A Louisiana man has been granted parole after serving more than 20 years of a life sentence for stealing hedge clippers in 1997.
Fair Wayne Bryant, 63, was given what his attorneys argued was an “unconstitutionally harsh” punishment because he had numerous other convictions, making him a “habitual” offender under Louisiana law, NBC <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/amp/ncna1243757">reported</a>.
“Bryant had several past convictions, including the possession of stolen things, simple burglary and attempted forgery. His only violent conviction, the chief justice noted in her dissent, was for armed robbery in 1979,” the outlet reported.
Yet it was his failed attempt to steal hedge clippers from a home in Shreveport, Louisiana in 1997 that sealed his fate. At the time, Bryant was 38 and lifted the clippers from a homeowner’s carport storeroom, NBC reported. The homeowner chased Bryant off. Bryant was later convicted of “attempted simple burglary of an inhabited dwelling,” the outlet reported, leading to his life sentence.
Bryant has been trying to appeal his conviction ever since. Earlier this year, the Louisiana Supreme Court <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/he-s-serving-life-trying-steal-hedge-clippers-high-court-n1236083">refused</a> to review Bryant’s sentence, but on Thursday, the Board of Pardons and Committee on Parole granted him parole.
The state Supreme Court didn’t explain why it refused to hear Bryant’s case, though NBC hints there was a racial component, as five of the court’s seven justices are white men and Bryant is black. Of the remaining two, one recused himself, while the other, Chief Justice Bernette Johnson, wrote a <a href="https://www.lasc.org/Opinions/2020/20-0077.KO.bjj.dis.pdf">dissent</a> from the decision in which she called Bryant’s sentence “excessive.”
&#8220;This man’s life sentence for a failed attempt to steal a set of hedge clippers is grossly out of proportion to the crime and serves no legitimate penal purpose,&#8221; Johnson wrote.
Johnson likened the habitual offender law with “Pig Laws” of the Reconstruction era.
“Pig Laws were largely designed to re-enslave African Americans. They targeted actions such as stealing cattle and swine—considered stereotypical ‘negro’ behavior—by lowering the threshold for what constituted a crime and increasing the severity of its punishment,” Johnson wrote. “Pig Laws undoubtedly contributed to the expansion of the Black prison population that began in the 1870’s. These laws remained on the books of most southern states for decades. And this case demonstrates their modern manifestation: harsh habitual offender laws that permit a life sentence for a Black man convicted of property crimes.”
The parole board discussed Bryant’s past crimes and his drug problems. Bryant told the board said he has addressed the drug problem while in prison and was able to “recognize that problem and to be in constant communication with the Lord to help me with that problem.”
Robert Lancaster, Bryant’s attorney, told NBC in a statement that he hoped Bryant’s case could help change habitual offender laws.
“Because of his prior history of petty crimes to fuel a drug addiction, Mr. Bryant was sentenced to a life in prison rather than given the help he needed to recover from his drug addiction,&#8221; Lancaster said. &#8220;Finally, after 24 years in prison, he has been given a second chance.&#8221;
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Silhouette of Hands Behind Jail Bars Against Clear Blue Sky

He Was 20 Years Into A Life Sentence For Stealing Hedge Clippers. A Parole Committee Just Released Him.

Crime

Louisiana

Prison

A Louisiana man has been granted parole after serving more than 20 years of a life sentence for stealing hedge clippers in 1997. Fair Wayne Bryant, 63,

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George Gascón is often referred to as the “Godfather of progressive prosecutors.” While serving as San Francisco’s District Attorney, he won the support of several liberal financiers, including mega-donor George Soros and several deep-pocketed philanthropists from the Bay Area. Now, they are backing his current campaign to take over the nation’s largest prosecutor’s office in Los Angeles County, home to more than 10 million people. Gascón claims that his strategy strives to find the proper balance between reducing violent crime and increasing public safety “without overincarcerating.” He has promised not to prosecute some offenses to the fullest extent allowed if elected on November 3, but Gascón’s critics equate that vow to a refusal to enforce laws mandated by both constitutional and statutory authority.
The countywide election, featuring two Democrats, is a priority for the national anti-incarceration movement, given that the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department operates the largest jail system in the United States. 
Black Lives Matter co-founder Patrisse Cullors is part of multiple political action committees committed to ousting the two-term incumbent D.A. Jackie Lacey, the first Black person elected to that position. Lacey is considered the establishment candidate and has the support of law enforcement unions.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
We founded <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BlackLivesMatter?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BlackLivesMatter</a> to stop the violence inflicted on our communities &#8212; but it is clear that politicians like <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JackieLacey?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JackieLacey</a> are not doing their part to help liberate us. Watch &amp; share our new ad &amp; help us defeat Lacey: <a href="https://t.co/b6rSKkeB3Z">https://t.co/b6rSKkeB3Z</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/JackieLaceyMustGo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#JackieLaceyMustGo</a>
&mdash; fund the us postal service &#8211; defund the police (@OsopePatrisse) <a href="https://twitter.com/OsopePatrisse/status/1313598930379128832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 6, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The New York Times has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/us/lacey-gascon-garcetti-endorsement.html?smid=tw-share">called</a> the contest “one of the most consequential races in the country.”
Last October, Gascón <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/10/28/us/george-gacon-district-attorney-los-angeles.html">said</a> he had “become increasingly more uneasy seeing the backwardness of the criminal justice system in L.A.,” then announced he would challenge Lacey the following week. Gascón said that his “goal” is to “offramp as many people as we can from the system” by creating alternatives to incarceration, diverting individuals “to other avenues of intervention whenever we can.”
“I believe that even short periods of incarceration are harmful in many ways,” Gascón said. 
He supports redirecting money away from the Sheriff’s Department to social services, such as mental health treatment, substance abuse programs, and youth development.  Gascón’s chief spokesman described the philosophical differences with D.A. Lacey as “seeking punishment versus seeking results.” 
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At last week&#39;s debate, <a href="https://twitter.com/LADAOffice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LADAOffice</a> made it clear that she supports the death penalty, gang enhancements and her contributions from police unions.
L.A. deserves a DA who will hold police accountable and end mass incarceration. Vote for <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeGascon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeorgeGascon</a>.<a href="https://t.co/hu44EjIaLV">https://t.co/hu44EjIaLV</a>
&mdash; Real Justice (@RealJusticePAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJusticePAC/status/1316065915537035264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 13, 2020</a></blockquote>
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“If mass incarceration made us safer LA would be the safest place on earth, but it’s not,” said Max Szabo, who also worked for Gascón in the San Francisco DA office. “The practice also has huge implications for taxpayers.”
Here are four sentencing changes Gascón said he would implement if elected as the top law enforcement official in L.A.
1. Gascón would not seek the death penalty.
“I oppose using the death penalty under any circumstance,” Gascón has <a href="https://georgegascon.org/campaign-news/george-gascons-plan-to-end-the-death-penalty-and-resentence-those-condemned-to-death/">said</a>. “If elected, however, we will go further, and I will not seek an execution date for any person already on death row.”
Gascón released his plan in February, claiming the punishment “is fatally flawed, racially biased, and risks executing innocent people.”
“I will work collaboratively with various stakeholders to get as many of the 229 people currently on death row from Los Angeles County resentenced to a sentence other than death,” he said. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeathPenalty?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DeathPenalty</a> is broken, wastes a massive amount of taxpayer $$$ &amp; creates an unnecessary risk that the state will put an innocent person to death. Honored to join victims, exonerees &amp; advocates to announce a plan to resentence LA&#39;s 229 people on death row. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Gasc%C3%B3nForLADA?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GascónForLADA</a> <a href="https://t.co/62SL9WokFf">pic.twitter.com/62SL9WokFf</a>
&mdash; George Gascón (@GeorgeGascon) <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeGascon/status/1233142927527792640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 27, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Gascón also <a href="https://georgegascon.org/campaign-news/george-gascons-plan-to-end-the-death-penalty-and-resentence-those-condemned-to-death/">promised</a> to “drop the death penalty in ongoing cases reversed on guilt or penalty phase.”
The candidates recently sparred over the issue during a debate. 
“Until the voters tell me, ‘We don’t want this penalty anymore,’ we’re going to continue to seek it in some cases,” Lacey said. <a href="https://www.politico.com/states/california/story/2019/11/07/california-da-race-a-major-test-for-criminal-justice-reform-movement-1226372">According</a> to Lacey, her office only pursues capital punishment in “the most heinous and egregious” circumstances, with the last execution in California occurring on January 17, 2006.
Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order last year, suspending the death penalty during his administration. Only voters can repeal the law, which is part of the state constitution.
2. Gascón said he would not enforce some mandatory minimum sentences, such as California’s ‘Three-Strikes Law.’
Gascón said he would not be seeking mandatory minimum sentences permitted by California’s controversial ‘Three Strikes Sentencing Initiative.’ Voters overwhelmingly approved the measure in 1994 to increase prison time for repeat offenders. Its passage amended the state’s constitution, requiring a prison term of at least 25 years to life for defendants convicted of their third felony with two or more prior strikes. Gascón was part of an <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-02-18/kamala-harris-endorses-george-gascon-in-competitive-los-angeles-county-d-as-race">effort</a> to soften the law in 2012, revising the mandatory minimum sentence requirements to apply only to individuals whose third felony is serious or violent.
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As DA of San Francisco, <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeGascon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeorgeGascon</a> led fights to reform the Three Strikes Law &amp; get people convicted of nonviolent offenses greater opportunities to get their lives back on track. I know he’ll work every day as DA of LA County to demand accountability from our justice system.
&mdash; Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1230216813318934528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Gascón said prosecutors in his office would be required to obtain approval before pursuing mandatory minimum sentences for some crimes. 
“I don’t believe that necessarily having the type of sentencing schemes that we have, where we’re sending people to prison 40-50 years or longer periods of time, has any connection to public safety,” Gascón <a href="https://theappeal.org/politicalreport/how-george-gascon-wants-reform-los-angeles-district-attorney-election/">told</a> The Appeal. 
He referenced other countries around the world with punishments “usually around 20 years” for serious offenses. 
“After 20 years, it’s a year-by-year evaluation of psychological and dangerousness assessment,” Gascón continued. “I think that we need to start moving in that direction. One of the things that I did in San Francisco was that we looked hard at any sentence over 20 years.”
“If I were to be elected DA in LA, I would probably lower that threshold to 15 years, where we have to have a strong executive review of any commitments that will go much longer. That’s not to say that it would never happen, but it’s not automatic.”
3. Gascón said he would not pursue gang sentencing enhancements. 
During a virtual debate with current District Attorney Lacey earlier this month, Gascón committed to eliminating gang enhancements that add years to criminal sentences. As the Los Angeles Times recently <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-10-08/as-election-winds-down-los-angeles-da-candidates-skirmish-in-debate">reported</a>:
<blockquote>If elected, Gascón said he would no longer seek gang enhancements, which can lengthen a defendant’s prison sentence if a jury finds the crime benefited a gang. Such enhancements have been “corrupted,” he said, citing the alleged falsification by six officers from the LAPD of field interview cards that erroneously labeled dozens of people as gang members and associates. 
Lacey said she would continue pursuing the enhancements, emphasizing that a defendant’s association with a gang is proven not by the field interview card but through testimony and other evidence brought before a jury.</blockquote>
Offenses perceived as small gang crimes can quickly escalate in L.A. For example, gang graffiti that could be marginalized as vandalism often creates a larger zone of danger within the subculture, sometimes leading to violence and murder.  
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&quot;We need to get rid of all gang injunctions. Injunctions treats an entire neighborhood like criminals&#8230;. gang enhancements and CalGang needs to go away&#8230;we need to see kids as kids.&quot; 
DA Candidate <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeGascon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeorgeGascon</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/YouthJusticeForum?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#YouthJusticeForum</a>
&mdash; Youth Justice Coalition (@YouthJusticeLA) <a href="https://twitter.com/YouthJusticeLA/status/1228823768023199744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Gascón previously charged suspects with gang enhancements as San Francisco D.A. but says his views have since evolved. He now <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-01-30/district-attorney-debate">considers</a> the punishment “the product of discriminatory police work.”
4. Gascón said he would not transfer juveniles to adult court.
In July, Gascón released his plan to reform the youth justice system. 
“I will end the ineffective practice of sending youth to the adult court system to be sentenced to prison,” he <a href="https://www.georgegascon.org/campaign-news/george-gascons-proposed-policies-to-reform-the-youth-justice-system/">pledged</a>. “Adult prisons are no place for youth as they are bereft of age appropriate treatment, education, or any other rehabilitative services.”
Gascón cited statistics indicating juveniles sentenced as adults are more likely to attempt suicide and are at the highest risk of rape while incarcerated.
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Los Angeles has the largest juvenile justice system in the United States because <a href="https://twitter.com/LADAOffice?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@LADAOffice</a> continues to ignore the science of youth brain development.
As DA, <a href="https://twitter.com/GeorgeGascon?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GeorgeGascon</a> will stop transferring children to adult court and start treating kids like kids again. <a href="https://t.co/K5OJaH5BHe">pic.twitter.com/K5OJaH5BHe</a>
&mdash; Real Justice (@RealJusticePAC) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealJusticePAC/status/1300949308326383616?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 2, 2020</a></blockquote>
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According to Eric Siddall, Vice President of the L.A. Association of Deputy District Attorneys, transferring youth to adult courts is a rare but necessary practice. The prosecutors’ union has endorsed D.A. Lacey.
“Consider a juvenile who committed multiple brutal murders,” Siddall <a href="https://myemail.constantcontact.com/Prosecutorial-Institutionalism.html?soid=1120011172453&amp;aid=Md1PgFA5-O8">said</a>. “In Gascón’s new world, this murder will remain under the juvenile court’s jurisdiction, even if the court does not believe that the juvenile system is suited to deal with him.”
“The consequence of refusing to transfer any juvenile ever is that a 16- or 17-year-old who commits murder will be under the jurisdiction of the juvenile system,” he continued.
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George Gascon

