Youth Basketball Dad Violently Shoves Ref In Game ... Charged With Assault
A youth basketball player's father has been charged with felony assault ... after video captured him barreling over a ref during his son's game last month.
Prosecutors in King County, WA. tell TMZ Sports ... 31-year-old Mark McLaughlin has been hit with one count of assault in the second degree after they say he violently knocked over a referee in a Dec. 16 altercation, causing serious injuries to the official.
According to court documents, authorities say McLaughlin became so enraged after refs touched his son following an on-court incident at a middle school basketball game ... he ran onto the floor and forcefully shoved one of the officials to the ground.
A dad in Washington state who's 6'6" and over 200 pounds assaults a 72-year-old referee at a middle school basketball game pic.twitter.com/61bH6LfxUV
— Fifty Shades of Whey (@davenewworld_2) January 5, 2022 @davenewworld_2
Video of the alleged incident, filmed by a fan in the stands, showed how the scene played out ... and it's disturbing.
The footage allegedly shows McLaughlin, who prosecutors say is 6 feet 6, 215 pounds, racing in from the bleachers and walloping one of the refs.
In the video, you can see the ref hit the floor hard -- and needed help getting up while the suspect stormed out of the venue.
In the court docs, officials say it took nearly an hour and a half for the ref's face to stop bleeding ... and say he was ultimately diagnosed with a broken nose and a broken cheekbone after he was checked out at the hospital.
McLaughlin was booked into jail on Dec. 17 and posted bail on Dec. 18, according to prosecutors. He pled not guilty to the charge at a court hearing on Monday morning.
McLaughlin is facing up to 10 years behind bars if convicted.
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Blackhawks Players Video Shows 2 Cars Stolen At Valet ... During Dinner
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9:23 AM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained video of the incident ... showing the alleged carjacking unfold outside the restaurant.
The Chicago Blackhawks game against the Jets was postponed last Wednesday, so players Caleb Jones and Connor Murphy attempted to have a nice dinner ... but while in the restaurant, thieves allegedly stuck up the valet and jacked both players cars, TMZ Sports has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell us 24-year-old Jones and 28-year-old Murphy were having dinner just blocks from the United Center on December 29 around 8 PM. We're told while the men were inside, thieves approached the valet and stuck an unknown object in their back, demanding the car keys.
Murphy's 2017 Porsche Panamera and Jones' 2021 Jeep Trackhawk were both taken. When new, the Panamera runs about $100K+ ... and the Trackhawk, $90K+.
Chicago police are currently investigating the alleged crimes.
It's unclear if Jones and Murphy were targeted ... or if the theft was random.
As for the player's careers ... Caleb, a defenseman, was the 117th overall pick (Edmonton Oilers) in the 2015 NHL Draft. He's played in 11 games for the Blackhawks this season ... his first with the organization.
Caleb comes from an athletic family. His brother Seth Jones is also a member of the Blackhawks ... and his dad is former NBA player, "Popeye" Jones.
Connor, also a defenseman, was the 20th overall pick of the Coyotes in 2011. He's played in 29 games for the team this season.
We reached out to the Blackhawks ... but so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 12:30 AM PT
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Jana Duggar Pleads Guilty to Child Endangerment
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Jana Duggar's child endangerment case is settled after the reality star fessed up to her crime.
The "19 Kids and Counting" star has pled guilty to a third-degree count of endangering the welfare of a minor in Arkansas -- this according to court docs obtained by TMZ. The paperwork shows Jana entered her plea on Dec. 15 ... closing the book on her case.
As a result, she had to pay fines and fees -- totaling $880 ... with $100 of that going toward what the court describes as a Child Victim Crime Fee.
Jana, who'd initially pled not guilty, explained what this was all about last month -- when news about her criminal case broke. She said she was babysitting, and one of the kids slipped out through the front door unnoticed by accident.
Somebody saw the child outside and called cops, which resulted in Jana getting ticketed. She said it was a mistake that could've happened to anybody ... and denied doing anything to purposely put any of the children at risk. Her family backed her up in supporting statements.
The timing of her charge coincided with her brother, Josh Duggar, getting convicted in his child porn case ... which made some folks believe she herself might've been wrapped up in something more dubious than just a babysitting slip-up.
Jana was scheduled to appear in court over this later next week, but that's obviously off now.
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Oh, Canada Flight to Cancun Goes Off the Rails Passengers Rage in Aisles
10:04 AM PT -- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau just spoke on the incident, calling it a "slap in the face" to all Canadians who had followed the rules up until this point in fighting the pandemic.
