Georgia
Comedians Eric André and Clayton English settle lawsuit over drug search program at Atlanta airport
ATLANTA (AP) — Comedians Eric André and Clayton English have reached a settlement in a lawsuit they filed challenging a police program at the Atlanta airport that they said used racial profiling and coercive searches just as airline passengers, particularly Black passengers, were about to board their flights.
The lawsuit, originally filed in October 2022, alleged that the two men were racially profiled and illegally stopped by Clayton County police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The pair’s lawyers announced the settlement agreement Tuesday, saying the county publicly confirmed that it has ended the program at issue.
Both men said officers at the airport singled them out because they were Black and grilled them about drugs while other passengers watched during separate stops about six months apart. In an interview when the lawsuit was filed, André called the experience “dehumanizing and demoralizing.”
The stated purpose of the program was to fight drug trafficking, but the lawsuit said drugs are rarely found, criminal charges seldom result, and seized cash provides a financial windfall for the police department.
“It’s a major victory that Clayton County has confirmed that it has ended this program and is now taking steps to prevent this type of abuse from happening in the future,” André said in a press release.
“What happened to me was wrong, and I wasn’t willing to let it happen to other people,” English said in the release.
A county spokesperson did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment on the settlement agreement.
The county Board of Commissioners authorized a payment of $30,000, with half going to each comedian, as part of the settlement, according to minutes from the board’s Aug. 4 meeting.
The county also agreed to require police officers assigned to the airport to use body-worn cameras and to undergo training on constitutional limits regarding police encounters at airports, lawyers for André and English said.
Police records cited in the lawsuit showed that from Aug. 30, 2020, to April 30, 2021, there were 402 jet bridge stops, and the passenger’s race was listed for 378 of those stops. Of those 378 passengers, 211, or 56%, were Black, and people of color accounted for 258 total stops, or 68%, the lawsuit said.
Those 402 stops resulted in three reported drug seizures: about 10 grams of drugs from one passenger, 26 grams of “suspected THC gummies” from another, and six prescription pills without a prescription from a third, the lawsuit said. Only the first and third person were charged.
Those 402 stops also yielded more than $1 million in cash and money orders from a total of 25 passengers. All but one were allowed to continue their travels, and only two — the ones who also had drugs — were charged, the lawsuit said. Eight of the 25 challenged the seizures, and Clayton County police settled each case, returning much of the seized money, the lawsuit said.
Washington
U.S. hits ICC president and senior prosecutor with sanctions in another move against the court
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court and one of its top prosecutors as it continues a campaign to dismantle the tribunal, which it accuses of trying to unfairly prosecute U.S. and Israeli soldiers for alleged crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza.
The State Department said Tuesday it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions or come into contact with the U.S. financial system.
“The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.”
The move is the latest by the Trump administration against the ICC, which it says has exceeded its mandate by investigating or trying soldiers, commanders and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.
The ICC was quick to respond, as it has done when faced with previous Trump administration actions, saying that the sanctions “undermine the rule of law.”
“When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” it said.
Texas
Judge removed from track meet stabbing case as defendant Karmelo Anthony seeks a new trial
McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — The trial judge who presided over the case of Texas teenager convicted of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet was ordered removed from the case as the defendant seeks a new trial and appeals his conviction.
Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a suburban Dallas jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year.
Anthony’s legal team argued Wednesday that a retrial was warranted in part because state District Judge John Roach enforced overly strict courtroom rules and gave an interview after the trial was over.
A new judge will be assigned for Thursday’s hearing on the retrial request.
Anthony attended the hearing in Collin County wearing a green jump suit. His parents and Metcalf’s parents also were in the courtroom.
The case attracted attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race.
After the order to remove Roach, Anthony supporters cheered the courthouse hallways and outside the building.
Anthony did not testify during the trial.
During the trial, students described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team. The teens went to different high schools.
Several schools were competing when Anthony sat under the Memorial High School tent that was perched in the bleachers. Austin Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.
Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor.
Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.
Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
Michigan
Woman pleads to submitting nearly $100K in fraudulent CERA applications
Mariah Davis, 34, of Southfield, pled guilty on Tuesday to submitting multiple fraudulent COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) applications to obtain nearly $100,000 in funds from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Davis pled as charged to False Pretenses - $50,000 or more but less than $100,000 and one count of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime.
The CERA program, administered by MSHDA, was designed to support Michigan residents struggling with rent and utilities due to pandemic-related financial hardships. MSHDA identified multiple fraudulent applications submitted by Davis and referred the matter to the Department of Attorney General. As part of the plea and delayed sentence agreement, Davis will pay full restitution of $98,282.20, $20,000 of which was paid at the time of the plea. If she pays the full restitution before the end of the delayed sentence, the Using a Computer to Commit a Crime charge will be dismissed.
The investigation and prosecution of this case was pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed between the Department of Attorney General and MSHDA to investigate and prosecute the fraudulent stealing of housing funds. The MOU is set to expire December 31, 2026, unless renewed by MSHDA.
Davis will be sentenced by Judge Wanda Stokes in the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County on October 7, 2027.
Michigan
Detroit man charged with smuggling narcotics into prisons
John Calhoun, 36, of Detroit, was arraigned on Tuesday before Magistrate Delphia Burton in the 36th District Court in Detroit on multiple felony counts for allegedly smuggling narcotics into the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) facilities through the mail. He was charged following an investigation by the MDOC, the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Calhoun has been charged with: One count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony; one count of Delivery/Manufacture of a Controlled Substance – Schedule 1 Narcotic, 50 to 449 grams, a 20-year felony; eight counts of Delivery/Manufacture of a Controlled Substance – Schedule 1 Narcotic, < 50 grams, a 7-year felony; and eight counts of Bringing Contraband into Prisons, a 5-year felony.
In 2024, several pieces of mail sent to inmates across the state were intercepted by the MDOC under suspicion that the mail contained narcotics. It is alleged that Calhoun, who was charged as a Habitual 4th Offender and reportedly familiar with the way the MDOC handled mail, sent packages that appeared to be legal mail from an attorney but actually contained narcotics. These packages were allegedly sent to eight separate correctional facilities: Thumb Correctional Facility; Muskegon Correctional Facility; Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility; Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility; Oaks Correctional Facility; Chippewa Correctional Facility; Kinross Correctional Facility; and Baraga Correctional Facility.
“Smuggling narcotics into correctional facilities threatens the safety and security of prison staff and inmates,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “I am proud of the work my office did in partnership with MDOC and MSP to uncover this alleged scheme, and we remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to traffic contraband into Michigan prisons.”
The Michigan Department of Corrections continues to take strides to reduce contraband as part of the Safe Prisons Initiative. Implementation of new technologies such as body scanners, package scanners, and legal mail policy changes are helping to deter smuggling attempts. In addition, improved search procedures, officer training, and investment in intelligence activities are helping to address security risks. The department has stopped over 100 incidents of contraband from coming into prison facilities since the beginning of 2026.
Calhoun will next appear before the 36th District Court on August 24.
Comedians Eric André and Clayton English settle lawsuit over drug search program at Atlanta airport
ATLANTA (AP) — Comedians Eric André and Clayton English have reached a settlement in a lawsuit they filed challenging a police program at the Atlanta airport that they said used racial profiling and coercive searches just as airline passengers, particularly Black passengers, were about to board their flights.
The lawsuit, originally filed in October 2022, alleged that the two men were racially profiled and illegally stopped by Clayton County police at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The pair’s lawyers announced the settlement agreement Tuesday, saying the county publicly confirmed that it has ended the program at issue.
Both men said officers at the airport singled them out because they were Black and grilled them about drugs while other passengers watched during separate stops about six months apart. In an interview when the lawsuit was filed, André called the experience “dehumanizing and demoralizing.”
The stated purpose of the program was to fight drug trafficking, but the lawsuit said drugs are rarely found, criminal charges seldom result, and seized cash provides a financial windfall for the police department.
