Jury sentences Nidal Hasan to death for rampage
Posted On mercredi 28 août 2013 at at 12:36 by HSMA
The American-born Muslim, who has said he acted to protect Islamic insurgents abroad from American aggression, never denied being the gunman. In opening statements, he acknowledged to the jury that he pulled the trigger in a crowded waiting room where troops were getting final medical checkups before deploying to Iraq and Afghanistan.
The same jurors who convicted Hasan last week had just two options: either agree unanimously that Hasan should die or watch the 42-year-old get an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole.
Hasan had no visible reaction when the verdict was read, staring first at the jury forewoman and then the judge. Officials said he will be taken back to a county jail and then transported on the first available military flight to the military prison at Fort Leavenworth in Kansas. The timing on the flight wasn't immediately clear.
Hasan could become the first American soldier executed in more than half a century. But because the military justice system requires a lengthy appeals process, years or even decades could pass before he is put to death.
The lead prosecutor assured jurors that Hasan would "never be a martyr" despite his attempt to tie the attack to religion.
"He is a criminal. He is a cold-blooded murderer," Col. Mike Mulligan said Wednesday in his final plea for a rare military death sentence. "This is not his gift to God. This is his debt to society. This is the cost of his murderous rampage."
For nearly four years, the federal government has sought to execute Hasan, believing that any sentence short of a lethal injection would deny justice to the families of the dead and the survivors who had believed they were safe behind the gates of the Texas base.
And for just as long, Hasan has seemed content to go to the death chamber for his beliefs. He fired his own attorneys to represent himself, barely put up a defense during a three-week trial and made almost no effort to have his life spared.
Mulligan reminded the jury that Hasan was a trained doctor yet opened fire on defenseless comrades. He "only dealt death," the prosecutor said, so the only appropriate sentence is death.
He was never allowed to argue in front of the jury that the shooting was necessary to protect Islamic and Taliban leaders from American troops. During the trial, Hasan leaked documents to journalists that revealed him telling military mental health workers in 2010 that he could "still be a martyr" if executed.
When Hasan began shooting, the troops were standing in long lines to receive immunizations and doctors' clearance. Thirteen people were killed and more than were 30 wounded. All but one of the dead were soldiers, including a pregnant private who curled on the floor and pleaded for her baby's life.
The attack ended only when Hasan was shot in the back by an officer responding to the shooting. Hasan is now paralyzed from the waist down and uses a wheelchair.
The military called nearly 90 witnesses at the trial and more during the sentencing phase. But Hasan rested his case without calling a single person to testify in his defense and made no closing argument. Even with his life at stake during the sentencing hearing, he made no attempt to question witnesses and gave no final statement to jurors.
Death sentences are rare in the military, which has just five other prisoners on death row. The cases trigger a long appeals process. And the president must give final authorization before any service member is executed. No American soldier has been executed since 1961.
Hasan spent weeks planning the Nov. 5, 2009, attack, including buying the handgun and videotaping a sales clerk showing him how to change the magazine.
He later plunked down $10 at a gun range outside Austin and asked for pointers on how to reload with speed and precision. An instructor said he told Hasan to practice while watching TV or sitting on his couch with the lights off.
When the time came, Hasan stuffed paper towels in the pockets of his cargo pants to muffle the rattling of extra ammo and avoid arousing suspicion. Soldiers testified that Hasan's rapid reloading made it all but impossible to stop him. Investigators recovered 146 shell casings in the medical building and dozens more outside, where Hasan shot at the backs of soldiers fleeing toward the parking lot.
In court, Hasan never played the role of an angry extremist. He didn't get agitated or raise his voice. He addressed the judge as "ma'am" and occasionally whispered "thank you" when prosecutors, in accordance with the rules of evidence, handed Hasan red pill bottles that rattled with bullet fragments removed from those who were shot.
Arnold schwarzenegger and maria shriver separated
Posted On at at 12:30 by HSMA
Arnold schwarzenegger and maria shriver separated, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Maria Shriver announced Monday that they are "amicably separating," but there was no mention of divorce in their joint statement.Confirmation of their split came just two weeks after the 25th anniversary of their marriage and four months after Schwarzenegger left the California governor's office.
