Courtesy of The Baltimore Sun 

Prosecutors dropped all remaining charges against three Baltimore police officers accused in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray in a downtown courtroom on Wednesday morning, concluding one of the most high-profile criminal cases in Baltimore history.

The startling move was an apparent acknowledgment of the unlikelihood of a conviction following the acquittals of three other officers on similar and more serious charges by Circuit Judge Barry G. Williams, who was expected to preside over the remaining trials as well.

It also means the office of Baltimore State's Attorney Marilyn J. Mosby will secure no convictions in the case after more than a year of dogged fighting, against increasingly heavy odds, to hold someone criminally accountable in Gray's death.
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Officer William Porter's trial ended with a hung jury and a mistrial in December, before Williams acquitted Officers Edward Nero and Caesar Goodson and Lt. Brian Rice at bench trials in May, June, and July, respectively.

In a hearing Wednesday meant to start the trial of Officer Garrett Miller, Chief Deputy State's Attorney Michael Schatzow told Williams that the state was dropping all charges against Miller, Porter and Sgt. Alicia White.

Porter had been scheduled to be retried in September, and White had been scheduled to be tried in October.

"All of our clients are thrilled with what happened today," said Catherine Flynn, Miller's attorney, outside the courthouse.

The officers still face possible administrative discipline. Internal investigations, with the help of outside police agencies, are underway.
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Gray, 25, suffered severe spinal cord injuries in the back of the van in April 2015 and died a week after his arrest. His death sparked widespread, peaceful protests against police brutality, and his funeral was followed by rioting, looting and arson.

At a news conference in West Baltimore, near where Gray was arrested, Mosby defended her decision to bring the charges against the officers, and said that "as a mother," the decision to drop them was "agonizing."

But, given Williams' acquittal of Nero, Goodson and Rice and the likelihood that the remaining officers would also choose bench trials before him, Mosby said she had to acknowledge the "dismal likelihood" that her office would be able to secure a conviction.

"After much thought and prayer it has become clear that without being able to work with an independent investigatory agency from the very start, without having a say in the election of whether cases proceed in front of a judge or jury, without communal oversight of police in this community, without substantive reforms to the current criminal justice system, we could try this case 100 times and cases just like it and we would still end up with the same result," she said.
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She said there is an "inherent bias" whenever "police police themselves." She said the charges she brought were not an indictment of the entire Baltimore Police Department, but she also broadly condemned the actions and testimony of some officers involved in Gray's arrest or in the department's investigation of the incident — alleging "consistent bias" at "every stage."

She said she is not "anti-police," but "anti-police brutality." She also noted the "countless sacrifices" of her prosecutors in the case, including Schatzow and Deputy State's Attorney Janice Bledsoe, and said her office will continue to "fight for a fair and equitable justice system for all."

Gray's stepfather, Richard Shipley, said family members "stand behind Marilyn and her prosecuting team, and my family is proud to have them represent us." He said the prosecutors did the "best to their ability."

Shortly after Mosby's news conference, the officers, their defense attorneys and leaders of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 3, the union that represents the officers and paid for their defense, held their own.

Attorney Ivan Bates, who represents White and spoke on behalf of all of the officers and their attorneys, described the last year as a "nightmare" for the officers. He reiterated the defense argument in all of the cases that the officers were justified in their actions. The officers did not speak.
Lt. Gene Ryan, the FOP president, said "justice has been done." He also described Mosby's comments at her news conference as "outrageous and uncalled for and simply untrue."
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Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, in a statement, defended the department's investigation into Gray's death. He also called Mosby's decision to drop the charges "a wise one" that will help the city heal and move forward.

​"As the trials end and this chapter in Baltimore's history closes, it is important that we collectively resolve to direct our emotions in a constructive way to reduce violence and strengthen citizen partnerships," Davis said. "Any motives that fall short of that are counterproductive and inconsistent with the values of Baltimoreans."

In clearing Nero, Goodson and Rice, Williams had repeatedly said that prosecutors presented little or no evidence to support their broader theory in the case — that the officers acted unreasonably, and willfully disregarded their training and general orders, when they decided not to secure Gray in a seat belt in the back of a police transport van, and that the decision directly led to his death.

All of the officers had pleaded not guilty. Their attorneys have said they acted reasonably and professionally, and that Gray's death was the result of a tragic accident.

