Judge rules on affair scandal that jeopardized Trump election meddling case – National & International News – FRI 15Mar2024

Judge rules on affair scandal that jeopardized Trump election interference case.

Both parents of teen shooter now convicted, face years in prison.

With Gaza sea aid underway, Israel continues to block aid and attack aid workers.

NATIONAL NEWS

Judge rules in hearing that jeopardized Trump Georgia election interference case

Georgia judge Scott McAfee ruled today that District Attorney Fani Willis can continue to prosecute her election interference case against former President Trump and 17 co-defendants. McAfee issued his ruling after one of Trump’s co-defendants accused Willis of a conflict of interest in the case when she struck up a romantic relationship with the lead prosecutor, Nathan Wade. In his ruling, McAfee said Willis’ affair was a “tremendous lapse in judgment” but did not amount to a conflict of interest.

The judge ruled that Willis could continue overseeing the case if Wade stepped down, which he did a few hours later. McAfee also shared several pointed criticisms of Willis. He regarded as “unprofessional” not only her personal conduct, but also her testimony in the recent hearing and her public attempts to deflect criticism. Most notably, he was displeased by a Willis’ speech atthe church once led by Martin Luther King, Jr., in which Willis claimed that the conflict of interest accusations against her were racially motivated.

Earlier this week, Judge McAfee also dismissed some of the state’s charges against Trump and some of his co-defendants, including Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows and John Eastman These charges pertained to soliciting public officers to violate their oaths. McAfee said the charging documents lacked sufficient detail. “The lack of detail concerning an essential legal element is, in the undersigned’s opinion, fatal,” McAfee wrote. “They do not give the Defendants enough information to prepare their defenses intelligently”. McAfee gave the state six months to clarify and refile these charges with the grand jury. The overall racketeering charges against Trump and his co-defendants remain valid.

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Both parents of teen school shooter now convicted, face years in prison

Yesterday, James Crumbley, 47, was found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the deaths of four people killed by his son, Ethan, at Oxford High School outside Detroit, MI, in November 2021. His conviction came five weeks after his wife, Jennifer Crumbley, 45, was convicted on similar charges. Each of them may be facing 10-15 years in prison. The convictions may now set a precedent to find parents criminally liable for failing to prevent deadly actions by their minor children.

Ethan Crumbley was 15 at the time of the shooting. He ultimately pleaded guilty in the case and will serve a life sentence without parole. In his plea, Ethan Crumbley stated that the gun he used in the shooting had not been locked away on the day of the shooting. James Crumbley had purchased the gun for his son the previous week. 

James and Jennifer Crumbley were called to the school on the day of the shooting by school administrators. Ethan’s teachers were concerned about a disturbing drawing Ethan had done depicting a shooting and the words “My life is useless” and, “The world is dead”. James and Jennifer did not inform school administrators that Ethan had access to a firearm, and also refused to take him home or seek help for him.

According to witnesses, Ethan had been displaying concerning behavior for months. Texts presented at trial showed Ethan sharing disturbing revelations with his mother, which his mother made light of.

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INTERNATIONAL NEWS

With Gaza sea aid underway, Israel continues to block aid and attack aid workers

A US-backed delivery of humanitarian aid has arrived off the shore of Gaza, following plans touted last week by President Biden. However, there remains no clear plan for actually distributing the aid to Gaza’s 2.3 million starving civilians. A US Army ship left Norfolk, VA, this week bound for Gaza. Their mission is to build a floating sea port off Gaza’s coast. The ship will take about a month to arrive in the Eastern Mediterranean, and it will take another month to construct the port.

Meanwhile, Israel continues blocking aid trucks at land entries into Gaza. Earlier this week, the Israeli army bombed an aid distribution hub in Rafah (the southernmost point in Gaza) run by the UN Relief and Works Agency. Since October 7, Israel has killed over 160 UNRWA workers in Gaza.

Israel is also eyeing a plan to have private security contractors protect aid shipments, rather than supplying its own soldiers. They also expect other countries (potentially the US) to pay for the contractors.

Further reading: Biden’s plan to build aid port for Gaza will cost billions, solve little.