Tsarnaev Friend Found Guilty Of Lying To Investigators

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

If you haven't heard the name Robel Phillipos, you probably need to file it away as someone you need to know about...

After six days of deliberating, Robel Phillipos, a friend of the Tsarnaev brothers, was found guilty on both counts of lying to investigators about being in Dzokhar Tsarnaev's dorm room while two other friends removed a backpack containing potential evidence after the April 15, 2013, Boston Marathon attack.

The bombs placed near the marathon finish line killed three people and injured more than 260.

Phillipos had an interesting defense- marijuana consumption.

Here's the latest on the verdict- albeit a very mixed one...
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

He is facing up to 16 years in prison and a verdict will be given in late January- the same month the Tsarnaev trial is set to begin.
Phillipos will be held under house arrest until then.

Aaron Hernandez Trial Continues As Evidence Gets Tossed

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

A trial is in its third day in Massachusetts where attorneys for former New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez are looking to throw out as much evidence as they can get judge Susan Garsh to dispose of before any kind of a trial can commence in earnest.

Judge Garsh did throw out evidence found at a so-called "flophouse" that Hernandez rented. That evidence included ammunition that the prosecution feels may have been related to the murder of Hernandez acquaintance Odin Lloyd. A cell phone and a home survelliance system that were also gathered by Massachusetts police are still in evidence and were not disqualified.

Here's the latest out of Fall River
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

The trial continues Friday.

Boston Marathon Bombing Trial Pushed To January

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

But a change of venue request was denied that was put forth by the defense team of suspected bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Judge George O'Toole has now ruled that the trial will begin after the New Year's holiday instead of early November as was previously designated. Tsarnaev's lawyers wanted to delay the trial for a year and wanted a change of venue- saying that there's no way their client can get a fair trail in Boston.

Understandable idea...

Here's the latest on all the legal wrangling
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Tsarnaev could face the death penalty if convicted of making pressure cooker bombs with his brother that went off at the 2013 Boston Marathon- injuring 260 and killing three.

Adult League Soccer Player Murder Trial Underway, DCFC Supporter's Group Helping Out Ref's Family

((HT: MyFoxDetroit))

This one is a little more than "not normal..."

A man in suburban Detroit is now, officially, on trial for second degree murder for allegedly killing a soccer referee with one punch during a recreational league soccer match back in late June.

Baseel Abdul-Amir Saad will now be on trial for trial in the death of John Bienewicz. Saad was ejected from an adult soccer game when witnesses say he turned around and punched Bienewicz on the side of the head or the neck.

The medical examiner assigned to the case testified that Bienewicz lost consciousness before he hit the ground. The punch put him in a coma and he later died.

The defense...???

Attorneys defending Saad say he got "emotional..." and claim the case is more a manslaughter case than murder.

Fox 2 News Headlines

Arraignment is set for August 7th...

Nicholas Mendola, over at Pro Soccer Talk, has a great hook to the story. The Northern Guard, the supporter's group for the NPSL's Detroit City FC, had a cursing jar for the season. Last year, they donated their proceeds to "Holligans for Heroes." This year's funds are going to Bienewicz's "Friends of" fund to help his family.

To the tune of $6,000...

Well done...

Prosecutors Think They Can Prove Hernandez's Fiancee/Girlfriend Lied

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

The prosecution in the Aaron Hernandez case feel they can prove that Hernandez's current fiancee/girlfriend has lied to investigators close to a dozen times to the grand jury in charge of the case.

Shayanna Jenkins could face up to 20 years in prison if found to have lied.

The defense team also said publicly that they would not object to pushing back the trial...

Here's the latest from the case
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Aaron Hernandez Double Murder Case Has Trial Date

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

A judge has tentatively scheduled the Aaron Hernandez double murder trial to begin in May of 2015. Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to the drive-by killing of Daniel Abreu and Safiro Furtado after they met at a suburban Boston nightclub.

The thoughts are that Odin Lloyd may have said "too much" about the dealings of Hernandez to Abreu and Furtado and that the duo rubbed Hernandez the wrong way outside of any conversation Lloyd may have had in the club with them.

Hernandez waited until the two left the nightclub and is to alleged to have shot and killed them the same evening.

Here's FOSG Maria Stephanos and Ted Daniel
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Hernandez's lawyers also asked Judge Jeffrey Locke to issue a gag order in the case- feeling that Hernandez won't get a fair trial because of the amount of media coverage he has already received in the Lloyd murder case.

Naturally, prosecutors objected and Judge Locke hasn't given a ruling as of yet.

Opening Statements In Bryan Stow Case

((HT: NBC Los Angeles))

You had to get through a six-page written questionnaire, but 16 jurors were selected, eight men and eight women, to hear the Bryan Stow civil case against the Los Angeles Dodgers and Frank McCourt.

