The former UK ambassador to the U. S., Peter Mandelson, was arrested Monday over allegations that he sent confidential government information to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. BBC News special correspondent Lucy Manning reports.
https://www.cbsnews.com/video/peter-mandelson-accused-of-sharing-government-information-with-jeffrey-epstein/
Category Archives: legal
Landmark tech trials on social media addiction seen through a mother’s eyes
Audio will be available later today. With multiple tech addiction trials expected this year, Julianna Arnold of the parents group ‘Parents Rise’ says the legal pressure is overdue for Big Tech.
https://www.npr.org/2026/02/15/nx-s1-5712769/landmark-tech-trials-on-social-media-addiction-seen-through-a-mothers-eyes
Jury acquits suspect of murders, rules guilty of attempted manslaughter
A man charged with two counts of murder and one count of attempted murder in connection with a March 2022 shooting at a Fairfield convenience store was found not guilty of those charges earlier this month. The jury ruled him guilty only on a single count of attempted voluntary manslaughter.
Trine Daniel Martinez, 29, of Fairfield, admitted to driving to the 7-Eleven store in the 200 block of East Tabor Avenue at 5 a.m. on March 13 to buy three Modelo brand beers. He also admitted to being armed with a Glock 17 semi-automatic handgun when he entered the store in the pre-dawn hours. However, Martinez claimed that his actions were in self-defense after being aggressively confronted by three or four men.
The jury returned its verdict on Wednesday. Martinez is scheduled to return to the courtroom of Judge William Pendergast on February 2 for a bail review and to discuss a pretrial services report from probation. The maximum sentence for attempted voluntary manslaughter is 5.5 years.
In addition to these charges, Martinez still faces allegations of assaulting a correctional officer while in jail in October 2024. He is set to appear again before Judge Pendergast in a court trial—where the judge, rather than a jury, will decide the matter—on February 26 at 8:30 a.m.
According to prosecutors, Martinez was accused of shooting and killing Earl “Wayne” Wyatt III, 44, of Fairfield, and Damion Davis, 36, of Suisun City, in or near the parking lot of the 7-Eleven on East Tabor Avenue. He was also charged with the attempted murder of Victor Walters, then 28, of Suisun City, in the same area. The jury, however, found him guilty only of the attempted voluntary manslaughter of Walters.
Deputy District Attorney Bill Ainsworth led the prosecution.
Court documents reveal that Martinez turned himself in to the Fairfield Police Department and was arrested on March 14, one day after the shootings. Surveillance camera footage at the crime scene identified him as the suspect. Martinez did not make a statement after his arrest and was accompanied by criminal defense attorney Daniel J. Russo of Vallejo.
At trial, Martinez was represented by criminal defense attorney Thomas Maas.
https://www.thereporter.com/2026/01/26/jury-acquits-suspect-of-murders-rules-guilty-of-attempted-manslaughter/
Celina Jaitly seeks Rs 10 lakhs monthly maintenance, and Rs 100 crores in damages; court to hear case on December 12
Actor Celina Jaitly’s legal team has confirmed that a domestic violence complaint has been filed against her husband Peter Haag, an Austrian national, before the Judicial Magistrate First Class in Andheri, Mumbai. The case was taken up on Tuesday for verification, following which the court issued a notice to Haag, returnable on December 12. Celina Jaitly seeks Rs 10 lakhs monthly maintenance, and Rs 100 crores in damages; court to hear case on December 12 Advocate Niharika Karanjawala, appearing for Jaitly, told ANI that the complaint details years of alleged abuse. “Yes, we filed a complaint under the Domestic Violence Act for cruelty and domestic violence, both physical and emotional, that has lasted for many years through Miss Jaitly’s marriage with Mr Peter Haag,” she said. Karanjawala added that the allegations include prolonged physical and emotional cruelty, manipulation, and coercion. Alongside the domestic violence case, separate civil proceedings are also underway in Mumbai regarding a property Jaitly owns. According to her counsel, the property’s gift deed was allegedly obtained by Haag “through coercion.” The petition seeks multiple forms of relief. “Our prayer is manifold with regards to compensation to be paid to Celina, alimony, as well as determinations with regards to her children,” Karanjawala stated. Jaitly’s primary concern, she noted, remains her three children, who are currently in Austria with Haag. As per the filing, Jaitly has requested a monthly maintenance of Rs 10 lakhs. The petition also seeks Rs 50 crores for loss of potential earnings. Karanjawala explained that this figure accounts for the period when Jaitly was allegedly compelled to stop working “at a very lucrative time in her career.” A separate sum of Rs 50 crores has been claimed for pain and suffering. The matter will now be heard on December 12, following the court’s issuance of notice to Haag. Also Read: Celina Jaitly shares emotional note after filing domestic violence case against husband Peter Haag: “Life stripped everything away” BOLLYWOOD NEWS LIVE UPDATES.
https://www.bollywoodhungama.com/news/bollywood/celina-jaitly-seeks-rs-10-lakhs-monthly-maintenance-rs-100-crores-damages-court-hear-case-december-12/
Intel files lawsuit against ex-employee who allegedly copied 18,000 company files & disappeared
Intel has launched a lawsuit against a former employee accused of carrying out a serious act of corporate sabotage. According to Intel, the ex-employee, Jinfeng Luo, allegedly copied approximately 18,000 files from the company’s corporate servers before disappearing.
