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Travis County DA’s office pursuing 337 sexual assault cases out of 1,000+ reported

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

TRAVIS COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — There have been more than 1,000 sexual assault cases reported in Travis County over the last two years, according to the Austin-Travis County Sexual Assault Response and Resource Team (SARRT).So far, the district attorney's office said it has decided to move forward with 337 of them, according to details provided during Tuesday’s Travis County Commissioners Court meeting.Out of those accepted, 252 were brought before a grand jury with 246 indictments.However, county leaders said the program needed more funding.Because the SARRT coordinator was not a full-time position, Shelli Egger with the Texas Legal Services Center said there was an imbalance within the team.“Not having more funding that is just dedicated to the SARRT really helps maintain the power imbalance,” Egger said.Officials said more funding for the program would also go toward training and maintaining a database for sexual assault investigations.

APD officer's new murder trial, following hung jury, reset to Sept. 2024

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- A judge set the date for Christopher Taylor's retrial for Sept. 23, 2024, in court Wednesday. Taylor was charged with murder in the 2020 shooting death of Michael Ramos. PREVIOUS: Austin police officer’s murder trial ends in hung jury, mistrial Last month, a mistrial was declared after jurors could not come to a unanimous decision. Prior to that, a judge also granted a mistrial in May due to various issues during jury selection.Taylor also faces a murder charge for the 2019 death of Mauris Nishanga DeSilva. Taylor's attorneys requested that the courts try Taylor on DeSilva's death in September instead of Ramos' due to Taylor's invocation of his right to a speedy trial in the DeSilva case. Attorneys said they've now waived the right to a speedy trial in the Ramos case.The State said it intends to retry Taylor on the Ramos case.Attorneys on both sides will now provide briefings to the judge and meet for a hearing in February or March to determine which of Taylo...

Texas Attorney General sues company for alleged veteran benefits fraud

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's office announced Tuesday he has sued an Austin company for allegedly "engaging in deceptive trade practices to defraud veterans seeking disability benefits," according to a release.The company, VA Claims Insider, LLC., is an "education-based Coaching/Consulting company for disabled veterans exploring eligibility for increased VA disability benefits and who wish to learn more about that process," per the company's website. Paxton's office alleged the business' advertisements "mislead and confuse veterans as to the cost of these memberships."“We respectfully disagree with the basis of the lawsuit filed by the Texas attorney general’s office. Founded by a veteran to serve veterans, VA Claims Insider is a mission-driven organization and stands behind that mission. We welcome the opportunity to present our case in court,” VA Claims Insider spokesperson Jeff Eller said in a statement."Even though VACI frequently uses the word 'free,' its...

Cuban boxer David Morrell Jr. adopted the Twin Cities as home. He’s returning with a newfound purpose.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

David Morrell Jr. defected from his native Cuba in June 2018. He left his family behind and escaped to Mexico via speedboat under the cover of darkness. He spent more than a year there waiting for a work visa to legally enter the United States with hopes of starting a professional boxing career.Then he settled in the Twin Cities, of all places.Now a rising star at 168 pounds, Morrell got his start fighting out of The Armory in Minneapolis, and he will forever be grateful for that. He proudly reps the Twin Cities as home, and while he much prefers the summers to the winters, he still has vivid memories of running around the frozen lakes to stay in shape.Not only has Morrell gone undefeated since making his professional debut, he has flashed his generational skill set, demolishing anybody who dares to stand across from him.Everything will come full circle on Saturday night when Morrell (9-0-0, 8 KOs) returns to The Armory to defend his WBA Super Middleweight title against challenger S...

Man acquitted in St. Paul triple murder convicted in earlier kidnapping and shooting

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

Antonio Wright, recently acquitted of a triple murder on St. Paul’s East Side, has been found guilty of kidnapping and shooting a man two days earlier in the city’s Dayton’s Bluff neighborhood.Jurors, following a seven-day trial in Ramsey County District Court, deliberated for about four hours Tuesday before convicting Wright of two counts of kidnapping and one count of attempted murder. Prosecutors argued that Wright shot the 37-year-old man on Sept. 2, 2022, because Wright thought he was going to snitch on him after he heard Wright discussing a 2017 murder.Antonio Dupree Wright (Minnesota Department of Corrections)Wright, 42, of Minneapolis, is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 29.Wright had waived his right to a jury trial in the Sept. 4, 2022, triple homicide case, allowing a judge to decide his guilt or innocence. Judge Kelly Olmstead, citing insufficient evidence, found him not guilty this fall.Attempted murder casePolice officers were called to a shooting in the 1000 block...

