Kentucky judge rules Louisville can remove Confederate monument

The city of Louisville, Kentucky can remove a 121-year-old monument to Confederate soldiers that critics have objected to as an emblem of slavery, a state judge ruled on Wednesday.

In a ruling from the bench, Jefferson Circuit Judge Judith McDonald-Burkman dissolved her temporary order from three weeks ago that had blocked the city and a local university from taking down the monument.

Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer said he would work on relocating the 70-foot-high monument after getting the judge's written order, according to a statement from his office.

Some local residents and descendants of Confederate soldiers sued to keep the monument at its location near the University of Louisville, calling it a symbol of the South's history and culture.

Mayor Fischer and University of Louisville President James Ramsey said in April they would move the monument commemorating Kentuckians who died serving the Confederacy, the slave states that declared their secession from the United States, leading to the American Civil War in the 1860s.

[SOURCE]

Police Officers Sue Marilyn Mosby For Defamation

Two of the Baltimore police officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray are suing State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby.

Sgt. Alicia White and Officer William Porter filed a lawsuit against Mosby, Baltimore Sheriff’s Office Maj. Sam Cogen and the state of Maryland in Baltimore circuit court for defamation and invasion of privacy, according to a report by the Baltimore Sun.

The suit goes back to statements made by Mosby at a May 1, 2015 news conference, which White and Porter claim that the city’s top prosecutor knew “were false,” according to the Sun.

“These among other statements were made not for the purpose of prosecuting crimes that had allegedly been committed by White and Porter, but rather for purposes of quelling the riots in Baltimore,” the suit asserts.

Read more: Police Officers Sue Baltimore’s Top Prosecutor for Defamation Over Freddie Gray Statements

Federal judge rules Ohio early voting cuts unconstitutional

A judge for the US District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on Tuesday ruled that the 2014 elimination of the state's early in-person (EIP) voting was unconstitutional and in violation of Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act.

Judge Michael Watson stated in his decision:

The elimination of the extra days for EIP voting provided by Golden Week will disproportionately burden African Americans, as expert and anecdotal evidence reflects that African Americans vote EIP, and specifically EIP during Golden Week, at a significantly higher rate than other voters. ... [Additionally,] it may be more difficult for voters with time, resource, transportation, and childcare restraints to make two separate trips to register and vote, and Golden Week allowed individuals to do both at once. ... The elimination of [same-day registration] means that voters must now register and vote at separate times, which increases the "cost of voting," especially for socioeconomically disadvantaged groups.

Statistical and anecdotal evidence cited by Watson showed support for the claims that African Americans utilized this procedure greater than other groups, and that the elimination of this inevitably places a disproportionate burden on them to the point of violating constitutional rights and the VRA.

Read more: Federal judge rules Ohio early voting cuts unconstitutional

Dylan Roof: Justice Dept. will seek death penalty

Attorney General Loretta Lynch has released a statement that the Justice Department will be seeking the death penalty in the Dylan Roof case. Roof killed nine people inside a Charleston South Carolina church last year.

Department of Justice

Office of Public Affairs

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tuesday, May 24, 2016

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch Statement on the Case of Dylann Roof

Attorney General Loretta E. Lynch today released the following statement regarding the United States v. Dylann Roof:

“Following the department’s rigorous review process to thoroughly consider all relevant factual and legal issues, I have determined that the Justice Department will seek the death penalty.  The nature of the alleged crime and the resulting harm compelled this decision.”

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Office of the Attorney General

Updated May 24, 2016

Elijah Cummings Statement on State of Maryland v. Edward Nero Verdict

May 23, 2016 Press Release

Washington, D.C. (May 23, 2016) — Today, Congressman Elijah E. Cummings (D-MD) issued the following statement on the verdict in State of Maryland v. Edward Nero:

“Every American has the right to a trial decided by a jury of their peers or a trial decided by a judge. Mr. Edward Nero chose to forgo a jury and exercised his right to have Judge Barry G. Williams decide his case. Today, Judge Williams—after hearing the evidence presented by the prosecution and Mr. Nero’s defense attorneys—issued a not guilty verdict in this trial; I thank him for his service.

“Like many Baltimore residents, I was personally struck by Mr. Freddie Gray’s death, and I know that we will all continue to struggle with the strong emotions it invokes in us.

“Following Mr. Gray’s death, the citizens of Baltimore demanded justice, and it is clear that the wheels of justice are turning. I commend the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for its efforts to pursue justice, and I thank everyone who has worked on Mr. Nero’s trial.

“Justice has always relied on trust in the judicial process, and that is what I call on all of Baltimore’s residents to do because there will be more trials in the death of Mr. Freddie Gray. We cannot control the outcome of any of these trials, but what we can control is our work to continue healing our community.

“With eyes toward the future, we must continue working to reform our criminal justice system—in Maryland and nationwide—and we must continue to invest in our young people. Baltimore is a city on the rise, but the question is: will we all rise together?

“I believe that we are on the road to creating a city that uplifts all of its residents. Today’s verdict should not take us off course, instead, it should remind us of the importance of the road ahead.”