4 Key Changes Coming To L.A. If Soros-Backed Challenger Wins Biggest D.A. Race In America

George Soros

Los Angeles

George Gascón is often referred to as the “Godfather of progressive prosecutors.” While serving as San Francisco’s District Attorney, he won the support

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Parents may understand why several former employees at an Oklahoma jail were charged with cruelty after handcuffing inmates and forcing them to listen to “Baby Shark” on repeat for hours.
Fox News <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/oklahoma-jail-employees-charged">reported</a> that Oklahoma County jail employees Gregory Cornell Butler Jr. and Christian Charles Miles, each 21, and their 50-year-old supervisor Christopher Raymond Hendershott were charged with “misdemeanor counts of cruelty to a prisoner and conspiracy.”
District Attorney David Prater <a href="https://oklahoman.com/article/5673248/baby-shark-kids-song-used-to-bully-jail-inmates-da-says">told</a> The Oklahoman that it “was unfortunate that I could not find a felony statute to fit this fact scenario,” adding that he “would have preferred filing a felony on this behavior.&#8221;
The outlet reporter that the younger employees, Butler and Miles, were accused of carrying out the punishment but that their supervisor, Hendershott, knew about it but didn’t stop it.
“At least four inmates were subjected to the ‘inhuman’ discipline in an attorney visitation room of the jail last November and December, according to the charge. The inmates was [sic] forced to stand the entire time, hands cuffed behind them and secured to the wall, the investigation found,” The Oklahoman reported.
More from the outlet:
<blockquote>The sheriff said Monday that Butler and Miles were suspended from any contact with inmates &#8220;as soon as I knew about it.&#8221; He said they resigned during the internal investigation. He said the lieutenant retired.
&#8220;We don&#8217;t tolerate it,&#8221; he said of the mistreatment. &#8220;We always did an excellent job policing ourselves.&#8221;
Miles confirmed that he and Butler &#8220;systematically worked together and used the &#8230; attorney booth as a means to discipline inmates and teach them a lesson because they felt that disciplinary action within the Detention Center was not working in correcting the behavior of the inmates,&#8221; an investigator wrote in affidavits filed in the case.
&#8220;Butler also confirmed that he used the booth as a means of punishment,&#8221; the investigator wrote. &#8220;The playing of the music was said to be a joke between Miles and Butler.&#8221;</blockquote>
The investigator also wrote that playing the music put “undue emotional stress on the inmates who were most likely already suffering from physical stressors.”
In addition, the investigator wrote that Hendershott became aware of the punishment on November 23 but “took no immediate action to either aid the inmate victim or discipline the Officers.&#8221;
“This,” the investigator wrote, “appeared to have led to the Officers continuing to mistreat inmates.&#8221;
Video surveillance captured the incidents, which showed some inmates forced to listen to the song on repeat for up to two hours.
&#8220;Additional incidents were brought to light following staff interviews but were unable to be substantiated with video evidence and victims to support the claims,&#8221; the investigator added.
The incident calls to mind reports that U.S. military personnel used “I Love You” from Barney to torture inmates in Guantanamo Bay. The Guardian <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2008/jun/19/usa.guantanamo">wrote</a> in 2008 that it was “the most overused torture song.”
“In the torture trade, this is called ‘futility music,’ designed to convince the prisoner of the futility of maintaining his position,” the outlet reported.
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Baby Shark Live!

Oklahoma Jail Employees Charged With Cruelty After Allegedly Forcing Prisoners To Listen To ‘Baby Shark’ For Hours

Oklahoma

Parents may understand why several former employees at an Oklahoma jail were charged with cruelty after handcuffing inmates and forcing them to listen to

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This past weekend, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law which requires state prisons to house transgender inmates based on the gender with which they identify. During the intake process, officers must now ask inmates — in private — if they identity as transgender, nonbinary or intersex. Those who wish to do so can then request to be placed in a facility which houses the gender of their choice. 
According to The <a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-gender-identity-california-gavin-newsom-archive-14cd954b06360d21349b77233318369e">Associated Press</a>, the law says the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation cannot deny such requests solely because of “inmates’ anatomy, sexual orientation or ‘a factor present’ among other inmates at the facility.” The state does have the power to deny a request if it has “management or security concerns.”
The bill was authored by Democratic California State Senator Scott Wiener, who also introduced the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/haworth-false-equality-new-california-law-places-more-children-at-risk">controversial bill</a> SB-145, which “exempts from mandatory registration under the act a person convicted of certain offenses involving minors if the person is not more than 10 years older than the minor and if that offense is the only one requiring the person to register.”
Sen. Wiener said that he didn’t expect this “management or security concerns” exception to be used very often, saying “It’s just a false narrative about transgender people and about transgender women in particular that they’re somehow not really women and are just trying to scam their way into women’s bathrooms or facilities in order to do bad things,” and that “Overwhelmingly the people who are being victimized are trans people.”
Firstly, it’s important to acknowledge that transgender people are certainly subject to increased levels of victimization in prison systems, and protections should be put in place to provide for their safety while in the custody of the state. However, the fact that transgender people are victimized does not justify the full embrace of the demands of the transgender movement with a complete disregard for any potential consequences.
Sen. Wiener’s claim that it&#8217;s &#8220;just a false narrative about transgender people and about transgender women in particular that they’re somehow not really women and are just trying to scam their way into women’s bathrooms or facilities in order to do bad things” includes several fundamental flaws. Firstly, transgender women are not biological women, by definition. Legislation based on concrete issues like biological sex cannot be presented as objective if they are built upon subjective and scientifically disputed notions. Secondly, while it is certainly untrue to claim that every transgender woman is “trying to scam their way into women’s bathrooms or facilities in order to do bad things,” it is utterly naive to draw the invalid conclusion that such a risk does not exist.
The brutal fact is that prisons house people who have broken the law. Sometimes, the laws broken involve violence against others. Sometimes, the laws broken involve sexual violence. Wiener is assuming good intent among those who have demonstrated a willingness to break the law and harm others.
When Democrats approach issues, they routinely use the argument “if it could save one person.” By that logic, we should ban so-called “assault weapons” if it saves just one life, and we should enforce a national COVID-19 lockdown if it saves just one life. However, if they assume that premise, why do they cheer for legislation which will likely lead to an avoidable victimization of at least one person? More specifically, why do they cheer for legislation which will put at least one vulnerable woman at risk?
The reason why they cheer is that Democrats have made a choice. This choice involves the latest step in their rejection of true feminism in favor of an LGBTQ+ agenda. The fact that feminism and transgenderism are in many ways antithetical is irrelevant. The fact that women continue to be one of the most victimized groups in our society is irrelevant. The fact that some men who think they are women will likely abuse this system to place themselves among vulnerable women is irrelevant. What matters is “progress,” regardless of how truly regressive such progress is.
Just like SB-145, this legislation claims to protect today’s “victims.” The abandonment of yesterday’s victims is a price the Democrats are all too willing to pay.
Ian Haworth is host of <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EkPxdVsNp7k&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuTQRVv1IOVMnA735vEYO0f5">The Ian Haworth Show</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E05t2L69Sks&amp;list=PLhi-aq-5DfuRHu5r0IV5qr4h2rBAV9oBd">The Truth in 60 Seconds</a>. Follow him on Twitter at <a href="https://twitter.com/ighaworth">@ighaworth</a>.
The views expressed in this opinion piece are the author&#8217;s own and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.
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Gavin Newsom

HAWORTH: Gavin Newsom’s Transgender Inmate Law Could Put Women At Risk

LGBT

Transgender

This past weekend, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law which requires state prisons to house transgender inmates based on the gender with which

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Transgender inmates in California will now be housed according to their gender identity thanks to a new law signed Saturday by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA). The law states that prison officers must privately ask inmates going through the intake process if they identify as transgender, nonbinary, or intersex. If the inmate indicates one of those identities, they will be allowed to request a move to the facility that houses their preferred gender.
There is a caveat to the new law, however. If the state has “management or security concerns,” it will provide a written explanation of why it denied an inmate the chance to be housed according to his or her gender identity. The inmate will be given a “meaningful opportunity” to object, The Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/prisons-gender-identity-california-gavin-newsom-archive-14cd954b06360d21349b77233318369e">reported</a>.
“The law says the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation cannot deny those requests solely because of inmates’ anatomy, sexual orientation or ‘a factor present’ among other inmates at the facility,” the outlet reported.
In addition to being housed with their gender identity, prison officers are also required to address the inmates according to their preferred pronouns and must search inmates “based on the search policy of their gender identity,” the AP reported.
This exception is not included because the state believes men will claim to be women in order to harm female inmates, but because it believes male inmates will attack biological women who identify as men.
State Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), who authored the bill signed by Newsom, said transgender people are the ones who are routinely victimized in prison.
“It’s just a false narrative about transgender people and about transgender women in particular that they’re somehow not really women and are just trying to scam their way into women’s bathrooms or facilities in order to do bad things,” Wiener told the AP. “Overwhelmingly the people who are being victimized are trans people.”
One inmate who identifies as a woman, Michelle Calvin, said during a news conference (Calvin called in) to claim they had been abused and disrespected for being a transgender woman.
“I’ve been in for 15 years. I’ve been through the abuse, I’ve been through the disrespect of staff not addressing me for who I am because I am a woman,” Calvin said.
California prison systems will have to be very careful when it comes to housing transgender inmates. In 2018, The Daily Wire’s Amanda Prestigiacomo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/male-female-transgender-allowed-womans-prison-then-amanda-prestigiacomo">reported</a>, a “biologically male criminal who identifies as female and has yet to have reassignment surgery was allowed to stay in a women’s prison to serve his sentence.” The transgender inmate was then “accused of sexually assaulting or harassing four female prisoners.”
The Blaze <a href="https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/07/18/transgender-prisoner-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-four-women-inmates-in-united-kingdom/amp?__twitter_impression=true">reported</a> at the time:
<blockquote>The first assault allegedly occurred soon after White arrived at the high-security prison. The first victim claimed to have become friends with White before the attack.
Another prisoner alleged that White made inappropriate comments about oral sex to another inmate.
The third victim claimed White attacked her, and the fourth victim accused the transgender prisoner of kissing her on the neck.</blockquote>
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Midsection Of Prisoner With Handcuffs In Prison

California Transgender Inmates Will Be Separated According To Their Gender Identity

California

LGBTQ

Transgender inmates in California will now be housed according to their gender identity thanks to a new law signed Saturday by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA).

