Oklahoma
Judge temporarily stops state from enforcing anti-immigration law
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal judge granted a motion Friday to temporarily stop Oklahoma from enforcing its new anti-immigration law that would make it a crime to live in the state without legal immigration status.
U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones issued a preliminary injunction requested by the U.S. Department of Justice to go into effect while their lawsuit challenging it continues. The law would have taken effect on Monday.
The lawsuit in federal court in Oklahoma City challenges the measure, which makes it a state crime — punishable by up to two years in prison — to live in Oklahoma without legal immigration status. Similar laws passed in Texas and Iowa are also facing challenges from the Justice Department.
The Justice Department says the Oklahoma statute violates the U.S. Constitution and is asking the court to declare it invalid and bar the state from enforcing it.
The judge’s Friday order says Oklahoma “may have understandable frustrations with the problems caused by illegal immigration,” but that “the State may not pursue policies that undermine federal law.”
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said the ruling was disappointing and claimed that the law is necessary because the Biden administration is failing to secure the nation’s borders.
“We intend to appeal today’s decision and defend one of the most powerful tools we have,” Drummond said.
Noor Zafar, staff attorney with The American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrants’ Rights Project called the law harmful, and said in a statement that it threatens to tear apart Oklahoma families and communities.
“The court was right to block it,” Zafar said. “This ruling is a victory.”
Connecticut
Steve Bannon surrenders to federal prison to serve 4-month sentence on contempt charges
DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon was taken into custody Monday after surrendering at a federal prison to begin a four-month sentence on contempt charges for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack.
Bannon arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, around noon and was formally taken into federal custody, the Bureau of Prisons said.
Speaking to reporters, Bannon called himself a “political prisoner,” said former President Donald Trump was “very supportive” of him and slammed Democrats, including Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“I am proud of going to prison,” Bannon said, adding he was “standing up to the Garland corrupt DOJ.”
Shortly before he arrived to surrender, a small group of supporters, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, gathered on the side of the road outside the prison. They cheered as Greene and Bannon spoke during a news conference, holding up flags and signs supporting Bannon as a small group of protesters shouted, “Lock him up!” and “traitor!”
The crowd was rowdy, often breaking into chants of, “USA!” A Biden supporter taunted Bannon by yelling “traitor” while Trump supporters tried to shout her down. Police had to stop traffic to allow the black SUV that Bannon was riding in to pull out of a church parking lot where Bannon’s supporters had gathered.
A judge had allowed Bannon to stay free for nearly two years while he appealed but ordered him to report to prison Monday after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The Supreme Court on Friday rejected his last-minute appeal to stave off his sentence.
A jury found Bannon guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and a second for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in the Republican ex-president’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Defense attorneys have argued the case raises issues that should be examined by the Supreme Court, including Bannon’s previous lawyer’s belief that the subpoena was invalid because Trump had asserted executive privilege. Prosecutors, though, say Bannon had left the White House years before and Trump had never invoked executive privilege in front of the committee.
Bannon’s appeal will continue to play out, and Republican House leaders have put their support behind stepping in to assert the Jan. 6 committee was improperly created, effectively trying to deem the subpoena Bannon received as illegitimate.
Another Trump aide, trade adviser Peter Navarro, has also been convicted of contempt of Congress. He reported to prison in March to serve his four-month sentence after the Supreme Court refused his bid to delay the sentence.
Bannon is also facing criminal charges in New York state court alleging he duped donors who gave money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Bannon has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges, and that trial has been postponed until at least the end of September.
Nebraska
Father who fatally shot his 10-year-old son on Thanksgiving pleads no contest
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska father who fatally shot his 10-year-old son on Thanksgiving while investigating what he thought was someone stealing his car has pleaded no contest to manslaughter.
Will McDonald, 47, of Omaha also pleaded no contest to being a felon in possession of a gun. Convicted felons are not allowed to have guns under Nebraska law. McDonald was convicted in 1993 on theft and robbery counts.
A no contest plea is one in which the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to get a conviction. It is treated by the courts as a guilty plea.
According to an arrest affidavit, McDonald told investigators that he heard his car alarm going off Thanksgiving night, grabbed a flashlight and handgun and went outside to investigate. When he saw someone running toward him, he fired a shot, realizing too late that he had shot his son, 10-year-old Kendrick McDonald. The elder McDonald said he thought his son was sleeping inside the house when he fired the shot.
Will McDonald faces up to 70 years in prison when he is sentenced in August.
Judge temporarily stops state from enforcing anti-immigration law
OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A federal judge granted a motion Friday to temporarily stop Oklahoma from enforcing its new anti-immigration law that would make it a crime to live in the state without legal immigration status.
U.S. District Judge Bernard M. Jones issued a preliminary injunction requested by the U.S. Department of Justice to go into effect while their lawsuit challenging it continues. The law would have taken effect on Monday.
