On Wednesday, the Justice Department announced it is planning to drop investigations into nearly two dozen police departments accused of civil rights violations. These include departments in Memphis, TN, Pheonix, AZ, Oklahoma City, OK, Trenton, NJ, Mount Vernon, NY, and the Louisiana State Police. The Department also announced it will drop consent decrees setting requirements for police training and establishing outside monitoring reached after incidents of police violence in Minneapolis, MN and Louisville, KY. The head of the Department’s civil rights division, Harmeet K. Dhillon, said the Department is reviewing consent decrees and federal oversight arrangements in place with nearly a dozen other cities to determine if they should be abandoned as well. This is following an executive order signed last month directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to review all federal consent decrees and to “modify, rescind, or move to conclude” them within 60 days. Read on for more criminal law news.
Arrest made in New Orleans jailbreak. Authorities made their first arrest of an accomplice in the case of ten inmates who escaped from a New Orleans jail. On Friday last week, the inmates escaped custody by climbing through a hole in the wall behind a toilet, scaling a fence, and crossing an interstate. Since then, five have been apprehended, and a Sheriff’s Office employee has been arrested for aiding their escape. The employee, a maintenance worker, turned off the water in the cell from which the inmates escaped, and later told investigators the inmates said they would “shank him if he did not.” Officials in Louisiana and neighboring states are asking the public to stay alert and report tips or anything suspicious and are offering up to $20,000 in rewards for each suspect apprehended. At a minimum, each suspect apprehended so far has been charged with simple escape, punishable with up to five additional years of imprisonment.
Trial continues against Sean Combs. The federal trial against Sean Combs on sex trafficking and racketeering charges continued this week. Yesterday, rapper Kid Cudi took the witness stand and testified about his brief relationship with Combs’ ex-girlfriend, Casandra “Cassie” Ventura. Ventura testified last week about abuse she endured during her years-long relationship with Combs from 2007 through 2018. She testified that she developed a relationship with Cudi in late 2011, and that when Combs learned about this, he threatened to blow up Cudi’s car and hurt him. In part, Cudi testified that his car was set on fire weeks after Combs broke into his home. The trial is a result of a federal investigation into Combs launched in November of 2023, a day after Ventura sued Combs alleging years of sexual and physical abuse (the lawsuit was settled by Combs the next day for $20 million). The trial began on May 12, and so far has included testimony from over ten witnesses. It is expected to last about two months.
Netflix film explores North Carolina murder case. In 2015, Tom Martens was living in Wallburg, NC with his daughter, Molly Martens, Molly’s husband, Jason Corbett, and their two children Jack and Sarah. That summer, Tom, a former FBI agent, called 911 to report that Molly and Jason had gotten into a fight and to request medical help for Jason. In the 911 call, Tom said “He’s bleeding all over, and I may have killed him.” Tom and Molly later admitted to killing Jason with a brick and a baseball bat. They were charged with second-degree murder, and claimed self-defense. Released on Netflix earlier this month, A Deadly American Marriage explores the love story leading up to Jason and Molly’s marriage and follows the ensuing murder case as it makes its way as far as the North Carolina Supreme Court. The film features exclusive interviews with Tom, Molly, Jack, and Sarah, along with attorneys and investigators involved with the case. You can read an in-depth look into the story and what happened here.
Charges declined in fatal law enforcement chase. Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman announced that two North Carolina Highway Patrol State Troopers will not be criminally charged in the death of Tyrone Mason in October of 2024. Trooper Garrett Macario and Sergeant Matthew Morrison were the subjects of a lengthy investigation into the circumstances of the fatal crash after authorities discovered Trooper Macario made false statements to other officers who arrived on the scene. Although Trooper Macario initiated the traffic stop and chase, he instead did not disclose his involvement and said he “rolled up on” the wreck. Freeman said that although the initial false statements were inexcusable and created significant concerns, the circumstances and evidence would not support a successful prosecution. The District Attorney’s Office has dropped almost 200 cases in which either Trooper Macario or Sergeant Morrison made an arrest. At the conclusion of the investigation, the Highway Patrol said the Troopers will remain employed on desk duty.
Numbers don’t lie? A new scam targeted Triangle resident Jes Averhart claiming that her mother had been kidnapped and was being held ransom. At 2:30 on Sunday morning, Averhart got a phone call—from her mother’s phone number—where a man said, “I’m not gonna hurt your mom, but if you call the police, I’ll kill her.” The latest technique of “spoofing” known phone numbers makes it appear the call is coming from a loved one, when it is in fact being made by a third person. Averhart had her doubts, and after telling the scammer she wouldn’t pay anything until she heard her mother’s voice, the scammer hung up. Unnerved, Averhart called 911 and drove immediately to her mother’s house, where she was relieved to find her mother safe and sound. Durham Police said, “We advise community members that if they receive a similar call, they should immediately hang up, avoid providing any personal or financial information, make contact with the family member, and report the call to the police.”
A brief encounter. Joseph Bailey, 39, was arrested on Sunday evening in Kinston, N.C. for assault on a law-enforcement officer, second-degree trespassing, and being intoxicated and disruptive. That evening, Bailey went inside a gas station wearing only underwear and “did appear intoxicated” according to authorities. Based on his inappropriate attire, store staff called 911. When asked by an officer to leave the gas station, Bailey became agitated, began yelling, and refused to comply. This led to a physical fight with multiple officers, during which Bailey broke one officer’s right arm. He was ultimately taken into custody and transported to the Lenoir County Jail, where he was given a secured bond and a June 2nd court date.
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