Utah
Judge in Charlie Kirk killing case weighs question of media access
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus is due back in court Friday as a state judge weighs whether certain documents and proceedings should be open to the public.
The outcome will set the stage for an April hearing in which attorneys for Tyler Robinson will make their case to exclude TV cameras, microphones and photographers from the courtroom.
Judge Tony Graf has been weighing the public’s right to know details about the case against concerns by defense attorneys that the media attention could undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial. Prosecutors, Kirk’s widow and attorneys for news organizations have urged Graf to keep the proceedings open.
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson, 22, who is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
Attorneys on Friday are expected to debate whether the defense’s written request to exclude cameras, which was classified by the court as private, should be made public.
The judge will also determine if an April 17 hearing on the matter will be open or partially closed. Robinson’s attorneys argue in court documents that portions of the hearing should be private to avoid republicizing misleading information that they say has come from media and government officials.
Media access has been a focal point of several recent hearings, with the judge placing temporary restrictions on local TV stations for showing Robinson’s shackles in violation of a court order and filming close-up shots that might allow viewers to interpret what he was discussing with his attorneys.
The judge also has prevented full video recordings of Kirk’s shooting from being shown in court after defense attorneys argued the graphic footage would interfere with a fair trial. An estimated 3,000 people attended the outdoor rally to hear Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA who helped mobilize young people to vote for President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors have said DNA evidence connects Robinson to the killing.
At the latest hearing, in February, the judge declined to disqualify the local county attorney’s office from prosecuting the case after the defense argued there was a conflict of interest because a prosecutor’s daughter was present when Kirk was shot.
New. York
Jury finds ex-trooper guilty of manslaughter in 2020 chase that killed 11-year-old
KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper accused of ramming his vehicle into an SUV during a high-speed chase leading to the death of an 11-year-old girl was convicted of manslaughter Friday at his second trial.
Prosecutors say Christopher Baldner rammed the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to lose control and flip over. Eleven-year-old Monica Goods, who was in the SUV, was killed in the December 2020 crash. Baldner’s attorneys said the accident occurred after the SUV cut the trooper off as he pulled alongside during the pursuit.
A jury acquitted Baldner of murder and reckless endangerment charges in November, but they deadlocked on a second-degree manslaughter charge. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial and a second trial on the lone remaining charge began last month.
Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors during Baldner’s latest trial that he chose to “recklessly use his patrol car as a weapon” during the chase north of New York City. Defense attorney Anthony Ricco argued it was the driver of the SUV — Monica’s father, Tristin Goods — who acted recklessly and caused her death, according to the Daily Freeman.
Baldner pulled Tristin Goods over for speeding on the highway near Kingston the night of Dec. 22, 2020. Goods, his wife and two daughters were heading north from New York City to visit family.
Baldner and Goods argued, and the trooper pepper-sprayed the inside the vehicle. Goods drove off and Baldner pursued.
Defense attorneys said Goods collided with Baldner’s trooper car twice during the pursuit. An accident reconstruction expert for the defense testified that Goods lost control of the SUV when he overcorrected after “a very minor impact,” the newspaper reported.
The ex-trooper retired in 2022 after almost 20 years with the state police.
Florida
NFL player faces three charges in domestic dispute
Prosecutors brought three felony charges against Atlanta Falcons player James Pearce Jr. stemming from an incident on Feb. 7 that police referred to as a domestic dispute with WNBA player and ex-girlfriend Rickea Jackson, according to a court document filed Thursday.
The Florida State Attorney’s office in Miami-Dade County filed charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence. A fourth charge of stalking was brought as a misdemeanor.
An additional charge of aggravated battery of an officer was dropped.
Lawyers for Pearce and Jackson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday. Pearce’s attorney, Jacob Nunez, in February said his client “maintains his innocence and urges the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story.”
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham addressed the case briefly with reporters in Georgia on Friday. “Obviously, we’re aware of the most recent articles and things that have come out regarding James Pearce,”
Cunningham said. “Those are concerning, right, to say the least, but outside of that, I’ll just keep it just very similar to what we said at the combine. We’re not going to comment on an open legal matter here moving forward.”
