By SEAN MURPHY and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Two Kansas women who vanished as they tried to pick up children for a birthday party two weeks ago were killed over a custody dispute involving a group of anti-government Oklahomans calling themselves “God’s Misfits,” authorities said Monday.

Their vehicle was found March 30 along a rural Oklahoma highway with ample evidence of a bloody confrontation, setting off a multi-agency effort to secure the children’s safety while searching for the women and avoiding more violence.

Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, of Hugoton, Kansas, had arranged with the grandmother of Butler’s two children to meet at a highway intersection on the morning of March 30 and pick up the 6- and 8-year-old.

“This case did not end the way we had hoped. It’s certainly been a tragedy for everyone involved,” Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Director Aungela Spurlock said.

The four people arrested Saturday on charges of kidnapping and first-degree murder are the grandmother, Tifany Adams, 54; her boyfriend Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; and her husband Cole Twombly, 50. All meet regularly with several others in a group they call “God’s Misfits,” their arrest affidavits said. Relatives of Tad Cullum and the Twomblys did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment. Tifany Adams’ stepmother, Elise Adams, said she had no information on the case.

Butler’s family found the vehicle just a few miles from the meet-up spot after the women missed the party in Kansas. It was a gruesome scene.

“Blood was found on the roadway and the edge of the roadway. Butler’s glasses were also found in the roadway south of the vehicle, near a broken hammer. A pistol magazine was found inside Kelley’s purse at the scene, but no pistol was found,” the affidavits said.

Investigators gathered evidence that the killings were planned, with Adams buying pre-paid “burner” cellphones to communicate and five stun guns at a nearby store. Her internet searches included asking about pain levels using the weapons, the affidavits said.

A teenage witness told authorities that Cora Twombly said that at one point, “the plan was to throw an anvil through Butler’s windshield while driving, making it look like an accident because anvils regularly fall off of work vehicles.”

The affidavits said Butler and Adams were in a “problematic custody battle.” Adams’ son was in a rehabilitation facility hours away in Oklahoma City, and Butler was allowed only supervised visits each Saturday. Kelley, the wife of a pastor in Hugoton, was Butler’s court-authorized choice to supervise visitations.

The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals had directed a trial judge in 2022 to give the children’s parents shared custody. The ruling described them as “very young and immature parents” who accused each other of “inappropriate behavior and choices,” but said “the children are nurtured and comforted by Mother” and ”happy and excited to be with Father.”

Butler's request for more time with her children and unsupervised visitation was likely to be granted at a hearing in April, Butler’s attorney told investigators.

On March 23, with a court date looming, Adams bought the stun guns. On March 29, Cullum used heavy equipment to dig a hole in a pasture he rented, not far from the meet-up site, the affidavits said.

Authorities wouldn’t say at Monday’s news conference where the bodies were found, but the affidavits said some of the “burner phones” stopped transmitting that morning in the vicinity of the pasture, where “a hole had been dug and filled back in and then covered with hay.”

It wasn’t entirely clear where the children were during the search. Adams told investigators that she had left them in the care of another couple on March 29 and 30; the affidavits said that couple regularly hosted the “God’s Misfits” meetings.

Authorities said the affidavits weren’t unsealed until after the children’s safety was assured. “We were successful. No shots were fired and the children were kept out of harm’s way," said District Attorney George Leach III.

The four people charged are being held without bond in the Texas County Jail pending court appearances Wednesday, said Texas County Court Clerk Renee Ellis. Court records don’t indicate whether any have an attorney speak on their behalf.

“I don’t know a thing about her business,” Elise Adams said when asked about Tifany Adams. “All I can tell you about her is she was a wonderful step-daughter to me.”

OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee said the bodies' identities and causes of death are pending a medical examiner’s report.

“This case is tragic,” McKee said. “You have two people who are dead and four people who committed an absolutely brutal crime.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713056452999.png" alt="Counterclockwise from top-43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum; 54-year-old Tifany Machel Adams, 50-year-old Cole Earl Twombly, and 44-year-old Cora Twombly -photos Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation" />
 <figcaption>Counterclockwise from top-43-year-old Tad Bert Cullum; 54-year-old Tifany Machel Adams, 50-year-old Cole Earl Twombly, and 44-year-old Cora Twombly -photos Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation</figcaption>
 </figure>By SEAN MURPHY and HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH&nbsp;OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Two Kansas women who vanished as they tried to pick up children for a birthday party two weeks ago were killed over a custody dispute involving a group of anti-government Oklahomans calling themselves “God’s Misfits,” authorities said Monday.Their vehicle was found March 30 along a rural Oklahoma highway with ample evidence of a bloody confrontation, setting off a multi-agency effort to secure the children’s safety while searching for the women and avoiding more violence.Veronica Butler, 27, and Jilian Kelley, 39, of Hugoton, Kansas, had arranged with the grandmother of Butler’s two children to meet at a highway intersection on the morning of March 30 and pick up the 6- and 8-year-old.“This case did not end the way we had hoped. It’s certainly been a tragedy for everyone involved,” Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation Director Aungela Spurlock said.The four people arrested Saturday on charges of kidnapping and first-degree murder are the grandmother, Tifany Adams, 54; her boyfriend Tad Cullum, 43; Cora Twombly, 44; and her husband Cole Twombly, 50. All meet regularly with several others in a group they call “God’s Misfits,” their arrest affidavits said. Relatives of Tad Cullum and the Twomblys did not immediately return phone messages seeking comment. Tifany Adams’ stepmother, Elise Adams, said she had no information on the case.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712053989356.png" alt="Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler-photo OSBI" />
 <figcaption>Jilian Kelley and Veronica Butler-photo OSBI</figcaption>
 </figure>Butler’s family found the vehicle just a few miles from the meet-up spot after the women missed the party in Kansas. It was a gruesome scene.“Blood was found on the roadway and the edge of the roadway. Butler’s glasses were also found in the roadway south of the vehicle, near a broken hammer. A pistol magazine was found inside Kelley’s purse at the scene, but no pistol was found,” the affidavits said.Investigators gathered evidence that the killings were planned, with Adams buying pre-paid “burner” cellphones to communicate and five stun guns at a nearby store. Her internet searches included asking about pain levels using the weapons, the affidavits said.A teenage witness told authorities that Cora Twombly said that at one point, “the plan was to throw an anvil through Butler’s windshield while driving, making it look like an accident because anvils regularly fall off of work vehicles.”The affidavits said Butler and Adams were in a “problematic custody battle.” Adams’ son was in a rehabilitation facility hours away in Oklahoma City, and Butler was allowed only supervised visits each Saturday. Kelley, the wife of a pastor in Hugoton, was Butler’s court-authorized choice to supervise visitations.The Oklahoma Court of Civil Appeals had directed a trial judge in 2022 to give the children’s parents shared custody. The ruling described them as “very young and immature parents” who accused each other of “inappropriate behavior and choices,” but said “the children are nurtured and comforted by Mother” and ”happy and excited to be with Father.”Butler's request for more time with her children and unsupervised visitation was likely to be granted at a hearing in April, Butler’s attorney told investigators.On March 23, with a court date looming, Adams bought the stun guns. On March 29, Cullum used heavy equipment to dig a hole in a pasture he rented, not far from the meet-up site, the affidavits said.Authorities wouldn’t say at Monday’s news conference where the bodies were found, but the affidavits said some of the “burner phones” stopped transmitting that morning in the vicinity of the pasture, where “a hole had been dug and filled back in and then covered with hay.”It wasn’t entirely clear where the children were during the search. Adams told investigators that she had left them in the care of another couple on March 29 and 30; the affidavits said that couple regularly hosted the “God’s Misfits” meetings.Authorities said the affidavits weren’t unsealed until after the children’s safety was assured. “We were successful. No shots were fired and the children were kept out of harm’s way," said District Attorney George Leach III.The four people charged are being held without bond in the Texas County Jail pending court appearances Wednesday, said Texas County Court Clerk Renee Ellis. Court records don’t indicate whether any have an attorney speak on their behalf.“I don’t know a thing about her business,” Elise Adams said when asked about Tifany Adams. “All I can tell you about her is she was a wonderful step-daughter to me.”OSBI spokesman Hunter McKee said the bodies' identities and causes of death are pending a medical examiner’s report.“This case is tragic,” McKee said. “You have two people who are dead and four people who committed an absolutely brutal crime.”___

Group known as ‘God’s Misfits’ accused in killing of 2 Kan. women

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defiant and determined, House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;pushed back Tuesday against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office.

“I am not resigning,” Johnson said after a testy morning meeting of fellow House Republicans at the Capitol

Johnson referred to himself as a “wartime speaker” of the House and indicated in his strongest self-defense yet he would press forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-house-speaker-42a2f281a5437beaa8af4c3345987637">U.S. national security aid package</a>, a situation that would force him to rely on Democrats to help pass it, over objections from his weakened majority.

“We are simply here trying to do our jobs,” Johnson said, calling the motion to oust him “absurd ... not helpful.”

Tuesday brought a definitive shift in tone from both the House Republicans and the speaker himself at a pivotal moment as the embattled leader tries, against the wishes of his majority, to marshal the votes needed to send the stalled national security aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-hamas-latest-04-16-2024-2d556f46e9dd08b68930f86777524b21">Israel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-conscription-law-a8ccc48e6c15276c5b5035288ed016ee">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and other overseas allies to passage.

Johnson appeared emboldened by his meeting late last week with Donald Trump when the Republican former president threw him a political lifeline with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speaker-johnson-maralago-congress-c6eaace204882df054795cf70a5fe60a">nod of support</a>&nbsp;after their private talk at Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. At his own press conference Tuesday, Johnson spoke of the importance of ensuring Trump, who is now at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-trial-hush-money-updates-april-16">criminal trial</a>&nbsp;in New York, is re-elected to the White House.

