title: Husband and Wife Plead Guilty to Money Laundering Conspiracy Involving the Hack and Theft of Billions in Cryptocurrency

component: Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

body_text: WASHINGTON – A married couple from New York City pleaded guilty today to money laundering conspiracies arising from the hack and theft of approximately 120,000 bitcoin from Bitfinex, a global cryptocurrency exchange. Ilya Lichtenstein, 35, and Heather Morgan, 33, were arrested in February 2022, after the government seized approximately 95,000 of those stolen Bitcoin from cryptocurrency wallets in the defendants’ control. At the time of the seizure, the recovered funds were valued at approximately $3.6 billion. Since their arrests, the government has seized another approximately $475 million tied to the hack. The pleas were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting Special Agent in Charge Kareem A. Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington Field Office, Special Agent in Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, of the FBI’s Chicago Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo, of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York Field Office made the announcement. According to court documents, Lichtenstein used a number of advanced hacking tools and techniques to gain access to Bitfinex’s network. Once inside their systems, Lichtenstein was able to fraudulently authorize more than 2,000 transactions in which 119,754 bitcoin was transferred from Bitfinex to a cryptocurrency wallet in Lichtenstein’s control. Lichtenstein then took steps to cover his tracks by going back into Bitfinex’s network and deleting access credentials and other log files that may have given him away to law enforcement. Following the hack, Lichtenstein enlisted the help of his wife, Heather Morgan, in laundering the stolen funds. As part of their pleas, Lichtenstein and Morgan admitted that Lichtenstein, at times with Morgan’s assistance, employed numerous sophisticated laundering techniques, including using fictitious identities to set up online accounts; utilizing computer programs to automate transactions; depositing the stolen funds into accounts at a variety of darknet markets and cryptocurrency exchanges and then withdrawing the funds, which obfuscates the trail of the transaction history by breaking up the fund flow; converting bitcoin to other forms of cryptocurrency, including anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrency (AEC), in a practice known as “chain hopping”; depositing a portion of the criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency mixing services, such as Bitcoin Fog, Helix, and ChipMixer; using U.S.-based business accounts to legitimize their banking activity; and exchanging a portion of the stolen funds into gold coins, which Morgan then concealed by burying them. Lichtenstein pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Morgan pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States, each of which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Consistent with standard practice in criminal forfeiture cases, there will be a formal process at the conclusion of the case, pursuant to Rule 32.2 of the Federal Rules of Criminal Procedure, for third-party claimants to submit claims for any seized and forfeited property. The investigation was led by IRS-CI Washington, D.C. Field Office’s Cyber Crimes Unit, FBI-Chicago, FBI’s Virtual Assets Unit (VAU), and HSI-New York. The Ansbach Police Department in Germany provided assistance during this investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher B. Brown and Jolie Zimmerman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, along with Trial Attorneys Jessica Peck and C. Alden Pelker of the Justice Department’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section. Paralegal Specialists Angela De Falco and Brian Rickers and Legal Assistant Jessica McCormick provided valuable assistance. Significant assistance was also provided by Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher, the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and Southern District of New York, HSI-Philadelphia, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica C. Brooks.


title: Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Bank Robbery

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Defendant Threatened Bank Tellers with Bomb WASHINGTON - A Superior Court jury, today, found Mark Stubblefield, 65, of Washington, D.C., guilty on all counts for robbing and threatening to blow up a branch of the Truist Bank, located at Dupont Circle in Washington, D.C. The verdicts were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Stubblefield was found guilty of one count of robbery while armed and one count of felony threats. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 17, 2023. According to evidence presented at trial, shortly after 2:35 p.m., on October 20, 2022, the defendant disguised himself and walked into the Truist Bank, located at 1369 Connecticut Avenue, NW. He threatened to blow up the bank tellers, putting them in fear for their lives, and demanded a large amount of cash. Around two minutes later, he left the bank with $10,000 in cash. He walked south on Connecticut Avenue, before getting on a Metrobus and donning a D.C. Department of Transportation uniform. The defendant evaded police and escaped that day. The government presented surveillance footage from nearby business and the Metrobus. The Metrobus surveillance clearly captured the defendant’s face, which the FBI and Metropolitan Police Department used to find witnesses who identified the bank robber. The government also presented DNA evidence linking the defendant to the crime. In announcing the verdicts, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers and detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated the case, as well as members of the prosecution team. They thanked the FBI’s Washington Field Office and Laboratory for providing valuable assistance. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including: Special Agent Sean Ricardi, Supervisory Litigation Technology Specialist Leif Hickling, Litigation Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce, and Paralegal Specialists Debra McPherson and Antoinette Sakamsa, with valuable assistance from AUSAs Paul Courtney and Jessica Ans. Finally, they recognized Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carlos A. Valdivia and Alec Levy who prosecuted the case.


title: Six Mississippi Law Enforcement Officers Plead Guilty to Torturing and Abusing Two Black Men

body_text: Two federal criminal informations were unsealed today charging six former Mississippi law enforcement officers with a total of 16 felonies stemming from the torture and physical abuse of three Rankin County residents in two separate unrelated incidents. Those 16 felonies include civil rights conspiracy, deprivation of rights under color of law, discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence, conspiracy to obstruct justice and obstruction of justice. In federal court this morning, six defendants, five former members of the Rankin County, Mississippi, Sheriff’s Office (RSCO) – Chief Investigator Brett McAlpin, 52, Narcotics Investigator Christian Dedmon, 28, Lieutenant Jeffrey Middleton, 46, Deputy Hunter Elward, 31, Deputy Daniel Opdyke, 27 – and one former member of the Richland, Mississippi, Police Department – Narcotics Investigator Joshua Hartfield, 31 – pleaded guilty to all charges against them. The defendants admitted that on Jan. 24, without a warrant or any exigent circumstances, they kicked in the door and entered a home in Braxton, Rankin County, Mississippi where two Black men, M.J. and E.P., were residing. The defendants handcuffed and arrested the men without probable cause to believe they had committed any crime, called them racial slurs, and warned them to stay out of Rankin County. Further, the defendants punched and kicked the men, tased them 17 times, forced them to ingest liquids, and assaulted them with a dildo. During the incident, Dedmon fired his gun twice to intimidate the men. At the conclusion of the incident, Elward surreptitiously removed a bullet from the chamber of his gun, forced the gun into M.J.’s mouth and pulled the trigger. The unloaded gun clicked but did not fire. Elward racked the slide, intending to dry-fire a second time. When Elward pulled the trigger, the gun discharged. The bullet lacerated M.J.’s tongue, broke his jaw and exited out of his neck. As M.J. was bleeding on the floor, the defendants did not provide medical aid, but instead gathered outside the home to devise a false cover story and took steps to corroborate it, including: planting a gun on M.J.; destroying surveillance video, spent shell casings, and taser cartridges; submitting fraudulent drug evidence to the crime lab; filing false reports; charging M.J. with crimes he did not commit; making false statements to investigators; and pressuring witnesses to stick to the cover story. Three of the defendants admitted in court that they were members of “The Goon Squad,” a group of RCSO officers who were known for using excessive force and not reporting it. Additionally, during their court appearances this morning, Dedmon, Elward, and Opdyke each also pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging them with three additional federal felony offenses, including deprivation of rights under color of law and discharge of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. The charges arise out of an incident on Dec. 4, 2022, in which Dedmon beat and tased a white man and fired a gun near his head to coerce a confession, while Elward and Opdyke failed to intervene. “The defendants in this case tortured and inflicted unspeakable harm on their victims, egregiously violated the civil rights of citizens who they were supposed to protect, and shamefully betrayed the oath they swore as law enforcement officers,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will hold accountable officers who abuse the public trust that is essential to public safety.” “No human being should ever be subjected to the kind of torturous, traumatizing and horrific acts of violence that were carried out by these law enforcement officers,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The physical and emotional impact of their crimes resulted from a calculated, deliberate, and egregious course of conduct that required a significant response from authorities. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute law enforcement officers who violate the public trust by abusing the power given to them by virtue of their position.” “These former law enforcement officers have committed heinous and wanton acts of violence disgracing the badge which so many others have worn with pride and honor,” said U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca for the Southern District of Mississippi. “They violated their oaths and have become the criminals they were sworn to protect us from.” “Our citizens deserve credible law enforcement to safeguard the community from crime. The actions of these deputies and the officer significantly deprived the citizens of that protection and eroded the trust earned each day by honest law enforcement officers throughout the nation,” said Special Agent in Charge Jermicha Fomby of the FBI Jackson Field Office. “The FBI is committed to aggressively investigating those who misuse their authority, violate the color of law, or inject biases in the execution of their duties.” “Without a relationship of trust between law enforcement officers and those they swear to serve and protect,” said Mississippi State Attorney General Lynn Fitch. “Our fight for justice and against crime is doomed to fail. This brutal attack caused more than physical harm to these two individual victims, it severed that vital trust with the people. This abuse of power will not be tolerated. The Attorney General’s Office is committed to delivering justice for these victims and all Mississippians, and we are grateful for this strong partnership we have with our U.S. Attorney’s Offices and FBI Field Office. Working together, it is my hope that we can help these victims heal and restore confidence in our criminal justice system.” The defendants face state charges arising out of the same incident, including home invasion, aggravated assault, conspiracy to commit obstruction of justice, and obstruction of justice. The FBI Jackson Field Office investigated the federal case. The Mississippi Bureau of Investigation investigated the state case. Criminal Chief Erin O. Chalk and Assistant U.S. Attorney Glenda R. Haynes for the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Perras and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section; and Mississippi Deputy Attorney General Mary Helen Wall, who was deputized as a Special Assistant U.S. Attorney for the federal matter are prosecuting the case. If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse by a deputy with the Rankin County Sherriff’s Office, call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, email tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Jackson Field Office at 601-948-5000.


title: Stapleton Man Sentenced to 12 Years for Possession of Drugs and Firearms

body_text: Acting United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joseph Lynn Duran, 38, of Stapleton, Nebraska, was sentenced on August 2, 2023, to 12 years’ imprisonment by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for possession of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, and for being a felon in possession of firearms. After his release from prison, Duran will begin a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Duran pleaded guilty to both offenses on March 30, 2023. On September 13, 2021, a deputy sheriff in Lincoln County, Nebraska, attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Duran. Duran did not stop, and a vehicle pursuit ensued that continued into Logan County. During the pursuit, Duran tossed a duffel bag out the window of his vehicle. Police recovered the duffel bag a short time later and found it contained about four ounces of methamphetamine. Duran continued driving toward his home in rural Logan County. He was eventually stopped a couple hundred yards away from his driveway. Police obtained a search warrant for his home. Among other things, they located a safe which contained items with THC (the major psychoactive component found in marijuana), ammunition, and a pipe bomb. In a second safe in the home, police located several firearms. One of the firearms was a Mini-14 rifle with a folding stock. In the garage, police located approximately five pounds of marijuana packaged for sale from marijuana dispensaries in the states of Washington and California. Duran had prior felony convictions and was prohibited from possessing firearms. The investigation was conducted by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Logan County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and members of the CODE Task Force. The CODE Drug Task Force is made up of law enforcement agencies from several counties in west-central and southwest Nebraska, and they focus on investigating cases involving the distribution of controlled substances.


title: Cedar Rapids Man Who Attempted to Receive 30 Pounds of Methamphetamine Sentenced to More Than 14 Years in Federal Prison

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who retrieved a vehicle that had contained approximately 30 pounds of ice methamphetamine in a hidden compartment was sentenced July 28, 2023, to more than 14 years in federal prison. Christopher Eric Curley, age 30, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 20, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. Evidence at prior hearings and information presented at sentencing showed that in October 2020 investigators with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in New Mexico seized approximately 30 pounds of ice methamphetamine from a hidden compartment in a vehicle being shipped to Curley in Iowa. Investigators removed the methamphetamine from the compartment and replaced it with a simulated substance, then re‑loaded the vehicle onto the car hauler and sent it to Iowa. When the vehicle arrived in Cedar Rapids, Curley received delivery of it. He attempted to open the hidden compartment electronically, but it did not open. Curley then pulled down the back seat and pulled the purported methamphetamine out of the compartment. Upon examining some of the packages inside the compartment Curley realized that they did not actually contain methamphetamine. He then threw the vehicle’s keys through the driver’s side window of the vehicle and walked away. In late 2021 and 2022, Curley was still selling methamphetamine in eastern Iowa. During a wiretap investigation into a group of methamphetamine dealers in the Cedar Rapids area led by David Belton, Curley was intercepted discussing purchasing pounds of methamphetamine from the group, and also supplying pounds of methamphetamine to the group when they ran out of supply. Eleven other individuals were charged in the same investigation as Curley. David Poitier Belton, Derek Michael Mims, Phillip Lanell Rogers, Robert Lee Michael Bates, Anton Tarrice Whitney, Jr., Elmer Mims, and Timothy Michael Webber are all awaiting sentencing. Kiyonte Levell Sowell was sentenced to 144 months’ imprisonment. Albert Henry Bailey was sentenced to 88 months’ imprisonment. Jesus Vera was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment. Calub Joseph Storlie was sentenced to 200 months’ imprisonment. Curley was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Curley was sentenced to 175 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Curley is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, the DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The DEA Task Force in Cedar Rapids consists of the DEA, the Linn County Sheriff's Office, the Cedar Rapids Police Department, the Marion Police Department, and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dan Chatham. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22‑CR‑39‑CJW‑MAR. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Muskogee Resident Sentenced For Possession Of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Victor Julio Hotema, age 24, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to five years in prison for possessing child pornography. On August 22, 2022, Hotema pleaded guilty to one count of knowingly possessing and accessing with the intent to view visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors. The charges arose from an investigation by the Homeland Security Investigations. The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearings in Muskogee. Hotema will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration. Special Assistant United States Attorney Genevieve A. Ozark represented the United States. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab 'Resources'.