According to the police account, Jackson told authorities she attempted to drive away from Pearce and was driving toward the Doral police station to seek help when Pearce “intentionally collided into the rear of her vehicle with his SUV” before police arrived.
Pearce allegedly refused an initial order from police to “get on the floor,” according to details of the arrest in an affidavit. The police account said Pearce then drove away and hit a police officer’s left knee with his vehicle “intentionally in an attempt to evade arrest.”
According to police, Pearce wrecked his vehicle and then continued in his attempt to elude police by running before being apprehended following a “short struggle.”
Jackson, in a petition for protection against Pearce filed in February, expressed fears for her safety that predated the incident for which he was arrested and charged.
“Due to his obsessive, insecure, violent and aggressive behavior, ending the relationship has been difficult and I am afraid for my life,” Jackson said in the petition filed in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County. “James has threatened to kill me, James has threatened to harm me, James has threatened to injure me, James has threatened to place a bag over my head, and James has verbally and physically abused.”
Jackson in the petition said Pearce snatched her phone, pulled her hair and took her belongings, at which point she decided to end their relationship.
She described a pattern of harassing behavior leading up to Feb. 7, including Pearce offering her $75,000 to visit him and $200,000 to remain in a relationship with him, according to the petition. Jackson said she was driving when she noticed Pearce following her in his car and she said he “began driving his vehicle erratically, at high speeds chasing after me.”
Jackson said in the petition she began driving to the Doral Police Department because she feared Pearce would hurt her. She said Pearce repeatedly struck her vehicle with his before getting to the station.
Jackson, 24, is two years into her WNBA career. She said she and Pearce began dating when they were at the University of Tennessee together.
Pearce, 22, was the No. 26 pick in the NFL draft last year. He had 10 1/2 sacks and his 45 quarterback pressures set a Falcons rookie record.
California
Trump sues over state’s vehicle-emission rules
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Trump administration ramped up a battle with California over the state’s nation-leading vehicle-emission standards Thursday, suing air regulators over rules aimed at curbing pollution from cars.
President Donald Trump has long fought California’s efforts to curb tailpipe emissions and spur electric vehicle adoption, and last summer he blocked the state’s first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. He’s also routinely criticized California’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices, which are largely due to taxes and environmental regulations.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office blasted the lawsuit, noting it comes as gas prices climb amid the Iran war and as some drivers consider going electric.
“Gas prices are soaring nationwide because of Trump’s reckless choices, and now he’s attacking the Golden State for trying to give Californians more freedom and cheaper options,” Newsom spokesperson Anthony Martinez said in a statement.
It cost Californians $5.37 a gallon on average Thursday to fill up at the pump, according to the American Automobile Association. That’s compared with a national average of $3.60 per gallon. Gas prices are up about 56 cents a gallon statewide and 35 cents a gallon nationwide since last week, rising roughly 20% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
“It’s ironic that they’re doing this just at the time when people are most worried about gas prices,” said Dan Farber, faculty director of the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley’s law school.
After Trump blocked California’s stringent electric vehicle mandates last year, the state quickly sued over the move. The California Air Resources Board then said previously adopted standards tackling emissions from cars that pose climate and public health risks would remain in effect even if the state’s more ambitious rules remained blocked.
But the federal government said in its lawsuit that the state didn’t have the authority to enforce even its less stringent standards.
“Oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
California, which has some of the nation’s worst air pollution, has for decades been able to seek approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt stricter emissions standards than the federal government.
Other states can sign on to adopt California’s rules.
During Trump’s first term, his administration revoked that authority. The federal government reinstated California’s waiver authority in 2022 under Democratic President Joe Biden.
The Trump administration separately last year announced plans to weaken rules set under Biden for how far automakers’ new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline.
Judge in Charlie Kirk killing case weighs question of media access
SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — The man accused of killing Charlie Kirk on a Utah college campus is due back in court Friday as a state judge weighs whether certain documents and proceedings should be open to the public.
The outcome will set the stage for an April hearing in which attorneys for Tyler Robinson will make their case to exclude TV cameras, microphones and photographers from the courtroom.
Judge Tony Graf has been weighing the public’s right to know details about the case against concerns by defense attorneys that the media attention could undermine Robinson’s right to a fair trial. Prosecutors, Kirk’s widow and attorneys for news organizations have urged Graf to keep the proceedings open.