Johnson also spoke over the weekend with President Joe Biden as well as other congressional leaders about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-johnson-912a7419b00749fbc2f472df93f67bb1">emerging U.S. aid package</a>, which the speaker plans to move in separate votes for each section — with bills for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region. He spoke about it with Biden again late Monday.

It's a complicated approach that breaks apart the Senate's $95 billion aid package for separate votes, and then stitches it back together for the president's signature.

The approach will require the speaker to cobble together bipartisan majorities with different factions of House Republicans and Democrats on each measure. Additionally, Johnson is preparing a fourth measure that would include various Republican-preferred national security priorities, such as a plan to seize some Russian assets in U.S. banks to help fund Ukraine and another to turn the economic aid for Ukraine into loans.

The plan is not an automatic deal-breaker for Democrats in the House and Senate, with leaders refraining from comment until they see the actual text of the measure, due out later Tuesday.

House Republicans, however, were livid that Johnson will be leaving their top priority — efforts to impose more security at the U.S.-Mexico border — on the sidelines. Some predicted Johnson will not be able to push ahead with voting on the package this week, as planned..

Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., called the morning meeting an “argument fest.”

She said Johnson was "most definitely'' losing support for the plan, but he seemed undeterred in trying to move forward despite “what the majority of the Conference” of Republicans wanted.

When the speaker said the House GOP's priority border security bill H.R. 2 would not be considered germane to the package, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a chief sponsor, said it's for the House to determine which provisions and amendments are relevant.

“Things are very unresolved,” Roy said.

Roy said said Republicans want “to be united. They just have to be able to figure out how to do it.”

The speaker faces a threat of ouster from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., the top Trump ally who has filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-motion-vacate-marjorie-taylor-greene-3461bd8b95e718e178132ac16f36562a">motion to vacate the speaker</a>&nbsp;from office in a snap vote — much the way Republicans ousted their former speaker, Kevin McCarthy, last fall..

While Greene has not said if or when she will force the issue, and has not found much support for her plan after last year's turmoil over McCarthy's exit, she drew at least one key supporter Tuesday.

Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., rose in the meeting and suggested Johnson should step aside, pointing to the example of John Boehner, an even earlier House speaker who announced an early resignation in 2015 rather than risk a vote to oust him, according to Republicans in the room.

“Speaker Johnson must announce a resignation date and allow Republicans to elect a new Speaker to put America First and pass a Republican agenda,” Greene wrote on social media, thanking Massie for his support for her motion to vacate.

Johnson did not respond, according to Republicans in the room, but told the lawmakers they have a "binary" choice" before them.

The speaker explained they either try to pass the package as he is proposing or risk facing a discharge petition from Democrats that would force a vote on their preferred package — the Senate approved measure. But that would leave behind the extra Republican priorities.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defiant and determined, House Speaker&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/mike-johnson/">Mike Johnson</a>&nbsp;pushed back Tuesday against mounting Republican anger over his proposed U.S. aid package for Ukraine, Israel and other allies, and rejected a call to step aside or risk a vote to oust him from office.“I am not resigning,” Johnson said after a testy morning meeting of fellow House Republicans at the Capitol<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerJohnson?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerJohnson</a> on calls for his resignation and possible motion to vacate the chair: &quot;I am not resigning and it is in my view an absurd notion that someone would bring a vacate motion when we are simply here trying to do our jobs.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/R0fR3re7JQ">pic.twitter.com/R0fR3re7JQ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1780248122024702030?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Johnson referred to himself as a “wartime speaker” of the House and indicated in his strongest self-defense yet he would press forward with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-house-speaker-42a2f281a5437beaa8af4c3345987637">U.S. national security aid package</a>, a situation that would force him to rely on Democrats to help pass it, over objections from his weakened majority.“We are simply here trying to do our jobs,” Johnson said, calling the motion to oust him “absurd ... not helpful.”Tuesday brought a definitive shift in tone from both the House Republicans and the speaker himself at a pivotal moment as the embattled leader tries, against the wishes of his majority, to marshal the votes needed to send the stalled national security aid for&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-iran-hamas-latest-04-16-2024-2d556f46e9dd08b68930f86777524b21">Israel</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-conscription-law-a8ccc48e6c15276c5b5035288ed016ee">Ukraine</a>&nbsp;and other overseas allies to passage.Johnson appeared emboldened by his meeting late last week with Donald Trump when the Republican former president threw him a political lifeline with a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-speaker-johnson-maralago-congress-c6eaace204882df054795cf70a5fe60a">nod of support</a>&nbsp;after their private talk at Trump's Mar-A-Lago resort in Florida. At his own press conference Tuesday, Johnson spoke of the importance of ensuring Trump, who is now at his&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/live/trump-trial-hush-money-updates-april-16">criminal trial</a>&nbsp;in New York, is re-elected to the White House.Johnson also spoke over the weekend with President Joe Biden as well as other congressional leaders about the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/israel-ukraine-aid-house-speaker-johnson-912a7419b00749fbc2f472df93f67bb1">emerging U.S. aid package</a>, which the speaker plans to move in separate votes for each section — with bills for Ukraine, Israel, the Indo-Pacific region. He spoke about it with Biden again late Monday.It's a complicated approach that breaks apart the Senate's $95 billion aid package for separate votes, and then stitches it back together for the president's signature.The approach will require the speaker to cobble together bipartisan majorities with different factions of House Republicans and Democrats on each measure. Additionally, Johnson is preparing a fourth measure that would include various Republican-preferred national security priorities, such as a plan to seize some Russian assets in U.S. banks to help fund Ukraine and another to turn the economic aid for Ukraine into loans.The plan is not an automatic deal-breaker for Democrats in the House and Senate, with leaders refraining from comment until they see the actual text of the measure, due out later Tuesday.House Republicans, however, were livid that Johnson will be leaving their top priority — efforts to impose more security at the U.S.-Mexico border — on the sidelines. Some predicted Johnson will not be able to push ahead with voting on the package this week, as planned..Rep. Debbie Lesko, R-Ariz., called the morning meeting an “argument fest.”She said Johnson was "most definitely'' losing support for the plan, but he seemed undeterred in trying to move forward despite “what the majority of the Conference” of Republicans wanted.When the speaker said the House GOP's priority border security bill H.R. 2 would not be considered germane to the package, Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, a chief sponsor, said it's for the House to determine which provisions and amendments are relevant.“Things are very unresolved,” Roy said.Roy said said Republicans want “to be united. They just have to be able to figure out how to do it.”The speaker faces a threat of ouster from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., the top Trump ally who has filed a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/speaker-johnson-motion-vacate-marjorie-taylor-greene-3461bd8b95e718e178132ac16f36562a">motion to vacate the speaker</a>&nbsp;from office in a snap vote — much the way Republicans ousted their former speaker, Kevin McCarthy, last fall..While Greene has not said if or when she will force the issue, and has not found much support for her plan after last year's turmoil over McCarthy's exit, she drew at least one key supporter Tuesday.Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., rose in the meeting and suggested Johnson should step aside, pointing to the example of John Boehner, an even earlier House speaker who announced an early resignation in 2015 rather than risk a vote to oust him, according to Republicans in the room.“Speaker Johnson must announce a resignation date and allow Republicans to elect a new Speaker to put America First and pass a Republican agenda,” Greene wrote on social media, thanking Massie for his support for her motion to vacate.Johnson did not respond, according to Republicans in the room, but told the lawmakers they have a "binary" choice" before them.The speaker explained they either try to pass the package as he is proposing or risk facing a discharge petition from Democrats that would force a vote on their preferred package — the Senate approved measure. But that would leave behind the extra Republican priorities.

🎥 House Speaker won't resign, wants a vote on aid for Ukraine, Israel

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.

Just after 10:30 pm April 12, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 1800 block of Hardesty in Kansas City according to Police Captain Jake Becchins. Officers located a man later identified as&nbsp; 38-year-old Pablo Rodriguez inside a vehicle there, unresponsive.

EMS responded transported him to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators processed the scene for evidence and canvassed for witnesses that night.

Preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting took place at that location when the victim had an interaction with one or more suspects that escalated into shots being fired, and the victim being struck.

On Monday detectives were notified Rodriguez died from his injuries.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating another homicide in Kansas City.Just after 10:30 pm April 12, officers were dispatched to a shooting in the 1800 block of Hardesty in Kansas City according to Police Captain Jake Becchins. Officers located a man later identified as&nbsp; 38-year-old Pablo Rodriguez inside a vehicle there, unresponsive.EMS responded transported him to the hospital with life threatening injuries. Detectives and Crime Scene Investigators processed the scene for evidence and canvassed for witnesses that night.Preliminary investigation indicates that the shooting took place at that location when the victim had an interaction with one or more suspects that escalated into shots being fired, and the victim being struck.On Monday detectives were notified Rodriguez died from his injuries.&nbsp;

Police: Man dies three days after shooting in Kansas City

State appealing federal judge’s injunction to end KHP’s improper vehicle searches

BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>

TOPEKA — A U.S. District Court judge ordered the Kansas Highway Patrol to pay $2.34 million in attorney fees and other costs following a successful challenge to constitutionality of the state law enforcement agency’s practice of detaining motorists and searching vehicles without establishing reasonable suspicion.

The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, the national ACLU and the Spencer Fane law firm went to court in 2020 to assert KHP’s policy guiding traffic stops violated the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because troopers engaged in unreasonable searches and seizures of cars and trucks in the quest to deter drug trafficking on major highways.

On Friday, Vratil issued the financial award in response to a request submitted by plaintiffs in March for more than $3 million in compensation from KHP.