title: Choctaw County Double Homicide Guilty Pleas Entered

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Chad Jon’Dale Voyles, age 21, and Ashlie Nicole Rose Martin, age 20, both of Fort Towson, Oklahoma, entered guilty pleas relating to a Choctaw County double homicide which occurred on December 22 and 23, 2020. On January 6, 2023, Chad Jon’Dale Voyles pleaded guilty to one count of Murder in Indian Country. The Indictment against Voyles alleged that on December 23, 2020, Voyles killed the victim willfully, deliberately, maliciously, and with premeditation. On July 26, 2023, Ashlie Nicole Rose Martin pleaded guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Murder. The Indictment against Martin alleged that beginning on December 22, 2020, and continuing until December 23, 2020, Martin and others agreed to murder Martin’s parents. According to investigators, on the afternoon of December 22, 2020, Martin, Voyles, and another juvenile planned the murders of Martin’s parents, then set the plans in motion. Voyles admitted during his plea hearing that he bludgeoned Martin’s father and set him on fire. At Martin’s plea hearing, she admitted that she conspired with others to murder her parents. The crimes occurred in Choctaw County, within the boundaries of the Choctaw Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the Choctaw County Sheriff’s Office. The Honorable Gerald Jackson, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, Oklahoma, accepted Martin’s plea, ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report, and remanded Martin to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. The Honorable David C. Joseph, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, Oklahoma, accepted Voyles’ plea, ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report, and remanded Voyles to the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin D. Traster represented the United States.


title: Nicholas County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Shawn K. Bever, 45, of Craigsville, was sentenced to one year and three months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, on November 17, 2021, law enforcement officers investigating the illegal shooting of a bear encountered Bever outside his Craigsville residence. Officers saw an ATI .22-caliber pistol in Bever’s side-by-side all-terrain vehicle, parked on the property. Winchester .22-caliber ammunition was recovered from Bever’s pants pocket. Bever admitted to possessing the firearm and ammunition. Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Bever was prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition because of his prior felony conviction for delivery of a controlled substance in Nicholas County Circuit Court on November 14, 2011. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia Division of Natural Resources Police and the assistance provided by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Nowles Heinrich and Lesley C. Shamblin prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-164. ###


title: ENRD Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kate Konschnik Readout on Combating Illegal Logging and Associated Trade During Meeting at APEC 2023

component: Energy and Natural Resources Division

body_text: On July 30, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Kate Konschnik of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division made the plenary opening remarks for the 24th meeting of the Experts Group on Illegal Logging and Associated Trade (EGILAT). EGILAT focuses on promoting trade in legally harvested forest products and combatting illegal logging and associated trade. In her remarks, Konschnik emphasized the promotion of legal trade and sustainable use of forests to combat climate change and protect biodiversity, and to prevent the illegal trade of forest products from contributing to other issues. “As the Asia-Pacific region and the world continue to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, it is ever more important to ensure that the illegal trade of forest products does not undermine this recovery, nor threaten the livelihoods of those participating in the legal supply chain,” Konschnik said. “We must recommit to ensuring the global forest products market does not become a financial playground to criminal elements who use illegally harvested forest products to drive other transnational crimes, perpetuate civil unrest, threaten global security, and fund terrorist organizations.” Konschnik discussed U.S. initiatives consistent with the EGILAT mandate, including efforts to conserve critical rainforests around the world, the creation of the Timber Interdiction Membership Board and Enforcement Resources (TIMBER) Working Group and expanding efforts to tackle timber trafficking. She closed by emphasizing the importance of bilateral and regional collaborations in achieving EGILAT’s goal and highlighting the unique place EGILAT has in the global effort to promote the trade of legally harvested forest products and combat illegal logging and associated trade. As part of the broader EGILAT meeting, the economies discussed activities in support of the policy theme “Advancing the Trade and Distribution of Legally Harvested Forest Products: Navigating to Legal Timber.” Members had opportunities to participate in field trips, including one to view the National Fish and Wildlife Forensic Mobile Lab, which can identify illegally traded timber from endangered species. EGILAT also planned to host a technology workshop with members joining six other work groups in a half-day meeting on Policy Partnership on Food Security. EGILAT was created in 2011 by the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), which is a regional economic forum of 21 members, including the U.S. APEC was established in 1989 with the aim to promote prosperity in the region through sustainable, innovative, and secure growth. The United States is the 2023 host of APEC.


title: Marion County Man to be Sentenced in Federal Court for Kidnapping, Carjacking, and Murder of 80-Year-Old Victim

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: FLORENCE, SOUTH CAROLINA — Dominique Brand, 31, of Marion, is scheduled to be sentenced in federal court on Thursday, August 3, for kidnapping resulting in death, carjacking resulting in death, and using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence in a manner constituting murder. Brand was convicted following a multi-day bench trial in September 2022. Evidence presented at trial established that on Sunday, March 28, 2021, Brand entered Mary Ann Elvington’s home in Nichols, South Carolina. At about 6:11 p.m. that Sunday, Brand forced Ms. Elvington to drive him from her house to Lake Waccamaw, North Carolina, and back into South Carolina. During this trip, Mr. Brand sat behind Ms. Elvington with the shotgun. Later that evening, Brand drove Ms. Elvington to a remote crossroads in Marion County and walked her behind the abandoned Zion Grocery store. He held the shotgun to the back of her head and pulled the trigger, executing her. Brand then drove Ms. Elvington’s car to Marion, where he hid it behind an abandoned club. Ms. Elvington’s body was located the following evening, March 29, 2021. After learning he was a suspect, Brand turned himself in to authorities on March 31, 2021. United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon presided over the trial and will impose the sentence. Brand faces a penalty of life imprisonment on each count. WHEN: Thursday, August 3, 2023, at 1:00 pm WHERE: McMillan Federal Building Courtroom 1 401 West Evans Street Florence, South Carolina ###


title: Louisville Couple Sentenced to 8 Months in Federal Prison for Preparing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – A Louisville couple was sentenced yesterday to 8 months in federal prison for preparing false tax returns. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Bryant Jackson of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office made the announcement. According to court documents and statements made in court, Krlos Hidalgo , 40, and Esther Baldeon , 41, added false dependents to their clients’ tax returns, which enabled the clients to receive additional child tax credits to which they were not entitled. Hidalgo and Baldeon were each sentenced to 8 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release for preparing false tax returns. There is no parole in the federal system. Hidalgo and Baldeon also agreed to surrender, to the IRS, $127,015 in currency seized during the investigation. The IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda E. Gregory prosecuted the case. ###


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Miami-Based Manufacturer to Resolve Immigration-Related Discrimination Claims

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: The Justice Department announced today that it has secured a settlement agreement with three corporate entities, Mr. Glass Doors and Windows Inc., Mr. Glass Doors and Windows Manufacturing LLC, and Powder Coating Technologies LLC (collectively Mr. Glass Group). The settlement resolves the department’s determination that Mr. Glass Group violated the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA) by discriminating against non-U.S. citizens when checking their permission to work in the United States. “Requiring workers to provide specific or unnecessary documents to prove their permission to work creates an unlawful barrier to employment for people who are eager to begin working and providing for themselves and their families,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department will not stand for unlawful discrimination and will continue to ensure that employees have equal opportunity in the hiring process and in the workplace.” The department’s investigation determined that from at least March 1, 2018, to Sept. 16, 2020, Mr. Glass Group routinely required lawful permanent residents to present a specific immigration document when checking their permission to work, based on the employees’ citizenship or immigration status. Under the terms of the settlement, Mr. Glass Group will pay $120,000 in civil penalties to the United States. The agreement also requires Mr. Glass Group to train its personnel on the INA’s requirements, revise its employment policies and be subject to departmental monitoring and reporting requirements. Federal law allows all workers to choose which valid, legally acceptable documentation to present to demonstrate their identity and permission to work, regardless of citizenship, immigration status or national origin. The INA’s anti-discrimination provision prohibits employers from asking for specific or unnecessary documents because of a worker’s citizenship, immigration status or national origin. Indeed, many non-U.S. citizens, including lawful permanent residents, are eligible for several of the same types of documents to prove their permission to work as U.S. citizens (such as a driver’s license and an unrestricted Social Security card). Employers must allow workers to present whatever acceptable documentation the workers choose and cannot reject valid documentation that reasonably appears to be genuine. The Civil Rights Division’s Immigrant and Employee Rights Section (IER) is responsible for enforcing the anti-discrimination provision of the INA. Among other things, the statute generally prohibits discrimination based on citizenship status and national origin in hiring, firing or recruitment or referral for a fee; unfair documentary practices ; retaliation; and intimidation . Learn more about IER’s work and how to get assistance through this brief video . Applicants or employees who believe they were discriminated against based on their citizenship, immigration status, or national origin in hiring, firing, recruitment or during the employment eligibility verification process (Form I-9 and E-Verify); or subjected to retaliation, may file a charge . The public can also call IER’s worker hotline at 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); call IER’s employer hotline at 1-800-255-8155 (1-800-237-2515, TTY for hearing impaired); sign up for a live webinar or watch an on-demand presentation ; email IER@usdoj.gov ; or visit IER’s English and Spanish websites. Sign up for email updates from IER.


title: El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un fabricante radicado en Miami que resuelve acusaciones de discriminación relacionada con la inmigración

body_text: El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo conciliatorio con tres entes corporativos, Mr. Glass Doors and Windows Inc., Mr. Glass Doors and Windows Manufacturing LLC, y Powder Coating Technologies LLC (en su conjunto Mr. Glass Group). El acuerdo resuelve la determinación del Departamento que Mr. Glass Group vulneró la ley de Inmigración y Nacionalidad (INA, por sus siglas en inglés) cuando discriminó a no ciudadanos de los EE. UU. al comprobar su permiso para trabajar en los Estados Unidos. «Requerir que los trabajadores proporcionen documentos específicos o innecesarios para probar su permiso para trabajar crea una barrera ilegal al empleo para esos individuos que están tan ansiosos por comenzar a trabajar y mantener a sí mismos y sus familias», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «El Departamento de Justicia no tolerará la discriminación ilícita y seguirá garantizando que los empleados tengan la igualdad de oportunidades en el proceso de contratación y en el lugar de trabajo». La investigación del Departamento determinó que, al menos desde el 1 de marzo del 2018 hasta el 16 de septiembre del 2020, Mr. Glass Group requería, de forma rutinaria, que residentes permanentes legales presentaran un documento migratorio específico en el momento de la verificación de su permiso para trabajar, con base en la ciudadanía o el estatus migratorio del empleado. Conforme los términos del acuerdo, Mr. Glass Group pagará $120,000 por concepto de sanciones civiles a los Estados Unidos. El acuerdo también requiere que Mr. Glass Group capacite a su personal en cuanto a los requisitos de la INA, que revise sus políticas de empleo y que se someta a los requisitos de supervisión y declaración del Departamento. Las leyes federales permiten a todo trabajador elegir la documentación válida y legalmente aceptable que desea presentar para demostrar su identidad y permiso para trabajar, independientemente de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen. La disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA prohíbe que los empleadores soliciten documentos específicos o innecesarios por motivos de la ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen de un trabajador. De hecho, muchos no ciudadanos de los EE. UU., entre ellos los residentes permanentes legales, son elegibles para varios de los mismos tipos de documentos para demostrar su permiso para trabajar como lo son los ciudadanos de los EE. UU. (como, por ejemplo, una licencia de conducir y una tarjeta de Seguro Social sin restricciones). Los empleadores deben permitir que los trabajadores presenten cualquier documentación aceptable que tales trabajadores deseen y no pueden rechazar documentos válidos que parecen ser genuinos. La Sección de Derechos de Inmigrantes y Empleados («IER», por sus siglas en inglés) de la División de Derechos Civiles es responsable de hacer cumplir la disposición antidiscriminatoria de la INA. Entre otras cosas, la ley prohíbe la discriminación por motivos de estatus de ciudadanía y nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido o reclutamiento o recomendación por comisión; prácticas documentales injustas y represalias e intimidación . Aprenda más sobre el trabajo de la IER y cómo conseguir ayuda mediante este vídeo corto . Aquellos aspirantes o empleados que creen haber sido discriminados por motivos de su ciudadanía, estatus migratorio o nacionalidad de origen en los procesos de contratación, despido, reclutamiento o verificación de la elegibilidad para trabajar (Formulario I-9 e E-Verify) o sujetos a represalias pueden presentar una denuncia . El público también puede llamar a la línea directa de la IER para trabajadores al 1-800-255-7688 (1-800-237-2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); llamar a la línea directa de la IER para empleadores al 1-800-255-8155 (1‑800‑237‑2515, TTY para personas con discapacidades auditivas); inscribirse a un seminario en línea en vivo o ver una presentación a pedido; enviar un correo electrónico a IER@usdoj.gov ; o visitar los sitios web de la IER en inglés y español . Inscríbase para recibir actualizaciones por correo electrónico de la IER.


