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Judge orders Justin Baldoni to cover Blake Lively’s legal fees

Blake Lively attends the 2026 Met Gala celebrating "Costume Art" at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, May 4, 2026, in New York. Justin Baldoni speaks onstage at the Vital Voices 12th Annual Voices of Solidarity Award, Dec. 9, 2024, in New York. (Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images | Bryan Bedder/Getty Images)

A New York federal judge has ruled that Justin Baldoni and his production company, Wayfarer Studios, must pay his former It Ends With Us co-star Blake Lively's attorneys' fees, after the parties reached a settlement last month in Lively's lawsuit against the actor and production studio.

U.S. District Judge Lewis Liman denied Lively's claim for punitive damages but wrote that the actress was entitled to attorneys' fees under California Civil Code Section 47.1.

Section 47.1 states in part that a "prevailing defendant" in a defamation case is "entitled to their reasonable attorney's fees and costs for successfully defending themselves in the litigation," as well as any additional damages permitted by a judge.

In a statement to ABC News following the ruling, Lively's attorneys Esra Hudson and Michael Gottlieb said the judge's decision "makes it clear that Ms. Lively brought her claims in good faith, that there was no evidence she acted with malice, and that she is the prevailing defendant under Section 47.1."

"Ms. Lively is gratified that her lawsuit shows how Section 47.1 and laws like it create a path for survivors to hold accountable those who weaponize online attacks and retaliatory lawsuits to intimidate and silence survivors," they added.

ABC News has reached out to representatives for Baldoni for comment.

Friday's decision comes after the parties reached a settlement in early May in Lively's lawsuit against Baldoni, ending their nearly year-and-a-half legal dispute.

According to settlement documents filed May 7 in the Southern District of New York, Baldoni, via his Wayfarer production company, and Lively agreed to settle their ongoing dispute on terms that Lively could still seek to recover attorney's fees and additional damages.

The terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

Lively and Baldoni's legal battle kicked off in December 2024, when Lively filed a complaint with the California Civil Rights Department alleging "severe emotional distress" after she said Baldoni and key stakeholders in the film — which Baldoni also directed — sexually harassed her and attempted, along with Baldoni's production company, to orchestrate a smear campaign against her.

Baldoni followed up the action by filing a lawsuit against the New York Times for libel and false light invasion of privacy on Dec. 31 after it published the article about Lively's California complaint.

Lively subsequently formalized her complaint into a lawsuit against Baldoni in New York, also on Dec. 31.

Baldoni responded by filing a civil lawsuit against Lively, her husband, Ryan Reynolds, and others for, among other things, extortion and defamation.

The suits were consolidated into one lawsuit in January 2025.

In June last year, Baldoni's $400 million lawsuit against Lively, Reynolds and the couple's publicist Leslie Sloane, as well as Baldoni's defamation suit against the Times, was dismissed by Liman.

A federal judge in New York gutted much of Lively's case against Baldoni in April of this year, including claims she was subjected to sexual harassment on set.

The judge determined in a ruling at the time that Lively would be allowed to pursue certain claims of retaliation against Baldoni's public relations team over alleged harm to her reputation.

In May, after reaching a settlement in their protracted legal dispute, the two actors issued a joint statement via their respective legal teams, saying, "We remain firmly committed to workplaces free of improprieties and unproductive environments. It is our sincere hope that this brings closure and allows all involved to move forward constructively and in peace, including a respectful environment online."

Midland shooter linked to Wednesday police shooting, officials say

MIDLAND – UPDATE: The Texas Department of Public Safety has released new information about the shooting in Midland that happened Friday morning.

“This morning, at about 8:00 CST, the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS), along with the Midland Police Department (MPD) and other local, state and federal law enforcement partners, responded to reports of an active shooter in the 4600 block of West Wall Street in Midland, Texas. Preliminary information shows that when they arrived, the suspect, now identified as Victor Mata Villarreal, 45, who resided in Odessa, began firing shots at officers and bystanders and then barricaded himself inside an abandoned veterinary clinic building.

DPS and other responding officers immediately established a perimeter around the building to mitigate the threat. After a standoff, the suspect was located inside the building, deceased at around 12:30 p.m. CST.

At this time, DPS can confirm one victim is dead, and 10 others are injured. No law enforcement officers were injured.

Villarreal had been wanted for attempted capital murder of a peace officer after firing multiple shots at an MPD officer during a vehicle pursuit on Wednesday, June 10, 2026.