"This has been a time of great personal and professional transition for each of us," their statement said. "After a great deal of thought, reflection, discussion, and prayer, we came to this decision together."
The statement did not reveal when the separation began, but Shriver, 55, was not wearing her wedding band in a video posted on YouTube two weeks ago.
At this time, we are living apart, while we work on the future of our relationship," they said.
The marriage of Schwarzenegger, a bodybuilder-turned-actor, and Shriver, the niece of President John F. Kennedy, was considered an unlikely union, especially considering Shriver's deep Democratic roots and Schwarzenegger's Republican leanings.
Gallery: Arnold and Maria, the way they were
They became one of America's most famous couples. He was one of Hollywood's highest paid actors and she was a network news anchor. They both gave up those careers when he was elected governor of California in 2003, a job he held until this past January.
Schwarzenegger, 63, has been busy in recent months reviving his acting career, signing movies deals -- including another installment of his "Terminator" series.
"We are continuing to parent our four children together," they said. "They are the light and the center of both of our lives."
Gallery: Surprising celebrity splits
The statement did not say which one of them moved out of the Brentwood, California mansion where the family has resided.
"We consider this a private matter, and neither we nor any of our friends or family will have further comment," the statement said. "We ask for compassion and respect from the media and the public."
Chris brown seizure
Posted On at at 12:22 by HSMA
Chris brown seizure, The Grammy award winning singer Chris Brown suffered a seizure brought on by extreme emotional stress and fatigue relating to legal matters and nonstop negativity, his publicist said yesterday.The “Look At Me Now” singer suffered a non-epileptic seizure at a Hollywood recording studio on Friday morning.
According to TMZ, paramedics rushed to the scene at the Record Planet recording studios following an emergency call at 1:09AM.
Mr Brown apparently came around from his fit, refused treatment and did not want to be taken to hospital.
His publicist Nicole Perna told the Washington Post that doctors attributed the attack to: “intense fatigue and extreme emotional stress, both due to the continued onslaught of unfounded legal matters and the nonstop negativity.”
The singer, who won a Grammy in 2011 for Best R&B Album with “F.A.M.E.”, has been on probation since 2009 following an assault on his ex-girlfriend Rihanna.
A judge revoked his probation last month and ordered a hearing in a May 12 hit-and-run case, in which he is suspected of rear-ending a car stopped at a red light in the San Fernando Valley.
Brown allegedly refused to give the other driver his license or insurance information.
The driver of the other car said Brown was polite at first, but a confrontation arose after she kept demanding identification.
The same month, Brown crashed his Porsche while being chased by paparazzi.
Jay Z rihanna chris brown
Posted On at at 12:17 by HSMA
Jay-Z watches over Rihanna, 25, like she’s his own daughter, and if you’ve listened to any of his songs about Blue Ivy Carter, you know he’s a protective and proud daddy. So why hasn’t he driven Rihanna’s ex, Chris Brown, 24, out of the business after all the pain he’s caused her?
Jay-Z Won’t Try To Control Rihanna
“That’s not my place [to interfere],” Jay told Hot 97′s The Angie Show out of New York on July 10. “I can’t control the outcome of her life. I can’t intervene.”
Jay-Z continued to explain that he can only give Rihanna advice, but at the end of the day it’s up to her to decide how she wants to live. “I can give advice, if asked, you know, and that’s it. I can provide information, and then life has to play out. Life has to happen.”
Ah Jay-Z, so wise.
He is right though — especially with a strong personality like Rihanna, trying to control her would only push her further away. Jay suggested that he has plenty of “really good” advice to give RiRi on the topic of Chris, but he’s likely doing the right thing by not forcing it down her throat.
Jay-Z: ‘I Don’t Have Enough Time’ For Rihanna & Chris Brown
The 43-year-old rapper also admitted in the interview that he doesn’t exactly keep up on the ups and downs of Rihanna and Chris’ relationship. “I’m not into that,” he said, “I don’t have enough time in the day to invest in it.”
