Criminal Justice
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Brother of Gymnastics Phenom Simone Biles Arrested and Charged With Triple Murder
The brother of U.S. Olympic gymnast and multiple record-breaker Simone Biles was arrested and charged with murder Thursday, in connection with a shooting at a New Year’s Eve party in Cleveland, Ohio. NBC News reports that 24-year-old Tevin Biles-Thomas, an active-duty member of the U.S. Army, was arrested at Fort Stewart in Georgia following an…
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Late Charge: Judge Says Prosecutors’ Demand to Free ‘Innocent’ Man Jailed for Murder Comes 24 Years Too Late
Despite overwhelming evidence by prosecutors that a man sitting in a Missouri prison was wrongfully convicted of murder, a judge has denied a bid for a new trial saying, essentially, that the request comes 24 years too late. Twenty-four years is how long Lamar Johnson has been trapped in prison for what even prosecutors say…
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Florida Jury Finds Michael Drejka Guilty of Manslaughter, Rejecting His ‘Stand Your Ground’ Defense for Killing Markeis McGlockton
All hail Florida! Six years after the Sunshine State was marred in shame for its controversial “stand your ground” law—which let George Zimmerman off for killing Trayvon Martin in cold blood—the tides may be turning. Michael Drejka, who shot and killed an unarmed father in front of his family in a dispute over a handicap…
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‘Dishonoring the Badge’: Former Houston Police Officers Charged With Murder Over Deadly Drug Raid
Houston police are throwing the book at two of their officers who were caught lying about having an informant during a drug raid that left two people dead and five fellow law enforcement officials injured. On Friday, prosecutors announced that ex-cop Gerald Goines was charged with murder for the deadly Jan. 28 drug raid that…
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Newly Appointed Special Prosecutor in the Jussie Smollett Case Will Reinvestigate the Actor’s Infamous Tale and the Saga That Followed
Talk about making a federal case out of something. A Chicago judge on Friday appointed a former U.S. attorney—a fed, y’all—as special prosecutor to investigate what one guesses should be referred to as “Jussie Smollett-gate.” Sigh. According to the Chicago Tribune, on Friday, Cook County Judge Michael Toomin appointed Dan Webb, a former federal prosecutor,…
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Colin Kaepernick Reveals the Source of His Inspiration for National Anthem Protest
It’s well-known that Colin Kaepernick started his protest on the gridiron to bring attention to the police brutality and racial injustice plaguing this nation, but in a recent interview, the former quarterback reveals what specifically inspired his activism. In an interview with Paper magazine, Kaepernick says the fatal police shooting of 26-year-old Mario Woods of…
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Cyntoia Brown Releases Debut Book Cover, Says She's 'Loving Every Single Thing' About Her Freedom
Two weeks after her release from prison, Cyntoia Brown is sharing what’s she’s been enjoying the most about her freedom: the simple things. In an exclusive statement to NBC News, Brown-Long (shortly after being granted clemency, she married singer Jamie “J.” Long of the group Pretty Ricky), said she’s been relishing being able to get…
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I Got a Ring Video Doorbell and Now I Pretty Much Want to Move
I don’t know when, exactly, I decided to get a Ring video doorbell, but I do know that one day I got it in my head that I needed some minor surveillance around my door, after a series of unfortunate events. Events like the various times both UPS and the USPS claimed to have delivered…
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Georgia Argues the ACLU’s Suit Against Its ‘Heartbeat’ Law Should Be Aborted
Georgia is doubling down on its recently signed law virtually outlawing abortion in the state, telling a federal court that it should dismiss an effort by the American Civil Liberties Union to stop the law from taking effect. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, attorneys for the state told the court that Georgia had a vested…
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Police Digitally Alter Mugshot to Implicate Bank Robbery Suspect: 'They’re Increasing the Risk of Mistaken Identity'
I know they think we all look alike, but with the assortment of distinct tattoos that adorn Tyrone Lamont Allen’s right cheek, forehead and left eye, it’s pretty damn hard to mistake the 50-year-old for anybody else. Yet, when a string of bank heists occurred in April 2017 and not a single bank teller could…