitalised. All the while some prosecutor he's never met is blaming him for his mentors death, which must hurt. AJ:AA - SOJ: Major backstory for Apollo, we learn he was taken in by Dhurke in Khura'in after his biological dad was murdered, being raised until he was 9 (?) with his foster brother Nahyuta, until he was sent to the US alone so he wasn't caught up in Dhurke's messy family situation. In the present Trucy is tried for murder. Dhurke visits and they almost die in a cave, they go back to Khura'in where Dhurke is tried for murder, is actually dead already. ※ What I think is important to see here are the similarities. Both Phoenix and Apollo are not the center force for these plots, the Fey family are, the Sahdmadhi's are. Phoenix and Apollo may have personal history with those involved, but what is playing out, honestly has nothing to do with them. I think the Sahdmadhi story feels a lot more crazy and convoluted because it is all told to us over one game (and mostly one incredibly long case), whereas the story of the Feys had been cast across its entire trilogy, with a lot of the intricacies learnt in the final game. I think where the Apollo Justice Trilogy trips up is the pacing of us learning information, not the information itself.

Phoenix experiences trauma in his past and present, Apollo experiences trauma in his past and present. They are formulaically similar.

Anyway that's my post. Take That!

[head-post]

Musk’s interview with Trump: All about EU, Ukraine, Biden and Harris

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk spoke with Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on social network X on Monday as part of the platform’s Spaces feature, where users host live streams.

The interview, scheduled for 8 p.m. US time and expected by hundreds of thousands of users around the world, ran into major overlaps and started 40 minutes late. Musk said X was subjected to a “massive DDOS attack,” which he said caused the broadcast to be delayed.

Musk did not mention his differences with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer over the UK riots and free speech, but did raise the issue of an open letter published by EU domestic boss Thierry Breton asking him not to spread misinformation during an interview with the former president.

Mr. Trump responded by saying the EU was “bad” at trading with the US and criticised NATO for not spending enough on defence. Mr. Trump said:

That’s probably why they notified you. They don’t treat our country very well.

Musk asked Mr Trump about his views on the EU’s attempts to censor and impose censorship even on Americans from other countries.

The Republican candidate did not answer the question directly, starting to speculate about the US trade deficit with the EU. He added that, “they (the EU) enjoy a huge advantage over the United States on trade” and “they (the EU) are not as tough as China, but they are bad.”

Trump also touched on EU aid to Ukraine and compared it to US spending. He said:

I say, why aren’t you going to equalize? Why aren’t they paying what we’re paying? Why is the United States paying disproportionately more to defend Europe than Europe? That doesn’t make sense. That’s unfair, and that is an appropriate thing to address.

During the two-hour conversation, the Tesla boss and the Republican presidential candidate declared their mutual admiration and echoed shared political views on immigration and the economy.

Trump took the opportunity to lash out at President Joe Biden and Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, whom he blamed for the rise in illegal immigration. He also said:

She is a San Francisco liberal who destroyed San Francisco, and then as attorney-general, she destroyed California.

“She’s going to be worse than him,” he added, referencing President Joe Biden, saying the country needed to prevent anything happening under “stupid people like Biden”.

At the start of his speech at a campaign rally, Trump spoke about the assassination attempt on him last month, promising to return to the town of Butler, Pennsylvania, where a bullet struck him in the ear. He said:

The doctors later told me that the ear is a very bloody place if it’s hit. If I hadn’t turned my head, I wouldn’t be talking to you right now – no matter how much I like you.

Mr. Trump boasted of his good relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, while Mr. Musk questioned whether Ms. Harris was tough enough to stand up to foreign leaders. He said:

There are some very tough personalities out there. And if they don’t think the American president is tough, they’re going to do what they want to do.

Earlier, Mr. Trump’s X account posted a series of tweets for the first time in almost a year.

The Harris campaign responded to the interview with a statement saying the following:

Donald Trump’s extremism and his dangerous “Project 2025” programme is a feature, not a glitch in his campaign, which was on full display for those who were unlucky enough to listen today during everything on Channel X. Trump’s entire campaign serves people like Elon Musk and himself – narcissistic rich people who will sell out the middle class and fail to deliver live in 2024.

Donald Trump said President Biden is “close to vegetable stage.” He noted during the interview:

I looked at him today on the beach, and I said, Why would anybody allow him? The guy could barely walk. Why would anybody allow him?

The call, which Mr. Musk described as a “conversation” rather than an interview, started late: people entering the online space were first greeted by music or silence rather than a conversation between the two men. Mr. Musk blamed the attack on X’s system for impeding access, writing, “Looks like X is under massive DDoS attack. Working on disabling it.”

He appeared to blame the Democrats for the attack on X. When one X user wrote: “Democrats are fighting to “save” democracy from two powerful disrupters!”, Mr. Musk replied, “Yes.”

A distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack is an attempt to disrupt a server or network by overwhelming it with a flood of Internet traffic.

Read more HERE

[101flavoursofweird]

Title: Starting Over

Description: Espella reunites with Carmine in London… Eve is also there.

Spoilers: For PLvsAA

Set: A month after PLvsAA

Warnings: Mentions of the Great Fire and Espella’s catatonic state following that, but not in much detail… Vague descriptions of a car crash (of course) and a broken leg.

Note: For Day 2 of @layton-npc-appreciation-week - I went with V.S Phoenix Wright. Not sure if Eve and Espella count as NPCs, but you don’t get more NPC than a character who appeared for like 2 minutes in the opening cutscene.

Carmine hadn’t seen Espella Cantabella since he’d crashed his car into the Riverside Park, one month ago.

In Carmine’s defence, they had been pursued by witches… or rather, what Carmine had perceived to be witches.

It had been nothing more than an illusion evoked by a mind-altering drug, according to Professor Layton.

The Professor had also revealed that Labyrinthia— the medieval city plagued by magic and witches— did not exist as Carmine remembered it.

