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Trump loses appeal in E. Jean Carroll sexual abuse and defamation case

December 30, 2024
A federal appeals court upheld a sexual abuse verdict against Donald Trump. The ruling on Monday, Dec. 30, stems from a civil case verdict that found the president-elect guilty in a case involving E. Jean Carroll.

The court also denied Trump’s request for a new trial.

Trump had challenged the $5 million verdict, saying the judge shouldn’t have allowed testimony from two other women who also accused Trump of sexual assault.

Evidence also included Trump’s comments on the infamous “Access Hollywood” tape.

The appeals court disagreed and said it was not persuaded that a new trial was warranted.

In 2023, Carroll testified that she had run into Trump at Bergdorf Goodman on Fifth Avenue in 1996 when he asked her to help him buy a gift for a female friend.

Carroll said he pulled her into a dressing room and began assaulting her.

She kept the encounter a secret until 2019 when her book excerpt was published in New York Magazine.

Carroll sued under the “New York State Adult Survivors Act.” The legislation is a state bill that created a window allowing others to bring forward sexual assault claims, even if the statute of limitations had expired.

A separate jury awarded Carroll $83.3 million after finding Trump defamed her by denying the sexual abuse.

Trump has also appealed that verdict.

Trump’s spokesperson, Steven Cheung, said another appeal is coming.

“The American people have re-elected Trump with an overwhelming mandate and they demand an immediate end to the political weaponization of our justice system and swift dismissal of all of the witch hunts, including the democrat funded Carroll hoax, which will continue to be appealed,” Cheung said.

Carroll’s attorney commented on the decision thanking the court for its “careful” consideration of the parties’ arguments.
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New York AG won’t drop Trump’s multi-million dollar civil fraud penalty

December 10, 2024
The New York attorney general’s office has rejected President-elect Donald Trump’s attempt to end a multi-million dollar penalty in his civil fraud case. The case went to trial last year, and a New York judge found that Trump and his business had inflated the values of properties on financial statements used to obtain favorable loan and insurance rates.

The judge ordered Trump to pay $454 million, including interest.

Trump appealed, while the appeals court has yet to issue a decision.

Deputy Solicitor General Judith Vale wrote in a letter to Trump’s attorney that they denied his call for New York Attorney General Letitia James to drop the case.

“The ordinary burdens of civil litigation do not impede the president’s official duties in a way that violates the U.S. Constitution,” Vale said.

James’ office added that Trump, as president, is not immune from civil cases that are not connected to his official office duties.

Trump’s move is his latest attempt to eliminate his legal cases before he returns to the White House next month.

Special counsel Jack Smith has agreed to dismiss criminal indictments. Those indictments charged Trump with overthrowing the 2020 election and improperly handling classified documents. He cited the Justice Department policy against indicting a sitting president.
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City of Las Cruces pays out $20M to family of woman killed by police officer

November 26, 2024
A city in New Mexico is paying out millions of dollars to the family of a woman who was shot and killed by a police officer during a traffic stop in October of last year. More than a year after the shooting, the city of Las Cruces, New Mexico, announced that it has reached a $20 million settlement with the family of 45-year-old Teresa Gomez.

In a statement on Monday, Nov. 25, the city said that the settlement does not admit “criminal guilt” on the officer involved in the shooting and the city maintains it will respect the criminal justice process. The city added, “This settlement should be understood as a statement of the city’s profound feeling of loss for the death of Gomez and of the city’s condolences to her family.”

An attorney for Gomez’ family said they are thankful that the city has recognized the “injustice of Teresa’s death” and hope Las Cruces will make sure no other family has to suffer losing a family member to police violence.

The officer’s legal team did not have a response at the time of this report.

Bodycam footage of the shooting shows now former Las Cruces police Officer Felipe Hernandez fatally shooting Gomez during a traffic stop.

Hernandez can be heard questioning Gomez and her passenger as he accused them of trespassing. Hernandez said Gomez’ passenger had multiple warrants for trespassing as the pair sat in Gomez vehicle.

Gomez told Hernandez she could not find her keys. As the incident of around nine minutes unfolded, Hernandez can be heard telling Gomez, “I will make your life a living hell. I will tow your car.”

The confrontation ends with Gomez starting her car and attempting to drive away as the Hernandez yells, “stop,” several times. Hernandez then opens fire on the vehicle and calls in “shots fired” to his radio.

