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| Abu Anas al-Libi pleads not guilty by Aggie Kenny |
Wednesday, 16 October 2013
Alleged Al Qaeda member Abu Anas al-Libi pleads not guilty to bombing-related charges in New York trial | CTV News
Alleged Al Qaeda member Abu Anas al-Libi pleads not guilty to bombing-related charges in New York trial | CTV News
Wednesday, 9 October 2013
'Captain Phillips' Movie Opens/ Epilogue Somali Pirate Arraignment and Sentencing
On October 11th the movie Captain Phillps opens in theaters. The movie is opening to rave reviews.
The story is about the hijacking of the Maersk Alabama tanker and kidnapping of Captain Richard Phillips;
it is disturbing, shocking and amazing.
Below are events that are the epilogue to the story portrayed in the movie.
On April 21, 2009 the Somali pirate Abduhl Wal-i-Musi of Captain Phillips fame, was brought to Manhattan Federal Court under heavy security. The day before when he was perp walked, he was all smiles, one of the local papers headlined a photo of him, titled it "Jolly Roger".
LINK:
Lone surviving pirate in Federal court on Tuesday
However the next day once inside the courtroom, Muse broke down and cried.
During the arraignment the judge had trouble determining the age of the defendant and tried to reach out to his family in Africa, because it was unclear if he was to be charged as an adult. Upon mentioning his family, the Somali broke down.
That scene lasted just a few minutes, made the front page of the New York Post.
Eventually it was determined that he was 18 years old and was considered an adult, and faced a possible life sentence.
LINK:
Somali Pirate Arraignment story
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| Somali Pirate Muse Arraignment by Elizabeth Williams |
Months later-after he plead guilty- Abduhl Wal-i-Musi was sentenced
in front of Chief Judge Loretta Preska.
Prior to the hearing the 3rd mate Colin Wright was outside the courtroom and was clearly still very upset about what had occurred during the hijacking, and spoke during the hearing of being so helpless, with no way to protect themselves.
From Bloomberg story:
Wright.....testified during today’s hearing that the incident permanently changed him and asked the judge to sentence Muse to the maximum penalty possible.
“It was a very, very scary experience,” said Wright, who detailed being shot at during the hijacking and listening to bullets ring off the bulkhead next to him.
During the sentencing hearing the judge gave a detailed report on the horrors and torture that occurred while Captain Phillips was kidnapped and held hostage for 4 days. It was a graphic and shocking. During her account of the events, she wept, which is unusual for a judge.
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| Judge Loretta Preska |
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| Abduhl Wal-i-Musi sentencing February 16, 2011 by Elizabeth Williams Somali Pirate sentencing story link Muse was finally sentenced to 33 years in prison and Captain Richard Phillips wrote a book that eventually became a movie; he is considered by many to be a modern day hero. Michael Daly NY Daily News LINK: After Maersk heroism, maybe Merchant Marine Memorial will be more than footnote |
Saturday, 5 October 2013
Raymond Donovan Trial Opens, October 5th 1986
27 Years ago From the New York Times: October 5, 1986 Spectators in State Supreme Court in the Bronx last week heard a prosecutor at center stage describe Raymond J. Donovan, the former Secretary of Labor, as a participant in a larcenous scheme based on ''greed - plain and simple.'' Stage right, they heard defense counsel describe the case as a ''phantom'' and the 56-year-old defendant as a man who was orphaned in his teens, gave up studying for the priesthood to support five younger brothers and sisters, made good in the construction business and went on to do good by anonymously financing 60 minority students in a private high school. http://www.nytimes.com/1986/10/05/weekinreview/the-region-donovan-trial-opens-in-bronx.html?emc=eta1  | ||
| Donovan wide shot by Aggie Kenny Raymond Donovan far right, Ted Wells seated far left. Judge John Collins presiding |
http://www.nytimes.com/1987/05/26/nyregion/donovan-cleared-of-fraud-charges-by-jury-in-bronx.html
Donovan's famous quote
"Which office do I go to to get my reputation back " is well remembered,
The trial went on for many months had all sorts of snags, and twists.
Juror #4 went nuts during deliberations causing a possible mistrial.
Donovan juror story
The defendants ranged from Raymond Donovan, former Secretary of Labor under President Reagan to William Masselli a suspected associate of the Genovese Crime Family.
It was one of the longest criminal prosecutions in the Bronx and several famous attorneys defending the case, Ted Wells and Raymond Brown have become super-stars in the legal field.
Interesting note regarding the illustrations,
in the Kenny wide shot, the small figure in the back row, right, with green shirt and pony tail, is Elizabeth Williams, drawing the jury picture that is above.
Wednesday, 2 October 2013
Jury: AEG not liable in Jackson's death | Entertainment - WLKY Home
Jury: AEG not liable in Jackson's death | Entertainment - WLKY Home
From the LA Times
The jury foreman, Gregg Barden, said the five-month trial was exhausting and that the three days of deliberations were “extremely stressful.”
“We reached a verdict we understand that not everybody is going to agree with,” he said. “There are really no winners in this. Somebody had to die for us to be here....it was really a tragic situation.”
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| Katherine Jackson drawn during verdict by Bill Robles |
Friday, 27 September 2013
AEG closing arguments: Michael Jackson wrongful death trial
Bill Robles covered the closing arguments of the AEG lawyer during the Jackson wrongful death lawsuit trial. The trial lasted five months and now the jury is left to decide who was at fault in the death of Michael Jackson.
A jury will weigh whether AEG negligently hired and supervised Dr. Conrad Murray, who gave Michael
Jackson a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol on the eve of what was to be the singer's comeback tour.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-michael-jackson-20130925,0,1568360.story
A jury will weigh whether AEG negligently hired and supervised Dr. Conrad Murray, who gave Michael
Jackson a fatal dose of the anesthetic propofol on the eve of what was to be the singer's comeback tour.
