Connect with us

Southwest

Fed-up judge makes unusual move in Arizona rancher trial

Published

on

Fed-up judge makes unusual move in Arizona rancher trial

Join Fox News for access to this content

You have reached your maximum number of articles. Log in or create an account FREE of charge to continue reading.

Please enter a valid email address.

By entering your email and pushing continue, you are agreeing to Fox News’ Terms of Use and Privacy Policy, which includes our Notice of Financial Incentive. To access the content, check your email and follow the instructions provided.

Having trouble? Click here.

A judge in Arizona walked out of the courtroom in the middle of proceedings this week, exasperated with both sides of the trial. 

Judge Thomas Fink of the Santa Cruz County Superior Court is presiding over the trial of rancher George Alan Kelly, who is accused of murder after the fatal shooting of Mexican national Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea.

Advertisement

Fink got up and momentarily left the bench on Thursday while the defense was presenting, deferring to the clerk and court reporter, according to local outlet Fox 29.

ARIZONA RANCHER GEORGE ALAN KELLY JURY TO TAKE FIELD TRIP TO BORDERLAND PROPERTY AT CENTER OF MURDER TRIAL

Judge Thomas Fink (right) walks out of the courtroom during proceedings in the trial of rancher George Alan Kelly. (Fox News)

Fink has accused both the defense and the prosecution of unnecessarily dragging out the oral arguments.

Jurors have heard testimony regarding where and at what distance Kelly was standing when prosecutors argue he fatally shot Cuen-Buitimea. 

Advertisement

The defense maintains Kelly only fired warning shots into the air from his patio earlier in the day, and his wife, Wanda Kelly, testified about dialing their Border Patrol ranch liaison upon spotting two armed men dressed in camouflage and carrying rifles and backpacks walking about 100 feet from their home. 

ARIZONA RANCHER GEORGE ALAN KELLY’S WIFE TESTIFIES IN MURDER TRIAL, DESCRIBES ARMED MEN NEAR BORDERLANDS HOME

George Alan Kelly enters court for his preliminary hearing in Nogales Justice Court in Nogales, Arizona.

Kelly’s defense team has looked to sow doubt on whether forensics evidence presented in court and the autopsy report can prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Cuen-Buitimea was killed by Kelly’s gun. 

The fatal bullet was never recovered from the scene. A consultant for Kelly’s defense, who spoke on condition on anonymity, previously told Fox News Digital that none of the state’s witnesses so far in the trial have provided any rebuttal testimony against the defense theory that a rip crew — a gang of bandits, sometimes cartel-affiliated — could have fatally shot Cuen-Buitimea and robbed him.

Advertisement

George Alan Kelly, 73, is accused of shooting a Mexican man on his property in January 2023. Kelly said he fired warning shots and never fired directly at anyone.  (Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office via AP)

Kelly made national headlines last year when he was held on a $1 million bond on a first-degree murder charge for several weeks. The highest charge was later downgraded to second-degree murder. 

The elderly rancher rejected a deal from prosecutors earlier this year that would have reduced the charge to one count of negligent homicide if he would agree to plead guilty. The trial is expected to end April 19.

Fox News Digital’s Danielle Wallace contributed to this report.

Advertisement

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Southwest

Two riders trapped more than 100 feet in air after Texas roller coaster malfunctions

Published

on

Two riders trapped more than 100 feet in air after Texas roller coaster malfunctions

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Two theme parkgoers were trapped more than 100 feet in the air for more than 30 minutes this week after a roller coaster in Texas malfunctioned.

The Circuit Breaker roller coaster at the Circuit of the Americas near Austin unexpectedly stopped at the first drop, leaving Matthew Cantu, 24, and Nicholas Sanchez, 20, dangling at a 90-degree angle Wednesday night, KXAN-TV reported, citing a publicist representing the two men.

“For more than 30 minutes after the ride stopped, family members reported receiving no clear updates, while witnesses said staff provided conflicting explanations, including comments that the riders ‘weren’t strapped in currently,’” the publicist’s news release said, People magazine reported.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO THEME PARK COASTER DEATH RULED ACCIDENTAL

Advertisement

Construction continues on the Circuit Breaker, the first tilt roller coaster in Texas.  (Jay Janner/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty Images)

A sensor triggered a ride delay,” the Circuit of the Americas told Fox News Digital in a statement Saturday. “It was resolved, and the ride proceeded without incident.

“As with all amusement attractions of this sort, delays occasionally occur. We regret the inconvenience and are glad that out of the 25,000 people that have ridden the coaster, only two have this badge of courage.”

The Circuit Breaker is Texas’ first “tilt” roller coaster, which means the track tilts 90 degrees for a nearly vertical drop during the ride.

IMPLOSION OF WORLD’S TALLEST ROLLER COASTER KINGDA KA CAUGHT ON CAMERA DURING PLANNED SIX FLAGS DEMOLITION 

Advertisement

The ride opened as a preview in October and will officially open next year, according to KVUE-TV.

Austin-Travis County EMS responded to the incident before 10 p.m. Wednesday, evaluating one of the men who refused medical attention, KVUE reported.

