Federal

Federal Jury Awards $20,001 in Excessive Force Lawsuit Against Macomb County Jail

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Mount Clemens, Michigan – A federal jury awarded $20,001 to a man who accused corrections officers at Macomb County Jail of using excessive force against him in 2018. Brian P. Hyde, 42, sought $34 million in damages but was ultimately awarded $20,000 in punitive damages and $1 for pain and suffering. The jury unanimously found that three out of five deputies involved in the incident committed excessive force. Hyde alleged that on July 14, 2018, he was blindfolded, bound, and had a bag placed over his head by corrections deputies. He claimed that he was … Read more

Former Albuquerque Property Manager Faces Federal Lawsuit Over Sexual Harassment Allegations: U.S. Department of Justice Takes Action

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ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) – A former property manager at St. Anthony Plaza Apartments in Albuquerque is facing a federal lawsuit after being accused of sexually harassing female tenants. The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed the lawsuit against Ariel Solis Veleta, alleging that he locked female tenants in his office and demanded sex acts. The DOJ also claims that he pressured tenants into engaging in sexual acts in order to keep their housing. These alleged events took place between 2010 and 2022. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the DOJ’s Civil Rights Division stated, “The … Read more

The Paradoxical Relationship: Southern Republicans’ Love-Hate Affair with Federal Power and Civil Rights

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Montgomery, Alabama – The reasons behind the strong conservative Republican sentiment in the South, with its condemnation of the federal government, advocacy for states’ rights, and criticism of an activist Supreme Court, are multifaceted. To delve into this, we can shed light on the pivotal milestones of the Civil Rights movement that overturned segregation and expanded voting rights for Black people in the United States. Notably, many of these milestones were driven by federal intervention. President Truman’s Executive Order 9981 in 1948 serves as a crucial example. This directive mandated the integration of the armed … Read more

Judge Melissa R. DuBose’s Historic Approval Paves the Way for Diversity on Rhode Island’s Federal Bench

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Providence, Rhode Island – The U.S. Senate Committee on the Judiciary has given its approval to the nomination of District Court Judge Melissa R. DuBose to the federal bench. With a vote of 12-9, mainly along party lines, DuBose is now one step closer to taking the U.S. District Court seat relinquished by Judge William E. Smith. If the nomination is confirmed by the full Senate, DuBose will make history as Rhode Island’s first person of color and LGBTQ+ judge. DuBose’s nomination was put forward by President Joe Biden in January, following the recommendation of … Read more