All of it had been a facade— a story— constructed to help Espella live with the trauma of a devastating fire from over a decade ago.

The Legendary Fire that had consumed a town and the majority of its inhabitants… except for Espella, Arthur Cantabella, Newton Belduke and his daughter.

A young Espella, convinced she had destroyed the town after being possessed by the ‘Great Witch Bezella’, had entered a catatonic state.

It seemed nothing could break the spell that had fallen over Espella… but then, Arthur Cantabella had written her a story about the banished witches and the triumphant townsfolk. 

More stories had followed, until Labyrinthia came to be.

Carmine had stumbled into Espella’s story by mistake. He had been extremely lost and subsequently, stupefied by the events he’d witnessed in Labyrinthia.

At the best of times, Carmine was strapped for cash… How was a detective meant to survive in a medieval town when he couldn’t tell fact from fiction? The illogical court system had made his head spin!

He had wandered through the streets— penniless and hungry— until he’d bumped into a girl who took pity on him. 

She had brought him to a bakery and given him of a loaf bread for free…

The bakery owner— upon discovering this transgression— had decided Carmine would work at the shop to pay her back, and she would put a roof over his head in the meantime.

And so, Carmine had found himself living alongside Espella Cantabella, Patty Eclaire and Eve the Cat.

What had started as repaying a debt became Patty and Espella patiently teaching him how to bake (and forgiving Carmine’s many mishaps!), listening to the neighbours’ gossip, exploring the Great Archive with Espella, learning the history and the strange customs of Labyrinthia…

Hurrying home with Espella and avoiding the Order of Knights’ hard gaze…

Laughing with Espella and Patty during a flour-fight—

Getting interrupted by the intrusion of five knights, who accused Espella (kind, gentle Espella) of being the Great Witch…

Defending Espella while Patty warded them off with a rolling pin… 

After that, Patty had begged Carmine to take Espella and flee— far away from Labyrinthia. Carmine had agreed.

But he and Espella had been followed, and  knocked off the road.

(Curse his terrible luck and his last name…!)

Carmine had been injured, of course, but Espella could still run. He had urged her to go without him— to find Professor Layton and deliver his letter.

Much to his relief, Espella had obliged; she had left him to traverse a city she didn’t even know the name of.

Carmine didn’t blame Espella. Not for anything at all.

He’d wanted her to be safe and he knew Professor Layton would ensure that.

And the Professor had succeeded! He had solved the puzzle of Labyrinthia! (With some help from his assistants and an American defence attorney…)

Most importantly, he had helped shed light on Espella’s troubled past.

Espella was free now. Free to be herself. Free to process her trauma. Free to leave Labyrinthia, at long last…

She was meant to be visiting Carmine today, at the hospital. 

(He’d recovered from the injuries he had sustained during the car crash, but since then, he had broken his leg while trying to escape out of a window on the ward.)

Carmine glanced at the clock on the wall of his hospital room. Espella had said she would arrive at 3pm… but it was coming up to 4pm now.

He frowned. Where was Espella? Had she simply been delayed during her journey? 

Had the boat ride from Labyrinthia gone smoothly…?

Or had something happened to Espella when she reached London? 

Was she travelling alone? Could she have gotten lost? What if she had been waylaid by some lowlife in a dark alley?

Just as Carmine was envisioning every misfortune that could have befallen poor Espella, he heard two tentative knocks at the door.

“C-come in!” Carmine exclaimed as he leapt out of bed. His left leg, wrapped in a cast, crumpled under him as soon as he tried to stand. “Ahi—!”

He landed on the floor just as the door opened…

Espella was standing in the doorway. 

Her beaming smile faded when she realised Carmine had collapsed.

She let out a cry that sounded both ecstatic and concerned.

Carmine was nearly bowled over again as she caught him in a hug.

Somehow, with her arms locked around his neck, Carmine choked out a laugh. “You made it, then?”

Espella’s grip loosened. She looked at him and nodded. “Made it.”

He smiled. “I’m so glad!”

“There’s someone I want you to meet…”

Espella’s head turned towards the door, where Carmine noticed a figure waiting in the shadows. 

The figure glided into the room and Carmine recognised her.

“You—!” Carmine gasped. He pushed Espella behind him, but he kept glaring at the intruder— the one who had once posed as the ‘Great Witch’. The one who had caused Espella so much grief. “Stay back, you…!”

“Carmine— it’s alright!” Espella protested, gently moving him aside. “This is—“

“Are you— being influenced again, Espella?” Carmine peered at her. (She seemed lucid…)

There was a sigh from across the room. “Espella… Haven’t you explained everything to him?”

“I did, in my letter!” Espella insisted. She pointed from Carmine to the purple-haired woman. “Carmine, this is my friend, Eve—“

“Eve?” Carmine repeated. He glanced around. “Where is Eve?” Aiming another glower at the purple-haired woman, he demanded, “Have you done something to Eve?”

The woman rubbed her forehead with her hand and huffed, “I think you’re confused—“

“Eve the cat is fine and she’s back home,” Espella clarified. “Eve Belduke, my childhood friend, is here.”

Eve— the woman, Newton Belduke’s daughter— gave him a small wave.

“Ah…” Carmine cleared his throat. “I’m sorry— can we start over?”

“I believe I’m the one who owes you an apology,” Eve Belduke said solemnly. 

Espella gave her a reassuring smile. Carmine hummed.

Eve exhaled. “But yes, let’s start over…”

[greyhound-with-a-mega-wizard-hat]

You know what would be an interesting au?

If Mia had been the one poisoned by Dahlia.

I wonder how that would change things

I think that Diego would be a 1:1 replacement for her, and do as she does in the original and try to seek justice. He and Maya would become friends and look our for each other whilst they wait for Mia to wake up. Diego is then killed by Redd White, and the first game happens as normal, but Maya summons Diego to help Phoenix, not Mia.

