Elizabeth Holmes walks with her partner Billy Evans and her parents, to the federal court to hear the verdict in her fraud trial in San Jose, California, January 3. AFP
Elizabeth Holmes walks with her partner Billy Evans and her parents, to the federal court to hear the verdict in her fraud trial in San Jose, California, January 3. AFP
Elizabeth Holmes walks with her partner Billy Evans and her parents, to the federal court to hear the verdict in her fraud trial in San Jose, California, January 3. AFP
Janine di Giovanni is executive director at The Reckoning Project and a columnist for The National
December 26, 2021
In the past fortnight week, two women appeared in court in the US on vastly different charges. Ghislaine Maxwell was on trial for sex trafficking – and found guilty; Elizabeth Holmes for fraud – also found guilty, on charges of fraud and conspiracy. Both women come from similar milieus: immense wealth, privilege and access to a glamorous life. Both are white and educated at elite schools. Both were armed to the teeth with the most expensive lawyers money can buy.
Now, consider the case of Anthony J Broadwater, who was recently exonerated for rape charges in 1981 for a crime he never committed. His accuser is another privileged white woman, the author Alice Sebold.
Mr Broadwater spent 16 years in prison after Ms Sebold – who had been raped as a student at Syracuse University in New York – accused him without actually being sure he was the one who attacked her. Supporters of Ms Sebold today say she was only 19 when this happened, and that she was pushed into accusing Mr Broadwater by her over-zealous prosecutor.
Anthony Broadwater breaks down on November 22, in Syracuse, New York, when a judge overturned his 40-year-old rape conviction. AP
I have no doubt that Ms Sebold suffered horribly as a result of the rape at such an early age. Still, the facts remain: Ms Sebold went on to write books using rape as a topic that gained her fame and wealth. Her novel The Lovely Bones was made into a Hollywood film directed by Peter Jackson of the Lord of the Rings fame. Her memoir Lucky, about the rape and details of her trial, sold millions of copies and was about to be made into another film when the case was investigated and Mr Broadwater finally exonerated. Her publishers have ceased to distribute it. In the memoir, she gave Mr Broadwater a fictitious name – but it still meant he was branded a sex offender upon his release in 1998.
Mr Broadwater was only 21 when he was sent to prison. He tried repeatedly to hire lawyers to prove his innocence. Many attorneys turned him down, and he didn’t have the financial means to secure the best defence. Meanwhile, Ms Sebold, who today lives in a $6 million mansion in San Francisco, has been trying to defend herself and has apologised. Mr Broadwater, finally cleared of this heinous miscarriage of justice, is extraordinarily generous towards Ms Sebold’s feckless “mistake”.
“It took a lot of courage,” he said of her apology. “I guess she’s brave and weathering through the storm like I am.”
Anthony Broadwater, after Judge Gordon Cuffy overturned the 40-year-old rape conviction that wrongfully put him in state prison for Alice Sebold's rape. AP
I think it is fair to say that even though Ms Sebold writes extensively about her victimisation and her Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, it is Mr Broadwater’s life that was destroyed. Whatever potential the young man, a former marine, had in front of him was crushed when he was sent to prison. Had he been able to afford the kind of legal representation that Ms Maxwell and Ms Holmes employ – or had he been white – he most likely would have had an entirely different life. He has struggled to work after prison; finding jobs as a janitor and trash collector.
The track record for Black men getting justice in America is deeply flawed and disproportionate compared to white people
Meanwhile, Maxwell – the daughter of an unscrupulous British publishing magnate – was the longtime lover and enabler of the disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein who committed suicide in his cell. Maxwell pleaded not guilty to six federal counts, including sex trafficking of a minor, enticing a minor to travel to engage in illegal sex acts, transporting a minor with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and three related counts of conspiracy.
Maxwell, 59, is nearly the same age as Mr Broadwater. But unlike him – whose mother died when he was a small boy, and who lived a marginal existence with a loving father and siblings and whose father tried desperately to clear his son’s name before dying – she has lived the high life since the day she was born. Yachts were named after her by her father. She received an Oxford University education. With Epstein, she parachuted to Palm Beach, the Hamptons, the Upper East Side, Paris, London, the Caribbean. For whatever reason, both Holmes and Maxwell followed the creed that the more money people have, the more they feel above the law.
When Maxwell is convicted, she could be sentenced to go to prison for 70 years.
Author Alice Sebold apologised to Anthony Broadwater, 61, the man who was exonerated in the 1981 rape that was the basis for her memoir "Lucky". AP
Meanwhile, Holmes lied and scammed her way through Silicon Valley cheating investors and backers with her “fake it until you make it” approach to life. Her defence is to blame everything on her former partner, saying she was emotionally bullied. Again, clever, and expensive lawyers are working overtime to help her beat the rap.
If I sound bitter, it’s because the track record for black men getting justice in America is deeply flawed and disproportionate compared to white people. Without decent lawyers, they don’t stand a chance.
In October, a report by The Sentencing Project, a Washington-based advocacy group, found that black people in America are incarcerated at nearly five times the rate of whites. The report found – shockingly – that one in 81 black adults per 100,000 people in the US is serving time in a state prison. In Wisconsin, one in every 36 black adult Wisconsinites is in prison.