A group of rowdy Canadians are gonna have to find another way home after partying their faces off aboard a flight from the Great White North to Mexico ... which got out of control.
Check out this video ... it's a bunch of what appear to be 20-somethings throwing down in the cabin of a Sunwing Airlines plane as they jet down to Cancun for New Year's Eve. This was shot a day before NYE, BTW, so they've been there almost a full week now.
As you can see, it's pure mayhem in the aisles ... with folks smoking vapes, drinking booze and hoisting each other up for a little crowd surfing in the tightly packed area. Of course, nobody seems to be wearing masks ... or abiding by any sort of protocol whatsoever.
Indeed, it looks like a college frat party -- and if you're wondering where the flight crew was and how they could let things get this out of hand ... word is, the attendants actually gave up trying to establish order with this raucous bunch, and hid away toward the front and/or back, letting the passengers have their way -- this per local reports, citing a union rep.
There's also this ... a lot of these airplane partiers are apparently somewhat famous, as some of them have been described as social media influencers or reality TV stars in their homeland -- although, no specific names have surfaced just yet.
The health and safety of on-board personnel as well as passengers during a flight is a top priority. Passengers on Sunwing's flight to Cancun will be held accountable for their actions. Our statement: https://t.co/vtvHiTUnnA
— Omar Alghabra (@OmarAlghabra) January 5, 2022 @OmarAlghabra
The bad behavior didn't go unnoticed in the end ... in fact, it's actually being thoroughly investigated by the Canadian federal government, with its own Minister of Transport explicitly calling for accountability against these folks -- calling their actions "unacceptable."
Sunwing itself has also launched an investigation ... and took further steps to punish 'em all, by canceling their flight back to Montreal which was scheduled for Wednesday.
In addition to being left stranded south of the border, the unruly crowd also faces potential hefty fines -- up to $5,000 for each violation -- and if they do this again on a returning flight home ... they could even get jail time, as Canada is super strict on COVID rules these days.
As you might imagine, cases are sky-high up there right now ... just like elsewhere across the world -- and the government has advised people to avoid international travel if they can.
Not saying this would solve the problem here, since the mob clearly overtook the situation. But ... maybe the Canadians can take some pointers from American flight attendants, who've been getting resourceful, of late, to restrain disorderly dissenters in the skies.
A little duct tape and some zip tie action goes a long way when you need it ... and so did air marshals once upon a time. The heck ever happened to those guys anyway??? 😅
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Renee Graziano 'Mob Wives' Star Busted for DWI ... Hit Parked Car, Cops Say
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Renee Graziano allegedly smashed her vehicle into a parked SUV, and now she's been arrested for driving while impaired ... TMZ has confirmed.
The "Mob Wives" star was driving her Nissan Tuesday night in Staten Island when she struck a parked Jeep Wrangler and then rolled over to the other side of the road ... according to our law enforcement sources.
We're told officers actually witnessed Renee getting out of the driver's seat of her car ... and they say she was incoherent with dilated eyes and slurred speech.
Our sources say Renee copped to having taken an Adderall earlier in the day and was promptly taken into custody for DWI. Daily Mail first reported her arrest.
No one was in the parked Jeep she allegedly hit, and we're told Renee was taken to a hospital for a blood test.
Story developing ...
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Milwaukee Bucks Fake Championship Rings Seized By Feds ... Bogus Bling Worth Small Fortune
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A bunch of counterfeit Milwaukee Bucks title rings have been seized by the feds ... who say if the bogus bling had made it past them, it could have cost U.S. residents a small fortune.
According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, over the past few months, 56 shipments of 1,382 fake sports championship rings and trophies were intercepted by officers in Cincinnati.
The feds say in addition to the fraud Bucks memorabilia, there were also rings with Dodgers, Red Sox, Univ. of Kentucky and NASCAR images on them.
Authorities say the shipments also included fake Lombardi Trophies and more ... and add that it would have all been worth around $1 million if it had been the real deal materials.
"The money profited from selling fake merchandise such as championship rings, is used to damage the United States economy and fund criminal enterprises," Cincinnati port director Richard Gillespie said in a statement Tuesday.
"I am proud of the officers in Cincinnati, they work hard to protect our domestic businesses and stop illegal shipments."
Of course, this is far from the first time feds have halted counterfeit sports items from sneaking their way into the U.S. ... it happens yearly, including in 2019, when authorities say they seized nearly $12 million worth of fake title goods.
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Titans' Bud Dupree Video Shows NFL Player Grabbing, Wrestling Man ... In Walgreens Altercation
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Titans defensive end Bud Dupree grabbed a man and then wrestled with him for several seconds inside of a Walgreens in Nashville on Sunday night ... new video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.
