Category: U.S.

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Breaking News U.S.

Online Petition Seeks to Deny Mark Wahlberg Pardon Request

Mark Wahlberg, pardon request
Mark Wahlberg, pardon request

Mark Wahlberg recently filed a pardon request with the Board of Pardons for Massachusetts in order to expunge his criminal record of crimes that he committed in 1988 when he was 16 years old, and this has caused the 18MR group to start an online petition to prevent a pardon from being granted to the famous actor. Wahlberg recently starred in Transformers: Age of Extinction, and some believe that the actor should not be pardoned just because he became famous due to the violent nature of the crimes involved. When Mark was 16 he was convicted on felony charges after he attacked two Vietnamese individuals in two different incidents, and the well known actor spent 45 days in jail as a result.

According to the pardon request filed by Mark Wahlberg the actor claims that he is no longer the same person, and that is why the felony convictions should be eliminated from his criminal record. 18 MR, a group with strong ties to the Asian American community, has started an online petition asking the Massachusetts Board of Pardons and the governor of the state to deny the request by Mark Wahlberg. One the website for the group it states “We demand that the Massachusetts State Parole Board and Governor Patrick deny Mark Wahlberg a pardon for his hate crimes. Not only is granting a pardon an affront to justice, but even asking for one completely disrespects Wahlberg’s victims.” The online petition already has more than 8,000 signatures. 18MR stands for 18 Million Rising.

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Breaking News U.S.

Sexual Predator in Florida Hits Lottery Jackpot

sexual predator, lottery jackpot
sexual predator, lottery jackpot

A sexual predator in Florida has hit the lottery jackpot, winning $3 million dollars and choosing to take a lump sum payment in the amount of $2,219,807.90. There are some who believe that the man should not be able to keep his lottery winnings and that the money should go to the victims instead, but under Florida law there is no way to prevent a sexual predator from keeping any winnings from the lottery. In 2002 Timothy Dale Poole was legally convicted for the charge attempted sexual battery of a victim under age 12 years according to the police records. The sentence that Poole received was very light to begin with, he was sentenced to 10 years of probation and the 13 months of time that he served while going through the process and being convicted.

Sexual predator Timothy Pool, the recent lottery jackpot winner, had his probation revoked in 2003 and was given a 3 year prison sentence because he was terminated from the sex offender counseling program that was mandatory under his probation. Pool was terminated from the program because he missed 4 group sessions according to the report by Orlando’s WKMG. Poole stands 6 foot tall and weighs 450 pounds, and he is listed on the state registry of sex offenders as a sexual predator. Last Saturday Timothy purchased a scratch off lottery ticket at a Mount Dora 7-11 and won the jackpot prize. The only way the victims of Timothy Poole would be entitled to recovery any of his lottery jackpot winnings is if the victims had filed a claim with the court and received a judgment against Poole.

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U.S.

US Visit for British Royals the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

British royals, US Visit
British royals, US Visit

British Royals, the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge or as many call them Prince William and Duchess Kate, have arrived in New York for their US visit. The royal couple arrived in the USA on Sunday, and they have a busy schedule ahead of them while they are in the USA. The timing could be better because New York City is in the middle of protests and demonstrations about recent cases of civilian deaths and charges of police brutality, and this is the first visit to the area for the British royals. The protests have caused concerns for the security of the Duke and Duchess, and have caused areas of the city and certain intersections to be closed to traffic. Prince William will travel to Washington to meet with President Obama during the visit while Duchess Kate will stay in New York. While in Washington the Duke of Cambridge will also take part in a conference on illegal ivory trafficking.

While the British Royals are on their US visit Duchess Kate will visit the Harlem Northside Center for Child Development with the first lady of New York City Chirlane McCray. The center provides educational and mental health services for residents in live in high risk areas. Also on the schedule for the British royals is a sporting event, the game at the Barclay’s Center between the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Hopefully the visit will be a big success and the British royals will go home with a positive view of America and many stories to tell people in England.