I'm not sure when the canon is that Diego woke up, but I personally headcanoned it as happening shortly after Mia died, sometime during game 1. So in this au, Mia wakes up shortly after the end of Turnabout Goodbyes and learns the heartbreaking news that her boyfriend has died.

This is when the au gets much more different, because of course Maya would know that Mia woke up. They're sisters, and so Mia would reach out to her. This means that Mia would not become Godot, as she would have love and support. However, i still think she'd become a prosecutor.

Unlike Diego, I don't think she'd blame Phoenix for Diego's death, but I do think she'd blame herself and seek to displace that anger and sadness. This time, she picks a more apt target: the judicial system that failed to catch Redd White (he was a criminal, what was a defence attorney even doing investigating him??? That's not their job), and the prosecutor that blamed her sister: Miles Edgeworth.

So, I think that Mia would become a prosecutor, but one that cooperates with defence attorneys, hates the detectives, and really hates Miles Edgeworth. Bridge to the Turnabout would not happen, because Mia would want to swoop in and prosecute Morgan for plotting murder, and so would have immediately taken the letter as evidence of her crimes before Pearl could read it.

I think she wouldn't stick around long in the main game series, but would be an antagonist in Ace Attorney Investigations (note: I haven't played these and don't actually know when they're set... I looked around online and they seem to both take place after TaT, so the timeline should work). She would taunt Edgeworth about how corrupt and incompetent he was, essentially acting as his version of Godot, but maybe a little more inadvertently helpful.

[beardedmrbean]

The man accused of breaking into US politician Nancy Pelosi's home and attacking her husband with a hammer was motivated by conspiracy theories, his lawyer has said as his trial begins.

David DePape believed Mrs Pelosi was part of a plot to "manipulate the country" and "steal votes from Donald Trump", a court in San Francisco heard.

He faces two federal charges, including attempted kidnapping of a federal official.

Mr DePape, 43, has pleaded not guilty.

If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for the attempted kidnapping charge and 30 years in prison for assault on a federal official's family member.

After the attack, Paul Pelosi spent six days in hospital with a fractured skull.

During opening arguments on Thursday, Mr DePape's defence conceded that their client attacked Mr Pelosi in his quest to find the California congresswoman.

But they said his interest in Mrs Pelosi was not due to her political status.

"The reason he acted had nothing to do with Nancy Pelosi [and her] official duties as a member of Congress," defence attorney Jodi Linker told the court.

Instead, Ms Linker said he was driven by right-wing conspiracies that blame the country's demise on corrupt elites who use their status to spread lies, including facilitating the sexual abuse of children.

"Members of the jury, many of us do not believe any of that," Ms Linker said. "But the evidence in this trial will show that Mr DePape believes all these things… with every ounce of his being."

Prosecutors argued that Mr DePape was calculated and intended to kidnap Mrs Pelosi and hold her hostage in his "plan of violence".

They showed jurors the hammer used that night and pictures of Mr Pelosi in the immediate aftermath of the attack, laying in a pool of blood.

The first witnesses called by prosecutors included three police officers who responded to the emergency call, a crime scene investigator and a police lieutenant who interviewed Mr DePape.

Mr Pelosi, 83, also suffered arm and hand injuries in the attack and is expected to testify from the stand next week.

According to court documents, on 28 October 2022, Mr DePape broke into the Pelosi's San Francisco home using a hammer and asked for Mrs Pelosi, who was not there at the time.

Mr Pelosi then called the police who arrived and found the pair jointly gripping a hammer.

Officers asked Mr DePape to drop the weapon, to which he replied "ummm nope", before he "swung the hammer abruptly and forcefully at Mr Pelosi", according to court documents.

Body camera footage later released showed the encounter between Mr DePape, Mr Pelosi and police.

Mr DePape told police at the scene that he was sick of the "lies coming out of Washington DC".

He told police in an interview after his arrest he had a "target list" that included Mrs Pelosi, and that he planned to hold her hostage and break "her kneecaps" if she did not tell the "truth".

At the time of the attack, Mrs Pelosi was Speaker of the House of Representatives and second in line to the presidency.

The trial resumes on Monday.

In addition to federal charges, Mr DePape faces state charges, including attempted murder, residential burglary, assault with a deadly weapon, threats to a public official and others that carry potential penalties of 13 years to life in prison.

Mr DePape has also pleaded not guilty to those charges.

[humanrightsupdates]

Statement - Colombia: Criminalisation of woman human rights defender Meilyn Zendaya Gámez Mendoza and the Indigenous Minga of the Zenú People

In Colombia, conflicts over land and territory and the development of infrastructure projects have historically been characterised by a lack of free, prior and informed consultation with the communities that may be affected by such projects, including by being expelled from their land or even criminalised by these projects.

 In this context, on 15 June 2023, the woman human rights defender Meilyn Zendaya Gámez Mendoza and the Indigenous Minga of the Zenú People of the departments of Córdoba and Sucre were denounced before the Attorney General's Office for the crimes of illegal retention of movable property (machinery) and kidnapping or retention of a person. 

The case was filed following the events that occurred on the morning of 15 June 2023, where the Minga sanctioned a worker from the company in charge of the development of the state road project “Ruta al Mar Variante UF 7.2” through a customary practice under the indigenous jurisdiction recognised in Colombia. The worker was discovered hiding in the area where the Minga was protesting, with the presumed intention of altering or damaging the company's machinery and blaming the Indigenous Minga for this, since it was responsible for its care at the time. The Indigenous Minga of the Zenú People was decreed on 4 February 2022 by more than 16 indigenous communities of the Departments of Córdoba and Sucre. The Minga consists of the gathering of diverse actors, knowledge and tools in the search for a common objective. In the case of the Zenú People, this common objective is the collective defence of their territorial rights and the realisation of their right to prior, free and informed consultation regarding projects that might potentially affect them.