What do you think of Jay-Z’s approach to advising Rihanna, HollywoodLifers? Should he be more hands-on? Let us know!
Chris brown five years probation + six months community service
Posted On at at 12:07 by HSMA
Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg told Brown that he could be sent to state prison if he violated any terms of his sentence, including an order to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna unless they're attending music industry events.
A probation report prepared for Tuesday's sentencing describes two previous violent incidents. It said the first happened about three months before the February beating while the couple was traveling in Europe; Rihanna slapped Brown during an argument, and he shoved her into a wall. In the second instance, Brown allegedly broke the front and passenger side windows on a Range Rover they were driving while visiting Barbados, Rihanna's home country. Neither attack was reported, the probation report states.
Brown will serve his sentence in his home state - Virginia - and his community labor will be overseen by the police chief in Richmond.
The judge said she wanted to ensure that Brown, 20, performs physical labor instead of community service, such as mentoring young people. He will also undergo a year of domestic violence counseling.
Rihanna did not attend Tuesday's sentencing.
At one point, Brown, who was accompanied by his mother, agreed to the terms of the sentence before Schnegg had finished going through them all.
The hearing had been planned for Thursday afternoon, but Brown's lawyer, Mark Geragos, asked to move up the singer's sentencing to Tuesday. A previous attempt to sentence Brown was postponed when Schnegg said she hadn't received adequate assurances that Brown would perform physical labor if allowed to serve probation in Virginia.
The judge said she was satisfied with a letter presented by Geragos that Richmond Police Chief Bryan T. Norwood will directly oversee Brown's labor program.
After Brown pleaded guilty to felony assault in June, Schnegg ordered the pair to stay away from each other and to not contact one another. Her order Tuesday essentially extended that until Brown completes his sentence.
Donald Etra, Rihanna's attorney, has said he didn't think the strict rules were necessary, but that he and Rihanna favored a less-stringent ruling that simply ordered Brown not to annoy, harass or molest the 21-year-old pop singer. He said after Tuesday's hearing that Rihanna did not object to the stay-away order, which allows the former couple to be within 10 yards of each other if they are attending music industry events.
Schnegg said she was aware of reports that Brown had been spotted on several occasions in the same places as Rihanna.
"I am not amused with the chatter that has been on the airwaves and any violation of your probation in this case comes with the potential for state prison," Schnegg told Brown.
A felony charge of making criminal threats was dropped during Tuesday's sentencing.
"We feel that the sentence for Mr. Brown is an equitable one," said Sandi Gibbons, a district attorney's spokeswoman. "He has his future in his hands. He has control of his fate."
Gibbons said Brown's charge could eventually be reduced to a misdemeanor if he completes his sentence.
Brown was arrested Feb. 8, hours after he was accused of beating Rihanna.
The attack occurred in Los Angeles' Hancock Park neighborhood as Brown drove a rented sports car. A Los Angeles police detective described a brutal attack in a search warrant affidavit filed in the case, stating Brown hit, choked and bit Rihanna and tried at one point to push her from the car.
Brown's career suffered after his arrest, with sponsors dropping him and radio stations refusing to play his music. Both he and Rihanna had to cancel several high-profile appearances, including planned performances at the Grammy Awards the day of the attack.
In a probation report released after the sentencing, Brown is quoted as saying he was "depressed" since the attack and that he "'does not want to carry on that cycle.'"
The report included letters of support for Brown from RCA/Jive Label Group Chairman Barry Weiss as well as an entertainment lawyer and a pastor.
Drake's 'Smoove' Album Cover Has Fans Doing Blue Ivy Double-Take
Posted On at at 11:56 by HSMA
Drake pushed the release date for his third album Nothing Was The Same just a few days to September 24, but he followed that announcement with the official cover art for his LP, just so we know it's real. Naturally, fans have had a lot to say about the new artwork, which some proclaimed was pure "greatness."
The VMA nominee unveiled the cover via Instagram on Wednesday featuring an image of baby Drake with a mini afro and a second side profile of a fully matured Aubrey. Placed next to it each other, the images find Drake staring at himself, and likely symbolize him taking glimpses at the past and the future.