Intel filed the lawsuit against Luo in Seattle District Court, as reported by The Oregonian. The company claims that Luo was among those scheduled to be laid off by the end of 2025. He was reportedly informed of his termination on July 7, with his employment ending by July 31.
After being notified, Luo allegedly plugged an external drive into company hardware but was locked out by security measures. However, about five days later, he reportedly plugged in another storage device and successfully copied around 18,000 files.
Intel alleges that some of the files copied by Luo contained “top secret” or “confidential” company materials. The unauthorized transfer of these files triggered an internal investigation.
For months, Intel has been attempting to contact Luo at three separate listed addresses to determine the extent of the information taken. Despite these efforts, Luo has not been located, and his current whereabouts remain unknown.
The lawsuit alleges damages of approximately $250,000, pending Luo’s potential appearance in court. Intel continues to seek answers about the stolen files and aims to hold the former employee accountable for his actions.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146760/intel-intc-lawsuit-jinfeng-luo-files-stolen
A lawsuit challenges an Alaska program that allows killing bears as a way to rebuild a caribou herd
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) — Conservation groups have filed a lawsuit challenging a state program in Alaska that authorizes the killing of brown bears and black bears. The program aims to increase the size of a once-significant caribou herd in the southwest part of the state.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in state court, claims the program lacks a scientific basis and is unconstitutional. It alleges that the program, adopted by the Alaska Board of Game in July, does not require the Department of Fish and Game to monitor bear populations to ensure their numbers remain sustainable. Furthermore, the program allows department employees to shoot bears from helicopters without setting limits on how many bears can be killed within an area roughly the size of Indiana.
Filed by Trustees for Alaska on behalf of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance and the Center for Biological Diversity, the lawsuit names as defendants the state, the Board of Game, the Department of Fish and Game, and the department’s commissioner. A message seeking comment was sent to the Alaska Department of Law, which typically represents state agencies in litigation.
This lawsuit is the latest chapter in an ongoing legal battle over what Fish and Game describes as an effort to restore the Mulchatna caribou herd. Named for its traditional calving grounds, the herd peaked at around 190,000 animals in the late 1990s and served as an important food source for subsistence hunters across dozens of communities.
However, the herd’s population began declining sharply, dropping to about 13,000 caribou by 2019. Hunting has been prohibited since 2021, according to Fish and Game. The department has cited several factors affecting caribou survival, including disease, hunting, food availability and quality, and predation. In this case, the Board of Game determined that predation could be addressed directly.
The board stated it was responding to requests to help rebuild the herd and restore caribou as a regional food source. In a fall newsletter, the department identified bears and wolves as “significant calf predators.” An aerial survey conducted last fall reported the highest recorded ratio of calves to cows in the herd’s western subgroup since 1999, suggesting a “positive response” to the 2023 and 2024 predator control program targeting bears and wolves on calving grounds.
According to the lawsuit, in May 2023, the agency killed “every single brown and black bear it found” within a 1,200-square-mile (3,108-square-kilometer) focus area encompassing the western Mulchatna caribou herd calving grounds. Altogether, in 2023 and 2024, 180 bears—most of them brown bears—were killed.
The Alaska Wildlife Alliance had previously sued to end the program. In March, a judge criticized the adoption process and ruled that the state lacked sufficient data on bear sustainability in the region before implementing the program. Despite this, the board and department moved forward, implementing emergency regulations under which 11 bears were killed before those regulations were struck down by another judge.
Following this, the department announced a public comment process regarding plans to reauthorize the program. Monday’s lawsuit claims the reauthorization plan adopted by the board in July includes elements previously struck down by the courts. The program is authorized to continue through 2028.
Doug Vincent-Lang, commissioner of the Department of Fish and Game, stated after the board’s action, “We were trying to rebuild the caribou herd, but we’re not going to jeopardize long-term sustainability of bears in so doing.” He added there is “strong evidence that neither disease nor nutrition are preventing this herd from recovering,” and that predation “has been isolated as the limiting factor preventing the herd from growing.”