California Transgender Inmates Will Be Separated According To Their Gender Identity | The Daily Wire

https://editorial.dailywire.com/news/california-transgender-inmates-will-be-separated-according-to-their-gender-identity/

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A Kappa Delta sorority sister at Pennsylvania&#8217;s Franklin &amp; Marshall College found herself behind bars with bail set at $1 million after engaging in alleged criminal protesting.
Kathryn Patterson, 20, joined demonstrations in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, over the fatal police shooting of 27-year-old Ricardo Munoz, who, according to body-cam footage, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-riots-looting-hit-pennsylvania-after-cop-shoots-black-man-suspect-charged-at-cop-with-knife-video-shows">charged an officer</a> while wielding a knife.
The undergrad was charged with arson, among other felony charges.
In total, 12 other alleged criminal rioters were also charged, with nine of them slapped with a $1 million bail, including Patterson.
Speaking to The Associated Press, Patterson&#8217;s father Chip Patterson <a href="https://www.mcall.com/news/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pa-lancaster-police-shooting-protest-1-million-bail-20200915-prprb2ohb5ht5oscjebr4x4qpq-story.html">called</a> the $1 million bail &#8220;obscene.&#8221;
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“Everything that I know so far, which is not a lot, indicates that Kat is not guilty of those charges,&#8221; he told the news outlet. &#8220;But then again, we’ll have to wait and see.&#8221;
“I cannot tell you how long this night has been,” Mr. Patterson added. “I think regardless of what these people did or didn’t do, the bail amount is just outrageous and clearly against the Eighth Amendment.&#8221;
The college student has been dubbed an &#8220;ally&#8221; of the Black Student Union at Franklin &amp; Marshall College, where tuition is just under $60,000 a year.
The young woman&#8217;s sorority, too, is boosting Patterson.
&#8220;Last Wednesday, Franklin &amp; Marshall&#8217;s Kappa Delta sorority features one its sisters in a recruitment post on how [Kappa Delta] helped her &#8216;grow exponentially as a person.&#8217; Yesterday, it posted that it needed to raise $10k to help bail her out of jail for arson,&#8221; reported Brent Scher, on Tuesday.
&#8220;Every day, the women in [Kappa Delta] inspire me to pursue my dreams and change the world, and I love them for that,&#8221; Patterson gushed over the sorority, according to the Instagram post.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Last Wednesday, Franklin &amp; Marshall&#39;s Kappa Delta sorority features one its sisters in a recruitment post on how KD helped her &quot;grow exponentially as a person.&quot; 
Yesterday, it posted that it needed to raise $10k to help bail her out of jail for arson. <a href="https://t.co/K05Eb38i5P">https://t.co/K05Eb38i5P</a> <a href="https://t.co/HMJzci7PqH">pic.twitter.com/HMJzci7PqH</a>
&mdash; Brent Scher (@BrentScher) <a href="https://twitter.com/BrentScher/status/1306273371848613894?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2020</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
As noted by Fox News, the 20-year-old&#8217;s social media pages indicate she&#8217;s been at Black Lives Matter protests before.
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<script async="1" defer="1" crossorigin="anonymous" src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v8.0" nonce="apuVyPdA"></script>
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<blockquote cite="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2602490433333254&amp;set=a.1378075735774736&amp;type=3" class="fb-xfbml-parse-ignore">
BLM, all day every day.
Posted by <a href="https://www.facebook.com/katie.patterson.98096">Kat Patterson</a> on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=2602490433333254&amp;set=a.1378075735774736&amp;type=3">Saturday, August 1, 2020</a></blockquote>
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A GoFundMe set up for Patterson reads:
<blockquote>On Sunday 09/13/2020 Lancaster PD shot and killed Ricardo Munoz. During the protest that evening Lancaster PD detained Kathryn Patterson. Kat is a student at Franklin and Marshall College where she is an ally of BSU, and  a member of Kappa Delta Sorority.
Kat was providing medical attention to injured demonstrators and has now been wrongfully accused of crimes she could not possibly commit.
We as members of the Black Student Union and Kappa Delta Sorority, have created this fund to raise money to support Kat and her family. 
~ In Unity Lies Strength</blockquote>
In response to the fatal shooting of Munoz, the Lancaster Bureau of Police outlined the incident in a public <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/violent-riots-looting-hit-pennsylvania-after-cop-shoots-black-man-suspect-charged-at-cop-with-knife-video-shows">statement</a>:
<blockquote>“The first officer on the scene walked to the front of the residence and made contact with a woman, who was identified as a family member. A male subject then exited the front door of the residence and began chasing the officer. Preliminary information and body worn camera footage indicates that the male subject had a knife in his right hand as he was chasing the officer. The officer fired several shots from his firearm, striking the subject. The subject, identified as 27 year old Lancaster man, did not survive his injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer was the only police officer on the scene at the time of the shooting and his body worn camera was activated and recorded the encounter.”</blockquote>
UPDATE:
District Court Judge Bruce Roth reduced charged protesters&#8217; bail on Thursday, following backlash from Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and other protester and civil rights groups.
&#8220;Five protesters petitioned for a lower bail, and other protesters had their bail reduced by Judge Roth after he reviewed the bail on Thursday in courthouse A at the Lancaster County Courthouse,&#8221; Lancaster Online <a href="https://lancasteronline.com/news/local/bail-modified-for-9-protesters-arrested-following-lancaster-protests-after-fatal-police-shooting-update/article_35fd855c-f8dd-11ea-b323-8b48a91413cb.html?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_campaign=user-share">reported</a>. &#8220;The defense attorneys and the Lancaster County District Attorney&#8217;s office helped the judge come to a conclusion for the new bail amounts, Judge Roth said.&#8221;
Patterson&#8217;s bail has been reduced to $50,000.
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Kathryn Patterson

Judge Sets Allegedly Rioting Sorority Sister’s Bail At $1 Million, Dad Outraged

Pennsylvania

Riots

A Kappa Delta sorority sister at Pennsylvania&#039;s Franklin &amp; Marshall College found herself behind bars with bail set at $1 million after engaging in

Judge Sets Allegedly Rioting Sorority Sister’s Bail At $1 Million, Dad Outraged | The Daily Wire

https://editorial.dailywire.com/news/judge-sets-allegedly-rioting-sorority-sisters-bail-at-1-million-dad-outraged/

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California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to release thousands of inmates by the end of the month in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus in state prisons.
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) announced on Friday that the state intends to release roughly 8,000 inmates by the end of August, according to <a href="https://www.sacbee.com/news/coronavirus/article244135772.html">The Sacramento Bee</a>. The announcement came one day after the CDCR <a href="https://www.cdcr.ca.gov/covid19/letter-to-all-incarcerated-people/">told</a> its inmates that most would receive a 12-week credit toward time served because of the pandemic.
The CDCR will release prisoners in three stages. The state will begin releasing prisoners with 180 days or fewer left on their sentences who have not been convicted of a violent crime or are registered or required to register as a sex offender.
In the second stage, inmates age 30 and older with less than a year left on their sentences will be eligible for release if they are being held in one of eight prisons with “large populations of high-risk patients.” For the third stage, prisoners deemed at high risk of the coronavirus will be released as long as they are not convicted of a violent crime, required to register as a sex offender, or serving a life sentence without the possibility of parole.
Newsom, a Democrat, said releasing the inmates was necessary to reduce the chance of outbreaks in the state’s prison population and reduce stress on the prison system.
“This is serious stuff and requires a seriousness of purpose. People are just saying just release thousands and thousands of people,” Newsom said, according to the <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-07-10/california-release-8000-prisoners-coronavirus-crisis-newsom">Los Angeles Times</a>. “Each and every one of these cases are sobering, challenging, and there’s a deep responsibility that comes with this job, but a sense of deep urgency as well to decompress the system in a judicious and thoughtful way.”
El Dorado County District Attorney Vern Pierson criticized Newsom’s action, saying that the guidelines of who will be released are still unclear. Also, because of a series of early release programs and orders signed in recent years, the vast majority of inmates still left in the prison system should stay there for public safety.
“We don’t know what the actual impact of this is going to be. We do know that it’s a high likelihood there will be significant increases in crime,” Pierson said.
Early release programs have been approved by federal, state, and local officials since the outbreak of the coronavirus to reduce the chance of the virus spreading through lockups among inmates who usually don’t have enough room to properly socially distance. Attorney General William Barr <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/03/us/politics/barr-coronavirus-prisons-release.html">directed</a> the Bureau of Prisons to prioritize early release programs at institutions in several states back in April.
In some places, early release programs have resulted in the release of inmates who are recaptured and taken into custody again for new crimes. In New York City, dozens of inmates released on Mayor Bill de Blasio’s order ended up back in prison within a matter of weeks.
“I think it’s unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy and this is what some of them have done,” de Blasio <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/de-blasio-learns-released-inmates-committed-new-crimes-somehow-he-is-surprised-by-this">said</a> in April.
The spate of new crimes following the mass release of prisoners was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-york-city-prosecutors-are-not-happy-with-bill-de-blasios-plan-to-free-high-risk-inmates">warned</a> about by New York City’s leading prosecutors in each of its five boroughs. The prosecutors warned that de Blasio’s administration was approving prisoners for release too quickly, and was resulting in many prisoners convicted of violent crimes being let back out onto the streets.
“We were assured that the release would not include those serving time for domestic violence or sex offenses, given the risks to victims,” the prosecutors said in a letter to de Blasio. “Unfortunately, we later learned that such individuals were indeed included in the ranks of those to be released.”
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Newsom Plans To Release Roughly 8,000 Inmates Back Into California Over Coronavirus

Coronavirus

COVID-19

California Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to release thousands of inmates by the end of the month in an effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus in

Newsom Plans To Release Roughly 8,000 Inmates Back Into California Over Coronavirus | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/newsom-plans-to-release-roughly-8000-inmates-back-into-california-over-coronavirus/