 The woman human rights defender Meilyn Zendaya Gámez Mendoza is an indigenous woman of the Wayuu people and member of the social and political movement Marcha Patriótica. She has also advised throughout Colombia on prior consultations for indigenous peoples on territorial rights and mining and energy projects, including by providing legal advice to the Zenú Indigenous People. Send a message of solidarity and download the urgent appeal

[storiesofsvu]

happy thursday fuckers... you know whats up

Here we go… backwards viewing. We starting with OC. Let’s see if I give two fuck about whats going on…

That therapist looked and sounded super familiar… where do I know him from? Was he fins rope guy? Brb…ugh… its not on imdb yet… *sigh*

Not me looking like a clown reading the opening credits of all THREE shows for guest stars waiting for my fave to pop back up…

I JUST realized that when I was TRYING to fucking watch the last episode on citytv the app/site kept glitching and freezing and I never finished it… that’s why I have NO idea whats going on LOLOL

This show would be so much better without Elliot… also If they gave Ayanna her wife back..

I literally like every detective on this show except for Elliot.

Jamie’s bomb. Also hot. 10/10 would bang

Welp. Okay. That felt over quick yet also took 5 hours to get through this damn episode.

Onto mothership;

Yeah fuck this guy… you’re in nyc… you’re gonna step in some shit. I want to punch you.

“morales” are you kidding me? Can we stop reusing names of recurring characters?? I get, diff show but still same universe.

I would prefer this show if it was just Mechad & Odelya… OH and Kate.

Completely unrelated; someone pls remind me to put together a grocery list/meal prep list of things super easy so I stop ordering fucking delivery. I need to get that shit together.

Mechad just *yelled* and I *felt things* jfc

What TF is senator paley doing here?! Where is keane to spit in his face. Get this man off my tv pls.

Ugh fuck this asshat. This is horrible. But also… we’ve done this storyline in older episodes… alex & casey have both gotten people out of ICE. Cmon sam… where was your paperwork…

OOF she brought her big balls to this… hello m’am

FUCK defence attorneys who attack the character of a prime witness just because they’re there illegally. Like, fuck off, you had her detained in the first place.

Wow okay, fucking heartbreaking ending, way to just hurt Sam.. baby.. is okay… I will cuddle you back to happiness.

FINALLY, okay here we go svu. Ive heard some interesting things about the ep… let’s see

I don’t know if I’m ready for this…

DID WE REALLY HAVE TO REVISIT THE ROLIVIA GOODBYE?!?! AS IF I HAVE NOT SOBBED OVER IT ENOUGH!??

DID SHE LEAVE THE FUCKING CHIPMUNK?? WTF?? IVE HAD SO MANY QUESTIONS ABOUT IT FOR YEARS

Ugh…. The fin amanda dynamic was always such a fucking good one… I will miss them

Okay I d love that Duarte still watches out for/hangs out with muncy

Who… once again is wearing plaid… like the queer she is…

When is mcgrath gonna fucking meet his rotten end… I need him gone…

Oh THANK GOD noah doesn’t fully witness this?? I was so concerned.

Somehow… that wasn’t as bad as I expected it to be? And I KNOW this is probably leading up to other shit that certain fans really want to see, but like, can we give olivia a damn break please? *eyeroll*

Also it’s just plain pathetic to only have two detectives. Like… I know molly replaced kelli, but we really still need another one… OR make the ada a more prominent feature, add in huang/a shrink, the ME, make there be more of a larger rotating cast like s8/9….

Omg fin lololol

“you have a visitor…” andits FUCKING MCGRATH ugh what a way to make things worse…

Okay… m’am… you were doing so well this season, and now we’re back to the super breathy acting.. why…

Im glad they keep mentioning Phoebe, like, the writers haven’t forgotten about her so that’s a good sign.

Im SORRY. She keeps a SHOTGUN in an UNLOCKED closet?? WITH NOAH IN THE HOUSE?!?!

Anyone else super confused as to how her ribs aren’t broken? Or at least cracked? Like… it really seems like it..

Okay… her lingering on amanda’s empty desk is giving me s13 flashbacks, like, amanda would have reached out…. She’s literally married to someone olivia sees on a regular basis.

I’m hot for Duarte now and I fully blame @bulletproof for that….

Wait… I just saw a commercial for Chicago PD… I watched the new ep right before my l&o viewings… was Hank even in this week’s ep??

Omg muncy was so fucking excited to take off the blazer lolololol

Who TF is this guy… detective Bruno…. I swear I know him from somewhere

Oh… okay… he’s been on svu 5 times before… (as different characters… the one being the husband of the woman who accused Stone of assault)

This ep is meh. There’s too much fin and olivia and this new fuck I don’t care about, give me the characters I *want* to see pls.

Seriously… why must police always think that people know about their HALF siblings?!? People be whores… I didn’t know I had THREE half brothers til I was 14…

Overall… this was underwhelming.

I know it’s a three parter (I believe?) so like, there’s more coming, but like… underwhelming as a whole. I’m not even going to bother to gif any of it this week. Sorry not sorry besties.

[smuttyandabsurd]

Where Our Demons Hide Pt. 5 (Russia x America)

Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia Pairing: America/Russia Rating: Mature / Explicit Warnings: Childhood sexual abuse, dubious consent, explicit sexual content, grooming, paedophilia, post-traumatic stress disorder, rape/non-con elements, statutory rape, suicidal thoughts, underage sex, victim blaming.

Summary: Alfred Jones, aged 18, takes his ex-primary school teacher to court on charges of sexual abuse. Ivan Braginski, aged 35, has been grooming Alfred since he was eight years old. As the trial progresses, Alfred learns things of himself he would have been happier not knowing, and Ivan fights a losing battle with his mental demons. Viewfinder!AU.

