swordfish Posted February 27, 2019 Author Share Posted February 27, 2019 https://torontosun.com/news/world/lgbtq-activist-set-house-ablaze-killing-pets-in-fake-hate-crime?fbclid=IwAR1W2zWSnEWyjWie_p53xMev-_irgBp7EsbzZu0fpEDiwzsOjlrLRGWHebA&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook&utm_term=Autofeed#Echobox=1551235458 An LGBTQ activist allegedly torched his own house in a desperate attempt to make the blaze look like a hate crime ala Jussie Smollett. Five pets died in the inferno. Cops say Nikki Joly — who lives in Jackson, Mich. — had organized a number of pro-LGBTQ events. But when the 2017 Jackson Pride Parade and Festival failed to generate the amount of publicity Joly wanted — good or bad — he became angry. Two days before the fire he posted on Facebook: “Yes, be angry, be very angry. Use that anger to force good! Use that anger to make change.” Cops say trans and gay Nikki Joly burned down his own house to draw attention to his cause. Inside were five pets who all died, including the German Shepherd. FACEBOOK The fire at his home was initially investigated as a hate crime by the FBI and residents of the city opened their hearts and wallets to help. Now, a new police report said the fire and its aftermath were a hoax to generate publicity for gay and trans causes. “It’s embarrassing. How do you do it to the community you have put so much effort into helping?” Travis Trombley, who is gay, told The Detroit News. Joly was at the forefront of a wide array of anti-discrimination legislation and was once named Citizen of the Year, the media outlet reports. But investigators are painting a different picture. Det. Aaron Grove told Metro News that Joly was “very deceptive” and possessed “layers of manipulation.” So there apparently aren't enough hate crimes to justify the legislation, so a hate crime needs to be staged....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzoron Posted February 27, 2019 Share Posted February 27, 2019 54 minutes ago, swordfish said: So there apparently aren't enough hate crimes to justify the legislation, so a hate crime needs to be staged 1 staged hate crime per year=not enough for a hate crime law. That's quite a stretch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbat Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Looks like someone else is honing in on Jussie's gig: https://www.yahoo.com/sports/police-man-staged-kidnapping-tied-rope-around-his-neck-to-avoid-paying-rigged-super-bowl-squares-192908177.html FTA: Police say they found him in the backseat of his truck with duct tape around his hands and ankles and a rope around his neck that was attached to the truck’s headrest. Brandel told police that he had picked up by two men he had been in a Super Bowl pool with two days earlier when they robbed him at gunpoint of $16,000 in supposed winnings and forced him to drive around town. His story ended with his abductors leaving him tied up in his truck where troopers found him. A police investigation found otherwise. Police determined Brandel had run a fraudulent $50,000 Super Bowl pool in which he filled out fake names for some of the squares and hoped to hit and collect winnings. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbat Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Impartial_Observer Posted March 3, 2019 Share Posted March 3, 2019 On 2/26/2019 at 9:04 AM, swordfish said: John Wayne was unavailable for comment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbat Posted March 4, 2019 Share Posted March 4, 2019 Who says the media and liberals are only tough on Trump and conservatives? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbat Posted March 6, 2019 Share Posted March 6, 2019 Here's one that ate up police time for a year and hurt a person's reputation. A year's worth of false reports, however, netted no action by the prosecutor nor the police department against the perpetrators. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-gardening-black-case-sues-3-white-women-falsely-accused-stalking-pedophilia-120303797.html FTA: A black man is suing three white women who made up false allegations of stalking, threatening, gun violence and pedophilia against him for more than a year while he was building an urban garden in their Detroit community. ... The situation began in 2017, when Marc Peeples committed to building the garden in a vacant playground in local Hunt Park, according to Essence. The three women — Deborah Nash, Martha Callahan and Jennifer Morris — live close to the park and decided to call the police and accuse Peeples of “illegal gardening.” When officers wouldn’t take them seriously, the women allegedly escalated their claims, calling police on him numerous times throughout the year and into 2018 with various accusations. In one instance, the women accused Peeples of stalking and threatening to burn down Nash’s house and kill her. Nash even attempted to obtain an order of personal protection against Peeples, his attorney told Yahoo Lifestyle, but the