Tag:

Constitutional Rights

Mount Vernon, NY
News
Excessive Force, Illegal Arrests: Feds Allege Violations By Mount Vernon Police Department Excessive Force, Illegal Arrests: Feds Allege Violations By Mount Vernon Police Department
Excessive Force, Illegal Arrests: Feds Allege Violations By Mount Vernon Police Department A police department in Westchester has been found to engage in a pattern of excessive force, illegal arrests, and unconstitutional searches, federal officials announced. The findings, which centered on the Mount Vernon Police Department, were revealed on Thursday, Dec. 12, following a comprehensive investigation by the US Department of Justice. According to the DOJ, the investigation uncovered numerous issues, including:  Excessive use of force, including taser-like devices and strikes, often against individuals who were already restrained or on the ground; Unlawful strip searches an…

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by Ben Crnic
Arlington, VA
News
Police Sergeant Gets Prison Time For Violating Rights During Fatal Shooting Of DC Driver: Feds Police Sergeant Gets Prison Time For Violating Rights During Fatal Shooting Of DC Driver: Feds
Police Sergeant Gets Prison Time For Violating Rights During Fatal Shooting Of DC Driver: Feds A high-ranking member of the Metropolitan Police Department who admitted to violating the constitutional rights of a 27-year-old man who was shot dead is going to spend time on the other side of the prison bars, federal authorities announced. Enis Jevric, 42, a sergeant with the agency pleaded guilty in federal court to using excessive force on An'Twan Gilmore in August 2021 during a police shooting. Jevric also pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.  On Thursday, Aug. 29, federal authorities announced that Jervic has been sentenced to 60 months in prison following his guilty ple…

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by Zak Failla
Lower Merion-Narberth, PA
News
NJ Corrections Officer Charged With Violating PA Inmate's Constitutional Rights: USDOJ NJ Corrections Officer Charged With Violating PA Inmate's Constitutional Rights: USDOJ
NJ Corrections Officer Charged With Violating PA Inmate's Constitutional Rights: Usdoj A 35-year-old former Pennsylvania prison guard has been charged with violating an inmate's constitutional rights for several offenses, authorities said. Ivory S. Cousins, of West Deptford, NJ, allegedly ignored the inmate's significant injuries from an assault by other inmates, pepper sprayed him, helped another inmate to steal from him, and obstructed the investigation of what happened to him, according to U.S. Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero Cousins was a correctional officer employed by the Philadelphia Department of Prisons in August 2019. While on duty at the Curran-Fromhold Correct…

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by Jon Craig
Lakewood, NJ
Police & Fire
Man Sentenced For 'Hate-Filled' Rampage That Injured Five Orthodox Jews In South Jersey: Feds Man Sentenced For 'Hate-Filled' Rampage That Injured Five Orthodox Jews In South Jersey: Feds
Man Sentenced For 'Hate-Filled' Rampage That Injured Five Orthodox Jews In South Jersey: Feds A Manchester Township man will spend decades in prison after a series of antisemitic attacks in Ocean County that injured five Orthodox Jewish men, authorities said. Dion Marsh, 29, was sentenced on Tuesday, July 23 to 40 years in prison, New Jersey's U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said in a news release. He previously pleaded guilty to five counts of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act and one count of carjacking on Thursday, Feb. 1. Marsh admitted to injuring five victims because they're Jewish, attempting to kill four …

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by Chris Spiker
Arlington, VA
News
Police Sergeant Admits To Violating Civil Rights During Fatal Shooting Of DC Motorist: Feds Police Sergeant Admits To Violating Civil Rights During Fatal Shooting Of DC Motorist: Feds
Police Sergeant Admits To Violating Civil Rights During Fatal Shooting Of DC Motorist: Feds A high-ranking member of the Metropolitan Police Department has admitted to violating the constitutional rights of a 27-year-old man who was shot dead, federal authorities announced. Enis Jevric, 42, a sergeant with the agency pleaded guilty in federal court to using excessive force on An'Twan Gilmore in August 2021 during a police shooting. Jevric also pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter.  According to court documents, Jevric shot Gilmore shortly before 3 a.m. on Aug. 25, 2021, when officers from the department were called to reports of an armed man - later identified as …