Nicole Schmitt, executive director of the Alaska Wildlife Alliance, voiced concerns about the program, saying it “threatens bears who move across vast stretches of public lands.” Schmitt noted that parts of the area where bears can be killed are near Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) from Katmai National Park and Preserve, and near wildlife refuges.
Michelle Sinnott, staff attorney with Trustees for Alaska, characterized the program as unconstitutional. She criticized it for giving Fish and Game “a blank check to destroy bears across an entire region with impunity.” Sinnott added, “The Board of Game has once again shirked its constitutional obligations and ignored prior court decisions in its unscientific and relentless war on predator animals.”
https://ktar.com/national-news/a-lawsuit-challenges-an-alaska-program-that-allows-killing-bears-as-a-way-to-rebuild-a-caribou-herd/5774048/
OpenAI ‘improving Sora 2 guardrails’ again after Bryan Cranston’s likeness used without permission
OpenAI’s Sora 2 video generation platform continues to face criticism for unlicensed use of copyrighted materials and likenesses of famous individuals. The latest controversy involves media star Bryan Cranston, who has taken issue with representations of himself created on the platform.
After filing a formal complaint with the SAG-AFTRA organization, Bryan Cranston’s concerns prompted OpenAI to respond. The company stated it will continue to “strengthen” Sora 2’s “guardrails” to prevent unlicensed use of famous characters and intellectual property.
This week, SAG-AFTRA released a statement on social media on behalf of Cranston, announcing that it has been in contact with OpenAI to address the issue. Following the discussions, OpenAI has agreed to block depictions of Bryan Cranston on Sora 2 without his explicit consent.
Since its launch a few weeks ago, Sora 2 has garnered significant attention for its impressive ability to generate AI-driven videos based on user prompts. However, the platform’s rushed release has also resulted in numerous issues concerning copyrighted materials.
The Motion Picture Association (MPA) publicly denounced Sora 2 for its unauthorized use of actors’ likenesses. Despite this, the platform has continued to face challenges, including unlicensed depictions of figures such as Martin Luther King Jr.
As OpenAI works to improve Sora 2’s protections against unauthorized content, ongoing discussions about the ethical use of AI-generated media remain at the forefront of the debate surrounding generative technology.
https://www.shacknews.com/article/146428/openai-sora-2-likeness-bryan-cranston-statement-sag-aftra
Handcuffed in Court: Denise Richards’ Estranged Husband Aaron Phypers Coughs Up $200K Bail After Getting Arrested Mid-Hearing Over an Outstanding Warrant
**Aaron Phypers Bonded Out After Arrest Linked to Denise Richards’ Restraining Order Case**
*Published Oct. 18, 2025, 11:30 a.m. ET*
Aaron Phypers, the estranged husband of actress Denise Richards, bonded out of the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station on the evening of October 17 after posting his $200,000 bail. His arrest occurred during a court hearing related to Richards’ restraining order against him, RadarOnline.com can report.
The arrest stemmed from an outstanding warrant tied to the restraining order case. According to Phypers’ attorney, Michael Finley, the warrant and subsequent arrest are connected to Richards’ ongoing allegations of physical abuse.
**Phypers’ Arrest**
Finley described the arrest as part of what he called a “setup” orchestrated by Richards’ legal team. “I have not seen the criminal complaint yet, however, based upon the little that I have been told, it appears to be the same allegations we’re already fighting and I think proving to be false in the domestic violence case,” Finley told outlets. “So, we expect it to also be proven false and for him to be exonerated.”
Phypers was booked into the Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station near Malibu shortly after 5 p.m. on Friday and released just after 9:30 p.m.
**The Criminal Case**
Court records reveal that the State of California filed four criminal charges against Phypers. These include two counts of injuring a spouse, cohabitant, fiancé, or partner, and two counts of dissuading a witness by force or threat. The alleged incidents date back to January and May of 2022.
“When a criminal case is filed, the evidence has not been fully laid out and considered,” Finley said. “Criminal cases get filed all the time, and they get beaten. Just because a case is filed doesn’t mean it’s going to succeed. I personally believe Aaron, and I don’t believe Denise or her witnesses. We’re feeling pretty confident that we have shown that her allegations are false in the domestic violence case in the divorce court.”
**Details of the Allegations**
During Friday’s hearing, the judge granted Richards, 54, a continuance of her temporary restraining order until November 7.
The criminal complaint, filed a day earlier in Van Nuys, spans eight pages and details multiple alleged acts of domestic violence.
Earlier this month, Richards testified that her estranged husband “caused me at least three concussions” during their marriage. She claimed the injuries were uncovered after Phypers used diagnostic equipment from his wellness center on her.
