Woman whose son was fatally stabbed will testify at GOP’s New York crime hearing

Cami Mondeaux

April 12, 09:59 AM April 12, 09:59 AM

The House Judiciary Committee announced the witness list for its GOP-led field hearing that will focus on violent crime in New York City, with the line-up including a woman whose son was fatally stabbed roughly five years ago.

Republicans announced the hearing last week as a way to undercut the work of Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, hoping to erode his credibility as he prosecutes former President Donald Trump on a number of criminal charges. The hearing will feature at least three witnesses, including the mother of a homicide victim, a bodega clerk who was wrongfully charged with murder, and an anti-crime activist, according to the Daily Mail.

DEMOCRATS PLAN TO JOIN GOP HEARING ON CRIME AND VIOLENCE IN NEW YORK

Madeline Brame, chairwoman of the Victim Rights Council, will testify before the committee, sharing a story of her son, Army veteran Hason Correa, who was reportedly stabbed to death by a group of attackers outside a Harlem apartment building in 2018. Two of the attackers secured a plea deal with Manhattan prosecutors, including Bragg, and another was released on time served.

Brame has previously spoken out against Bragg’s conduct in that case, accusing him of violating her “rights as a crime victim to be fully informed and to be heard,” according to a letter she sent the district attorney last summer. Brame said she was not informed of the plea deals until after they were accepted.

The committee will also hear from Jose Alba, a bodega clerk who was wrongfully charged with murder after stabbing a man who attacked him inside his store. Alba was arrested on a second-degree murder charge and sent to Rikers Island.

However, video showed Alba stabbed the attacker in what appeared to be self-defense, prompting calls to release the bodega clerk. Alba was later cleared after Bragg’s office asked a judge to drop the charges due to intense backlash from the public, including New York Mayor Eric Adams.

The panel will hear from a third witness, who is the leader of Victim Rights New York and has been an anti-crime activist in the city for several years. Jennifer Harrison has been vocal about the city’s criminal justice system for years, particularly after she said her boyfriend and best friend were killed in a double homicide.

Two of the attackers “went free” and the third was released after “just a few years,” she told the Daily Mail.

The hearing will be held on April 17 in the district represented by Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who is the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee. Democrats on the panel say they plan to attend in an effort to diminish the event as a political stunt.

The field hearing is the latest retaliation from House Republicans against Bragg’s indictment of Trump after the latter was charged with 34 counts of falsifying business records earlier this month. Republicans have decried the charges as being politically motivated, vowing to investigate Bragg and his office.

Republicans on the Judiciary Committee subpoenaed former New York County Special Assistant District Attorney Mark Pomerantz to appear before the panel and testify about his previous involvement in the Trump investigation. Pomerantz initially led the inquiry before resigning last year over Bragg’s initial reluctance to move forward with the case.

Bragg later filed a lawsuit against Jordan on Tuesday, accusing the committee chairman of interfering with a local investigation. The district attorney claimed he has received several death threats because of Republicans’ attacks, accusing Jordan of orchestrating a “transparent campaign to intimidate and attack" him.

Donald Trump arrest: Former president arrives at Manhattan courthouse for arraignment in hush money case

Cami Mondeaux

April 04, 01:24 PM April 04, 01:36 PM

Former President Donald Trump arrived at the courthouse in downtown Manhattan on Tuesday to surrender himself to District Attorney Alvin Bragg before his arraignment is scheduled to take place later in the afternoon.

Trump emerged from Trump Tower just after 1 p.m. wearing a suit and red tie while pumping his fist to the crowd gathered outside the building. He then got into his motorcade along with his security detail to make the drive to lower Manhattan.

TRUMP’S GAME PLAN TO SLOW DOWN CRIMINAL CASE

Trump arrived at Bragg’s office at 1:25 p.m. to be escorted to Judge Juan Merchan, who will hand down the former president’s criminal charges. The streets were lined with dozens of journalists and Trump supporters in the hours before his arrival, with some camping out in front of the courthouse overnight.

