(AP Photo/Chris Pizzello)

By JONATHAN LANDRUM Jr. and TIM REYNOLDS Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Will Smith marched on stage and smacked presenter Chris Rock during Sunday night’s Oscars after Rock made a joke about the appearance of Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. Smith was awarded best actor for his role in “King Richard” moments later and apologized to the academy during his speech. The crowd at the Dolby Theatre hushed as Smith twice shouted at Rock to “keep my wife’s name out of your (expletive) mouth.” Rock made a joke about Pinkett Smith’s shaved head. Pinkett Smith revealed in 2018 that she was diagnosed with alopecia. She has often discussed the challenges of hair loss on Instagram and other social media platforms.

(Photo provided with release)

Keystone State News Connection

March 28, 2022

Emily Scott

Young people in the U.S. were incarcerated in juvenile facilities 240,000 times in 2019, according to a new report, and the research contended current methods significantly underrepresent how many are in detention.

Youth incarceration data is typically measured through a one-day count in late October. The Sentencing Project report estimated at least 80 % of the young people incarcerated are excluded from the count, most prevalent for youth who have been arrested and detained but have not had a court hearing.

Josh Rovner, senior advocacy associate for The Sentencing Project and the report’s author, said getting the data right is critical, especially for youth of color disproportionately impacted by the juvenile justice system.

“Overwhelmingly, these are kids who are charged with low-level offenses,” Rovner reported. “So we are making all of ourselves less safe because kids who are in these facilities are more likely to get arrested again, having been detained the first time.”

In 2020, there were 4,200 secure detention admissions of young people in Pennsylvania, according to state data, a 42% decrease from 2019.

Pennsylvania’s Juvenile Justice Task Force released its final recommendations last year, which included raising the minimum age for when a youth can be tried in juvenile court and diverting young people with low-level cases from the courtroom.

Malik Pickett, staff attorney for the Juvenile Law Center in Philadelphia, said with more youth detention centers closing, there is an opportunity to invest in community-based programs.

“I think Pennsylvania is heavily prioritizing sending youths away and treating them in these residential facilities,” Pickett observed. “When we know the research shows that youths receive better outcomes when they’re treated within their communities and kept in their homes, close to their support and family and friends.”

Sen. Camera Bartolotta, R-Washington, and Sen. Anthony Williams, D-Philadelphia, announced the Juvenile Justice Policy Act in a memo this month, which would limit detention and standardize placement practices with recommendations from the Task Force.

(Pittsburgh, Pa.) A resident of Rochester, Pennsylvania has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on a charge of violating federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.
The one-count Indictment, returned on March 17, named James Gilmore, age 32, as the sole defendant.
According to Indictment, on or about June 9, 2021, Gilmore possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Federal law prohibits an individual who has been convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of ten (10) years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
The defendant is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

PITTSBURGH, PA – Two former residents of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on federal hate crime charges, United States Attorney Cindy K. Chung announced today.

The twelve-count Indictment unsealed yesterday names Zachary Dinell, 28, formerly of Freedom, Pennsylvania, and Tyler Smith, 31, most recently of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, as defendants.

According to the Indictment, Dinell and Smith were employees of an in-patient health care facility located in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. The Indictment alleges that residents of the facility suffered from a range of severe physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities, and required assistance with all activities of daily life, including bathing, using the bathroom, oral hygiene, feeding, and dressing. As members of the facility’s Direct Care Staff, Dinell and Smith were responsible for providing this daily assistance to residents.

The Indictment further alleges that from approximately June 2016 to September 2017, Dinell and Smith engaged in a conspiracy to commit hate crimes, and did commit hate crimes, against residents of the facility because of the residents’ actual or perceived disabilities. As part of the conspiracy, the Indictment alleges that Dinell and Smith exchanged text messages in which they expressed their animus toward the disabled residents, shared pictures and videos of residents and attacks, described their attacks, and encouraged each other’s continued abuse of residents. Dinell and Smith allegedly carried out their attacks in a variety of ways, including by punching and kicking residents, jumping on residents, rubbing liquid irritants in their eyes, and by spraying liquid irritants in their eyes and mouths.

Dinell and Smith allegedly were able to avoid detection by, among other things, exploiting their one-on-one access to residents of the facility and the fact that the victims were non-verbal and could not report the defendants’ alleged abuse. Dinell and Smith are also charged with engaging in a scheme to conceal their assaults against residents at the facility.

“The defendants are charged with targeting the most vulnerable members of our community because of their disabilities,” said United States Attorney Chung. “The defendants’ alleged hate crimes involved victims who were unable to defend themselves or report what happened to them. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners will continue our work to ensure that these victims—and all victims of federal crime—have a voice and that those who would perpetrate violence against them are brought to justice.”

“The actions associated with the charges announced today are disturbing to say the least,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Mike Nordwall. “Our office is committed to combating hate crime, seeking justice and, most importantly, providing assistance to victims.”

The maximum penalty for the conspiracy and concealment charges is a term of imprisonment of five years and a $250,000 fine. The maximum penalty for each of the ten hate crime charges is a term of imprisonment of ten years and a $250,000 fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants, among other statutory sentencing factors.

Assistant United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.

An Indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

McGuire home said a statement that was e-mailed to Beaver County Radio by their attorney that said:

Today the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Western District of  Pennsylvania and the FBI held a press conference involving the actions of two former  employees in 2016 and 2017. McGuire Memorial’s President and CEO Christopher Shay issued  the following statement: 

McGuire Memorial thanks the U.S. Attorney‘s office and the FBI for bringing further justice to  the McGuire Memorial community. The advocacy, safety, health, and well-being of the children  and adults served at McGuire Memorial is, and always will be, our number one priority.  

The prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s office and FBI is precedent setting towards future  advocacy in combating abuse and neglect against persons with disabilities and holding all  perpetrators accountable for their actions. Therefore, as we move forward with continued  healing, we hope that this announcement finally brings some closure for the victims and their families.