title: Russell Laffitte Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy, Wire Fraud, Bank Fraud, and Misapplying Bank Funds

body_text: CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Russell Lucius Laffitte, 53, of Estill, was sentenced to 7 years in federal prison after being convicted of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud; wire fraud; bank fraud; and three counts of misapplication of bank funds. “Russell Laffitte used his position of power and trust to steal from unusually vulnerable victims,” said U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs. “His crimes undermine the public’s trust in the judicial and banking systems, and we are grateful to the FBI, South Carolina Attorney General’s Office, and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division for their partnership in ensuring he is held accountable.” “This sentencing is the culmination of an exhaustive investigation by South Carolina law enforcement, the diligent efforts of the prosecutors, and the unwavering resolve of the victims,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “This outcome sends a clear message that the FBI and its partners will continue to pursue justice and protect the rights of innocent victims of complex financial crimes.” Laffitte was convicted following a nearly three-week jury trial in November 2022. Evidence introduced at trial showed that Laffitte conspired with Hampton personal injury attorney Alex Murdaugh to commit wire fraud and bank fraud. During the conspiracy, Laffitte was an officer of Palmetto State Bank (“PSB”), and Murdaugh was a customer of the bank. Laffitte—while serving as conservator for Murdaugh’s personal injury clients—extended $355,000 in personal loans to himself and $990,000 in personal loans to Murdaugh from funds held at PSB and belonging to the personal injury clients. Laffitte knew that the funds loaned to Murdaugh were used to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in overdraft on Murdaugh’s personal account. Laffitte also knew that Murdaugh used funds stolen from other personal injury clients to pay back the loans. Laffitte misapplied PSB funds by extending over $284,000 from a line of credit that was supposed to be used for farming to repay Murdaugh’s remaining loans from the conservatorship. Laffitte, as conservator or personal representative for Murdaugh’s personal injury clients, received disbursement checks from Murdaugh’s law firm, then negotiated and distributed the funds according to and at Murdaugh’s direction. Laffitte transferred the disbursed settlement funds into bank money orders, cash, and other wire transfers for Murdaugh’s benefit. He collected nearly $400,000 in fees for serving as conservator and personal representative for Murdaugh’s clients. On two other occasions, Laffitte, as an officer and director of PSB, willfully misapplied bank funds. Specifically, on July 15, 2021, Laffitte willfully misapplied $750,000 of PSB funds by extending a commercial loan to Murdaugh knowing that the loan was essentially unsecured and that the loan proceeds would be and were used to pay an attorney and to cover hundreds of thousands of dollars in Murdaugh’s overdraft. And October 28, 2021, when Murdaugh’s law firm discovered that Laffitte had negotiated checks Murdaugh stole from a client, Laffitte paid the law firm $680,000 of PSB funds without notice to or consent from PSB in an attempt to settle the matter with the firm. United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel presided over the trial and imposed an 84-month sentence, followed by a five-year term of supervised release. Additionally, Judge Gergel imposed a restitution judgment totaling $3,555,884.80 and ordered Laffitte to forfeit $85,854.73 in illegal proceeds. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Limehouse, Kathleen Stoughton, and Winston Holliday are prosecuting this case. ###


title: United States Attorney Kavanaugh Announces  Creation of Civil Rights Enforcement Online Portal

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia has a new tool to help protect the civil rights of those living in the western portion of the Commonwealth. Earlier this year, United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh launched a Civil Rights Enforcement landing page as part of the Western District’s main website. The civil rights webpage is intended to serve as a one-stop shop where people may learn about their federal civil rights and report if they believe their rights have been violated. “So often, when someone feels they have been the victim of discrimination or their civil rights have otherwise been violated, they are unsure of what to do. Who do they turn to? Do they contact the local police? The FBI? And if so, what number do they call?” United States Attorney Kavanaugh said. “Our hope is that this online portal will educate the public about their individual civil rights, how to safeguard them, and who to contact if they believe their rights have been violated in the 52 counties and 17 cities that comprise the Western District of Virginia.” The U.S. Attorney’s Office enforces federal civil rights through civil litigation and criminal prosecution and, in all cases, represents the interests of the United States. U.S. Attorney Kavanaugh has appointed two, full-time Assistant United States Attorneys to his civil rights team, and he is hiring a third to lead the district’s civil enforcement unit through civil litigation. These individuals vigorously enforce federal civil rights laws throughout the Western District of Virginia. These laws prohibit discrimination, protect the constitutional rights of residents, and affirm equal opportunity for all. The public can reach the USAO Civil Rights Team and report potential violations of civil rights at https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdva/civil-rights-enforcement .


title: Dudley Man Sentenced to Prison for Theft and Misuse of COVID-19 Pandemic Assistance

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Dudley man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his involvement in a fraudulent scheme to obtain and misuse COVID-19-related unemployment assistance. Norman Higgs, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to one year in prison and one year of supervised release. Higgs was also ordered to pay $353,551 in forfeiture. In September 2021, Higgs pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary federal unemployment insurance program called Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA). PUA, administered by the Massachusetts Department of Unemployment Assistance, provides unemployment insurance benefits for individuals who are not eligible for other types of unemployment benefits (e.g., the self-employed, independent contractors or gig economy workers). From April to June 2020, Higgs conspired with Dquintz Alexander to submit fraudulent PUA claims using stolen identifying information of other individuals. The PUA payments were directed into bank accounts controlled by Higgs and Alexander. In total, accounts controlled by Higgs received over $353,551 in fraudulent PUA payments. While the majority of the funds were frozen by Higgs’ banks or recovered through the efforts of law enforcement, Higgs and Alexander were able to use a portion of the funds for their personal benefit, including to pay off credit card debt and to fund digital currency and online retail brokerage accounts. On April 28, 2023 , Alexander pleaded guilty to five counts of wire fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 10, 2023. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Christopher DiMenna, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations-Labor Racketeering and Fraud made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Lead Defendant in Federal Case Charging White Supremacist Group with Violence at Political Rallies Extradited from Romania

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: INDICTMENT LOS ANGELES – The lead defendant in an indictment that charges three Southern California men linked to a white supremacy extremist group with planning and engaging in riots at political rallies across California has been extradited to the United States from Romania, the Justice Department announced today. Robert Paul Rundo, 33, of Huntington Beach, allegedly a founding member of the Rise Above Movement (RAM), was transported by special agents with the FBI from Romania to Hollywood Burbank Airport, where he arrived Tuesday evening. Rundo is in federal custody and is expected to make his initial appearance and be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Los Angeles. Rundo, along with two other defendants, is charged with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Riot Act for his activities in connection with RAM, a white supremacist organization that represented itself “publicly…as a combat-ready, militant group of a new nationalist white supremacy and identity movement,” according to a federal grand jury indictment. In addition to the conspiracy charge, Rundo also is charged with one count of rioting. The other defendants charged in this case are: Robert Boman, 30, of Torrance; and Tyler Laube, 27, of Redondo Beach. Boman and Laube are charged with conspiracy to violate the Anti-Riot Act. Boman also is charged with one count of rioting. The trial date in this matter is scheduled for December 12. According to the indictment, the defendants participated in the conspiracy in varying ways, including by engaging in recruitment of RAM members, coordinating and participating in hand-to-hand and other combat training, traveling to political rallies to attack protesters and other persons, and publishing photographs and videos of violent acts to recruit other members for future events. The indictment alleges that various members of the conspiracy directly participated in attacks at political rallies in Huntington Beach on March 25, 2017; in Berkeley on April 15, 2017; and in San Bernardino on June 10, 2017. In the months following these events, the defendants allegedly trained for future events and celebrated their assaults, which included online posts with photos of RAM members assaulting people. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court . In June 2019, a federal district court dismissed the indictment against Rundo and the other defendants, finding that the federal Anti-Riot Act violated the First Amendment. In March 2021, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit reversed the district court’s dismissal and the criminal charges were reinstated. Both the conspiracy and rioting charges carry statutory maximum sentences of five years in federal prison. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force is investigating this case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Bucharest provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Rundo. The Romanian National Police, Directorate of Combatting Organized Crime and Terrorism (DCCO), Fugitive Unit; the Romanian General Prosecutor's Office and Border Police; the U.S. Embassy Bucharest Regional Security Office and Consular Section/American Citizen Services, in coordination with Interpol Romania, provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Rundo. The Romanian Ministry of Justice, Directorate for International Law and Judicial Cooperation, Division of International Judicial Cooperation in Criminal Matters, also provided significant assistance. Assistant United States Attorneys Solomon Kim and Kathrynne N. Seiden, both of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, are prosecuting this case.


title: إعلان وزارة العدل عن التوصل إلى قرار نهائي مع مقاطعة "فورت بيند" بولاية تكساس بشأن توفير الخدمات اللغوية في ضوء قانون الحقوق المدنية

body_text: ملحوظة : تُرجم هذا البيان الصحفي إلى لغات مختلفة. انظر المرفقات الواردة أدناه. واشنطن - أعلنت وزارة العدل عن التوصل إلى قرار نهائي مع محاكم مقاطعة فورت بيند (Fort Bend County, FBC) في ضوء قانون الحقوق المدنية. التزمت محاكم FBC بجميع شروط مذكرة الاتفاق (Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) الموقَّعة في يونيو 2021، وعليه تؤكد وزارة العدل أنه تم حسم هذا الأمر. فتحت وزارة العدل هذا الأمر في الأصل بناءً على الادعاءات التي تفيد بممارسة محاكم FBC التمييز ضد محدودي إجادة اللغة الإنجليزية (limited English proficiency, LEP) على أساس أصلهم القومي، وممارسة أنشطة انتقامية ضد المشتكين بما يخالف أحكام الباب السادس من قانون الحقوق المدنية لعام 1964 الذي يمنع التمييز بين متلقي المساعدة المالية الفيدرالية على أساس العرق أو اللون أو الأصل القومي. نصت إحدى الشكاوى على أن محكمة مقاطعة FBC رفضت توفير مترجم فوري فيتنامي لجلسة استماع أحد المتهمين الجنائيين ممن ينتمون إلى LEP، وذكرت أنه يجب على المتهم أو محاميه البحث عن مترجم فوري فيتنامي ودفع أتعابه. في 29 يونيو 2021، أجرت الوزارة بالتعاون مع محاكم FBC تحقيقًا وتم التوصل إلى مذكرة الاتفاق التي ألزمت هذه المحاكم بإجراء تغييرات جوهرية في سياساتها الخاصة بتوفير خدمات لغوية لمن ينتمون إلى LEP. منذ ذلك الحين، قامت محاكم FBC بإجراء تغييرات جوهرية لتحسين توفير الخدمات اللغوية لعملائها الذين ينتمون إلى LEP والامتثال لمتطلبات الباب السادس. فعلى سبيل المثال، قامت محاكم FBC بما يأتي: توفير خدمات الترجمة الفورية مجانًا لأي شخص ينتمي إلى LEP، بغض النظر عن دخله، في جميع القضايا المدنية والجنائية كما هو موضح في سياسة المساعدة اللغوية للمحكمة ؛ مراجعة خطتها الخاصة بتوفير الخدمات اللغوية ؛ توفير تدريب على الخدمات اللغوية لموظفي المحكمة وإعداد دليل للقاضي خاص بتوفير الخدمات اللغوية ؛ إنشاء صفحة عامة على الويب تشرح كيفية طلب خدمات الترجمة الفورية أو التحريرية؛ توفير استمارة شكاوى خاصة بتوفير الخدمات اللغوية بعدة لغات على موقعها الإلكتروني؛ و تلقى موظفو محاكم FBC أيضًا تدريبًا لمعرفة الأنشطة الانتقامية التي يحرمها الباب السادس من القانون وضمان الامتثال لأحكام هذا الباب. وصرَّحت كريستين كلارك، مساعدة النائب العام لدائرة الحقوق المدنية في وزارة العدل قائلةً: "تساعد السياسات والممارسات الجديدة التي اعتمدتها محاكم مقاطعة "فورت بيند" على توفير الخدمات اللغوية بشكل موثوق لمحدودي إجادة اللغة الإنجليزية". واستكملت حديثها "آمل أن تحذو أنظمة المحاكم الأخرى حذو مقاطعة "فورت بيند" وأن تتخذ إجراءات لتوفير خدمات الترجمة الفورية لعملائها مجانًا. يجب ألا تمثل إجادة اللغة الإنجليزية حاجزًا يعرقل أو يحول دون الوصول إلى عدالة حقيقية في بلدنا". من جانبه صرح ألامدار إس حمداني، المدعي العام للولايات المتحدة في المقاطعة الجنوبية بتكساس قائلاً: "إن مقاطعة فورت بيند إحدى أكثر المقاطعات تنوعًا في تكساس؛ إذ ينحدر نصف سكانها تقريبًا من أصل إسباني وشرق آسيوي وجنوب آسيوي. وبصفتي مدعيًا عامًّا ومهاجرًا وابنًا لأبوين من أصول هندية وينتميان إلى الطبقة العاملة، فقد لمست بنفسي معاناة المهاجرين مؤخرًا إلى أمريكا الذين يتحدثون الإنجليزية لغةً ثانيةً، وحاجتهم إلى مترجمين فوريين، خاصةً في أثناء جلسات المحاكمة". وأردف قائلاً: "بفضل العمل الشاق الذي يبذله المدعون العامون في مكتب النائب العام للولايات المتحدة في المقاطعة الجنوبية بتكساس وفي دائرة الحقوق المدنية، سيتمتع جميع السكان، بغض النظر عن أصلهم القومي، بجميع مزايا نظام المحاكم من أجل تسوية جميع قضايا محكمة الأسرة والمسائل الجنائية والمدنية العامة. أتطلع إلى العمل مع المقاطعات الأخرى ومكتب إدارة المحاكم ليسيروا على نهج جميع محاكم المقاطعة الجنوبية بتكساس". تعاون محامون من دائرة الحقوق المدنية ومكتب النائب العام للولايات المتحدة في المقاطعة الجنوبية بتكساس لبحث هذه المسألة. تتوفر معلومات إضافية عن "دائرة الحقوق المدنية" على موقعها الإلكتروني على هذا الرابط www.justice.gov/crt ، كما تتوفر معلومات عن محدودي إجادة اللغة الإنجليزية والباب السادس من القانون على www.lep.gov . يمكن للعامة الإبلاغ عن الانتهاكات المحتملة للحقوق المدنية على civilrights.justice.gov/report/ أو التواصل مع مكتب النائب العام للولايات المتحدة في المقاطعة الجنوبية


