All posts by nedhamson

Activist, writer, researcher, addicted to sharing information and facts.

Split Jury Spares Iraq-War Vet in High Profile Virginia Capital Case

A Virginia jury has spared the life of Iraqi war veteran Ronald Hamilton (pictured, right, with his father) in the 2016 killings of his wife and a rookie police officer. The jury split 6-6 on whether to impose the death penalty for Hamilton’s murder of his wife, Crystal Hamilton, but unanimously agreed to impose a life sentence for the death of Officer Ashley Guindon, who was killed while she responded to Crystal Hamilton’s 911 call. Under Virginia law, the court must impose a life sentence if any of the jurors vote for life. At the sentencing phase of the trial, Hamilton’s lawyers presented evidence of his possible posttraumatic stress disorder from two tours of duty in Iraq, emphasized his development into a model soldier who, as an Army sergeant, saved a colleague’s life while they were under mortar fire, and presented testimony from his father, Ronald W. Hamilton, and other family members. During his testimony, the elder Ronald Hamilton—a retired police officer whose career included service at the White House and who served as the second-in-command of the Charleston, South Carolina police force—expressed his sympathy to the family of Officer Guindon and to the two other officers who were wounded. “I see the prosecutor’s side and defense side, and I can sit on either side. I feel the pain. I understand the duty,” Hamilton testified. “If anyone in this courtroom had their relative sitting where my son was, they’d be asking for mercy,” he said. As is often the case in capital trials of war veterans, the prosecution had attempted to convert Hamilton’s military service into an aggravating factor, repeatedly referring to him as “depraved” and “dangerous.” Prosecutor Richard Conway told the jury that soldiers “deserve respect and deserve protection, but they don’t get a pass for capital murder,” while his co-counsel, Matthew Lowery urged the jury to “[p]ut him in the grave because that’s what he deserves.”

No Virginia jury has imposed a death sentence since 2011 and Hamilton had offered to plead guilty in exchange for a sentence of life without parole. However, Prince William County Commonwealth’s Attorney Paul Ebert – known for his frequent use of the death penalty – rejected the offer. The county is responsible for more executions since 1976 than any other county in the Commonwealth and is among the 2% of counties that account for a majority of all executions in the United States in that period.

(Ian Shapira, Va. jury deadlocks on death sentence for man who killed wife and police officer, The Washington Post, October 25, 2018; Emily Sides, Jury deadlocked on death penalty, Hamilton sentenced to life in double murder, InsideNoVA, October 25, 2018; Matthew Barakat, Jury spares life of soldier convicted of killing wife, rookie police officer, Associated Press, October 25, 2018; Matthew Barakat, Life-or-death decision faces jury in cop killer case, Associated Press, October 23, 2018; Ian Shapira, For Va. man who killed his wife and a police officer, a push for death and plea for mercy, The Washington Post, October 1, 2018; Ian Shapira, Retired police commander tries to save his son — a cop killer — from execution, The Washington Post, October 17, 2018.) See Sentencing.

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Trump Turns Tragedy of Migrant Caravan into Fake Terrorism Threat | La Prensa San Diego

The caravan is still thousands of miles from the U.S. but that hasn’t stopped Trump and his friends from declaring a new threat to the U.S. Without citing any evidence, and in complete contradiction of his own Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Trump this week claimed that ISIS and other terrorist groups have embedded themselves within the caravan, adding that “Middle Easterners” were mixed in among the refugees. No evidence exists to support that claim, and, when pressed for proof of his claims by a reporter, Trump finally admitted “there is no proof of anything”.

Source: Trump Turns Tragedy of Migrant Caravan into Fake Terrorism Threat | La Prensa San Diego

Reports of Voter Intimidation at Polling Places in Texas

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by Blake Paterson

Tempers are flaring during early voting in Dallas County, Texas, and reports of voter intimidation are on the rise. The county’s nonpartisan election administrator said that the harassment — including name-calling and interrogating voters waiting in line — is the worst she’s seen in decades.

“I’ve been here for 30 years, and this harassment that’s going on, I haven’t ever seen the likes of this,” said Toni Pippins-Poole, the county’s election director. “I’ve seen some other things, props being used and whatnot, but nothing like this type of mentality or aggressiveness or demeaning type of actions.”

At the Lakeside Activity Center in Mesquite, Texas, election administrators received complaints of a partisan poll watcher looking over voter’s shoulders as they cast their ballots and questioning voters on their politics. The person was later escorted out by Mesquite Police Department officers on Monday after refusing to leave the premises, according to Pippins-Poole.