Gomez later died from the gunshot wounds at a hospital. The passenger in the incident was not injured.

Hernandez was fired following the shooting, and awaits a trial scheduled for June of 2025 on second degree murder charges in Gomez’ death.

He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
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Conor McGregor ordered to pay $257K over sexual assault case

November 22, 2024
Mixed martial arts fighter Conor McGregor must pay 250,000 euros (about $257,000 USD) following a civil court jury’s verdict in Dublin, Ireland. The jury found McGregor liable Friday, Nov. 22, for assaulting a woman in a hotel room in December 2018.

The woman, who has remained anonymous, claimed McGregor raped and battered her after a night of partying. She said the attack left her with severe bruising and post-traumatic stress disorder.

BBC News reports a paramedic who examined the woman the next day testified that her injuries were some of the worst bruising she had ever seen.

Jury deliberation and McGregor’s response

According to The Associated Press, the jury deliberated for six hours and McGregor shook his head in court as they read their verdict. The fighter denied all allegations, insisting their encounter was consensual. He argued the woman fabricated her claims.

In a statement outside the courthouse, the woman thanked her loved ones for their support. She emphasized the importance of standing up for oneself, saying she wanted to set an example for her daughter.

McGregor to appeal

Shortly after the verdict, McGregor said in a social media post on X he intends to appeal.

I will be appealing today's decision. The judge's instruction and the modest award given was for assault, not for aggravated or exemplary damages. I am disappointed that the jury did not hear all the evidence that the DPP reviewed. I am with my family now, focused on my future.…
— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) November 22, 2024

Political ambitions

The verdict comes just months after McGregor announced his intention to run for president of Ireland in the 2025 election.

The case continues to draw public attention, as McGregor maintains his innocence and prepares to challenge the decision.
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Jussie Smollett’s conviction overturned in hate crime hoax case

November 21, 2024
The Illinois Supreme Court has overturned Jussie Smollett’s conviction. The actor was found guilty of staging a hate crime in 2019.

In a 5-0 decision, the court ruled Smollett’s due process rights were violated. The case has been sent to a lower court for formal dismissal.

The 2019 incident

Smollett, a former “Empire” star, claimed he was attacked in downtown Chicago. He said two men assaulted him while yelling racist and homophobic slurs. Smollett also alleged they placed a noose around his neck.

Police launched a “full scale hate crimes investigation,” which made national headlines. However, prosecutors later alleged the attack was staged.

Prosecutors’ claims

Authorities said Smollett was upset over hate mail he received on set. They claimed he paid the two men – who happened to be brothers – $3,500 to fake the attack. The brothers testified that Smollett gave them lines to yell, including references to then-President Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

In 2019, Smollett was charged with 16 counts of disorderly conduct. However, Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped the charges. Smollett agreed to forfeit a $10,000 bond and complete community service.

Refiled charges and conviction

A special prosecutor was appointed in 2020 and reopened the case. Smollett was tried on six counts of disorderly conduct in 2021. He was convicted on five counts by a jury.

Smollett was sentenced to 150 days in jail, 30 months of probation and $130,000 in restitution. He served six days before being released pending his appeal.

Illinois Supreme Court ruling

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled the second prosecution violated Smollett’s rights. The court said the original nonprosecution agreement should have been honored.

Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote, “What would be more unjust than the resolution of any one criminal case would be a holding from this court that the state was not bound to honor agreements upon which people have detrimentally relied.”

The court’s decision ends years of legal battles and public scrutiny. Smollett has maintained his innocence throughout the case.
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What happens to Trump’s criminal and civil cases now?

November 6, 2024
Donald Trump winning a second term presents an unprecedented legal situation. He’s awaiting sentencing in a federal case and is trying to prevent prosecution in other state and federal cases.

New York case

The President-elect is scheduled to be sentenced in New York criminal court on Nov. 26 after being convicted of 34 felony counts for falsifying business records to cover up a hush money payment made to adult film star Stormy Daniels.

The judge has until Nov. 12 to decide whether to wipe away the conviction because of the Supreme Court’s decision to grant presidential immunity.

If the judge decides in favor of that, Trump’s charges would be dismissed and he won’t be sentenced.

