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Crime

Tamron Hall’s crime series features victims of ‘someone they knew’

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Courtesy of Court TV

“You always wonder when you see these stories, ‘How did this happen?’” asks Tamron Hall. “Did this person not see any other alternative?”

Hall tells us about her recent crime series on Court TV, and that is the query the Emmy Award-winning talk show host tries to reply—how someone may very well be compelled to harm someone they know.

The series, which debuted March 6, tackles stories with a singular connection: The victim knew her killer. The killer was driven by common emotions that were beyond his control, including jealousy and greed. Hall tells ESSENCE that when reporting on these types of cases on the show, she often thinks about family members like her friends.

“At any given time, any one of us could fall in love or befriend another adult who doesn’t mean us any good,” she says. “In this show, the person is in the house. It’s not the person lurking in the garage. It’s level one of your house. It’s so fascinating and eye-opening.”

She also thinks about her sister, Renate. She was murdered in 2004 and was a survivor of domestic violence. The only person of interest in her case was someone she knew, and that person was not charged in her death. Rather than dwell on whether justice could be served, Hall has motivated herself to focus on the stories of people like Renate, first through her long-running series , and now through .

“I never want anyone to believe that these shows have no purpose,” she says. “They’re not only for us to sit down on Sundays and switch on the TV and be delighted by another person’s tragedy. Not in any respect. All of these stories have something in common, even in my sister’s case, if you ask yourself,

We spoke with Hall about this latest project, her “deeply personal” connection to the causes she champions, and the way she keeps Renate in mind as she pursues her goals and elevates the stories of black women.

BEING: We all know you as a chat show host. But up to now you hosted on ID and now you do Court TV. Why are these exciting projects necessary so that you can do?

Tamron Hall: I feel that is part of the explanation I became a journalist, truthfully. It’s about giving people the chance to inform their stories. And those stories occur all too often, especially if you’re a reporter, and I started off, a reporter who covered crime, and it was connected to tragedy; but they will be inspiring and galvanizing at the identical time, if you see people fighting for justice for his or her families. They can be enlightening. When people ask me why I feel these crime shows have been on for six seasons or are so popular, I feel people think, is that me? Is that somebody I do know or love? I feel these shows hit a nerve in that way.

I personally have spoken to ESSENCE before concerning the loss of my sister. Of course it became deeply personal, those kinds of stories. But from the very starting of my journalism profession I felt that with the ability to sit down with people and allow them to speak about their journey, the great, the bad and the sad, was a responsibility I didn’t take flippantly. That’s why I’ve enjoyed doing these kinds of shows over time.

Tamron Hall's New True Crime Series Introduces Victims to 'Someone They Knew'
Courtesy of Court TV

As someone who has lost someone in a way much like the people portrayed in , do these cases ever fire up emotions for you? Is this something you’ve been capable of work through over time?

I do not think you may ever recover from the loss of a member of the family, and positively not one which’s unsolved. Today is the anniversary of my dad’s death. My dad died after contracting pneumonia. It doesn’t go away. He would have been 92 today… Losing a member of the family never leaves you. What makes my sister’s loss something that pertains to my work is that it’s an unsolved crime. And it is a case where I do know her past was connected to her being a victim of domestic violence. So for me, doing a show like this definitely has a private connection. Absolutely, once I see a story just like the ones we cover, where the suspect is someone he knew, or the person convicted is someone he knew, it hits an emotional chord since the only person of interest in my sister’s case is someone she knew.

I read that you recognize who this person is and also you usually are not able to confront them, and that you simply sometimes feel guilty to your sister’s death. Can you speak about that?

I’m not a vigilante, so I’m not able to confront anyone. I even have to undergo the justice system like anyone else, and sometimes it really works and sometimes, as we all know as African Americans, it fails. I also are not looking for to consult with an individual of interest. The police investigated and we were told that on the time they couldn’t do anything concerning the allegations. There was not enough evidence. So for me to report this story or speak about it under the pretext of, “Will there be justice?” didn’t serve me. What helped me was to talk up, as my sister’s children do, on behalf of victims of domestic violence. That is something that’s empowering and something that could make a difference.

When I speak about guilt, it comes from the experience she went through as a victim of domestic violence. It was an experience my family didn’t know how one can take care of. We didn’t know what to say. We asked, inappropriately, unconsciously, “Why can you just leave?” But over time we learned that that is not the way you reply to or help victims of domestic violence. After public incidents where victims were asked that query, we now know higher and I hope we are going to do higher. So I take advantage of my platform to say, “How can we help? What should we say?” These are things I didn’t know once I lost my sister, but I do know now. And we speak about this stuff with

The show is just not meant to make you afraid of people you recognize, it is not meant to make you distrust them, nevertheless it’s a chance to learn through the Court TV archives and the cases, the video footage, even the interviews that they have on file, how these situations unfolded. Because it’s mind-blowing that in the future someone could be a friend and the subsequent day they could be a murderer.