At the request of MPD, the Texas Rangers are investigating this active shooter incident. As this is an active investigation, no additional information is being released. The Texas Rangers ask that anyone with information related to the incident please come forward.

Drivers are asked to please find alternate routes around the area as authorities remain on the scene. The roads where the shooting occurred were to remain closed for the next 24 – 48 hours.

Ector County Sheriff Mike Griffis has confirmed the suspect in a shooting in Midland Friday morning is the same suspect wanted out of Midland earlier this week after investigators said he tried to kill a police officer. This information has not yet been confirmed by Midland agencies or the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Victor Mata Villarreal was accused of firing a rifle at an officer during a late-night traffic stop Wednesday before fleeing the scene.

According to the City of Midland, the incident began around 11:23 p.m. Wednesday, June 10 in the 4800 block of Anetta Street when a Midland Police officer tried to stop a vehicle.

Police said the vehicle did not stop right away and continued for several blocks before stopping in the 4700 block of Comanche Drive. Investigators say the driver, later identified as Victor Mata Villarreal, got out of the vehicle and fired rounds from a rifle at the officer.

The officer returned fire, but authorities said Villarreal got back into the vehicle and fled the area. The vehicle was later found abandoned a short distance away. Police said an extensive search was conducted, but Villarreal was not located.

The officer was not injured during the incident.

Longview ISD wants input on facility name

LONGVIEW – As Longview ISD continues construction on its new multi-purpose facility, the district is considering naming it after one of their most accomplished alumni Trent Williams. Before making the decision to name the facility after Williams, the district is currently seeking public input and asking community members to submit their feedback through an online survey.

Williams graduated from Longview High School in 2006 and has since gone on to have a successful career in the NFL. After being drafted by the Washington Commanders in 2010, Williams spent nearly 10 years with the organization and is now with the San Francisco 49ers and will enter his 16th year in the league this fall. Continue reading Longview ISD wants input on facility name

US citizen arrested by Chinese government on espionage charges

The skyline of the Central Business District is seen on May 13, 2026 in Beijing, China. (Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)

(NEW YORK) -- A U.S. citizen was arrested in China on espionage charges, according to Chinese officials.

U Min Zin was "lawfully subjected to criminal compulsory measures by the relevant authorities on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities that endanger China's national security Chinese foreign ministry," spokesperson Lin Jian told reporters Friday during a news conference.

Lin did not provide any more details about the charges or the investigation into Min Zin, who has been a longtime scholar on the politics of Myanmar. The spokesperson said the Chinese government notified the U.S. consulate general in the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou.

A State Department official told ABC News in a statement Friday that the department is aware of the reports of the arrest.

"The Department of State has no higher priority than the safety and security of Americans. Whenever a U.S. citizen is detained, we work to provide the appropriate consular assistance. However, under federal privacy law, we are unable to comment further at this time," the official said.

Min Zin took part in the democracy movement in Burma, Myanmar's former name, in the late 80s and fled the country in 1989 to avoid arrest, according to a bio on his blog.

He is the executive director of the think tank, The Institute for Strategy and Policy (Myanmar), and has written several publications about Myanmar's politics.

Min Zin was scheduled to speak at an event in Nepal this month hosted by the Centre for Social Innovation and Foreign Policy, the think tank announced in May.

-ABC News' Shannon Kingston contributed to this report.

Former Uvalde school police chief set to appear in court

(UVALDE, Texas) — Former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo is set to return to a Texas courtroom on Friday, as the judge overseeing his criminal trial weighs moving the case out of Uvalde and whether the whole thing might have to wait because US Customs and Border Protection has refused to cooperate.

Arredondo in 2024 was charged with 10 counts of endangering students by failing to quickly respond to the 2022 mass shooting. The criminal case has stalled due to two ongoing civil lawsuits that seek to force agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol Tactical Unit — involved in taking down the gunman — to testify in the case.

Nineteen students and two of their teachers were killed when Robb Elementary School was attacked by a former student on the last day of school, May 24, 2022.

Arredondo led the response to the 2022 shooting rampage, and prosecutors allege that he ignored his training by waiting some 77 minutes before agents stormed a classroom and killed the gunman. Earlier this year, a jury acquitted former school police officer Adrian Gonzales on similar charges after a three-week trial.

Families of the victims responded to that verdict with outrage and some are looking to Arredondo’s trial as another opportunity for justice.

