#charging five felonies and one misdemeanor

[offender42085]

Post 1299

Austin S Hopp, Colorado inmate 194088, born 1994, incarceration intake May 2022 at age 28, scheduled for release October 2026

Assault

In May 2022, a former Loveland, Colorado police officer was sentenced to prison for assaulting Karen Garner, a 73-year-old woman with dementia, during a June 2020 arrest.

Austin Hopp was sentenced to five years in the Department of Corrections with three years of mandatory parole. He will also not be allowed to work in law enforcement anywhere in the future. 

Hopp accepted a plea agreement in March 2022, which allowed him to plead guilty to an amended charge of second-degree assault, a Class 4 felony, despite strong opposition from Garner's family. Hopp's original two felony charges and one misdemeanor charge were dismissed as part of the agreement. The plea agreement meant Hopp's potential maximum sentence dropped from 30 years in prison to eight.

4u

[beardedmrbean]

LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Four pastors admitted to bilking taxpayers out of more than a million dollars combined, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. Two of them – a former husband and wife – avoided prison time while two others, currently married, await sentencing and face prison time.

The two pastors who avoided prison time were involved in a scheme to steal taxpayer dollars and were sentenced to five years of probation after they agreed to plea deals with federal prosecutors in exchange for lighter sentences, court documents show. Gregory and Carol Kirby, once married to each other, admitted to lying on applications to become medical providers for Medicaid, and submitting fraudulent medical claims, according to court documents.

U.S. District Judge Richard Boulware sentenced Gregory Kirby on Jan. 17. Kirby pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States last April, according to court documents. A plea agreement refers to healthcare fraud from July 2014 to February 2018 to get payments from Medicaid.

U.S. District Judge Andrew Gordon sentenced Carol Kirby on July 31 after she pleaded guilty to the same charge.

Both Carol and Gregory Kirby were ordered to pay nearly $373,000 in restitution to Nevada Medicaid. The former couple avoided prison time as the charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison, along with three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution.

Gregory Kirby admitted to lying on an application to enroll his behavioral health care company, Esperanza Family Counseling Services, LLC, as a medical provider with Medicaid. Court documents say he omitted his criminal convictions, including a 1986 misdemeanor for tampering with a vehicle and a 1988 felony for possession of cocaine, the plea agreement states. Gregory Kirby also admitted to submitting false Medicaid claims in order to receive payment for services that were never provided, according to the agreement. Gregory Kirby also admitted to using more than $785,000 in illegal proceeds to purchase five properties including two in Decatur, Illinois, as well as in Las Vegas, Pahrump and Laughlin, Nevada, the agreement states. Kirby agreed to forfeit more than $388,000 from his bank accounts, along with all five properties.

According to a review of social media postings, Gregory Kirby appears to run Come Unto Me Ministries in Decatur, Illinois, as “Apostle Kirby,” with his new wife, “Elect Lady Kirby.”

In a written letter to Boulware prior to the sentencing, Gregory Kirby asked for forgiveness and mercy.

“I have accepted responsibility for my wrongdoing and doing as you can see have never denied the allegations against me,” Gregory Kirby wrote in the Jan. 13 letter. “I made wrong decisions that have put me before the court and I deserve to be punished.”

Gregory Kirby claimed he was asking for probation not for himself, but for his 11 and 12-year-old sons. His adult children, he says, were “lost in the system” during his addiction and prison time, but they are doing well now.

Carol Kirby also pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. She admitted to lying on the application to enroll her behavioral health care companies Apostolic Behavioral Health and Henderson Family Services as medical providers with Medicaid by omitting Gregory Kirby’s convictions as he was listed as the resident agent of one business and the director of the other, the plea agreement states. Carol Kirby submitted a false claim to Medicaid for services that were not provided and used more than $158,000 in illegal proceeds to assist in the purchase of a property in Pahrump, Nevada, according to the plea agreement. Carol Kirby agreed to forfeit nearly $12,000 in cash seized from bank accounts and the same five properties as Gregory Kirby.

The other two Pastors Regina and Joe Brice, currently married to each other, were also charged in the scheme.

Regina Brice pleaded guilty to one count of healthcare fraud. Regina Brice admitted to executing a scheme and plan to defraud Nevada Medicaid between October 2016 and February 2018, the 8 News Now Investigators have learned. Regina Brice, according to a plea agreement, omitted her five prior misdemeanor convictions including possession of drug paraphernalia in 1996 and 1997, theft in 1999, and battery and charge for “non-sufficient funds check” in 2009.

That enabled her to enroll Above and Beyond Behavioral Services as a medical provider with Nevada Medicaid and then submit bills for Nevada Medicaid for services not rendered, according to the plea agreement. Regina Brice used $248,000 in illegal proceeds she received from Medicaid to purchase a property in Las Vegas in 2017. Brice agreed to forfeit nearly $527,000 of stolen taxpayer dollars which were seized, documents state.

‘I’m a woman of God’ Las Vegas pastors accused of stealing over $1 million from healthcare system

Regina Brice is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 28. The maximum sentence she faces is 10 years in prison, plus three years of supervised release along with a fine. The plea agreement states that attorneys believe the applicable amount of restitution is more than $1.1 million.

Regina and Joe Brice agreed to an interview with the 8 News Now Investigators in 2020.

“We didn’t do what we’re accused of doing at all,” Regina Brice insisted.

When asked whether they were concerned they could be sent to prison, Regina Brice responded, “It’s not gonna happen. We’re not concerned at all. We serve a righteous God.”

Joe Brice pleaded guilty to monetary transactions in criminal-derived property. Joe Brice admitted to devising a scheme to defraud Nevada Medicaid between March 2017 and February 2018, according to a plea agreement. Brice did not disclose his previous convictions on his application to enroll Chances Behavioral Health Services, LLC, as a medical provider. Brice’s criminal record includes 1984 and 1985 felony burglary convictions, two misdemeanor convictions in 2008 for possession of drugs not to be introduced into interstate commerce, and a 2011 misdemeanor conviction for attempt carry a concealed weapon without a permit, the plea agreement states.

Joe Brice also submitted fraudulent claims for services never rendered, according to the agreement. Federal prosecutors said he used stolen taxpayer dollars to purchase a North Las Vegas property and three Peterbilt trucks.

Joe Brice agreed to forfeit nearly $90,000 and the three Peterbilt trucks.

Joe Brice is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 18. The maximum sentence Brice faces is 10 years in prison, plus three years of supervised release along with a fine. The plea agreement states that attorneys believe the applicable amount of restitution is more than $392,000.

The 8 News Now Investigators first reported on the healthcare fraud investigation in Feb. 2018. Federal investigators searched businesses affiliated with the four pastors. The 8 News Now Investigators uncovered that the defendants were linked to more than 20 business entities. During a sermon at God’s House International, a church headed by Gregory and Carol Kirby, Gregory Kirby told church members they should donate money.

“The enemy went after the money. We used to do almost everything,” he said. “We took care of everybody. So now that it’s been seized, it’s your responsibility. It’s time for you to give. It’s time for you to dig deeper now.”

The 8 News Now Investigators have learned a defendant named Carol Kirby is accused in another alleged scheme. A grand jury in Maricopa County, Arizona, indicted Kirby for 20 felony charges including 16 counts of theft, and one count of conspiracy, illegal control of an enterprise, illegally conducting an enterprise, and fraudulent schemes and artifices. Kirby, also known as Carol Ann Copeland, and two other women, Shawnjerria Nishallen Lucas, and Lavita Rene Verser, ran A Better You Wellness Center, LLC, between December 2021 and February 2023 and submitted fraudulent claims to the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System to collect payments, according to the Oct. 2, 2023 indictment. A trial is scheduled for May 8.

[theboywithburninghands]

The End. I’ll post a big mushy thank you post later since I’m posting this at work, but this is the end of the story. Hope it’s good! @fernstarsblog @noble-crimson

TW: Vomit, drugs, childbirth

Epilogue: Sweet Child O’ Mine

Upon first moving to Ediacara after collecting their dowry, Pomni and Jax moved into a small house near the town of Jezioro Niedźwiedź, or the much simpler to pronounce Bear Lake. As soon as the couple had unpacked completely, Pomni set to work learning Ediacaran. Jax was admittedly skeptical about her ability to learn such a complex language so quickly, and had in fact been a bit wary of moving to Ediacara at all due to the language barrier. Pomni studied the language for eight hours every day, and could speak and write it at a conversational level in about three weeks. By their fourth month, she was completely literate, shocking just about every prospective employer she met with her heavily accented yet completely accurate Ediacaran.

Pomni began her search for an occupation as soon as she spoke enough Ediacaran. It was rough going at first. Pomni may have been quite knowledgeable about law and been articulate, but she had little experience to actually put on paper. No diplomas or references, only cases she had helped her father with. She was offered at least four jobs as a secretary, but turned them down. Such a position would only make her depressed, being at the beck and call of a man…

But she hunted tirelessly, and eventually caught her first break as a stenographer for Bear Lake’s courthouse, specifically the misdemeanor accountability court. This was where soaks who had made a nuisance in public after a fifth too many of Ediacaran red wine ended up, or children who had pilfered sweets from a chemist’s shop, or frustrated citizens who wished to dispute moving violations and truancy notices.