Many of these men are not given proper legal advice or representation, and some of the crimes include prosecution for low-level amounts of marijuana or loitering. Some “cop a plea”, that is, strike a plea bargain with the prosecutors. This means they often plead guilty to a lesser offence to avoid standing trial for a greater offence. Some plead guilty to a crime they did not do because they are afraid to go on trial – people who go on trial often get convicted and get much heavier sentences than those who plea bargain.
If you want to know about justice in America, and you have the stomach, watch the television miniseries When They See Us by Ava DuVernay about the so-called Central Park Five. This is the true story of five boys who were accused of raping a white jogger in April 1989. Their accusation was based on police-coerced confessions. The five teenagers – some as young as 14 – all claimed their innocence. Yet, they spent between six and 13-plus years in prison for attempted murder, rape and assault. They were only cleared of charges when a serial rapist finally confessed to the crime in 2002. Meanwhile, their youth was spent behind bars.
There are many good people in America committed to changing the system. The Innocence Project is a non-profit legal organisation working towards criminal reform. Founded in 1992, it works using DNA testing to prevent future injustice. Their mission is to free the “staggering number of innocent people who remain incarcerated”.
It is a start, but America needs much more. We need to pass laws and implement policy that prevent wrongful conviction. We need to lessen sentences for first-time offenders and provide support for exonerees so they can rebuild their lives post-release. And we need to ensure that the law is the same for the Maxwells and the Holmeses, despite their wealth and influence, as it is for those who cannot speak or defend themselves.
A version of this article was first published on December 26, 2021
Bob Honey Who Just Do Stuff
By Sean Penn
Simon & Schuster
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
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Jordan cabinet changes
In
Raed Mozafar Abu Al Saoud, Minister of Water and Irrigation
Dr Bassam Samir Al Talhouni, Minister of Justice
Majd Mohamed Shoueikeh, State Minister of Development of Foundation Performance
Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education and Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research
Falah Abdalla Al Ammoush, Minister of Public Works and Housing
Basma Moussa Ishakat, Minister of Social Development
Dr Ghazi Monawar Al Zein, Minister of Health
Ibrahim Sobhi Alshahahede, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Environment
Dr Mohamed Suleiman Aburamman, Minister of Culture and Minister of Youth
Out
Dr Adel Issa Al Tawissi, Minister of High Education and Scientific Research
Hala Noaman “Basiso Lattouf”, Minister of Social Development
Dr Mahmud Yassin Al Sheyab, Minister of Health
Yahya Moussa Kasbi, Minister of Public Works and Housing
Nayef Hamidi Al Fayez, Minister of Environment
Majd Mohamed Shoueika, Minister of Public Sector Development
Khalid Moussa Al Huneifat, Minister of Agriculture
Dr Awad Abu Jarad Al Mushakiba, Minister of Justice
Mounir Moussa Ouwais, Minister of Water and Agriculture
Dr Azmi Mahmud Mohafaza, Minister of Education
Mokarram Mustafa Al Kaysi, Minister of Youth
Basma Mohamed Al Nousour, Minister of Culture
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French business
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
Date of Birth: April 25, 1993 Place of Birth: Dubai, UAE Marital Status: Single School: Al Sufouh in Jumeirah, Dubai University: Emirates Airline National Cadet Programme and Hamdan University Job Title: Pilot, First Officer Number of hours flying in a Boeing 777: 1,200 Number of flights: Approximately 300 Hobbies: Exercising Nicest destination: Milan, New Zealand, Seattle for shopping Least nice destination: Kabul, but someone has to do it. It’s not scary but at least you can tick the box that you’ve been Favourite place to visit: Dubai, there’s no place like home
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere
Director: Scott Cooper
Starring: Jeremy Allen White, Odessa Young, Jeremy Strong
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
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Name: Steppi
Founders: Joe Franklin and Milos Savic
Launched: February 2020
Size: 10,000 users by the end of July and a goal of 200,000 users by the end of the year
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Second round raised Dh720,000 from silent investors in June this year
Tenants also require a letter of no objection from their landlord before being allowed to list the property.
There is a cost of Dh1,590 before starting the process, with an additional licence fee of Dh300 per bedroom being rented in your home for the duration of the rental, which ranges from three months to a year.
Anyone hoping to list a property for rental must also provide a copy of their title deeds and Ejari, as well as their Emirates ID.
Key figures in the life of the fort
Sheikh Dhiyab bin Isa (ruled 1761-1793) Built Qasr Al Hosn as a watchtower to guard over the only freshwater well on Abu Dhabi island.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Dhiyab (ruled 1793-1816) Expanded the tower into a small fort and transferred his ruling place of residence from Liwa Oasis to the fort on the island.
Sheikh Tahnoon bin Shakhbut (ruled 1818-1833) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further as Abu Dhabi grew from a small village of palm huts to a town of more than 5,000 inhabitants.
Sheikh Khalifa bin Shakhbut (ruled 1833-1845) Repaired and fortified the fort.
Sheikh Saeed bin Tahnoon (ruled 1845-1855) Turned Qasr Al Hosn into a strong two-storied structure.
Sheikh Zayed bin Khalifa (ruled 1855-1909) Expanded Qasr Al Hosn further to reflect the emirate's increasing prominence.
Sheikh Shakhbut bin Sultan (ruled 1928-1966) Renovated and enlarged Qasr Al Hosn, adding a decorative arch and two new villas.
Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan (ruled 1966-2004) Moved the royal residence to Al Manhal palace and kept his diwan at Qasr Al Hosn.