The graphics are courtesy of painter and illustrator Kadir Nelson, who, according to Complex, has crafted projects for artists like Michael Jackson, publications like Sports Illustrated and even for the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Postal Service. Not to mention that he's penned best-selling books about famous figures that include Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Reaction to the cover was immediate across social media. The image of baby Drake was "liked" by over 223, 000 fans on Instagram, while fully grow Aubrey was "liked" by more than 215, 000 fans with almost 4,000 comments. The rapper's tweet pegging Nelson to the cover art was retweeted nearly 2,500 times.
@RobynIsMyGal couldn't hide his enthusiasm, declaring that "Drake's New Album cover is just greatness predicted!" and @jimmyyadig agreed that it is a win, adding, "Drake's album cover for Nothing was the Same is dope and fits well with the album name."And then there were those fans who thought that baby Drake looked very similar to one other very famous hip-hop baby. "Why is Blue Ivy on Drake's album cover?" @MrVicks questioned, but @BBRENMAR declared it as fact, writing, "drake put blue ivy carter on his new album art #notmad." Other fans were all about the new cover.
George Zimmerman's wife pleads guilty to perjury
Posted On at at 11:48 by HSMA
George Zimmerman's wife pleads guilty to perjury, The wife of George Zimmerman, the neighborhood watch volunteer acquitted in the killing of Trayvon Martin, has been sentenced to one year probation and 100 hours of community service after pleading guilty to a misdemeanor perjury charge for lying at her husband's bond hearing.Shellie Zimmerman, in court Wednesday, admitted that she perjured herself before Judge Kenneth Lester at an April 22, 2012, bond hearing for her husband. At that hearing, she told Lester, who was then presiding over her husband's case, that the couple had little funds.
But in a court filing, State Attorney Angela Corey said Shellie Zimmerman perjured herself by failing to reveal that George Zimmerman had collected more than $100,000 through Internet donations.
George Zimmerman instructed Shellie Zimmerman on how to transfer money from his bank account into hers and his sister's while he was in jail in April 2012, according to recordings of jail calls released by the Florida State Attorney's Office. According to an affidavit, Shellie Zimmerman transferred more than $74,000 to her personal account days before the April bond hearing. Nearly $50,000 was transferred to an account held by Zimmerman's sister.
Taped phone calls between the couple revealed that they had discussed the money transfers in code to hide the funds, according to the affidavit. Prosecutors allege that Zimmerman and his wife talked about $10, $20 and $100 to mask the fact that they were referring to thousands of dollars. The calls also showed that George Zimmerman instructed his wife to "pay off all the bills," including payments to American Express and Sam's Club.
Lester ruled on June 3, 2012, that Shellie Zimmerman had "testified untruthfully" about their finances. She was later arrested on June 12, 2012, and jailed briefly in Seminole County before posting a $1,000 bond.
George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin on Feb. 26, 2012, in a gated townhouse community in Sanford, Fla., as the teen returned home from buying snacks at a convenience store.
Zimmerman said he shot the unarmed teenager in self-defense after being attacked. A jury last month found Zimmerman not guilty of second-degree murder and manslaughter.
Shellie Zimmerman had originally faced a third-degree felony perjury charge but the court accepted a plea deal. Wednesday, she pleaded guilty to "perjury not in official proceedings," which is a misdemeanor. She also filed in open court a letter of apology to Lester. A copy of the letter was not immediately available to USA TODAY.
As part of Shellie Zimmerman's one year of probation, she was given a list of conditions she must abide by.
In part, she cannot possess, carry or own a firearm and must get permission to own any other type of weapon. She also must get permission from her probation officer before moving, changing jobs or leaving the county where she lives.
She must also report regularly to a probation officer, pay $263 in court fees/fines and pay the state of Florida $50 per month as a cost of supervision while on probation.
Her probation can also be revoked if she violates the law, associates with anyone engaged in criminal activity or uses any drugs not prescribed by a doctor.