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'Magic' campaign lands 17 black women on Houston courts
Topics in Legal News |
2018/11/10 14:48
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The Houston area's courts are going to be a lot more diverse thanks to a group of 17 African-American women and their "magic."
The women, who were part of an effort dubbed the "Black Girl Magic" campaign, all won races Tuesday to be judges in various Harris County courts in an election that featured more black women on the county's ballot than any other.
The "Black Girl Magic" campaign debuted over the summer with a viral photo that featured the 17 women and two other sitting Harris County judges inside a courtroom. Although those two judges lost their bids Tuesday for seats on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, they will retain their local judgeships.
Those behind the campaign say it was part of an effort to broaden the diversity of the Houston area's judiciary and ensure that more African-Americans and other minorities can bring their backgrounds and life experiences to the bench and better reflect the diversity of the nation's fourth largest city.
"I think that while Houston itself is one of the most diverse cities in the United States, our elected officials have not always reflected that," said Lillie Schechter, chair of the Harris County Democratic Party, which put together the "Black Girl Magic" campaign. "Having a government that reflects the people, the population is something that is incredibly important."
Lori Chambers Gray, a Houston defense attorney who won election to be a judge on a criminal district court, said the photo and the "Black Girls Magic" campaign provided her with a source of strength and motivation as she proceeded to Election Day.
"I hope that it's an example for women that we do have opportunities to run and to win a campaign," Gray said.
The "Black Girl Magic" moniker has been used as a hashtag in recent years to highlight the accomplishments of African-American girls and women. In politics, it's been used to highlight the role African-American women have played in helping decide various races, including the highly contested Senate race in Alabama last year in which Democrat Doug Jones beat Republican Roy Moore.
The victory by the 17 black women on Tuesday was part of a Harris County rout by the Democrats, who won almost all of the nearly 70 local judicial races and ousted a popular Republican from the county's top elected office.
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Synagogue suspect at courthouse; survivors recall ordeal
Topics in Legal News |
2018/10/27 02:30
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The man accused in the Pittsburgh synagogue massacre was released from a hospital and turned over to federal authorities for a court appearance Monday on charges he killed 11 people in what is believed to be the deadliest attack on Jews in U.S. history.
Robert Gregory Bowers, 46, who was shot and wounded in a gun battle with police, arrived at the federal courthouse in downtown Pittsburgh less than two hours after his release from Allegheny General Hospital, according to U.S. marshals. A government car with a wheelchair visible inside could be seen arriving earlier.
Federal prosecutors set in motion plans to seek the death penalty against Bowers, who authorities say expressed hatred of Jews during the rampage and later told police that "I just want to kill Jews" and that "all these Jews need to die."
The first funeral — for Cecil Rosenthal and his younger brother, David — was set for Tuesday. Survivors, meanwhile, began offering harrowing accounts of the mass shooting Saturday inside Tree of Life Synagogue. Barry Werber said he found himself hiding in a dark storage closet as the gunman tore through the building and opened fire.
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Pros and Cons of Workers’ Comp Lump Sum Settlements
Topics in Legal News |
2018/09/28 15:54
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In Illinois, workers who have sustained a permanent injury as the result of an accident are entitled to accept a lump-sum settlement award rather than accepting a series of ongoing payments.
It is very important to fully understand the pros and cons of a lump sum settlement before you make a decision. Insurance companies will often try to offer a lump sum payment as it usually terminates any further payments to the employee and can end up costing the employer less in the long run.
A large lump sum benefit can look appealing to an injured worker, but it is important to review the situation with a skilled workers’ comp attorney to determine whether accepting the lump sum is in the best interest of the injured worker and whether the amount that has been offered is going to be sufficient for all the financial costs of their injury, both present and future.
Before accepting a lump sum settlement, an injured worker should consider important questions with an attorney including:
- How long will I be unable to work?
- What is the likelihood that the medical condition will get worse?
- How will the settlement affect my right to other benefits such as medical care?
- Is the claim being disputed by the insurance company?
- What is the total value of the current claim?
Once an employee accepts a lump sum benefit and the contract is accepted by the Commission, the employee will most likely no longer be eligible for any additional Workers Comp benefits for their injury, even if the condition worsens.
The choice is extremely important and can impact the injured worker for years to come. Every case is different. With over 60 years of combined legal experience, the law firm of Krol, Bongiorno, & Given has handled well over 30,000 claims for injured workers throughout the state of Illinois and have consistently generated some of the largest settlements and awards at the Illinois Workers’ Compensation Commission. As with all of our cases, KB&G will only charge an attorney’s fee when there is a recovery for you. |
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Belgian court rules out extradition for Spanish rapper
Topics in Legal News |
2018/09/16 12:54
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A Belgian court on Monday ruled that Spanish rapper Valtonyc should not be sent back to Spain, where he was sentenced to prison accused of writing lyrics that praise terror groups and insult the royal family.
The rapper, whose real name is Jose Miguel Arenas Beltran, was supposed to turn himself in voluntarily in May to authorities in Spain, where he faces prison sentences totaling three and a half years, but instead fled to Belgium.
"The judge has decided there will be no extradition and discarded all three charges," his lawyer, Simon Bekaert, told reporters near the court in the city of Ghent.
Bekaert said the judge ruled "there is no terrorism involved, there is no incitement of terrorism, so there is no question of a crime according to Belgian law." He said the judge also found that there is no crime to answer to over insulting the Spanish king and that no threat was made that could warrant extradition.
"I feel good, I am happy. But I am sad for the people in Spain, who unlucky, they don't have justice like me here," Arenas told reporters, in English."
The ruling could re-ignite tensions between Belgium and Spain over extradition demands.
Late last year, Spain dropped a European arrest warrant against former Catalan leader Carles Puigdemont after it became clear that Belgian justice authorities were unlikely to recognize some of the Spanish charges against him. |
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UN court hears case over strategic Indian Ocean islands
Topics in Legal News |
2018/09/02 22:42
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Officials from the Indian Ocean island nation of Mauritius told United Nations judges Monday that former colonial power Britain strong-armed its leaders half a century ago into giving up territory as a condition of independence, a claim that could have an impact on a strategically important U.S. military base.
Judges at the International Court of Justice began hearing arguments for an advisory opinion the U.N. General Assembly requested on the legality of British sovereignty over the Chagos Islands. The largest island, Diego Garcia, has housed the U.S. base since the 1970s.
"The process of decolonization of Mauritius remains incomplete as a result of the unlawful detachment of an integral part of our territory on the eve of our independence," Mauritius Defense Minister Anerood Jugnauth told judges.
Mauritius argues that the Chagos archipelago was part of its territory since at least the 18th century and taken unlawfully by the U.K. in 1965, three years before the island gained independence. Britain insists it has sovereignty over the archipelago, which it calls the British Indian Ocean Territory.
Jugnauth testified that during independence negotiations, then-British Prime Minister Harold Wilson told Mauritius' leader at the time, Seewoosagur Ramgoolam, that "he and his colleagues could return to Mauritius either with independence or without it and that the best solution for all might be independence and detachment (of the Chagos Islands) by agreement."
Ramgoolam understood Wilson's words "to be in the nature of a threat," Jugnauth said.
British Solicitor General Robert Buckland described the case as essentially a bilateral dispute about sovereignty and urged the court not to issue an advisory opinion. |
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