“It’s a major victory that Clayton County has confirmed that it has ended this program and is now taking steps to prevent this type of abuse from happening in the future,” André said in a press release.
“What happened to me was wrong, and I wasn’t willing to let it happen to other people,” English said in the release.
A county spokesperson did not immediately respond Tuesday to a request for comment on the settlement agreement.
The county Board of Commissioners authorized a payment of $30,000, with half going to each comedian, as part of the settlement, according to minutes from the board’s Aug. 4 meeting.
The county also agreed to require police officers assigned to the airport to use body-worn cameras and to undergo training on constitutional limits regarding police encounters at airports, lawyers for André and English said.
Police records cited in the lawsuit showed that from Aug. 30, 2020, to April 30, 2021, there were 402 jet bridge stops, and the passenger’s race was listed for 378 of those stops. Of those 378 passengers, 211, or 56%, were Black, and people of color accounted for 258 total stops, or 68%, the lawsuit said.
Those 402 stops resulted in three reported drug seizures: about 10 grams of drugs from one passenger, 26 grams of “suspected THC gummies” from another, and six prescription pills without a prescription from a third, the lawsuit said. Only the first and third person were charged.
Those 402 stops also yielded more than $1 million in cash and money orders from a total of 25 passengers. All but one were allowed to continue their travels, and only two — the ones who also had drugs — were charged, the lawsuit said. Eight of the 25 challenged the seizures, and Clayton County police settled each case, returning much of the seized money, the lawsuit said.
Washington
U.S. hits ICC president and senior prosecutor with sanctions in another move against the court
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration has imposed sanctions on the president of the International Criminal Court and one of its top prosecutors as it continues a campaign to dismantle the tribunal, which it accuses of trying to unfairly prosecute U.S. and Israeli soldiers for alleged crimes in Afghanistan, Iraq and Gaza.
The State Department said Tuesday it had hit ICC president Tomoko Akane, a Japanese national, and ICC senior trial lawyer Abdoulaye Seye, who is from Senegal, with sanctions that freeze any assets they have in U.S. jurisdictions or come into contact with the U.S. financial system.
“The Trump Administration has been clear: the International Criminal Court is a corrupt and fatally politicized supranational court that has maliciously abused its authority and exceeded its mandate,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement. “We will not tolerate its assault on state sovereignty.”
The move is the latest by the Trump administration against the ICC, which it says has exceeded its mandate by investigating or trying soldiers, commanders and political officials from countries, such as Israel and the United States, that are not members of the court.
The ICC was quick to respond, as it has done when faced with previous Trump administration actions, saying that the sanctions “undermine the rule of law.”
“When judicial actors are threatened for applying the law, it is the international legal order itself that is placed at risk,” it said.
Texas
Judge removed from track meet stabbing case as defendant Karmelo Anthony seeks a new trial
McKINNEY, Texas (AP) — The trial judge who presided over the case of Texas teenager convicted of fatally stabbing a 17-year-old athlete at a high school track meet was ordered removed from the case as the defendant seeks a new trial and appeals his conviction.
Karmelo Anthony, now 19, was convicted of murder and sentenced to 35 years in prison after a suburban Dallas jury in June rejected his claims of self-defense during a confrontation with Austin Metcalf in the stadium bleachers last year.
Anthony’s legal team argued Wednesday that a retrial was warranted in part because state District Judge John Roach enforced overly strict courtroom rules and gave an interview after the trial was over.
A new judge will be assigned for Thursday’s hearing on the retrial request.
Anthony attended the hearing in Collin County wearing a green jump suit. His parents and Metcalf’s parents also were in the courtroom.
The case attracted attention in part because of a flood of social media posts that amplified the killing in racial terms. Anthony is Black; Metcalf was white. Lawyers on both sides, however, told jurors the tragedy had nothing to do with race.
After the order to remove Roach, Anthony supporters cheered the courthouse hallways and outside the building.
Anthony did not testify during the trial.
During the trial, students described a heated exchange over Anthony’s refusal on a rainy spring day to leave a tent that belonged to Metcalf’s team. The teens went to different high schools.
