A Tulare County Superior Court judge handed down a sentence of 480 years to life for serial rapist Tyrone Laveno Williams on Monday. Williams, 46, was convicted of rape and child molestation against three separate female victims, two of which were younger than 14, the Tulare County District Attorney's office...
Court Drops Rape, Other Charges Against Megachurch Leader
LOS ANGELES — A California appeals court ordered the dismissal of a criminal case Tuesday against a Mexican megachurch leader on charges of child rape and human trafficking on procedural grounds. Naasón Joaquín García, the self-proclaimed apostle of La Luz del Mundo, has been in custody since June following his arrest on...
Accusers: Weinstein Excused Lewd Acts as a Showbiz Norm
NEW YORK — Two women who say they met Harvey Weinstein when they were aspiring actresses in their 20s testified at his rape trial Wednesday that the one-time Hollywood titan preyed on their dreams of stardom to sexually assault them. Dawn Dunning told jurors that Weinstein put his hand up...
'I'm Being Raped': Weinstein Accuser Details Alleged Assault
NEW YORK — Harvey Weinstein accuser Mimi Haleyi testified Monday that weeks after arriving in New York to work for one of his shows, she found herself fighting in vain as the once-revered showbiz honcho pushed her onto a bed and sexually assaulted her, undeterred by her kicks and pleas...
California Threatened With Funds Loss Over Abortion Coverage
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration on Friday threatened California with a potential loss of federal health care funds over the state's requirement that insurance plans cover abortions. The announcement, timed to coincide with the anti-abortion March for Life in the nation's capital, came hours before President Donald Trump was scheduled...
Annabella Sciorra Confronts Weinstein From the Witness Stand
NEW YORK — “Sopranos” actress Annabella Sciorra confronted Harvey Weinstein from the witness stand Thursday, telling a jury in a quivering voice that the Hollywood studio boss barged into her apartment in the mid-1990s, overpowered her and raped her as she tried to fight him off by kicking and punching...
Harvey Weinstein Arrives at Court Ahead of Sex Assault Trial
NEW YORK — Harvey Weinstein and several of the women who have accused him of sexual misconduct converged Monday at the New York City courthouse where a judge and his lawyers handled the final preparations for his high-stakes trial on charges of rape and assault. Weinstein, 67, entered the building...
Man in Madera Jail Arrested in 2002 Rape of 16-Year-old
A man wanted in the 2002 rape and kidnapping of a 16-year-old girl was arrested after DNA linked him to the crime, Sonoma County authorities said Monday. Juan Lopes, 39, of Santa Rosa was in custody in Madera County Jail for public intoxication last month when he was linked to...
'Making a Murderer' Subject Seeks Pardon, Commutation
MADISON, Wis. — A man convicted of rape and murder when he was a teenager whose story was documented in the 2015 Netflix series "Making a Murderer" asked Wisconsin’s governor for a pardon or commutation of his life prison sentence on Wednesday. Brendan Dassey was 16 years old when he...
Alabama Governor Invokes God in Banning Nearly All Abortions
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — Alabama's Republican governor has signed the most stringent abortion legislation in the nation, making performing an abortion a felony in nearly all cases. "To the bill's many supporters, this legislation stands as a powerful testament to Alabamians' deeply held belief that every life is precious and that...