Judge orders release of man convicted while his public defender was handcuffed

Cory Doctorow 12:29 am Sat Jun 18, 2016

Earlier this month, Daniel Fernandez was sentenced to a six-month jail term while his public defender was in handcuffs, silenced and forced to sit with the accused awaiting trial, having been put in this position by Las Vegas Justice of the Peace Conrad Hafen.

Now, District Judge Rob Bar has ordered the release of Fernandez on the basis that, essentially, Justice Hafen is an asshole.

District Judge Rob Bare released Daniel Fernandez after reviewing Justice of the Peace Conrad Hafen’s handling of the case. Bare noted that Hafen directly addressed the defendant on May 23 while Deputy Public Defender Zohra Bakhtary was handcuffed and silenced.

“A lot of meaningful things were covered that, respectfully, a lawyer could potentially weigh in on,” Bare said. “But even if the lawyer chose not to weigh in, it troubles me that a judge would speak directly to a now-unrepresented client in this regard.”

Judge releases man who received jail sentence while lawyer was in handcuffs [David Ferrera/Las Vegas Review Journal]

(Thanks, Ken!)

U.S. files superseding indictment against Ghislaine Maxwell

U.S. prosecutors have filed a superseding indictment against Ghislaine Maxwell, former girlfriend, longtime business associate, and alleged co-perpetrator of crimes with the late serial rapist Jeffrey Epstein. READ THE REST
SCOTUS rules Donald Trump financial records must be released to NY DA, but House won't get tax returns before election

The Supreme Court of the United States ruled Thursday in the Trump financial documents case, and upholds the Manhattan DA's subpoena. In a 7-2 decision, SCOTUS ruled that Manhattan District… READ THE REST
U.S. is investigating claims that TikTok violated children's privacy

The FTC and the Justice Department are investigating claims that TikTok, the popular social media app with close ties to China, violated a 2019 agreement to protect children's privacy. READ THE REST
Short Post, just one paragraph

Dessert cheesecake wafer bear claw fruitcake. Fruitcake chupa chups donut candy canes marzipan. Apple pie sweet roll tart chocolate cake macaroon marshmallow carrot cake gummi bears sweet. Pastry sugar plum… READ THE REST
Save 50% on a 1-year subscription to Dashlane's premium password manager

We all know vital information about ourselves and our private digital accounts can be compromised by cybercriminals. However, many would be frightened to know just how compromised they and their… READ THE REST
The Bite Helper removes the itch of a mosquito bite in seconds

While mosquitoes have certainly earned their title as the deadliest animal on earth, their impact on most of our lives is usually a lot less consequential. But even though they… READ THE REST