Latest news with #constitutionalrights
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
Judge: Kohberger trial 'likely' to stay on schedule
Jun. 19—Ada County District Judge Steven Hippler said Wednesday that the Bryan Kohberger trial is likely to start in August as scheduled. Hippler heard arguments from the murder suspect's attorney Anne Taylor regarding her motion to delay the trial. Taylor argued Kohberger's constitutional rights would be violated if the trial begins in two months. Hippler also heard counterarguments from Josh Hurwit, a special deputy prosecuting attorney. Hippler said he would take the matter under advisement, but urged the attorneys to proceed as if the trial will start Aug. 11 as scheduled. "As of now I would tell you that it's likely you're going to trial on the date indicated," he said. Kohberger faces four counts of first-degree murder and one count of burglary in the Nov. 13, 2022, stabbing deaths of University of Idaho students Kaylee Goncalves, Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle and Ethan Chapin. Taylor and her team filed a motion to continue May 20, which asked the judge to postpone the trial. On Wednesday, she said it is necessary to protect several of Kohberger's constitutional rights, including his right to a fair trial, due process and a fair sentencing. It has been 2 1/2 years since Kohberger's arrest, but Taylor said they are still reviewing the 68 terabytes of information and multiple requests for discovery associated with the investigation.
News.com.au
a day ago
- News.com.au
Wendy Williams' ex sues for $250 million on her behalf
Kevin Hunter is taking legal action against the facilitators of Williams' years-long guardianship on her behalf. According to court documents obtained by People magazine, Hunter filed the lawsuit, which demands a jury trial, on Tuesday. It named 48 defendants, whom he claims have violated her constitutional rights. Among them are her legal guardian, Sabrina Morrissey; the judge presiding over the guardianship, Lisa Sokoloff; Wells Fargo, her assisted living facility; and several lawyers. "Guardianship is a civil death. In New York, more than 28,000 adults are being abused, neglected and defrauded under the care of court-appointed guardians.'
Fox News
3 days ago
- Politics
- Fox News
Ilhan Omar claims US turning into one of 'worst countries' in the world
Print Close By Rachel del Guidice Published June 17, 2025 Far-left Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., said last week that the United States is becoming one of the "worst countries" in the world. "I mean, I grew up in a dictatorship and I don't even remember ever witnessing anything like that to have a democracy, a beacon of hope for the world to now be turned into one of the, you know, one of the worst countries, where the military are in our streets without any regard for people's constitutional rights," Omar said in an interview published Friday on Democracy Now!'s YouTube page. Omar, who was born in Somalia, referenced President Donald Trump's military parade on Saturday that commemorated the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army. FLASHBACK: DEMOCRAT REP ILHAN OMAR SAID US SHOULD BE 'MORE FEARFUL OF WHITE MEN' IN 2018 The parade also fell on Flag Day and Trump's 79th birthday and was meant to honor America. Omar, whose interview took place before the parade, was unimpressed. "Our president is spending millions of dollars [propping] himself up like a failed dictator with a military parade," Omar said of the then-upcoming parade. "It is really shocking, and it should be a wake-up call for all Americans to say this is not the country we were born in," she added. "This is not the country we believe in, this is not the country our Founding Fathers imagined, and this is not the country that is supported by our Constitution, our ideals, our values, and we should all collectively be out in the streets rejecting what is taking place this week." The Squad member also said that Trump is "destroying our country." ILHAN OMAR SNAPS AT CONSERVATIVE REPORTER TO 'F--- OFF' FOR ASKING QUESTIONS OUTSIDE CAPITOL "I think the person who is in the process of destroying our country should look in the mirror and that's Trump," Omar said. "And notice that he is the one that has hatred for the values that we have here in America and everything that we have built. The reality is protest, dissent, is constitutionally protected that is everybody's First Amendment right in this country." Some have called out the Minnesota Democrat. Fox News contributor Guy Benson shared a clip from the interview on X in a Tuesday post and said, "The hyperbole here is appalling, made worse by her astounding ingratitude." "[I]f people are seriously offended by a parade for the first time in decades, then go outside and touch some grass," OutKick's David Hookstead wrote. "We have the greatest military on the planet, and we shouldn't ever apologize for it. After all, our men died to try to protect innocent lives in Somalia. I guess that sacrifice just doesn't matter to Congresswoman Omar." CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP Print Close URL
Asharq Al-Awsat
05-06-2025
- General
- Asharq Al-Awsat
A US Judge Halts the Deportation of the Egyptian Family of the Boulder Firebombing Suspect