DISCLAIMER! All incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are depicted in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events, is purely coincidental. The author categorically denounces any immoral and illegal sexual conduct with minors.

Part 5 - The Defendant's Plea Natasha takes over as defence attorney and calls on an old acquaintance.

Read it on AO3.

The gas canister was lit, and it was like sinking into a hot bath the way it flooded the cave with warmth, melting the snow on their clothes and leeching the cold from weary aching bones.

Gilbert peeled off his gloves and rubbed his hands gratefully over the little flame as Ivan unpacked the day’s ration from his corner of the snow cave: Heinz beans, tinned ham, a loaf of brown bread, and two sachets of mushroom flavoured cup-a-soups.

Wordlessly, the two men set about their cooking chores. Snow was dug out of the walls, packed into a portable kettle, and placed over the fire to boil; tins were cut open with Gilbert’s Swiss Army knife; the bread was broken into halves (Gilbert took the slightly bigger portion); and when the water boiled, Ivan prepared brews of soup and sweet sugary tea.

They ate in silence, the only sounds coming from slurps and openly chewing mouths, as outside the wind and snows battered the mountain. They had done a fair bit of climbing that day, and despite the exhaustion they felt, they were quietly pleased with their progress.

-

The TV was broadcasting the morning news.

Two burnt toasts popped out of an old electric toaster, and a white hand grabbed them both and slapped butter over the sides before tossing them onto a plate.

The meagre breakfast, accompanied by a chipped mug of coffee, was carried out of the kitchenette and set on a coffee table before the TV. The remote was dug out of a pile of old lads’ magazines, and the volume ratcheted up for the report on the ongoing trial of a local schoolteacher charged with grooming and sexually assaulting one of his students.

“Under cross-examination, the alleged victim was accused of seducing Ivan Braginski and initiating their sexual encounters which mostly took place during private tutoring sessions,” the voiceover reported. “The alleged victim – whom we cannot name for legal reasons – has denied consenting to any sexual conduct with his teacher during his time at St Mary’s Primary School. The prosecution has since condemned the accusations as ‘malicious, defamatory, and categorically untrue…’”

Gilbert finished his toasts and drained his coffee as the report concluded with word that the court-appointed defence attorney had been dismissed from the case. He glanced at the clock on the wall and saw that it was time to leave for work. He picked up the remote again, pointed it at the TV, and switched it off.

-

It was a cold and wet winter evening, but the bar was gloriously warm and abuzz with happy students.

Good, very well-behaved students, Gilbert wryly observed, every one of them wearing thick woollen jumpers and sensible water-resistant boots, drinking plenty but not getting drunk.

The table he was seated at was the university’s mountaineering club social which was made up of seven members including himself. After a round of introductions, he excused himself, turning his back to them and downing his fourth pint of beer (he was just getting started), before gesturing for a refill from the bartender.

One of the new members of the club was standing at a small distance from the table, having spent most of the night hovering behind the short Finnish exchange kid. He was tall and noticeably without a drink as he held an empty tumbler glass in hand. Upon catching Gilbert’s eye, he drew away from the group with a murmured pardon and went to join him over at the bar.

“Double vodka, neat, please,” he ordered, setting down his empty glass. To Gilbert, he offered his hand and introduced himself, “Ivan Braginski. Mathematics major.”

“Gilbert Weilschmidt,” Gilbert returned. “Don’t go here,” he said, meaning the school. “Polytechnic next door. Automotive.”

He had to shout in bursts over the noise and raucous laughter in the crowded pub. He did not take Ivan’s hand, opting instead to grip a fresh pint of beer.

When Ivan’s vodka arrived, they clinked their glasses together in a wordless toast.

They spent the remainder of the evening in companionable silence, drinking their respective drinks, and finding that it suited them both just fine.

-

Gilbert was down in the inspection pit over which stood a battered hatchback. The car had been towed into the garage yesterday just before he left, so he was now only assessing the damage incurred when the driver reportedly bounced over a high kerb.

“It was most likely a low brick wall than a kerb,” Ludwig, his newly recruited apprentice, stoically intoned. “Aside from damage to the front body, the wheels have been knocked out of alignment, affecting the steering.” He patted one of the front tyres. “The underbody is badly scraped there,” he, said pointing with an oil-greased hand, “and the drive shaft is collapsed, almost sheared clean off. Watch your head, sir.”

He pointed a high-powered torch at the metal rod that hung uselessly mangled over the pit. Gilbert circled around it, nodding.

“Right, anything else?” he asked.

Before Ludwig could answer, another employee interrupted by shouting into the pit: “Boss! There’s a lady here to see you! Says she’s a lawyer or something!”

Gilbert clicked his tongue, annoyed. He did not appreciate having to part with cars to deal with irate customers, and especially not a lawyer type.

“Did she say what she want?” he shouted over a swell of loud drilling.

“No, boss!”

Ludwig lowered his torch as Gilbert let out a derisive snort. “And you didn’t think to ask?”

“Sorry, boss! Anyway, I led her to your office, is that okay?”

“Yeah, all right, I’ll handle it. Just get back to work!”

Gilbert started to climb up the ladder when he remembered. He twisted around to face Ludwig again and said, “Have all the damaged parts noted down. Then take it to Vargas, get him to come up with a quote, and call the customer. Oh, and remind him to check that the car’s fucking insured this time.”

“Yes, sir!”

Ludwig almost looked as if he was ready to click his heels together and salute. It made Gilbert smile. He really liked his new apprentice.

-

Gilbert was standing in the middle of a crowded train station with two duffel bags at his feet holding all his mountain gear. A smaller, lighter bag with all his clothes and papers was slung over one shoulder. It was 9 o’clock in the morning, the time they agreed to meet before boarding the train that was due to leave at twenty past, but Ivan was nowhere to be seen.

“Where the fuck is he?” he muttered under his breath.