What’s next? And how do you realize your dreams that you simply managed to comprehend along with your sister in mind?

My sister was very ambitious. We’re each Virgos. Definitely an ambitious person. And for me, the subsequent book within the series is Jordan Manning, the crime reporter. The first book was, and now I’m in the center of writing the second book within the series. I used to be really inspired by the Nancy Drew books in my profession and life, and I desired to create this character. I didn’t realize that there wasn’t a black female crime reporter within the fiction world. So starting the series, I learned a lot about writing, the industry, the business of buying books, and the content that’s or is not available for black women to see themselves. So I created this character hoping that black women would see themselves and her journey. They won’t see themselves as a crime reporter, but in several features of her life: profession, family, love, and wanting to assist.

We’re now in our third season of the talk show and we just… chosen for seasons 4 and five. It was a whirlwind. When we began the show, me and Wendy [Williams] We were the one single hosts who were creating, producing and hosting shows with Black women. Now, looking back on it and knowing that we’re in our third season and we have managed to proceed, with an outstanding team, it’s all very surreal. I hope that not only would my sister be proud, but that ladies who I’ll never meet are proud that they cheered me on and that I worked hard to do right by Black women within the sense that we’re not a monolith. We don’t all think the identical, we do not all dress the identical, we do not all do the identical, but I feel all of us share a standard goal of showing what we’re capable of in order that we’re not devalued, as we frequently are.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Crime

Rapper Young Thug pleads guilty to gang, drug and gun charges

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Young Thug, Young Thug trial, Young Thug guilty, Young Thug charges, Young Thug YSL, theGrio.com

ATLANTA (AP) Rapper Young Thug pleaded guilty Thursday in Atlanta to gang, drug and weapons charges and shall be released from prison, although he could return to prison if he violates the terms of his sentence.

The 33-year-old Grammy winner, real name Jeffery Williams, made his pleas without reaching an agreement with prosecutors after negotiations between the 2 sides broke down, lead prosecutor Adriane Love said. That left sentencing entirely up to Fulton County Superior Court Judge Paige Reese Whitaker.

Young Thug’s allegations come two and a half years after he was arrested and charged, and nearly a yr after prosecutors began presenting evidence within the troubled trial. Jury selection in an Atlanta courthouse began in January 2023 AND it took almost 10 months. Since then, prosecutors have interviewed dozens of witnesses opening statements last November six defendants within the trial.

The trial faced multiple delays, including in July when the unique judge was removed after two defendants requested his refusal, citing the judge’s meeting with prosecutors and a state witness.

Young Thug pleaded guilty to one gang charge, three drug charges and two weapons charges. He also entered a no contest plea on one other gang charge and a racketeering conspiracy charge, meaning he selected not to contest those charges but could possibly be punished for them as if he had pleaded guilty.

The judge sentenced him to 40 years in prison, the primary five of which were to be served but commuted to time served, followed by 15 years of probation. If he successfully completes probation with none violations, one other 20 years shall be credited to time served. However, if he violates those terms, he could have to serve those 20 years as well as to any probation violation penalties.

The young gunman must keep away from the Atlanta metro area for the primary 10 years of his probation, aside from weddings, funerals, graduations or serious illnesses of members of the family, the judge said.

But she also ordered him to return to the Atlanta area 4 times a yr during his probation period to give a live presentation on the fight against gangs and gun violence at a college or community organization that serves children. She said it could possibly be counted toward the 100 hours of community service she ordered him to perform every year while on probation.

He can also be prohibited from meeting with gang members, victims or other defendants within the case, aside from his brother and rapper Gunna, with whom he has contractual obligations. He also may not promote any street gang or criminal gang activity or use hand signs or terminology that promotes a street gang.

Additional conditions include submitting to random drug tests and not possessing weapons. However, he may travel for business purposes each domestically and abroad, even throughout the trial period.

Love outlined to the judge the evidence she would present to prove Young Thug’s guilt, including a few of his rap lyrics. She asked the judge to sentence him to 45 years, of which 25 years in prison and the remaining 20 years suspended.

The rapper’s lead attorney, Brian Steel, said they “strongly disagree” with lots of Love’s statements and said it was “offensive” that the state was using Young Thug’s lyrics against him.

Steel said the evidence against his client was weak and accused prosecutors of presenting false information and concealing evidence, saying Young Thug was “falsely accused.” Steel said he told his client he believed they were winning the trial and should get the jury’s verdict.

“But he told me, ‘I am unable to wait one other three months if there may be any way I can come home because I even have sick children. I even have things to do,” Steel said.

Steel asked the judge to impose a sentence of 45 years in prison, which could possibly be commuted to five years in prison and 40 years of probation.

Young Thug asked the judge to let him go home, saying he would not be in the same situation again.