“We had a little hope, but it wasn’t enough,” Jacinto Cazares, whose 9-year-old daughter Jackie died in the shooting, said after Gonzales’ acquittal in January. “Again, we are failed. I don’t even know what to say.”

Arredondo has pleaded not guilty, arguing he followed his training and saying he did not consider himself as the incident commander that day, though investigators said he was just that. Arredondo’s attorney Paul Looney told ABC News that he believes the case against Arredondo is weaker than the failed prosecution of Gonzales.

“They tried the one they thought that they had the best shot at, but now they’re going to put everything they’ve got into doing this one, because they do want to win at least something,” Looney said.

Friday’s status conference comes as Judge Sid Harle weighs the future of the case. The judge has said he wants to determine how the trial against Arredondo can proceed amid the ongoing litigation with CBP and whether — as in the case of Gonzales — the trial ought to be moved out of Uvalde.

Both Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell and Arredondo filed federal lawsuits to compel the federal agents to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify at trial.

“The three border patrol agents whose cooperation is now being sought by District Attorney Mitchell — two of whom participated in the actual killing of the gunman and the third who was present in the hallway during most of the incident — are essential to the pending Texas criminal prosecution,” Mitchell wrote in her lawsuit.

CBP attorneys have argued that the request for testimony is unreasonable, unnecessary and “negatively impacts CBP operations and national security” by taking up resources and potentially disclosing sensitive information.

Attorneys have argued that CBP revealed enough information through the investigative summaries prepared by the Texas Rangers and a report released by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

“It is unclear from your request how testimony from the identified CBP employees is genuinely necessary to the proceedings,” an attorney for CBP said in a court filing.

Earlier this year, a new judge was assigned to the lawsuit filed by Mitchell, and this week she filed a motion to schedule a status conference in that case. Looney, who filed a separate lawsuit largely mirroring the District Attorney’s, said he anticipates the litigation will take another eight months to a year.

Friday’s hearing will be held in Uvalde, though the trial of Gonzales was held in Corpus Christi to find an impartial jury, due to the widespread impact of the shooting on the Uvalde community.

Arredondo’s lawyer said he expects Harle to grant his motion for a venue change, though he claimed there is “no sense of urgency” to resolve the venue issue while the case remains stalled by the ongoing civil litigation.

Judge denies request for stay of Kennedy Center renaming order

(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge on Friday denied the Department of Justice's request to lift an order requiring the removal of President Donald Trump's name from the Kennedy Center.

The Trump administration still faces a deadline of Friday to remove Trump's name from the building.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

‘Heated Rivalry,’ ‘Widow’s Bay’ lead TCA Awards nominations

Hudson Williams as Shane Hollander and Connor Storrie as Ilya Rozanov in 'Heated Rivalry.' (Sabrina Lantos/HBO Max)

Heated Rivalry, Widow’s Bay and Industry lead the nominations for the 42nd annual TCA Awards with five apiece.

All three are nominated in the program of the year category alongside last year’s winner, The Pitt, as well as The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Hacks, The Comeback, Shrinking and Pluribus.

The Pitt’s Noah Wyle is nominated in the individual achievement in drama category after winning in the category last year. He’ll face off against Heated Rivalry stars Connor Storrie and Hudson Williams, as well as Industry stars Myha’la and Marisa Abela, and more.

Two new categories were also added this year: outstanding achievement in animation and outstanding achievement in international series.

The TCA Awards, voted on by members of the Television Critics Association, will announce the winners later this summer across TCA’s social media.

Active shooter incident in Midland resolved, suspect confirmed dead

MIDLAND, Texas (AP) — Police say the suspect in a West Texas shooting that killed one person and injured nine others is dead. The shooter had been locked in a standoff Friday morning with police in Midland, Texas, hours after the shooting began. Midland police said the active shooter situation ended hours after the gunfire erupted in one part of the city before ending up near a veterinary hospital. Police did not immediately say how the suspect died.

The shooter opened fire in Midland in an attack Friday morning that left one person dead and at least nine others injured, the city’s mayor said. The suspect was in a standoff with officers about two hours after the shooting that erupted around 8 a.m. in one part of the city before ending up near a veterinary hospital, police said. It sounded like at least 40 shots were fired, said Andrea Mendias who works at an auto body shop near the veterinary hospital. Video from Mendias showed officers pouring out of the back of an armored police vehicle and police deploying robots into the area.