There was a vending machine near him, and he had time to grab a Coke and a Mars Bar before Ivan turned up at around half past ten, wheeling a heavily loaded trolley and wearing a sheepish expression. A young girl (she couldn’t be older than sixteen or seventeen) hindered his progress by hanging to his arm.

“Morning,” Gilbert said without warmth. He was not a morning person and he hated tardiness. He waved his hand, the one holding the Coke bottle, over the trolley. “What’s all this?”

Had they not agreed to pack light?

“Tasha, this is Gilbert Weilschmidt,” Ivan said to the girl. To Gilbert, he said, “This is my little sister, Natasha. She, uh, would like to come with us.”

Natasha stared at Gilbert, still clutching tight to her brother’s arm. She looked small beside Ivan even though she was nearly as tall as Gilbert was. Her silver blonde hair and the shape of her eyes were the only features she shared with Ivan; otherwise, the siblings looked nothing alike.

“She’s going to stay at base camp and watch our tents,” Ivan said quickly, as if afraid that Gilbert would object to her coming. “We would need a watcher, won’t we?” he added hopefully.

Gilbert raised his arm to look pointedly at his watch.

“We’ve got ten minutes to get onto the train. Got everything?”

Ivan nodded, relief breaking across his face. Natasha remained unsmiling.

“Good, then let’s go!”

-

As he entered his office, Gilbert's smile froze and slid slowly from his lips.

Natasha Arlovskaya, dressed in business attire with a dark jacket and matching pleated trousers, was standing in the middle of his office with her arms folded across her chest. She held a BlackBerry in one hand. Her tall lean figure and severe expression was in stark contrast to the backdrop of bright, voluptuous, and scantily clad poster girls papering Gilbert’s office walls.

“Good afternoon, Mr Weilschmidt,” she said coolly. She did not offer her hand.

Gilbert pulled the door close behind him to muffle the clanking and drilling from the garage. “This about Braginski?” he asked. He did not offer her a seat.

Natasha’s lips tightened into a thin unsmiling line. “Yes,” she said.

A short silence ensued.

Gilbert slowly folded his arms as well and met her stare. To his surprise, Natasha acquiesced and averted her eyes. She shifted on her feet, and her arms drooped and unfolded as she turned to look over his cluttered desk.

“I see that you have received my letters,” she said, failing to keep the bitterness out of her voice.

Shuffling over to his desk, Gilbert pulled the letters headed with Natasha’s law firm from under a stack of receipts. They were creased, dog-eared and stained with coffee mug rings from when he had used them as a coaster. He shuffled them together, tapping the edges straight against the top of the desk.

“I came for your answer, nothing more,” Natasha said flatly.

“Isn’t this something his attorney should be doing?” Gilbert said, a sneer in his voice.

“I’m his attorney now.”

Gilbert stopped his tapping, feeling suddenly embarrassed.

“Oh. Right, then.”

The office seemed to be closing in on him, the stillness crowding into his ears.

Before another silence could settle between them, Natasha pushed her hair over her shoulder and brought her purse forward, stuffing the BlackBerry into a pocket and snapping the clasp open to retrieve something else. Her heels clicked across the cement floor as she came over to the edge of the table.

“Call me once you have an answer,” she said, and she slid her business card across a clutter-free patch of desk. Gilbert remained still though his eyes landed on the card.

Natasha turned away and made towards the door. The noise from the garage drifted into the small office as she pushed it open. She paused at the threshold. She seemed to be hesitating. Gilbert turned his eyes to her silhouetted outline in the doorframe. Her back, usually held straight, was slightly stooped at the shoulders, as if something was weighing down on her.

“You owe it to him,” she said softly, a note of plea in her voice.

And just as suddenly as she appeared, she left.

-

The wind whipped and tugged at Gilbert as he descended the mountain, swinging his pickaxes into ice and kicking his way down on spiked boots.

His hands were numb from the cold and the impact of continuously driving pickaxes into the wall, and his feet felt like blocks of ice from the snow that had caked around his boots. He could hardly see the cliff face before him, his goggles were so fogged up. And as the day inched towards night, it was quite frankly dangerous to push ahead as they were doing, hacking their way down the side of the mountain with a storm howling around them.

But what choice did they have? They were out of food and fuel, and they needed to get down and off the mountain – fast.

It was as his thoughts flitted longingly to the warm, gas-lit cave from a previous night that it happened.

He felt it before he heard it, a strange hollow sensation as he drove one of his pickaxes into the mountain. And the sound of the impact did not seem quite right to him either. As it did not feel secure, he decided that he would try again for a deeper anchor. He pulled out the axe for another swing.

All his body weight was hanging on one pickaxe when the ice suddenly gave way.

He fell.

-

Gilbert woke with a choked scream, his heart beating like a bird trapped in his ribcage. All the muscles in his body were clenched, braced for impact, and his hands had twisted themselves into fists clutching his sheets, as if fighting to hold him grounded. Sweat poured profusely, bathing him, soaking into his shirt. He lay staring, wide-eyed, at the dark ceiling above, willing the terrible plummeting sensation to ebb away.

“Oh, god!” he whispered hoarsely. His hand reached down and clasped over his right knee, the one he had broken from falling from the height of the Andes all those years ago.

He did not know how long he lay clutching at his painfully throbbing leg, gulping for air and trying not to retch.

On his bedside table were two empty beer bottles and Natasha’s card he had brought home and slipped under his phone.

In the morning, he would call her with his answer.

[if-you-fan-a-fire]

"FIRST IN 70 YEARS IS INEBRIATE'S PLEA," Toronto Star. July 7, 1934. Page 3. --- Gets Remand on Promise Not To Be Back for Another 70 ---- Short shift was given two of the thirteen "drunks" in early morning court to-day, when it it was learned they were on their "umpteenth" trip through the mill. The two, James Carr and Patrick Beattie, were fined the maximum - $50 or one month. With the exception of Lawrence Keogh, who, at the crown's request. was asked to stay around until Monday, the others were freed on remanded sentences.