Pomni remained quiet and kept a stern countenance, and, despite being fairly new to Ediacaran, made precious few mistakes. Magistrates and even the judges complimented her impeccable memory, being able to repeat back transcripts that she hadn’t gotten the chance to write down yet. Her penmanship was clean and she was unfailingly polite, even to the rare belligerent defendant.

Then came the day of a high profile felony case. A Dr. Kaczmarek had been arrested on charges of selling cadavers from the local hospital to a shady medical supply company. The usual stenographer for the felony court was abruptly hospitalized after an errant kick from a horse, developing a tremor in his hand that prevented him from writing as quickly. Pomni was asked to transcribe in his place. Although the judge was skeptical of her abilities, Pomni performed remarkably well, her affect cool despite the rapid-fire speech of the magistrates or mumbled testimonies of the witnesses. The court staff, impressed by her performance, brought Mrs. Krolik on for more high profile cases, and she soon became the court’s mainstay stenographer.

In her free time, Pomni had begun work on a novel. She initially thought of penning an autobiography, but she needed to be an established author first. No one would have any interest in the life story of a stenographer, even if her life was rather interesting. So, she began a novel. It was a character study of five children of a single mother and their lives from childhood to adulthood. She was still drafting the story, having to omit a good amount of unnecessary detail from just the first chapter alone. Luckily Jax was there to read through her drafts and offer constructive criticism while on the road to recovery.

As soon as they settled into their new home, Pomni put her husband back on the process of tapering him off of opium. They only had a single bottle of laudanum left and no easy way to get ahold of it anymore, so it would be the final dosage before completely excising the drug from his life.

His symptoms resumed after reducing his dosage from a single drop of opium to a half a drop. However, they were significantly less severe. He was weak and bedridden and struggled with body aches and cold sweats, but he had thankfully ceased vomiting and was at last able to get some sleep, although he woke frequently. Pomni cared for him, bringing him vegetables from the local market, not even attempting to cook them. It would have been dreadfully inconvenient to burn their new home down after just purchasing it.

Soon, he wasn’t on laudanum at all. After two weeks without poppy, he was up and walking about. His regular countenance returned come the third week. On that Friday, Pomni went to the edge of a bridge.

“Are you ready?” Pomni asked, holding his hand.

“I am,” Jax replied. He took the half full tincture bottle out of his jacket pocket. Jax looked for a long while at the small bottle that had ruled his life for the past five years. He lobbed the bottle over the railing. It plummeted thirty feet into the rocky gulch below, bursting with a splash on a boulder.

“Goodbye, cruel mistress. You’ll bewitch this soul no longer.” Jax said, giving a short wave to the gulch.

“Did you plan that little farewell or did it come to you just now?” Pomni asked with a smirk.

“Which would be more impressive to you?” Jax replied with a smirk of his own.

Jax took on a job as well to keep the pair from exhausting their savings. He quickly found one as an accountant for a trading company that had previously worked with Krolik International. Being the son of the founder, it looked quite good on a resumé, although he was careful to omit anything about recent goings on with the company.

Jax and Pomni saw Drexl Krolik for the final time a few days before their departure to Ediacara. They returned to the Krolik Estate to collect some of Jax’s belongings, and encountered two constables from Blackshell Bay speaking with Drexl in his foyer. Jax said nothing to his father, who said nothing in return. Pomni met her father-in-law’s eyes only once. Though his gaze was incensed, his eyes were drained of the fierceness they once held. Pomni and Jax had his belongings on the carriage within an hour, thanks to assistance from Zuzanna, who had put in her two weeks' notice and was planning to start a job at The Rooker Estate.

As for Jax’s brothers, he wrote to all three regularly. Altonicus and Kali, although they did not receive the funds necessary to open their pharmacy due to Drexl’s behavior, remained as stable as ever. Alton continued his work at the hospital, and Kali started a book club, which had around a half dozen regulars, including Mirella Shutnyk.

Osvaldo was elated to be living on Primum Peccatum, free to pursue his music career. His performance at the wedding put him on the map, and he began performing original compositions at other weddings, and he had been accepted into the prestigious New Hirnantian Choral Ensemble. He flubbed his first audition due to stage fright, but conquered his anxieties for his second audition. To help with the mortgage payments, he had accepted two tenants. Dawson, the son of Lawrence, Drexl’s former business partner, happily moved in with Osvaldo. The two of them became inseparable partners, often seen around town together, and the keen-eyed had spotted Osvaldo occasionally stealing a quick kiss from his larger companion. Assuredly in a platonic way.

The other tenant was Boone, who was allowed to stay with them on the conditions that he refrain from any churlish behavior and get an occupation that would help him pay for the house. It was slow going at first, Boone applying to many jobs in several different trades. Although he was politely declined positions at the fire brigade and The Gray Church, he found that he was a rather gifted editor. He got a job at a small ad agency, finding minuscule details to fix in ad copy or business documents. His ever-drifting focus was curbed somewhat by caffeine tablets prescribed to him by his eldest brother. He struggled, of course, and often found himself reprimanded at work, but remained steadily employed and was thus allowed to stay with his brother.

Pomni wrote to Mr. Kinger, Sister Ragatha, and Zooble regularly. When he remembered to respond, Mr. Kinger was thrilled to hear from his surrogate daughter, and Pomni gifted him several books on Ediacaran insects to add to his collection. Kinger said that Zuzanna was an excellent housekeeper, tidying up the dust and cobwebs while keeping his reams upon reams of notes and sketches untouched and in their place. Sister Ragatha was pleased to learn that Pomni had secured a job, chasing her dream to be a working lady just as the Gray Sister knew she could. She sent Pomni a string of beads to pray The 13 Steps should she ever feel the need to. Although Pomni remained agnostic, she kept the string in her handbag at all times. Zooble kept Pomni up to date with the goings-on at the Shutnyk Estate, and was always free to offer their candid yet insightful advice.

Although it took some time, two years to be exact, Pomni eventually decided to write to her parents. They offered their congratulations on her job acquisition, Vladimir remarking that he could have used her sharp eyes while working on some new cases, and, inevitably, told their daughter that they missed her terribly. Pomni missed them a bit as well, but was so busy with her career that she had precious little time off to come visit them. She assured them she would one of these days, but a major event occurred four years on that stopped her tireless work in its tracks.

Pomni awoke early one morning and was sick into the toilet, and remained at home to hopefully recover from her sudden stomach illness. When her symptoms returned the following morning, she sent a telegram to Altonicus inquiring what course of action to follow. Altonicus replied, politely as ever, if she and Jax had consummated their union recently.

Pomni was midway into asking what that information had to do with anything before she stood up straighter.

“Ohhhhhh blazes…” she whispered.

Four months on and Pomni’s belly had grown significantly. Jax was over the moon with excitement, and Pomni, while initially very hesitant, relaxed when she learned that she would be granted paid maternity leave in the third trimester. Her anxieties continued to smolder, however, when she remembered how many times her mother miscarried. She took the utmost precautions, moving as little as possible, eating very bland food and taking no medication apart from the prenatal vitamins the town’s doctor prescribed. By the seventh month, she was at home on leave, her belly firm and round and the tiny life inside it doing just fine, according to the hospital.

Leave was quite simple, as Pomni had a number of books to catch up on that she previously could not read due to not speaking Ediacaran, as well as her novel to chip away at. Jax had busied himself making preparations for the infant, clearing part of the house to serve as a nursery and reading countless childcare books. Pomni, as usual, did not require much attention, but did occasionally burst into tears or snap uncharacteristically at her husband, and she would sometimes burn with a physical desire she had never known before. It mortified her how unstable the developing life inside her made her act, and she would have been ashamed at acting so erratically had Jax not been his pleasant yet dry self.

Pomni told him one winter evening to please remove a pair of black leather gloves, as the scent was bothering her. Jax smiled.

“Why of course, my dear. In fact, I’ll see to it that I personally scour each and every surface these malodorous gloves have touched!”

Pomni silenced him by playfully lobbing a book in his direction.

Nine months in, Pomni’s water broke on the way to the restroom one morning, and she was rushed to the hospital. Labor proved to be an ordeal, as Pomni’s slight stature made the delivery process especially excruciating. Pomni said things to the doctors and nurses she hoped to never repeat to a single living soul, and it was the first and only time she repeated The 13 Steps, mostly because she wanted something else to focus on other than her entire lower body being torn asunder.

What felt like an eternity of suffering later, and there was at last a tiny voice crying out into the world. Pomni saw her child and the pain was instantly forgotten. Her child. Her baby. She was here.

Jax was the first to hold her after the doctor snipped off her umbilical cord. She was perfectly tiny, little more than a bundle of blankets and damp, blue-violet fur. Jax looked at her with a fondness Pomni had only seen on her wedding day. Tears rolled down his cheeks as he looked from his minutes-old daughter to Pomni, damp with sweat and rested atop five pillows.

“She’s beautiful, darling…” he said, gently handing her over to Pomni. Pomni feebly took her daughter into her arms, motherly instinct taking over as she rocked the infant to soothe her cries.

“Hello, Esther…” Pomni managed to say before drifting into slumber, equal parts relieved and exhausted.

—

“That’s it Esther, come to daddy!”

