Alabama
Man on death row since 1990 to get new trial
MONTGOMERY, Ala, (AP) — One of Alabama’s longest-serving death row inmates could soon receive a new trial after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the state’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that prosecutors violated his rights by intentionally rejecting potential Black jurors.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the summer ruling from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision paves the way for Michael Sockwell, 63, to receive a new trial.
“We appreciate the Supreme Court’s decision. Michael has been denied his right to a fair trial for more than 35 years. We’ll continue to fight for his freedom,” Michael Rayfield, one of Sockwell’s lawyers, said in a statement.
Sockwell was convicted in 1990 of killing Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy Isaiah Harris. Harris was shot in the face in 1988 on his way to work in what prosecutors described as a murder-for-hire arranged by Harris’ wife.
The appellate court in June issued a 2-1 opinion finding Alabama prosecutors violated Sockwell’s 14th Amendment rights by intentionally rejecting potential Black jurors believed to be more sympathetic to him.
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office sought a review of that decision but the petition was rejected by the Supreme Court.
A federal judge in November said prosecutors must take steps by March 18 to pursue a new trial or Sockwell should be released from prison. A spokeswoman for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said Monday that the office intends to retry the case but declined additional comment.
The jury that convicted Sockwell voted 7-5 to recommend that he receive life imprisonment, but a judge overrode that recommendation and handed down a death sentence. Alabama no longer allow s judges to override a jury’s sentence decision in capital cases.
Harris’ wife was convicted of capital murder; she was initially sentenced to death but that was later reduced to life in prison.
Washington
Federal court rejects Trump administration attempt to slow process of refunding tariffs
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to slow the process of refunding billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs the Supreme Court struck down as illegal last month.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit started the next phase in the refund process by sending it to a lower court to sort out.
In a court filing Friday, Trump’s Justice Department had urged the Federal Circuit to proceed cautiously and hold off for 90 days. But the judges refused.
The Supreme Court ruled Feb. 20 that Trump’s sweeping tariffs on most countries in the world were illegal, clearing the way for the importers who paid them to seek refunds.
The government had collected more than $130 billion from the tariffs by mid-December, and could ultimately be on the hook for refunds worth $175 billion, according to calculations by the Penn Wharton Budget Model.
But the Supreme Court offered no guidance on refunds; its decision did not even mention them. Now the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York will decide how the complicated refund process should proceed.
“I would expect the Court of International Trade to quickly issue an order requesting a status update from the government on their plans with respect to refunds (or expedited briefing),” said trade lawyer Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official. “I expect the court to take an aggressive posture, asking the government to justify how they intend to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
Siddartha Rao, a partner at law firm Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, said he has been getting a lot of calls from clients with questions.
“We are somewhat in uncharted territory,” he said.
The Trump administration has been reaching for new tariffs to replace the ones the Supreme Court struck down.
One question, he said, is how the government might actually pay for these refunds.
“Everyone is sort of cognizant of the fact that it’s not like there’s over a hundred billion dollars sitting in, you know, in a room somewhere to just cut checks,” Rao said. “So, you know, this is a Treasury problem, and it may very well be that the administration is reimposing tariffs for the reasons that it’s cited ... it’s important for strategic trade agreements and for bargaining power and all of that. But it also might be that they need to raise revenue to pay out refunds.”
New York
Justin Timberlake sues to block release of police video from 2024 drunken driving arrest in New York
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Timberlake is suing to block the release of police body camera footage from his drunken driving arrest in New York’s Hamptons in 2024.
The pop star’s lawyers argued in a lawsuit filed Monday against the village of Sag Harbor and its police department that release of the video would “devastate” Timberlake’s privacy by revealing “intimate, highly personal, and sensitive details.”
They also said it would cause “severe and irreparable harm” to his reputation by subjecting him to “public ridicule and harassment.”
“The footage at issue depicts Petitioner in an acutely vulnerable state during a roadside encounter with law enforcement, capturing intimate details of Petitioner’s physical appearance, demeanor, speech, and conduct during field sobriety testing, the subsequent arrest, and Petitioner’s confinement following arrest over the next several hours,” the lawsuit reads.