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Breaking News U.S.

Jessica Padgett Murder in Pennsylvania Linked to Necrophilia

Jessica Padgett, murder, necrophilia
Jessica Padgett, murder, necrophilia

The murder of Jessica Padgett has been linked to necrophilia by law enforcement officials on the case. Padgett, a 33 year old newlywed and the mother of three, disappeared shortly after leaving work in November of this year. Family and law enforcement frantically searched for the young mother, and Padgett’s body was found 5 days after she disappeared. The man responsible, 53 year old Gregory Graf, was the stepfather of Jessica Padgett and is currently still married to Jessica’s mother. Graf murdered Jessica by shooting her in the back of the head, and then he engaged in necrophilia with the body. What is even more shocking is that Graf videotaped his sexual acts with the woman’s corpse, and law enforcement seized the video when it was discovered.

According to the prosecutor involved in the Jessica Padgett murder case, John Morganelli “There is videotape … apparently self recorded by Mr. Graf, of him engaging in sexual acts with the deceased body of Jessica Padgett. This is the first case of what is now shaping up to be necrophilia homicide. We are doing research on this now. It’s a bizarre type of homicide.” What is even sadder in this case is that apparently Jessica Padgett and her stepfather Graf had a good relationship until the murder, with Padgett stating on social media that Graf was like a second father to her. In an unusual twist Graf asked for a taxpayer funded attorney to defend him against the charges, because the suspect told the judge that he did not want to use his own money even though he has the financial resources to hire a legal professional. This request was denied by the court.

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U.S.

Does the USA Have a Problem With Police Brutality?

police brutality, law enforcement
police brutality, law enforcement

In recent days the United States has seen numerous protests across the country as people march against police brutality and law enforcement tactics which are seen as excessive. There are people on both sides, some angry that police officers were not indicted when a citizen is killed by law enforcement and others who feel like the individuals contributed to their own deaths by not complying with the demands of the police officers. The take on police brutality crosses economic and racial lines, with some whites protesting and some African Americans defending the law enforcement officers. One African American pastor spoke out about the thug culture in many poor neighborhoods, and blamed Michael Brown’s parents for not teaching their son to respect the police an dcomply with orders from law enforcement.

Police brutality and aggressive law enforcement tactics are a problem, but this is not just a problem for African Americans. In a number of recent incidents the individual did not comply with demands, and force was required to execute the arrest. Should a law enforcement officer overlook crimes or aggressive actions just because of the race of the individual? Some are saying that this is what is expected by certain leaders in the African American community, and others point out that white individuals are killed by police in larger numbers than African Americans. Police brutality does occur I the USA, but whether the recent cases of Michael Brown and Eric Garner involved the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers is hotly debated. Do you think it is a matter of race or one that involves disrespect and an anti law enforcement attitude instead?

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U.S.

Did Eric Garner Die From Police Brutality?

Eric Garner, police brutality
Eric Garner, police brutality

Eric Garner, a 47 year old black male who was selling untaxed cigarettes in New York City and who died after being subdued by four officers in a struggle that was caught on tape, is the latest case where some are saying police brutality was a factor. The video shows that Garner did struggle with officers, and that one officer appeared to use a choke hold to subdue Eric which is illegal under New York law. The medical examiner who did the autopsy ruled the death a homicide by asphyxiation, and the video taken that day is online and is very disturbing for some. Garner can be heard saying that he can not breath but the officers continue in spite of this, and Eric died as a result of his altercation with the police.

Some believe that police brutality caused the death of Eric Garner, others blame Eric for not just submitting to the demands of the police and going quietly without a struggle. Some point out that Garner was a large male, just like Michael Brown, while others point out that neither man was armed with a weapon. Americans are becoming distrustful of law enforcement in larger numbers, and many law enforcement officers develop an us against them mentality. In almost every case where there was a struggle and someone ended up dead due to force used by the police the entire situation could have been resolved differently if the individual would have complied instead of fighting back or struggling during the arrest. What do you think?