The lawsuit in federal court in Oklahoma City challenges the measure, which makes it a state crime — punishable by up to two years in prison — to live in Oklahoma without legal immigration status. Similar laws passed in Texas and Iowa are also facing challenges from the Justice Department.
The Justice Department says the Oklahoma statute violates the U.S. Constitution and is asking the court to declare it invalid and bar the state from enforcing it.
The judge’s Friday order says Oklahoma “may have understandable frustrations with the problems caused by illegal immigration,” but that “the State may not pursue policies that undermine federal law.”
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond said the ruling was disappointing and claimed that the law is necessary because the Biden administration is failing to secure the nation’s borders.
“We intend to appeal today’s decision and defend one of the most powerful tools we have,” Drummond said.
Noor Zafar, staff attorney with The American Civil Liberties Union’s Immigrants’ Rights Project called the law harmful, and said in a statement that it threatens to tear apart Oklahoma families and communities.
“The court was right to block it,” Zafar said. “This ruling is a victory.”
Connecticut
Steve Bannon surrenders to federal prison to serve 4-month sentence on contempt charges
DANBURY, Conn. (AP) — Longtime Trump ally Steve Bannon was taken into custody Monday after surrendering at a federal prison to begin a four-month sentence on contempt charges for defying a subpoena in the congressional investigation into the U.S. Capitol attack.
Bannon arrived at the Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, Connecticut, around noon and was formally taken into federal custody, the Bureau of Prisons said.
Speaking to reporters, Bannon called himself a “political prisoner,” said former President Donald Trump was “very supportive” of him and slammed Democrats, including Attorney General Merrick Garland.
“I am proud of going to prison,” Bannon said, adding he was “standing up to the Garland corrupt DOJ.”
Shortly before he arrived to surrender, a small group of supporters, including Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, a Republican from Georgia, gathered on the side of the road outside the prison. They cheered as Greene and Bannon spoke during a news conference, holding up flags and signs supporting Bannon as a small group of protesters shouted, “Lock him up!” and “traitor!”
The crowd was rowdy, often breaking into chants of, “USA!” A Biden supporter taunted Bannon by yelling “traitor” while Trump supporters tried to shout her down. Police had to stop traffic to allow the black SUV that Bannon was riding in to pull out of a church parking lot where Bannon’s supporters had gathered.
A judge had allowed Bannon to stay free for nearly two years while he appealed but ordered him to report to prison Monday after an appeals court panel upheld his contempt of Congress convictions. The Supreme Court on Friday rejected his last-minute appeal to stave off his sentence.
A jury found Bannon guilty of two counts of contempt of Congress: one for refusing to sit for a deposition with the Jan. 6 House Committee and a second for refusing to provide documents related to his involvement in the Republican ex-president’s efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Defense attorneys have argued the case raises issues that should be examined by the Supreme Court, including Bannon’s previous lawyer’s belief that the subpoena was invalid because Trump had asserted executive privilege. Prosecutors, though, say Bannon had left the White House years before and Trump had never invoked executive privilege in front of the committee.
Bannon’s appeal will continue to play out, and Republican House leaders have put their support behind stepping in to assert the Jan. 6 committee was improperly created, effectively trying to deem the subpoena Bannon received as illegitimate.
Another Trump aide, trade adviser Peter Navarro, has also been convicted of contempt of Congress. He reported to prison in March to serve his four-month sentence after the Supreme Court refused his bid to delay the sentence.
Bannon is also facing criminal charges in New York state court alleging he duped donors who gave money to build a wall along the U.S.-Mexico border. Bannon has pleaded not guilty to money laundering, conspiracy, fraud and other charges, and that trial has been postponed until at least the end of September.
Nebraska
Father who fatally shot his 10-year-old son on Thanksgiving pleads no contest
OMAHA, Neb. (AP) — A Nebraska father who fatally shot his 10-year-old son on Thanksgiving while investigating what he thought was someone stealing his car has pleaded no contest to manslaughter.
Will McDonald, 47, of Omaha also pleaded no contest to being a felon in possession of a gun. Convicted felons are not allowed to have guns under Nebraska law. McDonald was convicted in 1993 on theft and robbery counts.
A no contest plea is one in which the defendant does not admit guilt, but acknowledges prosecutors have enough evidence to get a conviction. It is treated by the courts as a guilty plea.
According to an arrest affidavit, McDonald told investigators that he heard his car alarm going off Thanksgiving night, grabbed a flashlight and handgun and went outside to investigate. When he saw someone running toward him, he fired a shot, realizing too late that he had shot his son, 10-year-old Kendrick McDonald. The elder McDonald said he thought his son was sleeping inside the house when he fired the shot.
Will McDonald faces up to 70 years in prison when he is sentenced in August.