title: Justice Department Announces Final Resolution of Language Access Civil Rights Matter in Fort Bend County, Texas

body_text: The Justice Department announced it has secured a final resolution in its civil rights matter involving the Fort Bend County (FBC) courts. FBC has complied with all the terms of a June 2021 Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) and as a result, the department is closing the matter. The department initially opened the matter based on allegations that FBC courts discriminated against people with limited English proficiency (LEP) based on their national origin and retaliated against a complainant in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) which prohibits race, color and national origin discrimination by any recipient of federal financial assistance. One complaint alleged that the FBC District Court denied a criminal defendant with LEP a Vietnamese interpreter he needed for a plea hearing and said that the defendant or his attorney must find and pay for a Vietnamese interpreter. On June 29, 2021, the department and FBC resolved the investigation with an MOA that required significant changes to FBC’s language access policies for court users with LEP. Since then, FBC has made significant changes to improve access for court users with LEP and to comply with Title VI requirements. For example, FBC: Provides interpreter services at no cost to anyone with LEP, regardless of income, in all civil and criminal cases as described in the court’s language assistance policy ; Revised its language access plan ; Created a language access training for court staff and a Judge’s Guide to Language Access ; Maintains a public webpage that explains how to request interpretation or translation services; Provides a language access complaint form in several languages on its website; and To ensure Title VI compliance, FBC staff have also received Title VI retaliation training. “The new policies and practices adopted by the Fort Bend County courts are helping to provide meaningful language access for people with limited English proficiency,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “I hope other court systems follow Fort Bend County’s example and take action to provide interpreter services to court users at no cost. Access to justice in our country should not be limited or denied simply because of your proficiency in English.” “Fort Bend County is one of the most diverse counties in Texas where almost half the population is of Spanish, East Asian and South Asian origin. As a prosecutor, an immigrant and the son of Indian-born, working-class parents, I have seen, first-hand, the struggles of America’s newest residents who speak English as a second language, and the need for interpreters, especially during court proceedings,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “Because of the hard work of the prosecutors in the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and at the Civil Right Division, all residents, irrespective of national origin, will have full access to the court system to handle everything from family court matters, criminal and general civil matters. I look forward to working with other counties and the Office of Court Administration to replicate these efforts throughout the Southern District of Texas.” This matter was handled jointly by attorneys in the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt , and information about limited English proficiency and Title VI is available at www.lep.gov . Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/ or with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the for the Southern District of Texas at www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section .


title: El Departamento de Justicia Anuncia la Resolución Definitiva sobre el Asunto de Derecho Civil en torno al Acceso Lingüístico en el Condado de Fort Bend, Texas

body_text: Nota: Este comunicado de prensa ha sido traducido a varios idiomas. Consulte los archivos adjuntos. El Departamento de Justicia anunció que ha alcanzado una resolución definitiva sobre el asunto de derecho civil que involucra a los tribunales del condado de Fort Bend (Fort Bend County, FBC). El FBC ha cumplido con todos los términos de un memorando de entendimiento (Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) de junio de 2021 y, como resultado, el departamento da fin al asunto. Inicialmente, el departamento abrió el asunto tras denuncias de que los tribunales del FBC discriminaban a personas con dominio limitado del inglés (limited English proficiency, LEP) por su país de origen y habían tomado represalias por un reclamo, lo cual infringe el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 (el Titulo VI), que prohíbe la discriminación por raza, color o país de origen por parte de cualquier beneficiario de ayuda financiera federal. Una denuncia sostenía que el Tribunal de Distrito del FBC le negó a un acusado por un delito penal con LEP un intérprete de vietnamita que necesitaba para una audiencia de declaración y afirmó que el acusado o su abogado debían buscar y pagar un intérprete de vietnamita. El 29 de junio de 2021, el departamento y el FBC resolvieron la investigación con un MOA que requirió cambios significativos en las políticas de acceso lingüístico del FBC para los usuarios de los tribunales con LEP. Desde entonces, el FBC ha hecho importantes cambios para mejorar el acceso de usuarios de los tribunales con LEP y para cumplir con las disposiciones del Título VI. Por ejemplo, el FBC: ofrece servicios de interpretación sin costo a cualquier persona con LEP, independientemente de sus ingresos, en todos los casos civiles y penales, como se describe en la política de asistencia lingüística del tribunal ; modificó su plan de acceso lingüístico ; creó una capacitación sobre acceso lingüístico para el personal del tribunal y una Guía para Jueces sobre el Acceso Lingüístico ; mantiene una página web pública en la que se explica cómo solicitar servicios de interpretación o traducción; proporciona un formulario de reclamo de acceso lingüístico en diversos idiomas en su sitio web; y para garantizar el cumplimiento con el Título VI, el personal del FBC también debe recibir capacitación sobre represalias basada en el Título VI. “Las nuevas políticas y prácticas adoptadas por los tribunales del condado de Fort Bend contribuyen a proporcionar un acceso lingüístico significativo a las personas con dominio limitado del inglés”, explicó Kristen Clarke, Fiscal General Adjunta de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Espero que otros sistemas judiciales sigan el ejemplo del condado de Fort Bend y tomen medidas para proporcionar servicios de interpretación sin costo a los usuarios de tribunales. El acceso a la justicia en nuestro país no debería verse limitado o denegado simplemente por su dominio del inglés”. “Fort Bend es uno de los condados con mayor diversidad en Texas: casi la mitad de la población es de origen hispano, de Asia del este o de Asia del sur. Como fiscal, inmigrante e hijo de padres indios y de clase trabajadora, he visto con mis ojos la lucha de los residentes más recientes de los Estados Unidos, cuya lengua madre no es el inglés, y la necesidad de intérpretes, en especial durante los procesos judiciales”, afirmó el Fiscal Federal por el Distrito Sur de Texas Alamdar S. Hamdani. “Debido al trabajo duro de los fiscales en la Oficina de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas y en la División de Derechos Civiles, todos los residentes, independientemente de su país de origen, tendrán acceso pleno al sistema judicial, para asuntos de toda clase, incluidos los de derecho familiar, penal y civil. Anhelo trabajar con otros condados y con la Oficina de Administración Judicial para replicar estas medidas en todo el Distrito Sur de Texas. Este asunto fue resuelto conjuntamente por abogados de la División de Derechos Civiles y la Oficina de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas. Hay información adicional disponible sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt , y puede encontrar información disponible sobre el dominio limitado del idioma inglés y el Título VI en www.lep.gov . Los ciudadanos pueden denunciar posibles violaciones de derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/ o en la Oficina de la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas en www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section .


title: જસ્ટિસ ડિપાર્ટમેન્ટે ફોર્ટ બેન્ડ કાઉન્ટી, ટેક્સાસમાં ભાષા ઍક્સેસ નાગરિક અધિકાર બાબતના અંતિમ ઠરાવની જાહેરાત કરી

body_text: નોંધ: આ પ્રેસ રિલીઝનો વિવિધ ભાષાઓમાં અનુવાદ કરવામાં આવ્યો છે. નીચે જોડાણો જુઓ. વોશિંગ્ટન – ન્યાય વિભાગે જાહેરાત કરી કે તેણે ફોર્ટ બેન્ડ કાઉન્ટી (Fort Bend County, FBC) કોર્ટને સંડોવતા તેના નાગરિક અધિકારોના મામલે અંતિમ ઠરાવ મેળવ્યો છે. FBC એ જૂન 2021ના કરાર મેમોરેન્ડમ (Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) ના તમામ શરતોનું પાલન કર્યું છે અને પરિણામે, વિભાગ આ બાબતને બંધ કરી રહ્યું છે. ડિપાર્ટમેન્ટે શરૂઆતમાં આ મામલો એવા આરોપોના આધારે ખોલ્યો હતો કે FBC કોર્ટ મર્યાદિત અંગ્રેજી પ્રાવીણ્ય (limited English proficiency, LEP) ધરાવતા લોકો સાથે તેમના રાષ્ટ્રીય મૂળના આધારે ભેદભાવ કરે છે અને 1964 ના નાગરિક અધિકાર અધિનિયમ (શીર્ષક VI) ના શીર્ષક VI ના ઉલ્લંઘનમાં ફરિયાદી સામે બદલો લીધો જે ફેડરલ નાણાકીય સહાયના કોઈપણ પ્રાપ્તકર્તા દ્વારા જાતિ, રંગ અને રાષ્ટ્રીય મૂળના ભેદભાવને પ્રતિબંધિત કરે છે. એક ફરિયાદમાં આરોપ છે કે FBC ડિસ્ટ્રિક્ટ કોર્ટે વિયેતનામીસના દુભાષિયાના LEP સાથેના ફોજદારી પ્રતિવાદીને અરજીની સુનાવણી માટે જરૂરી હોવાનો ઇનકાર કર્યો હતો અને કહ્યું હતું કે પ્રતિવાદી અથવા તેના વકીલે વિયેતનામીસ દુભાષિયાને શોધીને તેના માટે ચૂકવણી કરવી પડશે. 29 જૂન, 2021ના રોજ, વિભાગ અને FBC એ MOA સાથે તપાસનું નિરાકરણ કર્યું જેમાં LEP સાથે કોર્ટના વપરાશકર્તાઓ માટે FBC ની ભાષા ઍક્સેસ નીતિઓમાં નોંધપાત્ર ફેરફારોની જરૂર હતી. ત્યારથી, FBC એ LEP સાથે કોર્ટના વપરાશકર્તાઓ માટે ઍક્સેસ સુધારવા અને શીર્ષક VI ની આવશ્યકતાઓનુંપાલન કરવા માટે નોંધપાત્ર ફેરફારો કર્યા છે. ઉદાહરણ તરીકે, FBC: કોર્ટની ભાષા સહાયતા નીતિમાં વર્ણવ્યા મુજબ તમામ સિવિલ અને ફોજદારી કેસોમાં, આવકને ધ્યાનમાં લીધા વિના, LEP ધરાવતા કોઈપણને કોઈ પણ કિંમતે દુભાષિયાની સેવાઓ પૂરી પાડે છે; તેની ભાષા એક્સેસ પ્લાનને સુધાર્યો ; કોર્ટના કર્મચારીઓ માટે ભાષા ઍક્સેસ તાલીમ અને ભાષા ઍક્સેસ માટે ન્યાયાધીશની માર્ગદર્શિકા બનાવી; સાર્વજનિક વેબપેજ જાળવી રાખે છે જે સમજાવે છે કે અર્થઘટન અથવા અનુવાદ સેવાઓની વિનંતી કેવી રીતે કરવી; તેની વેબસાઇટ પર ઘણી ભાષાઓમાં ભાષા ઍક્સેસ ફરિયાદ ફોર્મ પ્રદાન કરે છે; અને શીર્ષક VI નું પાલન સુનિશ્ચિત કરવા માટે, FBC સ્ટાફે પણ શીર્ષક VI પ્રતિશોધની તાલીમ પ્રાપ્ત કરી છે. ન્યાય વિભાગના નાગરિક અધિકાર વિભાગના આસિસ્ટન્ટ એટર્ની જનરલ ક્રિસ્ટન ક્લાર્કે જણાવ્યું હતું કે “ફોર્ટ બેન્ડ કાઉન્ટી કોર્ટ દ્વારા અપનાવવામાં આવેલી નવી નીતિઓ અને પ્રથાઓ મર્યાદિત અંગ્રેજી પ્રાવીણ્ય ધરાવતા લોકો માટે અર્થપૂર્ણ ભાષા ઍક્સેસ પ્રદાન કરવામાં મદદ કરી રહી છે. હું આશા રાખું છું કે અન્ય કોર્ટ સિસ્ટમ ફોર્ટ બેન્ડ કાઉન્ટીના ઉદાહરણને અનુસરે અને કોર્ટના વપરાશકર્તાઓને કોઈ પણ ખર્ચ વિના દુભાષિયા સેવાઓ પ્રદાન કરવા પગલાં લે. આપણા દેશમાં ન્યાયની પહોંચ ફક્ત તમારી અંગ્રેજીમાં પ્રાવીણ્યને કારણે મર્યાદિત અથવા નકારી ન હોવી જોઈએ.” ટેક્સાસના સધર્ન ડિસ્ટ્રિક્ટ માટે યુએસ એટર્ની અલમદાર એસ. હમદાનીએ જણાવ્યું હતું કે “ફોર્ટ બેન્ડ કાઉન્ટી ટેક્સાસમાં સૌથી વધુ વૈવિધ્યસભર કાઉન્ટીઓમાંની એક છે જ્યાં લગભગ અડધી વસ્તી સ્પેનિશ, પૂર્વ એશિયન અને દક્ષિણ એશિયન મૂળની છે. વકીલ, ઇમિગ્રન્ટ અને ભારતીય મૂળના, શ્રમિક વર્ગના માતાપિતાના પુત્ર તરીકે, મેં, પ્રથમ હાથે, અમેરિકાના નવા નિવાસીઓ કે જેઓ બીજી ભાષા તરીકે અંગ્રેજી બોલે છે, અને ખાસ કરીને કોર્ટની કાર્યવાહી દરમિયાન દુભાષિયાઓની જરૂરિયાત માટેના સંઘર્ષ જોયા છે. ટેક્સાસના સધર્ન ડિસ્ટ્રિક્ટ માટે યુનાઇટેડ સ્ટેટ્સ એટર્ની ઑફિસમાં અને સિવિલ રાઇટ ડિવિઝનમાં વકીલઓની સખત મહેનતને કારણે, તમામ રહેવાસીઓ, રાષ્ટ્રીય મૂળને ધ્યાનમાં લીધા વિના, ફેમિલી કોર્ટની બાબતો, ફોજદારી અને સામાન્ય સિવિલ બાબતોથી માંડીને બધું જ હેન્ડલ કરવા માટે કોર્ટ સિસ્ટમની સંપૂર્ણ ઍક્સેસ હશે. હું અન્ય કાઉન્ટીઓ અને ઑફિસ ઑફ કોર્ટ એડમિનિસ્ટ્રેશન સાથે કામ કરવા આતુર છું જેથી ટેક્સાસના સમગ્ર દક્ષિણ ડિસ્ટ્રિક્ટમાં આ પ્રયાસોની નકલ કરવામાં આવે." આ બાબત સિવિલ રાઇટ્સ ડિવિઝનના એટર્ની અને ટેક્સાસના સધર્ન ડિસ્ટ્રિક્ટ માટે યુએસ એટર્ની ઑફિસ દ્વારા સંયુક્ત રીતે હાથ ધરવામાં આવી હતી. નાગરિક અધિકાર વિભાગ વિશે વધારાની માહિતી તેની વેબસાઇટ www.justice.gov/crt પર ઉપલબ્ધ છે, અને મર્યાદિત અંગ્રેજી પ્રાવીણ્ય અને શીર્ષક VI વિશેની માહિતી www.lep.gov પર ઉપલબ્ધ છે. જનતાના સભ્યો નાગરિક અધિકારોના સંભવિત ઉલ્લંઘનની જાણ civilrights.justice.gov/report/ પર કરી શકે છે અથવા ટેક્સાસના સધર્ન ડિસ્ટ્રિક્ટ માટે યુએસ એટર્ની ઑફિસને www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section પર જાણ કરી શકે છે.


