Tag Archives: guilty

Richard Sherman was charged earlier on Friday with two domestic violence counts, driving under the influence, resisting arrest and endangering roadway workers; charges are all misdemeanors, punishable by up to 90 days in jail, or gross misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year

Last Updated: 17/07/21 9:01am

Richard Sherman, right, sits in court as his wife Ashley Sherman, left, looks on during a hearing

Free agent NFL cornerback Richard Sherman pleaded not guilty to five misdemeanor charges in connection with his arrest outside his in-laws’ home this week.

Sherman was charged earlier on Friday with two domestic violence counts, driving under the influence, resisting arrest and endangering roadway workers.

He was arrested in Redmond, Washington, after police said he crashed his car in a construction zone and then attempted to break into his in-laws’ house on Wednesday.

Before appearing for his court hearing, which he attended alongside his wife, Ashley Sherman, Sherman said he is “deeply remorseful” for his actions.

A statement on Twitter read: “I behaved in a manner I am not proud of. “I have been dealing with some personal challenges over the last several months, but that is not an excuse for how I acted.

“The importance of mental and emotional health is extremely real and I vow to get the help I need. I appreciate all of the people who have reached out in support of me and my family, including our community here in Seattle.

“I am grateful to have such an amazing wife, family and support system to lean on during this time.”

The charges are all misdemeanors, punishable by up to 90 days in jail, or gross misdemeanors, punishable by up to one year.

Under the terms of his release, Sherman may not possess a weapon, use alcohol or nonprescription drugs, or have any contact with his father-in-law.

Sherman, unsigned for the upcoming NFL season, is a vice president on the NFL Player Association’s executive committee and spent the past two seasons with the San Francisco 49ers.

His first seven seasons were spent with the Seattle Seahawks, with whom he made two Super Bowl appearances, winning in 2014.

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This post originally posted here SkySports | News

Former Oklahoma City Thunder employee turned in by coworkers pleads guilty in US Capitol riot

July 15, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

Danielle Doyle, 37, pleaded guilty to illegally demonstrating inside the US Capitol on January 6 and agreed to pay $ 500 in restitution for damage done to the building during the riot. Prosecutors have cut the same deal for other defendants that face similar allegations to Doyle, who was not violent or destructive inside the building.

Doyle’s plea comes in a flurry of deals involving defendants that face lesser charges, with two more defendants scheduled to plead guilty later this week.

The charges have a potential maximum of six month in jail, though it is likely Doyle will be ordered to serve much less, or even no jail time, when she is sentenced in October. Only two rioters have been sentenced so far, one of whom received jail time.

Federal prosecutors identified Doyle after two of her former coworkers at the Oklahoma City Thunder, Oklahoma’s NBA team, reported her to the FBI after they noticed her in CNN video of the riot. Employees for the team had circulated a video of the clip, which showed Doyle inside the Capitol, according to a filing supporting her arrest.

A review of Doyle’s LinkedIn profile shows that she worked for the team from 2010 to 2020 in ticket sales, and the organization confirmed to CNN in March that she had resigned in December 2020 to take a position elsewhere.

Investigators also found surveillance footage allegedly showing Doyle climbing through a broken window and walking down a staircase and through a hallway in the overrun Capitol building.

Fifteen other rioters have pleaded guilty so far in the massive federal investigation, according to CNN’s reporting.

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This post originally posted here CNN.com – RSS Channel – HP Hero

Canada

A London Cop Has Pleaded Guilty To Murdering British Woman Sarah Everard

July 10, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

The London police officer arrested for the kidnapping, rape, and killing of 33-year-old Sarah Everard pleaded guilty to her murder on Friday in a crime that sent shockwaves through the UK.

Wayne Couzens, the 48-year-old former Metropolitan Police officer, had already admitted to kidnapping and rape, having pleaded guilty to the charges on June 8. At the time, he also admitted he “was responsible for her killing,” but did not enter a plea on the murder charge, prosecutors said.

On Friday, officials announced Couzens had pleaded guilty to murder and will be sentenced on Sept. 29.

“This plea is as a result of a great deal of hard work by the prosecution team,” said Carolyn Oakley of the Crown Prosecution Service. “The police should be commended for their thorough and tireless investigation into Sarah’s disappearance.”

