Latest news with #JamesMcGrath
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘The opposite happened': Economic roundtable could dissuade Australians from investing
LNP Senator James McGrath discusses Labor's economic reform roundtable, urging that it will dissuade Australians from investing in the 'productive part of the economy'. 'What the Labor Party doesn't realise is that if people start to cotton on to the fact that Labor is going to come after the money they've worked so hard for, people will no longer invest in the productive part of the economy,' Mr McGrath told Sky News host Steve Price. 'You only have to look at what's happening in the UK at the moment, with the Labour Party there, taxing what's called 'non-doms'. 'They thought they were going to bring billions of pounds of revenue … the opposite happened.'
Sky News AU
4 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
‘Australians should be worried': Labor's economic reform roundtable is ‘bonkers'
LNP Senator James McGrath discusses how Australians should be worried about Labor's economic reform roundtable, saying it is 'bonkers' and will only produce 'hair-brained ideas'. 'Australians should be worried,' Mr McGrath told Sky News host Steve Price. 'Those who own their own homes, are of pensionable age, should be worried about organisations, so-called think-tanks, like the Grattan Institute coming up with quite frankly hair-brained ideas like this. 'This is bonkers.'
Fox News
14-07-2025
- Fox News
Preppy party murder suspect's lawyer says client's testimony key to acquittal
The attorney for the man who stood accused of murdering suburban Connecticut prep school lacrosse player James "Jimmy" McGrath in 2023 revealed the critical key to his client's acquittal. Raul Valle, 20, took the stand in his own defense, which attorney Kevin Smith said was necessary for proving his client's innocence. "He was going to have to take the stand in a self-defense case when you are telling folks you felt a certain way, and you were in such danger," Smith told WFSB. "I can think of few instances where there would be enough other evidence to put it on and say you had a self-defense claim." "Nobody ever wants to have to take another life," Smith said. "Mr. Valle certainly never wanted to do that. I think the evidence is clear." Smith noted that, like Valle, he was relieved that the trial had finished. He said that he lost 15 pounds during the ordeal. The trial lasted eight days, and was followed by two-and-a-half days of jury deliberation. He told his client to keep a low profile after the acquittal. "I've told him to avoid public places where he may be subjected to some behavior he doesn't need, doesn't need people harassing him, keeping a low profile, which he did during the trial," he stated. On Wednesday, Valle was found not guilty of first-degree murder in the stabbing death of McGrath, which stemmed from a booze-fueled party in May 2022 where a brawl broke out between 25 students on the lawn of a suburban Connecticut home. He was also cleared on charges of intentional manslaughter and intentional assault. The jury deadlocked on reckless manslaughter and reckless assault charges, and a partial mistrial was declared. Valle could be retried on those charges. Valle was 16 at the time of the stabbing, and McGrath was 17. Jury foreman Jim Stuhlman said ultimately, prosecutors didn not provide enough evidence to prove their case. He said the jury spent very little time deliberating on whether Valle had acted in self-defense because the jury believed that the state had failed to prove that he intended to kill McGrath. "There was so much inconsistencies and contradictions," he continued. "Not everyone will be happy with the conclusion, we weren't happy we couldn't find an agreement on the final counts, but we did everything we could have to get as far as we did."