Judges generally do not comment on court cases, and Williams declined through a court spokeswoman to comment on the officers' cases Wednesday afternoon.

The decision Wednesday to drop all charges came during what was expected to be a contentious hearing surrounding the prosecution's ability to proceed with Miller's trial without using anything he said on the witness stand in Nero's trial against him.

Miller had been charged with second-degree assault, reckless endangerment and two counts of misconduct in office related to Gray's arrest. He was compelled to testify at Nero's trial under a limited form of immunity designed to protect his constitutional right against self-incrimination while freeing him to speak about the events that transpired on the morning of Gray's arrest. Before Miller's trial could proceed, prosecutors were required to show that they had not gleaned any evidence or strategic advantage in Miller's trial from his immunized testimony.
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Having dropped the charges, prosecutors avoided taking the stand.

Jas Prince, the son of Rap-A-Lot Records founder J. Prince, recently spoke with Vlad TV about discovering Drake and connecting him with Lil' Wayne. 

During the interview, Jas revealed that Drake was the first artist he discovered after getting involved with his pops' legendary record label. Jas reportedly got wind of the Toronto emcee after searching Myspace for artists. After hearing Drake's material, Jas said he was impressed and promised Drake he would make him famous.

Jas admits that Lil' Wayne wasn't feeling Drake's music initially. But one particular ride in Jas' car would change the Young Money CEO's views forever.

Arranging Drake's deal with Cash Money/Young Money; the creation of the groundbreaking mixtape-turned-EP So Far Gone; and his business partnership with J. Prince were other things Jas touched on during the interview. 

Check it out below.

Courtesy of The Washington Post 

A judge dismissed charges against a Florida sheriff’s deputy who shot a 33-year-old black man carrying an unloaded air rifle in Broward County in 2013, saying the law enforcement officer was protected under Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” self-defense law.

Peter Peraza, 37, testified during a hearing that Jermaine McBean initially refused commands from him and other deputies to drop the authentic-looking weapon and then turned and pointed it toward the deputies, the Associated Press reported. Peraza fired three shots, killing McBean. The deputy was the first Florida law enforcement officer criminally charged for an on-duty killing in more than three decades.

Peraza had faced a potential 30-year prison sentence.

Prosecutors told the AP that they intend to appeal Circuit Judge Michael Usan’s dismissal.
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In July 2013, worried 911 callers reported seeing McBean carrying what appeared to be a real rifle down a busy street, The Washington Post reported. The gun was in fact an air rifle. After the killing, McBean’s family contended he was listening to music with earbuds and likely could not hear police commands to put down the gun.

Police initially said McBean was not wearing headphones at the time of the shooting but that they found a pair of earbuds in his pocket after he was taken to the hospital. But a widely shared photo of McBean moments after the shooting shows what appear to be earbud headphones in his ears as he lay on the ground after being shot.

Activists with Black Lives Matter in Broward County said they were incensed with the judge’s decision.
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“We’re really confused on how any judge can see things that way,” said Jesse Cosme, a spokesman for the Black Lives Matter Alliance of Broward County. “Every other eyewitness testimony that wasn’t a cop is ignored in this decision to come to the conclusion that this officer was standing his ground. Now, standing your ground becomes symbolic for the perpetuation of fear.”

In a statement emailed to The Washington Post, Broward County Sheriff Scott Israel said his thoughts were with McBean’s family.

“A life was lost, and this is a tragedy no matter how you look at it. As Sheriff, I was elected to enforce laws and keep our citizens safe. I am not a lawyer. I am not a judge and I don’t make legal decisions. I pray for God to comfort all those affected and for our community to begin to heal and find peace.”

Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” law, which was spotlighted following the 2012 slaying of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, says people have no duty to retreat if they believe someone is trying to kill or seriously harm them. It was used in the successful defense of George Zimmerman, who killed Martin.

A Humble Soul: Additional information on the McBean matter can be found here.

Los Angeles rapper The Game recently provided a mother of eight with a $1,000 grocery shopping spree.

The philanthropic gesture was part of Game's new  campaign "Yo Mama, My Mama." In collaboration with actress Zulay Henao and PartnersInKynd, Game is using the campaign to not only support mothers around the nation, but also encourage others to show their own form of support to mothers in their communities.
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The inspiration behind Game's new effort is reportedly the recent killings of black males and police officers. 