Mayor Lori Blong said the situation was still evolving and that officers were containing the situation. Midland Memorial Hospital said four people were in the operating room and five others were in stable condition. The city with about 140,000 residents sits in the heart of the state’s oil region and was near the site of a deadly shooting rampage just six years ago. In that shooting, a gunman who had been fired from his oil services job killed seven people and wounded two dozen others while firing at random as he drove around the Odessa and Midland areas. The two cities are more than 300 miles (482 kilometers) west of Dallas.

Suspect sought after 17-year-old boy beaten into coma near MSG after Knicks’ Game 4 win: Police

Police said this suspect is being sought in connection with a group assault on a 17-year-old boy near Madison Square Garden in New York on June 10, 2026. (NYPD)

(NEW YORK) -- A 17-year-old boy was beaten into a coma near Madison Square Garden following Game 4 of the NBA Finals, New York City police said Friday while releasing a photo of a suspect sought in connection with the assault.

The incident occurred Wednesday night around 11:45 p.m., according to the New York City Police Department, amid rowdy celebrations following the New York Knicks' win.

A group of unknown individuals approached the teen in front of 237 W. 35th St. in Midtown Manhattan, where a "verbal dispute ensued about the New York Knicks," police said.

Detectives reviewed video that shows someone apparently telling the crowd celebrating by saying, "Spurs in 7," ABC New York station WABC reported.

"The dispute escalated, and the individuals proceeded to punch and kick the victim about the head and body, causing the victim to suffer a seizure and subsequently go into a coma," police said in a statement.

Emergency medical service personnel responded to the scene and transported the victim to an area hospital in critical but stable condition, police said.

The individuals fled on foot, and their whereabouts are unknown, police said. The NYPD released an image of one suspect sought in connection with the incident on social media on Friday while asking anyone with information to contact them.

Separately, dozens of people were arrested following the Knicks' historic comeback against the San Antonio Spurs in Wednesday's Game 4.

Rowdy fans got into fistfights, climbed scaffolding and poles, blocked Midtown Manhattan traffic, set off fireworks, ripped down street signs, jumped atop taxis and other moving vehicles and damaged police vehicles, according to authorities and videos posted on social media.

At multiple locations blocks from the Garden, crowds refused numerous verbal commands to disperse, police said. Ten police officers were injured in the post-game revelry, including one who was struck in the face with a glass bottle, the NYPD said.

In total, 56 people were taken into custody, including 15 who were arrested and 41 who were released with criminal court summonses, according to the NYPD.

Fans were arrested on charges such as suspicion of assault on a police officer, criminal possession of a weapon (a knife), reckless endangerment, criminal mischief, disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, obstruction of governmental administration, and trademark counterfeiting, the NYPD said.

Following Game 3 of the NBA Finals at the Garden on Monday, at least 21 people were arrested, according to the NYPD.

A 39-year-old San Antonio fan was jumped on a Midtown Manhattan street following the Knicks loss, according to the NYPD, which released surveillance photos of five individuals wanted on charges of robbery stemming from the incident.

ABC News' Bill Hutchinson contributed to this report.

‘Adults’ dropping surprise prequel episode ahead of second season

(l-r) Owen Thiele as Anton, Lucy Freyer as Billie, Malik Elassal as Samir, Amita Rao as Issa, Jack Innanen as Paul Baker in surprise prequel episode of 'Adults.' (Courtesy of FX)

The FX comedy series Adults is dropping a surprise prequel episode.

The show screened the episode, titled “Marathon Day,” to a sold-out crowd at the Tribeca Festival Thursday night. It focuses on the origin story of Jack Innanen’s character Paul Baker.

“We’re so excited for the opportunity to show fans how this friend group came to be,” said series creators Ben Kronengold and Rebecca Shaw, who also wrote the episode. “We love a good origin story, and we can’t wait for you to see where the radioactive spider bit Paul Baker.”

The episode will be available to watch on July 31 on FX and Hulu at 1 p.m ET/10 a.m. PT.

Adults, about a group of twenty-somethings living in New York, debuts its second season on Aug. 27.

Meanwhile, Innanen revealed on the Tribeca red carpet that he turned down a role on the highly anticipated second season of Heated Rivalry. He was rumored to be in the running for the characters of either Troy Barrett or Wyatt Hayes.

