WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The Justice Department will fast track the sending of $29 million to South Carolina to help families of victims of the mass murder of nine churchgoers at a historic black church in Charleston, a Justice Department spokesman said on Friday.

An unspecified portion of the money, allocated under the government’s national Crime Victim Assistance Formula Grant program, can be used to provide services to the families of victims of the shootings at Emmanuel AME Church, spokesman Kevin Lewis said. (read more)

Those of you who were deep in the weeds during the Zimmerman research and discoveries might be interested in this little loose end.

During the “discovery phase”, and intense pre-trial preparation, Trayvon Martin family attorney Benjamin Crump refused explain or reconcile his public claims about witness #8 (he called “Dee Dee”).   Crump refused to discuss his relationship with witness #8 or anything about her despite his public, yet secretive, introductions of her to the media in March of the previous year (2012).

By the end of May 2013 a frustrated defense team couldn’t get Crump to explain his claims of Witness #8 being 16-years old (she wasn’t – she was 18 per the prosecution); or being “a minor” (she wasn’t per the prosecution); or being “Trayvon’s Girlfriend” (she wasn’t); or about her being in “the hospital” (she never was – lie admitted one day prior to her deposition); or about Trayvon knowing her “since Kindergarten” (she didn’t – only met him 2 weeks prior); or about her “writing a statement” (she didn’t – and couldn’t write); or about the State Attorney taking an affidavit from someone claiming to be her without ever asking for ID (yes, they actually did that); or about neither Crump nor the State of Florida, knowing Witness #8’s last name (yes, they both claimed they never asked).

Despite these ridiculous “on the record” discrepancies, Judge Debra Nelson refused to make  attorney Benjamin Crump answer questions about them. (more…)

Curiously Mosby is trying to get the two misdemeanor defendants (bicycle cops Nero and Miller) split up with one in each trial.  Possibly she’s looking for contradictions between the two officers to crop up – Or she’s racially seeking to colorize the trials…

(Via Baltimore Sun) Prosecutors on Friday urged a Baltimore judge to try six police officers charged in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray in the city, arguing that it’s too early to decide whether jurors here can be impartial.

Defense lawyers have asked for the trials to be moved elsewhere in Maryland, pointing to the high level of publicity the case has received. Deputy state’s attorney Janice Bledsoe left open the possibility that the case could still be moved if an impartial jury cannot be seated on the eve of trial.

“Until then, the court should not, as the defendants request, demeaningly prejudge the ability of Baltimore’s citizens to fulfill their traditional duty to impartially determine the facts of criminal cases happening within their city,” Bledsoe wrote.

[…]  Gray’s autopsy report, obtained by The Baltimore Sun, showed that he suffered a “high-energy injury” while being transported in the police van. A medical examiner ruled his death a homicide because police failed to follow proper procedures. (more…)

The Bringing People Together version: At Carnegie Hall, gospel singer Wintley Phipps delivers perhaps the most powerful rendition of Amazing Grace ever recorded. He says:

“A lot of people don’t realize that just about all Negro spirituals are written on the black notes of the piano. Probably the most famous on this slave scale was written by John Newton, who used to be the captain of a slave ship, and many believe he heard this melody that sounds very much like a West African sorrow chant. And it has a haunting, haunting plaintive quality to it that reaches past your arrogance, past your pride, and it speaks to that part of you that’s in bondage. And we feel it. We all feel it. It’s just one of the most amazing melodies in all of human history.”

After sharing the noteworthy history of the song, Mr. Phipps delivers a stirring performance that brings the audience to its feet!

The Tearing Them Apart Version: (more…)

After some awesome sleuthing by Treeper Manickernel the authorities in Rowlett, Texas have been notified the videographer of the horrific video is Ernest Irizarry Jr.

Here’s the 9:00pm News Report:

(more…)

Dr. Vincent DiMaio (testified in Zimmerman trial) is widely considered one of the nation’s foremost leading forensic pathologist.   He too sees through the political smokescreen deployed by Baltimore State Attorney Marilyn Mosby – Backstory.

(Via The Baltimore Sun) Asked about the Maryland medical examiner’s conclusion that Freddie Gray‘s death from injuries sustained in police custody was a homicide, Dr. Vincent DiMaio, one of the nation’s leading forensic pathologists, said: (more…)

“Disparate Impact” is a social justice legal theorem which measures outcomes to standards and practices and determines racial legality.

Example – Under legal interpretation rules of “Disparate Impact” it is unlawful not to hire illegal aliens. If a company uses eligible (legal) work authorization status as a requirement on employment applications (when making hiring decisions), and if the use of legal work eligibility is used as a qualifier, and the eligibility (qualification) standards disqualify a protected class (ethnicity) at a disparate rate, then it is unlawful not to hire illegal aliens.

The civil rights act(s) guaranteed -through law- equality in opportunity. Disparate Impact guarantees -through legal interpretation- equality in outcome.

Today the Supreme Court upheld (5-4) the application of “Disparate Impact Rules” within housing: regulations, loans, credits, locations and subsidies.  Justice Kennedy was the determining factor.  Thomas Lifson at American Thinker accurately outlines: (more…)

Reminder: There are 7 decision announcements still anticipated including: King v. Burwell, in which the court must decide whether the 6.4 million people getting subsidies on the federal exchange to buy ObamaCare will be able to continue doing so; and Obergefell v. Hodges, where the court is being asked to decide whether bans on same-sex marriage are constitutional and whether states must recognize same-sex marriages performed legally in other states.  The Texas Housing v Inclusive Communities “disparate impact” decision is also possible.

We can anticipate one or more decisions today and tomorrow. SCOTUS BLOG HERE They will live blog decisions beginning at 9:00am Eastern.

*Note – I’ll be off line until early afternoon, but use comment section if something breaks. The next 48 hours should be interesting to say the least.

Actions and Consequences

ACTIONS = Activists organize/rally in Charleston South Carolina yesterday:

CONSEQUENCES = The above professional agitation occurred simultaneous to this next event happening. (stay with it, you’ll see): (more…)

This is rich. While simultaneously saying the people of Baltimore are too stupid a mob to stop destroying their city, Mosby claims that it was imperative she remove the constitutional protections of the police department in order to save Baltimore; and people should be thanking her for sacrificing the police for the greater good of society.

(Baltimore Sun) State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby’s announcement of charges against six officers in connection with the arrest and death of Freddie Gray restored order to Baltimore “before the entire city became an armed camp or was burned to the ground,” her office argued in a new court filing.

Michael Schatzow, Mosby’s top deputy, asked a judge this week to deny a motion by attorneys for the officers asking that the charges against their clients be thrown out because of missteps they say Mosby made.

The defense lawyers argued that by publicly announcing the charges against the six officers involved in Gray’s April 12 arrest, Mosby unforgivably biased potential jurors against their clients.

But Schatzow said seeking to restore calm was a legitimate move.

“Speaking in the middle of an ongoing riot, Mrs. Mosby was trying to calm the crowd, not incite it,” Schatzow wrote. “Her repeated pleas for peace while the criminal justice system does its work served a legitimate law enforcement function.” (link)