Tag: Q1 2009
Ex-Florida Corrections Officer Sentenced for Inmate Assault
Former Florida corrections officer Paul Tillis was found guilty by a federal jury for a heinous assault on an inmate, marking a significant victory for justice. The incident occurred in 2005 at the Florida State Prison, where Tillis, then a supervisory officer, poured scalding water onto an inmate who had feigned injury. The victim suffered…
Ex-Fla. Corrections Officer Found Guilty in Inmate Assault
Former Florida State Corrections Officer Paul Tillis was found guilty after a federal jury in Jacksonville convicted him of a felony civil rights crime. The offense? An August 2005 assault on an inmate with boiling water inside Florida State Prison. Tillis, then a supervisory corrections officer, is accused of dousing the victim’s chest with scalding…
Florida Guard Scalds Inmate, Faces Decade Behind Bars
RAIFORD, FL – A former Florida State Prison guard, Paul Tillis, was found guilty yesterday of violating the civil rights of an inmate after deliberately scalding him with near-boiling water. The incident, stemming from August 2005, came to light after a federal jury in Jacksonville delivered the conviction on January 16, 2009. According to court…
Bush Pardons Two in El Paso Shootings Case
Former President George W. Bush shocked the nation by granting commutations to two men tied to a high-profile shooting in El Paso, Texas. Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, both residents of El Paso, were originally sentenced for their roles in a violent assault that left one person seriously injured. Compean was handed a 12-year…
Bush Pardons Two in Gunfire-Assisted Assaults
Washington D.C. – The shadow of a presidential pardon looms over the justice system as former President George W. Bush granted early release to two Texas felons convicted in high-profile cases of firearms-related violence and civil rights abuses. José Alonso Compean, sentenced to 12 years for assault with a dangerous weapon and aiding and abetting…
Border Patrol Brutality: Bush Commutes Sentences
EL PASO, TX – In a move that’s ignited fury among civil rights groups and raised serious questions about accountability within federal law enforcement, outgoing President George W. Bush commuted the sentences of two former Border Patrol agents convicted of brutalizing a drug smuggler in 2005. Jose Alonso Compean and Ignacio Ramos, both stationed in…
Springfield Church Arson Suspects Busted in Mass. Fire Case
Three suspects have been apprehended in connection with the fiery destruction of Springfield’s Macedonia Church of God in Christ, a hate crime that left the community reeling. Benjamin Haskell, 22, Michael Jacques, 24, and Thomas Gleason, 21, all from Springfield, were arrested early this morning on charges of civil rights violation. Federal prosecutors, led by…
Mass. Church Arson Suspects Nabbed in Civil Rights Crackdown!
Arsonists strike again! Three suspects were nabbed early today in Springfield’s Macedonia Church of God in Christ fire, a chilling act of racial hatred. Benjamin Haskell, Michael Jacques, and Thomas Gleason face up to a decade behind bars if convicted, in what officials are calling a civil rights violation. The Nov. 5, 2008, blaze torched…
Church Burned, Hate Charged: MA Arson Suspects Nabbed
SPRINGFIELD, MA – Sixteen years after flames gutted the nearly completed Macedonia Church of God in Christ, federal prosecutors have finally arrested three men in connection with the racially motivated arson. Benjamin Haskell, 22, Michael Jacques, 24, and Thomas Gleason, 21, all of Springfield, were taken into custody this morning, accused of deliberately torching the…
Settlement: Va. Apartment Complex Faces $50K Fine for Accessibility Breaches
The Crossings at Summerland Apartments in Woodbridge, Va., is facing a substantial fine after the Justice Department alleged that developers violated the federal Fair Housing Act. Developers failed to ensure public and common use areas were accessible to individuals with disabilities, as required by law. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division has been steadfast in…