While he didn’t say which role he was offered, the Canadian actor told CBS Mornings, “I think it’s such an incredible show, and it didn’t work out. But I love Jacob [Tierney], I love everyone involved. I’m just, I’m excited to see what they do for the second season.”

Disney is the parent company of FX, Hulu and ABC News.

Judge issues injunction blocking administration’s ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund’

President Donald Trump speaks with reporters while aboard Air Force One en route to Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin on June 5, 2026. (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

(WASHINGTON) -- A federal judge on Friday issued an injunction blocking the Trump administration from establishing its $1.8 billion "Anti-Weaponization Fund" after expressing concerns that senior officials have not put in their commitment to not move forward with the fund in writing.

U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema repeatedly cited acting Attorney General Todd Blanche's refusal to commit to not moving forward with the fund under penalty of perjury, as well as President Donald Trump's own words suggesting he was disappointed that the government might not establish the fund so that those charged in connection with the Jan. 6 Capitol attack could be compensated.

"If it was up to me, I'd pay them the kind of money that they deserve. People have been destroyed. Lives have been destroyed," Trump said during an interview with NBC's Meet the Press that aired over the weekend.

The fund, which was announced last month by the DOJ to compensate those who allege they were wrongly targeted under the Biden administration, was proposed in exchange for Trump agreeing to drop his $10 billion lawsuit against the IRS as well as two civil claims for $230 million related to the Russia collusion investigation he faced during his first term in office and the 2022 search of his Mar-a-Lago estate -- sparking accusations of self-dealing and a bipartisan uproar over the possible use of taxpayer money to pay rioters who attacked the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Lawyers with the Department of Justice have argued that the case is now moot, writing in a court filing last week that they would not move forward with the fund. During Friday's hearing, Judge Brinkema repeatedly pressed DOJ attorney Andrew Block on whether he knew why Blanche hasn't simply rescinded his previous order establishing the fund.

"Your honor, I don't," Block responded, saying he doesn't have the ability to speak for Blanche.

Brinkema said she "couldn't believe," given the significance of the case, that Block wouldn't have even attempted to get an answer, and said the government's unwillingness on that score created a "huge gap in the record" of the case.

Brinkema said she didn't believe there was any injury to the government if there was an injunction in place, and gave them one week to respond with a formal declaration, under penalty of perjury, stating no "Anti-Weaponization Fund" would be established -- which she said would potentially clear the way to dismissing the case.

Judge Brinkema pointed repeatedly to President Trump's own shifting statements in recent weeks about the fund, including his pointed attack on Brinkema herself after she had temporarily paused the fund earlier this month, in which he referred to her as a "radical left judge."

"When the president of the United States says he's disappointed that something is not going forward," Brinkema said, that would only add to the evidence that the fund might "rear its head" in the future.

Brinkema said at one point during the proceedings that just this week an unidentified individual had send an application for money from the fund directly to the court.

"We had to send it back," Brinkema said.

Later in the hearing, Brinkema expressed doubt about the legality of Trump's settlement that established the fund, noting a judge's order in Florida that recently asked Trump's lawyers to respond to claims they may have committed a fraud on her court.

"You think this is lawful business?" Brinkema asked Block.

At one point, Brinkema read into the record an amicus brief submitted in the lawsuit by Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Bill Cassidy that urged her to permanently block the fund over the potential it could compensate individuals who attacked the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

Brinkema said the brief showed that public interest in preventing the establishment of such a fund "is very strong," and questioned the concept of nearly $1.8 billion being directed to such a small subset of individuals that a significant number of Americans would strongly object to.

Friday's injunction came two days after another federal judge denied a governmental watchdog group's request for a temporary restraining order to block the establishment of the fund.

U.S. District Judge Richard Leon denied the request from the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, ruling that the watchdog group failed to demonstrate a likelihood of success.

Weekend Watchlist: What’s new in theaters, on streaming

Ready, set, binge! Here's a look at some of the new movies and TV shows coming to theaters and streaming services this weekend:

Hulu
Alice & Steve: A friendship turns to a feud in this wrong-com miniseries.

Prime Video
Every Year After: Need a new romance series? Watch this new show set over many years in a scenic lake town.

Netflix
Sweet Magnolias: The fifth season of the romance series makes its premiere.

Starz
Power Book III: Raising Kanan: The fifth and final season of the series debuts.

Movie theaters
Disclosure Day: Steven Spielberg returns with his latest film about extraterrestrial life.

