New York
Judge: No ‘speck’ of proof in Palin’s libel case against NYT
NEW YORK (AP) — The judge who presided over Sarah Palin’s libel case against The New York Times denied her request Tuesday for a new trial, saying she failed to introduce “even a speck” of evidence necessary to prove actual malice by the newspaper.
U.S. District Judge Jed Rakoff made the assertion in a written decision as he rejected post-trial claims from Palin’s lawyers.
Her attorneys had asked the judge to grant a new trial or disqualify himself as biased against her, citing several evidentiary rulings by Rakoff that they said were errors. Those ranged from how the questioning of jurors occurred during jury selection, to how jurors were instructed when they asked questions during deliberations.
“In actuality, none of these was erroneous, let alone a basis for granting Palin a new trial,” the judge said.
Rakoff wrote that regardless of her post-trial motions, Palin was required at a trial earlier this year to show that an error in a published editorial was motivated by actual malice — a requirement in libel lawsuits involving public figures.
“And the striking thing about the trial here was that Palin, for all her earlier assertions, could not in the end introduce even a speck of such evidence,” he said.
Lawyers for Palin declined to comment on Rakoff’s ruling.
A spokesperson for the Times, Charlie Stadtlander, said in a statement, “We are pleased to see the court’s decision, and remain confident that the judge and jury decided the case fairly and correctly.”
The libel lawsuit by Palin, a one-time Republican vice-presidential candidate and former governor of Alaska, centered on the newspaper’s 2017 editorial falsely linking her campaign rhetoric to a mass shooting, which Palin asserted damaged her reputation and career.
The Times acknowledged their editorial was inaccurate, but said it quickly corrected the errors they called an “honest mistake” never meant to harm Palin.
Rakoff announced in February even before a jury completed its deliberations that he intended to dismiss the lawsuit because Palin had failed to show that the Times acted out of malice. Jurors themselves rejected Palin’s lawsuit the next day.
Rakoff said he thought it was fair to all parties not to wait for the jury’s verdict because he had already decided as a matter of law that the Palin hadn’t proven her case.
Her attorneys cited the timing of Rakoff’s announcement as one more reason a new trial should be ordered.
Massachusetts
Accountant sent to jail for defrauding multiple towns
BOSTON (AP) — An accountant who stole nearly $1 million from multiple Massachusetts towns he worked for has been sentenced to more than three years in jail, prosecutors said Tuesday.
Justin Cole, 40, of Uxbridge, pleaded guilty to 18 charges including multiple counts of larceny and was sentenced last week in Worcester Superior Court, the state attorney general's office said in a statement.
Cole stole the bulk of the money while working as Uxbridge's town accountant from 2012 until 2017, authorities said.
He stole from Uxbridge by submitting and approving dozens of false invoices and related submissions that caused the town to pay for services not provided.
Cole was also the principal of Bay State Municipal Accounting Group, which provided financial services to towns, and in that capacity also defrauded Wenham, Millville and Monterey through fraudulent billing, prosecutors said.
In all, he stole more than $930,000, prosecutors said.
Some of the money went to paying his company's rent and equipment.
In addition to the jail time, Cole was sentenced to three years of probation and barred from performing any financial services for any person or entity.
Pennsylvania
Man pleads guilty to felony charge in riot at U.S Capitol
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A suburban Philadelphia man charged in the January 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol after he was turned in by an ex-girlfriend after reportedly insulting her intelligence for not believing the election had been stolen has pleaded guilty to a felony count.
Richard Michetti, 29, of Ridley Park pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Washington to a charge of aiding and abetting obstruction of an official proceeding. He was originally also charged with trespassing, violent entry and disorderly conduct.
FBI authorities said a former romantic partner of Michetti alerted authorities about his presence a day after the Jan. 6, 2021, riot by supporters of then-President Donald Trump. Officials said photos showed him inside the Capitol Rotunda.
The affidavit alleged that Michetti said he was there to protest the election results and told the informant in a text message several hours after the siege began "If you can't see the election was stolen you're a moron."
The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Michetti said little during Tuesday's hearing. He is to be sentenced on Sept. 1, and although the charge carries a maximum 20-year sentence, federal sentencing guidelines call for call for a prison term of 15 to 21 months, the paper reported.
Hawaii
Ex-councilman sentenced to 20 years for dealing meth
HONOLULU (AP) — A U.S. judge last week sentenced a former elected Hawaii official to 20 years in prison for leading a drug-trafficking ring.
Arthur Brun said last year he sold methamphetamine to support his drug habit even while serving as a member of the county council on the island of Kauai. He pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, assault of a law enforcement officer, witness tampering and other charges.
Prosecutors said Brun, 50, conspired with a gang leader, requested sexual favors as payment for drugs and assaulted a law enforcement officer.
He was indicted with 11 others, who have all pleaded guilty to various charges, according to prosecutors.
U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson sentenced Brun last Thursday. In March, Watson rejected a deal between Brun and prosecutors for a 15-year sentence.
When Brun was arrested in 2020, he was vice chair of the council’s Public Safety and Human Services Committee. His term ended later that year, while he was incarcerated without bail.
In 2019, a Kauai police officer pulled over Brun after the then-councilman received more than a pound of methamphetamine from a gang leader, prosecutors said. Brun sped off while the officer tried to remove the keys from the ignition in Brun’s car.
Brun said he threw the drugs out of the car’s window so that authorities would not find it.