In the foothills of the Waga Mountains in Ediacara, on a grassy knoll, a red and white checkered blanket was spread out for a family of three. The father, a periwinkle-furred rabbit beastman, the mother, a petite human woman with shoulder length raven black hair, and their one-year-old daughter. The child’s fur was a deep, umbral blue, with twinkling green eyes like peridots. She had a small tuft of violet-black hair between her long ears, her cheeks, arms and legs still cushioned by baby fat. She wriggled about on the blanket until she was sitting up, clad in a small gray dress and puffy white bloomers.

“You can do it, dear! Up-up!” Jax said, patting his knees.

Esther rocked forward onto her hands and knees. She shakily rose onto her feet, pinwheeling her arms with a squeal and dropping into a crawling position again.

“There’s no need to rush her, darling. We should be cheering that she can stand for a little while.” Pomni said, smiling.

“Oh, I know.” Jax replied. “I was just so thrilled to see her come waddling towards me this morning. It was like she had forgotten that she was supposed to crawl. She dropped right to her hands and knees when I gasped.”

Esther babbled.

“Oh, I’m sorry Esther, I know you were just as shocked as I was.” Jax said to his daughter.

Pomni smiled, holding her squirming daughter in her lap as Jax reached into the basket. He took out a few tins of vegetables, a jar of puréed ham and potatoes, and a salmon filet.

Esther fussed, continuing to try and wriggle free from her mother’s arms.

“Now you be patient, young lady. Your papa went to a lot of trouble to make all this.” Pomni chided.

“Baba,” Esther said. That was her way of saying “papa,” as P’s were a bit difficult for her. It was also her first word, her second being “night night” and her third being “mama.” It came as no surprise to either parent, since Jax was by far the one who spent the most time with Esther. He quit his job to raise her at home full time, allowing Pomni to focus on her career while also saving them the trouble of paying for a nanny.

“So, just about everyone is on the way, eh?” Jax said. “I’m amazed they could even afford roundabout passes to Ediacara…”

“Kinger paid for them. I insisted he not, but he had already sent off the crowns by the time the letter got to him. I know Kinger has a considerable fortune, but he will run out of money eventually should he spend so frivolously…”

“Babaaa!” Esther cried.

“Yes, dear, on the way…” Jax stirred a teaspoon in the jar of puréed food and withdrew it, placing it into Esther’s mouth. “You’re fretting too much again, darling. Your family will get to see your daughter! And just how much she’s grown.”

“Baba,” Esther said. Jax gave her another spoonful of food.

“I do love it here, certainly… But if someone wishes to come visit us, it shouldn’t cost them an arm and a leg. Although, that’s true of most things…”

There was a flash of color on the endless, verdant expanse the family sat on. A mote of red on a quilt of green.

“I suppose that’s true, but he should really visit while he has- Pomni?”

Pomni looked at the blot of color. There was a glint, and she gasped.

“Pomni, dear, what is it?” Jax asked.

“Hold Esther a moment,” she said, standing up and running towards the red figure in the distance.

“Mamaaaa!” Esther cried sternly.

Pomni hurried down the knoll, just about running out of her shoes. Sure enough, coming into focus was a shapeman in a red tailcoat, clutching a black walking stick with a golf leaf tip. He had an enlarged pair of dentures where his face should be.

“You-” Pomni gasped. “You, how did you get here?”

The Gentleman in Red tilted his head. “I’m sorry?”

“I… I asked you, sir. How did you get here? What are you doing here?”

“Why I’m here to see you, Mrs. Shutnyk. I believe your friend Kinger Rooker issued everyone an invitation.” He held up a boat ticket.

“You… you came with them..? No, they’re not supposed to be here for a week! Sir, please…”

Pomni swallowed.

“I’ve been left pondering for years. The night at the church, when you defended me against Boone and Mr. Krolik… Why did you do it? Why?Could you… could you at least tell me your name?”

The Gentleman in Red put both hands on his cane and tilted his head to the other side.

“You look happy, Pomni.”

Pomni blinked. “I… I am happy? I’m-”

He nodded. “Then I shall move on. Enjoy the rest of your life, Mrs. Krolik.”

He kicked his cane, twirling it in his hand and walking away.

Pomni watched him leave. She wanted to run after him. But she understood. She laughed incredulously.

“Pomni, is everything alright?” Jax said, having had to walk to avoid not jostling Esther.

“Mama,” Esther scolded.

Pomni turned and looked her husband in the eye. She smiled.

“…Why, yes. Yes it is. Shall we eat?”

Fin

[mariacallous]

After returning home from the war in Ukraine, many Russian soldiers end up in court on domestic violence charges. However, even if convicted, they usually receive little more than a slap on the wrist. According to a new report from the independent outlet Verstka, Russian courts routinely give combat veterans the minimum sentence for crimes, often letting them off with small fines — equivalent to as little as $55 — for offenses like assault. Meduza shares an English-language summary of Verstka’s findings.

“My husband returned home from the war. But this isn’t my husband, he’s not the man I knew before. Sometimes it feels like he was killed. His body came back, but not his soul. He’s become irritable. Everything angers him. Me, the kids, and everyone around him.”

“[I’m writing] anonymously. I’m sick and tired of hearing: ‘When will they let my husband go?’ Mine’s on his third 30-day leave in eight months, and he drinks like there’s no tomorrow. He’s aggressive.”

Messages like these periodically appear in social media groups for wives, mothers, and daughters of Russian soldiers fighting in Ukraine.

More than a million men living in Russia have combatant or veteran’s status, including those who fought in Afghanistan, Chechnya, and Syria. In the last two years, those fighting in Ukraine have joined their ranks.

From the early months of the 2022 invasion, human rights activists predicted that returning soldiers would trigger a surge in violence in the country. But whether this has actually happened is harder to determine. On the one hand, misdemeanor cases for minor assaults actually decreased, falling below 170,000 for the first time in seven years. On the other hand, the number of felony cases for battery has risen significantly: from 3,750 in 2019 to 13,241 in 2023.

Analysis of court verdicts and decisions across Russia shows that in the two years following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, domestic violence court cases involving combat veterans increased compared to 2020-2021. Moreover, this is by no means an exhaustive tally: Russian courts don’t publish all records, and many judges omit a defendant’s combat status from official paperwork.

In 2020-2021, magistrates reviewed at least 59 misdemeanor assault cases involving veterans. In 2022-2023, such cases nearly doubled to at least 104. District courts handled at least 33 federal assault cases where the defendants were veterans in 2020-2021, and this number almost doubled to at least 64 in 2022-2023.

Although judges seldom specify the combat zone, Verstka discovered that at least 19 men involved in these cases participated in the invasion of Ukraine. Both before and after the full-scale invasion, the vast majority of victims in these cases were women.

Getting off easy

In February 2024, a Russian magistrate’s court in annexed Crimea fined a veteran of the war in Ukraine for assaulting his wife and stepdaughter. The man told the court that his relationship with his wife deteriorated after he returned from the front and was diagnosed with cancer. According to him, his wife didn’t support him sufficiently during his treatment. He claimed that after he decided to leave, his wife attacked him and he pushed her away. “If I’d beaten her, bruises and scratches wouldn’t be the only injuries,” he told the court.

His wife gave a different account. She testified in court that her husband was habitually abusive and, that night, had threatened her with a knifing. The woman also alleged that her husband said he had “killed people like her and her daughter in Ukraine.” Doctors recorded five abrasions and 15 bruises on the woman’s arms, legs, and back. During sentencing, the judge took into account the man’s status as a combat veteran and his illness, and decided to issue only a fine.

In Tatarstan in November 2022, combat veteran Maxim Karasyov spent an entire night drinking. The next morning, he started throwing things at his wife. When she threatened to call the police, he pinned her down and tried to take her phone. She attempted to flee but was forced to return when she couldn’t open the gate. Karasyov, still drunk, then got into his car and drove off, allowing his wife the chance to call the police.

A district court fined Karasyov 7,000 rubles ($77). The judge explained the leniency of the sentence by referencing the defendant’s character, his two children, and the fact that he had fought in Ukraine.

According to Verstka’s findings, judges cited combat participation as a mitigating factor in 87.5 percent of felony battery cases and 61 percent of misdemeanor cases. The most common punishments handed out to combat veterans found guilty of domestic violence are community service, corrective labor, and probation. In all the cases Verstka analyzed, only one veteran was sentenced to imprisonment. Initially, he was given four months of community service for hitting a woman on the head, but due to an unserved sentence for robbery, he was sent to prison for two years.

For misdemeanor offenses, judges most frequently imposed a fine of 5,000 rubles ($55) — the minimum penalty provided by law. However, this money goes to the state, not the victim. In some cases, the court may not impose any penalty at all if it deems the case insignificant or if the defendant and the victim reconcile. In the cases analyzed by Verstka, judges twice terminated proceedings due to the “insignificance” of the case and three times due to reconciliation between the parties.

A question of cultural values

In a 2013 study, Russian psychologist Anna Ermolaeva found that soldiers returning from conflict zones are more prone to suspicion, impulsivity, anxiety, and extreme self-doubt compared to those without combat experience.

At the same time, not all men returning from war resort to violence against women. Stanislav Khotsky, a psychologist specializing in the treatment of people prone to aggression and violence, believes that a person’s prior values are a key factor in how that individual is shaped by their wartime experiences.