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According to a law enforcement source, the security team assigned to Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime friend and alleged madam for Jeffrey Epstein who was moved on Monday to the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park in Brooklyn, a federal prison, will be the highest-level security available.
“She’ll be shadowed by prison officers every time she leaves her cell and a surveillance camera will be trained on her cell, according to the source,” <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/06/prison-officials-want-to-avoid-ghislaine-maxwell-suicide/">the New York Post</a> reported. The source added, “They want to make sure she’ll stand trial,” pointing out that the Bureau of Prisons wants to avoid another “black eye.”
Maxwell’s bail hearing is currently pending after she was arrested last week and charged with sex-trafficking of minors, the same charge Epstein faced before he allegedly committed suicide in a Lower Manhattan jail cell.
An alleged victim of Epstein and Maxwell claimed that she was a young teenager when Maxwell performed “sexualized massages” with her and Epstein. The Post stated, “During the abuse, Maxwell and the teen engaged in sex acts with Epstein after the <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/07/03/ghislaine-maxwell-groomed-young-epstein-assistant-lawsuit/">pair had groomed the girl</a> and normalized sexual abuse to her, according to authorities. In a similar scheme in London, Maxwell befriended another teen in the early 1990s and pushed the girl to give Epstein massages, prosecutors said.”
“Prosecutors alleged that Maxwell, between 1994-1997, ‘assisted, facilitated and contributed to Jeffrey Epstein&#8217;s abuse of minor girls by, among other things, helping Epstein to recruit, groom and ultimately abuse victims known to Maxwell and Epstein to be under the age of 18.’ They added, ‘Moreover, in an effort to conceal her crimes, Maxwell repeatedly lied when questioned about her conduct, including in relation to some of the minor victims&#8230; when providing testimony under oath in 2016,’” <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/jeffrey-epsteins-confidant-ghislaine-maxwell-transferred-to-ny-prison">Fox News</a> reported.
Epstein’s alleged suicide was contested after his death; forensic pathologist Dr. Michael Baden, who saw Epstein’s autopsy, <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/01/05/jeffrey-epstein-murder-60-minutes/">told</a> CBS’ “60 Minutes,” “There were fractures of the left, the right thyroid cartilage and the left hyoid bone. I have never seen three fractures like this in a suicidal hanging. Sometimes there’s a fracture of the hyoid bone or a fracture of the thyroid cartilage … very unusual to have two, not three, and going over, over a thousand jail hangings and suicides in the New York state prisons over the past forty, fifty years, no one had three fractures.”
The New York City Medical Examiner’s Office, which asserted that Epstein indeed committed suicide, took issue with Baden’s supposition, saying that fractures of the hyoid bone and cartilage could be seen in suicides and homicides.
Two weeks before Epstein’s death, he was placed on <a href="https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2019/11/19/jeffrey-epstein-correction-officers-could-face-charges/">suicide watch</a> after bruises were discovered on his neck. Roughly a week before his death, he was taken off suicide watch and moved into a high-security housing unit, where correction officers were supposed to check on him every 30 minutes.
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Patrick McMullan Archives

Epstein’s Ghislaine Maxwell Will Get Highest Security Available, Report Says

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

According to a law enforcement source, the security team assigned to Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime friend and alleged madam for Jeffrey Epstein who was

Epstein’s Ghislaine Maxwell Will Get Highest Security Available, Report Says | The Daily Wire

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Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen was finally released from federal prison on Thursday, two weeks after he was initially supposed to be released into home confinement over coronavirus concerns.
NPR <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2020/05/21/860204544/michael-cohen-released-from-prison-due-to-coronavirus-concerns">reported</a> that it is unclear why Cohen was released this week, since his “release was originally granted in April but had been delayed.” Cohen was serving three years in prison after he pleaded guilty in 2018 to a host of campaign finance crimes and lying to Congress.
As The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/michael-cohen-thought-hed-be-released-early-over-coronavirus-fears-that-deal-has-been-rescinded?fbclid=IwAR21diOV-woUTY2hc--vTY2nvWwTo6tUz8dZaaMkPn6dC2JmRFgzW_BeTmI">reported</a>, Cohen was supposed to be released on May 1, but his adviser and friend Lanny Davis said at the time the release had been delayed without explanation.
“We are disappointed not only that there was this delay but that no explanation has been offered to him or his family as to the reason for the delay,” Davis said. “We also hope that authorities at the Justice Department and the Bureau of Prisons remain committed to implement the Attorney General’s humane policy during this Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and that no political influences are allowed to interfere that might lead to any further delay.”
At the time, Davis hinted that political meddling may have been the reason for the delay, since President Donald Trump was allegedly “visibly agitated” at Cohen’s Release. Why? Because Trump’s attorneys with the Trump Organization have also sent the former “fixer” a cease-and-desist letter to stop him from writing a “tell-all” book about his time working for Trump. The attorneys said Cohen would be violating a non-disclosure agreement if he wrote the book.
Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/02/michael-cohen-jail-release-delayed-230141">reported</a> at the time:
<blockquote>However, Cohen also appears to be caught up in a broader policy flip-flop by the federal Bureau of Prisons — and perhaps, Justice Department officials — about which of the roughly 170,000 federal inmates are eligible for home confinement because of the threat posed by Covid-19.
In the middle of last month, as the virus spread rapidly through some prisons, hundreds or more inmates were put into a 14-day prerelease quarantine after senior officials at the Bureau of Prisons indicated that standards for home confinement <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/11/federal-prison-release-criteria-coronavirus-179835">were being relaxed</a>. A requirement that prisoners have served 50 percent of their sentence was being reduced to 25 percent, officials said.
However, a little over a week later, some of those inmates were pulled out of quarantine and told they were not eligible because that decision had been reversed. After <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-administration-reverses-prisoner-release-policy-198648">reports in POLITICO</a> and elsewhere about the shift, Attorney General William Barr issued a clarification that appeared to give the prisons the authority to drop the 50 percent requirement again.</blockquote>
It is still unclear whether Cohen’s release was due to the clarification from the DOJ.
Last week, former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, who had been imprisoned for financial crimes, was also released from prison over coronavirus concerns.

Michael Cohen

Michael Cohen Finally Released From Prison Amid Coronavirus Concerns

Donald Trump

Paul Manafort

Former Trump fixer Michael Cohen was finally released from federal prison on Thursday, two weeks after he was initially supposed to be released into home

Michael Cohen Finally Released From Prison Amid Coronavirus Concerns | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/michael-cohen-finally-released-from-prison-amid-coronavirus-concerns/

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Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen had been told he would be leaving prison for home confinement over fears of contracting the coronavirus in prison. His release was supposed to happen on Friday, but, according to his adviser and friend Lanny Davis, the release was delayed without any explanation.
“We are disappointed not only that there was this delay but that no explanation has been offered to him or his family as to the reason for the delay,” Davis said. “We also hope that authorities at the Justice Department and the Bureau of Prisons remain committed to implement the Attorney General’s humane policy during this Covid-19 pandemic crisis, and that no political influences are allowed to interfere that might lead to any further delay.”
Davis, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/05/02/michael-cohen-jail-release-delayed-230141">according to Politico</a>, hinted that allegations of political meddling may be lodged if Cohen was not sent home soon. The Daily Beast previously <a href="https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-seethes-about-michael-cohens-early-release-and-new-tell-all-book?source=twitter&amp;via=desktop">reported</a> that President Donald Trump was “visibly agitated” that Cohen would be released soon. His attorneys with the Trump Organization have also sent the former “fixer” a cease-and-desist letter to stop him from writing a “tell-all” book about his time working for Trump. The attorneys said Cohen would be violating a non-disclosure agreement if he wrote the book.
More from Politico:
<blockquote>However, Cohen also appears to be caught up in a broader policy flip-flop by the federal Bureau of Prisons — and perhaps, Justice Department officials — about which of the roughly 170,000 federal inmates are eligible for home confinement because of the threat posed by Covid-19.
In the middle of last month, as the virus spread rapidly through some prisons, hundreds or more inmates were put into a 14-day prerelease quarantine after senior officials at the Bureau of Prisons indicated that standards for home confinement <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/11/federal-prison-release-criteria-coronavirus-179835">were being relaxed</a>. A requirement that prisoners have served 50 percent of their sentence was being reduced to 25 percent, officials said.
However, a little over a week later, some of those inmates were pulled out of quarantine and told they were not eligible because that decision had been reversed. After <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/21/trump-administration-reverses-prisoner-release-policy-198648">reports in POLITICO</a> and elsewhere about the shift, Attorney General William Barr issued a clarification that appeared to give the prisons the authority to drop the 50 percent requirement again.</blockquote>
It is unclear whether Cohen’s release was due to the clarification from the DOJ. Cohen has been in prison for nearly a year after pleading guilty to numerous charges including violating campaign finance violations during his work for Trump’s 206 campaign and obstructing Congress’ investigation into whether Trump’s campaign colluded with Russia to steal the election (a special counsel investigation found no collusion). Cohen was sentenced in 2018 to three years in prison for his crimes. One source told Politico he would be eligible for early release after he has served 18 months in prison.
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Michael Cohen Thought He’d Be Released Early Over Coronavirus Fears. That Deal Has Been Rescinded.

Former Trump attorney Michael Cohen had been told he would be leaving prison for home confinement over fears of contracting the coronavirus in prison. His

Michael Cohen Thought He’d Be Released Early Over Coronavirus Fears. That Deal Has Been Rescinded. | The Daily Wire

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Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has taken a beating on social media over a joke about quarantine being like jail, with many hailing it as insensitive and privileged.
Returning to her show Monday after a lengthy hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ellen joined the legion of late-night comedians now conducting their comedy routines in the comforts of their living rooms. Keeping the situation light, Ellen joked about her time in isolation along with its many pros and cons. She started off by thanking the many people who have kept society stable during this time.
&#8220;This is crazy,&#8221; she began. &#8221; I wasn&#8217;t supposed to be doing my show from my house until next season. Today, I applaud you. Usually, I walk out and people applaud me, but I&#8217;m applauding you: nurses, doctors, hospital staff, supermarket employees, truck drivers, everyone who keeps us going. Thank you so much.&#8221;
Ellen added that she is keeping her show on the air to support her fine staff and crew that are staying home during this difficult time.
“Today I am filming this in my living room because it has the best light and sound and all the other rooms in my house are filled with toilet paper,” Ellen said.
After giving some words of encouragement while presenting her show as an escape from the harsh reality that people are under, Ellen later joked that quarantine was a bit like a jail.
“This is like being in jail,” she quipped. “Mostly because I’ve been wearing the same clothes for 10 days and everyone in here is gay.”
<iframe title="Ellen Is Back, Sharing Words of Encouragement from Her Living Room" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/54tKQb-buas?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>
For that, people on social media scolded Ellen for being insensitive, arguing that she is comparing herself to actual prisoners while being quarantined in her mansion.
&#8220;Really sucks to be isolated with people you love in a mansion,&#8221; said one Twitter user.
&#8220;Very uncool and Ellen should immediately advocate for every nonviolent prisoner (those in for misdemeanors or victimless crimes) or to be released or paroled or in hotels immediately,&#8221; said another user.
&#8220;Incarceration is leading to mass death in this pandemic. Also, I think by &#8216;gay,&#8217; what y&#8217;all are referring to is actually often called rape in jail/prison. Maybe think of comparing life in your mansion to something else?&#8221; said another.
&#8220;Incarcerated people are dying by the dozen every day from coast to coast in this country, from Rikers to the Tacoma ice detention center, and you want to make prison rape jokes? please f**k off forever,&#8221; said another.
Comments on YouTube were generally more positive; the show currently has 3.6k upvotes versus just 221 downvotes.
Ellen DeGeneres took <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/vanity-fair-scolds-ellen-degeneres-for-friendliness-with-george-w-bush">another beating on social media</a> in October of last year when photos surfaced of her and former President George W. Bush being friendly at a football came. When addressing the outrage, Ellen said she wanted to preach a message about unity.
“Here’s the thing: I’m friends with George Bush. In fact, I’m friends with a lot of people who don’t share the same beliefs that I have. We’re all different, and I think that we’ve forgotten that that’s okay,” DeGeneres said. “Just because I don’t agree with someone on everything doesn’t mean that I’m not gonna be friends with them. When I say, ‘Be kind to one another,’ I don’t mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone. It doesn’t matter.”