title: न्याय विभाग द्वारा फोर्ट बेन्ड काउंटी, टेक्सास में भाषा पहुँच नागरिक अधिकार मामले के अंतिम समाधान की घोषणा

body_text: नोट: इस प्रेस विज्ञप्ति का विभिन्न भाषाओं में अनुवाद किया गया है। नीचे अनुलग्नक देखें। वॉशिंगटन – न्याय विभाग ने घोषणा की है कि उन्होंने फोर्ट बेन्ड काउंटी (Fort Bend County, FBC) की अदालतों से जुड़े अपने नागरिक अधिकार मामले का अंतिम समाधान हासिल कर लिया है। FBC ने जून 2021 के समझौते का ज्ञापन )Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) की सभी शर्तों का अनुपालन किया है और इसके परिणामस्वरूप, विभाग इस मामले को बंद कर रहा है। शुरुआत में विभाग ने इन आरोपों के आधार पर मामला शुरू किया था कि FBC की अदालतों ने अंग्रेज़ी में सीमित दक्षता (limited English proficiency, LEP) वाले लोगों के राष्ट्रीय मूल के आधार पर उनके साथ भेदभाव किया तथा संघीय वित्तीय सहायता के किसी भी प्राप्तकर्ता द्वारा नस्ल, रंग और राष्ट्रीय मूल के भेदभाव पर रोक लगाने वाले, 1964 के नागरिक अधिकार अधिनियम (शीर्षक VI) के शीर्षक VI के उल्लंघन में एक शिकायतकर्ता के खिलाफ़ जवाबी कार्रवाई की। एक शिकायतकर्ता ने यह आरोप लगाया था कि FBC ज़िला अदालत ने LEP वाले एक आपराधिक प्रतिवादी को एक याचिका की सुनवाई के लिए ज़रूरी वियतनामी दुभाषिया प्रदान करने से इनकार कर दिया था और यह कहा था कि प्रतिवादी या उसके वकील को एक वियतनामी दुभाषिया ढूँढना होगा और उसके लिए भुगतान करना होगा। 29 जून, 2021 को, विभाग और FBC ने एक ऐसे MOA के साथ जाँच का समाधान किया जिसके लिए LEP वाले अदालत के उपयोगकर्ताओं के लिए FBC की भाषा पहुँच नीतियों में महत्वपूर्ण परिवर्तनों की आवश्यकता थी। तब से, FBC ने LEP वाले अदालत के उपयोगकर्ताओं के लिए पहुँच में सुधार और शीर्षक VI की शर्तों का अनुपालन करने के लिए महत्वपूर्ण परिवर्तन किए हैं। उदाहरण के लिए, FBC: LEP वाले किसी भी व्यक्ति को उन सभी दीवानी और फौजदारी मामलों में, आय की परवाह किए बिना, मुफ़्त दुभाषिया सेवाएं प्रदान करती है जो अदालत की भाषा सहायता नीति में वर्णित हैं; ने अपनी भाषा पहुँच योजना को संशोधित किया है; ने अदालत के कर्मचारियों के लिए भाषा पहुँच प्रशिक्षण और भाषा पहुँच के लिए न्यायाधीशों की मार्गदर्शिका तैयार की है; एक सार्वजनिक वेबपेज को कायम रखती है जो यह बताता है कि दुभाषिया या अनुवाद सेवाओं के लिए अनुरोध कैसे करें; अपनी वेबसाइट पर कई भाषाओं में एक भाषा पहुँच शिकायत फ़ॉर्म प्रदान करती है; और शीर्षक VI का अनुपालन सुनिश्चित करने के लिए, FBC के कर्मचारियों को शीर्षक VI प्रतिशोध प्रशिक्षण भी प्राप्त हुआ है। न्याय विभाग के नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग के सहायक अटॉर्नी जनरल क्रिस्टन क्लार्क ने कहा, “फोर्ट बेन्ड काउंटी की अदालतों द्वारा अपनाई गई नई नीतियाँ और कार्यप्रणालियाँ अंग्रेज़ी में सीमित दक्षता वाले लोगों के लिए सार्थक भाषा पहुँच प्रदान करने में सहायता कर रही हैं।” “मुझे उम्मीद है कि अन्य अदालत प्रणालियाँ फोर्ट बेन्ड काउंटी के उदाहरण का अनुसरण करेंगी और अदालत के उपयोगकर्ताओं को मुफ़्त दुभाषिया सेवाएं प्रदान करने के लिए कदम उठाएंगी। हमारे देश में न्याय तक पहुँच केवल अंग्रेज़ी में आपकी दक्षता के कारण सीमित नहीं होनी चाहिए या उससे इनकार नहीं किया जाना चाहिए।” टेक्सास के दक्षिणी ज़िले के लिए अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी आलमदार एस. हमदानी ने कहा, “फोर्ट बेन्ड काउंटी टेक्सास में सबसे विविध काउंटियों में से एक है जहाँ लगभग आधी आबादी स्पेनिश, पूर्वी एशियाई और दक्षिण एशियाई मूल की है। एक अभियोक्ता, एक आप्रवासी और भारतीय मूल के, कामकाजी वर्ग के, माता-पिता के बेटे के रूप में, मैंने दूसरी भाषा के रूप में अंग्रेजी बोलने वाले अमेरिका के नवीनतम निवासियों के संघर्षों, और, विशेष रूप से अदालत की कार्रवाई के दौरान, दुभाषियों की आवश्यकता को प्रत्यक्ष रूप से देखा है। टेक्सास के दक्षिणी ज़िले के लिए अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी कार्यालय और नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग में अभियोक्ताओं के परिश्रम के कारण, सभी निवासियों को, चाहे वे किसी भी राष्ट्रीय मूल के हों, पारिवारिक अदालतों के मामलों से लेकर फौजदारी और सामान्य दीवानी मामलों तक हर पहलू का प्रबंधन करने के लिए अदालत प्रणाली तक पूरी पहुँच होगी। मैं टेक्सास के पूरे दक्षिणी ज़िले में इन प्रयासों को दोहराने के लिए अन्य काउंटियों और न्यायालय प्रशासन कार्यालय के साथ काम करने की आशा करता हूँ।” इस मामले को नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग और टेक्सास के दक्षिणी ज़िले के लिए अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी कार्यालय के वकीलों द्वारा संयुक्त रूप से प्रबंधित किया गया था। नागरिक अधिकार प्रभाग के बारे में अतिरिक्त जानकारी www.justice.gov/crt पर उनकी वेबसाइट पर उपलब्ध है, तथा अंग्रेज़ी में सीमित दक्षता और शीर्षक VI के बारे में जानकारी www.lep.gov पर उपलब्ध है। आम लोग civilrights.justice.gov/report/ या www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section पर टेक्सास के दक्षिणी ज़िले के लिए अमेरिकी अटॉर्नी कार्यालय में नागरिक अधिकारों के संभावित उल्लंघनों की रिपोर्ट कर सकते हैं।


title: ടെക്‌സാസിലെ ഫോർട്ട് ബെൻഡ് കൗണ്ടിയിൽ ഭാഷാ പ്രാപ്യതാ പൗരാവകാശ വിഷയത്തിന്‍റെ അന്തിമ പ്രമേയം നീതിന്യായ വകുപ്പ് പ്രഖ്യാപിക്കുന്നു

