All articles tagged with #legal proceedings
As the Senate returns from the Memorial Day recess, GOP lawmakers float proposals to modify or scrap President Trump’s nearly $1.8 billion payout fund for those claiming DOJ targeting; more than a dozen Republican senators have privately urged the White House to end the fund, with potential legal challenges and ongoing White House input shaping the debate.
Christian Castro, an ICE agent charged in the shooting of an immigrant during Minneapolis’ crackdown, was arrested in Texas early Friday. Prosecutors say he faces multiple assault charges and falsely reporting a crime, and he is the first of two ICE officers charged with state crimes in the aftermath of the crackdown, highlighting growing state-level accountability efforts for immigration enforcement.
A federal judge in Virginia temporarily blocked the Trump administration from using or processing claims in the nearly $1.8 billion payout fund for people who allege they were unfairly investigated or prosecuted, ordering that no money be released for now as a June 12 hearing in Alexandria weighs constitutional and Administrative Procedure Act challenges.
The Supreme Court, in a 5-4 ruling, said Terry Pitchford should have had the opportunity to challenge the dismissal of four Black potential jurors, vacating his death-row conviction due to racial bias in jury selection.
Former Northern Ireland unionist leader Jeffrey Donaldson and his wife Eleanor face charges of historic sexual offences and are due to stand trial at Newry Crown Court in May 2026.
A former CIA official is accused of stealing 303 gold bars worth over $40 million from the agency, hiding them at his Virginia home, and lying about his military and educational background. The FBI seized the gold, cash, and luxury watches, and he faces charges including theft of public funds as prosecutors pursue the case within the national-security apparatus.
Franco was found guilty in a Dominican Republic retrial of sexual and psychological abuse of a minor but will not serve prison time because a three-judge panel granted him a judicial pardon; the conviction remains, and the minor’s mother was given a ten-year sentence for money laundering and threats. The verdict echoes last year’s outcome, with a full reading planned for June 16, while MLB and the Rays said they will cooperate with the league’s policy review; visa issues and possible MLB suspension could impede his return to the U.S. or active play.
A Washington Post explainer outlines nearly $1.8 billion set aside to compensate people the administration says were wrongly investigated or prosecuted, clarifying how the fund would be financed (notably via the Judgment Fund), how payouts would be distributed, and the legal and transparency scrutiny it faces—including questions about whether Jan. 6 cases could be eligible.
A federal judge dismissed the Justice Department’s human-smuggling case against Kilmar Abrego García, ruling it was improperly brought to punish him for successfully challenging his deportation, i.e., vindictive prosecution; the DOJ is expected to appeal, while Abrego García remains under house arrest in Maryland.
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis granted clemency to Tina Peters, a former Mesa County clerk convicted in 2024 on seven charges (including four felonies) and sentenced to nine years for helping copy voting machine hard drives to bolster Donald Trump’s false 2020 election claims. The clemency, pursued amid pressure from Trump and allies, would allow Peters to be released on parole starting June 1, drawing criticism from election officials over implications for election integrity.
A New York judge declared a mistrial in Harvey Weinstein’s rape retrial after jurors reported a deadlock, leaving prosecutors to decide whether to retry the case.
South Carolina’s Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s murder convictions and life sentence, ruling that a trial clerk improperly suggested he was guilty and attacked his credibility. Prosecutors say they will retry him on the murder charges, likely in 2026, while he remains in prison for unrelated financial crimes; the court also warned next time about limiting evidence related to the financial crimes.
The South Carolina Supreme Court overturned Alex Murdaugh’s 2023 murder convictions, citing improper external influences on the jury, and ordered a new trial, though Murdaugh remains imprisoned on a separate federal sentence.
A Washington-area nonprofit filed a federal lawsuit to halt President Trump's plan to resurface the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool with a blue finish, arguing the Interior Department failed to perform required federal reviews under the National Historic Preservation Act and that the Commission of Fine Arts should have weighed in. The Cultural Landscape Foundation says the changes threaten the pool's memorial purpose, while Interior Department officials defend the project as necessary to stop leaks and preserve the site for generations; the White House has not publicly commented. The case comes as the project has grown in cost to about $13.1 million, with a completion target around July 4.
Former FBI Director James Comey has asked a federal judge to cancel his scheduled appearance in a case involving threats against Donald Trump, a move that awaits a court decision.