77th Annual Golden Globe Awards – Arrivals

Trolls Blast Ellen DeGeneres For Joking Quarantine Is Like Jail

Comedy

Ellen Degeneres

Twitter

Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres has taken a beating on social media over a joke about quarantine being like jail, with many hailing it as insensitive and

Trolls Blast Ellen DeGeneres For Joking Quarantine Is Like Jail | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/trolls-blast-ellen-degeneres-for-joking-quarantine-is-like-jail/

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Federal prisons begin a 14-day lockdown on Wednesday amid fears the coronavirus could spread throughout the nation’s government-run penal institutions.
The Bureau of Prisons released <a href="https://www.bop.gov/resources/news/pdfs/20200331_press_release_action_plan_5.pdf">a statement</a> Tuesday evening announcing the quarantine and saying that it may be extended if needed. The Bureau said it would take the following actions to contain the spread of the coronavirus at federal prisons:
<ul>
<li>For a 14-day period, inmates in every institution will be secured in their assigned cells/quarters to decrease the spread of the virus. This modification to our action plan is based on health concerns, not disruptive inmate behavior.</li>
<li>During this time, to the extent practicable, inmates should still have access to programs and services that are offered under normal operating procedures, such as mental health treatment and education.</li>
<li>In addition, the Bureau is coordinating with the United States Marshals Service (USMS) to significantly decrease incoming movement during this time.</li>
<li>After 14 days, this decision will be reevaluated and a decision made as to whether or not to return to modified operations.</li>
<li>Limited group gathering will be afforded to the extent practical to facilitate commissary, laundry, showers, telephone, and Trust Fund Limited Inmate Computer System (TRULINCS) access.</li>
</ul>
The statement said this was “Phase 5” of its coronavirus Action Plan and that phases 1 through 4 occurred between January and March. Phase 4 was implemented on March 26 and consisted of revised preventative measures.
“The agency updated its quarantine and isolation procedures to require all newly admitted inmates to BOP, whether in a sustained community transition area or not, be assessed using a screening tool and temperature check. This includes all new intakes, detainees, commitments, writ returns from judicial proceedings, and parole violators, regardless of their method of arrival,” the Bureau said of Phase 4. “Asymptomatic inmates are placed in quarantine for a minimum of 14 days or until cleared by medical staff. Symptomatic inmates are placed in isolation until they test negative for COVID-19 or are cleared by medical staff as meeting CDC criteria for release from isolation.”
Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/01/federal-prisons-start-14-day-lockdown-to-fight-virus-158937">reported</a> that 29 inmates and 30 staff members within the federal prison system had tested positive for COVID-19 and that unions suggest the numbers are likely higher. So far, one federal prisoner has died from the coronavirus, the outlet reported.
Late last month, Attorney General William Barr requested the Bureau of Prisons look into sending some prisoners to home confinement if they were not dangerous, Politico <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/03/26/federal-prisoners-coronavirus-150480">reported</a>.
“I asked if it was possible to expand home confinement, particularly for those older prisoners who have served substantial parts of their sentences and no longer pose a threat and may have underlying conditions that make them particularly vulnerable,” Barr said at the time.
The directive he issued included a non-exhaustive list of discretionary factors:
<ul>
<li>The age and vulnerability of the inmate to COVID-19, in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines;</li>
<li>The security level of the facility currently holding the inmate, with priority given to inmates residing in low and minimum security facilities;</li>
<li>The inmate’s conduct in prison, with inmates who have engaged in violent or gang-related activity in prison or who have incurred a BOP violation within the last year not receiving priority treatment under this Memorandum;</li>
<li>The inmate’s score under PATTERN, with inmates who have anything above a minimum score not receiving priority treatment under this Memorandum;</li>
<li>Whether the intimate has a demonstrated and verifiable re-entry plan that will prevent recidivism and maximize public safety, including verification that the conditions under which the inmate would be confined upon release would present a lower risk of contracting COVID-19 than the inmate would face in his or her BOP facility;</li>
<li>The inmate’s crime of conviction, and assessment of the danger posed by the inmate to the community. Some offenses, such as sex offenses, will render an inmate ineligible for home detention. Other serious offenses should weigh more heavily against consideration for home detention.</li>
</ul>
Barr noted that many inmates may be safer in prison than outside due to the spread of the coronavirus in society.

William Barr

Federal Prisons Enter 14-Day Quarantine To Combat Coronavirus

Federal prisons begin a 14-day lockdown on Wednesday amid fears the coronavirus could spread throughout the nation’s government-run penal institutions.

Federal Prisons Enter 14-Day Quarantine To Combat Coronavirus | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/federal-prisons-enter-14-day-quarantine-to-combat-coronavirus/

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Nicolas Sutton was hit with multiple life sentences for killing three people, including his own grandmother. Then he received a death sentence for killing a child rapist while serving time in jail.
Sutton is scheduled to be killed via the electric chair on Thursday, and his clemency petition was rejected by the governor of Tennessee.
Correctional officers are asking for Sutton to be spared due to his transformational and apparently life-saving behavior in prison, pleading that the criminal serve out his life sentences and eventually die without being killed by the state. According to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/nicholas-sutton-death-row-execution-petition-tennessee-2020-02-19/">CBS News</a>, Sutton&#8217;s victims&#8217; families don&#8217;t want him on death row, either.
A <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B1G4TctOlHtmYld5VTNFSEdVUEtSOVB4ZTV0WVROTVFvb2NR/view">petition</a> for Sutton&#8217;s clemency, dated January 14, starts: &#8220;Nick Sutton has gone from a life-taker to a life-saver. Five Tennesseans, including three prison staff members, owe their lives to him. The support of his victims&#8217; families, correction staff, jurors and those whose lives he&#8217;s saved attest that a life sentence meets the imperatives of justice and mercy.&#8221;
Republican Tennessee Governor Bill Lee denied Sutton&#8217;s clemency petition on Wednesday.
“After careful consideration of Nicholas Sutton’s request for clemency and a thorough review of the case, I am upholding the sentence of the State of Tennessee and will not be intervening,&#8221; reads a <a href="https://www.tn.gov/governor/news/2020/2/19/statement-from-gov--bill-lee-on-nicholas-sutton.html">statement</a> from Governor Lee.
However, as noted by CBS, &#8220;A final decision can be handed down until the minute Sutton sits in the electric chair.&#8221;
&#8220;Sutton, 58, was convicted of killing four people, including his grandmother Dorothy Sutton, his high school friend John Large, and Charles Almon,&#8221; <a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/2020/02/19/tennessee-execution-gov-bill-lee-nicholas-todd-sutton/4794172002/">Knox News</a> outlined. &#8220;He was sentenced to death for his involvement in the stabbing and killing of fellow inmate Carl Estep in 1985.&#8221; Estep, according to the outlet, was a convicted &#8220;child rapist.&#8221;
Former corrections officer Tony Eden credits Sutton with saving his life during the 1985 riots at the Tennessee State Prison.
&#8220;I have four boys and a girl now who probably wouldn&#8217;t be here if that day turned out differently,&#8221; Eden told CBS News. &#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t have the life I have today if it weren&#8217;t for Nick.&#8221;
The former corrections officer says Sutton could have asked to cash in a favor after saving his life, though he never did, except for when Sutton asked him to be his best man.
&#8220;He asked me to be the best man in his wedding,&#8221; recalled Eden. &#8220;That&#8217;s the only thing he ever asked for that I know of. And all he wanted was just for me to stand there.&#8221;
&#8220;The eldest daughter of the inmate Sutton killed has joined the effort to spare his life,&#8221; CBS reported. &#8220;In a clemency petition filed on January 14, she advocates against the execution, saying &#8216;the pain and suffering her family has endured would only be made worse&#8217; if Sutton was killed.&#8221;
Attorney for Sutton, Kevin Sharp, argued that folks like Sutton keep jails safer.
&#8220;You need people like Nick who make the place safer,&#8221; Sharp told CBS. &#8220;He&#8217;s not getting out, all we&#8217;re asking for is the governor commute his execution. He would still die in prison, just not by the electric chair.&#8221;
&#8220;He has saved the lives of three corrections officials during his incarceration; his request for clemency was supported by seven former and current Tennessee correction professionals, family members of victims, five of the original jurors and others,&#8221; Sharp added, according to <a href="https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2020/02/19/Tennessee-governor-denies-clemency-for-death-row-inmate/1541581729216/">UPI</a>.

Nicholas Sutton

Man Who Killed Child Rapist In Jail Scheduled To Be Executed Thursday

Tennessee

Nicolas Sutton was hit with multiple life sentences for killing three people, including his own grandmother. Then he received a death sentence for killing

Man Who Killed Child Rapist In Jail Scheduled To Be Executed Thursday | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/man-who-killed-child-rapist-in-jail-scheduled-to-be-executed-thursday/

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A rash of knife attacks by recently released terrorists has put Britain on edge and serves as a reminder that the United States needs to do more itself to prepare for the imminent release from prison of convicted terrorists. In order to avoid the current problems of the British government, which is rushing to pass emergency legislation, American lawmakers should take advantage of our federalist system to bring state and local resources to play in tracking released terrorists.
The British government is <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/02/streatham-attacker-was-released-terror-offender-sudesh-amman">struggling to address</a> the threat from dozens of convicted jihadi terrorists who are due to be released within months. Britain has seen several high-profile attacks from freed terrorists who received early release before serving even half their sentences.
Earlier this month, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2020/02/03/wave-jihadi-terrorists-due-freed-early-release-within-months/">20-year old Sudesh Amman</a> strapped on a fake explosive vest before launching a knife attack on Streatham High Road in London. Despite being under direct police surveillance during the attack, the jihadist critically wounded one person. Amman had previously been sentenced to three years and four months in prison for multiple terrorism offenses in November 2018 <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-46592539">related to distributing Islamic State propaganda</a>.
The attack methodology of a fake suicide bomb vest and knives directly mirrored that of Usman Khan, another convicted terrorist, who in November 2019 <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50653191">killed two people</a> on London Bridge. Prior to the attack, authorities had considered Khan <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-50653191">a model</a> rehabilitated prisoner. Khan was attending a deradicalization conference minutes before he launched his attack.
Official data show that the British government has reconvicted <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/12/six-terrorists-freed-from-jail-committed-further-terror-act-figures-reveal">an additional six British jihadi terrorists</a> released from prison between 2013 and 2019.
This newest wave of attacks is a reminder that the U.S. also faces a risk from previously convicted terrorists who are released; various “rehabilitation” schemes are highly suspect.
Aimen Dean, a former al-Qaeda member who later spied for Britain’s MI6, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thinking-man/al-qaeda-spied-mi6-know-deradicalisation-doesnt-work/">told The Telegraph</a>, “there is no such thing as a rehabilitated jihadist.” Morton Storm, a Danish former al-Qaeda member who later helped to betray terrorist leader Anwar al-Awlaki to the CIA, agrees. Rehabilitation efforts, he says, ignore that jihadis are not confused or mentally ill, <a href="https://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/joseph-perticone/denmark-aims-rehabilitate-not-punish-returning-jihadists">but are adherents of an ideology</a> to which they are committed. “[D]eradicalizing the jihadists doesn’t work, because they’re religiously motivated,” Storm told the Associated Press in 2017, in response to a Danish rehabilitation program.
Nearly two decades after 9/11, even high-level terrorist leaders facing long sentences are becoming eligible for parole and may even complete their full sentences. While there is very little information available on recidivism rates among convicted terrorists, the recidivism rate of jihadist fighters released from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility was nearly 17% in 2018, with another 13% also suspected of returning to active terrorism.
In 2017, a National Counterterrorism Center <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/the-troubling-us-post-prison-experiment-to-rehabilitate-an-isis-supporter">report noted,</a> “more than 90 homegrown violent extremists incarcerated in the U.S. who are due to be released in the next five years will probably re-engage in terrorist activity.”
In order to address this challenge, U.S. federal, state, and local law enforcement need tools in order to prepare for released terrorists. One such tool would be a terrorism registry, <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-needs-a-national-terrorist-registry-to-keep-us-safe">which would provide law enforcement</a> the ability to track the location of former terrorists in the same way police and the public can keep tabs on sex offenders — with legal sanction for failure to register. Louisiana successfully passed the first terrorism offender registry law in 2019, and several states have expressed interest in following suit.
<a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/america-needs-a-national-terrorist-registry-to-keep-us-safe">A nation-wide network</a> has also been proposed by Patrick Dunleavy, a specialist on terrorist activity in the prison system. Realistically, such a proposal requires both federal assistance with information-sharing, as well as state laws to establish the registries and allow state authorities to enforce them.
A nationwide system of state terrorism registries would also take advantage of American federalism, utilizing state and local law enforcement to help prevent federal counterterrorism agents from being overwhelmed with keeping tabs on prior offenders.
Public registries protect and empower the individual citizen without need for government controls. The Department of Justice maintains a <a href="https://www.nsopw.gov/">public sex offender registry</a>, which private companies often use as a database for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fsp.android.h&amp;hl=en">websites and apps that alert citizens</a> about rapists, stalkers, and molesters living in their neighborhoods.
Pseudoscience models of rehabilitation treat convicted terrorists as emotionally stunted unfortunates rather than committed ideologues willing to use violence for a political purpose. This has proven to be a disaster. Instead, the U.S. should implement a registry system for terrorists, bringing state and local law enforcement resources, as well as private enterprise, to bear and improving communication and cooperation for law enforcement in order to ensure that terrorist re-offenders do not slip through the net.
&nbsp;
Kyle Shideler is the Director and Senior Analyst for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism at the Center for Security Policy.

