California Police Under Investigation After Racist Texts Surface
The Antioch City Council in San Francisco, CA, voted unanimously to audit its police department’s internal affairs unit after racist texts by officers were discovered. At least 17 officers are accused of sending text messages, including Sgt Rick Hoffman, the president of the Antioch police union. Defense attorney Ellen McDonnell argued that because of rampant corruption within the department, law enforcement has the trust of the public
“The public simply cannot have trust or confidence in any criminal prosecution involving the Antioch Police Department,” McDonnell said in an email Wednesday. “No one should be charged with a crime based on the report of a police department so thoroughly riddled with corruption.”
Last week, Antioch Police Chief Steve Ford released a statement denouncing “the racially abhorrent content and incomprehensible behavior being attributed to members of the Antioch Police Department in media reports.”
R. Kelly Files an Appeal in New York Federal Court
Disgraced singer R. Kelly has filed an appeal in New York Federal Court seeking to overturn his conviction for several sex crimes. In the complaint, Jennifer Bonjean, Kelly’s attorney, claims that the government failed to prove her client’s guilt. Additionally, she argued that Kelly had no idea that the girls who he was with at the time were underage.
Kelly is currently serving a 30-year sentence for his conviction in New York and an additional 20 years for the Chicago case.
Supreme Court Delays Action on Abortion Pill Ruling
The Supreme Court has allowed widespread access to abortion pills for now. The court extended availability for the drug until Friday when they will officially decide on whether to uphold the F.D.A.’s approval of the pill. Mifepristone, the drug in question, has been used by more than 5 million women since the FDA approved the drug back in 2000. On Tuesday, the Justice Department stated in a legal filing ahead of the Supreme Court’s ruling that allowing the restrictions to go forward "would scramble the regulatory regime governing."
The delay leaves no clues about how the Republican-led court will rule in the case.