“This was an incredibly resource-intensive case, and we are extremely gratified that the district court recognized the value of the tremendous amount of hard work that our entire team of dedicated attorneys and legal staff poured into this case over the past four years,” said Esmie Tseng, spokesperson for ACLU of Kansas. “We believe that such an award serves not only to vindicate our clients’ pursuit for justice, but also to send a message to recalcitrant government agencies that willfully disregard the constitution’s fundamental protections of our civil rights.”

Under the KHP’s two-step method, troopers pulled over a motorist for an alleged traffic infraction, completed that interaction and took a few steps away from the vehicle before turning around to ask if the driver would voluntarily answer unrelated questions that might reveal information a trooper could use to order a roadside search of the vehicle. KHP attorneys argued detaining motorists with the “two-step” maneuver was a legal and appropriate action in the war on illegal drugs.

U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil, following jury trials in which verdicts were returned against KHP, issued a permanent injunction in November forbidding the agency from continuing to rely on policies that unconstitutionally transformed basic traffic stops into lengthy vehicle searches by drug-sniffing dogs.

“As wars go, this one is relatively easy,” Vratil said. “It’s simple and cheap, and for motorists, it’s not a fair fight. The war is basically a question of numbers: Stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs. And, what’s the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way?”

The federal judge said KHP’s two-step theory on detention of motorists was based on an insufficient grasp of reasonable suspicion and invoked without the “knowing, intelligent and voluntary consent” of people targeted by troopers.

Vratil directed KHP to inform motorists when a traffic stop had ended and to tell motorists they were free to leave without consenting to inquiries unrelated to a traffic infraction. She directed troopers to notify drivers they had the right to revoke consent for a vehicle search at any time.

Her injunction placed KHP under court supervision for&nbsp;two&nbsp;to four years, mandated instruction of troopers on the difference between reasonable suspicion and mere speculation as it related to traffic stops and imposed requirements for documenting traffic stops, detention of motorists and permission to search a vehicle.

An appeal of Vratil’s order filed with the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of KHP Col. Erik Smith would seek to preserve the “two-step” approach to gaining access to vehicles that troopers suspected contained illegal drugs. In response, the Court of Appeals stayed enforcement of Vratil’s injunction applicable to KHP’s method of conducting traffic stops.

After Vratil declared KHP policy to be unconstitutional in July, the agency’s superintendent said KHP would “endeavor to ensure that our enforcement operations respect constitutional rights and comply with the law as we carry out our mission of service, courtesy and protection.”

A spokeswoman for KHP, Candice Breshears, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the financial judgment.

One of the ACLU’s plaintiff’s, Joshua Bosire, was awarded $40,000 in 2023 for misconduct by KHP troopers during a traffic stop in 2019.

“These practices turn something minor like a traffic violation into a degrading and lengthy roadside detention,” said Sharon Brett, who stepped down as legal director of ACLU of Kansas in March. “When we give police the power to conduct these pretextual stops, assume people to be drug traffickers, and use flimsy justifications to get inside their vehicles to prolong traffic stops, we turn what should be a simple ticket-release scenario into something longer, fraught and complicated.”

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/4/1586208701830.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure><h2>State appealing federal judge’s injunction to end KHP’s improper vehicle searches</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — A U.S. District Court judge ordered the Kansas Highway Patrol to pay $2.34 million in attorney fees and other costs following a successful challenge to constitutionality of the state law enforcement agency’s practice of detaining motorists and searching vehicles without establishing reasonable suspicion.The American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, the national ACLU and the Spencer Fane law firm went to court in 2020 to assert KHP’s policy guiding traffic stops violated the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution because troopers engaged in unreasonable searches and seizures of cars and trucks in the quest to deter drug trafficking on major highways.On Friday, Vratil issued the financial award in response to a request submitted by plaintiffs in March for more than $3 million in compensation from KHP.“This was an incredibly resource-intensive case, and we are extremely gratified that the district court recognized the value of the tremendous amount of hard work that our entire team of dedicated attorneys and legal staff poured into this case over the past four years,” said Esmie Tseng, spokesperson for ACLU of Kansas. “We believe that such an award serves not only to vindicate our clients’ pursuit for justice, but also to send a message to recalcitrant government agencies that willfully disregard the constitution’s fundamental protections of our civil rights.”Under the KHP’s two-step method, troopers pulled over a motorist for an alleged traffic infraction, completed that interaction and took a few steps away from the vehicle before turning around to ask if the driver would voluntarily answer unrelated questions that might reveal information a trooper could use to order a roadside search of the vehicle. KHP attorneys argued detaining motorists with the “two-step” maneuver was a legal and appropriate action in the war on illegal drugs.U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Vratil, following jury trials in which verdicts were returned against KHP, issued a permanent injunction in November forbidding the agency from continuing to rely on policies that unconstitutionally transformed basic traffic stops into lengthy vehicle searches by drug-sniffing dogs.“As wars go, this one is relatively easy,” Vratil said. “It’s simple and cheap, and for motorists, it’s not a fair fight. The war is basically a question of numbers: Stop enough cars and you’re bound to discover drugs. And, what’s the harm if a few constitutional rights are trampled along the way?”The federal judge said KHP’s two-step theory on detention of motorists was based on an insufficient grasp of reasonable suspicion and invoked without the “knowing, intelligent and voluntary consent” of people targeted by troopers.Vratil directed KHP to inform motorists when a traffic stop had ended and to tell motorists they were free to leave without consenting to inquiries unrelated to a traffic infraction. She directed troopers to notify drivers they had the right to revoke consent for a vehicle search at any time.Her injunction placed KHP under court supervision for&nbsp;two&nbsp;to four years, mandated instruction of troopers on the difference between reasonable suspicion and mere speculation as it related to traffic stops and imposed requirements for documenting traffic stops, detention of motorists and permission to search a vehicle.An appeal of Vratil’s order filed with the 10th Circuit of the U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals on behalf of KHP Col. Erik Smith would seek to preserve the “two-step” approach to gaining access to vehicles that troopers suspected contained illegal drugs. In response, the Court of Appeals stayed enforcement of Vratil’s injunction applicable to KHP’s method of conducting traffic stops.After Vratil declared KHP policy to be unconstitutional in July, the agency’s superintendent said KHP would “endeavor to ensure that our enforcement operations respect constitutional rights and comply with the law as we carry out our mission of service, courtesy and protection.”A spokeswoman for KHP, Candice Breshears, didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment about the financial judgment.One of the ACLU’s plaintiff’s, Joshua Bosire, was awarded $40,000 in 2023 for misconduct by KHP troopers during a traffic stop in 2019.“These practices turn something minor like a traffic violation into a degrading and lengthy roadside detention,” said Sharon Brett, who stepped down as legal director of ACLU of Kansas in March. “When we give police the power to conduct these pretextual stops, assume people to be drug traffickers, and use flimsy justifications to get inside their vehicles to prolong traffic stops, we turn what should be a simple ticket-release scenario into something longer, fraught and complicated.”

KHP ordered to pay plaintiffs $2.3 million for unconstitutional ‘Kansas two-step’ traffic policy

SMITH COUNTY—Spring storms brought strong winds, hail and tornado warnings to portions of Kansas late Monday and early Tuesday.

The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning in portions of Smith County for a storm that moved into Nebraska early Tuesday. The storm included wind gusts of 75 mph. There are no reports of damage or injury, according to the Smith County Sheriff's office.

Just before 5a.m., the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in&nbsp; Greenwood County that moved northeast toward the community of Hamilton. The sheriff's office reported&nbsp;damage to trees and fences but no injuries. Evergy also reported several power outages.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713264323140.png" alt="NWS image" />
 <figcaption>NWS image</figcaption>
 </figure>SMITH COUNTY—Spring storms brought strong winds, hail and tornado warnings to portions of Kansas late Monday and early Tuesday.The National Weather Service issued a tornado warning in portions of Smith County for a storm that moved into Nebraska early Tuesday. The storm included wind gusts of 75 mph. There are no reports of damage or injury, according to the Smith County Sheriff's office.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">4:28am...URGENT! Greenwood Co. residents: Those in/around Eureka and points south and southwest need to get to your tornado shelter. A severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado is moving rapidly northeast, will move very close to you within the next 10-15 minutes. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/kswx?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#kswx</a>&mdash; NWS Wichita (@NWSWichita) <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSWichita/status/1780166429725331949?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 16, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>Just before 5a.m., the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in&nbsp; Greenwood County that moved northeast toward the community of Hamilton. The sheriff's office reported&nbsp;damage to trees and fences but no injuries. Evergy also reported several power outages.

Spring storm brings strong winds, hail and tornado warnings

BUTLER COUNTY —One person died in an accident during a pursuit with law enforcement just after 9:30p.m. Monday in Butler County.

The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Butler County law enforcement was in pursuit of a 2023 Kawasaki EX650 driven by Ignacio Cuanus Morales, Jr., 43 El Dorado, westbound on Towanda.

The motorcycle struck the right rear corner of a 2021 Ford F150 driven by Lisa Maria&nbsp;Diaz, 51, Wichita.

Morales was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Forensic Science Center. Diaz was not injured. Morales was wearing a helmet, according to the KHP. Authorities have not released details on what prompted the chase.

BUTLER COUNTY —One person died in an accident during a pursuit with law enforcement just after 9:30p.m. Monday in Butler County.The Kansas Highway Patrol reported Butler County law enforcement was in pursuit of a 2023 Kawasaki EX650 driven by Ignacio Cuanus Morales, Jr., 43 El Dorado, westbound on Towanda.The motorcycle struck the right rear corner of a 2021 Ford F150 driven by Lisa Maria&nbsp;Diaz, 51, Wichita.Morales was pronounced dead at the scene and was transported to&nbsp;Forensic Science Center. Diaz was not injured. Morales was wearing a helmet, according to the KHP. Authorities have not released details on what prompted the chase.

