Fallen police officer Jeremy Labonte remembered in Roswell
Labonte was shot and killed on Friday while responding to a call about a suspicious person in the area.
When he arrived, police said that suspect, Edward Espinoza, opened fire.
Labonte was only 24 years old.
A procession that included the Roswell police department, the Roswell fire department, and other agencies escorted Labonte's casket to the church.
Officers escorted the casket, draped with an American flag, into the church.
Jeff Tweed, a family friend, spoke to Channel 2 about how moving it was to see so many people in the public safety sector gather to honor Labonte.
'He was a great, great guy. He would've given you the shirt off his back,' Tweed told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington.
The funeral for Officer Labonte will be held today.
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The Hill
an hour ago
- The Hill
Jeffries urges release of all Jeffrey Epstein files
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) said Monday that the Trump administration should release all of the files related to the disgraced late-financier Jeffrey Epstein, and that Congress should intervene to force that release if the administration doesn't act on its own. Jeffries said there's no good reason for the Justice Department to keep those details under wraps unless officials have something to hide — a veiled nod to speculation that Trump, who had crossed paths with Epstein in years past, is in the files. 'The American people deserve to know the truth,' he told reporters in the Capitol. 'What, if anything, is the Trump administration and the Department of Justice hiding?' Epstein died in 2019 in a Manhattan prison cell, where he was awaiting trial after his arrest for the sex trafficking of minors. But his case has been a rallying cry for right-wing conspiracy theorists — many of them avid Trump supporters — who have alleged that the government is in possession of Epstein's 'client list,' but hasn't released it to protect powerful 'elites' in high places of government and business. Some of those voices have since been promoted to powerful posts in the Trump administration — including U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and FBI Director Kash Patel — leading to high expectations from the MAGA faithful that Trump would release the full trove of Epstein files in his second term. In February, Bondi fueled those hopes when she said she had Epstein's client list on her desk 'right now' and was ready to release it. Last week, however, the DOJ issued an unsigned memo asserting that the agency has no evidence that Epstein kept a client list or attempted to blackmail powerful figures who might have engaged in illegal sexual activities. 'We did not uncover evidence that could predicate an investigation against uncharged third parties,' the memo reads. The DOJ also stuck by its earlier assessment that Epstein died by suicide — another detail that angered many of Trump's supporters, who have suspected there was foul play to silence Epstein. The memo infuriated many of Trump's supporters and severed a MAGA movement that's practically defined by its steadfast loyalty to the president. Jeffries said only two scenarios surrounding the Epstein saga are possible: Either Trump and some of his most prominent supporters — including Bondi and Vice President Vance — 'intentionally lied to the American people for years' to bolster their warnings that sinister 'elites' run the country. Or the DOJ is now concealing evidence of that plot to protect the president's interests. 'Option One: They lied for years. Option Two: They're engaging in a coverup. At this point it seems reasonable that it can only be one of the two things,' Jeffries said. 'And so it's Congress's responsibility, in a bipartisan way, to ask the questions and try to get answers on behalf of the American people.' Trump has sought to defuse the internal MAGA outcry, defending Bondi and urging his supporters to move on, while also falsely blaming Democrats for fueling the conspiracies surrounding Epstein. 'Obama, Crooked Hillary, Comey, Brennan, and the Losers and Criminals of the Biden Administration, who conned the World with the Russia, Russia, Russia Hoax, 51 'Intelligence' Agents, 'THE LAPTOP FROM HELL,' and more … created the Epstein Files, just like they created the FAKE Hillary Clinton/Christopher Steele Dossier,' Trump posted Saturday on Truth Social, the media outlet he owns. Jeffries rejected that argument on Monday, noting that the Epstein conspiracies have long been a celebrated cause of the right. 'Democrats didn't put the Jeffrey Epstein thing into the public domain,' he said. 'This was a conspiracy that Donald Trump, Pam Bondi, and these MAGA extremists have been fanning the flames of for the last several years, and now the chickens are coming home to roost.' Several Democrats on Capitol Hill have already introduced legislation designed to force the administration to release all of its Epstein files. Jeffries said he hasn't examined those resolutions, but voiced strong support for the concept.