“If before gaining combat experience, their worldview included the possibility of using violence against loved ones, the chances of this increase,” he explains. “Why? Because veterans often experience an increase in their own aggression, which, in turn, raises the risk of them inflicting harm.” He asserts that with proper societal support, the risk of domestic violence in families with combat veterans can be mitigated.

Yulia Arnautova, the head of public relations at the advocacy group Nasiliyu.net (No to violence) concurs. “War is one of the most traumatic experiences a person can go through,” she says. “Traumatized people need comprehensive help — both psychological and psychiatric. They need to be made aware that they have a problem and that society is ready to help them.”

However, those working with returning soldiers emphasize that not all combat veterans suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and warn against conflating PTSD with aggression. “The people I worked with who had PTSD weren’t violent toward their loved ones, as far as I know,” says Ilya Gimpel, a former psychologist at the state-funded Defenders of the Fatherland Foundation.

“It’s important to understand that the main factors creating an environment for domestic violence are societal traditions and certain mindsets that justify violence against women by invoking certain cultural norms,” Gimpel added. “And until we have laws that prohibit the promotion and justification of violence, this will continue.”

[justinspoliticalcorner]

Will Saletan at The Bulwark:

TO PROTECT DONALD TRUMP, the Republican party has turned against every institution that stood in his way: the press (“the enemy of the people”), the civil service (“the Deep State”), presidential elections (“rigged,” “stolen”), courts (for refusing to overturn the 2020 election), the House January 6th Committee (Democrats and “RINOs”), independent counsels (Robert Mueller, Robert Hur, Jack Smith), and law enforcement (for prosecuting the insurrectionists). Now another institution is trying to hold Trump accountable. Last week, a jury in Manhattan found him guilty of 34 felonies in his hush-money trial. So Republican elected officials are doing what allegiance to their leader requires: They’re attacking the jury. These attacks aren’t confined to the quirks of the case or the politics of Manhattan. Republicans are inventing reasons to reject any verdict against Trump. It’s an extension of what they’ve done since 2020: inventing reasons to reject any election Trump loses. Respecting juries, like respecting elections, is just another obsolete norm.

1. Trump did nothing wrong.

The best argument against the Manhattan case is that Trump committed misdemeanors—falsifying business records to hide his hush-money payments—but that those charges shouldn’t have been inflated into felonies by portraying the hush money, in the context of the 2016 election, as a secondary crime. That argument would be similar to what Democrats said about President Bill Clinton’s perjury to cover up a sexual affair in the 1990s: that he behaved immorally and misled a court, but his misconduct shouldn’t have been inflated into articles of impeachment. But that’s not what Trump and his party are saying about the Manhattan case. They’re denying that he committed any crimes or even that he had sex with Stormy Daniels. “Nothing ever happened,” Trump asserted at a press conference after the verdict. In a Fox News interview, he repeated: “I did absolutely nothing wrong. I mean, absolutely.” Congressional Republicans agreed. “He’s an innocent man who did nothing wrong,” Sen. Tom Cotton insisted on Meet the Press. “@realDonaldTrump did nothing wrong,” tweeted Sen. Marsha Blackburn. “The man did nothing wrong,” said Rep. Byron Donalds. “The only thing that Donald Trump is guilty of is being in the courtroom of a political sham trial,” said Sen. J.D. Vance. Anyone familiar with the evidence knows these denials are preposterous. Trump committed adultery with Daniels, paid for her silence to hide the tryst from voters, and—to cover up the coverup—disguised the payments in his business filings. Some of his conduct in the coverup implicated him in crimes. That’s why jurors, after hearing the evidence, convicted him. Republicans can’t accept that facts decided the case. So they’ve set out to discredit the jury.

[...]

2. All the jurors were Trump haters.

This is the GOP’s main line of attack. “Twelve New Yorkers decided they were Democrat partisans,” Sen. Ted Cruz scoffed on his podcast, trying to explain away the verdict. Rep. Jim Jordan called the jurors “12 partisans” and vowed that “the real verdict will be on Nov. 5, when 330 million Americans get to weigh in,” not “12 people from Manhattan.” On CNN, Sen. Tim Scott said the jurors couldn’t be trusted because “96 percent of Manhattan are Democrats.” Rep. Nick Langworthy argued that bias in the jury pool invalidated the verdict: “This is a place where Donald Trump got five percent of the vote. There was no jury of his peers. It was a jury of his adversaries.” Hogan Gidley, Trump’s former campaign press secretary, told Newsmax, “The jury’s from Manhattan. They all hate Trump.” Manhattan is liberal, but these depictions of the jury are bogus. Trump’s lawyers vetted prospective jurors, weeding out those whose social media posts exposed them as Trump haters. One of the seated jurors said he watched Fox News. Another said he followed Trump on Truth Social. A third said she liked religious podcasts. One said he disagreed with some of Trump’s policies but agreed with others. Another said she appreciated that “President Trump speaks his mind.” The most common pattern among the jurors was a lack of strong feelings about politics.

It’s true that in 2020, Trump won only 12.3 percent of the vote in Manhattan, while Biden won 86.7 percent. But even with those lopsided numbers, it’s hard to pluck twelve jurors from a random sample of Manhattanites without including a Trump voter. By the time you’ve picked your sixth juror, the odds that your jury doesn’t have a Trump supporter are down to 45 percent. By the time you’re on the twelfth juror, the odds are down to about 20 percent. The most likely outcome, based on random probability, is ten Biden voters and two Trump voters. That’s why the jury’s unanimity matters. The vote on each felony count wasn’t 10–2. It was 12–0. All the jurors, including any who sympathized with Trump, found him guilty. But Republican lawmakers don’t care. They’ve gone right on smearing the jury.

[...]

3. Only fools or haters could have found Trump guilty.

The GOP’s jury denialism, like its election denialism, is unfalsifiable. If one allegation of ballot fraud doesn’t pan out, Trump and his allies move on to another. And if one or two jurors in the hush-money trial turn out to have been Trump voters, no problem: Republicans have concocted lots of other reasons to dismiss the verdict.

[...]

4. Nobody who respects this jury can be a Republican in good standing.

The GOP has transformed itself into a cult by ostracizing members who put any principle above loyalty to Trump. That’s what happened to Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, who served on the January 6th Committee. And now it’s happening to members who acknowledge, even with major caveats, that the verdict in Manhattan deserves respect. [...] Contempt for the Manhattan jury—and for any other jury that convicts Trump—is now a core commitment of the GOP. 

Will Saletan wrote in The Bulwark on how the MAGA Cult (which at this point may as well be a large portion of the GOP) are espousing jury denialism as part of their war on institutions and public trust to protect convicted felon Donald Trump from accountability, branching out from their election denialism.

[follow-up-news]

A Virginia mother held liable for her 6-year-old son's shooting of his elementary school teacher this year was handed a two-yearsentence Friday on a state charge of felony child neglect. Deja Taylor, 26, could have faced as many as five years in prison but was given a shorter sentence by Circuit Court Judge Christopher Papile that includes two years of probation. Still, the judge's punishment was harsher than the six months behind bars suggested by prosecutors, who as part of a plea deal dropped a misdemeanor charge of reckless storage of a firearm. Taylor must begin her state sentence after she finishes serving 21 months on a related federal charge. She pleaded guilty in June to a charge of using marijuana while owning a gun, which is illegal under federal law, and was sentenced last month. In addition, the mother is not allowed to have contact with her son, who's now 7, until he turns 18, reported NBC affiliate WAVY in Portsmouth. Friday's hearing winds down one aspect of the case, which stunned the city of Newport News, drew national attention to school safety and gun violence and prompted the ouster of the school's superintendent and an assistant principal. Authorities say first-grade teacher Abigail Zwerner was intentionally shot on Jan. 6 by one of her students at Richneck Elementary School, where she escorted her panicked class to safety. A bullet ripped through Zwerner's left hand, rupturing bones before it lodged in her upper chest, leaving behind fragments. Three months after the classroom shooting, she filed a $40 million lawsuit against the school district claiming administrators failed to listen to multiple warnings from staff and students that the child had a handgun.

[neep-neep-neep]

what gets me is Kalief Browder (“the kid who stole 1 backpack”) suffered in Rikers and committed suicide two years after release didn’t need to be charged with 80 felonies to have his life destroyed how long till this man who championed the death penalty for the Central Park Five at least gets the Bernie Madoff treatment. Like how far can this go i need him dying in a cell not free not with his family who he doesn’t even have the capacity to love I need the last years of his life taken from him by the same criminal justice system that has ground comparatively innocent humans to paste and it’s not happening. He’s a symbol, just like the insurrection he tried to pull, of the way no white crime--murder, rape, treason, terrorism--is heinous enough to match a Black or Brown misdemeanor even an imaginary one. His freedom is a constant insult and he knows it and loves it

“The average US president has been charged with 1.54 felonies” factoid isn’t true. The average US President has been charged with 0 felonies. Donald trump, who has been charged with 71, is a statistical outlier and should not have been counted

[bestandbrocklaw]

How Tennessee Classifies Controlled Substances in Drug Cases

When someone is arrested for a drug crime in Tennessee, one of the first things the court will look at is what kind of drug was involved. Tennessee law sorts drugs into five different groups. These are called Schedules. Each Schedule tells us how dangerous the drug is, how likely it is to be abused, and if it has any medical use. The lower the Schedule number, the more serious the drug is seen under the law. These categories play a big role in deciding how harsh the punishment will be in a drug case.