Kansas man dies after crash during police chase

SEWARD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged child sex crimes and asking the public for help to locate 33-year-old Adolfo Marcus Calleja, according to a statement from Liberal, Kansas Police.

Calleja is wanted through Seward County for several counts of sexual exploitation of a child, electronic solicitation and aggravated sexual battery. Police believe he left Liberal when he became aware of the criminal investigation.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call police. You may also <a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/">click here to</a> submit tips to the US Marshals service.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713261053200.png" alt="Calleja-photo Liberal Police" />
 <figcaption>Calleja-photo Liberal Police</figcaption>
 </figure>SEWARD COUNTY —Law enforcement authorities are investigating alleged child sex crimes and asking the public for help to locate 33-year-old Adolfo Marcus Calleja, according to a statement from Liberal, Kansas Police.Calleja is wanted through Seward County for several counts of sexual exploitation of a child, electronic solicitation and aggravated sexual battery. Police believe he left Liberal when he became aware of the criminal investigation.Anyone with information on his whereabouts should call police. You may also <a href="https://www.usmarshals.gov/">click here to</a> submit tips to the US Marshals service.

Search underway for alleged Kansas sex crime suspect

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another deadly shooting in Kansas City.

&nbsp;Just after midnight Monday, police officers were dispatched to a reported traffic accident in the area of 23rd&nbsp;and Topping on a traffic, according to Police Captain Jake Becchina.

While officers were on the way the call was upgraded to a shooting, with a person shot inside the vehicle. First responders&nbsp;located an adult man with a gunshot wound unresponsive inside a vehicle.

EMS transported him to the hospital for life threatening injuries.

&nbsp;Investigation indicates the shooting took place nearby in the area of Blue Valley Park. Just before 5a.m., detectives were notified the victim died from his injuries.&nbsp;

KANSAS CITY—Law enforcement authorities are investigating another deadly shooting in Kansas City.&nbsp;Just after midnight Monday, police officers were dispatched to a reported traffic accident in the area of 23rd&nbsp;and Topping on a traffic, according to Police Captain Jake Becchina.While officers were on the way the call was upgraded to a shooting, with a person shot inside the vehicle. First responders&nbsp;located an adult man with a gunshot wound unresponsive inside a vehicle.EMS transported him to the hospital for life threatening injuries.&nbsp;Investigation indicates the shooting took place nearby in the area of Blue Valley Park. Just before 5a.m., detectives were notified the victim died from his injuries.&nbsp;

KCPD found shooting victim at scene of reported car crash

SEDGWICK COUNTY —Investigators determined an improperly disposed cigarette caused a fire at a Wichita apartment complex on Monday.

Just before 2a.m. crews responded to the fire in at the Park Meadows apartment complex in the 11100 block of East Boston in Wichita, according to a. social media report from the Wichita Fire Department.

Seven occupants jumped to safety. Fire crews had to cut through the walls upstairs to access the fire due to the walkway not being stable. EMS transported five residents including children for treatment.&nbsp; &nbsp;Officials have not released a damage estimate.&nbsp;

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713235154982.png" alt="Photos Wichita Fire Department" />
 <figcaption>Photos Wichita Fire Department</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY —Investigators determined an improperly disposed cigarette caused a fire at a Wichita apartment complex on Monday.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713235222379.png" alt="" />
 <figcaption></figcaption>
 </figure>Just before 2a.m. crews responded to the fire in at the Park Meadows apartment complex in the 11100 block of East Boston in Wichita, according to a. social media report from the Wichita Fire Department.Seven occupants jumped to safety. Fire crews had to cut through the walls upstairs to access the fire due to the walkway not being stable. EMS transported five residents including children for treatment.&nbsp; &nbsp;Officials have not released a damage estimate.&nbsp;

7 jumped to safety after fire at Kansas apartment complex

LANSING, Kan. — Lansing Correctional Facility inmate Robert Edwin Blanchette, 44, died Monday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections. 

He was found unresponsive in his cell. Staff and Emergency Medical Service personnel administered life-saving measures but were unable to revive him. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.

Blanchette was serving a life sentence for convictions of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the commission of a crime in Reno County.

Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is ongoing.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713232986906.jpeg" alt="Robert Edwin Blanchette photo KDOC" />
 <figcaption>Robert Edwin Blanchette photo KDOC</figcaption>
 </figure>LANSING, Kan. — Lansing Correctional Facility inmate Robert Edwin Blanchette, 44, died Monday, according to a media release from the Kansas Department of Corrections. He was found unresponsive in his cell. Staff and Emergency Medical Service personnel administered life-saving measures but were unable to revive him. The cause of death is pending the results of an independent autopsy.Blanchette was serving a life sentence for convictions of first-degree murder and kidnapping in the commission of a crime in Reno County.Per protocol, when a resident dies in the custody of the Kansas Department of Corrections (KDOC), the death is under investigation by the KDOC and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. The investigation is ongoing.

Man in prison for Kansas murder found dead in his cell

SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man whose 2-year-old son drowned in a swimming pool in Wichita is going to prison.

On April 11, Judge Christopher Magana sentenced 47-year-old William Kabutu to life in prison with parole eligibility in 25 years, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.

In February, Kabutu was convicted&nbsp; in the 2020, death of 2-year-old Omari Garcia in a pool at a mobile home park.

The judge also sentenced Kubutu to nine months each on two counts of aggravated endangering a child and ordered the sentences run consecutive to each other.

Just after 10 p.m., July 8, 2020 police responded to a neighborhood pool in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz.

Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party, who reported observing a boy floating in the neighborhood pool. Wichita Fire Department (WFD) personnel pulled the child from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.

Through a thorough investigation of evidence and interviewing multiple individuals, the investigation revealed the boy and his 4-year-old brother were taken to the pool by their father William Kabutu who was intoxicated, according to officer Charley Davidson.

At the pool, Kabutu allowed the kids to by-pass the pool fence. &nbsp;The 2-year-old entered the pool, was not able to stay above the water, and drowned.&nbsp;

Kabutu was not able to access the pool due to the fence and locked gate.&nbsp; Emergency personnel were called after a passerby arrived and called 911

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2020/7/1594423107291.png" alt="Kabutu-photo Sedgwick Co." />
 <figcaption>Kabutu-photo Sedgwick Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>SEDGWICK COUNTY— A man whose 2-year-old son drowned in a swimming pool in Wichita is going to prison.On April 11, Judge Christopher Magana sentenced 47-year-old William Kabutu to life in prison with parole eligibility in 25 years, according to the Sedgwick County District Attorney's office.In February, Kabutu was convicted&nbsp; in the 2020, death of 2-year-old Omari Garcia in a pool at a mobile home park.The judge also sentenced Kubutu to nine months each on two counts of aggravated endangering a child and ordered the sentences run consecutive to each other.Just after 10 p.m., July 8, 2020 police responded to a neighborhood pool in the 1900 block of E. 54th Street South for a drowning call, according to officer Paul Cruz.Upon arrival, officers contacted the calling-party, who reported observing a boy floating in the neighborhood pool. Wichita Fire Department (WFD) personnel pulled the child from the pool and attempted life-saving measures. However, the child was pronounced dead at the scene.Through a thorough investigation of evidence and interviewing multiple individuals, the investigation revealed the boy and his 4-year-old brother were taken to the pool by their father William Kabutu who was intoxicated, according to officer Charley Davidson.At the pool, Kabutu allowed the kids to by-pass the pool fence. &nbsp;The 2-year-old entered the pool, was not able to stay above the water, and drowned.&nbsp;Kabutu was not able to access the pool due to the fence and locked gate.&nbsp; Emergency personnel were called after a passerby arrived and called 911

Kan. man sentenced in drowning death of his toddler son

PAWNEE COUNTY—A Kansas man arrested after a police chase in Pawnee County made his first court appearance Friday.

&nbsp;Joshua R. Castaneda, 37 of Great Bend, was charged with Possession of 264 Grams of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Felony Fleeing and Elude - Reckless Driving;&nbsp; Felony Fleeing and Elude – Resulting in an Accident; Interference with Law Enforcement – Resisting Arrest for a Felony; Criminal Damage to Property of at least $1,000, but less than $25,000; and Driving under the Influence of Drugs, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett..

Castaneda was arrested by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department on the night of April 9, following a chase which ended on the property of a local feed yard. The chase began after a routine traffic stop. The suspect abandoned his vehicle after crashing into the back of a patrol vehicle but was quickly apprehended. One deputy involved in the accident was admitted to an area hospital for observation but was later released.

Castaneda is scheduled for a Preliminary Hearing on April 25, 2024. He remains in custody with bond set at $90,000, according to McNett.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713008419744.png" alt="Castaneda-photo Pawnee Co." />
 <figcaption>Castaneda-photo Pawnee Co.</figcaption>
 </figure>PAWNEE COUNTY—A Kansas man arrested after a police chase in Pawnee County made his first court appearance Friday.&nbsp;Joshua R. Castaneda, 37 of Great Bend, was charged with Possession of 264 Grams of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; Felony Fleeing and Elude - Reckless Driving;&nbsp; Felony Fleeing and Elude – Resulting in an Accident; Interference with Law Enforcement – Resisting Arrest for a Felony; Criminal Damage to Property of at least $1,000, but less than $25,000; and Driving under the Influence of Drugs, according to Pawnee County Attorney Doug McNett..Castaneda was arrested by the Pawnee County Sheriff’s Department on the night of April 9, following a chase which ended on the property of a local feed yard. The chase began after a routine traffic stop. The suspect abandoned his vehicle after crashing into the back of a patrol vehicle but was quickly apprehended. One deputy involved in the accident was admitted to an area hospital for observation but was later released.Castaneda is scheduled for a Preliminary Hearing on April 25, 2024. He remains in custody with bond set at $90,000, according to McNett.

