Following an epic loss to Carolina at the Dean Dome, Duke University’s head basketball coach claimed that his staff members were punched in the face and trampled by overzealous UNC fans when they stormed the court following Seth Trimble’s game-winning, buzzer-beating three-pointer. The local prosecutor’s office takes those kinds of allegations seriously. After an investigation into the matter, District Attorney Jeff Nieman concluded the allegations were a flop, noting there was “zero evidence” showing that any assault occurred. More on that story here.
Epstein Fallout Continues. The Associated Press reports that the former prince, Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor, was arrested this week on charges stemming from his alleged ties to Jeffrey Epstein. Authorities suspect that the former prince may have broken the law by sharing confidential government reports with Epstein and are investigating him for misconduct in public office. The public arrest of former British high royalty is unprecedented in modern times, with the last similar case occurring around 400 years ago when King Charles I was arrested and ultimately executed for treason. Separately, legislators in New Mexico have opened a probe to examine activities that occurred at Epstein’s ranch in the state. According to this article from Time magazine, victims allege that Epstein engaged in sex trafficking and potentially other crimes on the property. The investigation looks to establish the extent of illegal conduct that may have occurred and determine whether state or local authorities looked the other way.
Flashbang Grenade Found at NC Polling Site. WRAL reports that a “flash-bang explosive device” was found at a Moore County voting site on Wednesday.Residents were standing in line to cast early votes in the primary elections when they heard a loud explosion. Law enforcement responding to the scene found the detonated device about 150 yards away from voters. Thankfully, no injuries or property damage was reported. Authorities suspect that someone threw the flash bang from a passing car on a nearby highway.The device has been sent to the State Crime lab for analysis. The Aberdeen police department is seeking information from the public and is offering a $500 reward for any information resulting in an arrest.
Assault on ICE Officers Dismissed. According to this report from the BBC, two ICE agents claimed to have been attacked by three migrants, leading to one of the agents shooting one of the men in the leg. Two of the suspected assailants were charged in federal court with assaulting the ICE agents. This week, those charges were dismissed with prejudice by a federal judge at the request of the prosecutors. After prosecutors reviewed video of the incident, they discovered that the agents made materially false statements and that no assault occurred. Both agents are now on administrative leave and may face criminal charges for making false statements under oath.
District Attorney Sanctioned Over Use of AI. The elected District Attorney of Kenosha County, Wisconsin, was sanctioned by a trial judge this week over revelations that he used artificial intelligence to compose a response to a defense motion to dismiss in a criminal case. The filing was replete with fake citations and other AI hallucinations. Although use of AI by attorneys is permitted by local court rules, those rules require that attorneys make detailed disclosures to the court and the parties about the nature and extent its use, as well as to certify that the attorney has double-checked the content of the AI-assisted pleading for accuracy. None of that was done here, and the presiding judge ultimately struck the DA’s response from the record altogether as a result. Wisconsin Public Radio has that report.
DOJ Disarray. The AP reports that the lack of federal prosecutors in Minnesota and other states have led to offenders facing serious criminal charges going free or receiving favorable plea bargains. A wave of resignations and retirements among U.S. Attorneys’ offices has stalled and sometime halted the normal administration of justice. The story recounts the case of a 12-time convicted felon, whose record included violent offenses, going free on methamphetamine trafficking charges because of the dearth of prosecutors (among other similar cases). A DOJ attorney with the Minnesota office was also held in contempt this week for failing to comply with a court order. According to the report, the office is in “crisis mode.”
Father of Georgia School Shooter on Trial. CNN reports on the trial of Colin Gray on charges of second-degree murder, involuntary manslaughter, and other charges. Prosecutors claim that Mr. Gray bought his 14-year-old son an AR-15 rifle, despite knowing that his son presented a danger to others. His child later used that rifle to kill four people and injure nine more during a shooting at Apalachee High School in September of 2024. That prior knowledge apparently included an earlier police investigation into the child for making online threats to carry out a school shooting. The story notes that this is the second major prosecution of a parent for criminal negligence stemming from their child’s act of mass violence.
Brace Yourself. What is worse than getting dental work? Getting dental work done poorly by someone merely pretending to be a dental professional. Those allegations are at the heart of an investigation underway by the North Carolina Dental Board and Raleigh police. Authorities claim that Ebony McBean held herself out as an orthodontist despite lacking any such credentials. She is accused of defrauding patients out of thousands of dollars for shoddy and incomplete work. After being arrested on multiple counts of obtaining property by false pretense, McBean posted bond and seemingly skipped her first court date. WRAL has the report here.
Pickleball Fracas. Around 11 am on Sunday, deputies received a report of a massive brawl at a Florida country club’s pickleball court. According to this report from NBC, a 63-year-old man and his 51 year-old-wife became enraged when one of their opponents allegedly broke one of the rules of the game. What began as verbal insults escalated quickly when the man allegedly punched one of his opponents and popped the victim in the head with a pickleball paddle. Another 70-year-old man who wasn’t a part of the game stepped in to try and break up the fight, and he was attacked by both the man and the woman. The fight apparently grew to involve around 20 people before the couple fled the scene. The pair were apprehended by law enforcement and both charged with felony assaults involving a deadly weapon (the paddle) causing serious injury.
Llama Patrol. Police in Derbyshire, England were investigating a robbery. They were on the lookout for a man in black puffy jacket who had fled on foot from the scene of the crime, according to the victim. Nearby, the owner of a small farm heard his llamas sounding their “alarm call”. Upon investigation, the owner found the suspected robber surrounded by his eight llamas. The suspect had cut through the field and shimmied through a hole in the fence to evade police. The suspect ultimately fled again, but the owner noticed the presence of police nearby and gave them the suspect’s last known direction, leading to the suspect’s apprehension shortly thereafter. The owner of the farm noted that local police had helped wrangle the llamas when they escaped in the past, and that the llamas probably felt like their efforts in restraining the suspect now made them square with law enforcement. You can read that story here.
I hope everyone has a safe and relaxing weekend. I can be reached as always at dixon@sog.unc.edu for any questions or comments.