Schedule I Drugs in Tennessee

Schedule I drugs are seen as the most dangerous. These drugs are thought to have no accepted medical use and a high risk of abuse. Some examples include heroin, LSD, and ecstasy. If someone is caught with a Schedule I drug, the penalties can be very serious. The law treats these cases harshly because the drugs are seen as very harmful. Even a small amount of a Schedule I drug can lead to a felony charge. Selling or making these drugs can lead to a long time in prison.

Schedule II Drugs and What They Mean

Schedule II drugs also have a high risk of abuse, but some of them do have accepted medical uses. Doctors sometimes give these drugs to patients, but they are closely watched. Drugs in this group include cocaine, methamphetamine, oxycodone, and fentanyl. While they can be used to treat pain or other issues, they are very addictive. This is why the law treats illegal use, possession, or sale of these drugs as serious crimes. A person can go to jail for a long time if they are caught with these drugs without a prescription or if they try to sell them.

What Counts as a Schedule III Drug

Schedule III drugs are considered less dangerous than Schedules I and II, but they can still lead to abuse. These drugs have some accepted medical use, and they include things like anabolic steroids, ketamine, and some forms of codeine. Getting caught with a Schedule III drug without a valid prescription can still lead to trouble with the law. The penalties may be less harsh than for higher schedules, but they are still serious. Repeat offenses can make things worse and lead to bigger fines or longer jail time.

Schedule IV and Schedule V Drugs

Schedule IV drugs are thought to have a lower chance of being abused than Schedule III drugs. They include things like Xanax, Ativan, and Valium. These are drugs often used to treat anxiety or sleep problems. While they are common in medical use, it is illegal to have them without a prescription. Schedule V drugs are the least risky under the law. These might include cough medicines with small amounts of codeine or medicines for diarrhea. Even though they are lower on the list, having these without a valid reason can still lead to charges. In some cases, having a large amount of a low-level drug might raise suspicions about intent to sell.

Why These Schedules Matter in Court

When someone is facing drug charges, the Schedule of the drug can change everything. A person caught with a Schedule I drug might be looking at a felony. But someone caught with a Schedule V drug might just face a misdemeanor. Judges and prosecutors use the Schedules to help decide what kind of punishment fits the crime. This includes things like jail time, fines, or probation. The more serious the drug is under the Schedule, the more likely a person is to face tough penalties. This is why it is so important to know how Tennessee classifies controlled substances in drug cases.

What Else Impacts Drug Charges in Tennessee

While the drug Schedule is very important, it is not the only thing that matters. The amount of the drug, where the person was when they got caught, and whether they have been in trouble before all play a part. If someone has large amounts of a drug, they might be charged with having it for the purpose of selling it. If they were near a school or park, the law might add more punishment. And if the person has been arrested before, the court might be less forgiving.

The Role of Prescription Drugs in Drug Cases

Many people do not realize that even drugs given by a doctor can lead to criminal charges. If someone has pills like oxycodone or Xanax but does not have a prescription, it is treated just like having street drugs. The police and courts look at these cases very seriously. It is also illegal to give your prescription to someone else. Even if you are trying to help a friend, giving them your medicine could result in being arrested.

Possession Versus Intent to Sell

There is a big difference between having drugs for personal use and having them with the intent to sell. In Tennessee, if you have only a small amount of a drug, you might be charged with simple possession. This is still a crime, but it is not as serious as selling. But if the police find a larger amount, scales, baggies, or lots of cash, they might think you are dealing. Selling or trying to sell drugs is a felony, even if the drug is in one of the lower Schedules. This means longer prison time, bigger fines, and a permanent criminal record.

How the Court May Offer Help Instead of Jail

For some first-time offenders, Tennessee has programs that focus on getting help instead of going to prison. Drug courts are one way the system tries to help people change their lives. These courts offer treatment programs and regular check-ins. If a person finishes the program, their charges might be reduced or dismissed. This kind of program is not offered to everyone, and it depends on the type of drug, how much was involved, and if the person is willing to follow the rules.

How a Conviction Can Change Your Life

Getting a drug conviction can do more than just put you in jail. It can affect where you live, where you work, and if you can get a loan. If you have a felony on your record, it might be hard to find a job or go to college. Even if the punishment seems small, the long-term results can be big. That is why anyone charged with a drug crime should take it seriously from the start.

Why the Right Help Can Make a Difference

Tennessee’s laws about drugs can be hard to understand. The Schedules can seem confusing, and it is not always clear what kind of trouble you might be in. If you or someone you care about has been charged in a drug case, it is important to talk to someone who understands how the law works. You need someone who can explain your rights and help you figure out what to do next. A good defense can mean the difference between jail time and a second chance.

If you are dealing with a drug case and need help understanding how Tennessee classifies controlled substances in drug cases, talk to the team at Best & Brock today. They can help guide you through your options and work to protect your future. Do not wait until it is too late. Reach out now and take the first step toward a better outcome.

[duioutreach]

Navigating DUI Challenges in Utah and California

Understanding DUI Laws in Utah

Driving under the influence is treated with utmost seriousness in Utah, where some of the nation’s strictest laws aim to deter impaired driving. The Utah DUI Penalties are designed to reflect the severity of the offense, with consequences escalating based on the number of prior convictions and specific circumstances. A first-time offense is typically classified as a Class B misdemeanor, carrying a minimum of 48 hours in jail or 48 hours of community service, a fine of at least $1,310, and a 120-day driver’s license suspension. For drivers with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.16% or higher, an ignition interlock device is mandatory for 18 months. Utah’s legal blood alcohol limit is 0.05%, lower than the 0.08% standard in most states, reflecting the state’s zero-tolerance approach. For drivers under 21, a “not-a-drop” policy means any detectable alcohol can result in a DUI charge, with license suspension lasting up to six months or until age 21.

The penalties intensify for repeat offenses within a 10-year lookback period. A second offense, also a Class B misdemeanor, requires at least 240 hours in jail or community service, fines starting at $1,560, and a two-year license suspension. A third offense escalates to a third-degree felony, with a minimum of 62 days in jail, up to five years in prison, and fines between $1,500 and $5,000. Aggravating factors, such as causing injury or having a minor in the vehicle, can elevate charges to a Class A misdemeanor or felony, increasing jail time and fines. Utah’s implied consent law mandates chemical testing, and refusal leads to an 18-month license suspension, extendable to 36 months for repeat refusals. These stringent measures underscore Utah’s commitment to road safety, but they also highlight the need for informed legal strategies to navigate such charges.

California’s Approach to DUI Challenges

In contrast, California’s DUI landscape, while also strict, offers unique opportunities for mitigation through proactive measures. The state’s legal blood alcohol limit is 0.08% for drivers over 21, with lower thresholds for commercial drivers (0.04%) and those under 21 (0.01%). DUI Solutions California focus on reducing the impact of a conviction through education, treatment, and legal advocacy. First-time offenders in California typically face three years of informal probation, fines around $1,800, and a six-month license suspension, which can often be converted to a restricted license allowing travel to work or court-ordered programs. Completion of a DUI education program, typically three months, is mandatory, and participation can sometimes lead to reduced penalties. California’s approach emphasizes rehabilitation, with courts often favoring education and treatment over harsh punitive measures for first-time offenders.

For repeat offenders, California’s penalties escalate significantly. A second offense within 10 years may result in up to one year in jail, fines up to $2,000, and a two-year license suspension. A third offense can lead to felony charges, with up to three years in prison and a three-year license revocation. California also employs ignition interlock devices, mandatory for all DUI offenders since 2019, with installation periods ranging from six months to three years based on the offense. Unlike Utah, California allows for plea deals to lesser charges like “wet reckless,” which carries lighter penalties but still impacts driving privileges. Legal professionals in California often work to negotiate these reductions, leveraging the state’s focus on rehabilitation to secure favorable outcomes for clients.

The Role of Legal Advocacy

Facing a DUI charge in either state requires a nuanced understanding of local laws and penalties. In Utah, the low BAC threshold and severe consequences for repeat offenses make early legal intervention critical. An experienced attorney can challenge the validity of field sobriety tests, breathalyzer accuracy, or the legality of the traffic stop, potentially reducing charges or penalties. For instance, Utah’s “actual physical control” clause means a person can be charged with DUI even if not driving, such as sleeping in a car with keys in their possession. Skilled legal counsel can argue against such charges by questioning whether the individual had the intent or ability to operate the vehicle.

In California, legal strategies often focus on rehabilitation and plea negotiations. Attorneys may advocate for enrollment in DUI programs or substance abuse treatment to demonstrate a commitment to reform, which can sway judges to impose lighter sentences. California’s emphasis on education allows defendants to mitigate penalties by completing court-approved programs early in the process. Legal professionals can also explore defenses like improper testing procedures or lack of probable cause, which can lead to charge reductions or dismissals. The collaborative approach between courts and defendants in California provides a framework for minimizing the long-term impact of a DUI conviction.