Prosecutors intend to seek the death penalty for Robinson, 22, who is charged with aggravated murder in the Sept. 10 shooting of the conservative activist on the Utah Valley University campus in Orem. Robinson has not yet entered a plea.
Attorneys on Friday are expected to debate whether the defense’s written request to exclude cameras, which was classified by the court as private, should be made public.
The judge will also determine if an April 17 hearing on the matter will be open or partially closed. Robinson’s attorneys argue in court documents that portions of the hearing should be private to avoid republicizing misleading information that they say has come from media and government officials.
Media access has been a focal point of several recent hearings, with the judge placing temporary restrictions on local TV stations for showing Robinson’s shackles in violation of a court order and filming close-up shots that might allow viewers to interpret what he was discussing with his attorneys.
The judge also has prevented full video recordings of Kirk’s shooting from being shown in court after defense attorneys argued the graphic footage would interfere with a fair trial. An estimated 3,000 people attended the outdoor rally to hear Kirk, a co-founder of Turning Point USA who helped mobilize young people to vote for President Donald Trump.
Prosecutors have said DNA evidence connects Robinson to the killing.
At the latest hearing, in February, the judge declined to disqualify the local county attorney’s office from prosecuting the case after the defense argued there was a conflict of interest because a prosecutor’s daughter was present when Kirk was shot.
New. York
Jury finds ex-trooper guilty of manslaughter in 2020 chase that killed 11-year-old
KINGSTON, N.Y. (AP) — A former New York state trooper accused of ramming his vehicle into an SUV during a high-speed chase leading to the death of an 11-year-old girl was convicted of manslaughter Friday at his second trial.
Prosecutors say Christopher Baldner rammed the SUV twice on the New York State Thruway, causing it to lose control and flip over. Eleven-year-old Monica Goods, who was in the SUV, was killed in the December 2020 crash. Baldner’s attorneys said the accident occurred after the SUV cut the trooper off as he pulled alongside during the pursuit.
A jury acquitted Baldner of murder and reckless endangerment charges in November, but they deadlocked on a second-degree manslaughter charge. Judge Bryan Rounds declared a mistrial and a second trial on the lone remaining charge began last month.
Assistant State Attorney General Jennifer Gashi told jurors during Baldner’s latest trial that he chose to “recklessly use his patrol car as a weapon” during the chase north of New York City. Defense attorney Anthony Ricco argued it was the driver of the SUV — Monica’s father, Tristin Goods — who acted recklessly and caused her death, according to the Daily Freeman.
Baldner pulled Tristin Goods over for speeding on the highway near Kingston the night of Dec. 22, 2020. Goods, his wife and two daughters were heading north from New York City to visit family.
Baldner and Goods argued, and the trooper pepper-sprayed the inside the vehicle. Goods drove off and Baldner pursued.
Defense attorneys said Goods collided with Baldner’s trooper car twice during the pursuit. An accident reconstruction expert for the defense testified that Goods lost control of the SUV when he overcorrected after “a very minor impact,” the newspaper reported.
The ex-trooper retired in 2022 after almost 20 years with the state police.
Florida
NFL player faces three charges in domestic dispute
Prosecutors brought three felony charges against Atlanta Falcons player James Pearce Jr. stemming from an incident on Feb. 7 that police referred to as a domestic dispute with WNBA player and ex-girlfriend Rickea Jackson, according to a court document filed Thursday.
The Florida State Attorney’s office in Miami-Dade County filed charges of aggravated battery with a deadly weapon, fleeing and eluding police and resisting an officer with violence. A fourth charge of stalking was brought as a misdemeanor.
An additional charge of aggravated battery of an officer was dropped.
Lawyers for Pearce and Jackson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Thursday. Pearce’s attorney, Jacob Nunez, in February said his client “maintains his innocence and urges the public to understand that while allegations have the power to shape a narrative, that it is hardly the full, complete story.”
Falcons general manager Ian Cunningham addressed the case briefly with reporters in Georgia on Friday. “Obviously, we’re aware of the most recent articles and things that have come out regarding James Pearce,”
Cunningham said. “Those are concerning, right, to say the least, but outside of that, I’ll just keep it just very similar to what we said at the combine. We’re not going to comment on an open legal matter here moving forward.”