body_text: ശ്രദ്ധിക്കുക: ഈ പത്രക്കുറിപ്പ് വിവിധ ഭാഷകളിലേക്ക് വിവർത്തനം ചെയ്തിട്ടുണ്ട്. ചുവടെയുള്ള അറ്റാച്ചുമെന്റുകൾ കാണുക. വാഷിംഗ്ടൺ – ഫോർട്ട് ബെൻഡ് കൗണ്ടി (Fort Bend County, FBC) കോടതികൾ ഉൾപ്പെടുന്ന പൗരാവകാശ വിഷയത്തിൽ അന്തിമ പരിഹാരം നേടിയതായി നീതിന്യായ വകുപ്പ് അറിയിച്ചു. 2021 ജൂണിലെ മെമ്മോറാണ്ടം ഓഫ് എഗ്രിമെന്‍റിന്‍റെ (Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) എല്ലാ നിബന്ധനകളും FBC പാലിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ട്, തൽഫലമായി, വകുപ്പ് വിഷയം അവസാനിപ്പിക്കുകയാണ്. പരിമിതമായ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പ്രാവീണ്യം (limited English proficiency, LEP) ഉള്ളവരോട് അവരുടെ മാതൃരാജ്യത്തെ അടിസ്ഥാനമാക്കി FBC കോടതികൾ വിവേചനം കാണിക്കുന്നു എന്നും, ഫെഡറൽ സാമ്പത്തിക സഹായം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്ന ഏതൊരു വ്യക്തിയും വംശം, നിറം, മാതൃരാജ്യം എന്നിവയുടെ അടിസ്ഥാനത്തിലുള്ള വിവേചനം കാട്ടുന്നത് നിരോധിക്കുന്നതായ 1964 ലെ പൗരാവകാശ നിയമത്തിന്‍റെ ടൈറ്റിൽ VI (ടൈറ്റിൽ VI) ലംഘിച്ച് പരാതിക്കാരനോട് പ്രതികാരം ചെയ്യുകയും ചെയ്തുവെന്നുമുള്ള ആരോപണങ്ങളുടെ അടിസ്ഥാനത്തിലാണ് വകുപ്പ് ആദ്യം വിഷയം തുറന്നത്. LEP ഉള്ളവരോട് അവരുടെ മാതൃരാജ്യത്തെ അടിസ്ഥാനമാക്കി FBC കോടതികൾ വിവേചനം കാണിക്കുകയും 1964 ലെ പൗരാവകാശ നിയമത്തിന്‍റെ ടൈറ്റിൽ VI) (ടൈറ്റിൽ VI) ലംഘിച്ച് പരാതിക്കാരനോട് പ്രതികാരം ചെയ്യുകയും ചെയ്തുവെന്ന ആരോപണത്തിന്‍റെ അടിസ്ഥാനത്തിലാണ് ഡിപ്പാർട്ട്മെന്റ് ആദ്യം വിഷയം തുറന്നത്. ഫെഡറൽ സാമ്പത്തിക സഹായം ലഭിക്കുന്ന ഏതൊരു വ്യക്തിയുടെയും വംശം, നിറം, മാതൃരാജ്യ വിവേചനം. 2021 ജൂൺ 29-ന്, LEP ഉള്ള കോടതി ഉപയോക്താക്കൾക്കായി FBCയുടെ ഭാഷാ പ്രാപ്യതാ നയങ്ങളിൽ ഗണ്യമായ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ ആവശ്യമായ ഒരു MOA ഉപയോഗിച്ച് വകുപ്പും FBCയും അന്വേഷണം ഉപസംഹരിച്ചു . അതിനുശേഷം, LEP ഉള്ള കോടതി ഉപയോക്താക്കൾക്കുള്ള പ്രാപ്യത മെച്ചപ്പെടുത്തുന്നതിനും ടൈറ്റിൽ VI ആവശ്യകതകൾ പാലിക്കുന്നതിനും FBC കാര്യമായ മാറ്റങ്ങൾ വരുത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. ഉദാഹരണത്തിന്, FBC: കോടതിയുടെ ഭാഷാ സഹായ നയത്തിൽ വിവരിച്ചിരിക്കുന്നതുപോലെ, എല്ലാ സിവിൽ, ക്രിമിനൽ കേസുകളിലും, LEP ഉള്ള ആർക്കും അവരുടെ വരുമാനം കണക്കിലെടുക്കാതെ തന്നെ, ഒരു ചെലവും കൂടാതെ ഇന്റർപ്രെട്ടർ സേവനങ്ങൾ നൽകുന്നു; അതിന്‍റെ ഭാഷാ പ്രവേശന പദ്ധതി പരിഷ്കരിച്ചു; കോടതി ജീവനക്കാർക്കായി ഒരു ഭാഷാ പ്രാപ്യതാ പരിശീലനവും ജഡ്ജിയുടെ ഭാഷാ പ്രാപ്യതയ്ക്കുള്ള ഗൈഡും സൃഷ്ടിച്ചു; വ്യാഖ്യാനം അല്ലെങ്കിൽ വിവർത്തന സേവനങ്ങൾ എങ്ങനെ അഭ്യർത്ഥിക്കണമെന്ന് വിശദീകരിക്കുന്ന ഒരു പൊതു വെബ്‌പേജ് പരിപാലിക്കുന്നു; അതിന്‍റെ വെബ്‌സൈറ്റിൽ നിരവധി ഭാഷകളിൽ ഭാഷാ പ്രാപ്യതാ പരാതി ഫോം നൽകുന്നു; കൂടാതെ ടൈറ്റിൽ VI അനുവർത്തിക്കുണ്ടെന്ന്, FBC ജീവനക്കാർക്ക് ടൈറ്റിൽ VI പ്രതിക്രിയാ പരിശീലനവും ലഭിച്ചിട്ടുണ്ടെന്ന് ഉറപ്പാക്കാൻ. “ഫോർട്ട് ബെൻഡ് കൗണ്ടി കോടതികൾ സ്വീകരിച്ച പുതിയ നയങ്ങളും സമ്പ്രദായങ്ങളും LEP ഉള്ള ആളുകൾക്ക് അർത്ഥപൂർണ്ണമായ ഭാഷാ പ്രാപ്യത നൽകാൻ സഹായിക്കുന്നു,” നീതിന്യായ വകുപ്പിന്‍റെ പൗരാവകാശ വിഭാഗത്തിലെ അസിസ്റ്റന്റ് അറ്റോർണി ജനറൽ ക്രിസ്റ്റൻ ക്ലാർക്ക് പറഞ്ഞു. “മറ്റ് കോടതി സംവിധാനങ്ങൾ ഫോർട്ട് ബെൻഡ് കൗണ്ടി മാതൃക പിന്തുടരുകയും കോടതി ഉപയോക്താക്കൾക്ക് യാതൊരു ചെലവും കൂടാതെ ഇന്റർപ്രെറ്റർ സേവനങ്ങൾ നൽകുന്നതിന് നടപടി സ്വീകരിക്കുകയും ചെയ്യുമെന്ന് ഞാൻ പ്രത്യാശിക്കുന്നു. ഇംഗ്ലീഷിലുള്ള നിങ്ങളുടെ പ്രാവീണ്യത്തെ അടിസ്ഥാനപ്പെടുത്തിയ നമ്മുടെ രാജ്യത്ത് നീതിയിലേക്കുള്ള പ്രാപ്യത പരിമിതപ്പെടുത്തുകയോ നിഷേധിക്കുകയോ ചെയ്യരുത്.” “ഫോർട്ട് ബെൻഡ് കൗണ്ടി ടെക്സസിലെ ഏറ്റവും വൈവിധ്യമാർന്ന കൗണ്ടികളിലൊന്നാണ്, അവിടുത്തെ ജനസംഖ്യയുടെ പകുതിയോളം സ്പാനിഷ്, കിഴക്കൻ ഏഷ്യൻ, ദക്ഷിണേഷ്യൻ വംശജരാണ്. ഒരു പ്രോസിക്യൂട്ടർ, കുടിയേറ്റക്കാരൻ, ഇന്ത്യയിൽ ജനിച്ച, തൊഴിലാളിവർഗ മാതാപിതാക്കളുടെ മകൻ എന്നീ നിലകളിൽ, രണ്ടാം ഭാഷയായി ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് സംസാരിക്കുന്ന അമേരിക്കയിലെ ഏറ്റവും പുതിയ താമസക്കാരുടെ പോരാട്ടങ്ങളും, കോടതി നടപടിക്രമങ്ങളിൽ വ്യാഖ്യാതാക്കളുടെ ആവശ്യകതയും ഞാൻ നേരിട്ട് കണ്ടിട്ടുണ്ട്,” ടെക്സാസിലെ സതേൺ ഡിസ്ട്രിക്റ്റിന് വേണ്ടിയുള്ള യു.എസ് അറ്റോർണി അലംദാർ എസ്. ഹംദാനി പറഞ്ഞു. “യുണൈറ്റഡ് സ്റ്റേറ്റ്സ് അറ്റോർണി ഓഫീസ് ഓഫ് ടെക്സാസിലെ സതേൺ ഡിസ്ട്രിക്റ്റിലെയും സിവിൽ റൈറ്റ് ഡിവിഷനിലെയും പ്രോസിക്യൂട്ടർമാരുടെ കഠിനാധ്വാനത്തിന്‍റെ ഫലമായി, കുടുംബ കോടതി കാര്യങ്ങൾ, ക്രിമിനൽ, പൊതു സിവിൽ കാര്യങ്ങൾ. എന്നിവയെല്ലാം കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്യുന്നതിനായി എല്ലാ താമസക്കാർക്കും, മാതൃരാജ്യം പരിഗണിക്കാതെ, കോടതി സംവിധാനത്തിലേക്ക് പൂർണ്ണമായ പ്രാപ്യത ഉണ്ടായിരിക്കും. ടെക്സാസിലെ സതേൺ ഡിസ്ട്രിക്റ്റിലുടനീളം ഈ ശ്രമങ്ങൾ ആവർത്തിക്കാൻ മറ്റ് കൗണ്ടികളുമായും ഓഫീസ് ഓഫ് കോർട്ട് അഡ്മിനിസ്ട്രേഷനുമായും ചേർന്നു പ്രവർത്തിക്കാൻ ഞാൻ പ്രതീക്ഷയോടെ കാത്തിരിക്കുന്നു.” ഈ വിഷയം സിവിൽ റൈറ്റ്സ് ഡിവിഷനിലെയും ടെക്സാസിലെ സതേൺ ഡിസ്ട്രിക്റ്റിനുള്ള യു.എസ്. അറ്റോർണി ഓഫീസിലെയും അഭിഭാഷകർ സംയുക്തമായാണ് കൈകാര്യം ചെയ്തത്. സിവിൽ റൈറ്റ്സ് ഡിവിഷനെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള കൂടുതൽ വിവരങ്ങൾ അതിന്‍റെ വെബ്‌സൈറ്റായ www.justice.gov/crt ലും പരിമിതമായ ഇംഗ്ലീഷ് പ്രാവീണ്യം, ടൈറ്റിൽ VI എന്നിവയെക്കുറിച്ചുള്ള വിവരങ്ങൾ www.lep.gov ലും ലഭ്യമാണ്. പൊതുജനങ്ങൾക്ക് സാധ്യതയുള്ള പൗരാവകാശ ലംഘനങ്ങൾ civilrights.justice.gov/report/ ൽ അല്ലെങ്കിൽ ടെക്സാസിലെ സതേൺ ഡിസ്ട്രിക്റ്റിന് വേണ്ടിയുള്ള യു.എസ്. അറ്റോർണി ഓഫീസുമൊത്ത് www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section ൽ റിപ്പോർട്ട് ചെയ്യാം.


title: Ang Kagawaran ng Katarungan ay Nag-anunsyo ng Pinal na Resolusyon ng Usapin sa Mga Karapatan sa Pag-access sa Wika sa Fort Bend County, Texas

body_text: Tandaan: Ang press release na ito ay isinalin sa iba't ibang wika. Tingnan ang mga kalakip sa ibaba. Inihayag ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan na nakakuha na ito ng pinal na resolusyon sa usapin ng mga karapatang sibil nito na kinasasangkutan ng mga korte ng County ng Fort Bend (Fort Bend County, FBC). Sinunod ng FBC ang lahat ng tuntunin ng isang Hunyo 2021 na Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at bilang resulta, isinasara ng kagawaran ang usapin. Una nang binuksan ng kagawaran ang usapin batay sa mga alegasyon na ang mga korte ng FBC ay may diskriminasyon laban sa mga taong may limitadong kahusayan sa Ingles (limited English proficiency, LEP) batay sa kanilang bansang pinagmulan at gumanti laban sa isang nagrereklamo na lumalabag sa Titulo VI ng Batas sa mga Karapatang Sibil ng 1964 (Titulo VI) na nagbabawal ng diskriminasyon sa lahi, kulay at bansang pinagmulan ng sinumang tumatanggap ng pederal na tulong pinansyal. Isang reklamo ang nagparatang na ang Korteng Pandistrito ng FBC ay ipinagkait sa isang kriminal na nasasakdal na may LEP ang isang Vietnamese na interpreter na kailangan niya para sa isang plea hearing at sinabi na ang nasasakdal o ang kanyang abogado ay dapat maghanap at magbayad para sa isang Vietnamese interpreter. Noong Hunyo 29, 2021, niresolba ang pagsisiyasat ng kagawaran at FBC gamit ang isang MOA na nangangailangan ng malalaking pagbabago sa mga patakaran sa pag-access sa wika ng FBC para sa mga gumagamit ng korte na may LEP. Simula noon, gumawa ang FBC ng mga makabuluhang pagbabago upang mapabuti ang pag-access para sa mga gumagamit ng korte na may LEP at upang sumunod sa mga kinakailangan sa Titulo VI. Halimbawa, ang FBC: ay nagbibigay ng mga serbisyo ng interpreter nang walang bayad sa sinumang may LEP, anuman ang kita, sa lahat ng sibil at kriminal na kaso gaya ng inilarawan sa patakaran sa tulong sa wika ng korte ; ay binago ang plano sa pag-access sa wikanito; ay lumikha ng ng isang pagsasanay sa pag-access sa wika para sa mga kawani ng korte at isang Gabay ng Hukom sa Pag-access sa Wika ; ay nagpapanatili ng pampublikong webpage na nagpapaliwanag kung paano humiling ng mga serbisyo ng interpretasyon o pagsasalin; ay nagbibigay ng form ng reklamo sa pag-access sa wika sa ilang wika sa website nito; at upang matiyak ang pagsunod sa Titulo VI, nakatanggap din ang mga kawani ng FBC ng Titulo VI na pagsasanay sa paghihiganti. “Ang mga bagong patakaran at kasanayan na pinagtibay ng mga korte ng Fort Bend County ay nakakatulong na magbigay ng makabuluhang akses sa wika para sa mga taong may limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles,” sabi ni Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke ng Sangay ng mga Karapatang Sibil ng Kagawaran ng Katarungan. “Umaasa ako na sundin ng ibang mga sistema ng korte ang halimbawa ng Fort Bend County at kumilos upang magbigay ng mga serbisyo ng interpreter sa mga gumagamit ng korte nang walang bayad. Ang pagkakaroon ng katarungan sa ating bansa ay hindi dapat limitahan o ipagkait dahil lamang sa iyong kahusayan sa Ingles.” “Ang Fort Bend County ay isa sa mga pinaka-diverse na county sa Texas kung saan halos kalahati ng populasyon ay nagmula sa Espanya, Silangang Asya at Timog Asya. Bilang isang tagausig, isang imigrante at anak ng mga ipinanganak sa India, uring manggagawang magulang, nakita ko, mismo, ang mga pakikibaka ng mga pinakabagong residente ng Amerika na nagsasalita ng Ingles bilang pangalawang wika, at ang pangangailangan para sa mga interpreter, lalo na sa panahon ng paglilitis ng korte,” sabi ni US Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani para sa Katimugang Distrito ng Texas. “Dahil sa pagsusumikap ng mga tagausig sa Opisina ng Abogado ng Estados Unidos para sa Katimugang Distrito ng Texas at sa Sangay ng Karapatang Sibil, lahat ng residente, anuman ang bansang pinagmulan, ay magkakaroon ng ganap na access sa sistema ng korte upang pangasiwaan ang lahat mula sa mga usapin ng korteng pampamilya, mga usaping kriminal at pangkalahatang sibil. Inaasahan ko ang pakikipagtulungan sa ibang mga county at ng Opisina ng Pangasiwaan ng Korte upang gayahin ang mga pagsisikap na ito sa buong Katimugang Distrito ng Texas.” Ang usaping ito ay magkasamang pinangasiwaan ng mga abogado sa Sangay ng mga Karapatang Sibil at ng Opisina ng Abogado ng US para sa Katimugang Distrito ng Texas. Ang karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa Sangay ng mga Karapatang Sibil ay makukuha sa website nito sa www.justice.gov/crt , at ang impormasyon tungkol sa limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles at Titulo VI ay makukuha sa www.lep.gov . Ang mga miyembro ng publiko ay maaaring mag-ulat ng mga posibleng paglabag sa karapatang sibil sa civilrights.justice.gov/report/ o sa Opisina ng Abogado ng US para sa Katimugang Distrito ng Texas sa www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section .


