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Sixth Circuit allows lawsuit over student Nerf gun prank arrest to proceed

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

Michigan

Sixth Circuit allows lawsuit over student Nerf gun prank arrest to proceed

DETROIT, MI — The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that two Oakland University students may proceed with their lawsuit against campus police officers and university administrators after they were arrested and suspended for their alleged role in a campus prank involving a Nerf gun. The case stems from a March 2022 incident in which three students, including Ryan Geheb and Andrew Evans, drove around campus while another student pointed a toy Nerf gun out the window and shouted “Give me all your money!” at pedestrians. Although Geheb and Evans were not the ones wielding the toy, they were arrested for armed robbery and later cited for disturbing the peace. They spent a night in jail and were immediately suspended from school. Geheb and Evans sued campus officers and administ...

Court affirms drug and gun convictions after traffic stop yields cocaine, handgun in Alabama

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Court affirms drug and gun convictions after traffic stop yields cocaine, handgun in Alabama

MOBILE, AL – The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has upheld the conviction of Preston Buie, who was stopped along Interstate 10 for following too closely and was later found to be transporting a dozen bricks of cocaine and a loaded handgun. Buie, a convicted felon, was pulled over in January 2023 by a Mobile County sheriff’s deputy who had been advised by border patrol to watch for a vehicle matching Buie’s. The officer called for a K-9 unit after observing Buie act evasively and provide inconsistent responses about his travel. The drug dog alerted, and a search of the vehicle uncovered the contraband. Buie was arrested and later convicted on three federal charges: possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and felon i...

Eleventh Circuit increases attorney fee award in Boca Raton therapy ban lawsuit

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Eleventh Circuit increases attorney fee award in Boca Raton therapy ban lawsuit

ATLANTA, GA – The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that two Florida therapists who successfully challenged bans on conversion therapy in Boca Raton and Palm Beach County are entitled to a significantly higher attorney fee award than initially granted by a lower court. The case stemmed from ordinances passed by the City of Boca Raton and Palm Beach County prohibiting therapists from engaging in “Sexual Orientation Change Efforts” (SOCE) with minors. Dr. Robert Otto and Dr. Julie Hamilton filed a lawsuit in 2018, arguing that the bans violated their First Amendment rights. They were represented by attorneys from Liberty Counsel. After the Eleventh Circuit ruled in their favor in 2020, the plaintiffs accepted offers of judgment from the city and county. The dispute contin...

Court upholds conviction of man caught trafficking cocaine on international waters near Florida

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Court upholds conviction of man caught trafficking cocaine on international waters near Florida

MIAMI, FL – The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction of Oswaldo Gonzalez, who was found guilty of conspiring to traffic cocaine while aboard a vessel in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA). Gonzalez challenged the constitutionality of the MDLEA and the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the statute unlawfully applies to conduct within another country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and that international law should limit U.S. enforcement. He also argued a U.S. nexus was required for due process. The appellate court rejected those arguments, citing binding precedent. In previous cases like United States v. Alfonso and United States v. Canario-Vilomar, the court ruled that the MDLEA is a valid use of congr...

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Court upholds conviction of man caught trafficking cocaine on international waters near Florida

MIAMI, FL – The Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the conviction of Oswaldo Gonzalez, who was found guilty of conspiring to traffic cocaine while aboard a vessel in waters subject to U.S. jurisdiction under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA). Gonzalez challenged the constitutionality of the MDLEA and the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that the statute unlawfully applies to conduct within another country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) and that international law should limit U.S. enforcement. He also argued a U.S. nexus was required for due process. The appellate court rejected those arguments, citing binding precedent. In previous cases like United States v. Alfonso and United States v. Canario-Vilomar, the court ruled that the MDLEA is a valid use of congr...

