Patrick Crusius, the El Paso Walmart shooter responsible for 23 deaths in a 2019 hate crime, has been offered a plea deal in state court to avoid the death penalty. This follows his 2023 federal conviction resulting in 90 consecutive life sentences. While the state District Attorney supports the death penalty and believes Crusius deserves it, the decision was made in part due to the victims’ families’ desire for closure and to avoid protracted legal battles. Federal prosecutors also declined to pursue the death penalty, though reasons were not fully disclosed.
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Sean Higgins, charged with the deaths of NHL player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother Matthew, pleaded not guilty to the indictment, rejecting a 35-year plea deal. Prosecutors allege Higgins, impaired by alcohol and exhibiting road rage, struck the cyclists while driving aggressively. The defense maintains the incident resulted from unfortunate circumstances, not malicious intent. Higgins faces multiple charges, including aggravated manslaughter and vehicular homicide, and awaits trial.
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A military appeals court rejected Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s attempt to nullify plea deals for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and two other 9/11 defendants. These agreements, reached after years of negotiations, would see the men plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty. The court’s decision upholds the deals, which had been challenged by Austin citing the severity of the attacks. Austin may appeal to a civilian court, while the separate repatriation of a long-held detainee leaves 26 men remaining at Guantanamo Bay.
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John Q. Hosedrinker