Fox News
11-07-2025
- Fox News
Prosecution's 'inconsistencies' in prep school murder trial led to suspect's acquittal: jury foreman
The foreman of the jury in the murder trial of Raul Valle, who was acquitted Wednesday of murdering a 17-year-old prep school lacrosse player at a booze-fueled high school party, slammed the state for lacking evidence to support its case. Valle was accused of stabbing James "Jimmy" McGrath to death during a May 14, 2022 brawl in a highbrow Connecticut suburb. McGrath attended Fairfield College Preparatory Academy, and Valle attended nearby St. Joseph's High School. Jim Stuhlman was the 10th juror and foreman in the trial. He read aloud Valle's not guilty verdict, sparing the now 20-year-old from up to 60 years in prison. "They just didn't have enough to prove the case," Stuhlman told News 3. He said the jury spent very little time deliberating on whether Valle acted in self-defense because the jury believed that the state failed to prove that he intended to kill McGrath. "There was so much inconsistencies and contradictions," he continued. "Not everyone will be happy with the conclusion, we weren't happy we couldn't find an agreement on the final counts, but we did everything we could have to get as far as we did." The jury acquitted Valle on murder, intentional manslaughter and intentional assault charges. It remained hung on lesser included charges of reckless manslaughter and reckless assault, and a partial mistrial was declared. "It just came down to the intent, recklessness, what a reasonable person would do, those kinds of things," Stuhlman said. "We went according to the instructions, followed the law, we did what we were supposed to do." Fox News Digital confirmed Thursday that the state of Connecticut is already taking steps to retry Valle on those charges. Meanwhile, the McGrath family is seeking recourse through a myriad of civil lawsuits against third parties who they say were involved in the night's activities, and parents who allegedly provided them with alcohol. "We sued the individuals and their parents, the homeowners where the two fights broke out at Lazy Brook and Laurel Glen have both been sued," McGrath family attorney Michael Rosnick told Fox News Digital. On the night of the incident, Valle and others were involved in a fight at a home on Lazy Brook Road in Shelton. They then drove to the second party on Laurel Glen Drive. At some point, one of Valle's friends allegedly gave him a knife, which was used during the brawl to stab McGrath. "The cases have been consolidated so that there will be one civil trial as opposed to multiple civil trials," Rosnick said. The McGraths are also suing one of the teenager's parents, who are accused of providing alcohol to the minors. Other parties in the lawsuit include the homeowners of the Laurel Glen Drive property, along with their son, who was allegedly hosting the party, court records show. Rosnick said that now that the criminal trial is finished, the civil proceedings will begin. "We were very mindful to be respectful of the state attorney, its autonomy and its own investigation, and to not do anything that could jeopardize anything in the criminal trial," he said. "Now that the criminal trial is over, we're going to be much more aggressive in our pursuit of justice against all the responsible parties." The state's attorney's office did not immediately return a comment request.
Fox News
10-07-2025
- Fox News
Slain prep school lacrosse player's father 'astonished' after murder suspect acquitted in stabbing case
The father of a slain Fairfield, Connecticut, prep school lacrosse player reacted with shock after his son's suspected killer was acquitted on a murder charge on Wednesday afternoon. "I'm astonished at the results, but, you know, it's due process," a stoic Kevin McGrath said outside the state Superior Court in Milford, Connecticut, later describing his son as a "wonderful person." "He's entitled to it," said McGrath. "And at the end of the day, the jury made their verdict. I'm not sure if, you know, they were in the same courtroom as we all were together, but that's the verdict. And we'll live with it." McGrath was referring to Raul Valle, 20, who, after an eight-day trial and nearly three days of jury deliberation, was acquitted of murdering McGrath's son, James "Jimmy" McGrath, during a brawl at a rowdy, booze-fueled high school party in 2022. McGrath, who was 17 at the time, was a lacrosse player at Fairfield College Preparatory Academy. Valle was 16 at the time of the fatal stabbing, but was charged as an adult. Valle was also acquitted on the lesser included charge of intentional manslaughter, two charges of first-degree assault and one charge of second-degree assault. The jury was deadlocked on lesser included charges of reckless manslaughter and reckless assault. Judge Shari Murphy declared a mistrial on those counts, leaving the door open for Valle to potentially be retried. "I can't even imagine that, you know, I'm standing here giving this part of the speech," Kevin McGrath said Wednesday. "I mean, I was ready for maybe manslaughter. I was not ready for not guilty. I'll be honest with you: I don't think anybody was." "I was extremely confident, probably overconfident. I'm shocked," he said. "You know, it's probably why I'm in control. I'm shocked right now of the verdict." McGrath was also magnanimous at times. "Raul Valle received a fair trial," he assured reporters. "I don't believe Raul Valle woke up Saturday morning and said he was going to kill Jimmy McGrath. You know, I never believed that. They didn't know each other. I'm just in shock that an innocent young man with a brilliant potential is not with us anymore. And the person that took his life is right now free tonight." He also graciously thanked first responders, investigators, the court and the media for conducting themselves professionally throughout the criminal justice process. McGrath family attorney Michael Rosnick spoke briefly about the possibility of further legal action. "There are lesser included charges," he said. "I anticipate, we anticipate, that the state's attorney's office will file an information, but I'm going to let the state's attorney's office speak for itself." The parties are currently embroiled in civil litigation. Valle attended St. Joseph High School in Trumbull near Fairfield Prep, where McGrath was a junior. Both had been at a house party on the evening of May 14, 2022, that involved a fight and underage drinking prior to the stabbing, which occurred at another house party later that night. At one point, there were about 25 people engaged in the fight on the front lawn of the home, whose owners were present during the brawl, witnesses told police. At least three juvenile suspects are mentioned in the report, including Valle, who was suspected of having a knife. McGrath had "one stab wound to the left side of the chest," the warrant states. "The stab wound went through the rib and heart." Valle claimed during his trial that he acted in self-defense, and that he was protecting one of his friends.
