We are sorry, the requested page does not exist
US actor Kevin Spacey cleared of UK sex offenses
Hollywood actor Kevin Spacey was acquitted on Wednesday in Britain of nine alleged sex offenses, in the latest court victory for the Oscar winner who was one of the first huge stars felled by the #MeToo movement. The star of "American Beauty" and drama series "House of Cards", who turned 64 on Wednesday, was acquitted by majority verdicts in London following a trial lasting several weeks. "I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts carefully before they reached their decision and I am humbled by the outcome today," he told reporters outside court. It comes less than a year after a New York court dismissed a $40 million sexual misconduct civil lawsuit brought against him, and follows charges of indecent and sexual assault being dropped in Massachusetts in 2019. Spacey's once-stellar career has been halted by the various allegations of sexual offences, which first emerged in 2017 and which he has always denied. The actor told Germany's Die Zeit that he expected to mount a comeback following the acquittal. "I know that there are people right now who are ready to hire me the moment I am cleared of these charges in London," he told the German national weekly. "The second that happens, they're ready to move forward." Madness The jury in London, which began considering the charges on Monday, cleared Spacey of all nine counts that he faced, after more than 12 hours of deliberations. The alleged offences included seven counts of sexual assault, one count of causing a person to engage in sexual activity without consent, and one count of causing a person to engage in penetrative sexual activity without consent. They were said to have occurred in 2005 and 2008 in London, and in 2013 in Gloucestershire, western England. Jurors heard evidence from the four alleged victims, who cannot be named for legal reasons. British rock star Elton John was also among those to testify, as a witness for Spacey. The prosecution claimed he was a "sexual bully" who revelled in making others feel uncomfortable, including by aggressively grabbing men's crotches. One of victims, a former aspiring actor, said he woke up to find Spacey performing a sex act on him, suggesting the actor "drugged" him. He was accused of grabbing another man's crotch "so hard" while driving to a fundraising event, that the car nearly came off the road. Spacey, whose full name is Kevin Spacey Fowler, called the claims "madness" and a "stab in the back". He had been on unconditional bail since first being charged in Britain last year, and on Wednesday walked out of the south London court a free man. The Crown Prosecution Service said it had charged him following "a thorough investigation" by London's Metropolitan Police. "It is the role of the jury to consider the charges and we respect the decision of the court," a spokesman added. Career success Spacey enjoyed a highly successful decades-spanning career with roles such as a middle-aged father lusting after a teen in "American Beauty," a serial killer in "Se7en" and the villain in "Superman Returns". He worked as artistic director at London's Old Vic Theatre between 2004 and 2015. In 2017 he was one of the first stars caught up in the global #MeToo movement as he was accused of sexual assault by multiple young men. He was dropped from the final season of the political drama "House of Cards" and other projects. A New York court dismissed a $40 million civil sexual misconduct lawsuit brought against him in October last year. The complainant, actor Anthony Rapp, alleged the star had assaulted him when he was 14. He brought the civil case after being told it was too late to bring a criminal charge but failed to convince the jury in that case. In 2019, charges of indecent and sexual assault were dropped against Spacey in Massachusetts. The post US actor Kevin Spacey cleared of UK sex offenses appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Void twice around
The illegality of the International Criminal Court, or ICC, can be found even in the most basic precepts of judicial proceedings like the principle of Ne Bis in Idem, which is commonly known as double jeopardy. It is a universally held principle that a person cannot be charged twice for the same crime, or charged again based on the same facts. The principle, thus, introduces a huge question on the legitimacy of ICC’s intrusion into the local judiciary considering that the complaints of alleged summary killings in the conduct of the war on drugs that it is investigating are already being prosecuted in domestic courts. The Pacific McGeorge School of Law asked in a paper, “The Principle of Complementarity and the International Criminal Court: The Role of Ne Bis in Idem,” about a situation in which a state has prosecuted an accused for an “ordinary” crime of murder or rape — can the ICC subsequently try the accused for genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity?” “While there is no definitive answer from the ICC as yet, the better answer to the question is ‘no,’” according to the paper. It said the ICC cannot try an accused when the accused has already been tried, whether convicted or acquitted, for the “same conduct,” whatever the legal characterization is of the crime. The paper, nonetheless, cited exceptions, such as “a sham trial, meaning that the purpose was to shield the accused from responsibility or the proceedings were otherwise lacking in independence or impartiality in a manner that was inconsistent with bringing the accused to justice.” “There could be a finding of a sham trial if the state trial was for a very minor crime, such as assault, as that could evince a purpose of shielding the accused when the underlying acts were homicide,” the paper noted. Cases involving so-called extrajudicial killings, or EJK, are being litigated in local courts which places them within the scope of the ne bis in idem principle. Another assumption that experts on international law have indicated to be at the center of the debates on the ICC’s authority to probe the war on drugs is complementarity. It provides that rather than the ICC, governments have priority in proceeding with cases within their jurisdiction. This principle means that the Court will complement, but not supersede, national jurisdiction. Local courts will continue to have priority in investigating and prosecuting crimes committed within their jurisdictions, but the ICC will act when national courts are “unable or unwilling” to perform their tasks. According to the article, a case is not admissible in the ICC if a state with primary jurisdiction is willing and able to proceed with the investigation and prosecution or if the accused was already tried and further prosecution is now barred under the ne bis in idem provision. Limitations on the authority of the ICC are also found in the Rome Statute which created it. “Articles 17 and 20 are both part of the section of the statute on ‘jurisdiction, admissibility, and applicable law.’ As such, they are limitations on the Court’s ability to consider a case.” The paper added that the admissibility provisions are designed to limit the ICC and foster state prosecutions. According to the document, “It will benefit the accused, the states, and the international community to continue to evaluate the delicate balance of the principle of complementarity with the application of the upward and downward ne bis in idem provisions in practice and to amend the statute as needed to achieve a fair administration of justice.” A review is far from what the ICC has undertaken, thus far, after it rammed through its probe on the war on drugs, claiming that the pace of rendering justice in the country had failed to satisfy it. The post Void twice around appeared first on Daily Tribune......»»
