A judge in Florida has ruled that Erica Herman, restaurant manager and former girlfriend of Tiger Woods, must follow a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) she was trying to get voided. Herman claimed the NDA was invalid due to a 2022 US law that lowers the enforceability of NDAs in harassment or abuse situations. The judge stated that Herman presented no evidence of sexual misconduct. Herman is attempting to sue Woods and the home trust he ownsfor $30m, claiming that she was locked out of her shared home in Hobe Sound, Florida, after being tricked into packing for a vacation. Woods denied any tenancy agreement was reached. Wednesday’s decision means the case will be heard privately in arbitration. Lawyers for Herman failed to provide any proof of misconduct that would have led to the NDA being made invalid.
A magistrate judge in Massachusetts will determine whether a 21-year-old National Guard member accused of leaking classified military information will remain in custody ahead of his trial. Jack Teixeira is charged under the Espionage Act for sharing confidential documents on topics such as Russia's war in Ukraine in a Discord chatroom. Prosecutors allege concerned superiors had caught Teixeira looking at classified information irrelevant to his role. Teixeira's lawyers have urged that he be released to his father's home, despite previous allegations of threatening and violent online messages and his use of state databases to find information about mass shootings.
Reading about the recent protests at Stanford Law School that led students to protest and try to shut down Judge Kyle Duncan brought to mind an interview with Judge Stephen Reinhardt. The interview was my first chance to hear a judge talking about his trade and when asked how he went about deciding a case, his response was: “First, I ask my clerks to give me the briefs and any media coverage about the case. Then I ask myself ‘what would justice be in this case?’ And then I write the opinion to do justice”. I found this problematic – how could an individual impose his own abstract sense of justice on the world simply because he had a robe and gavel, and what was to prevent judges from ignoring the laws because they perceived them to be unjust?
Despite not understanding the concepts of originalism and living constitutionalism, hearing Reinhardt speak formed in me a passion for the debate over how judges ought to ply their trade. If I had stormed out of the interview, I may not have been so intrigued by how judges reach decisions. The Stanford Law School incident demonstrates that by trying to silence those who disagree with them, law students are depriving themselves of the opportunity to learn and grow from those experiences. Embracing the opportunity to hear from experts who do not share one’s point of view exposes students to differing opinions, and forces them to form well-thought out responses that will enable them to effectively debate the issues.
The judicial system has an important function in enforcing laws within a framework that respects the fundamental principles of democracy and protects individual rights. The passions of law students must not turn from academic principles of debate to personal attacks and threats, for that brings about animosity and hostility and can cause more issues than it resolves.
Swimmer Riley Gaines was ambushed and hit by transgender activists after she spoke about being forced to compete against Lia Thomas - a man who identifies as a woman - in swimming competitions. Gaines appeared at San Francisco State University to argue that transgender women should not be allowed to compete against women. However, left-wing and pro-transgender factions organised a violent attack on Gaines after the talk, shouting expletives at her and her husband, who was with her. These incidents, coupled with Leftist protestors at Stanford Law School who brandished posters accusing Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan of crimes against trans people, show how toxic America's culture around transgenderism has become.
Transgender activists demand that everyone accept that people can redefine their sex by wishing it so. Their increasing violence on this issue is becoming more and more evident, and Gaines bravely showed the courage required to draw attention to it. Therefore, the 23-year-old may have been left shaken, but she remains undeterred. However, similar attacks are becoming all too frequent and are escalating in their ferocity, as evidenced by Judge Duncan’s talk at Stanford Law School, where the subject had no bearing on transgenderism, and yet protestors still appeared to intimidate him.
Transgenderism poses a significant threat to a free society, especially when people are made to address people as something other than their biological sex. However, if America is to remain an open and free society, it is essential to resist this kind of bullying. While it will not be easy, it must be done. Otherwise, America faces an increasingly totalitarian future, with violence from Leftist and pro-transgender activists becoming even more widespread.