Alleged Kan. cocaine dealer remains jailed after crash into patrol vehicle 

NEW YORK (AP) — The historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-criminal-case-fbdff18df40920b75873b3a40317f5ee">hush-money</a>&nbsp;trial of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;got underway Monday with the arduous process of selecting a jury to hear the case charging the former president with falsifying business records in order to stifle stories about his sex life.

<a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/Letter-re-jury-selection-4-8-24.pdf">Click here to read </a>the jury selection questionnaire

The day ended without any jurors being chosen. The selection process was scheduled to resume Tuesday.

The first criminal trial of any former U.S. president began as Trump vies to reclaim the White House, creating a remarkable split-screen spectacle of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">presumptive Republican nominee</a>&nbsp;spending his days as a criminal defendant while simultaneously campaigning for office. He's blended those roles over the last year by presenting himself to supporters, on the campaign trail and on social media, as a target of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-gag-order-hush-money-juan-merchan-f182e7d5c27967b86a59277fd24743e4">politically motivated prosecutions designed to derail his candidacy</a>.

“It’s a scam. It’s a political witch hunt. It continues, and it continues forever,” Trump said after exiting the courtroom, where he sat at the defense table with his lawyers.

After a norm-shattering presidency shadowed by years of investigations, the trial amounts to a reckoning for Trump, who faces four indictments charging him with crimes ranging from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn an election</a>. Yet the political stakes are less clear because a conviction would not preclude him from becoming president and because the allegations in this case date back years and are seen as less grievous than the conduct behind the three other indictments.

The day began with pretrial arguments — including over a potential fine for Trump — before moving in the afternoon into jury selection, where the parties will decide who among them might be picked to determine the legal fate of the former, and potentially future, American president.

After the first members of the jury pool, 96 in all, were summoned into the courtroom, Trump craned his neck to look back at them, whispering to his lawyer as they entered the jury box.

“You are about to participate in a trial by jury. The system of trial by jury is one of the cornerstones of our judicial system,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-judge-merchan-c227f5eab200cccffb19ed931b4dac92">Judge Juan Merchan told the jurors</a>. “The name of this case is the People of the State of New York vs. Donald Trump.”

Trump’s notoriety would make the process of picking 12 jurors and six alternates a near-herculean task in any year, but it’s likely to be especially challenging now, unfolding in a closely contested presidential election in the heavily Democratic city where Trump grew up and catapulted to celebrity status decades before winning the White House.

Underscoring the difficulty, only about a third of the 96 people in the first panel of potential jurors remained after the judge excused some members. More than half the group was excused after telling the judge they could not be fair and impartial. At least nine more were excused after raising their hands when Merchan asked if they could not serve for any other reason.

A female juror was excused after saying she had strong opinions about Trump. Earlier in the questionnaire, the woman, a Harlem resident, indicated she could be neutral in deciding the case. But when asked whether she had strong opinions about the former president, the woman answered matter-of-factly: “Yes.”

When Merchan asked her to repeat the response, she replied: “Yeah, I said yes.” She was dismissed.

Merchan has written that the key is “whether the prospective juror can assure us that they will set aside any personal feelings or biases and render a decision that is based on the evidence and the law.”

No matter the outcome, Trump is determined to benefit from the proceedings, casting the case, and his indictments elsewhere, as a broad “weaponization of law enforcement” by Democratic prosecutors and officials. He maintains they are orchestrating sham charges in hopes of impeding his presidential run.

He’s lambasted judges and prosecutors for years, a pattern of attacks that continued Monday as he entered court Monday after calling the case an “assault on America."

“This is political persecution. This is a persecution like never before,” he said.

Earlier Monday, the judge denied a defense request to recuse himself from the case after Trump's lawyers claimed he had a conflict of interest. He also said prosecutors could not play for the jury the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-access-hollywood-hush-money-new-york-2c52279a45ede2a111ff1fe447d2fdac">2005 “Access Hollywood” recording</a>&nbsp;in which Trump was captured discussing grabbing women sexually without their permission. However, prosecutors will be allowed to question witnesses about the recording, which became public in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign.

Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office also asked for Merchan to fine Trump $3,000 over social media posts they said violated the judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses. Last week, he used his Truth Social platform to call his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=michael+cohen+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1084US1084&amp;oq=michael+cohen+ap&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgAEEUYJxg7MggIABBFGCcYOzIGCAEQRRg5MgcIAhAAGIAEMgcIAxAAGIAEMggIBBAAGBYYHjIGCAUQRRg8MgYIBhBFGDwyBggHEEUYPKgCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">former lawyer Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-e40532d3bce7768e296fdaf9591ef05b">adult film actor Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;“two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!”

Trump lawyer Todd Blanche maintained Trump was simply responding to the witnesses' statements.

“It's not as if President Trump is going out and targeting individuals. He is responding to salacious, repeated vehement attacks by these witnesses,” Blanche said.

Merchan setting a hearing for next week on the request.

<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=eric+tucker+apnews+34+counts+sisak&amp;sca_esv=9cc8c3117245717b&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1084US1084&amp;sxsrf=ACQVn0-xRhBNg7BxytGvKstnrKo_s1We3w%3A1713208166354&amp;ei=ZnsdZu6KFdWu5NoP5oWIkAI&amp;ved=0ahUKEwju1bnh9cSFAxVVF1kFHeYCAiIQ4dUDCBE&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=eric+tucker+apnews+34+counts+sisak&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiImVyaWMgdHVja2VyIGFwbmV3cyAzNCBjb3VudHMgc2lzYWsyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSI4kUABYmiFwAHgBkAEBmAGGAqAB5RyqAQcxOC4xNS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIeoAKjGsICBBAjGCfCAhcQLhiABBiKBRiRAhixAxiDARjHARjRA8ICDhAuGIAEGIoFGJECGLEDwgIREC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEY0QPCAg4QLhiABBiKBRixAxiDAcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgILEC4YgAQYigUYkQLCAgsQABiABBiKBRiRAsICChAuGIAEGIoFGEPCAggQABiABBixA8ICChAuGIAEGBQYhwLCAggQLhiABBixA8ICDRAuGIAEGIoFGEMYsQPCAgoQABiABBiKBRhDwgILEC4YgAQYsQMYgwHCAhAQLhiABBiKBRhDGLEDGIMBwgIKEAAYgAQYFBiHAsICBRAuGIAEwgIFEAAYgATCAgYQABgWGB7CAggQABiABBiiBMICBBAhGBWYAwCSBwcxMi4xNy4xoAfe7wI&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records. Prosecutors say the alleged fraud was part of an effort to keep salacious — and, Trump says, bogus — stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign.

The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to Cohen. He paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep Daniels from going public, a month before the election, with her claims of a sexual encounter with the married mogul a decade earlier.

Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen were falsely logged as legal fees in order to cloak their actual purpose. Trump's lawyers say the disbursements indeed were legal expenses, not a cover-up.

After decades of fielding and initiating lawsuits, the businessman-turned-politician now faces a trial that could result in up to four years in prison if he’s convicted, though a no-jail sentence also would be possible.

Trump's attorneys lost a bid to get the hush-money case dismissed and have since repeatedly sought to delay it, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-appeal-juan-merchan-43ce6ef13f3b7a2ea017a658e6b4e01b">flurry of last-minute appeals court hearings</a>&nbsp;last week.

Among other things, Trump's lawyers maintain that the jury pool in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan has been tainted by negative publicity about Trump and that the case should be moved elsewhere.

An appeals judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-juan-merchan-hush-money-appeal-lawsuit-6abe221a7cb2ea670eb3ed1a7a134643">turned down an emergency request</a>&nbsp;to delay the trial while the change-of-venue request goes to a group of appellate judges, who are set to consider it in the coming weeks.

Manhattan prosecutors have countered that a lot of the publicity stems from Trump’s own comments and that questioning will tease out whether prospective jurors can put aside any preconceptions they may have. There’s no reason, prosecutors said, to think that 12 fair and impartial people can’t be found amid Manhattan’s roughly 1.4 million adult residents.

The prospective jurors will be known only by number, as the judge has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-new-york-jury-9b36769997f86c6c172daf5b267c7dd8">ordered that their names be kept secret</a>&nbsp;from everyone except prosecutors, Trump and their legal teams. The 42 preapproved, sometimes multi-pronged queries include background basics but also reflect the uniqueness of the case.

They're being asked, among other questions, about hobbies and news habits, whether they hold strong beliefs about Trump that would prevent them being impartial and about attendance at Trump or anti-Trump rallies.

