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u.s. news Diaranson 21 october 2020

Court says Epstein's ex-girlfriend's testimony can be public

(AP) — A British social- that she helped recruit girls,
ite's testimony in a lawsuit including one as young as
related to Jeffrey Epstein's 14, for Epstein to abuse in
sexual abuse activities can the 1990s. She has pleaded
be made public, an ap- not guilty and has been held
peals court ruled Monday. without bail since her early
July arrest. If convicted, she
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court could face up to 35 years in
of Appeals in Manhattan is- prison.
sued its conclusions in a se-
ries of orders it released re- Epstein killed himself in a
garding 2016 depositions by federal jail last year as he
Ghislaine Maxwell. awaited trial on sex traffick-
ing charges.
Her lawyers had appealed a
judge's July ruling to allow A lawyer for Maxwell had
release of the transcripts of argued that the depositions
two depositions in which she shouldn't be made public be-
answered questions before cause they are evidence in the
the lawsuit was settled. criminal case brought against
The judge had concluded her.
that there was a presumption scope and scale of Jeffrey Ep-
of public access to deposition The depositions were taken Maxwell was asked during Excerpts from seven hours of stein's sex trafficking ring and
materials. in April and July 2016 in a one deposition whether Ep- depositions were ordered re- the efforts made to conceal
civil case brought by one of stein had a scheme to recruit leased along with over 2,000 it."
A three-judge appeals panel Epstein's accusers, Virginia underage girls for sexual pages of other documents.
that heard arguments last Giuffre. massages. Messages seeking com-
week concluded that Max- Sigrid McCawley, a lawyer ment were left with lawyers
well's arguments for secrecy Maxwell's lawyers said the "I don't know what you're for Giuffre, in a statement for Maxwell and the Miami
were meritless. depositions should remain talking about," Maxwell re- called the 2nd Circuit rul- Herald, which intervened to
secret because they form the sponded, her lawyer noted ing "an important step to- secure the public release of
Maxwell, 58, is scheduled basis of perjury charges in the in making his arguments for wards vindicating the public documents.
for trial next July on charges indictment against Maxwell. secrecy. interest in understanding the

San Francisco set to let people sue over racist 911 calls

(AP) — Fed up with white people calling 911 needed to sue but notes that qualifying calls are
about people of color selling water bottles, "They tried to cast it as a criminal scene," he said. those that caused the person to feel harassed or
barbecuing or otherwise going about their "It was me calmly applying chalk, not spray paint, embarrassed; damaged the person's reputation or
lives, San Francisco leaders are set to approve not in the middle of the night but very deliberately. business prospects; or forced the person from an
hate crime legislation giving the targets of The only thing that was missing was a pinot grigio." area where they had a lawful right to be.
those calls the ability to sue the caller.
Supervisor Shamann Walton, who introduced the The board has received written complaints from
The Board of Supervisors will vote Tuesday on legislation and is Black, said, "911 calls and emer- eight people — several whose names have different
the Caution Against Racial and Exploitative Non- gency reports are not customer service lines for spellings of Karen — saying they support the leg-
Emergencies Act, also known as the CAREN leg- racist behavior. ... People of color have the right to islation but object to its moniker, which they call
islation. It's a nod to a popular meme using the do everyday activities and should not be subject to sexist and ageist.
name "Karen" to describe an entitled white woman being harassed due to someone's racial bias."
whose actions stem from her privilege, such as us- Vic Vicari wrote that the insensitive use of the
ing police to target people of color. Supporters of the legislation say it is crushing to be name "as a general purpose term of disapproval for
confronted by police because someone saw you as middle age white women needs to stop." Carynn
All 11 supervisors have signed on to the legislation, a threat, possibly as a criminal or as not belonging. Silva said she loves the name her mom gave her
guaranteeing it will pass, despite some criticism It's especially terrifying for Black people, whose and called it a racist term against white women.
that the name is sexist and divisive. It comes amid a encounters with police could end in violence. Caren Batides asked if the supervisor would want
national reckoning on race compelled by the police his name mocked.
killings of Black Americans and instances where "This is not hyperbole," said Brittni Chicuata, chief
white people called for officers to investigate peo- of staff for San Francisco's Human Rights Com- "Yes, I am named Karen, and I do speak up for in-
ple of color. mission. "This is an established pattern reflected in justices on a regular occasion," wrote Karen Shane.
the disparate treatment of Black people and other "So could we attempt at coming up with some
In May, Amy Cooper, a white woman, called 911 people of color in our city and in our country." other acronym that doesn't vilify a whole group of
from Manhattan's Central Park, falsely claiming people named Karen/Caryn/Caren?"
that a Black man — who had politely asked her to Other places have moved to make placing racist
leash her dog — was threatening her. She's been 911 calls a hate crime. California's governor re- Reached by phone, Shane, who lives in a San Fran-
charged with filing a false police report. cently signed a measure making the crime a mis- cisco Bay Area suburb and describes herself as a
demeanor punishable by jail time and a fine. New middle-aged white woman, readily pokes fun at her
In San Francisco, a white couple was criticized on York approved legislation allowing the victims of first name and said she's aware that even complain-
social media after video was widely shared of them racist 911 calls to sue. ing about it is something that a "Karen" would do.
questioning a Filipino American stenciling "Black But she feels the supervisor didn't need to cheapen
Lives Matter" on a retaining wall in front of his The San Francisco legislation gives people the right what she agrees is important legislation.
home in June. They later called police. to sue a 911 caller in civil court, and supporters
hope it will make some think twice before turn- "By using the name CAREN, he's just perpetuating
James Juanillo said he chose yellow chalk to match ing to police. The discrimination need not be only a racial divide," she said. "Granted it's not a pro-
the color of the house. When the couple ap- racial; it can also be due to the person's sex, age, re- tected class, but it's somebody's name."
proached him, they repeatedly demanded to know ligion, disability, gender identity, weight or height.
if it was his home because he was defacing private Walton has dismissed the concerns, saying the leg-
property. The legislation does not spell out the standards islation does not refer to any individual.