A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the government to immediately halt deportation proceedings against the family of a man charged in the firebombing attack in Boulder, Colorado, to ensure the protection of the family's constitutional rights. US District Judge Gordon P. Gallagher granted a request from the wife and five children of Mohamed Sabry Soliman, who are Egyptian, to block their deportation. US immigration officials took the family into custody Tuesday, The Associated Press said. Soliman, 45, has been charged with a federal hate crime and state counts of attempted murder in Sunday's attack in downtown Boulder. Witnesses say he threw two Molotov cocktails at a group demonstrating for the release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, and authorities say he confessed to the attack in custody. His family members have not been charged. Federal authorities have said Soliman has been living in the US illegally, and US Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said earlier Wednesday that the family was being processed for removal. It's rare that a criminal suspect's family members are detained and threatened with deportation. 'It is patently unlawful to punish individuals for the crimes of their relatives," attorneys for the family wrote in the lawsuit. Eric Lee, one of the attorney's representing the family, said efforts to deport them should not happen in a democracy. 'The punishment of a four-year-old child for something their parent allegedly did, who also has a presumption of innocence, is something that should outrage Americans regardless of their citizenship status,' he said. Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin described the plaintiff's claims as 'absurd' and 'an attempt to delay justice.' 'Just like her criminal husband, she and her children are here illegally and are rightfully in ICE custody for removal as a result,' she said in a statement. Witnesses describe attack at vigil Around 200 people squeezed into the local Jewish Community Center on Wednesday evening for a vigil that featured prayer, songs, a short speech by Colorado Gov. Jared Polis and emotional testimony from a victim and witnesses to the attack. Rachelle Halpern, who has been walking with the group since 2023, said she remembers thinking it was strange to see a man with a canister looking like he was going to spray pesticide on the grass. Then she heard a crash and screams and saw flames around her feet. 'A woman stood one foot behind me, engulfed in flames from head to toe, lying on the ground with her husband," she said. "People immediately, three or four men immediately rushed to her to smother the flames.' Her description prompted murmurs from the audience members. One woman's head dropped into her hands. 'I heard a loud noise, and the back of my legs burning, and don't remember those next few moments,' said a victim, who didn't want to be identified and spoke off camera, over the event's speakers. 'Even as I was watching it unfold before my eyes, even then, it didn't seem real.' Defendant's family investigated Soliman's wife, Hayam El Gamal, a 17-year-old daughter, two minor sons and two minor daughters all are Egyptian citizens, according to El Gamal's lawsuit. They were being held at an immigration detention center in Texas, Lee said. 'We are investigating to what extent his family knew about this heinous attack, if they had knowledge of it, or if they provided support to it,' Noem said in a statement. Noem also said federal authorities would immediately crack down on people who overstay their visas, following the Boulder attack. Soliman told authorities that no one, including his family, knew about his planned attack, according to court documents. El Gamal said she was 'shocked' to learn her husband had been arrested in the attack, according to her lawsuit. Victims increase to 15 people and a dog Earlier Wednesday, authorities raised the number of people injured in the attack to 15 from 12, plus a dog. Boulder County officials said in a news release that the victims include eight women and seven men ranging in age from 25 to 88. Details about how the victims were impacted would be explained in criminal charges set to be filed Thursday, according to Boulder County District Attorney's office spokesperson Shannon Carbone. Soliman had planned to kill all of the roughly 20 participants in Sunday's demonstration at the popular Pearl Street pedestrian mall, but he threw just two of his 18 Molotov cocktails while yelling 'Free Palestine,' police said. Soliman didn't carry out his full plan 'because he got scared and had never hurt anyone before,' police wrote in an affidavit. According to an FBI affidavit, Soliman told police he was driven by a desire 'to kill all Zionist people' — a reference to the movement to establish and protect a Jewish state in Israel. Authorities said he expressed no remorse about the attack. The family's immigration status Before moving to Colorado Springs three years ago, Soliman spent 17 years in Kuwait, according to court documents. Soliman arrived in the US in August 2022 on a tourist visa that expired in February 2023, McLaughlin said in a post on X. She said Soliman filed for asylum in September 2022 and was granted a work authorization in March 2023, but that has also expired. Hundreds of thousands of people overstay their visas each year in the United States, according to Department of Homeland Security reports. Soliman's wife is a network engineer and has a pending EB-2 visa, which is available to professionals with advanced degrees, the suit said. She and her children all are listed as dependents on Soliman's asylum application. The case against Soliman Soliman told authorities that he had been planning the attack for a year, the affidavit said. Soliman is being held in a county jail on a $10 million cash bond and is scheduled to make an appearance in state court on Thursday. His attorney, Kathryn Herold, declined to comment after a state court hearing Monday. Public defenders' policy prohibits speaking to the media. The attack unfolded against the backdrop of the Israel-Hamas war, which has contributed to a spike in antisemitic violence in the United States. It happened at the beginning of the Jewish holiday of Shavuot and barely a week after a man who also yelled 'Free Palestine' was charged with fatally shooting two Israeli Embassy staffers outside a Jewish museum in Washington.