"Give me a chance your honor. I haven't been here for 70 years," pleaded John Cumming, one of the thirteen.

"Seventy years?" asked the cadi. "Yes, and I won't be here for an- other 70 years."

"All right, I'll take your word for it."

"I asked him to leave like a lady. but he answered like a bully, so I called a cop," protested a young woman, explaining why she had laid a charge of trespass against Archie Fordie.

Fordie and his boy friends, she told the court, used the alley beside her house for an open air club house. And when they started in to serve liquid refreshments, she said it was too much.

"That the trouble," added Inspector Guthrie. "They get a wine jug and go up there and get drunk."

Fordie was placed on a year's probation and told to seek his fun elsewhere.

The usual crop of youthful ride stealers lifted their tousled heads above the rail, and accepted $5 or ten-day penalties for riding gratis on the C.P.R.

The trio said they had come in from Hamilton.

Held on $1,000 Bail Held on a charge of breaking and entering a cigar store on Lake Shore Blvd., Elmer O'Donnell was held over to July 11, on $1.000 bail.

Other remands were granted to Victor Taylor and James Montgomery on charges of stealing a truck. Bail was allowed at $1,000 each.

Held on several charges of theft and receiving, Kenneth Stroud and Robert Prince were remanded to July 13 and released on $2,000 bail.

George Prince, charged with receiving in connection with the same crimes, was remanded in custody.

Defence counsel T. B. Horkins strongly protested against the crown's recommendation that George Prince be held, but Crown Attorney W. O. Gibson, K.C., remarked the police had already been put to the expense of bringing him back from Brockville.

"Besides this is not an ordinary case of auto theft," he said. "The car in question was stolen in Toronto. License plates for another car were taken out in Milton, and the driver's permit Smith's Falls."

Charged with Intoxication. Karrall Venn was found guilty and fined $50 or one month. Immediately after Magistrate Coatsworth had passed sentence, Venn's wife fell heavily to the floor in a faint. She was car- ried from the courtroom by two policemen.

Venn was arrested after he had been found attempting to "fix" a car, after the owner had been arrested for being drunk. Venn himself was so drunk, police officers testified, he "didn't know what he was doing." They didn't have the key, and they were trying to make it go, the court was told.

On $150 cash bail, Ronald Hirst was remanded to July 10. Hirst, facing a charge of keeping a betting house, was arrested yesterday, after leading Morality Officer Joseph Sunderland and Plainclothesmen Holden and Adie a merry chase through his house. Police allege they found Hirst conducting a $150 a day racing business.

Would Take Whole Blame "Last night I saw the two accused men, James Clark and David Cunningham, go up a lane on Lombardi St. with a bottle," said P.C. Phillips in liquor and traffic court to-day.

Clark and Cunningham came up on a charge of having as the result of their apprehension by P.C. Phillips last night.

"I searched the men and found a bunch of skeleton keys and a small hack-saw in Clark's pocket," the officer added.

Clark avowed that he had the keys for 25 years. "They are the keys of to trunks," he said. "I'll have break the locks if you keep them."

Clark pleaded guilty through his counsel, T. O'Connor. "I'm going to take the whole blame," he declared.

"No, you're not. I'll just give you $25 of it," Magistrate Jones said.

Cunningham, who guilty, was deprived of $10.

[swldx]

RNZ Pacific 1109 18 Apr 2024

11725Khz 1059 18 APR 2024 - RNZ PACIFIC (NEW ZEALAND) in ENGLISH from RANGITAIKI. SINPO = 45333. English, pips and news @1100z anchored by Lydia Lewis. The counting process for Solomon Islands' joint election is only just getting underway as the retrieval of ballot boxes from polling stations all across the country continues. In the first post-election update on Thursday morning, electoral chief Jasper Anisi said the public will notice a heavy police presence at counting centres across the country. He is urging Solomon Islanders to remain peaceful and remain calm to maintain good order around the counting stations. Drought conditions in parts of the Micronesia region have been upgraded from severe to extreme. The US Drought Monitor has upgraded drought conditions in the Federated States of Micronesia from severe to extreme, on the island state of Yap. Also facing extreme drought is the atoll of Wotje in the Marshall Islands. Also under severe drought are Guam, Palau and parts of the Commonwealth of the Marianas. The Hawaii Attorney General released thousands of details in the most comprehensive review of the Lahaina fire so far. "The purpose of this report is not to place blame but to make sure this doesn't happen again," said Attorney General Anne Lopez. Included in phase 1 of the report, is just how rapid the wildfire turned into an urban conflagration as it spread down the Maui hillside. "We saw spot fires at the ocean in 90 minutes. The fire traveling over a mile in 90 minutes is incredibly fast," stated Fire Safety Research Institute Executive Director Dr. Steve Kerber. Pacific leaders are in Greece for the 9th Our Oceans Conference this week. Nauru's climate change minister has told conference his government is relocating people from coastal settlements to higher ground in light of the climate crisis. Minister Asterio Appi said meaningful action is needed out of meetings like this. He said going home empty handed is always disheartening, especially when the costal erosion rate high across the Pacific. The conference was first organised by the US government in 2014. Papua New Guinea's Minister of Public Service, Joseph Sungi, says 70 percent of the public sector workforce is heavily indebted to loan sharks. New Zealand and the Philippines have pledged to bolster defence ties - making it easier for their armed forces to work together - as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific. The commitment came after a sit-down meeting between Christopher Luxon and President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Romualdez Marcos Jr overnight. It was the final stop on the prime minister's South East Asia tour - with Luxon due to return to New Zealand early Sunday, and he clearly hit it off with his counterpart during their first proper meeting. Police were saddened to learn of the death of an elderly couple on their west Auckland property this week. Police have named the pair as Alfred Helge Hansen, aged 82, and Gaye Carole Hansen, aged 81. A ram was found in the paddock with them and was later shot dead. Police said postmortem results indicated injuries consistent with an animal attack. Sports. @1109z "Pacific Waves" anchored by female announcer. Backyard fence antenna w/MFJ-1020C active antenna (used as a preamplifier/preselector), Etón e1XM. 100kW, beamAz 325°, bearing 240°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 12912KM from transmitter at Rangitaiki. Local time: 0559.

