Portland jury finds Antifa militants not liable in Andy Ngo attack, defense attorney declares ‘I AM ANTIFA’

The defendant’s attorney told the jurors that she "will remember each one of their faces." Photo credit: John Rudoff.

The jury has reached a verdict in the trial of investigative journalist Andy Ngo v. Rose City Antifa and its alleged affiliated members, in which they found both defendants John Colin Hacker and Elizabeth Renee Richter not liable in the civil case brought against them.

Ngo filed a complaint in Portland, Oregon in 2020, claiming assault and other injuries over alleged acts of violence carried out by members of Antifa, which began in 2019. Defandants John Colin Hacker and Elizabeth Renee Richter have been accused by Senior Editor of Post Millennial Andy Ngo of assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress, which was argued before a civil jury for more than a week at the Multnomah County Courthouse.

On Tuesday, the jury found them not liable for all of these claims.

During closing statements, defense lawyer Michelle Burrows told the jurors that not only does she self-identify as both a progressive and an “anti-fascist,” she strongly declared that, "I am Antifa" and insisted upon making herself an “I am Antifa” t-shirt to wear after the trial. Despite their significant recorded history of violence, she told the jury that Antifa's unfavorable reputation is untrue and depicted the organized militant group as activists fighting for social justice and civil rights.

In defense of Antifa, Burrows said, "Resistance in this country has never been peaceful."

However, as she argued before the jurors, Ms. Burrows admitted that the “black clad people” that had physically beaten Ngo were, in fact, “terrorists.”

The defense attorney went on to say that journalist Andy Ngo has dirty hands. She indicated that Ngo is a "doxxer" as well because he uploads publicly available mugshots of Antifa-affiliated individuals that have committed crimes on his Twitter account, which has over one million followers.

In addition, the defense lawyer said that since the US has an “unregulated internet,” Ngo needs to “take responsibility” for the words he says on the internet, and added that his "conduct has not been pristine."

Furthermore, Ngo’s reporting has also allegedly created a “rage machine that has generated so much revenue for Mr. Ngo,” according to Burrows.

Before closing statements, Judge Sinaplasai informed the court that the trial’s jurors have raised concerns about being “doxed,” and claimed that people have been trying to find out their identities.

After announcing her retirement and that this would be her last trial, Burrows told the jurors that she “will remember each one of their faces.” Burrows did not take the time to provide evidence as to why the two defendants should be free from charges, but rather used the time to defend anti-fascism and attack Ngo’s credibility as a journalist.

The attorney for Andy Ngo, Dorothy Yamamoto, had a different approach in her closing statement. Yamamoto went through each charge levied against defendants Hacker and Richter and provided the jury with substantial evidence relating to each charge, and why the defendants should receive each charge pertaining to assault, battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In her rebuttal, the attorney encouraged the jury “to be mindful of what is evidence, and what the attorneys have been saying.”

“I’ve heard allegations and things that have happened that are not evidence. There has been a lot of attacks against my client’s credibility as a journalist. He lies, he misstates. Did the defendants show you his actual posts,” Yamamoto questioned after the defense team failed to provide evidence of Ngo’s alleged inaccurate reporting during the trial, claims that were used to discredit him.

Yamamoto explained to the jury that while Hacker and Richter may or may not have physically beaten Ngo on the night of May 28, 2021, the defendants can still be held liable for battery, assault, and intentional infliction of emotional distress due to state law.

In regard to battery, the defendants would have to be found guilty of intending to cause harmful or offensive contact with the plaintiff, and directly or indirectly caused a harmful or offensive contact with the plaintiff.

Yamamoto argued that this charge applies to Hacker when the defendant had poured water on Ngo and slapped Ngo’s phone out of his hand on May 7, 2021, which Hacker had admitted during testimony.

https://thepostmillennial.com/breaking-jury-finds-all-antifa-defendants-not-liable-in-andy-ngo-attack-defense-attorney-declares-i-am-antifa

Commonwealth Bank posts an eyewatering record profit - as it scraps cash withdrawals and hikes rates on mortgage-holders

Commonwealth Bank made cash profit of $10.164billion

The Commonwealth Bank has made a record $10.2billion profit after scrapping cash withdrawals at some branches and hiking mortgage rates 12 times in little more than a year.

Australia's biggest home lender saw its cash profit, based on core operations, rise by six per cent in the year to June 30, figures released on Wednesday said.