Defenses are supposed to travel. The Timberwolves’ hasn’t yet.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

The Timberwolves have been lights out at Target Center this year. Minnesota is 10-1 in Minneapolis, outscoring opponents by 11.7 points per 100 possessions.Seven of the Wolves’ 10 home victories have come by double figures. At Target Center, Minnesota has beaten the likes of Denver, Boston and Oklahoma City.When playing at home, the Wolves have the look of legitimate championship contenders.On the road? Not so much. Not yet, anyway. Which is fine. Frankly, many great teams are dominant at home and just above average, at best, on the road.That’s the Wolves to date. They are 7-4 on the road with a positive net rating (plus-0.7 — tied for seventh best in the NBA). Those are impressive numbers. But those numbers are propped up by a pair of 20-plus point victories over Memphis’ decimated roster.Remove those games and the Wolves have been outscored by 26 points on the road this season. They have yet to beat a healthy, quality team on the road, unless you count a Go...

Red Bull Heavy Metal snowboarding to hit St. Paul, Burnsville in February

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

Do you have what it takes to board down ice-cold rails?February will see the return of the Red Bull Heavy Metal snowboarding event to Minnesota. Last year’s event was held in Detroit, but the upcoming iteration of the extreme sporting event said to feature “the most progressive rail riding in the world” will be held at the steps of the Minnesota Capitol.Previously the contest was invite-only, but the 2024 Red Bull Heavy Metal will be open to members of the public who pass through a Last Chance Qualifier being held at Buck Hill in Burnsville on Feb. 9.A street jam at the Capitol Building will be on Feb. 10. Viewing the event will be open to the public and free.According to the Red Bull Heavy Metal website, more details on the Last Chance Qualifier will be released in January.Related ArticlesNews | Man acquitted in St. Paul triple murder convicted in earlier kidnapping and shooting News | Metro Transit targets fare evasion with non-criminal...

Vikings receiver Justin Jefferson was in an ambulance last weekend. He vows to be on the field this weekend.

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

Justin Jefferson said he “broke down” for a little bit on Sunday afternoon in Las Vegas when the training staff told him he wasn’t going to be able to return to the game against the Raiders.After working tirelessly to return from a hamstring injury that kept him out for the past couple of months, Jefferson absorbed a hit from safety Marcus Epps directly to the back early in the game at Allegiant Stadium. He was evaluated for a chest injury on the sideline, then left the stadium in an ambulance to undergo further testing.“This season has been tough for me,” Jefferson said. “I’ve just got to keep going.”Luckily for Jefferson, he avoided anything serious, and he intends to be on the field for the Vikings when they play the Bengals on Saturday afternoon in Cincinnati. Asked if he would be able to play without any limitations, Jefferson nodded his head and replied, “Yep.”As he reflected on the sequence that knocked him out of Su...

Murder charge dropped against anti-violence activist

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) -- The second-degree murder charge against Dontie Mitchell has been dropped. Mitchell, an anti-violence activist, was accused of causing the death of Shieer Leggett on August 11 in Cohoes. Get the latest news, weather, sports and more delivered right to your inbox! According to police, Leggett was caught in a crossfire between a group of people at Main and Schuyler Streets. Leggett suffered serious injuries and died at Albany Medical Center.Dontie Mitchell spent years speaking out against gun violence after he was granted clemency for an armed robbery he committed at just 17 years old. He previously pleaded not guilty to charges, including second-degree murder, reckless endangerment, and criminal possession of a weapon.According to court documents, video surveillance shows Mitchell and the co-defendant engaged in a verbal altercation. Surveillance shows both drawing firearms but does not depict Mitchell firing his weapon. The document sta...

15-year-old charged as adult in fatal carjacking from January

Published Fri, 27 Dec 2024 21:17:30 GMT

ST. LOUIS - A St. Louis teenager was certified as an adult Wednesday and charged with murder for a fatal carjacking in January 2023.The St. Louis Circuit Attorney's Office charged DeShaun Harris, 15, with second-degree murder and armed criminal action. Harris remains jailed without bond.Harris is accused of killing Kay Johnson, 38, on Jan. 24 during an attempted carjacking in the alley behind the 4700 block of South Compton Avenue, in the Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. She was shot in front of her teenage child, police said at the time.Just days after Johnson's killing, police arrested Harris, then 14. A second teenager, 13, was arrested in late February.Also in February, a task force consisting of St. Louis officers determined that a group of individuals was responsible for a series of carjackings, attempted carjackings, and robberies in south city, including Johnson’s death.