Everard, a London-based marketing executive, disappeared on the night of March 3 while walking home from a friend’s house. Couzens was arrested days later, and Everard’s body was found in a wooded area more than 50 miles from where she’d last been seen. An autopsy revealed the cause of death to be compression of the neck.

The young woman’s death set off a tidal wave of grief and anger in the UK. Online, many women spoke out about gendered violence and the lack of safety they often feel just going about their lives. A peaceful vigil in London held shortly after the murder drew thousands, but police met it with force, arresting four women and igniting even deeper fury against the same institution that employed Everard’s killer.

In a press conference on Friday, Metropolitan Police Commissioner Cressida Dick said she and the entire police force are “sickened, angered, and devastated” by Everard’s murder and “feel betrayed” that it was committed by one of their own.

“Sarah was a fantastic, talented young woman with her whole life ahead of her, and that has been snatched away,” Dick said. “She was hugely loved, and she will be sorely missed by so very many people.”

It is still unknown why Couzens murdered Everard. In court, prosecutor Tom Little said they had never met and were “total strangers to each other,” according to the BBC.

He had previously concocted an elaborate lie to explain the events, the BBC reported, falsely claiming an Eastern European gang threatened his family and forced him to kidnap Everard.

But the true motive for the brutal crime, if such a motive even exists, remains a mystery.

“Couzens lied to the police when he was arrested and to date, he has refused to comment,” Oakley said. “We still do not know what drove him to commit this appalling crime against a stranger.”

Author: Julia Reinstein
Read more here >>> BuzzFeed News

Canada

Ex-officer pleads guilty to manslaughter as family blasts deal

July 3, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

The mother of a Black man fatally shot in the United States by a white former Nashville officer sobbed, screamed and knocked over a court lectern on Friday as she begged a judge not to accept a plea deal she says was struck in secret without her knowledge, a chaotic scene that briefly delayed a hearing.

Former officer Andrew Delke pleaded guilty to manslaughter and will serve a three-year prison sentence in the death of Daniel Hambrick, 25, in 2018 as part of an agreement with prosecutors.

As part of the agreement, Delke agreed not to pursue parole or appeal the case. However, Delke’s defence team said he will likely serve a year and a half in jail with standard credits.

Prosecuting police officers in the US is difficult because courts and juries tend to side with police. That may be changing. Prompted by widespread Black Lives Matter protests after the death of George Floyd in 2020, the US Congress is debating police reform proposals.

The hearing turned volatile as Hambrick’s mother, Vickie, gave a lengthy statement as family members and others applauded. Other supporters, outside the court in the hallway, banged on the door in support. Delke’s family sat on the other side of the courtroom with security guards.

“I hate you,” Vickie Hambrick screamed over and over again, while also yelling out profanities, directing some at Delke and prosecutors.

In a chaotic moment, the mother knocked over the lectern and a computer monitor, and family members rushed to her side. Delke and Judge Monte Watkins were briefly ushered out of the court.

Delke, 27, was about to face trial for a first-degree murder charge, but his lawyer announced he had would plead guilty to a reduced charge of voluntary manslaughter.

“I hope this case can contribute positively about the much-needed discussion about how police officers are trained and how we as a community want police officers to interact with citizens,” Delke said shortly after entering his plea.

His voice cracking at times, Delke apologised, saying he was “deeply sorry for the harm my actions caused”.

A group of roughly two dozen protesters gathered outside the court, chanting “no racist police” to show their opposition to Delke’s plea deal. Others wore shirts noting that police officers and white people receive lighter penalties for committing the same crimes as Black and brown people.

Hambrick’s family said they were not contacted or consulted and did not know about the plea deal until after it was done.

“I have contempt for this system. I have contempt for this plea. I have contempt for the [Fraternal Order of Police]. And I have a special contempt for Andrew Delke. May you all rot in hell,” said lawyer Joy Kimbrough, who read the statement of Vickie Hambrick as she wept behind her.

District Attorney Glenn Funk told reporters afterwards that he informed Hambrick’s family lawyer of the deal on Wednesday and spoke to Vickie Hambrick on Thursday. He said he has been in contact with them for three years, and knew Vickie Hambrick wanted Delke to be convicted of murder and sentenced to prison for life.

