Criminal Justice
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Death of Civil Rights Activist Sadie Roberts-Joseph Ruled a Homicide
Authorities have revealed the cause of death of Sadie Roberts-Joseph, a beloved activist and pillar of her Baton Rouge, La., community. According to Buzzfeed News, a preliminary autopsy conducted by the East Baton Rouge Parish Coroner’s Office determined that the 75-year-old died of “traumatic asphyxia, including suffocation.” Her death has been ruled a homicide. Coroner…
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‘Where’s My Daughter?’ Parents of Alleged Victim Confront Publicist for R. Kelly After New Federal Charges
The visibly anguished parents of an alleged victim of R. Kelly confronted a spokesman for the singer Friday during a news conference held following Kelly’s latest arrest on new federal child pornography and racketeering charges. “Where’s my daughter at? Answer that question!” Timothy Savage, father of 23-year-old Joycelyn Savage, yelled as Kelly publicist Darrell Johnson…
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Appeals Court Refuses to Block Trump Rule That Would Cut Planned Parenthood Funding
In a major setback for Planned Parenthood, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that a Trump ban on funding clinics that refer women to abortion providers can take effect while the court weighs the overall merits. Federal law has long banned use of federal funding to pay for abortions, but monies could still be provided…
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Prosecutor Drops Charges Against Marshae Jones, the Alabama Woman Who Caught a Case When She Lost Her Unborn Baby After Getting Shot in a Fight
Marshae Jones, the Alabama woman who was arrested and charged with manslaughter in the death of her fetus after she got shot during a fight, will not be prosecuted, the district attorney overseeing the case said Wednesday. Jones’ arrest last week sparked national outcry from activists concerned about the rights of pregnant women in states…
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Cyntoia Brown Documentary in the Works at Netflix
Cyntoia Brown was just 16 years old in 2004 when she was arrested and charged with the murder of 43-year-old Johnny Allen. She was tried as an adult and sentenced to life in prison. In January 2019, former Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam granted Brown clemency and commuted her sentence. Brown, who is now 30, will…
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Marshae Jones’ Attorney Files Motion to Dismiss Manslaughter Charge; DA Responds to Criticism
Lawyers for Marshae Jones, the Alabama woman charged with manslaughter after her unborn baby was shot and killed in utero, filed a motion to dismiss the case on Monday morning, calling the indictment against her “unreasonable, unfounded, and unjust.” High-profile Alabama defense attorney Mark White took up Jones’ case, the Montgomery Advertiser reports, and issued…
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Alphonso David Becomes 1st Black President of Human Rights Campaign: ‘I Will Fight for Each and Every One of Us’
The Human Rights Campaign has hired civil rights lawyer Alphonso David as its seventh president. According to the Advocate, he is the first person of color to lead the organization in its nearly 40-year history. He will assume the role in August, replacing Chad Griffin, who served as president of the organization since 2012. “If…
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Convo Over ‘Snitching’ Said to Have Sparked Shooting That Left Nipsey Hussle Dead
Just before he was gunned down, Nipsey Hussle had a brief discussion with his alleged killer about whether the man had been “snitching,” prosecutors told the grand jury in the case. That’s according to a transcript of prosecutors’ remarks to a Los Angeles County grand jury in May that the Los Angeles Times had asked…
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Alabama Amends Law to Strip Parental Rights From Those Convicted of First-Degree Rape
Alabama has made a move toward loosening rapists’ hold on parental rights in the state. The move is seen as particularly important since Alabama just virtually outlawed all abortions in the state, with no exceptions for rape or incest, which left open the nightmarish possibility that a woman could be raped and then forced to…
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Mom Driving SUV Kills 3-Year-Old Son in a Game of ‘Chicken’ With Her Children, Prosecutors Charge
A 26-year-old Houston woman is being held on a new, higher bail of $25,000 as she faces charges that she played a twisted game of chicken with her three young children, and killed her 3-year-old son when she hit him with her SUV—twice. Lexus Stagg was arrested and jailed for a second time during a…