Court Digest

Michigan
Woman charged with murder in fire that killed popular butcher shop owner
ISHPEMING, Mich. (AP) — A woman accused of setting her husband on fire in 2021 in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula has been separately charged with murder in the death of a popular meat shop owner who was caught in a house fire last spring.

Charges of first-degree murder and arson were filed Friday in Marquette County against Julie Boxley, online court records show.

Glenn Andrews, 72, died after his home in Ishpeming was set on fire in March. He was the owner of Glenn’s Smokehouse, which sold specialty meats in Ishpeming.

“I love sausages. I love flavors. I love mixing things,” Andrews told WLUC-TV, displaying meats during a live studio appearance in 2022.

He said he had moved to the Upper Peninsula from the Detroit area after working for decades at Dearborn Sausage.

Boxley is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 27. Messages seeking comment were left Tuesday for attorneys representing her in other pending cases.

Boxley, 52, has also been charged with attempted murder in nearby Alger County. James Boxley, who was her husband at the time, has testified that she poured a liquid on him and threw matches while he was sleeping in 2021.

“Ms. Boxley has a history of mental illness, and I think that when we get all the stuff back from the forensic center, we will all see how severely ill she was at the time,” defense lawyer Jennifer France said in August when a judge found enough evidence to order a trial.

California
Radio reporter arrested during protest to receive $700K settlement
LOS ANGELES (AP) — A radio reporter taken into custody while covering a demonstration the night two sheriff’s deputies were shot three years ago reached a $700,000 settlement on Tuesday with Los Angeles County.

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the payout to Josie Huang, a journalist for NPR affiliate LAist.

“Journalists in Los Angeles County should be able to record police activity in public without fear of unlawful arrest,” Huang said in a statement after the supervisors’ vote. “My arrest was traumatic, but I hope that some good can still come of this experience.”

Deputies slammed Huang to the ground Sept. 12, 2020, and accused her of interfering with the arrest of a protester outside a hospital where deputies were being treated for gunshot wounds. The demonstration occurred during a series of protests following the murder of George Floyd.

After she was released from jail, Huang tweeted she was “filming an arrest when suddenly deputies shout ‘back up.’ Within seconds, I was getting shoved around. There was nowhere to back up.”

In cellphone video, Huang could be heard shouting “I’m a reporter” as she tumbles to the pavement. She said she was wearing a press pass.

In agreeing to the deal, the county and sheriff’s department admitted no wrongdoing. The settlement includes a requirement that the department issue guidance to deputies on the laws and policies governing their interactions with members of the news media.

New Mexico
Man charged in shooting over statue appeals detention order pending trial
SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A judge’s order to deny bail is being challenged by a New Mexico man charged with attempted murder in the September shooting of a Native American activist during confrontations about canceled plans to reinstall a statue of a Spanish conquistador, according to court documents obtained Tuesday.

Attorneys for defendant Ryan David Martinez, 23, are urging the New Mexico Court of Appeals to overturn a court order that keeps him jailed pending trial on charges that also include assault with a deadly weapon and potential sentence enhancements on alleged hate-crime and weapons violations.

The man from Sandia Park has pleaded not guilty to all charges in the Sept. 28 shooting at a protest in Española over canceled plans to install a bronze likeness of conquistador Juan de Oñate, who is both revered and reviled for his role in establishing early settlements along the Upper Rio Grande starting in 1598. Chaos erupted at the gathering as a single shot was fired in events recorded by bystanders’ cell phones and a surveillance camera.

Multiple videos show Martinez attempting to rush toward a shrine in opposition to installing the statue on that spot — only for Martinez to be blocked physically by a group of men. Voices can be heard saying, “Let him go,” as Martinez retreats over a short wall, pulls a handgun from his waist and fires one shot.

The appeal of the detention order argues that bail was denied arbitrarily in a decision that stems from “false narratives” and insufficient evidence.

“Even where there is a finding of potential for failure to appear or danger to the community, the defendant is still entitled to release if those issues may be reasonably controlled by conditions of release,” the appeal states.

Defense attorneys Nicole Moss and Ray Marshall described three men in the crowd — including the man who was shot — as the instigators and say Martinez only pulled out a lawfully permitted concealed handgun after being tackled.

“Mr. Martinez will have a strong argument for self-defense to the underlying charge,” the appeal states.

Prosecutors say they expect the pretrial detention order to be upheld.

“We disagree with the defense’s assessment, and so did Judge Jason Lidyard,” said Nathan Lederman, a spokesperson for the Santa Fe-based district attorney’s office.

The Court of Appeals could call on the attorney general’s office to respond.

“Mr. Martinez poses a threat to the community and if released no conditions of release would reasonably protect the community,” said agency spokesperson Lauren Rodriguez.