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by Zak Failla
Elizabeth, NJ
Police & Fire
Video Of YouTuber Antagonizing Officers At Rahway MVC Probed By Prosecutor Video Of YouTuber Antagonizing Officers At Rahway MVC Probed By Prosecutor
Video Of YouTuber Antagonizing Officers At Rahway MVC Probed By Prosecutor A 27-minute video posted by a YouTuber who calls himself a constitutional activist and investigative journalist is under investigation by the Union County Prosecutor's Office. The YouTuber, identified only as Sean from Long Island Audit, explains at in the video that he was exercising a "constitutional right" at the Rahway Motor Vehicle Commission Center when he was confronted by security. He did not say why. He did say that when failed to "bow down" to the guard's "unconstitutional orders," Rahway police were called. "We have a right to record on public property and record the government …

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by Daily Voice
Albany, NY
Politics
Voter Fraud: NY County Employees Cast Illegal Ballots During Election, Feds Say Voter Fraud: NY County Employees Cast Illegal Ballots During Election, Feds Say
Voter Fraud: NY County Employees Cast Illegal Ballots During Election, Feds Say Three county employees in New York are facing federal charges after allegedly casting fraudulent ballots during the 2021 election. Rensselaer County employees Richard Crist, age 55; James Gordon, age 42; and Leslie Wallace, age 35 were each arrested Thursday, April 27, on an indictment charging them with conspiring to violate the rights of voters, according to the US Attorney’s Office in the Northern District. Related Report: Rensselaer County Elections Commissioner Accused Of Voter Fraud Resigns Crist is the county’s director of operations, Gordon is the director of the Bureau for Ce…

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by Michael Mashburn
Newark, NJ
News
Wrong Home: Police Raided NJ Family's Home At Gunpoint In Address Mixup, Suit Says Wrong Home: Police Raided NJ Family's Home At Gunpoint In Address Mixup, Suit Says
Wrong Home: Police Raided NJ Family's Home At Gunpoint In Address Mixup, Suit Says A family has filed a lawsuit against the Bloomfield Township after its police officers apparently wrongfully raided their home at gunpoint in response to reports of a murder suicide. Authorities eventually realized they had the wrong address, the lawsuit reads. The suit was filed by Emmanuel Martinez, Solamyra Criado and their child last month in Superior Court of New Jersey, Essex County. They are seeking unspecified damages.  Police broke down the family's door around 7 a.m. on March 29, 2021, entering the home with their guns drawn and pointed at the family, according to the lawsuit…

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by Sam Barron
Towson, MD
Politics
Maryland Republican Hopeful Dan Cox Points Finger At Hogan, Praises Trump In Concession Speech Maryland Republican Hopeful Dan Cox Points Finger At Hogan, Praises Trump In Concession Speech
Maryland Republican Hopeful Dan Cox Points Finger At Hogan, Praises Trump In Concession Speech Republican gubernatorial hopeful Dan Cox pointed the finger at anyone but himself after his defeat to Democratic Gov.-Elect Wes Moore on Tuesday at the polls in a lengthy concession statement. It took more than 12 hours, but Cox finally called Moore on Wednesday, Nov. 9, after receiving less than 40 percent of the vote in the governor's race, though he took outgoing Gov. Larry Hogan, a fellow Republican, to task while touting embattled former President Donald Trump. “President Trump is an American hero who stands for our America First values, and someone I want to personally thank for his …

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by Zak Failla
Dorchester, MA
News
Mass AG Files Brief In Texas Suit To Let Women Leave State For Abortion Mass AG Files Brief In Texas Suit To Let Women Leave State For Abortion
Mass AG Files Brief In Texas Suit To Let Women Leave State For Abortion Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey joined other Democrat state attorneys generals to file an amicus brief in a class action lawsuit that seeks to nullify portions of Texas' new abortion law.  The law is considered one of the strictest in the nation. It blocks women from seeking to end a pregnancy six weeks after conception.  Women don't often know they are pregnant at that point. The law also prevents women from leaving the state to receive an abortion.  The nonprofit Fund Texas Choice, which covers the cost of women who want to get reproductive health outside …

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by Josh Lanier
Lower Paxton, PA
News
NJ, PA Strip Club Owners Sue Feds Over Withheld Stimulus Money NJ, PA Strip Club Owners Sue Feds Over Withheld Stimulus Money
NJ, PA Strip Club Owners Sue Feds Over Withheld Stimulus Money There's nothing socially distant about a lap dance, which is why most strip clubs had to completely shut down during 2020. Now they want to government to pony up. Denied small business stimulus funds, owners of adult entertainment businesses in Pennsylania and New Jersey have joined colleagues from five other states in suing the federal government. The owners claim the U.S. Small Business Administration has denied them “Restaurant Revitalization Fund” grants for moral reasons, which they say is a clear violation of their constitutional rights. Among those now participating in the…