Court: ‘Tokhang’ survivor did not assault cops
A Quezon City court has acquitted a “tokhang” survivor of assault charges filed against him by police officers he accused of murdering his four companions and nearly killing him during a supposed shootout......»»
Trump s journey from election defeat to acquittal in second impeachment trial
Former US President Donald Trump was acquitted Saturday in his second impeachment trial by a Senate vote of 57 to 43, surviving charges that he incited the deadly January 6 assault on the US Capitol by supporters bent on preventing Congress from transferring power to Joe Biden......»»
Canadian former producer acquitted of rape charges
Canadian former producer Gilbert Rozon was acquitted Tuesday in Montreal of sexual assault and harassment charges, for which he faced a prison sentence......»»
Will Smith, Vanessa Hudgens back in Bad Boys 4, trailer drops
Will Smith and Martin Lawrence are back for another round as Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett following the dropped trailer for a fourth "Bad Boys" movie, officially titled "Bad Boys: Ride or Die.".....»»
Villarreal Football Academy opens in Philippines
Villarreal Philippines Academy will provide unrivalled opportunities for football players all over the Philippines by working hand in hand with Villarreal CF to implement the Yellows’ innovative methodology for the development of its players and coaches......»»
Solon bats for expansion of motorcycle taxis outside Metro Manila
A House lawmaker has voiced his support for expanding the government's allotment of motorcycle taxis outside Metro Manila as the Land Transportation Franchising Regulatory Board is set to greenlight the participation of more players in its pilot study......»»
Russian Media Accuses Ukraine of Moscow Concert Hall Attack – The Daily Guardia
In a shocking turn of events, President Putin has attributed the recent concert hall assault in Moscow to radical Islamists for the first time. However,.....»»
Stop motorcycle taxi expansion, Marcos urged
Various transport groups yesterday appealed to President Marcos to stop the expansion of motorcycle taxis in Metro Manila amid the impending decision of the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board o authorize several companies as players in the pilot study......»»
Volleyball MVPs Belen, Ybanez named UAAP Players of the Week
Leaders are expected to be counted upon when their teams need them the most, and that is exactly the role Bella Belen and Josh Ybañez filled as the crucial second round got going in the UAAP Season 86 volleyball tournaments......»»
Cebu Football Club introduces new faces for the upcoming PFL season
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Football Club (CFC) Gentle Giants continues to overhaul its entire roster after welcoming new faces, including key homegrown players, as the Philippines Football League (PFL) season unfolds in April. The Gentle Giants presented 10 new players, including four Cebu homegrown players, who will comprise its official roster for the.....»»
Top 10 e-commerce sites in the Philippines 2019 - ASEAN UP
With a dynamic economy and a large population proficient with digital technologies, the Philippines is a fast-growing market for e-commerce in Southeast Asia. Several websites and digital applications are already fighting for market share, with global, regional and national players. The growing connectivity of the Philippines, rapidly overcoming the countrys infrastructure difficulties, enable more and Continue reading &q.....»»
Ex-Munti mayor cleared of P97 million graft charge
The Sandiganbayan has acquitted former Muntinlupa mayor Aldrin San Pedro of a graft case that stemmed from the allegedly anomalous procurement of P97.52 million worth of fire trucks from 2008 to 2009......»»
Former NBA player Rashid Byrd sentenced to 90 years in prison for sexual assault
LOS ANGELES – Former NBA player Rashid Byrd has been sentenced to 90 years to life in state prison for a series of violent sexual assaults that occurred in Los Angeles and Santa Clara counties from 2015 to 2020, the Los Angeles Police Department has announced. Byrd, who has been in police custody since his arrest by.....»»
More firearms surrendered by Basilan residents
Almost a hundred more assault rifles and grenade launchers were surrendered voluntarily by residents of Basilan to the Philippine Army in separate turnover rites on Friday in support of a provincial firearms decommissioning and management program......»»
DepEd-7 probes classroom assault involving Cebu teacher, student
CEBU CITY, Philippines – The Department of Education in Region 7, DepEd-7 has ordered an investigation into an alleged classroom assault involving a teacher and his 14-year-old student in Cebu. Dr. Salustiano Jimenez, the regional director of DepEd-7 revealed that the agency already initiated an investigation into the matter, the moment he received the video.....»»
Cebu lampposts case: SC clears DPWH execs, contractor of graft
The Supreme Court acquitted three former officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and a private contractor of graft charges in relation to the installation of allegedly overpriced lampposts during the 2007 Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) summit held in Cebu. In a 22-page decision promulgated on Oct. 11, 2023, but made public only.....»»
Italy court clears man who tried to strangle sleeping wife
ROME—A court in Italy has acquitted a man who tried to strangle his wife while asleep, ruling that he was suffering from a sleep disorder, media reported on Thursday. His wife had to bite him to wake him and stop the attack, which happened in January 2021, the court in Brescia, in Italy’s northern Lombardy.....»»
Israel strikes Rafah refugee camp, 22 killed, local health officials say
Aid agencies say an assault on Rafah would be catastrophic. It is the last relatively safe place in an enclave devastated by Israel's military offensive......»»