Based on the answers, the attorneys can ask a judge to eliminate people “for cause” if they meet certain criteria for being unable to serve or can't be unbiased. The lawyers also can use “peremptory challenges” to nix 10 potential jurors and two prospective alternates without giving a reason.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713221753266.png" alt="Page 11 of the 17 page letter&nbsp; from the court of New York" />
 <figcaption>Page 11 of the 17 page letter&nbsp; from the court of New York</figcaption>
 </figure>NEW YORK (AP) — The historic&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-new-york-criminal-case-fbdff18df40920b75873b3a40317f5ee">hush-money</a>&nbsp;trial of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump">Donald Trump</a>&nbsp;got underway Monday with the arduous process of selecting a jury to hear the case charging the former president with falsifying business records in order to stifle stories about his sex life.<a href="https://www.nycourts.gov/LegacyPDFS/press/PDFs/Letter-re-jury-selection-4-8-24.pdf">Click here to read </a>the jury selection questionnaireThe day ended without any jurors being chosen. The selection process was scheduled to resume Tuesday.The first criminal trial of any former U.S. president began as Trump vies to reclaim the White House, creating a remarkable split-screen spectacle of the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-biden-primary-georgia-washington-mississippi-hawaii-15bb0084ad656903ffef14cfae822abd">presumptive Republican nominee</a>&nbsp;spending his days as a criminal defendant while simultaneously campaigning for office. He's blended those roles over the last year by presenting himself to supporters, on the campaign trail and on social media, as a target of&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-gag-order-hush-money-juan-merchan-f182e7d5c27967b86a59277fd24743e4">politically motivated prosecutions designed to derail his candidacy</a>.<div><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Former President Trump remarks ahead of Hush Money Trial: &quot;This is political persecution this is a persecution like never before....it&#39;s an assault on America.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/gdPUMgl8KQ">pic.twitter.com/gdPUMgl8KQ</a>&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1779869871066448377?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 15, 2024</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>“It’s a scam. It’s a political witch hunt. It continues, and it continues forever,” Trump said after exiting the courtroom, where he sat at the defense table with his lawyers.After a norm-shattering presidency shadowed by years of investigations, the trial amounts to a reckoning for Trump, who faces four indictments charging him with crimes ranging from&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-justice-department-indictment-classified-documents-miami-8315a5b23c18f27083ed64eef21efff3">hoarding classified documents</a>&nbsp;to&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-indicted-jan-6-investigation-special-counsel-debb59bb7a4d9f93f7e2dace01feccdc">plotting to overturn an election</a>. Yet the political stakes are less clear because a conviction would not preclude him from becoming president and because the allegations in this case date back years and are seen as less grievous than the conduct behind the three other indictments.The day began with pretrial arguments — including over a potential fine for Trump — before moving in the afternoon into jury selection, where the parties will decide who among them might be picked to determine the legal fate of the former, and potentially future, American president.After the first members of the jury pool, 96 in all, were summoned into the courtroom, Trump craned his neck to look back at them, whispering to his lawyer as they entered the jury box.“You are about to participate in a trial by jury. The system of trial by jury is one of the cornerstones of our judicial system,”&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-hush-money-criminal-trial-judge-merchan-c227f5eab200cccffb19ed931b4dac92">Judge Juan Merchan told the jurors</a>. “The name of this case is the People of the State of New York vs. Donald Trump.”Trump’s notoriety would make the process of picking 12 jurors and six alternates a near-herculean task in any year, but it’s likely to be especially challenging now, unfolding in a closely contested presidential election in the heavily Democratic city where Trump grew up and catapulted to celebrity status decades before winning the White House.Underscoring the difficulty, only about a third of the 96 people in the first panel of potential jurors remained after the judge excused some members. More than half the group was excused after telling the judge they could not be fair and impartial. At least nine more were excused after raising their hands when Merchan asked if they could not serve for any other reason.A female juror was excused after saying she had strong opinions about Trump. Earlier in the questionnaire, the woman, a Harlem resident, indicated she could be neutral in deciding the case. But when asked whether she had strong opinions about the former president, the woman answered matter-of-factly: “Yes.”When Merchan asked her to repeat the response, she replied: “Yeah, I said yes.” She was dismissed.Merchan has written that the key is “whether the prospective juror can assure us that they will set aside any personal feelings or biases and render a decision that is based on the evidence and the law.”No matter the outcome, Trump is determined to benefit from the proceedings, casting the case, and his indictments elsewhere, as a broad “weaponization of law enforcement” by Democratic prosecutors and officials. He maintains they are orchestrating sham charges in hopes of impeding his presidential run.He’s lambasted judges and prosecutors for years, a pattern of attacks that continued Monday as he entered court Monday after calling the case an “assault on America."“This is political persecution. This is a persecution like never before,” he said.Earlier Monday, the judge denied a defense request to recuse himself from the case after Trump's lawyers claimed he had a conflict of interest. He also said prosecutors could not play for the jury the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/trump-access-hollywood-hush-money-new-york-2c52279a45ede2a111ff1fe447d2fdac">2005 “Access Hollywood” recording</a>&nbsp;in which Trump was captured discussing grabbing women sexually without their permission. However, prosecutors will be allowed to question witnesses about the recording, which became public in the final weeks of the 2016 campaign.Prosecutors with the Manhattan district attorney's office also asked for Merchan to fine Trump $3,000 over social media posts they said violated the judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses. Last week, he used his Truth Social platform to call his&nbsp;<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=michael+cohen+apnews&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1084US1084&amp;oq=michael+cohen+ap&amp;gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUqCAgAEEUYJxg7MggIABBFGCcYOzIGCAEQRRg5MgcIAhAAGIAEMgcIAxAAGIAEMggIBBAAGBYYHjIGCAUQRRg8MgYIBhBFGDwyBggHEEUYPKgCALACAA&amp;sourceid=chrome&amp;ie=UTF-8">former lawyer Michael Cohen</a>&nbsp;and the&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-michael-cohen-stormy-daniels-e40532d3bce7768e296fdaf9591ef05b">adult film actor Stormy Daniels</a>&nbsp;“two sleaze bags who have, with their lies and misrepresentations, cost our Country dearly!”Trump lawyer Todd Blanche maintained Trump was simply responding to the witnesses' statements.“It's not as if President Trump is going out and targeting individuals. He is responding to salacious, repeated vehement attacks by these witnesses,” Blanche said.Merchan setting a hearing for next week on the request.<a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=eric+tucker+apnews+34+counts+sisak&amp;sca_esv=9cc8c3117245717b&amp;rlz=1C1GCEA_enUS1084US1084&amp;sxsrf=ACQVn0-xRhBNg7BxytGvKstnrKo_s1We3w%3A1713208166354&amp;ei=ZnsdZu6KFdWu5NoP5oWIkAI&amp;ved=0ahUKEwju1bnh9cSFAxVVF1kFHeYCAiIQ4dUDCBE&amp;uact=5&amp;oq=eric+tucker+apnews+34+counts+sisak&amp;gs_lp=Egxnd3Mtd2l6LXNlcnAiImVyaWMgdHVja2VyIGFwbmV3cyAzNCBjb3VudHMgc2lzYWsyBRAhGKABMgUQIRigATIFECEYoAEyBRAhGKABSI4kUABYmiFwAHgBkAEBmAGGAqAB5RyqAQcxOC4xNS4xuAEDyAEA-AEBmAIeoAKjGsICBBAjGCfCAhcQLhiABBiKBRiRAhixAxiDARjHARjRA8ICDhAuGIAEGIoFGJECGLEDwgIREC4YgAQYsQMYgwEYxwEY0QPCAg4QLhiABBiKBRixAxiDAcICCxAAGIAEGLEDGIMBwgILEC4YgAQYigUYkQLCAgsQABiABBiKBRiRAsICChAuGIAEGIoFGEPCAggQABiABBixA8ICChAuGIAEGBQYhwLCAggQLhiABBixA8ICDRAuGIAEGIoFGEMYsQPCAgoQABiABBiKBRhDwgILEC4YgAQYsQMYgwHCAhAQLhiABBiKBRhDGLEDGIMBwgIKEAAYgAQYFBiHAsICBRAuGIAEwgIFEAAYgATCAgYQABgWGB7CAggQABiABBiiBMICBBAhGBWYAwCSBwcxMi4xNy4xoAfe7wI&amp;sclient=gws-wiz-serp">Trump has pleaded not guilty to 34 felony counts</a>&nbsp;of falsifying business records. Prosecutors say the alleged fraud was part of an effort to keep salacious — and, Trump says, bogus — stories about his sex life from emerging during his 2016 campaign.The charges center on $130,000 in payments that Trump’s company made to Cohen. He paid that sum on Trump’s behalf to keep Daniels from going public, a month before the election, with her claims of a sexual encounter with the married mogul a decade earlier.Prosecutors say the payments to Cohen were falsely logged as legal fees in order to cloak their actual purpose. Trump's lawyers say the disbursements indeed were legal expenses, not a cover-up.After decades of fielding and initiating lawsuits, the businessman-turned-politician now faces a trial that could result in up to four years in prison if he’s convicted, though a no-jail sentence also would be possible.Trump's attorneys lost a bid to get the hush-money case dismissed and have since repeatedly sought to delay it, prompting a&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-appeal-juan-merchan-43ce6ef13f3b7a2ea017a658e6b4e01b">flurry of last-minute appeals court hearings</a>&nbsp;last week.Among other things, Trump's lawyers maintain that the jury pool in overwhelmingly Democratic Manhattan has been tainted by negative publicity about Trump and that the case should be moved elsewhere.An appeals judge&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-juan-merchan-hush-money-appeal-lawsuit-6abe221a7cb2ea670eb3ed1a7a134643">turned down an emergency request</a>&nbsp;to delay the trial while the change-of-venue request goes to a group of appellate judges, who are set to consider it in the coming weeks.Manhattan prosecutors have countered that a lot of the publicity stems from Trump’s own comments and that questioning will tease out whether prospective jurors can put aside any preconceptions they may have. There’s no reason, prosecutors said, to think that 12 fair and impartial people can’t be found amid Manhattan’s roughly 1.4 million adult residents.The prospective jurors will be known only by number, as the judge has&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-hush-money-new-york-jury-9b36769997f86c6c172daf5b267c7dd8">ordered that their names be kept secret</a>&nbsp;from everyone except prosecutors, Trump and their legal teams. The 42 preapproved, sometimes multi-pronged queries include background basics but also reflect the uniqueness of the case.They're being asked, among other questions, about hobbies and news habits, whether they hold strong beliefs about Trump that would prevent them being impartial and about attendance at Trump or anti-Trump rallies.Based on the answers, the attorneys can ask a judge to eliminate people “for cause” if they meet certain criteria for being unable to serve or can't be unbiased. The lawyers also can use “peremptory challenges” to nix 10 potential jurors and two prospective alternates without giving a reason._____

🎥Day 1 of historic Trump trial: Read the juror questionnaire

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” at a sentencing hearing Monday in a New Mexico state court.

Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/closing-arguments-trial-baldwin-shooting-3fdc75c2510804065a19a9fa374cfefd">convicted in March</a>&nbsp;by a jury on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for more than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe.

Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-movie-things-to-know-6c08979ccc0067660831ba66602334fd">pointing a gun at Hutchins</a>&nbsp;when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.

Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. He is scheduled for trial in July at a courthouse in Santa Fe.

The sentence against Gutierrez-Reed was delivered by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Summer who is overseeing proceedings against Baldwin.

Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust” where it was expressly prohibited and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated for about three hours in reaching its verdict.

Gutierrez-Reed teared up Monday as Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke about the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood. He said it was a chain of events that led to Hutchins’ death and that had the armorer been doing her job, that chain would have been broken.

Friends and family, including Souza, told the court they were seeking justice for what had happened to the cinematographer. They said she was “a bright beam of light,” describing her as courageous, tenacious and compassionate.

Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred read a statement by Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who said her life had been split in two and that time didn’t heal, rather it only prolonged her pain and suffering. A video of a tearful Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, also was played for the court.

“It’s the hardest thing to lose a child. There’s no words to describe,” Solovey said in her native language.

Defense attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed requested leniency in sentencing — including a possible conditional discharge that would avoid further jail time and leave an adjudication of guilt off her record if certain conditions are met.

Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with evidence in the “Rust” investigation. She also has pleaded not guilty to a separate felony charge that she allegedly carried a gun into a bar in Santa Fe where firearms are prohibited.

Defense attorneys have highlighted Gutierrez-Reed’s relatively young age “and the devastating effect a felony will have on her life going forward.”

They say the 26-year-old will forever be affected negatively by intense publicity associated with her prosecution in parallel with an A-list actor, and has suffered from anxiety, fear and depression as a result.

Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the judge to impose the maximum prison sentence and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a “serious violent offender” to limit her eligibility for a sentence reduction later, describing the defendant’s behavior on the set of “Rust” as exceptionally reckless.

Morrissey told the judge Monday that she reviewed nearly 200 phone calls that Gutierrez-Reed had made from jail over the last month. She said she was hoping there would be a moment when the defendant would take responsibility for what happened or express genuine remorse.

“That moment has never come,” Morrissey said. “Ms. Gutierrez continues to refuse to accept responsibility for her role in the death of Halyna Hutchins.”

“Rust” assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months unsupervised probation. “Rust” props master Sarah Zachry, who shared some responsibilities over firearms on the set of “Rust,” signed an agreement with prosecutors to avoid prosecution in return with her cooperation.

Written testimonials in favor of leniency included letters from Gutierrez-Reed’s childhood friend and romantic partner Sean Kridelbaugh, who said Gutierrez-Reed cries constantly out of remorse in the shooting and that further incarceration would interfere with efforts to care for a relative with cancer. Other friends and former colleagues urged the judge to emphasize rehabilitation over punishment in the sentencing.

The pending firearms charge against Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a bar in downtown Santa Fe, days before she was hired to work as the armorer on “Rust.” Prosecutors says investigations into the fatal shooting led to discovery of a selfie video in which Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself carrying a firearm into the bar, while defense attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713207206216.png" alt="Hannah Gutierrez-Reed-photo Santa Fe County Corrections" />
 <figcaption>Hannah Gutierrez-Reed-photo Santa Fe County Corrections</figcaption>
 </figure>SANTA FE, N.M. (AP) — A movie weapons supervisor was sentenced to 18 months in prison in the fatal shooting of a cinematographer by Alec Baldwin on the set of the Western film “Rust,” at a sentencing hearing Monday in a New Mexico state court.Movie armorer Hannah Gutierrez-Reed was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/closing-arguments-trial-baldwin-shooting-3fdc75c2510804065a19a9fa374cfefd">convicted in March</a>&nbsp;by a jury on a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and has been held for more than a month at a county jail on the outskirts of Santa Fe.Baldwin, the lead actor and co-producer for “Rust,” was&nbsp;<a href="https://apnews.com/article/alec-baldwin-rust-shooting-movie-things-to-know-6c08979ccc0067660831ba66602334fd">pointing a gun at Hutchins</a>&nbsp;when the revolver went off, killing Hutchins and wounding director Joel Souza.Baldwin has pleaded not guilty to a charge of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of Halyna Hutchins. He is scheduled for trial in July at a courthouse in Santa Fe.The sentence against Gutierrez-Reed was delivered by New Mexico Judge Mary Marlowe Summer who is overseeing proceedings against Baldwin.Prosecutors blamed Gutierrez-Reed for unwittingly bringing live ammunition onto the set of “Rust” where it was expressly prohibited and for failing to follow basic gun safety protocols. After a two-week trial, the jury deliberated for about three hours in reaching its verdict.Gutierrez-Reed teared up Monday as Hutchins’ agent, Craig Mizrahi, spoke about the cinematographer’s creativity and described her as a rising star in Hollywood. He said it was a chain of events that led to Hutchins’ death and that had the armorer been doing her job, that chain would have been broken.Friends and family, including Souza, told the court they were seeking justice for what had happened to the cinematographer. They said she was “a bright beam of light,” describing her as courageous, tenacious and compassionate.Los Angeles-based attorney Gloria Allred read a statement by Hutchins’ mother, Olga Solovey, who said her life had been split in two and that time didn’t heal, rather it only prolonged her pain and suffering. A video of a tearful Solovey, who lives in Ukraine, also was played for the court.“It’s the hardest thing to lose a child. There’s no words to describe,” Solovey said in her native language.Defense attorneys for Gutierrez-Reed requested leniency in sentencing — including a possible conditional discharge that would avoid further jail time and leave an adjudication of guilt off her record if certain conditions are met.Gutierrez-Reed was acquitted at trial of allegations she tampered with evidence in the “Rust” investigation. She also has pleaded not guilty to a separate felony charge that she allegedly carried a gun into a bar in Santa Fe where firearms are prohibited.Defense attorneys have highlighted Gutierrez-Reed’s relatively young age “and the devastating effect a felony will have on her life going forward.”They say the 26-year-old will forever be affected negatively by intense publicity associated with her prosecution in parallel with an A-list actor, and has suffered from anxiety, fear and depression as a result.Special prosecutor Kari Morrissey urged the judge to impose the maximum prison sentence and designate Gutierrez-Reed as a “serious violent offender” to limit her eligibility for a sentence reduction later, describing the defendant’s behavior on the set of “Rust” as exceptionally reckless.Morrissey told the judge Monday that she reviewed nearly 200 phone calls that Gutierrez-Reed had made from jail over the last month. She said she was hoping there would be a moment when the defendant would take responsibility for what happened or express genuine remorse.“That moment has never come,” Morrissey said. “Ms. Gutierrez continues to refuse to accept responsibility for her role in the death of Halyna Hutchins.”“Rust” assistant director and safety coordinator Dave Halls last year pleaded no contest to negligent handling of a firearm and completed a sentence of six months unsupervised probation. “Rust” props master Sarah Zachry, who shared some responsibilities over firearms on the set of “Rust,” signed an agreement with prosecutors to avoid prosecution in return with her cooperation.Written testimonials in favor of leniency included letters from Gutierrez-Reed’s childhood friend and romantic partner Sean Kridelbaugh, who said Gutierrez-Reed cries constantly out of remorse in the shooting and that further incarceration would interfere with efforts to care for a relative with cancer. Other friends and former colleagues urged the judge to emphasize rehabilitation over punishment in the sentencing.The pending firearms charge against Gutierrez-Reed stems from an incident at a bar in downtown Santa Fe, days before she was hired to work as the armorer on “Rust.” Prosecutors says investigations into the fatal shooting led to discovery of a selfie video in which Gutierrez-Reed filmed herself carrying a firearm into the bar, while defense attorneys allege vindictive prosecution.

Gun supervisor sentenced for fatal shooting by Alec Baldwin on movie set

KANSAS CITY (AP) —Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday that wide receiver Rashee Rice, who is facing charges that include aggravated assault as a result of a sports car crash in Texas, would participate in the team's voluntary offseason program beginning this week.

Dallas police allege that Rice, the Chiefs' top wide receiver last season, and a friend, Theodore Knox, were driving at high speed in the far left lane of a freeway when they lost control. The Lamborghini that Rice has admitted to driving hit the center median, causing a chain reaction that involved six vehicles and resulted in injures to multiple people.

Rice turned himself in last Thursday after police issued warrants for one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. He was released on bond.

Rice is being represented by Texas state Sen. Royce West, who said in an emailed statement the wide receiver “acknowledges his actions and feels deeply for those injured as a result of this accident,” and that he would continue to cooperate with police.

"I’m leaving that like we’ve done most of these: just for the law enforcement part of it to take place,” Reid said during a Zoom meeting with local reporters Monday. “We will go from there with that. So you can hold your (questions). I have had an opportunity to talk to Rashee. I’m not going to obviously get into that, but that part has been gone through.”

In recent years, the Chiefs have adopted virtual meetings during the early part of their offseason program because they have played into February for the Super Bowl. There is no on-field work allowed during the first two weeks.

After that, teams are allowed to do in-person, on-field work, and Reid would not say whether Rice would participate.