Student protesters at Stanford Law School prevented US Circuit Court Judge Kyle Duncan from delivering a guest lecture. Duncan, who is on the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals, had been invited by student organisation the Federalist Society to talk about the impact of his court’s decisions on rulings by the Supreme Court. Liberal students denounced Duncan for allegedly threatening rights of some groups, including LGBTQ+ individuals and black voters. Around 100 protesters jeered the Federalist Society students when they entered the lecture room. A group of between 50 and 70 protesters continued to shout personal insults and use vulgar language to disrupt the speech. Although the law school has guidelines prohibiting disruption, none of the five school administrators present attempted to enforce them. Duncan stated later that he believed the event had been a “setup”.
Judge belts 4th homer of series to lead Yankees past Blue Jays
CBC
23-05-19 02:17
The New York Yankees defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 with home runs from Aaron Judge and Anthony Volpe. Yankees starter Nestor Cortes worked into the seventh inning, giving up five hits, a walk and two earned runs, before he was replaced by Ryan Weber, Albert Abreu and Ron Marinaccio. This secured the Yankees' eighth win in 11 games and their seventh victory in a row. The Blue Jays now sit six games back of the fourth-place Yankees in the American League East. Toronto’s Berrios allowed three earned runs, six hits and a walk while striking out eight.
A pedestrian who was sentenced to three years for causing the death of a cyclist by shouting and waving aggressively has lost a bid to appeal her sentence. The court heard a report that the perpetrator had autism and underwent successful surgeries, but found that the initial jail sentence was justified. Footage of the incident showed Auriol Grey shouting at cyclist Celia Ward to “get off the f\*\*\*\*\*\* pavement” in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, causing her to fall into the road and be hit by a car. The defendant, who has cerebral palsy, had previously denied manslaughter.
A pedestrian who caused a cyclist to fall into the path of an oncoming vehicle has lost her bid to appeal against her sentence for manslaughter. Auriol Grey, who has cerebral palsy, shouted and waved aggressively at cyclist Celia Ward, causing her to fall and die aged 77 on a road in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, in October 2020. Grey was jailed for three years after being found guilty following a retrial in March. Her subsequent autism diagnosis did not provide sufficient grounds to reduce her sentence, according to a Court of Appeal hearing in London.
A judge has refused a plea from a woman with cerebral palsy and partial blindness to reduce her prison sentence from three years, imposed following a conviction for manslaughter. CCTV footage from Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire showed Auriol Grey shouting and waving at 77-year-old retired midwife Celia Ward to “get off the f\*\*\*\*\*\* pavement”. Ward fell into the road and was hit by an oncoming car. Grey was subsequently found guilty of manslaughter. At an appeal hearing, Grey’s lawyer argued that her sentence was “excessive” and that an autism diagnosis secured after her trial may have made a difference. Judges concluded that the crime marked the gravity of the situation and that it was “not arguably manifestly excessive” whilst expressing their condolences to Ward’s family. Speaking after the hearing, Grey’s brother-in law stated that the law needed to change because “the perception of risk does not cater for people who are mentally challenged, as Auriol is”.
Amy Cooper has been denied a lawsuit by the US appeals court system that would have seen her able to accuse former employer Franklin Templeton of illegally firing and defaming her. A three-judge panel within the Manhattan division of the Second US Circuit Court of Appeals said they were skeptical about Cooper's claims that the Franklin Templeton bosses had hidden facts regarding her behaviour that would have allowed her to keep her job. In the viral video from May 25, 2020, Cooper can be seen calling the police on a Black bird watcher and, during the call, pretending that "an African-American man" was "threatening my life."
Parents of three transgender children in Florida are attempting to block a new law that prohibits gender-affirming care for minors. The case argues that parents are being stripped of their right to make medical decisions for their children. The new law signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis this week prevents the prescription of puberty-blocking, hormone, and hormone antagonist therapies to treat gender dysphoria in minors, and also bans gender-affirming procedures or surgeries for minors. At least 17 other states have enacted similar laws. Transgender medical treatments are endorsed by major medical associations as appropriate care but have been increasingly subject to restrictions from Republican lawmakers.