Trump posted on his Truth Social account just minutes before he surrendered to New York authorities, calling the moment "surreal."

"Heading to Lower Manhattan, the Courthouse," he wrote. "Seems so SURREAL — WOW, they are going to ARREST ME. Can't believe this is happening in America. MAGA!"

Trump is scheduled to appear before Merchan around 2:15 p.m. in a proceeding that is expected to be quick and understated, as he is not expected to be placed in handcuffs or have a mugshot taken. However, the arraignment marks a historic moment as Trump is the first former president to face criminal charges — a precedent that has riled up much of his base, who decry the charges as being politically motivated.

The former president is expected to address reporters before he enters the courtroom, where he'll make his first public statements since arriving in New York for his arraignment.

The scene outside the courthouse got particularly heated in the hours ahead of Trump's arrival, as a group of Trump supporters clashed with some counterprotesters prompting a response from law enforcement. The group of counterprotesters held a large banner reading, "Trump lies all the time," which caused a supporter of the former president to charge the group and begin ripping the sign.

Police were able to disperse the altercation and began conducting additional security sweeps outside the courthouse.

It’s not yet clear whether Trump will need to post bail on Tuesday afternoon. Merchan will make that decision after announcing the charges.

Trump’s indictment has remained sealed since being announced on Thursday, but it’s been reported that he faces at least 34 criminal counts including falsifying business records. Trump has denied all wrongdoing and has said he will plead not guilty.

Trump arrived in New York just before 4 p.m. on Monday afternoon before he headed to Trump Tower for the night ahead of his Tuesday arraignment. The former president released a statement on his Truth Social account just hours after his arrival, accusing Bragg of leaking the details of his indictment to the press.

"Wow! District Attorney Bragg just illegally LEAKED the various points, and complete information, on the pathetic Indictment against me," Trump wrote. "This means that he MUST BE IMMEDIATELY INDICTED. Now, if he wants to really clean up his reputation, he will do the honorable thing and, as District Attorney, INDICT HIMSELF."

Law enforcement in New York have increased security detail around the courthouse ahead of Trump's appearance, with Mayor Eric Adams warning protesters not to get too rowdy — specifically calling out Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), who will lead a protest outside the courthouse on Tuesday.

“While there may be some rabble rousers thinking about coming to our city tomorrow, our message is clear and simple: Control yourselves,” Adams said.

Greene shot back at Adams, accusing the New York mayor of using intimidation tactics to silence opposition.

“Delusional [Eric Adams] is trying to intimidate, threaten, and stop me from using my 1st amendment rights to peacefully protest the Democrat’s unconstitutional weaponization of our justice system against our top Republican Presidential candidate, President Trump,” she said in a tweet. “Should I be the one concerned that the mayor of NYC will weaponize his government or maybe his thugs like DA Alvin Bragg against me?”

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) was also seen outside the courthouse hours before Trump's arraignment began as he denounced the charges, noting it sets a dangerous precedent.

"What stops the next prosecutor in two years?” he told reporters.

Trump’s surrender comes after a grand jury in Manhattan voted on Thursday to indict the former president on charges related to a hush money case that emerged during his first White House bid in 2016.

Reports of a looming indictment emerged after former Trump attorney Michael Cohen testified before the Manhattan grand jury multiple times earlier this month. Cohen was convicted in 2018 after pleading guilty to paying two women who accused Trump of sexual affairs to be silent, including adult film star Stormy Daniels.

As part of the scheme, Cohen paid Daniels $130,000 and was later reimbursed by the Trump Organization.

Manhattan prosecutors later opened an investigation into whether Trump falsified business records to list the reimbursement as a legal expense. Such a crime is a misdemeanor in New York but could be increased to a felony if Bragg's office argues the fraud was intended to conceal a second crime.

At the time of Cohen’s trial, federal prosecutors did not press charges against Trump due to guidance from the Justice Department that a sitting president cannot be charged with a crime. However, prosecutors revived discussions about possible charges shortly before Trump left office in 2021. They ultimately declined to charge him.