In accepting the plea agreement, Funk said he made the decision in the best interest of the state of Tennessee. There was a “very large percentage” chance that the case would have ended in a hung jury, Funk said, which he said would have meant the emotion seen in the court on Friday “would have been played out one-hundred-fold”.

Funk called it “significant progress” that “tonight will be the first night Nashville has had a police officer in jail for shooting a Black man on duty”.

Prosecutors focused on surveillance footage that captured the shooting, in which Delke stops chasing and shoots the fleeing man.

Nashville’s Metro Council has approved a $ 2.25m settlement to resolve a civil lawsuit by Hambrick’s family.

For Vickie Hambrick, who is legally blind, the loss of her only child will forever haunt her.

“My son was my eyes,” Kimbrough said, reading Vickie Hambrick’s statement. “Since he’s been gone, things have not been the same and they never will be.”

Pearland librarian's legacy lives on as husband pleads guilty to her murder

June 29, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — More than two years after a former Houston Police Sergeant shot and killed his wife, he’s plead guilty to murder and was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

It’s justice for a family still coping with unimaginable loss.

Belinda Hernandez was a school librarian, an educator, and a life-long learner.

In March 2019, her husband, Hilario Hernandez, who was an HPD sergeant for more than 30 years at the time, shot and killed her. He took off and was later arrested not far from the Texas-Mexico border, leaving the couple’s adult children to grieve.

Christina Foos is their daughter. On Friday, she faced her father, who she now calls Larry, in court.

As her father prepares to begin his sentence, Foos is following in her mother’s footsteps as an educator for Pearland ISD.

“It’s definitely been a long two years,” she said. “A devastating situation for my brother and myself. Essentially, that day, we lost both our parents. Mainly, what I made the focus about was her and her legacy. I made that known in the speech that it is no longer about him and it’s completely about her.”

Foos is grateful this chapter is closed. Her mother’s memory is a constant reminder of how to live a good life.

“We miss her every day. She is just simply irreplaceable,” Foos said.

Belinda’s legacy lives on at two Pearland ISD campuses, one at which she was the librarian and another at which she taught reading.

There are free libraries filled with donated books, all dedicated in her memory.

Sonia Serrano first hired Belinda more than 20 years ago and mentored her as the mother of two went back to school to become a teacher. She then earned her master’s degree so she could become a librarian and share her love of reading.

“She had a passion for education,” Serrano said. “She was a life-long learner. She loved books. She loved providing instructions to students no matter what her role was. She took every opportunity available to teach kids life lessons. “

Michelle Kiefer, the principal at Shadycrest Elementary, said she misses Belinda’s spirit, but thinks of her when she walks into the library or when she sees the mural she painted or when she passes the little library built in her honor.

“We just couldn’t be more proud of Belinda Hernandez and the legacy she has created, not only for her kids and her family, but for Pearland ISD and the whole Pearland community,” said Kiefer.

In addition, those libraries mean everything to her children.

“We’re so honored and feel very blessed that she continues to live on in our community,” said Foos.

For the latest on this case, follow ABC13 reporter Tom Abrahams on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Author: Tom Abrahams

This post originally appeared on ABC13 RSS Feed

San Antonio man found guilty of COVID-19-related hoax

June 22, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

SAN ANTONIO – A federal jury on Monday found a 40-year-old San Antonio man guilty of executing a COVID-19-related hoax.

Jurors convicted Christopher Charles Perez, aka “Christopher Robbins,” on two counts of 18 U.S.C. § 1038, which criminalizes false information and hoaxes related to biological weapons, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas.

Evidence presented during the trial revealed that Perez posted two threatening messages on Facebook. He claimed to have paid someone infected with COVID-19 to lick items at grocery stores in the San Antonio area because he was trying to scare people away from visiting the stores.

On April 5, 2020, a screenshot of the initial posting was sent by an online tip to the Southwest Texas Fusion Center, which then contacted the FBI office in San Antonio for further investigation, officials said.

The threats were deemed to be false, according to investigators and Perez, officials said.

Perez faces up to 10 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 20.

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This post originally appeared on Texas News

Celebrities

Paula Radcliffe talks feeling ‘guilty’ in update after teenage daughter's cancer diagnosis

June 11, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

Speaking to Express.co.uk, Paula Radcliffe, 47, gave an update about her daughter’s health amid her cancer treatment plan. The former British long-distance runner said chemotherapy had shrunk Isla’s tumour and she was given the all clear at her last check up.

