Tag:

Accountability

Cheshire, CT
News
Investigation Uncovers Violations At Cheshire Animal Control Facility: Read The Consent Order Investigation Uncovers Violations At Cheshire Animal Control Facility: Read The Consent Order
Investigation Uncovers Violations At Cheshire Animal Control Facility: Read The Consent Order The Connecticut Department of Agriculture (CT DoAg) is implementing major reforms at the Town of Cheshire Animal Control facility after an investigation revealed multiple violations of state animal welfare laws and regulations, according to a news release shared earlier this wee. The investigation, initiated in response to complaints about the facility’s conditions and animal care practices, uncovered apparent violations during a thorough inspection, the DoAG said. As a result, the town entered into a Consent Order (attached) with CT DoAg on Dec. 24, agreeing to a detailed plan for addressin…

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by Cecilia Levine
Fairfax, VA
News
Fairfax County Death Row Killer Has Sentence Commuted By Biden Fairfax County Death Row Killer Has Sentence Commuted By Biden
Fairfax County Death Row Killer Has Sentence Commuted By Biden In a historic move just two days before Christmas, President Joe Biden commuted the sentences of 37 federal death row inmates, including individuals with ties to Virginia.  Their sentences have been reclassified from execution to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole, the White House announced. This clemency decision aligns with President Biden’s long-standing opposition to the federal death penalty, except in cases of terrorism or hate-motivated mass murder. Biden’s administration imposed a moratorium on federal executions upon taking office, effectively halting the prac…

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by Cecilia Levine
Rivertowns, NY
News
New Lawsuits Allege Sexual Abuse At Dobbs Ferry Juvenile Facility New Lawsuits Allege Sexual Abuse At Dobbs Ferry Juvenile Facility
New Lawsuits Allege Sexual Abuse At Dobbs Ferry Juvenile Facility Five former residents of a well-known juvenile center in Westchester have filed lawsuits against the facility alleging that they suffered sexual abuse while living there, according to attorneys representing the plaintiffs.  The lawsuits, filed in Westchester County Supreme Court on Wednesday, Dec. 18 by law firm Levy Konigsberg, name the Dobbs Ferry Children's Village campus, which operates residential foster care programs.  The plaintiffs, who were not named but were described as "brave survivors" by the attorneys, allege a pattern of sexual abuse enabled and perpetrated by …

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by Ben Crnic
Norristown, PA
Police & Fire
Norristown Police Chief Resigns Effective Immediately Norristown Police Chief Resigns Effective Immediately
Norristown Police Chief Resigns Effective Immediately Jacqueline Bailey-Davis has resigned as the Municipality of Norristown Chief of Police, effective immediately, officials announced Tuesday, Dec. 17. Bailey-Davis, who took office on Jan. 2, 2024, had been placed on administrative leave on Nov. 25. Municipal Administrator Leonard Lightner previously stated that the decision to place her on leave was made “after careful consideration” and emphasized the confidentiality of personnel matters. “The council and municipal leadership are focused on maintaining stability within the police department,” Lightner said in the earlier announcement. …

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by Jillian Pikora
Harrisburg, PA
Politics
Former Dauphin Co. Commissioner Stripped Of Board Roles Amid Allegations Former Dauphin Co. Commissioner Stripped Of Board Roles Amid Allegations
Former Dauphin Co. Commissioner Stripped Of Board Roles Amid Allegations Former Dauphin County Commissioner Jeff Haste has been stripped of multiple board positions following public outcry and corruption allegations, county officials confirmed on Wednesday, Nov. 13. Jeff Haste, the former Dauphin County Commissioner who served since 2003 and recently announced his retirement, has been removed from his board roles amid accusations of corruption, officials announced. Haste’s decades-long tenure has recently come under scrutiny, with residents and other county officials calling for accountability in the face of corruption concerns. At a heated public meeting, Comm…

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by Jillian Pikora
Reading, PA
News
Family Releases Body Cam Footage Of Reading Dad Of 6 Shot Dead By Police Family Releases Body Cam Footage Of Reading Dad Of 6 Shot Dead By Police
Family Releases Body Cam Footage Of Reading Dad Of 6 Shot Dead By Police Graphic body camera footage showing police shooting a Reading father of six dead has been released, and it appears to contradict the DA and police statements.  The family of 50-year-old Damon Scott Stern Sr., also known as DJ Nomad, along with their attorney held a press conference on Thursday, Sept. 19. During the conference they shared videos from the body cameras worn by the two officers called to Stern's home in the 400 block of Windsor Street, Reading at 3:37 a.m. on Monday, March 25. The Air Force Veteran was having suicidal thoughts and was holding a knife, according t…

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by Jillian Pikora
Gaithersburg, MD
News
Ex-Montgomery County Officer Convicted Of Throwing Smoke Bomb At Police During Capitol Riot Ex-Montgomery County Officer Convicted Of Throwing Smoke Bomb At Police During Capitol Riot
Ex-Montgomery County Officer Convicted Of Throwing Smoke Bomb At Police During Capitol Riot A former member of the Montgomery County Department of Police who was active during the Jan. 6, 2021 breach at the US Capitol has been convicted, federal authorities announced. Justin Lee, 25, was convicted of two felony charges in DC for his role in the January 2021 insurrection insurrection following a bench trial.  Lee was indicted in October 2023, and on Friday, Aug. 23, federal authorities announced that he was found guilty of assaulting, resisting, or impeding certain officers and civil disorder. According to court documents, Lee was identified through video among the crowd…