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by Jillian Pikora
Lower Paxton, PA
News
PA Senate GOP Members Block Gov. Wolf's Vaccine Passport PA Senate GOP Members Block Gov. Wolf's Vaccine Passport
PA Senate GOP Members Block Gov. Wolf's Vaccine Passport Government Tom Wolf says he supports a vaccine passport in Pennsylvania. But before it even is officially proposed three republican state senators have already announced a plan to introduce legislation banning it. Senators Kristin Phillips-Hill of district 28, Judy Ward of district 30 and Michele Brooks  of district 50 released a statement on Thursday regarding a memo they sent to their colleagues asking for their support. Their memo states, "requiring a vaccine passport for Pennsylvanians to live their lives day-to-day represents an extreme government intrusion into people’s persona…

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by Jillian Pikora
Cherry Hill, NJ
News
Feds Accuse South Jersey Jail Of Violating Addicted Inmates' Constitutional Rights Feds Accuse South Jersey Jail Of Violating Addicted Inmates' Constitutional Rights
Feds Accuse South Jersey Jail Of Violating Addicted Inmates' Constitutional Rights The federal government on Thursday accused officials who run the Cumberland County Jail of failing to prevent suicides and provide adequate mental health care to drug-addicted inmates suffering from withdrawal. “There is reasonable cause to believe that the facility failed to screen for or provide adequate mental health treatment to inmates at risk of self-harm and suicide, in violation of the Eighth and 14th Amendments of the Constitution,” the U.S. Department of Justice said in a release. “Inmates faced a heightened risk of self-harm and suicide due to the jail’s failure to provide medica…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Worcester, MA
News
'Cruel And Unusual' - Massachusetts Prisons Violate Constitution, DOJ Says 'Cruel And Unusual' - Massachusetts Prisons Violate Constitution, DOJ Says
'Cruel And Unusual' - Massachusetts Prisons Violate Constitution, DOJ Says Massachusetts’ handling of inmate mental health is so poor it’s a violation of the Constitution, according to a U.S. Department of Justice investigation. The Department of Justice was particularly critical of Massachusetts' use of “restrictive housing” to treat people in the midst of a mental health crisis. Restrictive housing is otherwise known as solitary confinement, segregation or isolation for 22 hours or more per day. Justice agents allegedly found 16 incidents in which prisoners with mental health problems were kept in restrictive housing for 14 consecutive days or longer.  Mas…

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by Kristin Palpini
Lewisboro, NY
News
Tattoo, Piercing Shop In Hudson Valley Reopens In Defiance Of State Order Tattoo, Piercing Shop In Hudson Valley Reopens In Defiance Of State Order
Tattoo, Piercing Shop In Hudson Valley Reopens In Defiance Of State Order The owner of a Hudson Valley tattoo parlor is standing up to “the tyrants running this country” and has reopened his business in direct violation of an executive order issued by New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Orange County resident Roberto Antonio Minuta, who has owned Casa di Dolore in Newburgh for seven years, announced the reopening in a video on social media on Tuesday, May 26. The shop reopened Saturday morning, May 30. “As far as I’m concerned, I’m essential, and so is anyone else out there, especially when you have dependents such as children and so on,” he said in the near five-minute…

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by Zak Failla
Torrington, CT
News
COVID-19: Judge Throws Out CT Lounge Owner's Lawsuit Challenging Executive Order COVID-19: Judge Throws Out CT Lounge Owner's Lawsuit Challenging Executive Order
Covid-19: Judge Throws Out CT Lounge Owner's Lawsuit Challenging Executive Order A federal judge has rejected a complaint from a pair of Connecticut bar owners who alleged that the state’s emergency orders limiting the size of social gatherings violated their constitutional rights. U.S. District of Connecticut Judge Michael Shea ruled this week to uphold the state’s emergency orders after a lawsuit was brought by Michael Amato and Joy Monsanto, the owners of the 50’s Lounge in New Haven. The bar owners alleged that the closures orders amid the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak was unconstitutional and could force them out of business. Shea denied the temporary res…

