Sen. Bob Menendez's legal team has filed court documents suggesting that if he testifies in his bribery trial, he may blame his wife for allegedly accepting money and hiding the truth from him. The documents state that his testimony could exonerate him but implicate his wife, who is also facing separate trials due to a medical condition. Menendez and his wife, along with two businessmen, have pleaded not guilty to bribery charges, with one businessman admitting guilt and cooperating with prosecutors.
Senator Robert Menendez's corruption trial will proceed as scheduled on May 6, while his wife Nadine Menendez, who also faces charges, will be tried separately at a later date due to a serious medical condition that requires surgery and recovery. The judge ruled in favor of proceeding with the senator's trial as his lawyers argued that any delay would be detrimental to his ability to run in a general election. Federal prosecutors opposed separate trials, citing the need to present the same case twice and hold two lengthy trials.
A jury has been seated for the trial of Jennifer Crumbley, the mother of the Oxford High School shooter, with opening statements expected to begin soon. Both Jennifer and her husband are facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter charges in connection with the 2021 shooting. Prosecutors argue that the parents were grossly negligent in addressing their son's mental health issues and providing proper care, leading to the tragic incident. The shooter was sentenced to life in prison without parole last month. The parents' trials will be separate, and certain evidence related to the shooter will be excluded from their trials.
Trials for both parents of the Oxford High School shooter, facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter charges, are set to begin separately, with Jennifer Crumbley's trial starting on January 23 and James Crumbley's on March 5. The trials will focus on determining the role played by each parent in the November 2021 shooting that resulted in the deaths of four students. Prosecutors aim to prove that the parents failed to take steps that could have prevented the tragedy, making them the first parents of a U.S. mass shooter to be charged in connection with their child’s crimes.
A judge has granted the request from the parents of the Oxford High School shooter to have separate trials for their involuntary manslaughter charges. James and Jennifer Crumbley are facing four counts of involuntary manslaughter each in connection with the shooting. The trial date may be affected by this decision. The Oakland County Prosecutor's Office supports the motion for separate trials but acknowledges the negative impact it will have on victims, witnesses, taxpayers, and additional jurors. The parents are accused of neglecting their son, buying him the gun used in the shooting, and failing to take preventive measures. They are the first parents of a mass school shooter to face charges in the United States.
A judge in Georgia has granted two defendants, Kenneth Chesebro and Sidney Powell, a separate trial from their co-defendants, including former President Donald J. Trump, in the election interference case. Chesebro and Powell invoked their right to a speedy trial, which is set to begin on October 23. The trial for Trump and the other 16 co-defendants has not been scheduled yet, and the judge mentioned the possibility of separate trials for some defendants. All 19 defendants were charged in August in a state racketeering indictment related to election interference in Georgia. The trial logistics, including the size and timing, are still being resolved, and some defendants are seeking to move their cases to federal court.
Former Trump attorney Kenneth Chesebro, charged in the 2020 Georgia election case, has disavowed any connection with co-defendant Sidney Powell and is pushing for a separate and speedy trial. Chesebro's attorney emphasized that there has been no direct contact or communication between Chesebro and Powell, and their actions are separate and unrelated. Both Chesebro and Powell have filed motions for a speedy trial, seeking to proceed to trial this fall. The state judge has set Chesebro's trial for October 23 but has not yet scheduled a date for Powell or the other co-defendants.
Three of the five former Memphis police officers charged in the death of Tyre Nichols have requested separate trials. The officers, who have pleaded not guilty, are facing charges of second-degree murder and other offenses related to the violent beating of Nichols in January. If the judge grants the severance requests, there could be four trials for the officers. Nichols' death, which was captured on police video, sparked discussions about police brutality. The officers have been fired for policy violations, and an autopsy report confirmed that Nichols died from blows to the head. The U.S. Department of Justice is conducting investigations into the use of force and racially discriminatory policing by the Memphis Police Department.