Paula, who will be at this year’s RunFestRun festival, said Isla was now back playing sport and is “all healthy”.

“She’s fine and her hair is growing back slowly,” she revealed.

Isla has been having checks up and tests every three months in France, where the family have been living since 2005.

The teenager was given the all clear at her last check up and is due a further test in July.

On learning of the diagnosis, the runner added: “The tumour had grown a fair bit, once we found out, obviously you have that bit where you’re feeling guilty as a parent thinking, ’Is it something I did wrong? Is it something I should’ve picked up on sooner?’

“Once we had a diagnosis and a treatment plan, we really just focused on sticking to the plan, we had a lot of faith in the doctors, who was telling us the prognosis was good.

“The tumour did shrink with the chemotherapy.”

Paula shares Isla and 10-year-old son Raphael with her husband Gary Lough.

Paula added she wasn’t a “pushy mum” who cheered her children on from the sidelines, but encouraged them to have a healthy lifestyle.

“I do encourage Isla by making sure she gets a good breakfast when she’s competing, getting her enough drinks, making sure she does her stretches and all of that,” she added.

The three-time winner of the London Marathon retired from competitive long distance running in 2015, but she hasn’t hung up her trainers for good just yet.

The athlete will be a part of this year’s RunFestRun, which takes place at Laverstoke Park Farm from 27th to 29th August 2021.

When not running, visitors will be able to enjoy inspiring talks from running heroes including Paula and Colin Jackson.

Family activities, fitness workshops, a shopping village featuring great brands, and fabulous street food and drink will also be a part of the fun day.

Speaking of her involvement, she said: “It’s good to have family fun and for people to be able to get out and enjoy themselves.

“A lot of people, pretty much everybody, had some difficulties adjusting and coping through lockdown.

“But some of the good things were the fact that families got to spend more time together and people started to appreciate their mental and physical health a little bit more.

“Events like Run Fest are really going to be popular and help a lot of people make their way back [to normality], that’s ticking those boxes if you like, healthy family fun!”

Tickets are on sale now at www.runfestrun.co.uk.

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This post originally appeared on Daily Express :: Celebrity News Feed

Accused serial killer with ties to Houston found guilty in Oklahoma teen's kidnapping and murder

May 29, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

OKLAHOMA CITY, Oklahoma (KTRK) — A suspected serial killer with ties to high-profile Houston-area cases has been found guilty of kidnapping and killing an Oklahoma woman more than 20 years ago.William Lewis Reece, 61, was charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping in the 1997 killing of 19-year-old Tiffany Johnston, who was abducted from a car wash in Bethany, Oklahoma. Her body was found the next day in Canadian County.

Oklahoma prosecutors have said they would seek the death penalty in the Johnston killing.A Texas Ranger testified during a preliminary hearing in 2017 that Reece acknowledged killing “the Oklahoma girl” during an interview in March 2016. He’s also suspected of killing a woman and two girls in Texas in 1997.

Johnston, 20-year-old Kelli Cox, 17-year-old Jessica Cain and 12-year-old Laura Smither all disappeared over a four-month period in 1997, after Reece had been released from an Oklahoma prison for previous rape and kidnapping convictions. Smither was from Friendswood and Cain was from Tiki Island. Cox was from Denton, Texas.

“This case was for Tiffany Johnston, but it was also for all the girls and yeah, I felt tremendous relief to finally have that day in court,” Gay Smither said in an interview with ABC13 from her hotel room in Oklahoma City.

Gay has been in court every day. Jurors heard eight days of testimony from almost 20 witnesses. She said much of it revolved around the Texas cases, including the murder of daughter.

“We’ve been reliving everything through the testimony and it’s been brutal,” she said.

In 2016, Reece was already serving a 60-year prison sentence in Texas for kidnapping when he led police to graves in southeast Houston and Brazoria County where Cain and Cox’s remains were found. In the end, investigators said he confessed to the four murders and cooperated as part of a deal with prosecutors who agreed to take the death penalty off the table in Texas.