“You know, I learned from my mistakes. I got here from nothing, I created something and I didn’t use it to its full potential. “I’m sorry,” he said.

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The judge said she appreciated that he recognized the impact he was having on people world wide. She said that in rap music, rap music may involve striking many poses, but children imitate a number of the dangerous behaviors mentioned within the songs. She encouraged Young Thug to use his talent and influence to encourage children to do the appropriate thing.

“I want you to strive to be more of a solution and less of a problem,” Whitaker said.

Young Thug, a hugely successful rapper, began his own record label, Young Stoner Life or YSL. Prosecutors said he also co-founded a violent street gang and that YSL stands for Young Slime Life.

Was charged two years ago in a lengthy indictment that accuses him and greater than two dozen others of conspiring to violate Georgia’s anti-racketeering law. He was also charged with crimes related to gangs, drugs and weapons.

His Young Thug’s three co-defendants did it he has already pleaded guilty this week after reaching an agreement with prosecutors. The charges leave the fate of two other co-defendants still unresolved.

Nine people charged within the indictment agreed to plea deals before the trial began. Twelve other persons are being tried individually. Prosecutors dropped charges against one defendant after he was convicted of murder in an unrelated case.

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Crime

Jaywalking now legal in New York

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crossing the road

According to the Associated Press, jaywalking has been legal in New York City since October 26.

The New York City Council’s Transportation and Infrastructure Committee has introduced a bill to amend the law that makes jaywalking a criminal offense.

Because Mayor Eric Adams didn’t approve or sign the bill, it took effect 30 days later, which is now New Yorkers can “legally cross the road at any place, including outside a marked or unmarked pedestrian crossing, and allow the crossing before the traffic lights.”

Mercedes Narcisse, New York City Councilwoman, trusts individuals who break the principles regarding crossing the road they do not deserve punishment. In a city of thousands and thousands of individuals, “people are just trying to get where they want to go.”

Narcisse also argues that jaywalking laws disproportionately impact communities of color. In 2023, she said, 90% of pedestrian crossings in New York City were Black and Latino.

The latest law will put the responsibility for safety on the shoulders of pedestrians because they are going to not have the proper of way. Road signs, pedestrian crossings and traffic lights will remain lively. Residents and visitors can now determine whether to implement safety measures.

“We continue to encourage pedestrians to use existing safety mechanisms – such as daylighting, pedestrian islands and first setbacks – when entering crosswalks using the pedestrian signal,” said Liz Garcia, a spokeswoman for Adams.

New York just isn’t the one American city that has to come back to terms with the results of criminalizing jaywalking.

A brand new report from the Transportation Choices Coalition shows just how marginalized communities are affected in Seattle, Washington: :

  • Black pedestrians are stopped by police for jaywalking at 4.7 times the speed of their share of the population.
  • Unhoused residents constitute at the least 41% of those affected by pedestrian stops.
  • Mandatory inspections are carried out at 77% of pedestrian stops.

No definitive conclusions could be drawn from these numbers, but it surely appears that the consequences of jaywalking are just like New York’s abandoned “Stop and Frisk” policy.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Crime

New Jersey doctor sentenced for allegedly ‘hiring contract staff’

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hammer, illegal immigrants Sahni

Harsha Sahni, a New Jersey doctor, will spend greater than two years in prison for harboring illegal immigrants and tax fraud. According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, Sahni was convicted of employing Indian nationals from 2013 to 2021 to work in her home without paying taxes on their wages.

In addition to his two-year prison sentence, Sahni can have to pay victims $642,212 in restitution and as much as $200,000 in medical bills.

Sahni is accused of paying victims lower than the minimum wage in favor of paying their families in India $600 or less for their services. The victims allegedly worked 15 hours a day caring for Sahni’s home. One of the victims suffered from a brain aneurysm he refused full treatment by Sahni.

The 68-year-old doctor became involved in a conspiracy to make sure that victims didn’t report working conditions that resembled slavery.

The victims were victims of unethical treatment and labor exploitation.

According to the U.S. District Attorney’s Office, Sahni threatened employees with arrest and deportation in the event that they mentioned the employment contract. Both employees were instructed to state that they were members of the family of the doctor if questioned.

“Sahni led the victims to believe that they would be arrested and deported if they contacted law enforcement. Sahni instructed the victims to tell others that they were related to Sahni, and Sahni used false names and addresses to further the conspiracy. Between 2013 and 2019, Sahni also failed to pay some taxes, even though the victims were Sahni’s household workers.”

Sahni was arrested in February 2023 following an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s Newark Field Office.

Due to the allegations, as of August 31, 2023, the doctor’s medical license was suspended.

According to NBC, “last Wednesday she agreed to have her license temporarily suspended pending the outcome of an administrative proceeding seeking to permanently revoke her license because of her convictions.”


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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