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by Zak Failla
Marlton-Evesham, NJ
Business
'Have A Good Day,' South Jersey Police Tell Gym-Goers As Members Defy COVID-19 Shutdown 'Have A Good Day,' South Jersey Police Tell Gym-Goers As Members Defy COVID-19 Shutdown
'Have A Good Day,' South Jersey Police Tell Gym-Goers As Members Defy Covid-19 Shutdown A gym in South Jersey reopened for business Monday, defying a state order that shut down nonessential businesses to slow the spread of coronavirus, according to multiple news reports. This video posted on Facebook shows police warning patrons of Atilis Gym in Camden County that "Formally, you are all in violation of the executive order. On that note, have a good day. Everybody be safe." Gym members erupted into cheers, chanting "USA, USA."  Gov. Phil Murphy, during an afternoon news briefing, said the isolated breach in Bellmawr did not concern him. "I'm not overly concerned right no…

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by Jon Craig
Mamaroneck, NY
Business
Look Who's Coming Back: Ralph's Returning To Mamaroneck In New Location Look Who's Coming Back: Ralph's Returning To Mamaroneck In New Location
Look Who's Coming Back: Ralph's Returning To Mamaroneck In New Location With its legal issues behind it, Ralph’s Italian Ices & Ice Cream is set to make a grand return to Mamaroneck. Last year, owner Scott Rosenberg was forced to shut the doors on his shop on East Boston Post Road due to zoning discrepancies regarding the business. Ultimately, a State Supreme Court judge chose to dismiss his case against the village, where he sought $300,000 in damages after being told to close. Less than a year later, the two sides have reunited, an application for a 3,000-square-foot location on Mamaroneck Avenue has been approved. The new location is scheduled to reopen …

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by Zak Failla
Mount Pleasant, NY
Politics
Some Migrant Kids Separated From Parents In Westchester, Cuomo Says Some Migrant Kids Separated From Parents In Westchester, Cuomo Says
Some Migrant Kids Separated From Parents In Westchester, Cuomo Says Some migrant children who were separated from their parents at the border of the United States and Mexico are being housed in shelters in Westchester County, according to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “We have about 10 facilities in this state. We haven’t spoken with all of them. We know there are over 70 children, just by the ones that we have talked about but they are in Dobbs Ferry, Lincolndale, Irvington, three in the Bronx, one in Syosset and one in Kingston,” Cuomo said during a conference call on Tuesday when he announced his intention to sue the federal government over the treatment of…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Pleasant, NY
Politics
See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation
See You In Court: Cuomo To Sue Trump Administration Over Child Separation New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has added fodder to the fire President Donald Trump has come under for his administration's “zero tolerance” policy of separating children from their families as they cross the Mexican border, vowing to file a lawsuit over the policy. On Tuesday, Cuomo announced that the state is planning to file a multi-agency lawsuit against the Trump Administration on the grounds that the federal government is violating the Constitutional rights of thousands of immigrant children and their parents who have been separated at the border, unless the policy is not rescinded in the n…

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by Zak Failla
Mount Pleasant, NY
News
Investigate Schools Blocking Exits During Gun Safety Walkouts, Cuomo Says Investigate Schools Blocking Exits During Gun Safety Walkouts, Cuomo Says
Investigate Schools Blocking Exits During Gun Safety Walkouts, Cuomo Says Click here for a related story: Hudson Valley Students Stand Up, Speak Out On National Walkout Day Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New Castle called on the New York State Education Department Commissioner to investigate public schools that blocked exits this week when students decided to walk out in memory of 17 students and teachers killed in the recent mass shooting at Parkvale, Fla. Cuomo asked the commissioner to direct schools to "cease unconstitutional disciplinary action against students and teachers who participated in (the) gun safety walkout." Cuomo issued the following open lette…

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by Jon Craig
Armonk, NY
Politics
Sweeping New York Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Marijuana Policy Sweeping New York Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Marijuana Policy
Sweeping New York Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration Marijuana Policy Yet another courtroom battle promises to pull the White House into the legal spotlight on Wednesday as key arguments are heard in Manhattan in a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s marijuana policy while seeking to legalize pot under federal law. Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein is taking the case seriously: At a hearing in September, Hellerstein said he would give the matter prioritized attention, setting it ahead of his other cases, according to this report in The New York Times. Marijuana activists from across the country are expected to show up at the Courthouse on Wednesday when a…

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by Jon Craig