“In the end, he did the right thing,” said Gay, who also praised law enforcement for their persistence. “He came forward with the information and he brought answers to Jessica and Kelli’s families, and I can’t put a price tag on that. I have nothing but praise for the Friendswood Police Department and the Texas Rangers. What they did for all of our families was absolutely incredible.”The punishment phase begins on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Reece still faces murder charges in Galveston County for the deaths of Cain and Laura Smither, and it’s unclear how those will move forward.

“Decisions on how these cases will be resolved will be made after the conclusion of the proceedings in Oklahoma,” said Brent Haynes, Assistant Criminal District Attorney, in an email to ABC13.

Gay will be back in an Oklahoma court room next week to watch the second phase of Reece’s trial knowing it might be the only one she gets.

“Whatever happens, it’s in God’s hands and we’re at peace with it,” she said.

WATCH: Mom of girl killed says she felt ‘relief’ after guilty verdict

On Friday, the father of Cain, C.H. Cain, issued the following statement:“I’m just glad that he can never harm another innocent young woman. We will miss Jessica every day of our lives, but as for Reece, my heart had been at ease for a very long time, because I know that the final judgement belongs to God. What happens on Earth is temporary. What God decides is eternal.”

EXCLUSIVE: Woman says she was kidnapped by William Reece speaks out for first time

Follow Jessica Willey on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Author: Jessica Willey

This post originally appeared on ABC13 RSS Feed

Derek Chauvin’s Lawyer Asks for a New Trial After Guilty Verdict

May 6, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

In the social media photo that surfaced this week, Mr. Mitchell, smiling alongside two other men, is wearing a T-shirt with an image of Dr. King and the phrase, “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks.”

The anniversary event in Washington, promoted by the Rev. Al Sharpton and his National Action Network, the N.A.A.C.P. and other groups, was known as the “Get Your Knee Off Our Necks” rally, a reference to the more than nine minutes that Mr. Chauvin knelt on Mr. Floyd’s neck before he died. Mr. Floyd’s relatives were among the speakers at the rally.

Judge Peter A. Cahill, who oversaw the Chauvin trial, could convene a hearing to question Mr. Mitchell and probe whether he lied on his questionnaire. But even if Judge Cahill determined that Mr. Mitchell intentionally misled the court on his questionnaire, that alone likely would not be enough to throw out the verdict, legal experts said. The 12 jurors took about 10 hours to convict Mr. Chauvin of all three charges he faced: second- and third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter.

Jurors are allowed to have opinions, legal experts said, but they have to be willing to set them aside and agree to decide a case based on the evidence. For example, a juror in the trial of Paul Manafort, an adviser to former President Donald J. Trump, told Fox News that even though she was a strong supporter of Mr. Trump, she had voted to convict Mr. Manafort.

Experts also said that given the evidence in Mr. Chauvin’s case, a court would be hard pressed to throw out the jury’s decision. Mr. Chauvin could receive decades in prison during his scheduled sentencing next month.

“Given that the evidence was pretty overwhelming, it would take a lot for an appellate court to reverse his conviction,” Ms. Moriarty said.

Benjamin Brafman, a criminal defense lawyer in New York who did not have any involvement in the Chauvin case, said the court would also be cognizant of the public view of the case.

Author: John Eligon
This post originally appeared on NYT > U.S. News

Showbiz

Star held without bail in Arkansas jail and not guilty plea

April 30, 2021 Newslanes Media Leave a comment

FAMILY FOCUSED

As Josh Duggar is indicted on child pornography charges, the rest of his kin have been reacting differently – with many focused on other members of the family.

On Thursday evening – just after news of his brother’s arrest broke – Joseph Duggar, 26, posted a professional portrait with his wife, Kendra, and their three kids.

The family wore neutral colors – beige, white and grey – for the smiling picture where the matriarch proudly held her newborn daughter, Brooklyn.

Their son, Garrett, and daughter, Addison, also posed for the picture.

“We have been enjoying getting adjusted to a family of 5 so I haven’t posted in a while!

“But here are some of our favorite pics from our newborn photos,” they captioned the photos on their joint family page.

Jill commented, adding that the message and pictures were “so sweet.”

While brother John and his wife, Abbie, wrote that the pictures were “priceless.”

After not posting to their Instagram page since the very beginning of the month, the couple posted on the day of Josh’s arrest.

Author: Catherina Gioino
This post originally appeared on Showbiz – latest celebrity news, gossip, photos, TV and film reviews | The Sun

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