title: محکمہ انصاف نے فورٹ بینڈ کاؤنٹی، ٹیکساس میں زبان کے حوالے سے رسائی سے متعلق شہری حقوق کے معاملے کے حتمی تصفیہ کا اعلان کر دیا

body_text: نوٹ: اس پریس ریلیز کا مختلف زبانوں میں ترجمہ کیا گیا ہے۔ ذیل میں منسلکات دیکھیں۔ واشنگٹن - محکمہ انصاف نے اعلان کیا کہ اس نے فورٹ بینڈ کاؤنٹی (Fort Bend County, FBC) کی عدالتوں سے متعلق اپنے شہری حقوق کے معاملے میں ایک حتمی تصفیہ حاصل کر لیا ہے۔ FBC نے جون 2021 کے یادداشت کے معاہدے (Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) کی تمام شرائط کی تعمیل کی ہے اور اس کے نتیجے میں محکمہ اس معاملے کو بند کر رہا ہے۔ محکمے نے ابتدائی طور پر ان الزامات کی بنیاد پر معاملہ دیکھنا شروع کیا کہ FBC عدالتوں نے انگریزی زبان کی محدود صلاحیت (limited English proficiency, LEP) رکھنے والے لوگوں کے ساتھ ان کی آبائی قومیت کی بنیاد پر امتیازی سلوک کیا اور 1964 کے سِول رائٹس ایکٹ (ٹائٹل VI) کے ٹائٹل VI کی خلاف ورزی کرتے ہوئے شکایت کنندہ کے خلاف جوابی کارروائی کی جو وفاقی مالی معاونت کے کسی وصول کنندہ کی جانب سے نسل، رنگ یا آبائی قومیت کی بُنیاد پرتفریق کیے جانے کی مُمانعت کرتا ہے۔ ایک شکایت میں الزام لگایا گیا کہ FBC ڈسٹرکٹ عدالت نے LEP کے حامل ایک فوجداری مدعا علیہ کو ویتنامی مترجم کی فراہمی سے انکار کر دیا جس کی اسے درخواست کی سماعت کے لیے ضرورت تھی اور کہا کہ مدعا علیہ یا اس کے وکیل کو ایک ویتنامی مترجم کو تلاش کرنا اور اس کے لیے ادائیگی کرنا چاہیے۔ 29 جون 2021 کو، محکمہ اور FBC نے ایک MOA کے ذریعے تحقیقات کو حل کیا جس میں LEP کے حامل عدالتی صارفین کے لیے FBC کی زبان تک رسائی کی پالیسیوں میں اہم تبدیلیاں درکار کی گئیں۔ اس کے بعد سے، FBC نے LEP کے حامل عدالتی صارفین کی رسائی کو بہتر بنانے اور ٹائٹل VI کے تقاضوں کی تعمیل کرنے کے لیے اہم تبدیلیاں کی ہیں۔ مثال کے طور پر، FBC: تمام دیوانی اور فوجداری مقدمات میں، جیسا کہ عدالت کی زبان کی مدد کی پالیسی میں بیان کیا گیا ہے، آمدنی سے قطع نظر، LEP کے حامل فرد کو بھی بغیر کسی قیمت کے مترجم کی خدمات فراہم کرتی ہے؛ نے اپنے زبان تک رسائی کے منصوبے پر نظر ثانی کی ہے؛ نے عدالتی عملے کے لیے زبان تک رسائی کی تربیت اور زبان تک رسائی کے لیے جج کی رہنمائی تشکیل دی ہے؛ نے ایک عوامی ویب پیج بنایا ہے جو وضاحت کرتا ہے کہ تشریح یا ترجمے کی خدمات کی درخواست کیسے کی جائے؛ اپنی ویب سائٹ پر کئی زبانوں میں زبان تک رسائی کا شکایتی فارم فراہم کرتی ہے؛ اور ٹائٹل VI کی تعمیل کو یقینی بنانے کے لیے، FBC کے عملے نے ٹائٹل VI کی جوابی کارروائی کی تربیت بھی حاصل کی ہے۔ محکمہ انصاف کے سِول رائٹس ڈویژن کے اسسٹنٹ اٹارنی جنرل Kristen Clarke نے کہا، "فورٹ بینڈ کاؤنٹی کی عدالتوں کی طرف سے اختیار کی گئی نئی پالیسیاں اور طرز عمل انگریزی کی محدود صلاحیت رکھنے والے لوگوں کے لیے زبان تک بامعنی رسائی فراہم کرنے میں مدد کر رہے ہیں۔" "مجھے امید ہے کہ دیگر عدالتی نظام فورٹ بینڈ کاؤنٹی کی مثال کی پیروی کریں گے اور عدالتی صارفین کو بغیر کسی قیمت کے مترجم کی خدمات فراہم کرنے کے لیے اقدام اٹھائیں گے۔ ہمارے ملک میں انصاف تک رسائی کو صرف انگریزی میں آپ کی مہارت کی وجہ سے محدود یا انکار نہیں کیا جانا چاہیے۔" "فورٹ بینڈ کاؤنٹی ٹیکساس کی متنوع ترین کاؤنٹیوں میں سے ایک ہے جہاں تقریباً نصف آبادی ہسپانوی، مشرقی ایشیائی اور جنوبی ایشیائی نژاد ہے۔ ایک پراسیکیوٹر، ایک تارک وطن اور ہندوستانی نژاد، محنت کش طبقے کے والدین کے بیٹے کے طور پر، میں نے امریکہ کے نئے باشندوں کی جدوجہد کو خود دیکھا ہے جو انگریزی کو دوسری زبان کے طور پر بولتے ہیں، اور انہیں مترجم کی ضرورت، خاص طور پر عدالت کی کارروائی کے دوران، ہوتی ہے،" ٹیکساس کے جنوبی ضلع کے لیے امریکی اٹارنی Alamdar S. Hamdani نے کہا۔ "امریکہ کے اٹارنی دفتر برائے جنوبی ضلع ٹیکساس اور سِول رائٹس ڈویژن میں پراسیکیوٹرز کی انتھک محنت کی وجہ سے تمام رہائشیوں کو، قطع نظر آبائی قومیت کے، فیملی کورٹ کے معاملات، فوجداری اور عمومی سول معاملات ہینڈل کرنے کے لیے عدالتی نظام تک مکمل رسائی حاصل ہو گی۔ میں ٹیکساس کے جنوبی ضلع بھر میں ان کاوشوں کے لیے دیگر کاؤنٹیز اور آفس آف کورٹ ایڈمنسٹریشن کے ساتھ کام کرنے کا منتظر ہوں۔" یہ معاملہ سِول رائٹس ڈویژن اور ٹیکساس کے جنوبی ضلع کے لیے امریکی اٹارنی کے دفتر کے وکلاء کے ذریعے مشترکہ طور پر ہینڈل کیا گیا۔ سِول رائٹس ڈویژن کے بارے میں اضافی معلومات اس کی ویب سائٹ www.justice.gov/crt پر دستیاب ہیں، اور انگریزی کی محدود صلاحیت اور ٹائٹل VI کے بارے میں معلومات www.lep.gov پر دستیاب ہیں۔ عوام کے اراکین شہری حقوق کی ممکنہ خلاف ورزیوں کی اطلاع civilrights.justice.gov/report پر یا امریکی اٹارنی کے دفتر برائے جنوبی ضلع ٹیکساس


title: Bộ Tư Pháp Công Bố Nghị Quyết Cuối Cùng Về Vấn Đề Quyền Công Dân Trong Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ Tại Quận Fort Bend, Texas

body_text: L ưu ý: Th ông c áo b áo ch í n ày đã được d ịch sang nhi ều ng ôn ng ữ kh ác nhau. Vui l òng xem t ập t ài li ệu đính k èm b ên d ưới. WASHINGTON – Bộ Tư pháp thông báo Bộ đã đạt được giải pháp cuối cùng trong vấn đề dân quyền liên quan đến các tòa án tại Quận Fort Bend (Fort Bend County, FBC). FBC đã tuân thủ tất cả các điều khoản của Bản Ghi Nhớ Thỏa Thuận (Memorandum of Agreement, hoặc MOA) vào tháng 6 năm 2021, và do đó, Bộ sẽ kết thúc vấn đề này. Ban đầu, Bộ đặt vấn đề dựa trên các cáo buộc rằng tòa án FBC phân biệt đối xử với những người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế (limited English proficiency, hoặc LEP) dựa trên nguồn gốc quốc gia của họ và thực hiện trả đũa người khiếu nại vi phạm Tiêu đề VI của Đạo luật Dân quyền năm 1964 (Tiêu đề VI) nghiêm cấm phân biệt đối xử về chủng tộc, màu da và nguồn gốc quốc gia bởi bất kỳ người nhận hỗ trợ tài chính liên bang nào. Một khiếu nại cáo buộc rằng Tòa án quận FBC đã từ chối cấp cho bị cáo hình sự với trình độ tiếng LEP một thông dịch viên tiếng Việt mà anh ta cần cho phiên điều trần nhận tội và nói rằng bị cáo hoặc luật sư của anh ta phải tìm và tự trả tiền cho một thông dịch viên người Việt. Vào ngày 29 tháng 6 năm 2021, Bộ và FBC đã giải quyết cuộc điều tra này bằng một MOA yêu cầu những thay đổi đáng kể đối với chính sách tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của FBC dành cho người tham dự phiên tòa có trình độ tiếng LEP. Kể từ đó, FBC đã thực hiện những thay đổi quan trọng để cải thiện khả năng tiếp cận của những người tham dự tòa án có trình độ tiếng LEP và để tuân thủ các yêu cầu của Tiêu đề VI. Ví dụ, FBC: Cung cấp dịch vụ thông dịch viên miễn phí cho bất kỳ ai có trình độ tiếng LEP, bất kể thu nhập, trong tất cả các vụ án dân sự và hình sự như được mô tả trong chính sách hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ của tòa án ; Sửa đổi kế hoạch tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của mình ; Đã tạo một khóa đào tạo tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cho nhân viên tòa án và một Hướng dẫn của Thẩm phán về Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ ; Duy trì trang mạng công cộng giải thích cách yêu cầu dịch vụ phiên dịch hoặc dịch thuật; Cung cấp mẫu đơn khiếu nại về quyền truy cập ngôn ngữ bằng một số ngôn ngữ trên trang mạng của mình; và Nhằm để đảm bảo tuân thủ Tiêu đề VI, nhân viên FBC cũng đã được đào tạo về trả đũa theo Tiêu đề VI. Trợ lý Bộ trưởng Tư pháp Kristen Clarke thuộc Bộ phận Dân quyền của Bộ Tư pháp cho biết: “Các chính sách và thông lệ mới được tòa án Quận Fort Bend áp dụng đang giúp cung cấp khả năng tiếp cận ngôn ngữ có ý nghĩa cho những người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế. “Tôi hy vọng các hệ thống tòa án khác sẽ noi gương Quận Fort Bend và hành động để cung cấp dịch vụ thông dịch viên miễn phí cho những người sử dụng tòa án. Quyền tiếp cận công lý ở đất nước chúng ta không nên bị hạn chế hoặc từ chối chỉ vì trình độ tiếng Anh của quý vị.” “Quận Fort Bend là một trong những quận đa dạng nhất ở Texas, nơi gần một nửa dân số là người gốc Tây Ban Nha, Đông Á và Nam Á. Là một công tố viên, một người nhập cư và là con trai của các bậc cha mẹ thuộc tầng lớp lao động, sinh ra ở Ấn Độ, tôi đã tận mắt chứng kiến cuộc tranh đấu của những cư dân mới nhất của Hoa Kỳ nói tiếng Anh như ngôn ngữ thứ hai và nhu cầu về phiên dịch viên, đặc biệt là trong phiên tòa, thủ tục tố tụng,” Luật sư Hoa Kỳ Alamdar S. Hamdani đại diện cho Quận phía Nam Texas cho biết. “Nhờ sự làm việc chăm chỉ của các công tố viên tại Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ cho Quận phía Nam Texas và tại Bộ phận Dân quyền, tất cả cư dân, bất kể nguồn gốc quốc gia, sẽ có toàn quyền tiếp cận hệ thống tòa án để xử lý mọi việc từ tòa án gia đình. các vấn đề, hình sự và các vấn đề dân sự nói chung. Tôi mong muốn được làm việc với các chính quyền quận khác và Văn phòng Hành chính Tòa án để nhân rộng những nỗ lực này trên khắp Quận phía Nam của Texas.” Civil Rights Division (Ban Dân Quyền) thuộc Sở Tư Pháp đã phối hợp với Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ thuộc Quận Phía Đông của Louisiana để giải quyết vấn đề này. Thông tin bổ sung về Ban Dân Quyền có sẵn trên trang web của họ tại www.justice.gov/crt , và thông tin về trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế và Title VI có tại www.lep.gov . Công chúng có thể báo cáo các vi phạm dân quyền có thể xảy ra tại trang mạng civilrights.justice.gov/report/ hoặc với Văn phòng Luật sư Hoa Kỳ cho Quận phía Nam của Texas tại www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section .