Trump’s lawyers are expected to ask for a delay so they can appeal if the judge decides to keep the conviction.

If a sentencing does go forward, Trump could be ordered to serve as much as four years of prison time, but the judge could impose a lesser sentence like probation.

Georgia case

In Georgia, Fulton County District attorney Fani WIllis is prosecuting Trump on racketeering charges over the 2020 election.

Willis won her reelection race, allowing her to maintain her spot leading Trump’s prosecution, for now.

A state appeals court is weighing whether she should be removed over her romantic relationship with a former special prosecutor on the case.

Since the cases in New York and Georgia are state cases, not federal cases, Trump cannot pardon himself in 2025 after he is sworn into office.

Federal cases

Trump also faces other criminal charges from special counsel Jack Smith in Washington D.C. and Florida.

In one case, Trump is accused of conspiring to subvert the 2020 election results.

In the other case, he faces charges related to mishandling classified documents after leaving office and obstructing the government’s effort to retrieve them.

Trump said he plans to immediately fire Smith’s office, which would reportedly end the two cases against him.

“It’s so easy I would fire him within two seconds … Jack Smith is a scoundrel,” Trump said on The Hugh Hewitt Show in October. “He is a very dishonest man in my opinion.”

Civil cases

President-elect Trump is also defending himself in multiple civil lawsuits including cases involving his role in the Jan. 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capitol.

There’s also two defamation cases filed by E. Jean Carroll and a civil fraud case brought by the New York attorney general where Trump was ordered to pay more than 450 million dollars in damages.

It’s possible that all of these cases will play out even as Trump serves his second term.

A unanimous Supreme Court ruling in 1997, stemming from a civil lawsuit then-President Bill Clinton was involved in, decided sitting presidents could not use presidential immunity to avoid civil litigation.
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US fines Lufthansa airlines $4 million over accusations of antisemitism

October 15, 2024
The United States announced it fined German airline Lufthansa $4 million on Tuesday, Oct. 15, for allegedly discriminating against Jewish passengers. The fine, which the U.S. Transportation Department says is the largest it has ever leveled against an airline for civil rights violations, stems from an incident in 2022 where more than 120 travelers were not allowed to board a flight.

The travelers were in Frankfurt, Germany, following a flight from New York. The U.S Transportation Department said that most of the people turned away by the airline “wore distinctive garb typically worn by Orthodox Jewish men,” but many did not know each other or travel together. Lufthansa, at the time, apologized for the incident.

The Jewish passengers were among 131 others who were flying to Budapest to attend an annual memorial event to honor an orthodox rabbi. They told investigators that the airline treated them as a group and refused to let any of them board over allegations of misconduct by a few passengers.

Flight attendants reportedly told passengers on the first flight about a mask requirement and not to gather near aisles or emergency exits.

The flight crew did not say which passengers did not obey instructions, arguing that it was because of the high number of violations, and because many switched seats.

The captain of the first flight called security over the alleged violations and it caused 128 Jewish passengers to miss their connecting flight.

The U.S. Department of Transportation asserted it had a right to investigate the incident because the flight originated from the United States and Lufthansa’s foreign air carrier permit requires it to obey U.S. laws.

Lufthansa will only end up paying $2 million of the fine because it has already agreed to compensate most passengers involved in the incident with $2 million, which will reportedly cut the fine from the United States in half.
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Uber wins case based on terms and conditions agreement over 2022 crash

October 3, 2024
In what may serve as another reminder to read the fine print, a court blocked a New Jersey couple from suing Uber after a crash left them with broken bones and hefty medical bills. The cases dismissal reported by several outlets on Wednesday, Oct. 2, is because the couple accepted the terms and conditions from the rideshare app before taking the ride, which requires any complaint to be handled outside of court.

The pair tried to take Uber to court for a jury trial after their Uber driver ran a red light and got hit by another car in 2022, but an appeals court judge sided with the rideshare giant instead.

The couple contended that it was their underaged daughter who clicked the most recent agreement with Uber Eats in 2022 while ordering a pizza. For that reason, the couple believes the case should move forward.

However, Uber argued back that it wasn’t their daughter who signed agreements in 2015 and 2021, both of which waived the couple’s right to a court trial with arbitration clauses. It also didn’t reportedly help the couple’s case that they couldn’t “surmise” whether or not their daughter actually clicked the button to agree to the terms.