Stop! That! Train!: RuPaul stars in this original comedy movie.

That’s all for this week’s Weekend Watchlist – happy streaming!

Local college awarded grant for recovery initiative

TYLER — The University of Texas at Tyler received a $241,779.73 grant from the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council to support a rural-focused initiative for opioid use disorder. Led by Dr. Tuan Le, UT Tyler School of Medicine associate professor, the Rural Opioid Access, Delivery and Support — or ROADS — to Recovery initiative utilizes an integrated care model to help individuals with opioid use disorder.

“This grant is a vital step forward in our mission to address some of East Texas’ most pressing health needs,” said Dr. Sue Cox, School of Medicine dean. “By integrating specialized medical care with essential support services, we are not just treating a condition; we are building a sustainable system of hope and recovery for our neighbors who have been most affected by the opioid crisis.”

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Smith County reported an opioid overdose death rate of 19.7 per 100,000 in 2022, exceeding the state average of 13.6. According to emergency department data from the Texas Department of State Health Services, several East Texas counties, including Gregg, Morris, Van Zandt and Wood, exceeded the state average in overdose-related visit rates. Continue reading Local college awarded grant for recovery initiative

Former Uvalde school police chief set to appear in court

(UVALDE, Texas) -- Former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo is set to return to a Texas courtroom on Friday, as the judge overseeing his criminal trial weighs moving the case out of Uvalde and whether the whole thing might have to wait because US Customs and Border Protection has refused to cooperate.

Arredondo in 2024 was charged with 10 counts of endangering students by failing to quickly respond to the 2022 mass shooting. The criminal case has stalled due to two ongoing civil lawsuits that seek to force agents with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection's Border Patrol Tactical Unit -- involved in taking down the gunman -- to testify in the case.

Nineteen students and two of their teachers were killed when Robb Elementary School was attacked by a former student on the last day of school, May 24, 2022.

Families of the victims responded to that verdict with outrage and some are looking to Arredondo’s trial as another opportunity for justice.

"We had a little hope, but it wasn't enough," Jacinto Cazares, whose 9-year-old daughter Jackie died in the shooting, said after Gonzales’ acquittal in January. "Again, we are failed. I don't even know what to say."

Arredondo has pleaded not guilty, arguing he followed his training and saying he did not consider himself as the incident commander that day, though investigators said he was just that. Arredondo's attorney Paul Looney told ABC News that he believes the case against Arredondo is weaker than the failed prosecution of Gonzales.

“They tried the one they thought that they had the best shot at, but now they're going to put everything they've got into doing this one, because they do want to win at least something,” Looney said.

Friday’s status conference comes as Judge Sid Harle weighs the future of the case. The judge has said he wants to determine how the trial against Arredondo can proceed amid the ongoing litigation with CBP and whether -- as in the case of Gonzales -- the trial ought to be moved out of Uvalde.

Both Uvalde District Attorney Christina Mitchell and Arredondo filed federal lawsuits to compel the federal agents to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify at trial.

“The three border patrol agents whose cooperation is now being sought by District Attorney Mitchell -- two of whom participated in the actual killing of the gunman and the third who was present in the hallway during most of the incident -- are essential to the pending Texas criminal prosecution,” Mitchell wrote in her lawsuit.

Attorneys have argued that CBP revealed enough information through the investigative summaries prepared by the Texas Rangers and a report released by CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility.

“It is unclear from your request how testimony from the identified CBP employees is genuinely necessary to the proceedings,” an attorney for CBP said in a court filing.

Friday’s hearing will be held in Uvalde, though the trial of Gonzales was held in Corpus Christi to find an impartial jury, due to the widespread impact of the shooting on the Uvalde community.

Man sentenced for child sex crimes

SMITH COUNTY – A jury found Michael Nobles guilty of indecency with a child by sexual contact and sentenced him to 40 years in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Prosecutors Angela Faulkner and Casey Sirianni presented evidence on June 10, indicating that Nobles coerced a 14-year-old girl to touch him in December 2022.

Later that day, the jury returned a guilty verdict after considering the evidence and hearing testimony. Nobles will have to register as a sexual offender for life as a direct consequence of his conviction.

Nobles was subject to an enhanced punishment range with a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison because of his lengthy criminal history. Nobles is incarcerated for the third time in the state prison system as a result of this sentence. Continue reading Man sentenced for child sex crimes