In the footage, you can see the NFL player walk through the doors of the drug store and immediately get in the face of a man near the cash register.
It's unclear what prompted the verbal altercation -- but sources close to Dupree allege he was being heckled with nasty comments ... claiming the man threatened to spit on the women and kick Bud in the knee.
After exchanging words with the guy, Dupree appeared to try to grab the man's cell phone.
The 6-foot-4, 269-pound pass rusher then forcefully put the man in a bear hug, and all hell broke loose.
Video shows nearly everyone inside the store got involved in a wrestling match between the two ... before Dupree was ultimately separated from the group.
Dupree then seemed to try to leave the store, but as others stayed inside, the 28-year-old Tennessee defender went back, appearing to try to get others out of the fracas.
The website appears to be down but here is the Bud Dupree video courtesy of @BroadwayTN pic.twitter.com/LVu29snds6
— Buck Reising (@BuckReising) January 4, 2022 @BuckReising
A separate video of the incident filmed from inside of the Walgreens, and obtained by Broadway Sports, appears to show Dupree ordered one of the people he was with to take a person's phone in the middle of the altercation.
As we reported, after conducting an investigation into the incident, cops cited Dupree for misdemeanor assault. They say the football player is due for booking on the citation in three weeks.
The Titans -- who play the Texans on Sunday before entering into the playoffs -- said Monday they're "aware of the situation and are gathering additional information."
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George Floyd 4-Year-Old Niece Shot at Home ... Survives Gun Attack
George Floyd's young niece is on the mend after what seems like a targeted attack on family members in his hometown of Houston.
Four-year-old Arianna was struck with a bullet in her torso Saturday while she slept in her bed at home. The bullet was fired by an unidentified suspect, or suspects, who opened fire into her family's house ... according to Houston's ABC13.
She was taken to a hospital where she underwent surgery and was stabilized. Arianna's father says she suffered a punctured lung and liver, as well as 3 broken ribs, but she's recovering.
As for who might've done this ... no arrests yet, and cops aren't saying anything about possible culprits -- however, Arianna's family tells ABC13 they know the shooter ... but, for some reason, they believe the incident was "just a coincidence."
Arianna had to be rushed to the hospital. She has a punctured lung and liver and three broken ribs. Her father says she’s on the mend but is still in the hospital.
— Mycah Hatfield (@MycahABC13) January 4, 2022 @MycahABC13
The shooter has not been arrested. https://t.co/koPoxl5n7O
Apparently, Arianna had attended some protests last year to honor her slain uncle. She's technically his great-niece ... being the daughter of his niece, Bianca, whose mother is George's sister, LaTonya.
Story developing ...
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Elizabeth Holmes Guilty On 4 Counts in Fraud Trial
Elizabeth Holmes is one huge step closer to doing hard time -- the jury found her guilty on 4 of the 11 charges she was facing in her fraud trial.
The founder of the blood-testing startup Theranos was facing two counts of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and nine counts of wire fraud for deceiving investors, patients and advertisers ... all in search of money and fame.
After a week of deliberation, the jury returned its verdict Monday ... convicting her of one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and 3 counts of wire fraud.
The jury found Holmes not guilty on 4 counts ... including 3 counts of wire fraud, and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. One charge was also dropped.
The jury remained deadlocked -- unable to reach a verdict -- on 3 counts. Prosecutors could re-charge Holmes on those counts, or just let it go.
During the trial, Holmes testified that she meant well, and trusted the scientists behind the start-up. The jury heard from 32 witnesses in total.
Leading up to the trial and verdict, there's been a documentary, a best-selling book, and a podcast about the company's alleged fraud and deception.
The billion-dollar company made promises it could conduct cheaper and easier blood testing, but, it was later revealed its devices could only perform a mere 12 tests -- instead of Elizabeth's claim of 1,000 -- and the company shut down 3 years later.
Holmes now faces up to 20 years behind bars for each guilty verdict ... although it's unlikely she'd get the maximum without a prior criminal record. Her legal team is vowing to appeal.
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Raiders' Nate Hobbs Arrested For DUI ... Allegedly Passed Out In His Car In Vegas
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1:34 PM PT -- Hobbs' attorneys David Chesnoff and Richard Schonfeld tell TMZ Sports, "The facts and circumstances related by the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department to the news media leave serious concerns that this does not qualify as a DUI under Nevada law."
1:12 PM PT -- Raiders interim head coach Rich Bisaccia just said he and the team are aware of Hobbs' arrest, though nothing has been determined with the player's status on the team.