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by Zak Failla
Waldorf, MD
Police & Fire
Police Sergeant In Maryland Pleads Guilty To Driving While Impaired, Sheriff Says Police Sergeant In Maryland Pleads Guilty To Driving While Impaired, Sheriff Says
Police Sergeant In Maryland Pleads Guilty To Driving While Impaired, Sheriff Says A suspended sergeant with the Charles County Sheriff's Office has admitted to driving under the influence in St. Mary's County, officials announced. In June, Sgt. Robert Smith was suspended with pay after the sheriff's office learned that he was being charged in the neighboring jurisdiction. The incident was reported on Tuesday, June 11 in Mechanicsville. Smith was off-duty at the time. This week, Smith pleaded guilty to one count of driving while impaired in St. Mary's County, the sheriff's office says. According to the agency, "upon learning of the investigation, the CCSO’s Office of Pr…

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by Zak Failla
Lower Paxton, PA
News
Two Dauphin County Correctional Officers Resign After Prisoner Escaped Two Dauphin County Correctional Officers Resign After Prisoner Escaped
Two Dauphin County Correctional Officers Resign After Prisoner Escaped Two Dauphin County correctional officers have resigned just two days after an escaped prisoner was recaptured, according to a release Dauphin County spokesman Brett Hambright.Autum Rose Flowers, 34, Columbia, Lancaster County, escaped while under the supervision of the two guards at Harrisburg Hospital on Nov. 22, according to police. Flowers was first arrested on drug related charges including possession with intent to deliver on Nov. 11, according to the release and court documents. After a reward of up to $2,000 was offered by Dauphin County CrimeStoppers for information leading to the …

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by Jillian Pikora
Brentwood, NY
Politics
Trump Pays $2M To Eight Charities For Repeatedly Breaking Laws, NY State AG Says Trump Pays $2M To Eight Charities For Repeatedly Breaking Laws, NY State AG Says
Trump Pays $2M To Eight Charities For Repeatedly Breaking Laws, NY State AG Says President Donald Trump has dished out $2 million to resolve a civil lawsuit that alleged illegal activities during the 2016 election. On Tuesday, Dec. 10, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that the president has paid the $2 million court-ordered judgement to various nonprofit organizations for using charitable assets during the presidential primary in 2016. The court order was part of James’ lawsuit against the Donald J. Trump Foundation and its directors, which include Trump, Donald Trump, Jr., Ivanka Trump and Eric Trump that was filed in 2018. The payment was ordered la…

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by Zak Failla
Brentwood, NY
Schools
Stony Brook President Accepts Michigan State Job Stony Brook President Accepts Michigan State Job
Stony Brook President Accepts Michigan State Job Fresh off the Larry Nassar sexual assault scandal, Michigan State University has chosen Stony Brook University’s President Samuel Stanley to take over after he weathered several investigations of his own. The Michigan State University Board of Trustees announced on Tuesday that Stanley would take over as the school’s 21st president, beginning as of Aug. 1. Stony Brook, where Stanley has been in charge for a decade, is the subject of three open federal Office of Civil Rights investigations into how it handled sexual assault complaints on the campus. “Today, by a unanimous vote, the MSU …

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by Zak Failla
Wilton, CT
Police & Fire
Officer Used 'Poor Judgment' In Incident Involving Turkey At Wilton HS, Police Review Says Officer Used 'Poor Judgment' In Incident Involving Turkey At Wilton HS, Police Review Says
Officer Used 'Poor Judgment' In Incident Involving Turkey At Wilton HS, Police Review Says A Wilton police officer allegedly "used poor judgment" when he threw a basketball at a turkey stuck in the rafters at Wilton High School, according to the Wilton Police Department. The incident took place on Monday, May 6, when Wilton Police were called to the high school field house for a report of a turkey int he rafters that was defecating on the gymnasium floor, said Wilton Police Capt. Robert Cipolla. When officers arrived at the school, one of the officers threw a basketball at the bird in an effort to get it to move, Cipolla said. The department became aware of the incident on Frida…

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by Kathy Reakes
Paterson, NJ
News
List Of Paterson Diocese Sex-Abuse Priests Released, Names Of Parishes Withheld List Of Paterson Diocese Sex-Abuse Priests Released, Names Of Parishes Withheld
List Of Paterson Diocese Sex-Abuse Priests Released, Names Of Parishes Withheld The Paterson Diocese on Wednesday released its list of priests accused of sexual abuse but didn't identify their parishes. "You don't need to know that information," a Paterson Diocese receptionist told Daily Voice. "All that you see is what has been approved by the bishop." Most were removed from the ministry. Several have died. Dozens of Bergen County priests and their parishes were identified Wednesday by the Newark Archdiocese. Bishop Arthur Serrattelli called the publication of the list a tragedy. "Our society and certain members of the Church have failed children," he said. T…

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by Jerry DeMarco
White Plains, NY
News
Westchester County Police To Get 150 Body Cameras Westchester County Police To Get 150 Body Cameras
Westchester County Police To Get 150 Body Cameras The Westchester County Department of Public Safety is going to receive more than $60,000 from the state to outfit officers with body cameras. Westchester was awarded $61,209 to purchase 150 body cameras, which are expected to create the Westchester County Depart Public Safety’s body-worn camera program. The grant is part of a $1 million statewide initiative spearheaded by Attorney General Barbara Underwood. In total, 13 law enforcement agencies across the state received funding to purchase nearly 1,000 body-worn cameras and more than 250 body-worn camera systems. The money was made availab…

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by Zak Failla