New Castle County Courthouse

Townsend man: life in prison for murdering 4 family members

Jarek Rutz Headlines, Police & Fire

A Townsend man has been sentenced to life in prison for the murder of four family members.  On August 18, Donald Grier Jr., 41, was sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison in New Castle County Superior Court after pleading Guilty But Mentally Ill to one count of Murder 1st Degree and one count of Possession of a Deadly …

Glen Carrie, data privacy

Data privacy bill passes House committee

Sam Haut Government, Headlines

A data privacy bill that will give consumers more rights went unanimously through the House Technology & Telecommunications Committee Tuesday, two in favor and four on its merits. House Bill 154, sponsored by Rep. Krista Griffith, D-Greenville, would give consumers the right to delete their personal data, change their personal data, know who is collecting their personal data and opt …

theft arrest

Retail theft continues to plague Delaware businesses

Sam Haut Government, Headlines

While retail theft continues to increase in Delaware, according to state police records, it doesn’t seem to be happening at the level reported in some cities. “I am not aware of any widespread looting or any type of cases where there’s just been storming, just an overpowering into an establishment,” said Jason Hatchell, public information officer for the Delaware State …

Kathy McGuiness appeal

McGuiness appeal: Rights violations started before trial

Betsy Price Government, Headlines

Delaware auditor Kathy McGuiness has filed an appeal in Delaware Supreme Court, claiming she did not get a fair trial when she was convicted of two misdemeanors related to hiring her daughter  because her rights were violated before trial. The redacted – public only version of the appeal says that Delaware Department of Justice prosecutors ignored their obligations under Brady …

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Delaware to get $200,000 in Robinhood settlement

Sam Haut Government, Headlines

Delaware will get about $200,000 from a $10.2 million national settlement with the stock buying app Robinhood. The settlement is split between Alabama, Colorado, California, Delaware, New Jersey, South Dakota and Texas, according to the Delaware Department of Justice. The lawsuit and settlement stems from an investigation of Robinhood’s multiple outages in March 2020, preventing hundreds of thousands of users …

Seaford loses fetal tissue case

DOJ wins challenge to Seaford ‘fetal tissue’ law

Staff Writer Government, Headlines

  A Delaware court has overturned a Seaford law that would have required anyone who had an abortion or miscarriage to pay to bury or cremate the fetal tissue. Vice Chancellor J. Travis Laster of the Delaware Court of Chancery ruled Wednesday morning that Seaford, as a junior sovereign, cannot enact a law that conflicts directly with law established by …

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Day 2 of McGuiness trial canceled after venue dispute

Charles Megginson Government, Headlines

State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness’s corruption trial will not begin until at least Thursday after Judge William Carpenter of the Delaware Superior Court announced Wednesday’s proceedings would be canceled.  The announcement came after McGuiness’s defense team on Tuesday asked Carpenter to dismiss the indictment altogether “based upon the State’s failure to properly allege venue,” defense attorney Steve Wood wrote in a …

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McGuiness trial up in air as prosecutors ponder venue change

Charles Megginson Government, Headlines

The trial against Delaware State Auditor Kathleen McGuiness got off to a rocky start Tuesday after her defense team argued the case should be heard in Kent County rather than New Castle County. Rule 18 of the Superior Court says that in most cases, a prosecution shall be held in the county in which the offense or offenses are alleged …

Guns

House bill would raise minimum sentence for felony firearm charge

Charles Megginson Government, Headlines

A bill set to be considered by the Delaware House of Representatives would increase the minimum sentence for those who possess a firearm during the commission of a felony.  The crime was created by the 137th General Assembly in 1994 with the minimum required sentence set at three years, or five years for defendants with two prior felony convictions. It …

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House committee debates student crimes being reported to school

Jarek Rutz Education, Headlines

A fiery discussion in the state House of Representatives Education Committee about a bill that would prevent schools from being told about students involved in certain crimes away from campus ended Wednesday with the bill being tabled. The sponsor of House Bill 396, Rep. Dorsey Walker, D-Wilmington, told the committee that the bill was designed to prevent double punishment. The …