title: 司法部宣布涉及得克萨斯州本德堡县语言使用民权事务的最终决议

body_text: 注： 本新闻稿已翻译成多种语言。请参阅以下附件。 华盛顿——司法部宣布已就涉及本德堡县 (Fort Bend County, FBC) 法院的民权事务做出最终决议。FBC 法院遵守了 2021 年 6 月签订的《 协定备忘录 (Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) 》中的所有条款，鉴于此，司法部将关闭本事务。 司法部最初立案调查的依据是，有人指控 FBC 法院以民族血统为由歧视英语水平有限 (limited English proficiency, LEP) 的人员，并对一名投诉人进行报复，这违反了 1964 年《民权法案 (Civil Rights Act)》第六章 (Title VI) 中禁止任何联邦财政援助的接受者对种族、肤色和民族血统进行歧视的条款。一起投诉指控 FBC 地区法院拒绝为一名有 LEP 的刑事被告提供他在认罪听证会上需要的越南语口译员，并称被告或其律师必须寻找一名越南语口译员并支付费用。2021 年 6 月 29 日，司法部与 FBC 签署了一项 MOA 以 解决该调查问题 ，该 MOA 要求 FBC 对针对有 LEP 的法庭用户的语言使用政策进行重大修改。 从那以后，FBC 已做出了重大修改，以改善对有 LEP 的法庭用户的语言使用情况，并遵守第六章的要求。例如，FBC： 在所有民事和刑事案件中，按照 法院语言援助政策 规定，向任何有 LEP 的人员免费提供口译服务，无论其收入状况如何； 修订其 语言使用计划 ； 针对 法院工作人员提供语言使用培训 ，并编写 《法官语言使用指南 (Judge’s Guide to Language Access)》 ； 维护一个 公共网页 ，解释如何申请获取口译或笔译服务； 在其网站上提供多种语言版本的 语言使用投诉表 ；和 为确保遵守第六章，FBC 的员工还接受了涉及第六章的报复培训。 “本德堡县法院采取的新政策和做法有助于为英语水平有限的人员提供有意义的语言使用机会，”司法部民权司助理部长克里斯汀·克拉克 (Kristen Clarke) 表示。“我希望其他法院系统以本德堡县为榜样，采取行动免费为法院使用者提供口译服务。在我们国家，诉诸司法的权利不应仅因您的英语熟练程度而受到限制或被剥夺。” “本德堡县是得克萨斯州最多元化的县之一，几乎一半的人口来自西班牙、东亚和南亚。作为一名检察官、一名移民和印度裔工人阶级父母的儿子，我亲眼目睹了将英语作为第二语言的美国最新居民所面临的挣扎，以及他们对口译员的需求，尤其是在法庭诉讼期间，”得克萨斯州南区联邦检察官阿拉姆达尔 S. 哈姆达尼 (Alamdar S. Hamdani) 表示。“由于得克萨斯州南区联邦检察官办公室和民权司的检察官们的辛勤工作，所有居民，无论其民族血统如何，都可以充分诉诸法院系统，处理包括家庭法院事务、刑事案件和一般民事案件等所有事务。 我期待着与其他县和法院管理办公室合作，在整个得克萨斯州南区推广这些工作。” 本事务由民权司和得克萨斯州南区联邦检察官办公室的律师共同处理。 有关民权司的其他信息可造访其网站 www.justice.gov/crt 查阅，有关英语水平有限和第六章的信息可造访 www.lep.gov 网站查阅。公众可登录 civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 或得克萨斯州南区联邦检察官办公室（ www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section ）举报可能存在的侵犯民权行为。


title: 司法部宣佈涉及德克薩斯州本德堡縣語言使用民權事務的最終決議

body_text: 注： 本新聞稿已翻譯成多種語言。請參閱以下附件。 華盛頓——司法部宣佈已就涉及本德堡縣 (Fort Bend County, FBC) 法院的民權事務做出最終決議。FBC 法院遵守了 2021 年 6 月簽訂的《 協定備忘錄 (Memorandum of Agreement, MOA) 》中的所有條款，鑒於此，司法部將關閉本事務。 司法部最初立案調查的依據是，有人指控 FBC 法院以民族血統為由歧視英語水準有限 (limited English proficiency, LEP) 的人員，並對一名投訴人進行報復，這違反了 1964 年《民權法案 (Civil Rights Act)》第六章 (Title VI) 中禁止任何聯邦財政援助的接受者對種族、膚色和民族血統進行歧視的條款。一起投訴指控 FBC 地區法院拒絕為一名有 LEP 的刑事被告提供他在認罪聽證會上需要的越南語口譯員，並稱被告或其律師必須尋找一名越南語口譯員並支付費用。2021 年 6 月 29 日，司法部與 FBC 簽署了一項 MOA 以 解決該調查問題 ，該 MOA 要求 FBC 對針對有 LEP 的法庭使用者的語言使用政策進行重大修改。 從那以後，FBC 已做出了重大修改，以改善對有 LEP 的法庭使用者的語言使用情況，並遵守第六章的要求。例如，FBC： 在所有民事和刑事案件中，按照 法院語言援助政策 規定，向任何有 LEP 的人員免費提供口譯服務，無論其收入狀況如何； 修訂其 語言使用計畫 ； 針對 法院工作人員提供語言使用培訓， 並 編寫《法官語言使用指南 (Judge’s Guide to Language Access)》 ； 維護一個 公共網頁 ，解釋如何申請獲取口譯或筆譯服務； 在其網站上提供多種語言版本的 語言使用投訴表 ；和 為確保遵守第六章，FBC 的員工還接受了涉及第六章的報復培訓。 「本德堡縣法院採取的新政策和做法有助於為英語水準有限的人員提供有意義的語言使用機會，」司法部民權司助理部長克裡斯汀·克拉克 (Kristen Clarke) 表示。「我希望其他法院系統以本德堡縣為榜樣，採取行動免費為法院使用者提供口譯服務。在我們國家，訴諸司法的權利不應僅因您的英語熟練程度而受到限制或被剝奪。」 「本德堡縣是德克薩斯州最多元化的縣之一，幾乎一半的人口來自西班牙、東亞和南亞。作為一名檢察官、一名移民和印度裔工人階級父母的兒子，我親眼目睹了將英語作為第二語言的美國最新居民所面臨的掙扎，以及他們對口譯員的需求，尤其是在法庭訴訟期間，」 德克薩斯州南區聯邦檢察官阿拉姆達爾 S. 哈姆達尼 (Alamdar S. Hamdani) 表示。「由於德克薩斯州南區聯邦檢察官辦公室和民權司的檢察官們的辛勤工作，所有居民，無論其民族血統如何，都可以充分訴諸法院系統，處理包括家庭法院事務、刑事案件和一般民事案件等所有事務。我期待著與其他縣和法院管理辦公室合作，在整個德克薩斯州南區推廣這些工作。」 本事務由民權司和德克薩斯州南區聯邦檢察官辦公室的律師共同處理。 有關民權司的其他資訊可造訪其網站 www.justice.gov/crt 查閱，有關英語水準有限和第六章的資訊可造訪 www.lep.gov 網站查閱。公眾可登錄 civilrights.justice.gov/report/ 或德克薩斯州南區聯邦檢察官辦公室（ www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/civil-division/civil-rights-section ）舉報可能存在的侵犯民權行為。


title: Twelve Defendants Charged for Trafficking Fentanyl-Laced Heroin, Cocaine, and Other Drugs

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Twelve defendants were arrested on complaints in a multi-year, multi-state investigation for trafficking fentanyl-laced heroin, cocaine, and other drugs in Chicago, Illinois, and surrounding states. Most of the defendants were arrested on July 28 and have begun making initial appearances in Chicago. The FBI Chicago Field Office led the investigation, which utilized numerous controlled narcotics purchases, covert surveillance operations, and wiretapped communications to shut down two separate drug trafficking operations. Some of the defendants allegedly supplied or sought to supply drugs to customers in other states, including Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Ohio. One of the defendants allegedly possessed a loaded semiautomatic handgun while engaged in his drug trafficking activities. During the investigation, law enforcement seized nearly $400,000 in suspected illicit cash proceeds, cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, Bentley and Mercedes-Benz automobiles, and a custom-built motorcycle. The criminal complaints charge two separate drug trafficking organizations, as well as an individual who allegedly distributed cocaine: United States v. Johnson, et al. The first complaint charges Ronald Johnson, 57, of Darien, Illinois; Sulstine Brown Robinson, 69, of Chicago; Charles Lawrence, 48, of Chicago; and Darrell Jones, 58, of Chicago, with federal drug conspiracy. Lawrence is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activities. Troy Bonaparte, 58, of Chicago, is charged with possessing cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute. According to court documents, Johnson is allegedly a large-scale supplier of multiple narcotics, including cocaine and marijuana. His co-conspirators allegedly utilized an apartment in Chicago’s Oakland neighborhood as a “stash house” to store narcotics and cash. In December 2022, during a meeting outside the stash house, Johnson allegedly supplied a woman with a duffel bag that contained approximately $300,500 in suspected drug proceeds. Law enforcement later seized the cash and duffel bag from the woman. In January 2023, law enforcement in Rock County, Wisconsin, stopped a vehicle Robinson was driving and discovered that she had transported approximately seven kilograms of cocaine from Chicago. Law enforcement seized the drugs, which were packaged in six individual bricks and wrapped in green cellophane. United States v. Donley, et al. The second complaint charges Derek Donley, 29; Kendall Banks, 31; Niger Gray, 25; Jamari Mc Neal, 29; and April Thomas, 60, all of Chicago, with federal drug conspiracy. The complaint also charges Byron Murphy, 39, also of Chicago, with distributing fentanyl-laced heroin. According to court documents, the defendants distributed and intended to distribute fentanyl-laced heroin, cocaine, and marijuana in the South Side of Chicago. Donley allegedly conducted several drug deals in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. One of the alleged deals occurred in April 2022 and involved Donley’s distribution of approximately 100 grams of substances containing fentanyl to Mc Neal. United States v. Toney A third complaint charges Chantell Toney, 37, of Chicago, with distribution of cocaine on April 6. According to court documents, Toney allegedly sold crack cocaine on the South Side of Chicago on several occasions in 2022 and 2023. One of the deals allegedly occurred as recently as July in an apartment in Chicago’s South Shore neighborhood. Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Morris Pasqual for the Northern District of Illinois, Special Agent in Charge Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office, and Interim Superintendent Fred Waller of the Chicago Police Department made the announcement. The FBI Chicago Field Office and Chicago Police Department are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office, Rock County (Wisconsin) Sheriff’s Office, and the Indiana State Police. Trial Attorney Gerald A.A. Collins of the Criminal Division’s Organized Crime and Gang Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Saurish Appleby-Bhattacharjee and Thomas P. Peabody for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case. The case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug trafficking organizations and other criminal networks that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local enforcement agencies. A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.