Richards described incidents in which Phypers allegedly “slammed me up against the concrete wall,” “squeezed my head so hard,” and “picked my head up,” saying it felt like he was “crushing my skull.”
She also alleged that Phypers threatened to throw her “through the windows and off balconies” during heated arguments. Tearfully, she claimed: “He’s almost killed me so many damn times.”
https://radaronline.com/p/denise-richards-estranged-husband-aaron-phypers-200k-bail-arrested/
John Bolton – Classified Criminal or Trump Victim? – Liberty Nation News
Former National Security Adviser John Bolton, who served during the first Trump administration, was indicted this week in federal court in Maryland. The eighteen crimes the grand jury says he must stand trial for are all related to mishandling classified material in violation of the Espionage Act.
While many critics denounced the prosecution as payback from Trump for Bolton’s disloyalty, it was the Biden/Garland DOJ that started the investigation yielding the indictments.
Bolton once said, “Off with their heads!” referring to WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, who was charged with breaking the same law. “I hope he gets 176 years!” he added. The infamous war hawk also said Chelsea Manning should be put to death. Manning, who later changed their name and gender expression to Chelsea, gave WikiLeaks thousands of classified documents and was convicted of violating the Espionage Act.
Bolton’s indictment marks quite a reversal of fortune. He was at the very top of the United States’ security establishment for a year until Trump fired him. Then Bolton became a prominent administration critic and, from the MAGA perspective, a disloyal danger. This was established with the publication of *The Room Where It Happened*, a memoir Bolton penned.
The book is searingly critical of President Trump: “[H]e has no political philosophy, and does not have ‘policies’ as conventionally understood. Searching for policy coherence is fruitless, since he cares almost exclusively about his own interests, and refuses to take responsibility for decisions he makes that go awry.”
Trump revoked any security clearance Bolton may have held via an executive order issued in his second term. Because James Comey and Letitia James have also recently been charged by the Trump/Bondi DOJ, it’s been easy for critics to lump in Bolton and say it’s all Trump settling scores. After all, Trump did initiate an investigation into his former appointee over the tell-all book.
CNN, however, reports that multiple sources claim these investigations were separate.
### Breaches Aid Iran
If the indictment is accurate, Mr. Bolton created electronic files with classified information on them in violation of the law. Then those files were accessed by Iranian intelligence, who hacked Bolton’s personal email account. He’s also charged with compounding the damage by not reporting it.
After news of the indictment broke, President Trump commented: “He’s, you know, a bad person. I think he’s a bad guy.”
While the Trump administration may not have initiated the chain of events leading to this indictment, it has run with the ball to bring this prosecution forward.
### Is This a Political Prosecution?
Does that make it a political prosecution? We need to recognize all prosecutions as political. That’s why we elect District Attorneys, and why United States Attorney General nominees get such scrutiny.
We Americans live under thousands upon thousands of laws and regulations, creating near-perpetual criminal liability. Then all that matters is that your side wins, and you can put the other side in prison.
### Who Is John Galt?
Ayn Rand wrote a scene in *Atlas Shrugged* in which a not-so-petty tyrant explained the value of innumerable laws where full compliance is impossible:
> “The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren’t enough criminals one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible for men to live without breaking laws. Who wants a nation of law-abiding citizens? What’s there in that for anyone?”
Are we there yet in this country? Yes.
The phenomenon was laid out by a giant in civil rights litigation, Harvey Silverglate, who co-founded the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression:
> “The average professional in this country wakes up in the morning, goes to work, comes home, eats dinner, and then goes to sleep, unaware that he or she has likely committed several federal crimes that day. Why? The answer lies in the very nature of modern federal criminal laws, which have exploded in number but also become impossibly broad and vague.”
Mr. Silverglate’s words were published in his 2011 book *Three Felonies A Day: How the Feds Target the Innocent*. Sadly, things have only gotten worse.
Mr. Bolton and Ms. James will suffer terribly expensive and invasive ordeals as they fight to retain their liberty — as have Mr. Trump, Mr. Bannon, General Flynn, and others. Perhaps, as the gander gets goosed, they can all flock together, embracing our founders’ vision of liberty.
https://www.libertynation.com/john-bolton-classified-criminal-or-trump-victim/
Employee of 14 bar counsel at first oddly rejects Crossword Clue
That should be all the information you need to solve the crossword clue: **Employee of 14 bar counsel at first oddly rejects**.
Be sure to check out more clues and answers on our Crossword Answers section for additional help and insights.
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*The post “Employee of 14 bar counsel at first oddly rejects Crossword Clue” appeared first on Try Hard Guides.*
https://tryhardguides.com/employee-of-14-bar-counsel-at-first-oddly-rejects-crossword-clue/