A judge didn’t immediately rule following a Monday hearing in state court in Riverhead, according to Vincent Toomey, a lawyer for Sag Harbor. Instead, Judge Joseph Farneti asked the two sides to confer on a possible resolution and report back later in the week, he said.
Timberlake’s lawyers didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The NSYNC singer-turned-solo artist and actor pleaded guilty to impaired driving in September 2024. Police said he ran a stop sign in the village center, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol that June.
The Tennessee native told officers he had had one martini and had been following some friends home in Sag Harbor, a former whaling village among the affluent beach towns of the Hamptons, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of New York City.
Timberlake agreed to give a public safety announcement against the perils of drunken driving as part of the plea deal that knocked down his initial misdemeanor charge to a noncriminal traffic violation. He was also sentenced to a $500 fine, 25 hours of community service and a 90-day suspension of his license.
“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” Timberlake said following his court appearance. “This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have.”
In their suit, Timberlake’s lawyers say they were notified Sunday that village officials intended to release some of the footage, with certain redactions, to comply with public records requests.
They say the total footage runs roughly eight hours and includes Timberlake’s initial stop, police questioning, the administration of field sobriety tests and his arrest.
The Associated Press was among several media outlets that filed a records request seeking the release of the video.
Sag Harbor Mayor Thomas Gardella said village officials have carefully reviewed the footage to ensure nothing would be released that could put police or the public at risk.
“We’re trying to be as transparent as can be with this footage,” he said, noting that the state’s public records law generally requires release of police body camera footage.
Washington
Commanders agree to pay D.C. $1M to settle 2022 lawsuit
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Commanders have agreed to pay $1 million to the District of Columbia to settle a lawsuit from 2022 that alleged the NFL team under previous ownership colluded to deceive fans by lying about an inquiry into sexual misconduct and a persistently hostile work environment.
D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced the settlement Monday. The lawsuit initially began in fall 2021 with an investigation by predecessor Karl Racine, who based it on consumer protection law, arguing the team mislead residents.
Dan Snyder owned the team at the time of the lawsuit, before selling to Josh Harris’ group in 2023 for a then-North American professional sports record $6.05 billion. The league fined Snyder $60 million on the way out after an independent investigation found he sexually harassed a team employee and oversaw executives who deliberately withheld millions of dollars in revenue from other clubs.
“The Commanders’ current owners have commendably opened a new chapter in the team’s history, committing to ensure all employees are protected from abuse and treated with dignity,” Schwalb said in a statement. “Every business operating in the District has an obligation to provide honest information to its customers, and the Commanders’ loyal fanbase deserves no less.”
The settlement also includes the Commanders agreeing to maintain a human resources department, an anti-harassment policy and an investigation protocol for complains of misconduct. The team declined to comment on the lawsuit and the settlement of it.
The Commanders three years ago settled a separate lawsuit with the D.C. government over season-ticket deposits.
Florida
Judge declares a mistrial in trial over Bryan Pata’s 2006 killing
MIAMI (AP) — A mistrial was declared Monday in a case where former Miami football player Rashaun Jones was accused of killing teammate Bryan Pata nearly 20 years ago, though court proceedings will continue and another trial is possible.
Jurors could not unanimously offer a verdict in the case, and Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda declared the mistrial. Hearings are set to resume Tuesday morning.
Jones was charged with second-degree murder in 2021. Pata was shot and killed outside his apartment on Nov. 7, 2006, a couple of hours after the Hurricanes finished practice. He was a standout defensive lineman for Miami with NFL hopes.
“It’s frustrating, really, for all of us, especially for our mom and for every single sibling and every single person that came out and supported us,” Edwin Pata, Bryan Pata’s brother, said after the mistrial was declared. “I think the big thing for us is closure, just some kind of closure for us. We’re going to remain steadfast. ... We’ve just got to press on.”
Jones’ attorneys have insisted that he had nothing to do with the killing and believe the case against their client is built largely on circumstantial evidence.
Man on death row since 1990 to get new trial
MONTGOMERY, Ala, (AP) — One of Alabama’s longest-serving death row inmates could soon receive a new trial after the U.S. Supreme Court rejected the state’s appeal of a lower court’s ruling that prosecutors violated his rights by intentionally rejecting potential Black jurors.
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to review the summer ruling from the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The decision paves the way for Michael Sockwell, 63, to receive a new trial.
