Latest news with #courthouse
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
YouTuber Armon Wiggins regrets Diddy stunt
Content creator Armon Wiggins has apologized after footage showed him dancing shirtless and being sprayed with baby oil outside the courthouse following the Diddy trial verdict. In an interview with The Trial of Diddy podcast, the self-described 'independent media personality' insisted his actions were not in support of the disgraced rap mogul. Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 55, was convicted on Wednesday of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering. Wiggins told podcast host Kayla Brantley that he was 'misrepresented by the media', adding that fans of his reporting know he believes Diddy was fortunate to escape the most serious charges. 'In reporting the case, I was trying to take a very eerie, grim situation and turn it into something digestible for people', the YouTuber argued. 'I wasn't making light of the victims or poking fun at them. What ended up happening on the final day was that we were just having a good time. We had been there at the trial from start to finish – we were tired and wanted to celebrate making it to the end. 'I was just vibing with another YouTuber, to be honest with you, and before I knew it, there was a crowd of people with television cameras and lights that circled around me.' Wiggins claimed he didn't profit from the viral video and said his intention was to mock Diddy, not his victims. 'I got a lot of hate and lost followers', he said. 'I said to myself afterwards: I've got to grow up and learn to control the narrative because it was irresponsible. 'Even if my fans knew the intent behind it, that doesn't matter when you have 150 cameras out there in a heightened situation. You've got to be smarter than that. 'The amount of baby oil involved in the trial became ridiculous. You can't even say baby oil now without laughing. Really, I was making fun of Diddy – he came across as crazy. 'How many bottles of baby oil does one person need? 'In hindsight, I regret it for the simple fact that people were hurting, and it taught me never to be above reproach. 'If you make a mistake, you have to be humble enough to say, I didn't mean that and I apologize.'
BreakingNews.ie
11-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Courts service spent €1.5m on temporary courthouse in Roscommon
A judge told the Courts Service they were heading for an OPW style fiasco after spending €1.5 million on a temporary courthouse. In a message to management, Judge James Faughnan lambasted a decision to provide just a single courtroom in Roscommon when two had been available in their old building. Advertisement The judge said he was sure the Courts Service would not want a 'light shone' on their lack of foresight in providing sub-par accommodation at significant cost. Judge Faughnan said that with a general election looming and 'recent OPW disasters' over the Leinster House bike shelter and security hut, bad publicity was very likely. In an email last September, he said he would 'never dream' of going public but said the situation was likely to come to a head in 2025. Judge Faughnan said that when the temporary accommodation on the outskirts of Roscommon Town was being planned, he specifically asked for provision of a second courtroom. Advertisement He wrote: 'The Courts Service, while on notice of this, then spent over €1.5 million without providing a second courtroom. 'I can only imagine that if that got picked up by the media, there would be an awful lot of questions to answer.' He said the expenditure on the temporary accommodation would be 'laughable if it wasn't so serious.' In another message to court management last October, Judge Faughnan said the Courts Service had used up 'all the goodwill' extended to them by legal people working in Roscommon. Advertisement He pleaded for a temporary second courtroom on site which he believed could be provided at very little cost. 'It would lend itself to a timber frame type construction which could be erected speedily,' he wrote. He said the current situation was unsustainable and that a proposed solution to provide temporary facilities in Castlerea Prison was unlikely to work. Judge Faughnan wrote: 'I do not accept the works carried out in Castlerea to be beneficial as prior to the works, the facilities were Dickensian and have only regularised what was needed for many years.' The judge was one of three who wrote to the Courts Service outlining serious concerns over their workplace in County Roscommon. Advertisement In another letter, Judge Kenneth Connolly said the old courthouse in Roscommon town had been shut down because of the 'very poor' conditions there. However, he said the new facility on the outskirts of the town had 'not performed' and was 'unsuitable as even a medium-term option". Judge Connolly said there was little parking, nowhere nearby for jurors or the public to buy food or drink, and that facilities for victims were 'questionable to poor". A third judge, Keenan Johnson, said money spent on the temporary facility should have been used to restore the original courthouse. Advertisement He wrote: 'I have huge concerns that having vacated the courthouse it will now be allowed to deteriorate to such an extent that the feasibility of returning to it may be put in jeopardy.' Judge Johnson added that they were now 'stuck with the current totally unsatisfactory situation' of having only one courtroom. Asked about the correspondence, a spokesperson for the Courts Service said the old Roscommon courthouse had been closed by the OPW on health and safety grounds. 'Significant investment is required,' they said. 'Given the condition of the existing courthouse in Roscommon and the necessity to close it for health and safety reasons, the Courts Service took immediate steps to remedy the situation to ensure, firstly, that the health and safety of all court users was prioritised and secondly, to ensure that sittings continue to be facilitated in Roscommon Town. 'The Courts Service submission in respect of the forthcoming revised NDP [National Development Plan] includes Roscommon Courthouse.'