"We're just trying to collect as much information as we possibly can on what exactly happened," Bisaccia said, "and what the situation is and where he's at with that."
Las Vegas Raiders cornerback Nate Hobbs was arrested for DUI just hours after the team's huge win over the Colts ... after cops say the rookie was found passed out in his car in Vegas.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports ... cops responded to The Cromwell Hotel around 4 AM on Monday, after they say witnesses saw Hobbs asleep at the wheel on a parking lot exit ramp.
Our sources say officers made contact with the football player ... and eventually arrested him after they claim he did not do well in field sobriety tests.
Jail records show the 22-year-old was booked into the Clark County Detention Center at 6:38 AM.
A jail official tells us Hobbs was booked on one count of misdemeanor DUI and is currently in the process of being released from custody. The jail official added that Hobbs has a court date set for May.
Hobbs started as corner for the Raiders in their win over the Colts in Indianapolis on Sunday ... recording 4 combined tackles.
The arrest comes just two months after Hobbs' former Raiders teammate, Henry Ruggs, was accused of driving drunk and slamming his Corvette into 23-year-old Tina Tintor's Rav4.
Tintor's vehicle caught on fire, and officials determined she burned to death. Ruggs was later hit with multiple charges over the incident -- including two felony DUI counts.
The Raiders, meanwhile, are just days away from the biggest game of their season ... they can clinch a spot in the playoffs with a win over the Chargers on Sunday.
Hobbs' status for the game is now unclear.
We've reached out to the Raiders for comment ... so far, no word back.
Originally Published -- 12:41 PM PT
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COVID/Omicron Fake Vaccine Card Biz Booming
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Fake vaccine cards are selling like crazy ... and demand has shot up over the past few weeks, smack in the middle of the omicron surge.
First of all, this is terrible, and if it's not a crime ... it should be. The cards are going for around $250 ... $50 a pop more than they were going for back in September, and that means demand is high.
We're told thousands of people are hawking fake vaccine cards ... pretty shocking.
The folks studying the surge of fake cards tell us the price of the bogus cards will continue to rise as Omicron spreads and as people need to prove they've been jabbed ... and the holidays are accounting for increased sales.
The cards were originally sold on the dark web, but sellers have become emboldened as everything gets even more political and they're now selling the cards much more openly ... on various forums and chatrooms.
We should all be concerned about Omicron, but not panicked.
— President Biden (@POTUS) December 23, 2021 @POTUS
If you’re fully vaccinated — and especially if you got boosted — you’re highly protected.
But if you’re unvaccinated, you’re at higher risk of getting severely ill from COVID-19, getting hospitalized, and dying.
Earlier this week, President Biden warned on Twitter that the COVID cases will continue to rise and it sure seems we're headed for a dark winter.
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Kodak Black Arrested for Trespassing in FL ... On New Year's Eve
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Kodak Black found himself behind bars on New Year's Eve -- albeit briefly -- but it sounds like it might be a big misunderstanding ... at least according to his attorney.
KB's lawyer, Bradford Cohen, tells TMZ ... yes, his client was indeed arrested early Saturday morning near Pompano Beach, FL on a misdemeanor trespassing charge -- but insists it's a bogus bust ... based on nothing but a cease-or-desist letter from 4 months ago.
Here's the deal ... Cohen says Kodak went to his old neighborhood of Greenacres to hang out with some pals for the holiday, and to also pay off credit card debt for 5 families living in the area who'd shelled out for Christmas gifts for their kids and loved ones.
At some point while he was there, we're told the cops showed up and took Kodak into custody -- telling him he was in violation of a letter issued by the local Housing Authority.
You might recall that letter ... it was fired off in response to Kodak delivering AC units to people there in Sept., which the HA apparently didn't appreciate. Anyway, it seems Kodak's mere presence this time around triggered a call to the Broward County Sheriff's Office.
Here's why Cohen thinks the arrest was unwarranted -- for one, he says the C&D never made its way to Kodak, meaning it wasn't served properly in that it was sent to his record label, and not him personally. Second, he says that letter says nothing about not coming onto the grounds, so it shouldn't have served as the basis of any arrest.
BSO tells us they booked Kodak around 3:02 AM, and that he was released on a $25 bond a couple hours later. Unclear if this will have any bearing on Kodak's supervised release.
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Derek Chauvin Dismal Prison Life for Murderer
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Derek Chauvin is experiencing the consequences of his actions, leading a dismal life in prison, under intense security and with few freedoms ... a fate he sealed for himself.