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| AEG lawyer Marvin Putnam during his closing argument by Bill Robles |
From the LA Times
The attorney for AEG Live told jurors Wednesday the concert promoter never hired the doctor who was treating Michael Jackson as he prepared for a comeback tour, never had a contract with him and had no idea the doctor was giving the singer the powerful anesthetic that killed him.
"Plaintiffs want you to hold a concert promoter liable for Michael Jackson’s overdose, in his bedroom, at night, behind locked doors,” Marvin Putnam said during his closing argument in the five-month wrongful death case.
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-michael-jackson-20130925,0,1568360.story
Saturday, 14 September 2013
5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF THE BANKRUPTCY OF LEHMAN BROTHERS
5 Years Post-Lehman, Where Do the I-Banks Stand? (^DJI, ^GSPC, GS, MS)
From the Wall Street Journal:
Link: Wall Street Journal story on Lehman Bros collapse
In 2010 Bloomberg News covered the lawsuit filed by Lehman against Barclays. Harvey Miller was called to the stand. Miller oversaw the bankruptcy of Lehman and was visibly upset on the stand, while testifying about those traumatic days. During his testimony he described the pandemonium that took place in the days during the fall of Lehman Brothers. The Lehman collapse almost lead to a destruction of the world economy and did lead to the deepest recession since the Great Depression.
Recent quote by Miller, who reflected on the Lehman bankruptcy that took place 5 years ago.
“The bankruptcy case of Lehman was unprecedented,” says Harvey Miller, Lehman’s bankruptcy counsel. “It was the largest Chapter 11 case ever filed by billions of dollars. It was traumatic and extremely difficult.”
Below is a news story link about the subsequent lawsuit filed by Lehman against Barclays which relates to the court art above.
Telegraph news story :
.......some were claiming the deal had gone sour. Lehman's estate alleged that BarCap ( Barclays) had got the broker-dealer operations on the cheap. Between the legal argument and the obfuscation that is common in banking trials, Judge Peck will decide whether BarCap really did get "too good a deal" or whether Lehman is trying to rewrite the course of history.
Lehman v Barclays lawsuit story
From the Wall Street Journal:
Link: Wall Street Journal story on Lehman Bros collapse
The Lehman Brothers failure five years ago kicked off a period of economic tumult whose repercussions are still felt today.For a reminder of just how crazy that moment was, let’s step into the wayback machine with some of the key legal players from the biggest bankruptcy filing of all time.Center stage: an army of restructuring lawyers who over the course of one week pivoted from trying to set up a Hail Mary merger to preparing for the bank’s demise
Five years ago, on Monday September 15th, 2008 Lehman Brothers filed for court protection. “This was the biggest unplanned bankruptcy in bankruptcy history,” said Judge James Peck of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Manhattan, who oversaw Lehman’s Chapter 11 case.In 2010 Bloomberg News covered the lawsuit filed by Lehman against Barclays. Harvey Miller was called to the stand. Miller oversaw the bankruptcy of Lehman and was visibly upset on the stand, while testifying about those traumatic days. During his testimony he described the pandemonium that took place in the days during the fall of Lehman Brothers. The Lehman collapse almost lead to a destruction of the world economy and did lead to the deepest recession since the Great Depression.
Recent quote by Miller, who reflected on the Lehman bankruptcy that took place 5 years ago.
“The bankruptcy case of Lehman was unprecedented,” says Harvey Miller, Lehman’s bankruptcy counsel. “It was the largest Chapter 11 case ever filed by billions of dollars. It was traumatic and extremely difficult.”
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| Harvey Miller on stand during the Barclays Lehman lawsuit describing the scene as Lehman Bros collapsed on September 15, 2008 US Bankruptcy Court, Lower Manhattan April 28,2010 |
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| Rober Gaffey, representing Lehman's estate, questions Harvey Miller during the Lehman Barclays hearing in US Bankruptcy Court, Lower Manhattan David Boies representing Barclays, seated right |
Telegraph news story :
.......some were claiming the deal had gone sour. Lehman's estate alleged that BarCap ( Barclays) had got the broker-dealer operations on the cheap. Between the legal argument and the obfuscation that is common in banking trials, Judge Peck will decide whether BarCap really did get "too good a deal" or whether Lehman is trying to rewrite the course of history.
Lehman v Barclays lawsuit story
Friday, 6 September 2013
MANUEL NORIEGA TRIAL 22 YEARS AGO Sept 6th 1991
In the mid-80's Panamanian General Manuel Noriega cooperated with the DEA and the covert American drug enforcement operation, called Operation Negocios. It was carried out for several years and relied in part on information supplied by the Panama Defense Forces, which General Noriega then commanded.
After the Iran-Contra Affair,( the Iran Contra trial is highlighted in the upcoming book, www.illustratedcourtroom.com) the US became increasingly suspicious of Noriega amid indications that he was selling his services to other intelligence bodies, not to mention drug-trafficking organizations.
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| Manuel Noriega in court after arrest in Miami Federal Court in January 1990 |
His trial began 22 years ago in Miami Federal Court on September 6th,1991 and jury selection took a week. The trial ran until April 10th, 1992; Noriega was convicted on 8 of 10 charges. Below is a portrait of Noriega by Kenny.
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| Manuel Noriega by Aggie Kenny |
This was a landmark trial which marked the first time that a former head of a foreign government had ever faced criminal charges in an American court of law. However just this year, the former president of Guatemala, Alphonso Portillo was indicted and brought to the US to face money laundering charges.
Indictment PDF
REFERENCE LINKS
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