“We appreciate the Supreme Court’s decision. Michael has been denied his right to a fair trial for more than 35 years. We’ll continue to fight for his freedom,” Michael Rayfield, one of Sockwell’s lawyers, said in a statement.
Sockwell was convicted in 1990 of killing Montgomery County Sheriff’s Deputy Isaiah Harris. Harris was shot in the face in 1988 on his way to work in what prosecutors described as a murder-for-hire arranged by Harris’ wife.
The appellate court in June issued a 2-1 opinion finding Alabama prosecutors violated Sockwell’s 14th Amendment rights by intentionally rejecting potential Black jurors believed to be more sympathetic to him.
The Alabama Attorney General’s Office sought a review of that decision but the petition was rejected by the Supreme Court.
A federal judge in November said prosecutors must take steps by March 18 to pursue a new trial or Sockwell should be released from prison. A spokeswoman for the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office said Monday that the office intends to retry the case but declined additional comment.
The jury that convicted Sockwell voted 7-5 to recommend that he receive life imprisonment, but a judge overrode that recommendation and handed down a death sentence. Alabama no longer allow s judges to override a jury’s sentence decision in capital cases.
Harris’ wife was convicted of capital murder; she was initially sentenced to death but that was later reduced to life in prison.
Washington
Federal court rejects Trump administration attempt to slow process of refunding tariffs
WASHINGTON (AP) — A federal court on Monday rejected the Trump administration’s attempt to slow the process of refunding billions of dollars’ worth of tariffs the Supreme Court struck down as illegal last month.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit started the next phase in the refund process by sending it to a lower court to sort out.
In a court filing Friday, Trump’s Justice Department had urged the Federal Circuit to proceed cautiously and hold off for 90 days. But the judges refused.
The Supreme Court ruled Feb. 20 that Trump’s sweeping tariffs on most countries in the world were illegal, clearing the way for the importers who paid them to seek refunds.
The government had collected more than $130 billion from the tariffs by mid-December, and could ultimately be on the hook for refunds worth $175 billion, according to calculations by the Penn Wharton Budget Model.
But the Supreme Court offered no guidance on refunds; its decision did not even mention them. Now the U.S. Court of International Trade in New York will decide how the complicated refund process should proceed.
“I would expect the Court of International Trade to quickly issue an order requesting a status update from the government on their plans with respect to refunds (or expedited briefing),” said trade lawyer Ryan Majerus, a partner at King & Spalding and a former U.S. trade official. “I expect the court to take an aggressive posture, asking the government to justify how they intend to comply with the Supreme Court’s ruling.”
Siddartha Rao, a partner at law firm Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, said he has been getting a lot of calls from clients with questions.
“We are somewhat in uncharted territory,” he said.
The Trump administration has been reaching for new tariffs to replace the ones the Supreme Court struck down.
One question, he said, is how the government might actually pay for these refunds.
“Everyone is sort of cognizant of the fact that it’s not like there’s over a hundred billion dollars sitting in, you know, in a room somewhere to just cut checks,” Rao said. “So, you know, this is a Treasury problem, and it may very well be that the administration is reimposing tariffs for the reasons that it’s cited ... it’s important for strategic trade agreements and for bargaining power and all of that. But it also might be that they need to raise revenue to pay out refunds.”
New York
Justin Timberlake sues to block release of police video from 2024 drunken driving arrest in New York
NEW YORK (AP) — Justin Timberlake is suing to block the release of police body camera footage from his drunken driving arrest in New York’s Hamptons in 2024.
The pop star’s lawyers argued in a lawsuit filed Monday against the village of Sag Harbor and its police department that release of the video would “devastate” Timberlake’s privacy by revealing “intimate, highly personal, and sensitive details.”
They also said it would cause “severe and irreparable harm” to his reputation by subjecting him to “public ridicule and harassment.”
“The footage at issue depicts Petitioner in an acutely vulnerable state during a roadside encounter with law enforcement, capturing intimate details of Petitioner’s physical appearance, demeanor, speech, and conduct during field sobriety testing, the subsequent arrest, and Petitioner’s confinement following arrest over the next several hours,” the lawsuit reads.
