Crime

ABC News reports: A measure prohibiting homicide defendants from claiming a defense that panic brought on by a victim’s sexual orientation or gender identity has been passed by lawmakers in Washington state. Nine states — California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey New York and Rhode Island — have legislatively banned the use of gay or transgender panic as …

Reuters reports: Former “Empire” actor Jussie Smollett pleaded not guilty in a Chicago court on Monday to renewed felony charges that he made false reports to police about being attacked in a hate crime that he is accused of staging in a bid to advance his career. The new charges emerged after a five-month investigation by a court-appointed special prosecutor …

The Guardian reports: Harvey Weinstein, the fallen titan of Hollywood whose sexual abuse of aspiring young female actors sparked the #MeToo movement, has finally been brought to justice after a New York jury found him guilty. The movie mogul’s epic fall from grace is now complete, toppled from the pinnacle of independent cinema where he helmed films such as Pulp …

CNN reports: Former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich on Friday declared himself a “political prisoner” in a contentious interview with CNN’s Anderson Cooper over the substantial evidence prosecutors used to convict him on a host of public corruption charges. Blagojevich’s sentence was commuted earlier this week by President Donald Trump after the Democrat and former “Celebrity Apprentice” contestant had served eight …

Politico reports: President Donald Trump’s longtime ally Roger Stone, sentenced to 40 months in prison this week for impeding the congressional investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election, moved Friday to disqualify the judge in his case, claiming her remarks at his sentencing rendered her unable to fairly rule on his bid for a new trial. Stone’s lawyers say, …

Politico reports: Federal prosecutors in Michigan have charged a man with making a death threat against one of the attorneys for a whistleblower who initiated the impeachment inquiry of President Donald Trump, according to newly unsealed court records. The man, Brittan J. Atkinson, allegedly emailed the attorney in November, calling him a “traitor” who “must die a miserable death.” The …

ABC News reports: A Western New York man was arrested Wednesday on charges that he threatened to kill Rep. Adam Schiff and Sen. Chuck Schumer. Salvatore Lippa, 57, of Greece, New York, was charged with threatening to assault and murder a federal official on account of the performance of their official duties. According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 23, …

The Des Moines Register reports: An Ames man has been charged with indecent exposure following several incidents within Story County Jail in Nevada, according to court records. Adolfo Martinez, 30, is serving a 17-year sentence for burning a LGBTQ flag in June. According to court documents, an internal investigation looked at jail footage of Martinez and found multiple incidents where …

Forbes reports: Executives at Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago and pediatric doctors there had no comment Tuesday following word President Donald Trump was commuting the prison sentence of former Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich. Blagojevich, who has been serving eight years in federal prison following a conviction in a campaign corruption scheme was accused, among other things, of trying to sell …

The Los Angeles Times reports: In a tearful admission of guilt in a Manhattan federal courtroom, Milken pleaded in April 1990 to counts of conspiracy; aiding and abetting failure to meet federal securities disclosure regulations; securities fraud; aiding and abetting a regulated broker-dealer to violate securities reporting requirements; mail fraud, and assisting in filing a false tax return. Milken was …

ABC News reports: President Donald Trump has pardoned Edward DeBartolo Jr., the former San Francisco 49ers owner convicted in a gambling fraud scandal. DeBartolo Jr., who built the San Francisco 49ers’ 1980s-’90s dynasty, was involved in one of the biggest owners’ scandals in the sport’s history. In 1998, he pleaded guilty to failing to report a felony when he paid …

The Associated Press reports: The cardinal’s response was not what Yolanda Martínez had expected — or could abide. Her son had been sexually abused by a priest of the Legion of Christ, a disgraced religious order. And now she was calling Cardinal Valasio De Paolis — the Vatican official appointed by the pope to lead the Legion and to clean …

Boston’s Fox affiliate reports: On Thursday, Drug Enforcement Agency officials raided the Newburyport home of Dr. Keith Ablow, the embattled former celebrity psychiatrist caught in a series of sexual assault lawsuits. The city marshal confirms to Boston 25 News the DEA also raided a nearby pharmacy, potentially in connection to the investigation. Dr. Ablow’s medical license was revoked last year …

The Chicago Tribune reports: Actor Jussie Smollett is facing new criminal charges nearly a year after Cook County prosecutors dropped disorderly conduct counts against him for allegedly orchestrating a racist, homophobic attack on himself early last year. Smollett was indicted by a special Cook County grand jury on six counts of disorderly conduct for allegedly making four separate false reports …

NBC News reports: The former head of bond giant Pimco was branded a “common thief” by a federal judge and sentenced Friday to nine months in prison for his role in the sweeping college admissions cheating scandal. Douglas Hodge, who had earlier admitted paying $850,000 in bribes to get four of his seven kids admitted to elite colleges, also had …

NPR reports: Mississippi’s former welfare director, four colleagues and a former pro wrestler have been charged with carrying out a multimillion-dollar embezzlement scheme to siphon public money from needy families for their own personal use — from business investments to a luxury rehab stay in California. Special agents from the Office of the State Auditor arrested John Davis, who is …

Newsweek reports: A decorated U.S. Air Force colonel slated to take command of the base that hosts Air Force One has been sentenced to five years in prison for receiving child pornography. Mark Visconi, 48, of Fairfax, Virginia, was jailed on Friday after he plead guilty to receipt of child pornography in October. He was also sentenced to 15 years …

The Sydney Morning Herald reports: A former Uniting Church minister who also ran one of the country’s most prominent gay conversion therapy programs has been charged with committing historical child sexual offences more than 30 years ago. Former Reverend Ron Charles Brookman, 70, faced a Sydney court on Tuesday over allegations he indecently assaulted a 13-year-old who was in his …

The Chicago Sun-Times reports: A 20-year-old Sauk Village man was charged in connection to recent robberies of men who arranged dates through the online app Grindr at Near North Side hotels. Davion Johnson was arrested Monday and charged in three incidents, one of which involved him allegedly threatening a 42-year-old man with a stun gun and stealing his property at …

The Informant reports: A man in Arizona has been accused by federal authorities of threatening to kill Congressman Adam Schiff, the lead prosecutor in the impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. Court records show that Jan Peter Meister, a 52-year-old registered sex offender, told investigators he drunkenly left the threatening voicemail at Schiff’s Washington, D.C. office after watching Fox News …