Lidyard authorized a trial and denied bail for Martinez after nearly five hours of court testimony and a review of video evidence. He ruled that Martinez should have known he was provoking a crowd with contrary views about the conquistador statue after arriving with loaded, concealed weapons on his waist and in his car.

Lidyard overruled a public safety assessment for Martinez that recommended pretrial release for a defendant with no prior criminal convictions or failures to appear in court. He highlighted aggressive conduct by Martinez, including expletives directed at a sheriff’s deputy and bystanders at the demonstration and past violent threats in social media posts against the U.S. Federal Reserve. Lidyard also highlighted testimony that Martinez appeared to be converting semi-automatic guns at home into automatic weapons.

The shooting severely wounded Jacob Johns, of Spokane, Washington, a well-traveled activist for environmental causes and an advocate for Native American rights who is of Hopi and Akimel O’odham tribal descent.
An attorney for Johns expressed confidence in the judge’s detention ruling.

“The reality is everyone has seen the video where Martinez is aggressive and violent and pulls a gun on unarmed people,” attorney John Day said. “Judge Lidyard was very careful and methodical when he made his ruling.”

“There was a thorough internal investigation into this incident and the appropriate administrative action was taken,” the department said in a statement. “We understand the role of the media during newsworthy events and make every effort to accommodate them with a designated press area and appropriate access.”

Alex Villanueva, who was sheriff at the time, said Huang was too close to the deputies during the man’s arrest. The district attorney’s office declined to file criminal charges, saying it did not appear that Huang was intentionally interfering and was only trying to record the scene.

A letter at the time from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press condemning the arrest and calling for the charges against Huang to be dropped was signed by 64 media organizations, including The Associated Press.

Huang said she planned to donate some of the money from the settlement to charity.

Washington
Ex-CIA officer pleads guilty to sexually abusing dozens of women
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former CIA officer accused of drugging and sexually assaulting at least two dozen women during various overseas postings pleaded guilty Tuesday in Washington to federal sex abuse charges that could land him behind bars for up to 30 years.

Brian Jeffrey Raymond kept nearly 500 videos and photographs he took of naked, unconscious women, including many in which he can be seen opening their eyelids, groping or straddling them, prosecutors say. The images date to 2006 and track much of Raymond’s career, with victims in Mexico, Peru and other countries.

The case was just the latest embarrassment for the CIA, which in recent months has seen a reckoning over its often secretive and antiquated handling of sexual misconduct claims within the spy agency.

The Associated Press found at least two-dozen women have come forward to tell authorities and Congress about sexual assaults, unwanted touching and what they contend are the CIA’s efforts to silence them. A CIA officer trainee was convicted in August of assault and battery for wrapping a scarf around a colleague’s neck and trying to kiss her inside a stairwell at the agency’s headquarters in Langley, Va.

The CIA has publicly condemned Raymond’s crimes, and CIA Director William Burns in May launched a series of reforms to streamline claims, support victims and more quickly discipline those involved in misconduct.

“As this case shows, we are committed to engaging with law enforcement to ensure that justice is served,” the CIA said in a statement. “In addition, we take any allegations of sexual assault or sexual harassment extremely seriously and have taken significant steps to ensure we maintain a safe, inclusive and respectful environment for our workforce.”

Raymond’s defense attorney did not respond to requests for comment.

Prosecutors described the 47-year-old Raymond as an experienced sexual predator who kept a detailed accounting of potential victims organized by name, ethnicity and notes on their physical characteristics.

Investigators combing his devices found an incriminating online search history for phrases such as “Ambien and alcohol and pass out” and “vodka & valium.” In one email to an online pharmacy, Raymond wrote, “Hello, do you have chloral hydrate for insomnia?”

When he was arrested three years ago, Raymond had been stationed in Mexico City, where he would meet women on dating apps and invite them back to his embassy-leased apartment for drinks.

The San Diego native, who is fluent in Spanish and Mandarin, was only discovered in 2020 after a naked woman Raymond met on Tinder screamed for help from his balcony, prompting a worried neighbor to call the authorities. U.S. officials scoured Raymond’s electronic devices and began identifying the victims, all of whom described experiencing some form of memory loss during their time with him. Prosecutors had intended to call as many as 14 alleged victims during trial.

Raymond withdrew a previous guilty plea in the case last year as he successfully challenged the admissibility of certain photos that the judge ruled were illegally seized from his mobile phones after agents compelled him to give up his passcode. Other images stored on Raymond’s iCloud account were admitted however.

Raymond pleaded guilty to four of 25 criminal counts including sexual abuse, coercion and transportation of obscene material. As part of the agreement announced Tuesday, he faces between 24 and 30 years in prison when he is sentenced in September.