Long-Term Consequences and Mitigation

A DUI conviction in either state carries consequences beyond immediate penalties. In Utah, a conviction remains on a driving record for 10 years, impacting insurance rates and employment opportunities. The requirement to provide a DNA sample for felony convictions adds a permanent mark in law enforcement databases. California’s penalties also include increased insurance premiums and potential job challenges, particularly for roles requiring driving. Both states

[abboudlawfirm-omaha]

How long is the statute of limitations in Nebraska?

Navigating the legal landscape can be complex, especially when it comes to understanding the statute of limitations—the time frame within which legal actions must be initiated. In Nebraska, these time limits vary based on the type of claim, whether civil or criminal. This guide aims to provide a clear and detailed overview of Nebraska's statutes of limitations, helping you comprehend the deadlines pertinent to various legal actions.

What Is the Statute of Limitations?

The statute of limitations sets the maximum period one can wait before initiating a lawsuit or criminal prosecution. Once this period expires, the legal claim is typically barred, meaning the court will not hear the case. These time frames are established to ensure fairness, preserve evidence, and provide closure to potential defendants.

Civil Statutes of Limitations in Nebraska

In Nebraska, the statute of limitations for civil actions varies depending on the nature of the claim. Below is an overview of common civil claims and their respective time limits:

Personal Injury Claims: Generally, you have four years from the date of the injury to file a lawsuit. 

Assault and Battery: These intentional torts must be filed within one year from the date of the incident. 

Defamation (Libel and Slander): Claims related to defamation have a statute of limitations of one year. 

Fraud: If you are pursuing a fraud claim, you have four years from the date the fraud was or reasonably should have been discovered. 

Trespass: Actions for trespassing must be initiated within four years. 

Contracts:

Written Contracts: The statute of limitations is five years. 

Oral Contracts: The statute of limitations is four years. 

Judgments: For foreign judgments, the statute of limitations is five years. 

Wrongful Death: Claims arising from wrongful death must be filed within two years. 

Criminal Statutes of Limitations in Nebraska

Criminal statutes of limitations in Nebraska also vary based on the severity of the crime:

Felonies:

Murder, Treason, Arson, Forgery: No statute of limitations; charges can be filed at any time. 

Other Felonies: Generally, charges must be filed within three years. 

Misdemeanors: Most misdemeanors must be prosecuted within 18 months. 

Crimes Involving a Child Victim:

Sexual Assault (Second or Third Degree) When the Victim Is 14 or Younger: No statute of limitations. 

Other Crimes Involving a Child Victim: Prosecution may begin within seven years after the offense or by the victim’s 16th birthday, whichever is later. 

Tolling of the Statute of Limitations

Certain circumstances can pause or "toll" the statute of limitations, effectively extending the time frame within which a legal action can be initiated. Common reasons for tolling include:

Defendant's Absence: If the defendant is out of state or otherwise evading the process, the statute of limitations may be tolled. 

Minor or Incapacitated Plaintiff: If the plaintiff is a minor or mentally incapacitated, the statute of limitations may be extended. 

Fraudulent Concealment: If the defendant fraudulently conceals the cause of action, the statute of limitations may be tolled.

Consequences of Missing the Statute of Limitations

Failing to initiate a legal action within the prescribed time frame typically results in the dismissal of the case. This means you lose the right to pursue that particular claim, regardless of its merits. Therefore, it's crucial to be aware of and adhere to the applicable statutes of limitations for your specific situation.

Conclusion

Understanding the statute of limitations in Nebraska is essential for anyone considering legal action. These deadlines vary depending on the type of claim and can significantly affect your ability to recover damages. Because each case is unique and legal timelines can be complex, it’s wise to speak with a trusted professional who understands the nuances of personal injury law.

If you’re navigating a potential claim in Douglas County, Bellevue, or anywhere near Omaha, don’t wait to get legal support. Consult a personal injury attorney in Omaha, NE who can guide you through your options and protect your right to compensation. Similarly, if you're in Tucson or nearby areas like Oro Valley or Sahuarita, speaking with a personal injury attorney in Tucson, Arizona can make all the difference in how your case is handled. Legal advice tailored to your situation can help you take the right steps with confidence.

[home-inspiration-blog]

Student arrested, 2nd student and 5 adults charged in Riverside high school fights, police say

One student has been arrested on a felony charge and five adults along with another student were charged with misdemeanors after two fights at Martin Luther King High School broke out earlier this week, Riverside police said Friday, May 23. The student with the felony charge, who police say called his relatives after an altercation with the other student, was arrested and booked into juvenile…

[travel-guide-mexico]

Vegas Dave Cuts a Deal to Dodge Feds in Betting Bust

High-profile sports gambler David Oancea — better known in the betting world as “Vegas Dave” — dodged serious prison time Monday by pleading guilty to a single misdemeanor charge in federal court.

Originally staring down 19 felony counts for allegedly using other people’s Social Security numbers to open player accounts at various casinos, Oancea managed to sidestep the worst of it. The feds had accused him of funneling over $1.2 million through those accounts between February 2015 and February 2016.

Instead of fighting it out in court, the 42-year-old agreed to a plea deal, admitting he broke rules tied to recordkeeping procedures. That charge could land him up to five years of probation — but his lawyer, Richard Schonfeld, is pushing for no more than three.

On top of that, Oancea will hand over more than $550,000 in a related civil forfeiture. Still, that’s probably a small price for someone who regularly flexes huge wins on social media.

Schonfeld called the plea “a fair resolution,” adding that his client is eager to move on. Vegas Dave, never one to miss a soundbite, called the outcome “a blessing in disguise.”

During the hearing, U.S. District Judge Jennifer Dorsey grilled him on what exactly he does for a living. After first claiming to be a “sports business consultant,” Oancea quickly switched to “sports information consultant” — a vague title he also throws around on Twitter, where he brands himself as the “#1 sports information consultant,” with mentions on ESPN, Fox Sports, Yahoo, USA Today, and Forbes.

He told the judge he’s been in the game for 15 years — but hustling harder over the past three. When asked what his job actually involves, he summed it up as providing insights on how teams will match up — the kind of intel that fuels his reputation for making long-shot bets pay off big.

Despite his legal troubles, Oancea remains a loud and flashy presence online, with nearly a million followers across Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. Just hours before his plea, he posted a Super Bowl promo promising to give away $10,000 if 1,000 people commented. By late afternoon, Instagram alone had racked up more than 1,400 replies. ​ Love him or hate him, Vegas Dave isn’t going anywhere — and judging by Monday’s court deal, he’s walking away from this one pretty clean.

[beardedmrbean]

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (AP) — Two men who used high-powered rifles to kill three wild burros in Southern California's Mojave Desert more than two years ago pleaded guilty on Monday to federal charges related to the shootings, prosecutors said.

The men wore tactical gear including night vision goggles as they targeted the burros in a remote area northeast of Barstow on Nov. 6, 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.

John Feikema of Yorba Linda, California, and Christopher James Arnet of Loveland, Colorado, each pleaded guilty to one felony count of possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle and one misdemeanor count of maliciously causing the death of a burro on public lands, the statement said.

Wild burros are protected under federal law. They are also an iconic symbol of the American Southwest, dating to their days as pack animals during California’s Gold Rush.

Feikema, 36, fired at least four shots, while Arnet, 32, fired at least five, investigators said.

“One burro was shot near its spine towards its hind legs, which paralyzed the burro’s hind legs and caused the animal severe pain before it died. A bullet removed from that burro was fired from Arnet’s firearm,” the statement said.

The weapons, unregistered “AR-style” rifles, were seized at each man's house, prosecutors said. As part of their plea agreements, Arnet and Feikema agreed to surrender the guns, over 4,000 rounds of ammunition, night vision goggles and other tactical gear.

At sentencing set for July 8, each defendant faces a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison for the firearm violation and up to one year for the burro deaths, according to prosecutors.

[mcginnlawfirm]

How Do Plea Bargains Work in Criminal Cases?

Plea bargains are one of those legal concepts that get thrown around a lot—especially in crime dramas—but what do they actually mean for real people facing criminal charges? If you're in a tough spot, or if a loved one is dealing with the criminal justice system, understanding plea bargains could make a huge difference. They can shorten a legal battle, reduce sentences, and even change the course of a case entirely. But they also come with risks.

What Exactly Is a Plea Bargain?

A plea bargain is an agreement between the prosecution and the defense where the defendant agrees to plead guilty (or sometimes no contest) to a charge in exchange for a concession. This could mean:

A reduced sentence

Dropping some charges

Pleading guilty to a lesser offense

The goal? To resolve the case without a full-blown trial. Trials are expensive, unpredictable, and time-consuming. Plea deals help move cases through the system more efficiently, but that doesn’t mean they’re always the best choice.

Different Types of Plea Bargains 

Plea bargains aren’t one-size-fits-all. Depending on the case, a defense attorney might negotiate different types of deals:

Charge Bargaining – The defendant pleads guilty to a lesser charge than what was originally filed. Example: A felony drug charge gets reduced to a misdemeanor.

Sentence Bargaining – The defendant agrees to plead guilty in exchange for a lighter sentence. Example: Instead of facing five years in prison, they might get probation.

Fact Bargaining – This one’s a little trickier. The defendant agrees to admit to certain facts in exchange for the prosecution leaving out other details that could result in harsher penalties.

