News Roundup

On Monday, North Carolina leaders attended a ceremonial session of the North Carolina Supreme Court convened to honor the court’s 200th anniversary. The celebratory session featured a documentary video and remarks by current and former justices of the Court. WRAL has a story about the event here and the AOC has a post about it here. Keep reading for more news.

Legislature Convenes. As WECT reports, the North Carolina General Assembly convened its 2019-20 session this week. House Speaker Tim Moore and Senate President Pro-Tempore Phil Berger each were re-elected to their leadership positions.

Officer Shot.  WRAL reports that Raleigh Police Officer Charles Ainsworth was shot several times during a traffic stop that he initiated while investigating a car jacking on Wednesday.  At the time of writing, Ainsworth was at WakeMed in serious condition.  Our thoughts are with Ainsworth as well as his family, friends, and colleagues.

Greensboro Sextortion. The Greensboro News & Record reports that UNCG police arrested a man, Kevin Kerney, who allegedly extorted private information and social media passwords from more than 40 victims by posing as the proprietor of a modeling agency and threatening to publicly reveal compromising photographs ostensibly taken for modeling purposes. Several UNCG students were among the victims.

Bathroom Assault. WRAL reports that two women have been charged with kidnapping and sexual battery after assaulting a transgender woman in a bathroom at Milk Bar in Raleigh early last month. The report says that the victim called 911 to report that Amber Harrell and Jessica Fowler verbally abused her in a bar bathroom while exposing themselves and touching her. Witnesses said that it appeared that the victim was targeted because she is transgender.

Rosenstein Departure. It is being widely reported that Deputy US Attorney General Rod Rosenstein intends to step down from his position when William P. Barr is confirmed as Attorney General. Acting in the stead of former Attorney General Jeff Sessions who had recused himself from the investigation of Russian interference with the 2016 presidential election, Rosenstein appointed Rober Mueller as special counsel and oversaw the investigation. At the time of writing, it was not clear whether Rosentein would remain at the Justice Department through the conclusion of Mueller’s investigation.

Sheriff Threats. WLOS reports that the SBI is investigating allegations that a man made threats against Swain County Sheriff Curtis Cochran and other law enforcement officers. According to a search warrant, Kyle Huskey, who was arrested last month for possession of a firearm by a felon and other charges, told investigators that Gerald Laschober offered to pay him between $10,000 and $15,000 to bomb Cochran’s house and kill certain other officers.

Ginsburg Absence. As the Associated Press reports, US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg missed oral arguments this week for the first time in over 25 years. Ginsburg is recovering from surgery to remove cancers from her lung that were discovered when she was being treated for broken ribs after a fall in her office late last year.