The husband reacted to the judge’s ruling by saying that they are “heartbroken,” but said that they expect to attempt to bring their case to the New Jersey Supreme Court.

The lawsuit that was tossed by the appellate demanded that Uber pay for physical, emotional and financial damages the crash caused the couple.

It’s not the first time that this has happened, in fact, it happened earlier this year. In August, Disney used a similar defense, but later reversed course, on a dispute over terms of service in a wrongful death suit.

The case was brought against the entertainment company by a man whose wife died after an allergic reaction at a Disney resort restaurant.

Disney tried to have the lawsuit tossed because the plaintiff signed up for a Disney+ trial years earlier. However, after backlash, Disney said that the case can now move forward in court.
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Chicago taxpayers foot nearly $400 million in lawsuits for police misconduct

August 13, 2024
Chicago taxpayers have been forced to pay out $384.2 million in court costs for a pattern of police misconduct over the past five years, according to analysis of citywide data by WTTW News on Monday, Aug. 12. Data revealed that of the 1,300 officers involved in the lawsuits, 200 officers were involved in more than one incident, accounting for 43% of the total expenses in court costs.

One Chicago Police Department sergeant is reportedly responsible for $1.4 million in taxpayer costs alone. An instance of reported misconduct involved an $850,000 payout to a man the sergeant allegedly slammed to the ground after stopping him for drinking. A suspension was recommended for the sergeant. However, the sergeant is said to have received a promotion and a raise the next year instead of facing discipline.

The analysis found that the sergeant has had 22 complaints of misconduct throughout his career with the department.

The findings come as the city promises to crack down on repeat offenders among law enforcement. The Chicago Police Department has even recommended the city review settlements and judgements to identify patterns of behavior among officers. The department added that it will reduce both costs for the city and misconduct among officers.

Meanwhile, a system designed to catch officers with multiple complaints could have reportedly been rolled out citywide in 2021. However, the Chicago Police Department disclosed that it is still reviewing and assessing the program to “ensure that it’s being utilized effectively ahead of a citywide rollout.”

A new legal case management system was also scheduled to launch in March, but it is not ready. City officials said that they do not expect to have it ready until later in 2024.

The Chicago Police Department is also under a federal court order to change the way it disciplines and supervises police officers. In over four years, the department has reportedly complied with just 7% of the requirements since the agreement in 2019.

Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, D, responded to the findings by saying that it is his “top priority” to comply with the federal agreement’s requirements.
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Senate votes to expand federal courts, create dozens of new judge openings

August 2, 2024
Whoever wins the 2024 presidential election could have 22 new federal judge positions to fill, in addition to the vacant seats that arise due to resignations, retirements and promotions. Congress is working to create 63 new permanent district judgeships, the first new seats since 2003.

The Judges Act of 2024 passed the Senate unanimously and it now heads to the House.

If the bill is signed into law, the next president will be able to appoint 11 of the judges in 2025 and 11 more in 2027. Those 22 seats span the country. There are six in California, four in Texas and three in Florida, while the rest are dispersed in smaller states.

Not only would the bill create the first news seats since 2003, it would be the first significant expansion since 1990.

“Our federal courts are in a genuine crisis of workload,” Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., said. “Not since 1990 have we added any significant amount of new federal judges. Since then, our nation has added 100 million people, federal filings have increased 40% and the weighted case average across our nation is 550 cases per judge.”

Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, was initially concerned the bill created too many new positions. So, the authors spread out the appointments. The bill will add 10 or 11 new seats every odd numbered year from 2025 to 2035.

“The people of this country are entitled to justice and justice is a speedy process. And when that slowed down it’s not really justice,” Grassley said when announcing he’d vote for the bill.

District courts hear a bulk of the nation’s court cases. More than 353,000 criminal and civil cases were filed at the district court level in 2023. Due to the backlog, at year’s end there were 702,433 pending cases. District courts are the ultimate decider in a vast majority of cases. For instance, in 2023, only 40,681 appeals were made to the circuit courts.

The Supreme Court typically gets all the attention when senators and the president campaign on judicial issues. The reality is, of the more than 400 combined judicial appointments made by President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, approximately 330 were at the district level. These judges receive lifetime appointments, so they make decisions far longer than the president who nominated them stays in office.
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