Chauvin's been locked up for 8 months now in the Administrative Control Unit, a sector of restrictive housing with extensive security inside Minnesota Correctional Facility-Oak Park Heights. He's got surveillance cameras on his every move, and the prison staff checks on him every 30 mins.
A rep for the facility tells us Chauvin remains isolated, without job opportunities, educational programs or contact with other inmates. Not only that ... he showers, eats, goes to the bathroom and sleeps all in the same cell. We're told he gets about an hour each day outside his cell for exercise.
While life behind bars may suck, it fails to create sympathy considering what he did to George Floyd in May 2020.
In June 2021, Chauvin was sentenced to 22.5 years for the killing of George Floyd. He pled guilty in a corresponding federal case and is awaiting sentencing for violating Floyd's civil rights, and that crime carries a maximum of 25 years. Once he's sentenced, he'll be placed in a permanent facility.
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Drakeo The Ruler Murder Investigators Hits Wall of Silence ... Witnesses Won't Cooperate
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Detectives working to find out who killed Drakeo the Ruler are fighting an uphill battle, finding it hard to get anyone who may have info on the suspect to come forward and talk ... TMZ has learned.
Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... investigators are mostly relying on surveillance and cellphone footage to crack the case. As we reported, he was stabbed in the neck backstage at the Once Upon A Time in L.A. festival on Dec. 18.
Our sources say detectives attempting to chat with witnesses to the scuffle ... but they're not talking, which makes it hard/next to impossible to nab the culprits.
Detectives are starting to go another route -- looking to see if the Slim 400 murder might be connected to Drakeo the Ruler's demise.
As we reported, there's a lot of tension between gangs in the City of Angels as of late, so cops are well aware of the chance for retaliation.
Nothing's been made public to connect the Drakeo and Slim murders -- but our sources say cops aren't ruling it out.
Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube and 50 Cent were among the acts set to perform at the festival where Drakeo was killed ... Snoop posted a heartfelt message, saying, "My prayers go out to everyone affected by the tragedy. Please take care, love one another and stay safe y'all."
He ended with, "IM PRAYING FOR PEACE IN HIP HOP."
Drakeo was 28.
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Quavo Sued Limo Driver Claims Brutal Assault ... They Really F***** Me Up
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Quavo and his crew beat the crap out of a Sin City limo driver ... all because the driver forgot to pick up someone in their group -- this according to a new lawsuit.
The Migos rapper is being sued by the limo driver, who claims the alleged beatdown went down July 3 in Vegas.
According to the suit, obtained by TMZ, the driver claims he was hired to take the Migos and their group from a local club to the Virgin Hotel ... but he says things went south when the passengers started yelling at him about leaving behind a member of their party.
In the docs, the limo driver tried reasoning with his passengers but was told, "shut the f*** up" ... and then someone chucked a bottle at him.
The driver claims it escalated, with as many as 5 of the passengers attacking him unprovoked ... repeatedly punching and kicking him, leaving him riddled with injuries.
According to the suit, the driver claims hotel staff and security had a front-row seat to the alleged beatdown ... but instead of stepping in to stop the fight, they fled for safety inside the hotel.
The limo driver claims the attack left him suffering physical and mental pain and even disfigurement ... and he's going after Quavo, Migos Touring and the hotel for unspecified damages.
We reached out to Migos ... so far, no word back.
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Ghislaine Maxwell Found Guilty of 5 Charges ... In Epstein Sex Trafficking Trial
Ghislaine Maxwell has been found guilty on all but one count in her sex trafficking trial.
Maxwell faced 6 charges ... accused of soliciting and grooming minors for abuse and sex crimes at the hands of Jeffrey Epstein, which date from 1994 up until 2004. She was convicted on 5 counts, including sex trafficking of a minor. The jury deliberated for 6 days.
During the trial, 4 women testified that they had been sexually abused by Jeffrey Epstein when they were all under the age of 18 ... and said Maxwell helped Epstein and sometimes even participated in the abuse.
Maxwell pled not guilty to all charges. Her lawyers insisted she had been a scapegoat for Epstein ... who committed suicide in custody back in 2019 while awaiting trial.
She could face decades behind bars.
U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of NY Damian Williams released a statement on the verdict saying, "A unanimous jury has found Ghislaine Maxwell guilty of one of the worst crimes imaginable – facilitating and participating in the sexual abuse of children. Crimes that she committed with her long-time partner and co-conspirator, Jeffrey Epstein. The road to justice has been far too long. But, today, justice has been done. I want to commend the bravery of the girls – now grown women – who stepped out of the shadows and into the courtroom.”