court denied her request. In another call, they claimed that Peeples was painting vacant houses and trees in “gang colors.” And in a third, they said Peeples was involved in a drive-by shooting. When police officers responded to that call, according to the Detroit Metro Times, they found the gardener raking leaves. The women even accused Peeples of pedophilia involving neighborhood children who were helping plant the garden. ... Peeples is seeking $300,000 in damages from the three defendants. He is also trying to make the women answer to charges of lying to police and lying under oath. “We want some consequences,” Burton-Harris said. “We waited to see if DPD or the prosecutor’s office would investigate the women, and that didn’t happen, so that’s part of the reason we decided to move forward.” Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordfish Posted March 6, 2019 Author Share Posted March 6, 2019 1 hour ago, foxbat said: Here's one that ate up police time for a year and hurt a person's reputation. A year's worth of false reports, however, netted no action by the prosecutor nor the police department against the perpetrators. https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/man-gardening-black-case-sues-3-white-women-falsely-accused-stalking-pedophilia-120303797.html FTA: A black man is suing three white women who made up false allegations of stalking, threatening, gun violence and pedophilia against him for more than a year while he was building an urban garden in their Detroit community. ... The situation began in 2017, when Marc Peeples committed to building the garden in a vacant playground in local Hunt Park, according to Essence. The three women — Deborah Nash, Martha Callahan and Jennifer Morris — live close to the park and decided to call the police and accuse Peeples of “illegal gardening.” When officers wouldn’t take them seriously, the women allegedly escalated their claims, calling police on him numerous times throughout the year and into 2018 with various accusations. In one instance, the women accused Peeples of stalking and threatening to burn down Nash’s house and kill her. Nash even attempted to obtain an order of personal protection against Peeples, his attorney told Yahoo Lifestyle, but the court denied her request. In another call, they claimed that Peeples was painting vacant houses and trees in “gang colors.” And in a third, they said Peeples was involved in a drive-by shooting. When police officers responded to that call, according to the Detroit Metro Times, they found the gardener raking leaves. The women even accused Peeples of pedophilia involving neighborhood children who were helping plant the garden. ... Peeples is seeking $300,000 in damages from the three defendants. He is also trying to make the women answer to charges of lying to police and lying under oath. “We want some consequences,” Burton-Harris said. “We waited to see if DPD or the prosecutor’s office would investigate the women, and that didn’t happen, so that’s part of the reason we decided to move forward.” On the surface, sounds like Mr. Peeples has a case..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordfish Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 On 3/9/2019 at 2:08 PM, TrojanDad said: 16 felony accounts.....interesting. https://abc7chicago.com/jussie-smollett-indicted-on-16-felony-counts-by-grand-jury/5177586/ Will they eventually strike an agreement as this article references? Legal experts? IMHO - If he would have just apologized and come clean right off the bat, maybe would have been able to strike a deal. That's gonna be a little harder now. Not impossible, but certainly more costly, especially having lost his job....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbat Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 1 hour ago, swordfish said: IMHO - If he would have just apologized and come clean right off the bat, maybe would have been able to strike a deal. That's gonna be a little harder now. Not impossible, but certainly more costly, especially having lost his job....... I don't know. Manafort was pretty ballsy in holding his ground and even screwing up again after being arrested. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordfish Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 18 minutes ago, foxbat said: I don't know. Manafort was pretty ballsy in holding his ground and even screwing up again after being arrested. Apples / Oranges...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbat Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 28 minutes ago, swordfish said: Apples / Oranges...... Tell me about it ... Smollett will probably go away a lot longer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gonzoron Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 3 minutes ago, foxbat said: Tell me about it ... Smollett will probably go away a lot longer. No doubt. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordfish Posted March 11, 2019 Author Share Posted March 11, 2019 Just now, foxbat said: Tell me about it ... Smollett will probably go away a lot longer. Because he's black and gay? Or more likely because he STAGED A FAKE CRIME and wasted a lot the CPD's time after lying repeatedly to their faces....... Smollett serves a minute in jail after conviction or confession (whichever happens first) I'll be very surprised....... Manafort was a tax evader, and a bank fraud expert (white collar crimes) and a money launderer.......And should have got more time...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbat Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 24 minutes ago, swordfish said: Because he's black and gay? Or more likely because he STAGED A FAKE CRIME and wasted a lot the CPD's time after lying repeatedly to their faces....... Smollett serves a minute in jail after conviction or confession (whichever happens first) I'll be very surprised....... Manafort was a tax evader, and a bank fraud expert (white collar crimes) and a money launderer.......And should have got more time...... Was looking at it, actually, from the standpoint that a person who did nothing more than vote in an election in Texas, who had been a convicted felon that had served their time, got five years when Mr. Manafort got less for a whole bunch more. Like you said, apples and oranges, but just interesting how one guys gets a bunch of breaks despite the code and someone gets none for, frankly, what is a lesser issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted March 11, 2019 Share Posted March 11, 2019 http://reason.com/blog/2019/03/11/here-is-what-paul-manafort-was-convicted Quote Much of the outrage at former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort's four-year sentence on tax and bank fraud charges contrasts his relatively lenient treatment with the draconian punishments frequently imposed on less privileged defendants. That disparity is real, although the main lesson that should be drawn from it, as C.J. Ciaramella suggested the other day, is that our criminal justice system as a whole is excessively, mindlessly punitive, often in cases involving conduct, such as exchanging drugs for money, that not only is less serious than what Manafort did but should not be treated as a crime at all. The question of whether Manafort's sentence was appropriate in light of his offenses is distinct from that broader problem, and the answer depends on how you view the moral gravity of his crimes. While many critics of the sentence are claiming Manafort "stole $30 million," that figure refers to income he hid from the Internal Revenue Service. The loss to the U.S. Treasury was the taxes he owed but did not pay, which according to federal prosecutors amounted to $6 million. In the process of avoiding that tax bill, Manafort did a bunch of things, such as filing false tax returns and failing to report foreign bank accounts, each of which corresponds to a separate charge. Six of the eight counts on which a jury convicted Manafort relate to those tax-dodging actions: filing false tax returns for the years 2010 through 2014 (five counts) and failing to report foreign bank accounts in 2012 (one count). Manafort also was convicted of bank fraud related to loans he sought under false pretenses from two lenders. Prosecutors said those loans entailed a "fraud loss" of $6 million. But as Manafort's lawyers noted in their sentencing memorandum, $5.5 million of that figure is attributed to a loan that was never completed. In other words, the $6 million is mostly notional, based on an "intended loss" rather than money that actually changed hands. Assuming that the balance was loaned and never repaid, you could say Manafort stole $500,000, although according to his lawyers "all of the loans at issue in this case were performing under the terms of the relevant loan agreements until the Special Counsel's Office initiated the prosecutions of Mr. Manafort and brought forfeiture allegations, which resulted in over $2 million in cash being frozen." Knowingly filing a false tax return is a felony punishable by up to three years in prison, and Manafort was convicted of doing that five times. Willfully failing to report a foreign bank account is a felony punishable by up to five years in prison, and Manafort was convicted of one count. Bank fraud is a felony punishable by up to 30 years in prison, and Manafort was convicted of two counts. You can start to see how the punishment recommended by federal sentencing guidelines, which take into account factors such the defendant's role in the offense, his prior criminal record, and the amount of money involved, was 235 to 293 months, or about 19.5 to 24 years. U.S. District Court Judge T.S. Ellis III, who described Manafort's tax evasion as "a theft of money from everyone who pays taxes," nevertheless deemed the recommended sentencing range "excessive" in light of the penalties received by defendants in similar cases. He suggested that anyone who thought four years was inadequate should "go and spend a