London

SHIDELER: Stop Releasing Jihadists From Prison

Al Qaeda

Great Britain

Islamic State (ISIS)

Jail

Radical Islam

Radical Islamic Terror

United Kingdom

A rash of knife attacks by recently released terrorists has put Britain on edge and serves as a reminder that the United States needs to do more itself to

SHIDELER: Stop Releasing Jihadists From Prison | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/shideler-stop-releasing-jihadists-from-prison/

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On Monday, far-left New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio conceded that the recent high-profile surge in crime in New York City may, in fact, have something to do with New York state&#8217;s new deeply controversial &#8220;bail reform&#8221; law that de Blasio and his fellow leftist Democrats championed prior to its enactment.
&#8220;We had, for six years, steady decreases in crime across the board. There’s not a whole lot of other environmental things that have changed recently,&#8221; de Blasio said, as <a href="https://nypost.com/2020/02/07/de-blasio-admits-nyc-crime-jump-is-linked-to-bail-reform/">reported</a> by the New York Post. &#8220;It sort of stands out like a sore thumb that this is the single biggest new thing in the equation and we saw an extraordinary jump.&#8221;
“Of course there’s always a possibility this is plain statistical variation, that happens sometimes,” the mayor added, the newspaper noted. “But I think it’s pretty clear that there’s only one new major piece in the equation.”
De Blasio did offer one concrete proposed reform to the &#8220;bail reform&#8221; law: Offering judges the discretion to impose pretrial detention upon those defendants deemed a bona fide public safety risk. “I think judicial discretion should be clarified so that there are very clear checks and balances, so that we avoid any inkling of bias entering into the process, but I think a system predicated only on the question of flight risk misses the fact that there are some individuals who are just consistently, by their own actions, and by the proof of due process, consistently creat[ing] a threat to their neighbors,&#8221; he said.
New York&#8217;s new &#8220;bail reform&#8221; law, which outright eliminates bail for all but the most truly violent criminals, has faced mounting opposition amid a panoply of headlines showcasing the awful caliber of criminal defendants let off into the streets pretrial. In fact, as The Daily Wire&#8217;s Amanda Prestigiacomo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disaster-dems-consider-changes-to-ny-bail-reform-just-one-week-after-implementation">reported</a> last month, even many Empire State Democrats have been pushing to tweak the pro-criminal law.
&#8220;After an onslaught of bad press over the disastrous first week of Democrat-implemented &#8216;bail reform&#8217; in New York, Democrats are considering changes to the legislation,&#8221; Prestigiacomo noted.
&#8220;Bail reform, which was reportedly implemented early in New York City by &#8230; de Blasio, led to a woman charged with an anti-Semitic attack to be arrested and released three times in five days,&#8221; Prestigiacomo continued. &#8220;[Tiffany] Harris &#8216;was nabbed for allegedly slugging three Jewish women and yelling &#8220;F-U, Jews!&#8221; but let go Saturday with no bail, despite an open assault case. Last month, she got no jail for a felony in another incident,&#8217; [the Post] <a href="https://nypost.com/2019/12/30/revolving-door-injustice-serial-slugger-gets-sprung-again/">reported</a>. &#8216;Nabbed again Sunday in a new attack, she was once more freed, on no bail, Monday.'&#8221;
Appearing last month on “Tipping Point With Liz Wheeler” on One America News Network, I <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-hammer-on-tipping-point-with-liz-wheeler-new-yorks-insane-pro-criminal-bail-law">strongly criticized</a> New York&#8217;s new criminal-mollycoddling law:
<blockquote>The problem with the Left is the Left speaks about justice and compassion and all these fancy words. They never focus on the people who actually suffer … from their policies. So in the case of border security and amnesty, there is no one who suffers worse from an open border and the human trafficking by drug cartels than the aliens themselves who are trafficked. In the case of “criminal justice reform,” “bail reform,” no one suffers more than victims of crime.
Where is anyone speaking for the victims of crime? But you know what the Left also does, Liz? The Left is amazing at getting the right version of language for their policies. “Bail reform,” it sounds so innocuous, right? What they’re doing is they’re throwing out a system of bail that has existed since at least 13th century England! That is how far back bail goes — cash bail, monetary bail. This is literally a centuries-old phenomenon that they are just throwing out.</blockquote>

Bill de Blasio

Jailbreak Is To Blame For Spike In NYC Crime, De Blasio Admits

bail reform

New York City

New York Post

True Crime

Violence

On Monday, far-left New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio conceded that the recent high-profile surge in crime in New York City may, in fact, have something

Jailbreak Is To Blame For Spike In NYC Crime, De Blasio Admits | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/jailbreak-is-to-blame-for-spike-in-nyc-crime-de-blasio-admits/

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On Friday’s episode of The New York Times&#8217; podcast “<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/07/podcasts/the-daily/weinstein-trial.html">The Daily</a>,” Donna Rotunno, a Chicago-based attorney who has represented dozens of men accused of sexual misconduct, was asked in a pre-recorded interview about her decision to now defend disgraced film mogul Harvey Weinstein. 
&#8220;My role in this is to represent him in a criminal case, and as I&#8217;ve said multiple times, there&#8217;s a difference between sins and crimes. You can believe that Harvey Weinstein is a sinner, and you can believe that he did things that you wouldn&#8217;t do or you wouldn&#8217;t like, but my question here is does that rise to the level of a crime,&#8221; Rotunno told Megan Twohey, the Times reporter who co-wrote the 2017 Weinstein investigation. 
“I think quite often, we look to the accusers and we talk about the effects that these things have on their lives, but we do not look at the effects that these types of allegations and accusations have on the person being accused,” said Rotunno. 
Rotunno remains particularly concerned with the long-term effects that sexual misconduct accusations have on men, invoking an observation her mother made about the media’s rush to condemn three Duke University lacrosse team players for a <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/college/lacrosse/2013/02/28/duke-2006-rape-allegations/1953607/">gang-rape allegation</a>: “When those boys die someday, their obituary is going to say the Duke Lacrosse players.” 
To clients who once felt hopeless, Rotunno’s legal acumen has made a world of difference. In 2013, Rotunno represented high-end fashion designer Elhadji Gueye, who was arrested when an acquaintance filed a police report alleging sexual assault, a charge Gueye maintained was filed only after he refused to pay her $50,000 in hush money, according to <a href="https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/February-2018/The-Defender/">Chicago Magazine</a>. 
When police requested as evidence the clothing she was wearing at the time of the alleged rape, the accuser didn’t submit the pajama bottoms, and later told the court she didn’t know where they went. But during cross-examination, Rotunno pointed to a peculiarity, revealed by a security camera that recorded the accuser’s alleged hush money request: “Of all the clothes in your closet, the ones you choose to wear to meet your ‘rapist’ were the pants you were raped in?” 
Rotunno believes her pointed question led the jury to a prompt not-guilty verdict, and reflected on the trial during the Times’ interview: “He wins, but what do you win? You win your case in criminal court, and then you have to worry about building your reputation back, if you can, where people are then willing to come back and frequent your establishment.”
According to <a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/nishitajha/harvey-weinstein-lawyer-donna-rotunno-daily-times-interview">Buzzfeed News</a>, after the interview aired on Friday, &#8220;prosecutors argued it violated Judge James Burke&#8217;s previous order directing lawyers to not discuss the case and the witnesses in public.&#8221; Rotunno claims the interview was recorded &#8220;a long time ago&#8221; and didn&#8217;t know when it would air, but the New York Times claims the interview was recorded on January 28 and that Rotunno knew it would air Friday.
When it concerns the man who sparked the #MeToo movement, the court of public opinion has been swift and decisive. But while nearly <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/05/us/harvey-weinstein-trial.html">80 women</a> have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct, ranging from unwanted groping to forcible rape, the charges in the Manhattan trial are specific and concern only two criminal accusers. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/weinstein-jury-forced-to-review-his-nude-photos-following-intersex-vagina-allegation">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Jessica Mann, a former actress who is now a hairstylist, claims she consensually entered into a relationship with Weinstein after he forced her to permit him to perform oral sex. 
“I made the decision to be in a relationship with him,” said Mann, according to <a href="https://www.vulture.com/2020/01/jessica-mann-harvey-weinstein-trial-testimony.html">Vulture</a>. “And part of that was because I was sexual with very few people. I entered into what I thought was going to be a real relationship with him — and it was extremely degrading from that point on.”
Mann has also alleged that Weinstein violently raped her at a New York City hotel in 2013; Weinstein maintains that all encounters were consensual, and his defense team has produced emails from Mann showing that she maintained contact with him for years, and would provide him with updated contact information on multiple occasions. 
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/harvey-weinstein-accuser-he-ripped-out-my-tampon-and-performed-oral-sex-on-me">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Weinstein has also been accused of forcibly performing oral sex on Mimi Haleyi, a production assistant for Project Runway, at his apartment in 2006. 
In total, Weinstein faces five criminal counts, including rape and predatory sexual assault, in connection with alleged assaults against the two accusers. He faces up to life in prison if convicted. 
This report has been updated to include additional information about the nature of the interview, including a statement by Rotunno and the New York Times about it&#8217;s timing and release.