Count Bargaining – When a person is facing multiple charges, they might plead guilty to a few while others are dismissed.

Each type serves a different purpose, but they all share a common goal—finding some middle ground between the prosecution and defense.

Why Do Plea Bargains Even Exist?

There are a few major reasons why plea deals are such a big part of the criminal justice system:

Court Backlogs Are No Joke – If every case went to trial, the system would collapse under its own weight. Plea bargains help clear dockets.

They Save Money – Trials aren’t cheap. From jury selection to expert witnesses, the costs add up fast.

Reducing Risk – Trials are unpredictable. Even if a defendant is innocent, a jury might see things differently. A plea deal can remove that uncertainty.

Victim and Witness Considerations – Some cases involve vulnerable victims who may not want to testify in court. A plea deal can spare them from reliving a traumatic event.

For the defendant, the main appeal is often getting a lighter sentence or avoiding harsher consequences. But there’s always a trade-off.

The Downsides: Why Plea Bargains Aren’t Always the Best Deal

Plea bargains aren’t some magical get-out-of-jail-free card. There are real risks involved:

You’re Admitting Guilt – Once you plead guilty, that’s it. No trial, no chance for an acquittal.

Pressure to Accept – Prosecutors might push for a deal, making it seem like the only option—even when there could be a solid defense.

Collateral Consequences – Even a reduced charge can carry long-term effects. A conviction can impact job opportunities, housing, and even personal relationships.

Possibility of a Better Outcome at Trial – Some defendants take deals when they might have won in court. That’s why having a good defense attorney is critical.

Who Benefits More—The Defendant or The System?

It depends.

For prosecutors, plea deals mean securing convictions without the hassle of a trial.

For judges, it means moving cases along and avoiding courtroom congestion.

For defendants, it can mean a second chance—or, in some cases, a rushed decision they regret later.

There’s an argument that plea bargains disproportionately affect lower-income individuals who may not have the resources for a strong legal defense. Some people take deals simply because they can’t afford to fight the charges in court, even if they’re innocent. That’s a serious issue.

Can You Negotiate a Better Plea Deal?

Yes, and this is where having an experienced attorney makes all the difference. Here’s what a strong legal team can do:

Challenge Weak Evidence – If the prosecution’s case has holes, your attorney can leverage that for a better deal.

Negotiate Alternative Sentences – Sometimes, community service or rehabilitation programs can be part of the agreement instead of jail time.

Push for Deferred Judgments – In some cases, a plea deal might allow a conviction to be removed after completing probation.

The key takeaway? Don’t accept the first deal thrown your way without legal advice.

When Should You Take a Plea Deal?

Every case is different, but here are a few general scenarios where a plea deal might make sense:

The evidence against you is strong, and a conviction at trial seems likely.

The prosecution is offering a deal that significantly reduces your potential sentence.

Avoiding trial means protecting personal or family interests.

You want to put the case behind you quickly rather than dragging it out.

On the flip side, if the deal isn’t much better than what you’d face at trial—or if there’s a strong defense—then it might be worth fighting.

Final Thoughts

Plea bargains aren’t inherently good or bad—they’re a tool. And like any tool, they can be used wisely or recklessly. If you or someone you care about is facing criminal charges, the most important thing is to make an informed choice.

That’s where a skilled attorney comes in. At McGinn Law Firm, our attorneys are committed to providing strong representation, compassionate service, and ethical counsel. Whether you're considering a plea deal or fighting charges in court, we’re here to guide you through every step.

[fredbwelker]

WHATS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FELONY VS. MISDEMEANOR IN MISSOURI?

If you’ve been charged with a crime in Kansas City or anywhere in Missouri, one of the first questions you’ll hear is whether it’s a felony or misdemeanor charge. But what’s the difference and why does it matter? At KC Defense Counsel, our skilled Kansas City criminal defense lawyers near you help clients understand the criminal justice system, their charges, and their options for defense. UNDERSTANDING CRIMINAL CLASSIFICATIONS IN MISSOURI Missouri divides crimes into two main categories: misdemeanors and felonies. The primary differences come down to the severity of the offense and the potential penalties if convicted. Misdemeanors are considered less serious and carry lighter penalties. Felonies are more severe crimes with much harsher consequences. Both types can result in jail time, fines, and a criminal record—but the long-term impact of a felony is far more serious. HOW ARE MISDEMEANORS CLASSIFIED IN MISSOURI? Misdemeanors in Missouri are divided into four classes: Class A: Up to 1 year in county jail and/or a fine up to $2,000 (Examples: 3rd-degree assault, stealing under $750) Class B: Up to 6 months in jail and/or a fine up to $1,000 (Examples: First-time DWI, trespassing) Class C: Up to 15 days in jail and/or a fine up to $750 (Examples: Minor in possession of alcohol, some traffic violations) Class D: Fine only, up to $500 (Examples: Many municipal or ordinance violations) Misdemeanors can still disrupt your life, resulting in a permanent record, job loss, or driver’s license suspension but they are often eligible for expungement after a waiting period. HOW ARE FELONIES CLASSIFIED IN MISSOURI? Felonies are categorized into five classes, with Class A being the most serious: Class A Felony: 10 to 30 years or life in prison (Examples: Murder, kidnapping, large-scale drug trafficking) Class B Felony: 5 to 15 years in prison (Examples: Robbery, voluntary manslaughter) Class C Felony: 3 to 10 years in prison (Examples: Felony DWI, 2nd-degree assault) Class D Felony: Up to 7 years in prison (Examples: Forgery, some property crimes) Class E Felony: Up to 4 years in prison (Examples: Resisting arrest, certain drug charges) Unlike misdemeanors, felony convictions often come with permanent consequences: loss of voting rights, difficulty finding housing or employment, and restrictions on firearm ownership. That’s where an experienced Kansas City criminal defense attorney comes in. HOW CAN KC DEFENSE COUNSEL HELP? Whether you’re facing a misdemeanor or felony, our team at KC Defense Counsel builds strong, strategic defenses. We negotiate for reduced charges, argue for diversion programs, and, when necessary, take your case to trial. We’ve helped countless clients avoid jail time, protect their records, and move forward with their lives. Don’t underestimate the impact of any criminal charge. Even a misdemeanor can lead to a permanent mark on your background check. And a felony? That can change your future. CONTACT A MISSOURI CRIMINAL DEFENSE LAWYER TODAY If you’ve been charged with a crime in Missouri, no matter how big or small, you need answers fast. Contact KC Defense Counsel today to schedule a free, confidential case evaluation with one of our affordable Kansas City defense lawyers near me. Our team will walk you through your options and begin building your defense right away. The post WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FELONY VS. MISDEMEANOR IN MISSOURI? appeared first on KC Defense Counsel Law Firm. via https://kcdefensecounsel.com/whats-the-difference-between-a-felony-vs-misdemeanor-in-missouri/

[masterofd1saster]

CJ current events 16jan25

America's crime problem has never been everyone committing one crime

New York City saw a “staggering” 146.5% jump in felony assault busts for repeat offenders over the past six years, the Big Apple’s top cop said — as the crime reached a two-decade high in 2024. Suspects with at least three arrests on their rap sheet were charged with assault 442 times last year, up from 274 in 2018 — part of a pattern that shows wrongdoers are being cut loose too often, with the NYPD blaming soft-on-crime Albany lawmakers.  “That is what we’re up against,” Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch told reporters at a briefing Monday. “And we know why. The key driving factor is the revolving door of our criminal justice system, created in large part by legislative changes that took effect in 2020.”*** Tisch singled out 57-year-old parolee Gary Worthy, accused of shooting and injuring both an NYPD cop and a 26-year-old woman – an innocent bystander – during an attempt to rob a Queens bodega. The injured officer, 7-year veteran Rich Wong, returned fire, fatally striking Worthy. “The shooter had 17 prior arrests — 17 of which happened when he was out on lifetime parole, including arrests for robbery, burglary and menacing within the past year,” Tisch said. “Let me repeat that: he was arrested and then released over and over again while on lifetime parole. This is evidence of a broken system, one that doesn’t put the rights and needs of victims first.”***

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Pres-Elect Trump sentencing

On Fri, 10jan, Judge Juan M. Merchan apparently sentenced Pres-Elect Trump to no punishment. This was the business records case. It's sort of a double edged sword: Merchan and co get to call Trump a convicted felon, and Trump can now appeal the conviction. Many reasonable lawyers doubt that Trump rec'd a fair trial.

https://www.newsmax.com/newsfront/donald-trump-new-york-sentencing/2025/01/10/id/1194595

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Britain: Pay no attention to the rapes behind the curtain!

An attempt by the Conservatives to have the government set up a national inquiry into grooming gangs has been voted down by 364 votes to 111 votes, a margin of 253. The amendment was attached to the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which would have been killed had the vote passed. Earlier in the day, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch argued the government risks fuelling accusations of "a cover up" by refusing an inquiry.*** A local Rotherham inquiry uncovered the sexual abuse of 1,400 children over 16 years, mainly by British Pakistani men. In Telford, up to 1,000 girls faced abuse over 40 years, with some cases overlooked due to "nervousness about race" as most suspects were men of south Asian heritage.***

"South Asian" is the term polite Britain uses for "Pakistani."