Stow suffered brain damage in the Opening Day 2011 beating at Dodger Stadium and is permanently disabled.
His lawyers say his lifetime care could cost $50 million and he will not testify in the case.

Patrick Healy is outside the courtroom


Four of the 16 will become alternate jurors, but the panelists will not know until the end of the trial which 12 will actually deliberate on the Stow case and deliver a verdict.

The Dodgers maintain that the security force they had at the Giants-Dodgers game was one of the biggest they ever had and that the responsibility for the acts of that day rest with Stow for wearing his Giants gear and two Dodger fans who beat him on that day.

Oscar Pistorius Week 7: Day 5- Ballistics Debates

((HT: SABC Digital News))

The defense is now bringing their own ballistics experts on the stand to refute the positioning of Reeva Steenkamp as she was trying to defend herself (or not) in the bathroom at the time of Oscar Pistorius opening fire into his bathroom.

The prosecution maintains that Steenkamp was trying to defend herself behind the door when Pistorius started shooting at, what he thought, was an intruder. They are saying she sitting on a magazine rack in the bathroom. The defense is maintaining that Steenkamp was falling backwards into the toilet.

The defense position is trying to reinforce that they weren't arguing that night.
Prosecutor Gerrie Nel challenged the position saying the idea didn't make sense...

Here's session one...

Jim Donnan Ponzi Scheme Case: Day 3

((HT: AJC/Towers))

Is Jim Donnan in charge of one of the biggest Ponzi schemes around or is he just a guy used by others to bring in the cash for the scheme to work...???

That's the question being debated in an Athens, Georgia courtroom...

Back in the mid-2000's, Donnan was introduced to a guy by the name of Greg Crabtree. Crabtree and Donnan got together, in some capacity-depending on which side you believe- and brought in some heavyweight investors for projects under the GLC Limited umbrella- mostly flipping surplus merchandise and food.

GLC brought in more than $80 million from folks as famous as Frank Beamer and Billy Gillispie, and investors claim the losses were over $20-million. A lot of investors lost their investment principal up to seven figures in losses.

Here's work from the Southern Free Press with Joyce Oscar in 2011 discussing the case with some alleged victims


Crabtree maintains Donnan knew what was going on with the scheme- something Donnan, obviously, denies.

Chip Towers presence at the trial is a required read...

Oscar Pistorius Trial Week 7: More Defense From The Defense

((HT: SABC Digital News))

It was more opportunities for the defense in the Oscar Pistorius trial to continue to reinforce the idea that the sprinter shot his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, by accident on Valentine's Day 2013.

The prosecutor, Gerrie Nel, hammered away at the defendant and went after inconsistencies in his time line and testimony. But the defense interviewed someone who lived in the gated community who received a phone call from Pistorius immediately after the shooting who seconded his state of mind at the time of the shooting.

Johan Stander was on the stand this morning...


Monday's proceedings ended early because lead defense attorney Barry Roux said he had expected Stander and his daughter to take up the full day. They didn't and no other defense witnesses were at the courthouse to go under examination.

Pistorius faces 25 years for Steenkamp's murder...

Oscar Pistorius Trial Day 22: The Cross Ends

((HT: SABC Digital News))

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel rested his cross-examination of Oscar Pistorius after five days- maintaining that the sprinter lied, and is still lying, about his version of events from Valentine's Night, 2013. The prosecution is saying Pistorius lied about his shooting of Reeva Steenkamp was accidental- thinking she was a burglar holed up in the bathroom.

Pistorius shot through the door four times, hitting Steenkamp three and killing her. Nel delivered the prosecution's case and thinks his acts were intentional.

Here's Session One...


The defense called for redirect where lead attorney Barry Roux led Pistorius through his version of events. They then called a forensics expert who went through a noise analysis similar to that of the rounds Pistorius shot through the bathroom door.

Oscar Pistorius Trial Day 21: The Cross Continues

((HT: SABC Digital News))

The cross examination continues by prosecutor Gerrie Nel on Oscar Pistorius Friday.

Nel went as far as accusing Pistorius of talking through the bathroom door with girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp before discharging a weapon four times and killing her. Pistorius denied the accounts of Nel in open court maintaining that he thought the person behind the bathroom door was an intruder that came in through the window.

Nel took Pistorius' account apart piece by piece trying to attack the logic of his claims of the play-by-play of Valentines' Night of 2013.

Here's session one from Friday

Oscar Pistorius Trial Say 20: The Cross Continues

((HT: SABC Digital News))

Prosecutor Gerry Nel continued his grilling of Oscar Pistorius in the sprinter's murder trial...

Nel accused Pistorius of being a fraud on more than one level and a person who was more concerned with putting the blame of his past on others and deflecting the incidents of his past- saying that others lied on the stand, evidence was tampered with, or that the defendant's timeline didn't add up to what the prosecution believed it to be...

Here's Part One of Day Two of the cross...


