Social Justice
Marissa Alexander Denied New ‘Stand Your Ground’ Hearing
A judge has ruled against Marissa Alexander’s request for a new stand your ground hearing.
Marissa Alexander has been denied a request for a new stand your ground hearing.
The judge found that additional evidence did not warrant another hearing. Florida State Attorney Angela Corey is seeking a 60-year sentence for Alexander, who was convicted of aggravated assault for firing what she said was a warning shot at her abusive husband.
The “Stand Your Ground” law allows for a person to fire if there is “reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to himself or herself.” Alexander was denied immunity under the law during her first trial.
Alexander was originally convicted and sentenced in 2012 to 20 years in prison for firing a warning shot during a confrontation with her abusive husband, Rico Gray. The conviction was overturned on appeal.
Alexander’s defense team warranted their was new evidence for a Stand Your Ground hearing which included expert testimony on battered woman syndrome and Gray’s history of domestic violence.
However Circuit Judge James Daniel found that “the basic outlines of her claim and Gray’s claim have not changed at all.” He also ruled that the recent addition of a “warning shot” provision to Florida’s “Stand your ground” law could not be applied.
Marissa Alexander’s case is now set to be retried. Alexander faces three counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. State Attorney Angela Corey this time around seeks for a 60-year-old sentence.
Source : Salon
Social Justice
Family of Black teen shot in head after ringing doorbell of wrong home sues gunman and HOA
The family of the Ralph Yarl, the Black teenager who was shot in the head after ringing the doorbell of the wrong home in Kansas City, Missouri, last year, has filed a lawsuit against the White man who shot him and the residential homeowners association where the house is located.
The family of Ralph Yarl has filed a civil lawsuit against Andrew Lester, the 85-year-old white man who shot the teen last year on his doorstep, along with Lester’s homeowners association.
Ralph Yarl family sues
The lawsuit, filed by Yarl’s mother Cleo Nagbe in the circuit court of Clay County, Missouri, accuses Lester and the Highland Acres Homes Association, Inc. of “careless and negligent conduct.”
“At all times relevant, Plaintiff (Ralph Yarl) never posed or issued a threat to Defendant, Andrew Lester,” the lawsuit states, adding the Highland Acres Homes Association “was aware of or should have been aware of Defendant, Andrew Lester’s, propensity for violence, access to dangerous weapons and racial animus.”
Yarl’s mother said in a news release that the case is not just about seeking justice for her son. By including the Highland Acres Homes Association, Inc., Nagbe said the lawsuit “underscores the importance of collective responsibility in safeguarding our communities.”
“Their knowledge of a potentially dangerous individual in the neighborhood without taking adequate precautions is unacceptable,” Nagbe wrote. “This case is not just about seeking justice for Ralph but about advocating for systemic changes that prioritize the safety and well-being of all children.”
Nagbe said she also hopes the civil suit will create a conversation about the “importance of responsible gun ownership and community safety measures of using words, not weapons.”
Suspect
Lester has pleaded not guilty to charges of first-degree assault and armed criminal action.
He was released on $200,000 bond and his trial is set to begin October 7.
Ralph Yarl shooting incident
On April 13, 2023, Ralph Yarl, now 17, went to the wrong home while trying to pick up his younger siblings. After ringing the doorbell, Ralph was shot in the head and arm.
Lester was detained the night of the shooting but released two hours later. After a public outcry, he was arrested and charged nearly a week later.
The 85-year-old claims he was scared to death of the boy’s size. Meanwhile, Yarl is 5ft8in and 140 pounds.
Yarl survived the shooting with serious injuries. Those close to the family said he had a prognosis of a full recovery, but may possibly suffer long-term brain issues.
According to the civil lawsuit, the teenager “suffered and sustained permanent injuries, endured pain and suffering of a temporary and permanent nature, experienced disability and losses of normal life activities, was obligated to spend large sums of money for medical and attention and suffered other losses and damages.”
Crime & Justice
Paramedic involved in Elijah McClain’s death sentenced to probation, work release and community service
Jeremy Cooper, a former paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with a fatal dose of ketamine, has been sentenced to probation and community service.
Jeremy Cooper, a former paramedic who injected Elijah McClain with a fatal dose of ketamine, has been sentenced to probation and community service.
Paramedic Jeremy Cooper sentenced
He had faced up to three years in prison but was sentenced to four years probation, 14 months of work release and 100 hours of community service.
Cooper and another paramedic, Peter Cichuniec, were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in December in the death of McClain, 23, who was subdued by police and injected with ketamine on August 24, 2019.
Both paramedics had pleaded not guilty to the felony charges. Cichuniec was sentenced in March to five years in prison, the minimum.
Police stop turns fatal
McClain was walking home in August 2019 when the 23-year-old Black man was confronted by police officers who forcibly restrained him. When Aurora Fire Rescue paramedics Jeremy Cooper and Peter Cichuniec arrived, they injected him with ketamine.
He went into cardiac arrest in an ambulance a few minutes later and died three days after that.
The McClain family sued the city of Aurora for Elijah’s wrongful death and received a $15 million settlement.
Social Justice
Former high school athletic director arrested and charged with using AI to frame principal
A former athletic director of a high school was arrested by Baltimore County Police after allegedly using new technology to impersonate a principal.
A former athletic director of a high school was arrested by police in Maryland after allegedly using new technology to impersonate a principal.
Maryland principal incident
In January of this year, we reported that an audio was circulating on social media accusing Pikesville High School principal Eric Eisworth of making racist and antisemitic comments.
After an investigation, authorities concluded the audio was artificial intelligence.
Suspect arrested
Dazhon Darien, 31, was charged with disrupting school activities, after investigators determined Darien faked Eiswert’s voice and circulated the audio on social media in January, according to the Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office. Darien’s nickname, DJ, was among the names mentioned in the audio clips he allegedly faked.
Maryland principal accused audio
In the audio, Eisworth allegedly claimed Black students were unable to “test their way out of a paper bag” and made “disparaging comments” about Jewish individuals and two teachers, the charging document said
“The audio clip … had profound repercussions,” police wrote in charging documents. “It not only led to Eiswert’s temporary removal from the school but also triggered a wave of hate-filled messages on social media and numerous calls to the school. The recording also caused significant disruptions for the PHS staff and students.”
Retaliation
Police say Darien made the recording in retaliation after Eisworth initiated an investigation into improper payments he made to a school athletics coach who was also his roommate. Darien is also charged with theft and retaliating against a witness.
Darien was released on $5,000 bond and waived an attorney at an initial court appearance, according to court records.
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