Harvey Weinstein Trial Continues In New York

Lead Weinstein Attorney Speaks Out: Here’s Why I Defend Men Accused Of Rape

Harvey Weinstein

Lawsuit

MeToo

Rape

Sexual Assault

Sexual Harassment

On Friday’s episode of The New York Times&#039; podcast “The Daily,” Donna Rotunno, a Chicago-based attorney who has represented dozens of men accused of

Lead Weinstein Attorney Speaks Out: Here’s Why I Defend Men Accused Of Rape | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/lead-weinstein-attorney-speaks-out-heres-why-im-defending-him/

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During Super Bowl LIV Sunday evening, the Trump campaign released an ad on the president&#8217;s work on prison reform that has &#8220;triggered&#8221; some on the left.
The <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/trump-campaign-prison-reform-super-bowl-ad-alice-johnson">$11 million</a> ad features Alice Marie Johnson, a great-grandmother given a life sentence on drug charges who became the face of prison reform — and who, as she explained in a tweet promoting the ad Sunday, is now &#8220;a free woman&#8221; because of actions taken by the Trump administration.
&#8220;Two Super Bowls ago I was sitting in a prison cell,&#8221; Johnson wrote. &#8220;Today I am a free woman and my story was featured in a Super Bowl Ad. I will spend the rest of my life fighting for the wrongly and unjustly convicted! God Bless America!”
&#8220;Alice Johnson was sentenced to serve life in prison for a nonviolent drug offense,&#8221; the 30-second campaign ad begins. &#8220;Thanks to President Trump, people like Alice are getting a second chance.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;m free to hug my family,&#8221; declares Johnson in the ad, which has garnered millions of views. &#8220;I&#8217;m free to start over&#8230; This is the greatest day of my life. My heart is just bursting with gratitude.&#8221;
&#8220;Politicians talk about criminal justice reform,&#8221; the ad states. &#8220;President Trump got it done. Thousands of families are being reunited.&#8221;
&#8220;I want to thank President Donald John Trump,&#8221; says Johnson. She follows the statement with a shout of joy that is met with cheers from loved ones circled around her.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Two Super Bowls ago I was sitting in a prison cell.
Today I am a free woman and my story was featured in a Super Bowl Ad.
I will spend the rest of my life fighting for the wrongly and unjustly convicted!
God Bless America! <a href="https://t.co/CGSyk54O37">pic.twitter.com/CGSyk54O37</a>
&mdash; Alice Marie Johnson (@AliceMarieFree) <a href="https://twitter.com/AliceMarieFree/status/1224122246471524352?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The ad has been praised by many on the right, including some who are not shy about criticizing the president.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
This was a good ad highlighting a very good thing Trump did. <a href="https://twitter.com/AliceMarieFree?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AliceMarieFree</a> is a good friend and a wonderful person. <a href="https://t.co/FP0T9cir5u">https://t.co/FP0T9cir5u</a>
&mdash; David French (@DavidAFrench) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavidAFrench/status/1224122576630419456?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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But, as most things Trump-produced, the ad has sparked outrage from critics, some of whom responded by accusing Trump of having promoted racism and division in his campaigns and his presidency, separating families rather than uniting them, and acting like a &#8220;dictator,&#8221; among other criticisms.
In response, Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale offered a theory on the blowback: Trump&#8217;s actions on prison reform has the  Left deeply &#8220;worried.&#8221;
&#8220;The triggered left is doing everything possible to make negative talking points about the [Donald Trump Super Bowl LIV] ad about criminal justice reform.&#8221;
&#8220;They are worried,&#8221; wrote Parscale. &#8220;Others did nothing. Trump got it done.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The triggered left is doing everything possible to make negative talking points about the <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperBowl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperBowl</a> ad about criminal justice reform. 
They are worried. Others did nothing. Trump got it done.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/FOURMOREYEARS?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#FOURMOREYEARS</a>
&mdash; Brad Parscale &#8211; Text TRUMP to 88022 (@parscale) <a href="https://twitter.com/parscale/status/1224194927162273794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/during-super-bowl-kaepernick-pushes-article-crediting-himself-for-police-psa-blasting-nfl">During Super Bowl, Kaepernick Pushes Article Crediting Himself For Police PSA, Blasting NFL</a>
The Trump campaign followed up the Johnson video with another 30-second ad during the game.
&#8220;Our SECOND [Super Bowl LIV] ad just aired!&#8221; the campaign tweeted just after the ad aired during the game. &#8220;America is Stronger, Safer, and More Prosperous thanks to President [Trump].&#8221; 
&#8220;America demanded change. And change is what we got,&#8221; the narrator states. &#8220;Under President Trump, America is stronger, safer and more prosperous than ever before.&#8221;
The ad then cuts to a series of reports highlighting record numbers for the economy, including unemployment &#8220;sinking to a 49-year low&#8221; and historic lows for both <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/articles/historic-u-s-job-market-continues-african-american-unemployment-rate-hits-new-low/">African Americans</a> and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/04/black-and-hispanic-unemployment-is-at-a-record-low.html">Hispanics</a>.
&#8220;And, ladies and gentlemen, the best is yet to come!&#8221; Trump declares.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Our SECOND <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/SuperBowl?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#SuperBowl</a> ad just aired!
America is Stronger, Safer, and More Prosperous thanks to President <a href="https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@realDonaldTrump</a> 🇺🇸
If you liked this ad, text TRUMP to 88022! 
 <a href="https://t.co/NcmRzX2Dnm">pic.twitter.com/NcmRzX2Dnm</a>
&mdash; Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) <a href="https://twitter.com/TeamTrump/status/1224171421221429248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2020</a></blockquote>
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Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/watch-nfl-airs-patriotic-tribute-to-the-american-flag-during-super-bowl">WATCH: NFL Airs Patriotic Tribute To The American Flag During Super Bowl</a>

Super Bowl LIV

Trump Campaign Offers Theory On Why Left So ‘Triggered’ By Trump’s Super Bowl Ad

Alice Marie Johnson

During Super Bowl LIV Sunday evening, the Trump campaign released an ad on the president&#039;s work on prison reform that has &quot;triggered&quot; some on the left.

Trump Campaign Offers Theory On Why Left So ‘Triggered’ By Trump’s Super Bowl Ad | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-campaign-offers-theory-on-why-left-so-triggered-by-trumps-super-bowl-ad/

https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/02/Super-Bowl-LIV.jpg

I recently received a letter from Martin Gottesfeld following the publication of the piece I wrote pertaining to his allegations against FCI Terre Haute’s Communications Management Unit (CMU), the secretive prison where he is being held.
With certain details understood, and looking to the postmark, the letter appears to have been written on or about January 8.
In the letter, Gottesfeld makes more allegations about what’s going on inside the prison, including that he is possibly going to be force fed due to his ongoing hunger strike. Gottesfeld also includes numerous names of the individuals with whom he is allegedly interacting. For purposes of this piece, any names that weren’t already published in my prior piece will be omitted.
Prior to reading this latest piece, it would behoove readers to check out my <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/guardian-hacktivist-martin-gottesfeld-alleges-toxic-water-in-secretive-cmu-prison-where-hes-being-held-prison-responds">previous article</a> in which Gottesfeld alleges vile conditions inside the Terre Haute prison, including “toxic” water.
Gottesfeld writes:
<blockquote>Now I know how Justina must’ve felt. Against my will, the Indiana MLT [possibly medical laboratory technician] puts her needle in my arm and takes my blood. Her name may be [omitted], but I cannot say.
The Indiana RNs have me chained and put in two sets of handcuffs to do things to my body without my consent. The first one of them threatens me with violence if I don&#8217;t comply. Their names may be [omitted], but again, I cannot say.
They may work for Indiana medical doctor [omitted] and soon [omitted] may order them to strap down my limbs and head, shove a tube up my nose and down my throat and force-feed me as a result of my protected speech, yet again though, I cannot say.
They ignore my requests for an Indiana Health Care Proxy and don&#8217;t notify my emergency contacts because there is no emergency to justify what they&#8217;re doing and I don&#8217;t think they want their actions known. They&#8217;ve pushed my blood pressure from normal to 175/115, shackling my body and violating me.
I haven&#8217;t eaten in 30 days and I&#8217;ve lost 30 pounds – it&#8217;s the only way I feel I can resist what they&#8217;re doing since they won&#8217;t let me call the court and my mail to federal Judge Paul G. Gardephe doesn&#8217;t make it onto the docket anymore.
I had just reached out to Religious Freedom Attorney Brandon Sample – whom they seem to fear – when I believe DOJ Attorney Alexander J. Hogan, advisor [omitted], and case manager Rebekka Eisele had me put in solitary confinement without my case files or a desk on which to write. I believe they didn&#8217;t like what I was about to file.
A lieutenant here called a team of thugs dressed in riot gear to my cell where I asserted my Miranda rights and asked for an attorney. The lieutenant then tried to punish me further for asserting my right to an attorney. The lieutenant’s name may be [omitted].
The warden personally green-lit the team. His name may be [omitted]. I feel that the warden and the captain are trying to make my life increasingly miserable in order to bully me into silence. The captain ordered more chains and that my cell be searched three times per day even though I almost never leave between the searches, and the searches are timed so that I cannot get eight hours of sleep at night. I feel that the captain&#8217;s name may be [omitted]. I wonder if they&#8217;re planning to plant something in my cell. Three times per day seems excessive.
The facility should answer a FOIA for the first names of its staff.
I don&#8217;t want to leave without exposing this place or voiceless others here will continue suffering like Justina did, but I can&#8217;t tell President Trump either because of 28C.F. R § 504.203. I can&#8217;t write, “Please help,” because they may punish me.
I asked for an attorney again. Then a CO stole two of the pens that I bought from the prison. His name may be [omitted]. He may be the one who first escalated things, [and] his retaliation may be unconstitutional.</blockquote>
It must be stressed that claims made by Gottesfeld cannot be independently verified. I reached out to FCI Terre Haute for comment twice by email, but as of publication, I have not received a reply. I also called the prison, but my calls went unanswered.
When Gottesfeld speaks of “Justina,” he is referencing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-daily-wire-speaks-father-alleged-medical-frank-camp">Justina Pelletier</a>, the young teenage girl who was allegedly medically kidnapped by Boston Children’s Hospital. When the Pelletier case was ongoing, Gottesfeld reportedly initiated a DDoS campaign against the hospital in order to draw attention to the alleged medical kidnapping.
Gottesfeld was tried and found guilty of conspiracy to intentionally damage a protected computer in violation of 18 U.S. Code § 371, and intentional damage to protected computers in violation of 18 U.S. Code § 1030 (a)(5)(A), and sentenced to prison.
He eventually landed in FCI Terre Haute’s Communications Management Unit (CMU), which is a secretive prison within the larger prison body in Terre Haute, Indiana.
There are only two known Communications Management Units in the United States – one in Terre Haute, and the other in Marion, Illinois. According to the <a href="https://ccrjustice.org/home/get-involved/tools-resources/fact-sheets-and-faqs/cmus-federal-prison-system-s-experiment">Center for Constitutional Rights</a> (CCR), these special prison units reportedly house “dangerous terrorists and other high-risk inmates,” the vast majority of whom are Muslim.
The inmates in these secretive CMUs are closely monitored, and have restricted access to computers. Their communication with the outside world, even family, is severely limited, and sometimes nonexistent, reports CCR.
As for whether or not Gottesfeld’s hunger strike is protected by the Constitution, I consulted UCLA law professor and First Amendment scholar Eugene Volokh, who said:
<blockquote>Prisoners have much-reduced constitutional rights – for instance, against searches and seizures, against speech restrictions, and more. There is a general constitutional right to refuse unwanted medical treatment, which might well extend to refusing food; but that too is sharply reduced for prisoners. Because of that, the great majority of courts that have considered force-feeding of hunger-striking inmates have held that such force-feeding is constitutionally permissible, as a means of preserving the inmates’ lives and of preventing disturbances among other prisoners; the D.C. Circuit’s 2014 decision in Aamer v. Obama summarizes the matter well.</blockquote>
In the 2014 Aamer v. Obama opinion, Circuit Judge David S. Tatel writes in part:
<blockquote>&#8230;given the government&#8217;s own description of its force-feeding protocol — we have no doubt that force-feeding is a painful and invasive process that raises serious ethical concerns.
For petitioners to be entitled to injunctive relief, however, it is not enough for us to say that force-feeding may cause physical pain, invade bodily integrity, or even implicate petitioners&#8217; fundamental individual rights. This is a court of law, not an arbiter of medical ethics, and as such we must view this case through Turner&#8217;s restrictive lens. The very premise of Turner is that a &#8220;prison regulation [that] impinges on inmates&#8217; constitutional rights&#8221; may nonetheless be &#8220;valid.&#8221; <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=15686747716085264205&amp;hl=en&amp;as_sdt=6,33">Turner, 482 U.S. at 89, 107 S.Ct. 2254</a>. That is, although &#8220;[p]rison walls do not form a barrier separating prison inmates from the protections of the Constitution,&#8221; they do substantially change the nature and scope of those constitutional protections, as well as the degree of scrutiny that courts will employ in assessing alleged violations. Id. at 84, 107 S.Ct. 2254; see <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=8145731021014747017&amp;hl=en&amp;as_sdt=6,33">Price v. Johnston, 334 U.S. 266, 285, 68 S.Ct. 1049, 92 L.Ed. 1356 (1948)</a> (&#8220;Lawful incarceration brings about the necessary withdrawal or limitation of many privileges and rights, a retraction justified by the considerations underlying our penal system.&#8221;). Thus, even if force-feeding &#8220;burdens fundamental rights,&#8221; <a href="https://scholar.google.com/scholar_case?case=15686747716085264205&amp;hl=en&amp;as_sdt=6,33">Turner, 482 U.S. at 87, 107 S.Ct. 2254,</a> Turner makes clear that a federal court may step in only if the practice is not &#8220;reasonably related to legitimate penological interests,&#8221; id. at 89, 107 S.Ct. 2254.
The government has identified two penological interests at stake here: preserving the lives of those in its custody and maintaining security and discipline in the detention facility. As the government emphasizes, many courts have concluded that such interests are legitimate and justify prison officials&#8217; force-feeding of hunger-striking inmates.</blockquote>
Martin Gottesfeld has now filed his first appeal to have his case re-examined, and has retained a layer.
For more information from Gottesfeld’s perspective, you can check out the official <a href="https://freemartyg.com/">FreeMartyG</a> website.

