Free Republic

A federal judge in New York on Monday denied former President Donald Trump's bid for a mistrial in writer E. Jean Carroll’s lawsuit alleging that Trump raped her in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s. In an 18-page filing hours ahead of his second day of cross-examining Carroll, Trump lawyer Joe Tacopina accused U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, who is overseeing the case, of making “pervasive unfair and prejudicial rulings” against his client. Barring a mistrial ruling, Tacopina requested that Kaplan “correct the record for each and every instance in which the Court has mischaracterized the facts of this...

Married biker said 'I've had the privilege to be part of an amazing club' in message posted to Facebook after he died Sonny Barger has died aged 83 after a cancer battle surrounded by his wife Zorana and his loved ones The Oakland, California, biker was the founding member of the Hells Angels motorcycling group in the 1950s He had many run-ins with the law and spent some time in prison but beat murder and racketeering charges

NORFOLK A Newport News police officer pleaded guilty Thursday to a felony embezzlement charge. Thomas D. Crouch was accused of taking money from a Police Emerald Society of Tidewater account that held fund raising money, according to a summary of evidence submitted to the court. Crouch, who was president of the society from September 2007 to June 2008, admitted to members that he took more than $5,400 because he had fallen on financial hard times. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Crouch must resign from the Newport News Pol ice and return the money by June 10. His sentencing...

Wed June 27, 2007 Attorney: Ex-Stipe business partner pleads guilty MUSKOGEE (AP) - Steven Phipps, a former longtime business partner of ex-state Sen. Gene Stipe, pleaded guilty Wednesday to a mail fraud charge and admitted paying kickbacks to three state legislators. Phipps, 52, admitted paying the lawmakers, who have since left office, for their help in funneling taxpayer money to private businesses. He has been cooperating with federal prosecutors. The charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Phipps, who was released on $20,000 bond by U.S. Magistrate Kimberly West, became the second person to plead guilty to...

IT MIGHT SURPRISE you that Chicago, known for its rough-and-tumble futures pits and passionate support for free-market capitalism, has been slowly morphing into a borderline socialist society where every aspect of private life is tightly controlled by the state. We first noticed it a few years ago, when we outlined the Chicago City Council's attempt to ban smoking at all bars and restaurants. Of course, smoking in any large buildings and workplaces had already long since been outlawed. Score one for the socialists. Thanks to opportunistic local politicians and an aggressive lobbying effort from liberal think tanks, the smoking ban...

Elected officials like to talk about "doing the public's business." Implied in this basic precept is conducting public business with the consent of the governed. But there is an alarming and growing trend that neither seeks, nor seems to want public input. For years, our legislature has added special provisions into the state budget at the last minute; programs and funding neither discussed, nor approved in committee, appearing mysteriously at the twelfth hour when budgets are ready for final approval. Lawmakers are increasingly funding prisons and other projects, such as improvements to a state aquarium, through unusual lease-purchase and other...