Daily Mail
11-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE YouTuber under fire for insensitive Diddy baby oil stunt tells Mail podcast he needs to 'grow up'
Content creator Armon Wiggins has apologised after footage showed him dancing shirtless and being sprayed with baby oil outside the courthouse following the Diddy trial verdict. In an interview with the Mail's The Trial of Diddy podcast, the self-described 'independent media personality' insisted his actions were not in support of the disgraced rap mogul. Sean 'Diddy' Combs, 55, was convicted on Wednesday of two counts of transportation to engage in prostitution but acquitted of sex trafficking and racketeering. Wiggins told podcast host Kayla Brantley that he was 'misrepresented by the media', adding that fans of his reporting know he believes Diddy was fortunate to escape the most serious charges. 'In reporting the case, I was trying to take a very eerie, grim situation and turn it into something digestible for people', the YouTuber argued. 'I wasn't making light of the victims or poking fun at them. What ended up happening on the final day was that we were just having a good time. Content creator Armon Wiggins has apologised after footage showed him dancing shirtless and being sprayed with baby oil outside the courthouse following the Diddy trial verdict 'We had been there at the trial from start to finish – we were tired and wanted to celebrate making it to the end. 'I was just vibing with another YouTuber, to be honest with you, and before I knew it, there was a crowd of people with television cameras and lights that circled around me.' Wiggins claimed he didn't profit from the viral video and said his intention was to mock Diddy, not his victims. 'I got a lot of hate and lost followers', he said. 'I said to myself afterwards: I've got to grow up and learn to control the narrative because it was irresponsible. 'Even if my fans knew the intent behind it, that doesn't matter when you have 150 cameras out there in a heightened situation. You've got to be smarter than that. 'The amount of baby oil involved in the trial became ridiculous. You can't even say baby oil now without laughing. Really, I was making fun of Diddy – he came across as crazy. 'How many bottles of baby oil does one person need? 'In hindsight, I regret it for the simple fact that people were hurting, and it taught me never to be above reproach. 'If you make a mistake, you have to be humble enough to say, I didn't mean that and I apologise.' Despite his apology, Wiggins shared his belief that traditional media wanted a reason to target him. He argued that the press feels intimidated by the 'realness and relatability' of creators like him, who can deliver news in a more entertaining way. 'A lot of the press didn't think we deserved to be there', Wiggins told the podcast. 'It was so easy for them to slap a headline on me – they knew who I was. The story about me came from them. 'Us YouTubers had to fight for respect – because the journalists went to school and have got all these degrees. 'News doesn't travel like that anymore. Traditional media is still necessary, but there's something to be said for the people that can go out and reach their audience. 'There's a rawness, a realness, a relatability – they come to me to have a good time.' To listen to the full bonus episode, search for the The Trial of Diddy now, wherever you get your podcasts.
New York Times
09-07-2025
- Politics
- New York Times
Tensions Escalate in San Francisco Over Immigration Enforcement
Tensions over immigration enforcement in San Francisco escalated this week when federal agents clashed with activists who tried to block an arrest outside a courthouse, with the agents at one point driving away in a van with protesters hanging from the hood of the vehicle. The confrontation on Tuesday came as frustrations grow in the San Francisco Bay Area over federal agents' aggressive efforts to detain immigrants after they attend required immigration proceedings. Since late May, Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents have regularly been spotted around the San Francisco Immigration Court building downtown, including in its hallways and waiting rooms and outside its doors. Their presence has attracted a growing number of protesters who have tried to block the building's entrances and shouted at and scuffled with officers. A month ago, demonstrations forced the immigration courts in both San Francisco and Concord, about 30 miles northeast, to close for nearly two days. The new ICE approach is a significant break from past practice, when immigration officials largely steered clear of courthouse arrests out of concern that they would deter people from complying with legal orders. Videos taken by witnesses and local news media on Tuesday show masked agents, with body armor and batons, pushing through a crowd of demonstrators to load a handcuffed man into a black minivan. The footage shows agents and protesters shoving one another as some protesters surround the van. transcript Oh my — Oh, they're literally taking someone and they're trying to — Oh my God. I'm serious. There are people getting in front of the cars. Oh my God. They're running over the people in the cars. I do. Someone's going to get run over. Wow, someone's hanging off the car. Oh my God. Oh, God. Oh my God. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
The Australian
09-07-2025
- Politics
- The Australian
Sydney's Downing Centre court likely to remain closed until late-2025
One of Australia's busiest courthouses will remain closed until 'at least late-2025' despite chaotic scenes after flooding smashed critical infrastructure. Sydney's Downing Centre was shuttered on June 17 after a Sydney Water main burst in the CBD, flooding the courthouse and damaging an Ausgrid substation. Electrical engineers and other experts were brought in by the government to assess the damage to the Local and District courthouse building on Castlereagh St. People were seen queuing outside the Downing Centre courthouse in Sydney. Picture: Christian Gilles / NewsWire The neighbouring JMT courthouse has been used as a temporary court. Picture: Christian Gilles / NewsWire On Wednesday, the NSW Department of Communities and Justice revealed repairs were forecast by 'external agencies' to extend into at least late-2025. Experts identified two critical pieces – an electrical transformer and switchboard – would need to be replaced due to damage caused by the flooding. The NSW DCJ was working to determine whether replacements pieces could be expedited, with the building still cut off from the substation. The Ausgrid station powers the busy courthouse and is needed for it to function, with the NSW DCJ unsure when power will be restored. It comes after a burst water main flooded the Downing Centre. Picture: NewsWire / John Appleyard Large queues were seen winding their way around the block on Wednesday from the entrance of the neighbouring John Madison Tower court. Staff are working to minimise delays to proceedings so they might 'proceed wherever possible', including relocating matters to multiple nearby courts. Work was also underway to bring forward upgrades to the Downing Centre courthouse, including improvements to public spaces and courtrooms.
