U.S.

AUSTIN, TX – A federal appeals court has sided with Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, allowing the state to enforce a law that bans sexually explicit performances, including some drag shows, from being shown in front of minors. File Photo (September 2025) The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit overturned a lower court’s decision that had blocked the law from taking effect. The judges said they had “genuine doubt” that performers have a First Amendment right to show sexual content to children. Paxton said he was pleased with the decision and vowed to keep defending the law in court, saying it helps protect families and children across the state. The law, passed by the Texas Legislature in 2023, restricts sexually oriented performances in public places and anywhere mino...

DENVER, CO – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has upheld a $152,072 restitution order against a Colorado woman convicted in a multi-state romance fraud and business email compromise scheme. According to court records, Porsha Pinckey, also known by several aliases including Laura Young and Amy Maine, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering under 18 U.S.C. §§ 1956 and 1957. Prosecutors said Pinckey opened bank accounts and deposited checks obtained from victims of fraudulent schemes operated by her co-conspirators. Although she maintained she did not personally defraud the victims or know the full extent of the scheme, the Tenth Circuit ruled that under the Mandatory Victims Restitution Act, a defendant convicted of conspiracy can be held responsible ...

DENVER, CO – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit has upheld the first-degree murder conviction of an Oklahoma man who fatally stabbed his roommate after being mocked, ruling that insults and name-calling do not constitute sufficient provocation under federal law. According to court records, Isaac Newman Sockey, a member of the Choctaw Nation, lived with relatives in Tahlequah when he stabbed and killed Thurdis Tubby in September 2023 following a night of drinking. Witnesses said Sockey’s roommates teased him by calling him “chicken legs” before the altercation turned deadly. Sockey admitted to the stabbing but argued he acted in the heat of passion, which would have reduced the charge to voluntary manslaughter. The district court instructed jurors that “words alone, n...

WASHINGTON – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit has upheld the dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a Florida woman who demanded $500 billion in damages from the federal government. According to court records, Suzette Grace Rodriguez of West Palm Beach sued the United States in 2024, claiming harm stemming from a 2019 decision by the Florida Supreme Court that denied her petition to compel a state court and police department to act. The U.S. Court of Federal Claims dismissed her complaint earlier this year, citing lack of jurisdiction. In its ruling, the appellate court agreed that the lower court lacked authority to hear the case because it involved alleged wrongdoing by state and local officials, not the federal government. The panel also found that Rodriguez failed t...

CINCINNATI, OH – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit upheld a lower court’s decision requiring an Ohio man with a history of domestic violence to complete counseling before being allowed to live with any women. The case involves Stephen Terrell Horn, who appealed a special condition of his supervised release that bars him from residing with women until he begins domestic violence treatment. Horn argued that the condition was overly broad and violated his right to association. According to court records, Horn has multiple domestic violence convictions between 2012 and 2018, including assaults on his mother and a live-in girlfriend. While on state supervision, he was also convicted of firearm and drug-related offenses. After completing a 46-month federal prison sentence...

CINCINNATI, OH – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Dr. Eskender Getachew, a Columbus physician found guilty of unlawfully prescribing opioid addiction medications without legitimate medical purpose. According to court records, Getachew, who operated an addiction treatment clinic, prescribed the drug Subutex—an opioid treatment medication without the anti-abuse component naloxone—to as many as half his patients, despite the rarity of naloxone allergies. The court described this as “an astronomically high” rate and noted evidence that some prescriptions were inconsistent with medical standards, including continued prescriptions after suspected diversion and falsified medical notes. After a seven-day trial, a jury convicted Getachew on eleven...

ATLANTA, GA – The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit issued an opinion in Aguirre-Jarquin v. Seminole County et al. (No. 23-10811), affirming in part and reversing in part a lower court’s denial of immunity claims brought by three former Seminole County Sheriff’s Office employees accused of misconduct in a wrongful conviction case. The appeal stems from the case of Clemente Javier Aguirre-Jarquin, who was sentenced to death in 2006 for the murders of his two neighbors, Cheryl Williams and Carol Bareis, in Altamonte Springs, Florida. After spending a decade on death row, Aguirre was exonerated when DNA evidence and new testimony implicated another suspect, Samantha Williams, the victims’ daughter and granddaughter. Aguirre later filed a civil rights lawsuit under 42 U....

WASHINGTON – A Belorussian citizen has been extradited from France to the United States on charges related to an alleged conspiracy to illegally export aircraft equipment to Russia, according to the U.S. Department of Justice. Yana Leonova, 33, also known as “Yana Liavonava,” most recently residing in Russia, appeared in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia following her extradition. She is charged with conspiring to violate the Export Control Reform Act, smuggling, money laundering, and defrauding the United States. Prosecutors allege that after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in May 2022, Leonova worked with co-conspirators in the United States to procure avionics and other aircraft components for private aircraft operated by her former employer—a compan...

GRAND BLANC, MI – The FBI Detroit Field Office released a one-month update on the investigation into the September 28, 2025, shooting and fire at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Grand Blanc Township. File Photo (October 2025) According to the FBI, the attack was a targeted act of violence motivated by anti-religious beliefs against the Mormon community. The incident left five people dead, including the assailant, and nine others injured. The FBI Detroit Field Office expressed continued support for the Grand Blanc community and appreciation for the coordinated efforts of local, state, and federal agencies. “I would like to thank the brave members of law enforcement for their heroic actions in aiding and protecting the Grand Blanc community during times of imme...

DELAWARE – A North Carolina man has been arrested in connection with a 2020 fatal shooting in Wilmington following an extensive investigation. On October 25, 2020, at approximately 4:13 p.m., Wilmington Police responded to East 23rd and North Pine Streets for a report of a shooting. Officers located 24-year-old Raquan Davis, who was transported to a hospital in critical condition and later succumbed to his injuries. The case, originally investigated by Detective Sgt. Steven Bender, was later reviewed by the Cold Case Unit, including Detective Kevin Nolan, Detective Devon Jones, and Cold Case Investigator Steven Rizzo. Their continued investigation led to the identification of 30-year-old Desmin Walker as a suspect. On September 29, the case was presented to the New Castle Coun...