Texas law requires that any form of electioneering — including passing out political literature or advocating for or against candidates or issues — can only occur more than 100 feet outside a polling location. Within that distance, poll workers can kick people out for causing a disturbance. When the nuisance is farther away, Pippins-Poole instructs her poll workers to call law enforcement.

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Poll greeters at Dallas’ Lochwood Library reported being “harassed” and “verbally abused” and described a person with a bullhorn driving by yelling about “baby killers,” according to a tweet by the Texas Civil Rights Project, an organization tracking voting-related issues in the state. Despite notifying law enforcement, Pippins-Poole said the person has not been identified and the reports of harassment are ongoing.

At the Richardson Civic Center, multiple reports emerged of a person standing beyond the 100-foot-perimeter accosting voters as they arrived to vote, calling people “bipolar” and “alligators who live in swamps.” A video posted on Twitter by the Texas Civil Rights Project shows a person pacing and yelling about similar subjects.

There is currently no evidence to suggest that the incidents reported in Dallas County have blocked voters from casting a ballot. When harassment occurs, however, it can be particularly discouraging for those inexperienced with voting, said Calvin Jillson, a professor of political science at Southern Methodist University.

“If you are a first time voter — say a young voter or a minority voter, a newly enfranchised Hispanic citizen voting for the first time — and you have some aggressive white guy yelling at you as you walk in, it might have a negative effect. It’s meant to dissuade people from voting,” Jillson said.

The secretary of state’s office has been in regular contact with Dallas County election officials regarding issues of harassment and intimidation, according to Sam Taylor, the office’s communications director. In written statement sent to ProPublica, Rolando Pablos, Texas’ secretary of state, said “everyone should continue to treat their fellow Texans with dignity” whether inside or outside a polling location.

“We strongly condemn harassment of Texas voters in any form or fashion. We encourage Texans to make their voices heard at the ballot box, and to be respectful and courteous to other voters wishing to do the same,” Pablos wrote.

Tensions are high across Texas. The state is in the midst of an unexpectedly close Senate race between Republican incumbent Ted Cruz and Democratic challenger Beto O’Rourke, which has driven record-breaking registration and early voting turnout.

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Honduras: US senators sound the alarm over threats to journalists and activists

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Fifty members of Congress say ‘US is tacitly approving state-sanctioned violence’ and urge Trump to investigate

More than 50 US lawmakers have called on Donald Trump’s administration to investigate a string of threats against journalists and human rights activists in Honduras, and asked the state department to reassess its certification of the country’s human rights conditions.

Led by Senator Ed Markey of Massachusetts and Representative Jan Schakowsky of Illinois, the lawmakers wrote to Trump expressing concern over death threats and intimidation campaigns targeting journalists and activists documenting human rights violations in Honduras.

Continue reading…

Does The FBI Have Their Man?

As the AP notes, the president’s remarks came after he tweeted a complaint about how the media’s focus on the incidents were distracting from what he sees as a Republican upswing ahead of the midterms. “Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows — news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!”

What a petty pathetic little man.

Final Thought–26Oct18

Clapper, both Clintons, Obama, Biden, DiNero, Booker, Holder, Waters, CNN, Soros and Wasserman-Shultz….(a who’s who of the Democrats)….all these people were targeted by some unknown bomber…..and every one of these people, these public figures have been singled out by Pres. Trump for an angry insulting Tweet…..so he, Trump and his idiot gang around him wants the country to believe that these are just coincidences.

That is Bullsh*t!

And if you are waiting for the GOP to step forward then you have a long wait…..these gutless wonders will allow the Bullshit to continue…..

But not to worry…..the FBI has their man (we hope)…..

But after bitching about the bombs were putting the GOP off the headlines…..yep our president is worried about his election….then he praises the FBI for the arrest now that his election stuff can return to the forefront…..

President Trump on Friday praised the quick arrest of a suspect in the mail bomb case and promised that “swift and certain justice” would follow. “These terrorizing acts are despicable and have no place in our country,” Trump said. Speaking soon after authorities announced the arrest of Florida man accused of mailing explosive devices to prominent Democrats, Trump declared that “we must never allow political violence to take root in America,” reports NBC News. “We cannot let it happen. I am committed to do everything in my power as president to stop it and stop it now.” Americans, he said, “must unify.”

As the AP notes, the president’s remarks came after he tweeted a complaint about how the media’s focus on the incidents were distracting from what he sees as a Republican upswing ahead of the midterms. “Republicans are doing so well in early voting, and at the polls, and now this ‘Bomb’ stuff happens and the momentum greatly slows — news not talking politics. Very unfortunate, what is going on. Republicans, go out and vote!”

What a petty pathetic little man.