Several schools were competing when Anthony sat under the Memorial High School tent that was perched in the bleachers. Austin Metcalf and others had repeatedly told Anthony to leave, witnesses testified, leading to an escalating confrontation.
Prosecutors said Anthony provoked Metcalf, and witnesses testified that Anthony was the aggressor.
Anthony at one point reached inside a bag and replied: “Touch me and see what happens,” according to a police report.
Metcalf pushed Anthony, according to witnesses, who said Anthony then pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the chest.
Michigan
Woman pleads to submitting nearly $100K in fraudulent CERA applications
Mariah Davis, 34, of Southfield, pled guilty on Tuesday to submitting multiple fraudulent COVID Emergency Rental Assistance (CERA) applications to obtain nearly $100,000 in funds from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA), announced Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. Davis pled as charged to False Pretenses - $50,000 or more but less than $100,000 and one count of Using a Computer to Commit a Crime.
The CERA program, administered by MSHDA, was designed to support Michigan residents struggling with rent and utilities due to pandemic-related financial hardships. MSHDA identified multiple fraudulent applications submitted by Davis and referred the matter to the Department of Attorney General. As part of the plea and delayed sentence agreement, Davis will pay full restitution of $98,282.20, $20,000 of which was paid at the time of the plea. If she pays the full restitution before the end of the delayed sentence, the Using a Computer to Commit a Crime charge will be dismissed.
The investigation and prosecution of this case was pursuant to a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) executed between the Department of Attorney General and MSHDA to investigate and prosecute the fraudulent stealing of housing funds. The MOU is set to expire December 31, 2026, unless renewed by MSHDA.
Davis will be sentenced by Judge Wanda Stokes in the 30th Circuit Court in Ingham County on October 7, 2027.
Michigan
Detroit man charged with smuggling narcotics into prisons
John Calhoun, 36, of Detroit, was arraigned on Tuesday before Magistrate Delphia Burton in the 36th District Court in Detroit on multiple felony counts for allegedly smuggling narcotics into the Michigan Department of Corrections (MDOC) facilities through the mail. He was charged following an investigation by the MDOC, the Michigan State Police (MSP), and the Michigan Department of Attorney General. Calhoun has been charged with: One count of Conducting a Criminal Enterprise, a 20-year felony; one count of Delivery/Manufacture of a Controlled Substance – Schedule 1 Narcotic, 50 to 449 grams, a 20-year felony; eight counts of Delivery/Manufacture of a Controlled Substance – Schedule 1 Narcotic, < 50 grams, a 7-year felony; and eight counts of Bringing Contraband into Prisons, a 5-year felony.
In 2024, several pieces of mail sent to inmates across the state were intercepted by the MDOC under suspicion that the mail contained narcotics. It is alleged that Calhoun, who was charged as a Habitual 4th Offender and reportedly familiar with the way the MDOC handled mail, sent packages that appeared to be legal mail from an attorney but actually contained narcotics. These packages were allegedly sent to eight separate correctional facilities: Thumb Correctional Facility; Muskegon Correctional Facility; Earnest C. Brooks Correctional Facility; Bellamy Creek Correctional Facility; Oaks Correctional Facility; Chippewa Correctional Facility; Kinross Correctional Facility; and Baraga Correctional Facility.
“Smuggling narcotics into correctional facilities threatens the safety and security of prison staff and inmates,” said Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel. “I am proud of the work my office did in partnership with MDOC and MSP to uncover this alleged scheme, and we remain committed to investigating and prosecuting those who attempt to traffic contraband into Michigan prisons.”
The Michigan Department of Corrections continues to take strides to reduce contraband as part of the Safe Prisons Initiative. Implementation of new technologies such as body scanners, package scanners, and legal mail policy changes are helping to deter smuggling attempts. In addition, improved search procedures, officer training, and investment in intelligence activities are helping to address security risks. The department has stopped over 100 incidents of contraband from coming into prison facilities since the beginning of 2026.
Calhoun will next appear before the 36th District Court on August 24.