[globalhint]

Sam Bankman-Fried says he made "mistakes," but he didn't mislead anyone in his statement.

Sam Bankman-Fried says he made "mistakes," but he didn't mislead anyone in his statement. Sam Bankman-Fried, the creator of FTX, stated during his self-defence testimony on Friday during his fraud trial that "many people got hurt" when the cryptocurrency exchange failed last year, but he maintained he did not swindle anyone or take billions of dollars from clients. On his first day of testimony with the jury present, Bankman-Fried took questions from his own attorney and acknowledged making "mistakes" like failing to establish a risk-management team. He also attempted to place the blame on Caroline Ellison, the former CEO of his hedge fund that focused on cryptocurrencies, who was a crucial prosecution witness. The 31-year-old former billionaire's responses supported his long-held belief that, although he started a rapidly expanding firm from the ground up, he neglected some areas of his business and never intended to steal from others. "We believed we could create the greatest product available," Bankman-Fried stated throughout his six-hour testimony in federal court in Manhattan. "It really worked out the other way around. Numerous individuals were harmed, including workers and clients, and the business filed for bankruptcy." In response to two charges of fraud and five counts of conspiracy, Bankman-Fried has entered a not-guilty plea. He might spend decades behind bars if found guilty. Bankman-Fried is accused by the prosecution of utilizing FTX customer cash to support Alameda, engage in risky venture capital investments, and contribute over $100 million to American political campaigns. In addition, he is charged with plotting to defraud FTX investors and Alameda's lenders. In a composed response to defence attorney Mark Cohen's inquiries, Bankman-Fried stated that he thought the money spent for real estate and sponsorships came from the company's earnings or capital obtained from equity investors rather than from FTX's consumers as the prosecution claims. He alleged he used money he held in Alameda to make political contributions. In an attempt to disassociate himself from certain acts he claimed three of his closest former coworkers—all of whom entered guilty pleas to fraud and testified against him in court—had taken without his direct consent. Although they claimed that he gave them specific instructions to carry out the theft of customer monies and to falsify to lenders and investors, Bankman-Fried presented himself as a detached CEO who had faith in his staff. "SEEMED POSSIBLE TO ME." Ellison, Bankman-Fried's ex-girlfriend who came and went, testified on October 11 that he gave her instructions to fabricate Alameda's balance sheets in order to scare off lenders in the event of a June 2022 cryptocurrency market meltdown. In her testimony on Friday, Bankman-Fried stated that although Ellison gave him a spreadsheet that she was thinking of sending to a lender, he did not thoroughly review it. During her testimony, Bankman-Fried gazed from time to time toward the jurors. "I remember looking over it and saying that it seemed reasonable to me," she said. In his testimony, former FTX chief technology officer Gary Wang claimed that Bankman-Fried gave him instructions to alter FTX's computer code so that Alameda would receive special treatment and not be automatically liquidated in the event that its positions lost value. This change made it possible for money to be stolen. Bankman-Fried stated in his testimony that he requested Wang and FTX Chief Engineering Officer Nishad Singh to stop Alameda from inadvertently becoming bankrupt. However, he was unaware at the time of what his colleagues had implemented, which enabled Alameda to have a negative balance. After FTX filed for bankruptcy in December 2022, amid a surge of withdrawals from clients worried about the security of their money, Bankman-Fried was taken into custody. Bankman-Fried attempted to hold Ellison primarily responsible for Alameda's downfall on Friday. In her testimony, he expressed his concern that Ellison had not taken precautions against downturns in the cryptocurrency market and stated that although she was an excellent manager, "risk management" was not her main priority. He also refuted her account, saying he believed a big portion of FTX's reputation came from his signature dishevelled appearance. While running FTX, he claimed to have worn T-shirts and shorts because they were "comfortable," and he refrained from getting his hair cut because he was "busy and lazy." The Bankman-Fried wearing a dark suit, giving the jury a polished appearance. Without the jurors present, Bankman-Fried was questioned by both sides on Thursday as the court determined which portions of his testimony would be allowed. Next week, during their cross-examination of Bankman-Fried, prosecutors will have their first opportunity to grill him in front of the jury. Cohen stated that he would wrap up the direct examination early on Monday. source credit ALSO READ: Trump’s campaign cash bigger than GOP rivals. fundraising Tips. Read the full article

[stephenlekasattorneyatlaw1]

What Are The Common Defences In Personal Injury Cases?

In Houston, you have the right to get compensation from the party because of which you got injured, where you need to prove that you are eligible for payout with the just matter of filing paperwork. Where you need to expect the defendant which helps the attorney to need the supply and get the insurance company. Where Injury Lawyer Houston Texas prepare you against the defence.

Common Defence In Personal Injury Cases

Statute Of Limitations Has Expired: filling the claim within the statute where limitation has the most basic requirements which are the plaintiff and need to be observed, where it has a statute of limitation where you have a timeframe and need to claim the valid field before the expired limitation where you can sue the person who harmed you. The personal injury claim that extension on available amor cases or injuries remained undiscovered for the period.

You Were Partially At Fault: A common defence strategy that you shared reliability of the accident. Where personal injury law recognises the concept and knows with comparative fault. Where the plaintiff is found partially responsible for the accident and collects damages with equal percentages of blame which are assigned to the defendant and the longer it took to collect damages.

Website: https://www.stephenlekasattorneyatlaw.com/