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Hey, you two, rent The Villages. Or something

WAUKESHA, Wis. - A man and woman – already charged with having sex in the Waukesha County Jail lobby last year – are now accused of having sex at a Waukesha laundromat. Desmound Cleveland and Karen Hill are each charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. Hill is additionally charged with two counts of misdemeanor bail jumping.***

Because what the world needs to see is more geriatric sex.

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Your job is following leads

KALAMAZOO, Mich. — Detectives who arrested a Battle Creek man for two murders he didn't commit could soon be forced to pay up. A settlement conference is set for Feb. 5, nearly two years after Jeff Titus was released from prison. Titus was arrested in 2001, about 11 years after he was accused of murdering hunters Doug Estes and Jim Bennett near his Kalamazoo County property in 1990.*** By time Titus was released, he was 71 years old. This happened after authorities revealed Titus' lawyer was never given a police file with details about another suspect, Thomas Dillon, in 2002. Dillion was an Ohio serial killer whose five victims were killed between 1989 and 1992 while they were either hunting, fishing, or jogging.***

He was imprisoned >20 years.

The thing I hate about these stories is that they never talk about why the exonerated person was a suspect in the first place. For all we know, Titus may have threatened to kill Estes and Bennett and his dna was found on the murder weapon. I don't think so, but the story doesn't tell you.

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How could I pass up a headline like

Gang Member "La Barbie" Allowed to Remove Ankle Monitor Before Being Caught Running Hotel Sex Prison

Estefania "La Barbie" Primera, a member of the Tren de Aragua gang, was permitted to remove her ankle monitor a year before authorities caught her orchestrating a lawless and brutal sex trafficking operation at a border hotel, according to sources. Allegedly, federal immigration officials allowed Primera, a suspected Venezuelan sex trafficker, to discard her tracking device after she complained that her belongings, including the monitor's charger, had been stolen. This leniency granted to "La Barbie" raises serious questions about the oversight of individuals involved in criminal activities. Subsequently, Primera was apprehended by law enforcement in El Paso, Texas, where she was accused of managing a sex trafficking ring within the confines of the Gateway Hotel. Shockingly, the hotel had been overtaken by members of the Tren de Aragua gang, adding a layer of complexity to the criminal activities unfolding within its walls.*** Disturbing court documents reveal harrowing testimonies from victims, with one individual alleging that Primera drugged her with a fentanyl-laced pill and facilitated a series of rapes while she was unconscious. The victim suffered severe injuries as a result of the traumatic ordeal. Furthermore, when the victim attempted to escape, "La Barbie" purportedly resorted to physical violence, forcibly returning the victim to the hotel by employing physical aggression in the form of punches and kicks, as detailed in the legal filings. Primera's arrest unfolded in late September outside the Sacred Heart Church in El Paso, a sanctuary for migrant arrivals. She was accompanied by her five young children, whom she allegedly exploited by involving them in drug trafficking activities.***

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who knew porn was addicting

A Florida deputy has resigned after body camera footage showed he was looking at pornography when he crashed into a car last year, according to a report. Lake County Deputy Tristan Macomber resigned his position after an internal investigation into the Nov. 6 crash, NBC6 affiliate WESH reported. The body camera footage showed Macomber driving when he suddenly slammed into a vehicle that was stopped in front of him. His airbag deploys before he gets out to check on the other driver, who was stopped for a school bus.***

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Excellent article about norms and feminism

***For these women, risking everything for the sake of extramarital orgasms with a person who doesn’t love you is not a destructive and selfish impulse to be resisted, but the path to a higher realm of self-actualization. They owe nothing to the world, or to their occupations, or to the people who love and rely on them; certainly they cannot be expected to honor the promises they’ve made if it means denying themselves something they desire. Films like Babygirl are brave in that they acknowledge that women, empowered to have sex like men, will do exactly that—up to and including taking inappropriate liberties in the workplace with their much younger underlings. Where they fail is in pretending that this makes them heroic figures, as opposed to total sleazebags. What equality truly demands of us is not just the license to behave just as badly as men, but to be held to the same standards of human goodness. This is the nature of middle age—when you aren’t too old to start over, but you’re definitely old enough to know better. Eventually, the path ahead of you becomes narrowed by the choices behind you; eventually, you become accountable not just to yourself but to others, too. And if some shimmering possibility presents itself, be it another lover or another life, the truly heroic thing to do is to understand the difference between a possibility and a promise, between a fantasy of what might have been and the deep-rooted truth of the life you’ve chosen—and to gently close the door.

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Not helping the immigrant community

A man seen in a viral video being confronted and apprehended by Los Angeles residents, and who was eventually arrested by police with an alleged blowtorch, is an illegal immigrant from Mexico, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) sources tell Fox News. Los Angeles police took the man into custody after a group of local residents grabbed him near the Kenneth Fire, allegedly carrying a blowtorch, according to video from Fox 11 Los Angeles.*** ICE sources tell Fox that he is a Mexican illegal immigrant named Juan Manuel Sierra-Leyva. He is in custody due to a probation violation and has not been charged with arson. ***

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Free Press notes

In America today, there are nearly 1,500 biological men incarcerated in federal women’s prisons. Nearly half of them are sex offenders, according to the Bureau of Prison’s own data—almost four times the rate of the general prison population. Across the country, female inmates have been harassed, raped, and even impregnated by male prisoners they’ve been forced to house with. Today, Free Press reporter Madeleine Kearns speaks to one of the women fighting back: 58-year-old Rhonda Fleming, who is serving a 27-year sentence for Medicare fraud. Fleming says she’s had to share facilities, including showers and restrooms, with at least 10 male felons simply because they identify as transgender. Today, a judge in Tallahassee will hear arguments that the conditions of her confinement violate her constitutional right to bodily privacy. “When you’re most vulnerable, you’re naked in a shower,” Fleming told The Free Press. “There’s no officer monitoring the showers unless some kind of emergency happens, and so at any time, anything can happen to you.” Fleming’s experience is not a one-off. All 29 federal female prisons in the U.S. allow male criminals who identify as women to be incarcerated—a practice that began in the early 2010s under the Obama administration. Trump mostly walked it back; Biden reinstated it. What would a victory for Rhonda Fleming mean for incarcerated women across the country? Read Madeleine’s investigation: “Biden’s Transgender Prison Policy Goes to Trial.”

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Babylon Bee

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1st impressions.....

NDIANAPOLIS, IN (KGAN) — A Texas man appeared in an Indiana courtroom Tuesday morning for allegedly stalking and sending sexually violent text messages to WNBA superstar and Iowa grad Caitlin Clark. Michael Thomas Lewis, 55, had his initial appearance where a judge read his level 5 felony charges. "Morning, Mr. Lewis," the judge said after the suspect entered the courtroom. "Guilty as charged," Lewis said.***

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BB -

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Policing good news

Excellent column by Olivia Reingold

If you’re a New Yorker, you probably know how Mayor Eric Adams spent part of last Friday afternoon: getting his eyebrows threaded at a salon in Corona, Queens. The now-viral moment was meant to symbolize how civilized the whole area had become in the past 90 days. A few months earlier, locals had complained that this wasn’t the kind of block you’d want to set foot on, let alone visit for a spa treatment. The only massage parlors and salons open for business seemed to be fronts for the neighborhood’s booming sex trade, with police estimating as many as 50 brothels operating in the area. The neighborhood had even developed a nickname: the “Market of Sweethearts.” “It was anarchy outside,” said Ramses Frías, a second-generation Queens native. “People were scared to leave their homes.”

After Frías and other locals held a series of rallies and protests, Adams deployed hundreds of NYPD officers, plus 50 state troopers, in a 90-day crackdown dubbed “Operation Restore Roosevelt,” referring to Roosevelt Avenue, the neighborhood’s main thoroughfare.*** Things began to change in 2021, when the NYCLU and other progressive groups successfully lobbied the state to repeal an anti-loitering law, which they claimed “enabled law enforcement to target Black and Brown transgender women, non-binary people, immigrants, and low-income communities for innocuous behavior.” They referred to the law as the “Walking While Trans Ban.” Frías says the rollback hamstrung police from taking action just as thousands of migrants were streaming into New York, exacerbating the problems mounting on Roosevelt Avenue.***

Prostitutes on Roosevelt Avenue began operating in broad daylight about two years ago. On their way to school, Frías said, kids had to start walking past scantily clad women counting cash. In September, parents at a local elementary school passed a resolution demanding “increased school safety measures.” Among the issues they said their children encountered on the way to and from school: “Open prostitution and illegal massage parlors employing sex workers,” “rampant drug use,” and “organized crime syndicates.”*** From the moment the city announced its campaign to crack down on crime in the area, progressives began to protest. Groups like Red Canary Song, which advocates for “BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Trans GNC, and Disabled Sex Workers,” claimed to speak on behalf of the people of Queens—despite being co-founded by a Columbia-educated dominatrix (other “core organizers” include a Barnard graduate turned “BDSM practitioner,” a Brown University professor, and a Yale graduate student with they/he/she pronouns). “We demand the removal of state and local troops from Queens,” an October Red Canary Song press release demanded. “These dehumanizing narratives are fabricated and weaponized to justify increased surveillance, perpetuating our community’s precarity through police violence.”***

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