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News Roundup

As the New York Times reports, prosecutors have opened investigations of New York Governor Andrew Cuomo after the state attorney general released a report this week concluding that Cuomo had sexually harassed eleven women.  Keep reading for more news.

Cuomo. The allegations against Cuomo include instances of non-consensual touching and kissing and a toxic work culture in his office.  Investigators corroborated the allegations through the testimony of more than 100 witnesses and thousands of documents, including contemporaneous accounts by victims.  Calls for Cuomo to resign have come from all corners, including from President Joe Biden.  Cuomo has refused to resign and it appears likely he will be impeached by state lawmakers.

Court Appearance Project.  As discussed here, the application period is open for the NC Court Appearance Project. The UNC School of Government Criminal Justice Innovation Lab and The Pew Charitable Trusts are offering free technical assistance for up to three North Carolina jurisdictions interested in examining the scope and impact of missed court dates and exploring ways to improve court appearance rates and responses to missed court dates. Because Pew and the Lab adhere to a non-partisan, evidence-based approach to criminal justice policy, this project will be grounded in data, research, and stakeholder collaboration and priorities. Application deadline: August 20. Apply here: https://cjil.sog.unc.edu/court-appearance-project/

Sheriff Passes.  There was sad news out of Richmond County this week where Sheriff James “Clem” Clemmons passed away unexpectedly at his home on Thursday morning.  The county posted about his passing on Facebook and no additional information was available at the time of writing.

Separated Families.  The Washington Post had an article last week about a Guatemalan human rights lawyer, Eriberto Pop, who has been crisscrossing his country on a motorcycle visiting remote villages to find parents who were separated from their children at the United States-Mexico border as part of an effort to discourage illegal immigration directed by Jeff Sessions for the Trump administration.  The family separation policy received bipartisan criticism and was denounced by faith leaders when it was in effect.

Insurrection Plea.  The Winston-Salem Journal reports that a Pilot Mountain woman has agreed to a plea deal to resolve federal charges stemming from her participation in the insurrection at the United States Capitol in January of this year.  Virginia Marie Spencer was charged with obstruction of an official proceeding and disorderly conduct after she and her husband Christopher Spencer breached the Capitol and live streamed video of themselves inside the building.  Christopher Spencer was the first North Carolina resident to face criminal charges from the January 6 incident.

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