Despite an economic slowdown, the Commonwealth Bank's $10.164billion full-year net profit comes at the same time of its rollout of more cashless branches that refuse to do banknote transactions.

The bank's statutory net profit of $10.188billion was a record, increasing by five per cent during the last financial year, with this figure including commercial investments.

Acting Greens leader Mehreen Faruqi told ABC News Breakfast the profit figure was 'absolutely obscene' with inflation still high at six per cent.

'People feel the corporate profits are absolutely obscene, it's corporate profits driving inflation, yet who is bearing the brunt of it?,' she said.

'It's everyday people with the cost of living, and it's at this point in time renters.'

The Commonwealth Bank told the Australian share market it had reduced occupancy and equipment expenses by three per cent 'primarily reflecting benefits from optimising our digital, branch and ATM network and exiting commercial office space as we continue to consolidate our property footprint'.

Teller cash transactions are no longer available at branches including Commonwealth Bank Place in the centre of Sydney along with the nearby South Eveleigh, Barangaroo, Penrith and University of Sydney, which the bank now calls 'specialist centres'.

The cashless approach is also being expanded to some Brisbane and Melbourne 'specialist centre' branches.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12387023/Commonwealth-Bank-posts-eyewatering-profit-scraps-cash-withdrawals-hikes-mortgage-rates.html

kek Aussie banks say inflation is necessary as they clean up

Protection racket

Toowoomba rape case update: High-profile Australian seeks further six months of phone data from his accused

High-profile Australia accused of rape

Alleged incident took place in October 2021

A high profile man seeking a further six months of phone data from the woman he is alleged to have raped will know within days whether he has permission to access the files, a Queensland court has been told.

The man was charged with two counts of rape in January over an alleged incident in Toowoomba, about 120km west of Brisbane, in October 2021.

His identity remains protected under Queensland law which prohibits the identification of those charged with sexual assault or rape offences until they are committed to stand trial.

Lawyer Rowan King, who is acting for the accused, had requested the full data download during a court hearing in July.

At the time, the court heard the request was for alleged messages 'six months prior to the offence date'.

A prosecutor told the Toowoomba Magistrates Court on Wednesday her office had requested further explanation from Mr King.

She said her office received Mr King's response on August 3 and required more time to respond.

'This request is still being considered by the office,' the prosecutor said.

The court was told Mr King will be informed of the Director of Public Prosecutions' (DPP) decision 'within the week'.

The matter was adjourned to August 23 for further mention.

A forensic medical report (FMO) had been previously disclosed to Mr King upon request.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12387275/Toowoomba-rape-case-update-High-profile-Australian-seeks-six-months-phone-data-accused.html

Mexican authorities seize nearly 10 tonnes of liquid meth headed to Australia

Nearly 10 tonnes of liquid meth found at Mexican port

The cargo ship was headed for Australia

The Mexican Navy said sniffer dogs had located the shipment.

'Subsequently, samples were taken to be sent to the Laboratory of Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Secretary of the Navy, for analysis, confirming it as "positive" for methamphetamine,' a statement said.

So far this year, Mexican marines have seized more than 124tonnes of meth nationwide.

The Mexican Navy recently took control of customs duties at ports to crack down on smuggling.

It would not be the first time that Mexican cartels, which dominate the international trade in meth, have tried to smuggle the drugs to Australia or in liquid form.

In 2022, officials in Hong Kong seized about $5.9million worth of crystal meth concealed in a shipment of electrical transformers that was bound for Australia from Mexico.

Days later, they reported finding 1.8tonnes of liquid methamphetamine stored in bottles labelled as coconut water that arrived from Mexico by sea. The haul was Hong Kong's largest ever meth seizure.

And in April this year Mexican Navy inspectors intercepted 11,520 tequila bottles bound for export to Australia that actually contained concentrated liquid meth worth $1billion.

The bottles, which contained a brownish liquid resembling tequila and were also intercepted at the Pacific coast seaport of Manzanillo, contained about 8,640kg of meth.

Sniffer dogs also tipped the marines off on that occasion, leading to drug testing of the cargo.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12347243/Mexican-authorities-seize-10-tonnes-liquid-meth-headed-Australia.html

Mitch McConnell Urges House Republicans to Oppose Joe Biden Impeachment

“I said two years ago, when we had not one but two impeachments, that once we go down this path it incentivizes the other side to do the same thing,” McConnell said.

“Impeachment ought to be rare,” he added. “This is not good for the country.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/08/mitch-mcconnell-urges-house-republicans-oppose-joe-biden/