Martin and Dana Gottesfeld.

UPDATE: Gottesfeld Writes From Prison; Claims He Has Been ‘Threatened With Violence’ And Might Be ‘Force Fed’

Martin Gottesfeld

I recently received a letter from Martin Gottesfeld following the publication of the piece I wrote pertaining to his allegations against FCI Terre Haute’s

UPDATE: Gottesfeld Writes From Prison; Claims He Has Been ‘Threatened With Violence’ And Might Be ‘Force Fed’ | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/update-gottesfeld-writes-from-prison-claims-he-has-been-threatened-with-violence-and-might-be-force-fed/

https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2020/02/1B9E201E-9F50-4697-AE28-55707B3C9004.jpeg

On Monday, Jelani Maraj, brother of famed rapper Nicki Minaj, was sentenced 25 years to life for repeatedly raping his then-11-year-old stepdaughter.
&#8220;A judge convicted Jelani Maraj of predatory sexual assault and child endangerment in November 2017. The victim testified during the trial that Maraj repeatedly raped her in 2015 while her mother was at work,&#8221; the <a href="https://apnews.com/5843c95f464f7195256c42b3ce83e384">Associated Press</a> reported.
According to <a href="https://www.revolt.tv/news/2020/1/27/21083986/jelani-maraj-sentence">Revolt</a>, the child claimed the first assault took place in April 2015 inside Maraj&#8217;s bedroom.
“He told me to take off my pants. &#8230; He told me to come under the covers with him, and he started to caress my back,” the child said, according to the outlet. “He took off his boxers … after that, we had <a href="https://www.revolt.tv/news/2020/1/6/21054044/harvey-weinstein-charged-two-counts-sexual-assault">sex</a>.”
“I was on my forearms on the bed and my pants were pulled down,&#8221; the girl added.
The abuse continued even after the child&#8217;s brother allegedly walked in on an assault. The victim said she told her brother not to say anything to their mother.
&#8220;Prosecutors have said DNA evidence recovered from the girl’s pajama pants was linked to Maraj. The girl’s younger brother also testified at the trial that he witnessed one assault,&#8221; the AP report added.
Maraj, who was convicted in 2017, reportedly pleaded for a &#8220;second chance&#8221; in the courtroom, highlighting his alcohol problem.
His defense team also noted that Maraj &#8220;suffered from health issues including hypertension, gout and anemia and requested the minimum sentence of 10 years to life,&#8221; the AP said.
According to <a href="https://thegrapevine.theroot.com/nicki-minajs-brother-jelani-maraj-sentenced-to-25-years-1841302924">The Root</a>, &#8220;Maraj’s attorney appealed conviction in 2018, claiming that there was jury misconduct. The judge ruled in October that the defense did not meet the necessary burden of proof.&#8221;
A <a href="https://pitchfork.com/news/nicki-minaj-set-to-testify-at-brothers-child-rape-trial/">Pitchfork</a> report in 2017 said Minaj was set to testify on behalf of her brother.
&#8220;Nicki Minaj plans to take the witness stand in defense of her brother Jelani Maraj in his on-going child rape case, a lawyer for Maraj confirmed to Pitchfork today,&#8221; Pitchfork outlined at the time. &#8220;Maraj plead not guilty after being indicted of felony sexual assault against a child in April of 2016. According to the lawyer, he intends to make the argument that the alleged victim and her mother tried to &#8216;shake down&#8217; Nicki to the tune of $25 million &#8216;to make the charges go away.'&#8221;
It&#8217;s unclear if Minaj did testify, though she did reportedly pay her brother&#8217;s $10,000 bail in 2015 shortly after he was arrested, according to the <a class="gnt_ar_b_a" href="http://pagesix.com/2015/12/05/nicki-minaj-bails-out-her-brother/" data-t-l="|inline|intext|n/a">New York Post</a>.
As noted by <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/music/2015/12/04/nicki-minajs-brother-arrested-rape-charges-involving-child-under-13/76799100/">USA Today</a>, the rapper posted a photo of herself hugging her brother at his wedding to Jacqueline Robinson in August 2015.
&#8220;Jelani, I love u more than you&#8217;ll ever comprehend,&#8221; the Instagram post was captioned.
&#8220;I would cross the ocean for u,&#8221; a post on another photo said. &#8220;I would go &amp; bring u the moon. Promise u. For u I will. I love my brother so much man.&#8221;
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</a> 
 <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/6tcnXpL8bQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Jelani, I love u more than you&#39;ll ever comprehend. 😢</a>
<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/nickiminaj/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Barbie</a> (@nickiminaj) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2015-08-23T03:03:45+00:00">Aug 22, 2015 at 8:03pm PDT</time>
</div>
</blockquote>
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Nicki Minaj

Nicki Minaj Brother Sentenced After Repeatedly Raping 11-Year-Old Stepdaughter

On Monday, Jelani Maraj, brother of famed rapper Nicki Minaj, was sentenced 25 years to life for repeatedly raping his then-11-year-old stepdaughter. &quot;A

Nicki Minaj Brother Sentenced After Repeatedly Raping 11-Year-Old Stepdaughter | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/nicki-minaj-brother-sentenced-after-repeatedly-raping-11-year-old-stepdaughter/

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Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who previously represented adult film actress Stormy Daniels, was arrested last week in Southern California during a California Bar Association hearing for an unrelated offense. 
The “creepy porn lawyer,” as <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U950t7M1Tbg">nicknamed</a> by Tucker Carlson, has since found himself in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Corrections Center in Manhattan, New York, the same jail that housed high-profile inmates such as Jeffrey Epstein and international drug trafficker &#8220;El Chapo.&#8221; 
But Avenatti’s legal team isn’t having it. 
“He is in a cell reportedly once occupied by El Chapo, on a floor that houses individuals charged with terrorism offenses,” reads a <a href="http://cdn.cnn.com/cnn/2020/images/01/21/avenatti.attorneys.letter.mcc.jail.conditions.pdf">letter</a> written to Manhattan judge Paul Gardephe that was obtained by CNN. “He is apparently under special administrative measures (SAMs), which almost completely restricts his communications with the outside world.”
The lawyer also complains that Avenatti has not been given the opportunity for phone calls, and that the temperature of his jail cell has made it so uncomfortable that he has “great difficulty functioning.”
“Mr. Avenatti was permitted two social calls upon arriving at the facility, but none since. He was told that his classification entitles him to one pre-scheduled social call per month,” continues the complaint. “The temperature in his cell feels like it is in the mid-40s. He is forced to sleep with three blankets.”
According to the letter, Avenatti’s legal team doesn’t understand why Avenatti has been placed in the special housing unit, the jail’s most secure floor, and wants him given access to materials and services that will allow him to prepare for trial, saying that the current “situation is truly hampering our ability to prepare for trial.”
According to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/21/judge-orders-michael-avenatti-prosecutors-to-explain-jail-conditions.html">CNBC</a>, Gardephe responded sympathetically Tuesday to the letter filed by Avenatti’s legal team, saying that prosecutors had to explain why exactly they decided to toss Avenatti into the housing unit usually reserved for people accused of terrorism and drug trafficking. 
The news agency notes that Avenatti has denied allegations that he unsuccessfully tried to extort the athletics company Nike, as well as allegations that he scammed his clients. 
Last week, Donald Trump Jr. responded to the impeccably poor timing of Avenatti’s arrest, considering that the lawyer was detained during a Democratic Party presidential primary debate and had previously garnered serious attention as a potential challenger to President Trump in 2020. 
“Again??? He would have been more entertaining on tonight’s [Democratic debate] than these jokers. What happened?” tweeted the president’s son. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Again??? He would have been more entertaining on tonight’s <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/demdebate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#demdebate</a> than these jokers. What happened?
Michael Avenatti Arrested by Feds at California State Bar Hearing <a href="https://t.co/87uhv63hIH">https://t.co/87uhv63hIH</a>
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr/status/1217285644071964672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2020</a></blockquote>
As <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/donald-trump-jr-trolls-michael-avenatti-for-getting-arrested-during-dem-debate">The Daily Wire</a> previously reported, Avenatti has seriously considered running for president on two separate occasions, changing his mind both times. The first time, he changed his mind, citing family concerns; the second time, he stated he was “50/50” about running.
“Never say never,” Avenatti told <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/08/03/michael-avenatti-is-mulling-a-2020-run-for-president-again.html">CNBC</a> last August. “The Dems need a non-traditional fighter. They have a lot of talent but not a lot of fighters.”

Michael Avenatti Attends Court Hearings On Fraud, Extortion And Theft Charges

Avenatti’s Lawyer Files Complaint: Same Cell As El Chapo, ‘Forced To Sleep With Three Blankets.’ Judge Responds.

Judiciary

Michael Avenatti

Michael Avenatti, the lawyer who previously represented adult film actress Stormy Daniels, was arrested last week in Southern California during a

Avenatti’s Lawyer Files Complaint: Same Cell As El Chapo, ‘Forced To Sleep With Three Blankets.’ Judge Responds. | The Daily Wire

https://www.dailywire.com/news/avenattis-lawyer-files-complaint-same-cell-as-el-chapo-forced-to-sleep-with-three-blankets-judge-responds/

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