On Wednesday, the judge presiding over the current case said he believes Choi has shown, at least preliminarily, that he is being treated differently because of the subject of his protests: "don't ask, don't tell." President Barack Obama put an end to the policy in July. As of Sept. 20, gay service members will be able to acknowledge their sexual orientation openly.We will see how this goes, but I hope this doesn't turn into "Obama wanted Dan to suffer" type of drama.
Magistrate Judge John M. Facciola said the testimony presented at trial suggested that "the nature of his speech or what he said," meant Choi was prosecuted differently, according to a transcript of the proceedings.
As a result of Facciola's statements, an attorney for the government, Angela George, said she planned to have the judge's actions reviewed by higher authorities, and Facciola put the trial on hold for 10 days. In papers filed with the court, George says Choi was treated no differently than other similar protesters.
One of Choi's attorneys, Robert Feldman, said he believed that the judge's comments Wednesday mean his client has "effectively won the case" and that the charges against him will ultimately be dismissed.
Prosecutor Maeve Fox says she will outline a straightforward case in opening arguments set to begin Tuesday in a Chatsworth courtroom. The Oxnard teenager carefully planned and carried out the Feb. 12, 2008, execution of his eighth-grade classmate, she said. He brought a gun to school, positioned himself directly behind King during a morning computer class and fired twice into the back of the 15-year-old's head.This is going to be tough. I'm keep y'all posted as the trial jumps off.
McInerney then dropped the gun and walked out the door in front of two dozen horrified classmates and a teacher, Fox says.
Prosecutors have added a hate-crime allegation, arguing that McInerney's actions were spurred in part by a hatred of gays, in line with his alleged neo-Nazi sympathies. If convicted, he faces 53 years to life.
The trial of Michael James Griffin, who allegedly murdered English professor Don Belton in December 2009, begins today with jury selection.I will keep folks updated about this trial.
Belton, 53, taught creative writing for IU’s English department during the 2008-09 school year. He worked and lived in Philadelphia before coming to Indiana.
Griffin, now 26, graduated from Bloomington High School South before serving in the Marine Corps, where he fought in the battle of Fallujah and earned a purple heart.
Bloomington Police Department arrested Griffin, and he confessed to murdering Belton, according to the police affidavit.
Monroe Circuit Judge Teresa Harper will oversee the trial, which is scheduled to take place every day this week in the Monroe County Justice Building.
There's been another legal delay in local case that has garnered national attention.
It involves an oxnard teen accused of murdering a gay classmate.
Brandon McInerney is accused of shooting 15 year old Lawrence King twice in the head during a crowded computer class at E.O Green Junior High in February 2008.
McInerney had just turned 14.
But he is being tried as an adult.
Today the attorney he chose over public defenders filed a motion asking for a new judge to oversee the case.
Judge Charles Campbell denied a request to postpone the trial just last week.
Prosecutor Maeve Fox called the motion to change judges a ridiculous last ditch effort.
But McInerney's attorney Scott Wippert says he needs more time to look into mitigating circumstances like the sexual harrassment of his client.
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