Fox News
an hour ago
- Fox News
Diddy, Johnny Depp, Kevin Spacey's legal victories expose critical flaw in #MeToo prosecutions: experts
Sean "Diddy" Combs, Kevin Spacey and Johnny Depp's legal victories have established that the #MeToo movement was a "wrecking ball" on the legal system as prosecutors failed to collect convictions in those high-profile cases. Celebrity status became an advantage for these public figures when entering the courtroom and facing a jury of their peers, experts told Fox News Digital. After seven weeks of trial, Diddy was found not guilty of sex trafficking – one of the most serious accusations the rapper had been facing. Spacey was acquitted in his high-profile London trial stemming from allegations that he had assaulted four men, while Depp won $10 million in his defamation case against ex-wife Amber Heard. The #MeToo Movement has proven to be a "reckoning" in the court of public opinion but a "wrecking ball for the American legal system," branding expert Doug Eldridge told Fox News Digital. "Initially, it provided exposure, disinfectant, and justice for decades of criminal behavior in Hollywood. However, the tidal wave of claims – many of which turned out to either be false, or simply lacking evidentiary support – caused an over-correction across the legal system that was akin to jerking the steering wheel the moment your tires begin to slip on ice. It gradually became emotion over evidence, and that is antithetical to jurisprudential standards in America." "The court of public opinion is an angry mob; a court of law is a jury of your peers. The latter requires evidence, a burden of proof, and a presumption of innocence, while the former often conflates an accusation with a conviction. In the height of the #MeToo era, these were all lacking and over a long enough timeline, Americans – men and women alike – begun to realize and eventually rebel against this." "It gradually became emotion over evidence, and that is antithetical to jurisprudential standards in America." Depp was awarded $10 million in 2022 after a jury found Heard defamed him. The jury decided it was clear the "Aquaman" star was referring to Depp when she wrote an opinion piece about being a victim of domestic violence. The "knee-jerk public reaction" to allegations of sexual assault or harassment isn't prevailing, as we've seen the jury become the "true arbiter" on the outcome in court, entertainment lawyer Tre Lovell explained to Fox News Digital. "The novelty of the #MeToo movement and fear of guilt through mere accusation is over," he said. "The public is now as sensitive to abusive extortion tactics by incredible opportunists as it is to legitimate claims by real victims. The courts and juries have maintained the status quo and been the true arbiter in deciding sex crimes, staving off and being unaffected by knee-jerk public reaction." Spacey sobbed outside the courthouse after being found not guilty. "I imagine that many of you can understand that there's a lot for me to process after what has just happened today," Spacey said at the time, according to the Daily Mail. "But I would like to say that I'm enormously grateful to the jury for having taken the time to examine all of the evidence and all of the facts, carefully, before they reached their decision." The sexual acts the "House of Cards" star was accused of had reportedly occurred between 2001 and 2013. They ranged from unwanted touching to aggressive crotch-grabbing and, in one instance, performing oral sex on an unconscious man. The lack of convictions on A-listers could be because "jurors love celebrities," former federal prosecutor Neama Rahmani told Fox News Digital. "It doesn't matter if it's a civil or criminal case," he said. "They do better than ordinary Joes. And prosecutors like going after celebrities to make a name for themselves, cash out and leave the District Attorney and U.S. Attorney's Office for a high-paying gig. The same applies to civil plaintiff's lawyers. They prefer suing celebrities to regular people because of the publicity and the fact that they have lots of money and can pay a judgment. And with that celebrity money comes the ability to pay the best and brightest lawyers in the game." "Celebrity cases are tough to win, because you have a well-liked defendant who may be the target of an aggressive prosecutor or civil plaintiff's lawyer, and who has unlimited funds to assemble a dream team. Lawyers think they can steamroll them like their other defendants, but they can't because of the difference in resources and the innate advantages celebrities have. Trials often come down to liability and credibility, and celebrities have the upper hand, because jurors love them. That is why they are tough to take down inside a courtroom." "Trials often come down to liability and credibility, and celebrities have the upper hand, because jurors love them. That is why they are tough to take down inside a courtroom." The latest celebrity wins in criminal court – Diddy and Harvey Weinstein – show that the #MeToo Movement has taken a "serious hit," Rahmani noted. "#MeToo may not be dead, but after the Diddy verdict and Harvey Weinstein retrial, the movement has taken a serious hit," Rahmani, founder of West Coast Trial Lawyers, said. "Prosecutors are expected to win always, and they're going to be hesitant to file more cases against celebrities." Weinstein's retrial concluded June 11, a little over a year after his 2020 conviction was overturned. The former film producer was acquitted on a criminal sex act charge while the jury was unable to reach a verdict on Weinstein's rape charge. Weinstein was again convicted of sexually assaulting Miriam Haley, a production assistant. While Diddy scored a win with an acquittal on his sex trafficking and racketeering conspiracy charges, the rapper still faces up to 20 years behind bars. The jury found Combs guilty on two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution on July 2. His sentencing hearing has been set for Oct. 3, and prosecutors have recommended the music mogul serve between four and five years in prison. To keep a handle on public opinion during a high-profile celebrity trial, lawyers have turned to working alongside PR representatives to ensure an intact career. "There have been many instances where, despite an innocent ruling in the court of law, the public was not so forgiving, and a person's career was severely impacted or put to an end," Steve Konig, PR expert and owner of The Honig Company, told Fox News Digital. "During a trial, all sorts of damaging information is revealed and, regardless of the eventual ruling, it is next to impossible to remove this information from the minds of the public. Recognizing this, we're seeing a lot more instances of attorneys working closely with public relations professionals and crisis managers to try and render an innocent ruling in both the court of law and the court of public opinion."


Politico
2 hours ago
- Politico
Pentagon probes examine key Hegseth allies
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