Defense attorney slams St. Louis Johns County sheriff after charges dismiss for migrant accused in death of deputy

ST. AUGUSTINE, Fla. – The case against Vergilio Aguilar-Mendez, an 18-year-old migrant accused of manslaughter in the death of a St. Johns County deputy, has been dismissed. According to the State Attorney’s Office, the decision comes “following recent expert testimony regarding the defendant’s inability to understand the English language, his cultural background and concerns about his intellectual capacity have raised significant issues to consider in the case.” “Furthermore, based on the court’s recent ruling that the defendant was incompetent to proceed based on that expert testimony, dismissal of the charges was appropriate. Arrest and time served are sufficient,” the State…
Continue Reading

James Crumbley reveals how he’s paying for lawyer in Oxford case

On the eve of trial, it does not appear that James Crumbley’s declaration of being broke was going to help him at all — at least in terms of getting him a free copy of his wife’s trial transcript — which could help him avoid pitfalls. Crumbley, whose trial began Tuesday over his alleged role in the 2021 Oxford High School shooting carried out by his son, declared in an affidavit last week that he was indigent, and could not afford to pay for the transcript of his wife’s nine-day trial, which ended on Feb. 6 with her conviction. While…
Continue Reading

Ashleigh Merchant subpoenaed to appear before state committee investigating Fani Willis

CNN — Defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant has been subpoenaed to appear before a Georgia state Senate committee hearing on Wednesday as it investigates the actions of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Merchant confirmed to CNN that she had been subpoenaed for the hearing, which will be livestreamed. The Georgia legislative committee, formed in January to investigate the Fulton County District Attorney, said they planned to issue subpoenas as they investigated Willis, the Democratic state prosecutor who brought the racketeering case against Donald Trump and his allies for their actions after the 2020 election. Merchant, the defense attorney for a…
Continue Reading

Eastern District of Washington | United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington Hires Assistant United States Attorney Dedicated to Prosecuting MMIP Cases in the Northwest United States

Yakima, Washington – United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref announced today that Bree R. Black Horse has joined her office as an Assistant United States Attorney dedicated to prosecuting cases involving Missing and Murdered Indigenous People (MMIP), in connection with the Justice Department’s MMIP regional program. AUSA Black Horse will work out of our Yakima Office, but she will serve throughout the Northwest Region – including in Washington, Oregon, Montana, Idaho, and California. AUSA Black Horse is an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, AUSA Black Horse worked in the Native…
Continue Reading