TMZ caught exclusive footage of Game at the Ralphs supermarket in Los Angeles as he purchased a mom a month's worth of groceries. 

Check out the footage below. 

After examining more than a decade's worth of records, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (AJC) discovered that patient sexual abuse has been committed by doctors in all 50 states. Shockingly, many of the doctors who committed this sexual misconduct received second chances and trivial punishment, according to the AJC's series Doctors & Sex Abuse: A Broken System.

During its national investigation, the AJC examined documents that described such disturbing acts as "rapes by OB/GYNs, seductions by psychiatrists, fondling by anesthesiologists and ophthalmologists, and molestations by pediatricians and radiologists."

The video below provides a snapshot of the AJC's investigative series.  And a portion of the publication's feature story on the matter can be read under the video.

In Kentucky, Dr. Ashok Alurwas examining an infection on a patient’s abdomen when he entered forbidden territory. He told the patient she had sexy underwear. Then, he rubbed her and placed his mouth on her genitals. The patient pushed him away and went to police. 

“It was so beautiful,” the doctor told her later, when she confronted him. “I couldn’t resist.” 
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In Missouri, Dr. Milton Eichmann asked a woman badly injured in a sexual assault if she liked being tied up during sex, whether she was easily stimulated and whether she liked to be urinated on. He then told the patient, who was seeing the doctor for treatment of urinary problems, that he was being aroused.

In California, a patient was leaving an appointment with Dr. Mandeep Behniwal, a psychiatrist, when the doctor put his hand down her blouse, grabbed her breast out of her bra and placed his mouth on it. He then exposed himself and ejaculated on her hand. 

In New Mexico, Dr. Twana Sparks for years performed genital exams she said were for screening on ear, nose and throat patients who were under anesthesia and hadn’t given consent, the state medical board said. In Texas, Dr. Philip Leonard fondled patients’ breasts or pressed his erections against them during exams, 17 women reported. In Georgia, a patient who saw Dr. Jacob Ward for a back rash and facial redness said the doctor exposed and fondled her breasts and put his hands down her pants.

In each of these cases, described in public records, the doctors either acknowledged what they’d done or authorities, after investigating, believed the accusations. While the scale and scope of the physicians’ misdeeds varied tremendously, all were allowed to keep their white coats and continue seeing patients, as were hundreds of others like them across the nation. 
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In a national investigation, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution examined documents that described disturbing acts of physician sexual abuse in every state. Rapes by OB/GYNs, seductions by psychiatrists, fondling by anesthesiologists and ophthalmologists, and molestations by pediatricians and radiologists.

Victims were babies. Adolescents. Women in their 80s. Drug addicts and jail inmates. Survivors of childhood sexual abuse. 

But it could be anyone. Some patients were sedated when they were sexually assaulted. Others didn’t realize at first what had happened because the doctor improperly touched them or photographed them while pretending to do a legitimate medical exam. 

Some doctors were disciplined over a single episode of sexual misconduct. A few physicians — with hundreds of victims — are among the nation’s worst sex offenders. But the toll can’t be measured by numbers alone. For patients, the violations can be life-altering. The betrayal even pushed some to suicide. 
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How do doctors get away with exploiting patients for years?

Some victims say nothing. Intimidated, confused or embarrassed, they fear that no one will take their word over a doctor’s. Colleagues and nurses stay silent. 

Hospitals and health care organizations brush off accusations or quietly push doctors out, the investigation found, without reporting them to police or licensing agencies. 

Society condemns sexual misconduct by most citizens and demands punishment. A teenage boyfriend and girlfriend in North Carolina were arrested for “sexting” nude pictures of themselves to each other. A Georgia woman was placed on a sex offender registry for having sex when she was 19 with a 15-year-old who lied about his age. A Pennsylvania teacher who had sex with an 18-year-old student was dubbed a predator and sent to prison. 
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But when a physician is the perpetrator, the AJC found, the nation often looks the other way.

Physician-dominated medical boards gave offenders second chances. Prosecutors dismissed or reduced charges, so doctors could keep practicing and stay off sex offender registries. Communities rallied around them. 

Read the entire article here.