A judge didn’t immediately rule following a Monday hearing in state court in Riverhead, according to Vincent Toomey, a lawyer for Sag Harbor. Instead, Judge Joseph Farneti asked the two sides to confer on a possible resolution and report back later in the week, he said.
Timberlake’s lawyers didn’t immediately respond to emails seeking comment.
The NSYNC singer-turned-solo artist and actor pleaded guilty to impaired driving in September 2024. Police said he ran a stop sign in the village center, veered out of his lane and got out of his BMW smelling of alcohol that June.
The Tennessee native told officers he had had one martini and had been following some friends home in Sag Harbor, a former whaling village among the affluent beach towns of the Hamptons, some 100 miles (160 kilometers) east of New York City.
Timberlake agreed to give a public safety announcement against the perils of drunken driving as part of the plea deal that knocked down his initial misdemeanor charge to a noncriminal traffic violation. He was also sentenced to a $500 fine, 25 hours of community service and a 90-day suspension of his license.
“Even if you’ve had one drink, don’t get behind the wheel of a car,” Timberlake said following his court appearance. “This is a mistake that I made, but I’m hoping that whoever is watching and listening right now can learn from this mistake. I know that I certainly have.”
In their suit, Timberlake’s lawyers say they were notified Sunday that village officials intended to release some of the footage, with certain redactions, to comply with public records requests.
They say the total footage runs roughly eight hours and includes Timberlake’s initial stop, police questioning, the administration of field sobriety tests and his arrest.
The Associated Press was among several media outlets that filed a records request seeking the release of the video.
Sag Harbor Mayor Thomas Gardella said village officials have carefully reviewed the footage to ensure nothing would be released that could put police or the public at risk.
“We’re trying to be as transparent as can be with this footage,” he said, noting that the state’s public records law generally requires release of police body camera footage.
Washington
Commanders agree to pay D.C. $1M to settle 2022 lawsuit
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Washington Commanders have agreed to pay $1 million to the District of Columbia to settle a lawsuit from 2022 that alleged the NFL team under previous ownership colluded to deceive fans by lying about an inquiry into sexual misconduct and a persistently hostile work environment.
D.C. Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb announced the settlement Monday. The lawsuit initially began in fall 2021 with an investigation by predecessor Karl Racine, who based it on consumer protection law, arguing the team mislead residents.
Dan Snyder owned the team at the time of the lawsuit, before selling to Josh Harris’ group in 2023 for a then-North American professional sports record $6.05 billion. The league fined Snyder $60 million on the way out after an independent investigation found he sexually harassed a team employee and oversaw executives who deliberately withheld millions of dollars in revenue from other clubs.
“The Commanders’ current owners have commendably opened a new chapter in the team’s history, committing to ensure all employees are protected from abuse and treated with dignity,” Schwalb said in a statement. “Every business operating in the District has an obligation to provide honest information to its customers, and the Commanders’ loyal fanbase deserves no less.”
The settlement also includes the Commanders agreeing to maintain a human resources department, an anti-harassment policy and an investigation protocol for complains of misconduct. The team declined to comment on the lawsuit and the settlement of it.
The Commanders three years ago settled a separate lawsuit with the D.C. government over season-ticket deposits.
Florida
Judge declares a mistrial in trial over Bryan Pata’s 2006 killing
MIAMI (AP) — A mistrial was declared Monday in a case where former Miami football player Rashaun Jones was accused of killing teammate Bryan Pata nearly 20 years ago, though court proceedings will continue and another trial is possible.
Jurors could not unanimously offer a verdict in the case, and Circuit Court Judge Cristina Miranda declared the mistrial. Hearings are set to resume Tuesday morning.
Jones was charged with second-degree murder in 2021. Pata was shot and killed outside his apartment on Nov. 7, 2006, a couple of hours after the Hurricanes finished practice. He was a standout defensive lineman for Miami with NFL hopes.
“It’s frustrating, really, for all of us, especially for our mom and for every single sibling and every single person that came out and supported us,” Edwin Pata, Bryan Pata’s brother, said after the mistrial was declared. “I think the big thing for us is closure, just some kind of closure for us. We’re going to remain steadfast. ... We’ve just got to press on.”
Jones’ attorneys have insisted that he had nothing to do with the killing and believe the case against their client is built largely on circumstantial evidence.