Independent Singapore
05-06-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Immunity split: Why Anwar faces trial while Trump is shielded
The United States is classified as 'free' and Malaysia as 'partly free' in Freedom House's Freedom in the World 2024 report. However, US President Donald Trump enjoys more unbridled power than Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. Mr Anwar's plea for immunity while in office has been rejected by the Malaysian High Court. He is accused of sexual assault by his former research assistant Muhammed Yusoff Rawther in 2018, four years before he became prime minister. Trial is due to start on June 16. The High Court dismissed Mr Anwar's application to refer eight constitutional questions to the Federal Court. High Court Judge Roz Mawar Rozain said the federal constitution does not provide immunity for prime ministers. She also ordered Mr Anwar to pay RM20,000 in costs to Mr Yusoff. Mr Anwar's lawyer, Alan Wong, said they would appeal the court's decision. Mr Anwar wanted the Federal Court to determine whether allowing the lawsuit to proceed would impair his ability to effectively discharge his executive duties, according to Wong. Mr Anwar said in a statement: 'This matter has never been about seeking personal immunity or escaping legal scrutiny. It concerns the integrity of our constitutional system and the need to ensure that high public office is protected from litigation that may be strategically timed, politically motivated, or institutionally disruptive.' See also Americans brace for Covid 'surge upon a surge' Malaysian High Court vs US Supreme Court The Malaysian High Court's ruling on the prime minister contrasts with the US Supreme Court's stance on the president. The US Supreme Court has granted President Donald Trump significant immunity from criminal prosecution for actions taken during his presidency. In the landmark 2024 decision Trump v. United States, the court ruled that a president is entitled to absolute immunity for actions within their core constitutional duties and at least presumptive immunity for other official acts. However, there is no immunity for unofficial or personal conduct. This ruling carried weight in legal proceedings against Mr Trump, particularly those related to his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. While some charges have been affected by this decision, others, such as his conviction in New York for falsifying business records related to hush money payments, have been upheld. The court determined that these actions were personal and not protected by presidential immunity. Prosecuted leaders While former leaders being prosecuted is relatively common in democracies, it is rare for a sitting leader to face criminal prosecution or conviction while still in office. Former heads of state or government charged with crimes include: Former French presidents Jacques Chirac and Nicolas Sarkozy. Both were convicted of corruption after leaving office. Former Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert. He was convicted of corruption after leaving office. Former South Korean presidents Lee Myung-bak and Park Geun-hye, have been convicted and imprisoned after their term. Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption. Another Malaysian premier, Muhyiddin Yassin, was charged with abuse of power and money laundering after leaving office. Former Argentine President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner was convicted of fraud after her term, though she continued to serve as Vice President while appealing. Sitting leaders being prosecuted are rare but not unheard of. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is currently on trial for corruption charges. Former Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz was criminally investigated on corruption charges while in office. He resigned and was later convicted of perjury. Mr Anwar, 77, has faced legal battles and jail sentences in the past for what he calls politically motivated cases. His former aide, Yusoff, 31, currently detained by the police, is on trial for alleged drug trafficking . He claims he was framed by those in power. His lawyer, Muhammad Rafique Rashid Ali, welcomed the High Court ruling. He said it shows there is equality for everyone. Mr Anwar's plea for immunity was opposed by the civil society group, Lawyers for Liberty. 'This is not a concept that exists in any democratic country; it is a blatant violation of the rule of law and a flagrant feature of authoritarianism,' said Lawyers for Liberty director Zaid Malek, reported Bloomberg. See also Trump urged to embrace free trade amid rising tensions Awkward complications Prosecuting leaders in office, however, can create awkward problems and may undermine their ability to carry out their duties. That is why there have been cases when ministers and officials have been suspended or asked to take leave while under investigation. Singapore's former transport minister S. Iswaran was instructed by the then prime minister Lee Hsien Loong to take a long leave of absence while being investigated for accepting valuable items from billionaire Ong Beng Seng. He was sentenced to 12 months' jail in October 2024, but after four months in prison, he was put on home detention for the rest of his term. Also noteworthy was the 'hush money' case against Mr Trump. He was convicted by a New York jury of falsifying business records after his former personal lawyer, Michael Cohen, allegedly paid adult film actress Stormy Daniels $130,000 just before the 2016 election. However, the presiding judge, Juan Merchan, let hin off with an unconditional discharge on January 10. Ten days later, on January 20, Mr Trump was sworn in as president. Featured photo from Facebook (for illustration purposes only)
