Giuliani permanently disbarred from practicing law in District of Columbia
(WASHINGTON) — Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been permanently disbarred from practicing law in the District of Columbia, a court of appeals panel ruled Thursday.
According to the ruling, Giuliani’s disbarment is a resort of reciprocal discipline resulting from his law license being stripped in New York state over his efforts aiding former President Donald Trump’s bid to overturn the 2020 election.
Giuliani’s law license had already been suspended in D.C.
The appeals court panel noted that Giuliani declined to respond when given notice back in July that he could face reciprocal discipline.
In a report issued in July, the D.C. Board on Professional Responsibility recommended Giuliani be disbarred, saying that in his capacity as personal attorney to then-President Trump, he committed misconduct by his “frivolous and destructive” efforts to overturn President Joe Biden’s win through his failed legal challenges to the election results in Pennsylvania.
According to the report, the former New York City mayor violated two legal ethics rules in bringing the lawsuit, which sought to block the certification of votes in the state following Trump’s defeat.
The committee said that one of the rules was violated when he filed the lawsuit in Pennsylvania “when he had no factual basis and no legitimate legal grounds to do so.”
The other rule Giuliani violated was Pennsylvania’s Rules of Professional Conduct, the report said.
“He claimed massive election fraud but had no evidence of it,” the committee wrote.
(NEW YORK) — Testimony about the psychiatric history of a man who died in a chokehold aboard a New York City subway is only meant to “smear” the victim and should be precluded from upcoming trial of a former Marine charged with manslaughter, the Manhattan district attorney’s office said in a new court filing.
Daniel Penny is scheduled to stand trial next month after he put Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold in May 2023 aboard an F train in what his attorneys say was an effort to “protect the lives of his fellow passengers.” Penny’s attorneys are seeking to call a forensic psychiatrist who they said would “opine regarding the extent of Neely’s K2 abuse” and why that may have caused him to allegedly become “insanely threatening” to subway passengers.
Prosecutors asked the judge to exclude the testimony of the psychiatrist, Dr. Alexander Bardey, and limit what the defense can show from Neely’s psychiatric records.
“The psychiatrist’s testimony and the unredacted psychiatric records are inadmissible and their suggested introduction is a transparent attempt by the defense to smear the victim’s character so that the jury will devalue his life,” assistant district attorney Dafna Yoran said in a motion to preclude Bardey’s testimony from trial.
“Numerous witnesses will testify regarding Mr. Neely’s aggressive behavior on the date of the incident,” Yoran said. “The jury does not need and cannot be permitted to hear Dr. Bardey’s opine as to why Mr. Neely was aggressive.”
The defense has said Neely’s psychiatric history includes non-compliance with medication and chronic K2 abuse and argued that is relevant for the jury to hear.
“Neely’s history of volatile behavior while in treatment, and the steps taken to subdue/restrain him, are documented in these records, and speak to why our client had to use the force necessary to restrain him on the date of incident,” said defense attorney Thomas Kennif, who has argued Penny was justified in seeking to subdue Neely.
Penny has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter and negligent homicide charges. He is scheduled to begin trial Oct. 21, re-submitting the highly charged case into the public consciousness less than a month before the election.
(KETCHIKAN, Alaska.) — A 42-year-old husband and father has been identified as the man killed in a landslide in Ketchikan, Alaska, on Sunday, officials said.
Sean Griffin, a Ketchikan native and member of the city’s public works team for 17 years, was killed when he responded to help during his scheduled time off, according to the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.
“Sean and another team member were clearing stormwater drains when they were caught in the landslide,” Ketchikan officials said in a statement.
“Sean was a beloved husband, father, son, neighbor, and coworker,” Ketchikan officials said. “He spent his life serving his family and his community. … He started as a solid waste collector, moved up to solid waste facility operator, then to streets maintenance technician, and finally promoted to senior maintenance technician. “
“Sean is remembered for his dedication, positive spirit, and unwavering devotion to his family, his friends, and to the community,” the statement said.
Mandatory evacuations were put in place after the landslide swept through streets on Sunday afternoon, according to Kacie Paxton, a public information officer for the Ketchikan Gateway Borough.
Three people were injured and hospitalized following the landslide, according to Paxton. One of those people was later released, she said.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy issued an Alaska Disaster Emergency Declaration. A separate Joint Disaster Emergency Declaration was issued by borough Mayor Rodney Dial and city of Ketchikan Mayor Dave Kiffer.
“In my 65 years in Ketchikan, I have never seen a slide of this magnitude,” Kiffer said in a statement. “With the slides we have seen across the region, there is clearly a region-wide issue that we need to try to understand with the support of our state geologist.”
“The loss of life that we have encountered is heartbreaking, and my heart goes out to those who lost their homes,” he added.
Photos released by the borough appeared to show a pile of trees and loose soil up against several hillside homes, at least one of which appeared to have been pushed into another home. Other photos appeared to show roads covered with debris, including trees.
“Our prayers are with the families, the injured, those recovering, and the community,” Sen. Dan Sullivan said on social media, later adding, “My team and I stand ready to help facilitate any federal assistance that may be necessary.”
This landslide comes as Ketchikan saw about 3 inches of rain this month — about half its average rainfall for August.
Ketchikan received over 2.5 inches of rainfall over this weekend, and higher elevations in the Ketchikan Range reported 5 to 9 inches of rain. Too much rain at once after a drier period can cause a landslide.
The rain continued on Monday but is forecast to dry off through Tuesday. More rain is expected Wednesday and Thursday as a new frontal system moves in.
Landslides are common in southeast Alaska. Six people were killed, including an 11-year-old girl, in a major landslide in Wrangell, about 100 miles north of Ketchikan, last November.
ABC News’ Emily Shapiro contributed to this report.
(NEW YORK) — As Hurricane Helene makes its way toward the northern Gulf of Mexico and possibly through Atlanta, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is turning to an unlikely partner in disaster preparations: the National Football League.
The federal agency and the NFL are teaming up to allow for NFL stadiums to be used as “mission ready locations” during major disaster events, FEMA said in a news release.
“During large-scale emergencies, like the COVID-19 pandemic, hurricanes, or tornados, we’ve seen how large music, sports and entertainment venues can serve as a safe space for communities,” FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell said.
Criswell called the partnership with the NFL “groundbreaking” and will make communities “more resilient.”
The then-New Orleans Superdome was used as a place where people were camped out for days during and after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
FEMA says NFL stadiums are an ideal venue because of their location and access for all people. FEMA says 73% of NFL stadiums are accessible by public transportation.
The stadiums that will become Mission Ready Venues are: MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, home of New York’s Jets and Giants: Lumen Field in Seattle, home of the Seahawks; Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, home of the Steelers; Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, home of the Buccaneers. SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, home of the Rams and the Chargers, is under review.
“Stadiums are valuable community assets that are often used in times of disasters,” said NFL Chief Security Officer Cathy Lanier, who was also the former Chief of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department. “This designation reflects the role that many stadiums play, not only on Sundays, but especially in times of need. We are proud to work with FEMA and first responders at the local and state level to ensure disaster response agencies have the information and tools they need to help a community recover when disaster strikes.”