day, a week in jail or in the federal penitentiary. He has to spend 47 months." While it's true that four years in federal prison is hardly a slap on the wrist, it would be nice if the legislators who enact mandatory minimum sentences that range from five years to life (none of which applied in this case) showed a similar awareness. "Given the age and the health of this defendant, this is the kind of sentence that you can generally expect in a white-collar prosecution," a former federal prosecutor told The Washington Post. "The sentencing guidelines and the request by the government for 19 to 24 years was something the judge was never going to seriously entertain, and I think what we saw here was a recognition that even this sentence could well be a life sentence for Mr. Manafort." Manafort, who is 69, will soon be sentenced in a separate case in which he pleaded guilty to witness tampering and a conspiracy against the U.S. government involving tax fraud, money laundering, failure to report foreign bank accounts, failure to register as a foreign agent, and lying to the Justice Department. The recommended range in that case, which involves some of the same underlying conduct as the case in which he has already been sentenced, is 188 to 235 months, or nearly 16 to almost 20 years. But the statutory maximum for those counts is five years each, meaning his sentence could be as long as 10 additional years. There is still a very good chance Mr. Manafort will die while in prison. And I guess that is the 'justice' everybody is looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 (edited) Jussie Smollett won't be prosecuted on charges he faked attack: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jussie-smollett-wont-be-prosecuted-on-charges-he-faked-attack Quote The Cook County State’s Attorney’s office will not be prosecuting Jussie Smollett, who was previously accused of faking an anti-black, anti-gay hate crime in Chicago in order to drum up publicity for his role on the TV drama “Empire,” Fox News has learned. The judge granted a nolle pros, which essentially means that the case has been dropped and that he will no longer be prosecuted for the alleged crime. It’s unclear at this time why the court decided not to proceed with prosecution, but the former “Empire” star is expected to give a statement after he leaves the courthouse later today. Story developing... An interesting development. Edited March 26, 2019 by Muda69 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordfish Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 14 minutes ago, Muda69 said: Jussie Smollett won't be prosecuted on charges he faked attack: https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/jussie-smollett-wont-be-prosecuted-on-charges-he-faked-attack An interesting development. Smollett was a victim? Apparently his $100,000 bond was enough restitution................ https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/5746142-Jussie-Smollett-bond-proffer.html https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/jussie-smollett-charges/index.html Smollett — who authorities said filed false reports of a crime — was indicted earlier this month on 16 felony counts by a Cook County grand jury. Cook County State's Attorney has dropped the charges against actor Jussie Smollett. Here's what prosecutors said in a statement: "After reviewing all of the facts and circumstances of the case, including Mr. Smollett’s volunteer service in the community and agreement to forfeit his bond to the City of Chicago, we believe this outcome is a just disposition and appropriate resolution to this case." Attorneys Tina Glandian and Patricia Brown Holmes released this statement: "Today, all criminal charges against Jussie Smollett were dropped and his record has been wiped clean of the filing of this tragic complaint against him. Jussie was attacked by two people he was unable to identify on January 29th. He was a victim who was vilified and made to appear as a perpetrator as a result of false and inappropriate remarks made to the public causing an inappropriate rush to judgement. Jussie and many others were hurt by these unfair and unwarranted actions. This entire situation is a reminder that there should never be an attempt to prove a case in the court of public opinion. That is wrong. It is a reminder that a victim, in this case Jussie, deserves dignity and respect. Dismissal of charges against the victim in this case was the only just result. Jussie is relieved to have this situation behind him and is very much looking forward to getting back to focusing on his family, friends and career." 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bobref Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 I guess the people who were righteously indignant that he was initially charged under a felony statute are feeling a little sheepish at this point. He was basically allowed to plead it down to a low 6-figure fine. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 So Mr. Smollett did commit felonies, he was just able to pony up enough cash to get out of it. 'Tis the American Way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 http://reason.com/blog/2019/03/26/jussie-smollett-charges-dropped-hate-cri#comment Quote ... Smollett isn't in the clear yet, however. The FBI is still investigating a threatening letter he received in the mail a week before the alleged attack. If forensics teams find evidence Smollett sent the letter to himself, he would face very serious federal charges. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordfish Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foxbat Posted March 26, 2019 Share Posted March 26, 2019 1 hour ago, swordfish said: Sure ... https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/kansas/articles/2019-03-21/aclu-seeks-probe-after-black-man-detained-in-kansas-home Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swordfish Posted March 26, 2019 Author Share Posted March 26, 2019 https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/ct-met-jussie-smollett-charges-dropped-20190326-story.html The CPD and the Mayor appear upset....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muda69 Posted March 27, 2019 Share Posted March 27, 2019 Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Police Superintendent Still Think Jussie Smollett Is Guilty—and Are Furious He’s Going Free: http://reason.com/blog/2019/03/26/rahm-emanuel-jussie-smollett-police Quote Immediately following the Illinois state attorney's move to drop all charges against Empire actor Jussie Smollett, Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (D) held a press conference with Police Superintendent Eddie Johnson. Both men were blithely furious that Smollett would not be facing justice—and it was clear that they were just as angry with the prosecutors as they were with Smollett. "Where is the accountability in the system?" asked Emanuel. "You cannot have, because of a person's position, one set of rules apply to them and another set apply to everyone else." Emanuel explained that he stood by the Chicago police department's work in the case, and cited the 16 charges brought against Smollett by a grand jury as evidence that the case was worth pursuing. Both Emanuel and Johnson suggested that if Smollett was truly innocent, he should have been more eager to prove it in court. This is all a bit much. Grand juries are notoriously willing to bring charges, thus the famous saying, "a grand jury could indict a ham sandwich." Moreover, Smollett should not be expected to want to go to court. It's the state's job to prove he's guilty, not his job to prove he's innocent. If prosecutors are going to just give up the case, only requiring Smollett to forfeit a small fee and do some community service, it would be insane of him to object. Emanuel and Johnson are convinced that the police had compiled an impressive amount of evidence, and were apoplectic that the prosecution was not moving forward. Reading between the lines, it definitely looks like there's some bad blood between them and the prosecutors. State's Attorney Kim Foxx recused herself from the case after exchanging text messages with Smollett sympathizers, and Chicago's police union has demanded an investigation. Foxx's offices reportedly gave police zero forewarning that the case was about to be dropped (and possibly waited to make the announcement until top brass were otherwise disposed). The state's attorney has tried to frame the abandonment of the case as a win for the city, taking solace in the fact that Smollett agreed to perform community service. It's also a matter of priorities. "Here's the thing—we work to prioritize violent crime and the drivers of violent crime," said Assistant State's Attorney Joe Magats. "Public safety is our number one priority. I don't see Jussie Smollett as a threat to public safety." Magats maintained that there was no issue with the evidence. "We stand behind the investigation, we stand behind the decision to charge him and we stand behind the charges in the case," he said. "The mere fact that it was disposed of in an alternative manner does not mean that there were any problems or infirmities in the case or the evidence." Without being able to see the evidence, it's tough to say which side is right. But none of this really changes what the public knows about the Smollett case. Whether or not the state's attorney wanted to bring the matter to trial, it remains fairly indisputable that the culprits were two Nigerian brothers who knew and worked with Smollett. If the actor was involved—something that still seems likely—the best remaining option for bringing him to trial is the FBI's investigation of the threatening letter he received in the mail. Gee, internal politics/bad blood in Chicago city/county government allowing an attempt at justice to get thrown out the window. I'm really shocked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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