Texas flags over 2,700 potential noncitizens in voter rolls after SAVE database check

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Texas flags over 2,700 potential noncitizens in voter rolls after SAVE database check

AUSTIN, TX – Texas Secretary of State Jane Nelson announced the completion of a statewide citizenship verification effort, identifying 2,724 potential noncitizens registered to vote. File Photo (2024) The review, made possible by the Trump administration’s decision to grant states free and direct access to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services’ SAVE database, compared Texas’s 18 million registered voters against federal citizenship records. The Secretary of State’s Office (SOS) has since forwarded flagged records to county officials for further investigation under Chapter 16 of the Texas Election Code. County voter registrars are required to send notices to the identified individuals, who will have 30 days to provide proof of U.S. citizenship. Failure to respond may result...

Federal appeals court upholds 90-month prison sentence for Illinois man in cocaine, gun case

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Federal appeals court upholds 90-month prison sentence for Illinois man in cocaine, gun case

CHICAGO, IL – The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals has affirmed the sentence of Arthur Runnels, who was convicted in 2023 for cocaine distribution and firearm possession while on supervised release. Runnels was arrested by federal authorities for possessing and distributing cocaine and for being a felon in possession of a firearm. At the time of his arrest, he was already under supervised release from a prior conviction. Following a consolidated hearing, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Illinois sentenced Runnels to 90 months in prison for the new charges, along with an additional 57 months for violating his supervised release. Runnels appealed, arguing the 90-month sentence was above the federal sentencing guidelines and lacked proper justification. The ap...

Court blocks Trump from sending National Guard troops into Illinois

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

U.S.

Court blocks Trump from sending National Guard troops into Illinois

CHICAGO, IL – A federal appeals court has denied the Trump administration’s request to deploy federalized National Guard troops in Illinois, upholding a temporary restraining order issued after the President invoked emergency powers to mobilize the Guard over the objections of state officials. In a decision issued October 16, 2025, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit ruled that the White House failed to demonstrate the statutory requirements for invoking 10 U.S.C. § 12406, which permits federalization of the National Guard during times of rebellion or when regular forces are insufficient to enforce federal law. President Trump’s order, issued October 4, 2025, claimed “coordinated assaults” on federal immigration facilities in the Chicago area required immediate fede...

Off-road motorcyclist dies after colliding with riding partner, hitting pole in Apple Valley

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California

Off-road motorcyclist dies after colliding with riding partner, hitting pole in Apple Valley

APPLE VALLEY, CA – A 31-year-old man was killed in an off-road motorcycle crash Sunday afternoon after colliding with another rider and crashing into a utility pole. The incident occurred around 4:48 p.m. on October 19, 2025, near Kiowa Road north of Mayan Road. Deputies from the Apple Valley Sheriff’s Station, along with Apple Valley Fire Protection District personnel and American Medical Response, responded to the scene. According to investigators, Victor Godinez of Victorville was riding a Yamaha off-road motorcycle northbound through the desert area east of Kiowa Road when he collided with one of his riding partners. The impact caused him to lose control and veer into an Edison pole. Godinez was transported to a local hospital, where he later died from his injuries. The...

Pedestrian killed, motorcyclist injured in Santa Maria collision; alcohol may be factor

21Oct

By Houston StringerNo Comments

California

Pedestrian killed, motorcyclist injured in Santa Maria collision; alcohol may be factor

SANTA MARIA, CA – A 25-year-old pedestrian was killed and a 32-year-old motorcyclist was seriously injured following a crash at the intersection of Broadway and Williams Street Saturday evening. The Santa Maria Police Department, Santa Maria Fire Department, and American Medical Response (AMR) responded to the scene around 8:35 p.m. on October 18, 2025. Upon arrival, both the pedestrian and the motorcyclist were found in the roadway with major injuries. According to preliminary findings, the pedestrian was crossing eastbound in the north crosswalk of Williams Street when he was struck by a motorcycle traveling north on Broadway in the number one lane. The collision caused the pedestrian to be thrown onto the roadway and ejected the motorcyclist from his vehicle. Both men were ...