“We’ll just see how it goes there,” Reid said. “I want to keep gathering the information from the law enforcement people. We’ll just see where everything goes from there. Let the process take place.”

Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also said on Zoom Monday that he has worked with Rice throughout the offseason.

“I’m sure we’ll continue that work as the legal process plays out,” he said.

Rice grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills and played college football at nearby SMU, where Knox was still playing until he was suspended following the crash. Knox is facing the same charges as Rice.

The Chiefs selected Rice in the second round of last year's draft, and he quickly emerged as their top wide receiver, especially as others struggled with dropped passes and mental mistakes. He finished second on the team to Travis Kelce with 79 receptions for 938 yards while leading the Chiefs with seven touchdown receptions.

Rice may have been even better in the playoffs. He had 26 catches for 262 yards and a touchdown, including six catches for 39 yards against San Francisco in the Super Bowl, helping the Chiefs win their third Lombardi Trophy in five years.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712789752508.png" alt="In this screen grab taken from dash camera video provided by Bill Nabors, two speeding sports cars, left and second from left, cause a chain-reaction crash on the North Central Expressway, in Dallas, Saturday, March 30, 2024. Dallas police said Wednesday, April 10, that Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver Rashee Rice faces charges including aggravated assault after he and another speeding driver of a sports car caused a chain-reaction crash on a Dallas highway. (Bill Nabors via AP)" />
 <figcaption>In this screen grab taken from dash camera video provided by Bill Nabors, two speeding sports cars, left and second from left, cause a chain-reaction crash on the North Central Expressway, in Dallas, Saturday, March 30, 2024. Dallas police said Wednesday, April 10, that Kansas City Chiefs' wide receiver Rashee Rice faces charges including aggravated assault after he and another speeding driver of a sports car caused a chain-reaction crash on a Dallas highway. (Bill Nabors via AP)</figcaption>
 </figure>KANSAS CITY (AP) —Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Monday that wide receiver Rashee Rice, who is facing charges that include aggravated assault as a result of a sports car crash in Texas, would participate in the team's voluntary offseason program beginning this week.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1712916229752.png" alt="Rice booking photo DeSoto Texas Jail" />
 <figcaption>Rice booking photo DeSoto Texas Jail</figcaption>
 </figure>Dallas police allege that Rice, the Chiefs' top wide receiver last season, and a friend, Theodore Knox, were driving at high speed in the far left lane of a freeway when they lost control. The Lamborghini that Rice has admitted to driving hit the center median, causing a chain reaction that involved six vehicles and resulted in injures to multiple people.Rice turned himself in last Thursday after police issued warrants for one count of aggravated assault, one count of collision involving serious bodily injury and six counts of collision involving injury. He was released on bond.<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713214015325.png" alt="Theodore Knox-photo DeSoto, Texas Police" />
 <figcaption>Theodore Knox-photo DeSoto, Texas Police</figcaption>
 </figure>Rice is being represented by Texas state Sen. Royce West, who said in an emailed statement the wide receiver “acknowledges his actions and feels deeply for those injured as a result of this accident,” and that he would continue to cooperate with police."I’m leaving that like we’ve done most of these: just for the law enforcement part of it to take place,” Reid said during a Zoom meeting with local reporters Monday. “We will go from there with that. So you can hold your (questions). I have had an opportunity to talk to Rashee. I’m not going to obviously get into that, but that part has been gone through.”In recent years, the Chiefs have adopted virtual meetings during the early part of their offseason program because they have played into February for the Super Bowl. There is no on-field work allowed during the first two weeks.After that, teams are allowed to do in-person, on-field work, and Reid would not say whether Rice would participate.“We’ll just see how it goes there,” Reid said. “I want to keep gathering the information from the law enforcement people. We’ll just see where everything goes from there. Let the process take place.”Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also said on Zoom Monday that he has worked with Rice throughout the offseason.“I’m sure we’ll continue that work as the legal process plays out,” he said.Rice grew up in the Fort Worth suburb of North Richland Hills and played college football at nearby SMU, where Knox was still playing until he was suspended following the crash. Knox is facing the same charges as Rice.The Chiefs selected Rice in the second round of last year's draft, and he quickly emerged as their top wide receiver, especially as others struggled with dropped passes and mental mistakes. He finished second on the team to Travis Kelce with 79 receptions for 938 yards while leading the Chiefs with seven touchdown receptions.Rice may have been even better in the playoffs. He had 26 catches for 262 yards and a touchdown, including six catches for 39 yards against San Francisco in the Super Bowl, helping the Chiefs win their third Lombardi Trophy in five years.

Chiefs' Rice, facing charges for car crash, will participate in offseason work

MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– Most aircraft assigned to McConnell Air Force Base have relocated away from the area Monday due to potential severe weather, according to a media release.

The aircraft, flown by the 22nd and 931st Air Refueling Wings, departed as a precaution against projected high winds and possibility of hail early Tuesday morning. The relocation protects the aircraft from potential damage, preserving McConnell’s ability to provide air refueling, airlift and aeromedical evacuation support around the globe.

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713209413093.png" alt="File photo&nbsp; by Airman Gavin Hameed -McConnell Air Force Base" />
 <figcaption>File photo&nbsp; by Airman Gavin Hameed -McConnell Air Force Base</figcaption>
 </figure>MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan.&nbsp;– Most aircraft assigned to McConnell Air Force Base have relocated away from the area Monday due to potential severe weather, according to a media release.The aircraft, flown by the 22nd and 931st Air Refueling Wings, departed as a precaution against projected high winds and possibility of hail early Tuesday morning. The relocation protects the aircraft from potential damage, preserving McConnell’s ability to provide air refueling, airlift and aeromedical evacuation support around the globe.

Kansas Air Force Base relocates aircraft ahead of severe weather

Governor signs bills designed to broaden social worker and dental workforce

<figure>
 <img src="https://media.eaglewebservices.com/public/2024/4/1713191729016.png" alt="Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach welcoming signing into law a bill substantively elevating state financial awards to victims of crime. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)" />
 <figcaption>Democratic Gov. Laura Kelly and Republican Attorney General Kris Kobach welcoming signing into law a bill substantively elevating state financial awards to victims of crime. (Tim Carpenter/Kansas Reflector)</figcaption>
 </figure><h2>Governor signs bills designed to broaden social worker and dental workforce</h2>BY:&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/author/tim-carpenter/">TIM CARPENTER</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://kansasreflector.com/">Kansas Reflector</a>TOPEKA — Gov. Laura Kelly and Attorney General Kris Kobach celebrated doubling the maximum weekly compensation to Kansas crime victims and granting to members of the state board responsible for reviewing aid applications greater latitude to make awards based on the goal of avoiding profound injustice.The legislation endorsed by Kobach and signed into law by Kelly would raise the authorized level of statewide funding provided crime victims to $500,000 annually from the current level of $300,000 each year. The bill approved by the Legislature on unanimous votes capped maximum individual payouts at $25,000.Kelly said&nbsp;<a target="_blank" href="https://lnks.gd/l/eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJidWxsZXRpbl9saW5rX2lkIjoxMDEsInVyaSI6ImJwMjpjbGljayIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmtzbGVnaXNsYXR1cmUub3JnL2xpL2IyMDIzXzI0L21lYXN1cmVzL2hiMjc4MS8iLCJidWxsZXRpbl9pZCI6IjIwMjQwNDEyLjkzMjg5MTMxIn0.gHCWSgokSR42QZCefT7eSsiPrTct0e_qYiwsx1kAqdk/s/1303160910/br/240665187934-l">House Bill 2781&nbsp;</a>&nbsp;enabled the Crime Victims Assistance Fund to raise individual awards to $800 per week and would make it more likely survivors of crime had access to services needed to overcome trauma. The awards for victims of human trafficking would range from $350 to $800 per week.“Thanks to this bill, survivors of crime will be better supported to receive the care they need to achieve stability and independence,” the governor said.The state review board would be authorized to reduce or withdraw financial assistance if the victim or claimant wasn’t fully cooperative with law enforcement agencies.Awards would be made if criminal conduct resulting in injury or death was reported to a law enforcement officer within 72 hours after the incident occurred, the victim obtained a forensic medical examination within seven days of the offense or when the state board found good reason for a person to fail to meet those time constraints.In terms of some sexually violent crimes, applications would be considered valid if filed within two years of reporting the incident to law enforcement. Victims could be granted awards based on claims filed up to 10 years after a crime was committed in instances in which DNA testing revealed the profile of a suspect.“We have an obligation to assist victims as they recover,” Kobach said. “This new law doesn’t erase their trauma, but being able to provide more and better financial assistance to crime victims helps restore a piece of their lives.”Michelle McCormick, executive director of the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence, said the attorney general, Legislature and governor collectively recognized Kansans victimized by violent crime deserved more extensive support while navigating circumstances of recovery.“Victims of crime were struggling against an outdated law that, in some areas, hadn’t been revised since the ’90s,” said Rep. Dan Osman, D-Overland Park. “We tackled that problem holistically, with a trauma-informed approach that puts victims and survivors first.”Meanwhile, Kelly said Friday she signed House Bill 2628 to require the Kansas Department for Children and Families to release information on child fatalities when criminal charges were filed and the minor was involved with the state’s child welfare system.She likewise signed House Bill 2703 to mandate public school students in the custody of DCF to be identified as academically at-risk to make certain they were eligible for special education programs and services.Kelly also signed House Bill 2453 to allow Kansas to take part in a dentist and dental hygienist compact with other states to create additional employment opportunities in Kansas. She signed a bill allowing Kansas to participate in an interstate compact for social workers in an attempt to widen access to mental health care and to simplify the licensing processes.