Most Celebrity Verdict: R. Kelly Guilty on Sex-trafficking, Racketeering Charges
R&B star R. Kelly has been found guilty of eight counts of sex trafficking and one count of racketeering after a two-day jury deliberation, according to an article from Yahoo! Among some of the many disturbing accusations the musician faced were kidnapping, sexual exploitation of a minor and bribery. According to information in the article, 11 accusers— six were minors at the time of the accusations and two are male—testified against Kelly. He will be sentenced in May.
Most Split Verdict: Ohio ‘Ethnic Intimidation’ Case Ends in Guilty Verdict for Assault, Exoneration for Hate Crime
A Perry County jury found Joseph McCabe, who is white, guilty of assaulting his Black neighbor Leon Davis, although the former was exonerated of ethnic intimidation and aggravated menacing, according to an article from The Columbus Dispatch. Ethnic intimidation, notes the article, is the only hate crime statute in Ohio law. As a result of the conviction, McCabe could be jailed for up to six months and fined up to $1,000.
Most Murderous Verdict: Philly Man Guilty of Murdering Ex After Train Station Stabbing
Gilbert Newton III, of Philadelphia, was found guilty of first-degree murder after being accused of stabbing his ex-girlfriend to death at a train station in Abington, according to an article from the Mainline Times & Suburban. Newton was said to have met Morgan Darlyn McCaffery at a secluded parking lot to “discuss their relationship” before brutally attacking her. Newton was immediately sentenced to life in prison, as is the mandatory term per state statute.
Most Gamer Verdict: Apple v Epic Case Finally Winding Down After Mixed-bag Verdict
The year-long legal battle between Apple and Fortnite developer Epic Games has reached a head as a judge ruled Apple acted anticompetitively, but not monopolistically, in its treatment of Epic Games’ hit game, according to an article from Mondaq. The case originated when Epic launched an in-app payment system that sought to circumvent Apple’s 30% cut for in-game purchases. As a result of the verdict, Apple will be disallowed from prohibiting developers from “providing communications or links which steers users away from in-app purchasing in the App Store.”
Most Technological Verdict: Man Admits to Hosting Cyber Attack Services Before Entering Not Guilty Plea
A California jury found Matthew Gatrel guilty of operating online services that allowed customers to launch “distributed denial-of-service” (DDoS) online attacks against websites and internet users, according to an article from Krebs on Security. Curiously, Gartrel admitted to running the services to the FBI prior to the trial but entered a not guilty plea in August anyway. The attacks stemming from the DDoS services targeted more than 200,000 banking, government, gaming and educational websites.