According to the police account, Jackson told authorities she attempted to drive away from Pearce and was driving toward the Doral police station to seek help when Pearce “intentionally collided into the rear of her vehicle with his SUV” before police arrived.
Pearce allegedly refused an initial order from police to “get on the floor,” according to details of the arrest in an affidavit. The police account said Pearce then drove away and hit a police officer’s left knee with his vehicle “intentionally in an attempt to evade arrest.”
According to police, Pearce wrecked his vehicle and then continued in his attempt to elude police by running before being apprehended following a “short struggle.”
Jackson, in a petition for protection against Pearce filed in February, expressed fears for her safety that predated the incident for which he was arrested and charged.
“Due to his obsessive, insecure, violent and aggressive behavior, ending the relationship has been difficult and I am afraid for my life,” Jackson said in the petition filed in the 11th Judicial Circuit in Miami-Dade County. “James has threatened to kill me, James has threatened to harm me, James has threatened to injure me, James has threatened to place a bag over my head, and James has verbally and physically abused.”
Jackson in the petition said Pearce snatched her phone, pulled her hair and took her belongings, at which point she decided to end their relationship.
She described a pattern of harassing behavior leading up to Feb. 7, including Pearce offering her $75,000 to visit him and $200,000 to remain in a relationship with him, according to the petition. Jackson said she was driving when she noticed Pearce following her in his car and she said he “began driving his vehicle erratically, at high speeds chasing after me.”
Jackson said in the petition she began driving to the Doral Police Department because she feared Pearce would hurt her. She said Pearce repeatedly struck her vehicle with his before getting to the station.
Jackson, 24, is two years into her WNBA career. She said she and Pearce began dating when they were at the University of Tennessee together.
Pearce, 22, was the No. 26 pick in the NFL draft last year. He had 10 1/2 sacks and his 45 quarterback pressures set a Falcons rookie record.
California
Trump sues over state’s vehicle-emission rules
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The Trump administration ramped up a battle with California over the state’s nation-leading vehicle-emission standards Thursday, suing air regulators over rules aimed at curbing pollution from cars.
President Donald Trump has long fought California’s efforts to curb tailpipe emissions and spur electric vehicle adoption, and last summer he blocked the state’s first-in-the-nation ban on the sale of new gas-powered cars by 2035. He’s also routinely criticized California’s highest-in-the-nation gas prices, which are largely due to taxes and environmental regulations.
Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office blasted the lawsuit, noting it comes as gas prices climb amid the Iran war and as some drivers consider going electric.
“Gas prices are soaring nationwide because of Trump’s reckless choices, and now he’s attacking the Golden State for trying to give Californians more freedom and cheaper options,” Newsom spokesperson Anthony Martinez said in a statement.
It cost Californians $5.37 a gallon on average Thursday to fill up at the pump, according to the American Automobile Association. That’s compared with a national average of $3.60 per gallon. Gas prices are up about 56 cents a gallon statewide and 35 cents a gallon nationwide since last week, rising roughly 20% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran.
“It’s ironic that they’re doing this just at the time when people are most worried about gas prices,” said Dan Farber, faculty director of the Center for Law, Energy, and the Environment at the University of California, Berkeley’s law school.
After Trump blocked California’s stringent electric vehicle mandates last year, the state quickly sued over the move. The California Air Resources Board then said previously adopted standards tackling emissions from cars that pose climate and public health risks would remain in effect even if the state’s more ambitious rules remained blocked.
But the federal government said in its lawsuit that the state didn’t have the authority to enforce even its less stringent standards.
“Oppressive, expensive electric vehicle mandates drive up costs for American consumers and violate federal law,” Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a statement.
California, which has some of the nation’s worst air pollution, has for decades been able to seek approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to adopt stricter emissions standards than the federal government.
Other states can sign on to adopt California’s rules.
During Trump’s first term, his administration revoked that authority. The federal government reinstated California’s waiver authority in 2022 under Democratic President Joe Biden.
The Trump administration separately last year announced plans to weaken rules set under Biden for how far automakers’ new vehicles need to travel on a gallon of gasoline.