Tejay Fletcher, the founder and leading administrator of banking scam iSpoof, has been sentenced to 13 years in jail after pleading guilty to four charges, including possession of criminal property and encouraging or assisting the commission of an offence. At its height, iSpoof had 59,000 users and Fletcher made around £2m from the site, purchasing, among other items, a Lamborghini, two Range Rovers and an £11,000 Rolex. The UK's biggest ever fraud sting saw Fletcher convicted of defrauding individuals and business around the world of more than £100m.
American Airlines Group has been ordered by a US judge to end its alliance with JetBlue Airways after it agreed with the US Justice Department that it meant higher prices for consumers. The ruling is a win for the Biden administration, which has taken a hard line on consolidation and tie-ups in the aviation industry. The airlines were given 30 days to end the Northeast Alliance partnership.
A US federal judge will decide by the end of the month whether JPMorgan can proceed with its lawsuit against former executive Jes Staley, who developed a friendship with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The bank accused Staley of getting caught up in Epstein's shenanigans and putting JP Morgan at risk of damages from lawsuits brought by Epstein's alleged victims as well as the US Virgin Islands. Staley, who later went on to become CEO at Barclays, claimed the bank was using him as a "public relations shield" for its own shortcomings.
A US national guardsman is due to learn if he will be granted bail while awaiting trial on charges of leaking classified military documents about Russia’s war in Ukraine and other national security issues to a chat room on Discord, a social media platform. Jack Teixeira is accused of taking notes on classified information or viewing intelligence not related to his job, prompting questions about why he continued to have access to military secrets after being admonished for his behaviour by superiors. Teixeira is said to have been the leader of a Discord group called Thug Shaker Central.
Former Massachusetts Air National Guard member Jack Teixeira has been detained ahead of trial on charges under the Espionage Act, relating to the sharing of military documents. The information, which was allegedly leaked on social media platform Discord, included US assessments of Russia's war in Ukraine and other national security issues. The leak caused controversy over why a low-ranking state official had access to classified data. Teixeira had also been caught accessing and making notes on classified information by his superiors before his April arrest. The former Guardsman has yet to enter a plea concerning the allegations.
A US judge denied bail to Jack Douglas Teixeira, who is accused of violating the Espionage Act by leaking secret military documents about the Ukraine war and more. The Air National Guardsman was unable to convince Magistrate Judge David Hennessy that he should be released to house arrest ahead of his trial. Teixeira was the primary suspect behind the leaks, which led to the US government reviewing its national security procedures.
A federal judge has ruled that American Airlines Group must end its partnership with JetBlue Airways after the US Justice Department said the "Northeast Alliance" represented a "de facto merger" of their Boston and New York operations, removing competition. The DoJ claimed American and JetBlue had a market share of over 80% on routes between Boston and Washington DC and six other airports in the New York region. The airlines argue that the alliance has lowered fares and improved service. Both JetBlue and American said they were reviewing their options. Shares in JetBlue fell 1.8%, while American's closed down 1.5%.
An Illinois judge has dismissed a lawsuit that accused Mondelez International of deceiving consumers by removing real mint from its Trident Original Flavor chewing gum. US District Judge Iain Johnston said it was “fanciful” to believe consumers would expect the gum to contain mint or peppermint. The proposed class action by Kristen Lesorgen of Sycamore, Illinois, was like a separate case over claims against Walmart’s Great Value Fudge Mint Cookies, which had been dismissed for a similar reason.
The New York Yankees beat the Cincinnati Reds 6-2, with Aaron Judge hitting his 13th home run of the season in his seventh consecutive game. Judge is also only the second player to hit seven home runs in his last seven games, Emilio Bonifacio achieving the feat for the Kansas City Royals in 2013. Meanwhile, Tampa Bay overcame Milwaukee with Francisco Mejia's eighth-inning sacrifice for a 1-0 victory, while the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled over Arizona ace Zac Gallen with a 13-3 win.