The judge in the case, Thokozile Masipa, will be the one delivering the verdict in the case since there is no jury system or alternative in South African law and trial cases...

Oscar Pistorius Trial Day 19: Time For The Cross

((HT: SABC Digital News))

The prosecution got their chance to chase Oscar Pistorius this morning in his murder trial in South Africa...

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel wanted Pistorius to look at the photographs taken at the crime scene and wanted the sprinter to admit that he shot her instead of saying it was a mistake.

Pistorius, again, broke down. And the judge, again, asked for a recess...


Nel again would hammer at Pistorius' character and wanted him to say in open court that he "killed" her.
It's the very beginning of a very contentious question-and-answer for Pistorius, Nel, and Barry Roux- his attorney...

Oscar Pistorius Trial Day 18: Stopped Early By Judge

((HT: SABC Digital News))

Oscar Pistorius continued his testimony in his defense of murdering his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, this morning local time. But, the judge stopped the trial at points as Pistorius' crying took such a toll that a recess was called.

He is charged with premeditated murder in Steenkamp’s death and faces a life sentence with a minimum of 25 years before parole in prison if convicted. The prosecution's stance is that every word Pistorius is telling about his story is a fabrication- that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder and he shot her through the bathroom door four times as an accident.

Pistorius maintained that the sound of the bathroom window opening gave him the thoughts that someone was breaking into his house. He also said that Steenkamp was still in bed with him as he went to the door to fire his gun.

Here's the first part of his testimony

Oscar Pistorius Trial Day 17: He Takes The Stand

((HT: SABC Digital News))

As was the plan by the defense, Oscar Pistorius took the stand and apologized to the Steenkamp family for everything they have gone through since her death.

He showed up in Session two today...


Pistorius has maintained that he mistook his girlfriend as an intruder when he fired into the bathroom in his home Valentine's Day of 2013. Attorney Barry Roux walked the courtroom through his life in an attempt to counter the angry individual portrayed by the prosecution during their section of the proceedings. The defense also portrayed a fearful Pistorius was the reason he carried guns as a part of his daily life.

Court was adjourned while Pistorius was on the stand since the judge admitted Pistorius looked exhausted.

Oscar Pistorius Trial: Day 17- Pistorius May Take Stand

((HT: SABC Digital News))

The prosecution in Oscar Pistorius’ murder trial rested their case and the defense asked for time to ask questions of the more than 100 state witnesses who did not take the stand.

Prosecutor Gerrie Nel wrapped and the defense will start their part of the case Friday. Defense lawyer Brian Webber says that it’s "likely" Pistorius will take the stand, but he did not say when the athlete would testify.

Here's the first segment of Tuesday's trial

Oscar Pistorius Trial: Day 16- Reeva Scared Of Oscar

((HT: SABC Digital News))

Text messages were revealed in open court today that displayed a fear Reeva Steenkamp had of her boyfriend, Oscar Pistorius. Police pulled more than 1,000 texts from her phone that, prosecutors think, give a history of his anger and feelings toward her when the two were not together.

A neighbor was also called to the stand to discuss the night of the Steenkamp death where "terrifying screams" were heard by Anette Stipp early in the morning of the model's death. Stipp's husband previously testified about the same things.

Here's the beginning of the day


The prosecution says they are wrapping up their case this week.
Judicial officials say the trial will continue until May 16, with a recess in April...

Oscar Pistorius Trial Day 12- Was Evidence Moved...???

((HT: Sky News))

That's the contention of the defense if you look at the photos of the crime scene...

Oscar Pistorius' lead attorney, Barry Roux, has been trying to deconstruct testimony line-by-line with every prosecution witness that comes up onto the witness stand. Roux tried grilling the police photographer today...

The police ballistics expert was also on the stand trying to explain point-by-point how he reconstructed the scene of the gunshots and positions he thought successfully demonstrated the death of Reeva Steenkamp.

Here's today's testimony...

Oscar Pistorius Trial: Day 11- The Fascination With Guns

((HT: SABC Digital News))

Day 11 of the Oscar Pistorius trail featured a gun expert who testified that Pistorius wanted to purchase seven more guns in addition to the 9mm pistol he already owned. Sean Rens also said Pistorius wanted them for self-defense — and asked Rens to get them for him.

The guns included a semi-automatic assault rifle, three shotguns, another self-loading rifle and two Smith & Wesson handguns to go with several hundred rounds of ammunition.

The cost of the weapons was in the neighborhood of R$5,000- R$4,500 of which Pistorius had already paid before the murder of Reeva Steenkamp. The remaining two weapons purchase was cancelled at that point...

Here's segment one of week three...


Rens was also asked about Pistorius' referring to "combat mode" where he would snap out of bed once he heard a noise. A Twitter submission about his own washing machine going off in the middle of the night that cause him to go into "combat mode" was also talked about in open court...