Cedar Point in Ohio opened its new Siren’s Curse roller coaster this summer. (Akron Beacon Journal/Imagn)

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Austin-Travis County EMS for comment.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

Another tilt roller coaster, known as the Siren’s Curse at Cedar Point in Ohio, has similarly malfunctioned multiple times since it opened this summer. 

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southwest

Vance says ‘America First’ movement rejects ‘purity tests,’ welcomes critical thinkers

Published

on

Vance says ‘America First’ movement rejects ‘purity tests,’ welcomes critical thinkers

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Vice President JD Vance closed out AmericaFest 2025, Turning Point USA’s first convention since founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination, by telling a raucous crowd that the “America First” movement is open to free thinkers who love their country.

Vance appeared shortly after Erika Kirk, who took TPUSA’s reins after her husband’s death in September, held a discussion with surprise guest Nicki Minaj. The vice president told the crowd that the political coalition forged by President Trump is strong enough to surmount disagreements within.

AMERICAFEST HONORS TARGET EMPLOYEE JEANIE BEEMAN AFTER VIRAL VIDEO SHOWS CALM RESPONSE TO HARASSMENT

Vice President JD Vance speaks at TPUSA’s AmericaFest in Phoenix. (Caylo Seals/Getty Images)

Advertisement

“People of every faith come to our banner because they know that the America First movement will make our lives better,” he went on. “They know Democrats don’t care about anything other than trans-ing their kids.”

Vowing to stand with “every patriot in this room to defend the country we so dearly love,” Vance dismissed conservative infighting that had gone on earlier in the conference, while not naming any of the podcasters or subjects involved.

TPUSA SPOKESMAN SHREDS PODCASTER’S ‘DISTURBING’ DEFENSE OF PROTESTER WHO CELEBRATED CHARLIE KIRK’S DEATH

“President Trump did not build the greatest coalition in politics by running his supporters through endless, self-defeating purity tests,” Vance said, as some of the earlier speakers name-dropped each other amid divisions over Israel, Ukraine aid and other controversial issues on the right.

“We don’t care if you’re White or Black, rich or poor, young or old, rural or urban, controversial or a little bit boring, or somewhere in between… [P]eople of every faith come to our banner because they know that the America First movement will make their lives better. And they also know that the Democrats don’t care about anything other than maybe trans-ing their kids.”

Advertisement

“So if you love America, if you want all of us to be richer, stronger, safer, and prouder, you have a home on this team. I didn’t bring a list of conservatives to denounce or to deplatform, and I don’t really care if some people out there — I’m sure we’ll have the fake news media — denounce me after this speech.”

CHARLIE KIRK ALLY WARNS GOP NOT TO TAKE GEN Z FOR GRANTED, CALLING FOR ‘SENSE OF URGENCY’

Later in the speech, however, he said that such infighting is not necessarily a sign of a weak or fractious movement.

“Some of you are impatient at the pace of progress and my response to that is ‘Good,’” he said, appearing to refer to criticisms of the Republican Congress’ progress on the America First agenda.

“I know some of you are discouraged by the infighting over any number of issues. Don’t be discouraged,” he added.

Advertisement

VANCE, TRUMP JR.’S PLANS TO BOLSTER CHARLIE KIRK’S ‘POLITICAL LEGACY’ REVEALED: ‘HELP GROW IT’

“Wouldn’t you rather lead a movement of freethinkers who sometimes disagree than a bunch of drones who take their orders from George Soros?” he quipped.

He said Charlie Kirk once told him that politics is not a “dress rehearsal or a game” but a series of decisions that will shape the future of a country.

“My friends, commit to these things, and I promise you victory: I promise you closed borders and safe communities. I promise you good jobs and a dignified life. Only God can promise you salvation and heaven. But together we can fulfill the promise of the greatest nation in the history of the earth,” he said, as he closed his speech.

‘CAPTURED THE YOUTH’: HOW CHARLIE KIRK HELPED FUEL DONALD TRUMP’S RETURN TO THE WHITE HOUSE

Advertisement

During his address, he delved further into what is important to fulfilling “America First.”

“We have far more important work to do than canceling each other — we have got to build, and President Donald Trump is a builder,” he said. “We’re building a better country right now. We build by adding, by growing, not by tearing down.”

Vance declared that 2025 represented the first year in more than half a century with negative net-migration and that millions of illegal immigrants have either left the U.S. or been deported.

“When you restore sanity at the border, it shows up everywhere else,” he said, pointing to rent costs, gas prices, inflation and unemployment declining.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Advertisement

“We made it clear that in the United States we believe in hard work and merit –we don’t treat anybody [a certain way] because of their race or their sex, so we have relegated DEI to the dustbin of history which is exactly where it belongs.”

He said that to honor Kirk’s life, the Trump administration will continue working to end the “scourge of left-wing violence” including by not only arresting Antifa members who throw bricks, but “who bought the brick — and we’re going to prosecute them too” — referring to shadowy, deep-pocketed leftist interests.

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading

Southwest

Christmas gift at the pump: Gas prices hit 4-year low for holiday travelers nationwide

Published

on

Christmas gift at the pump: Gas prices hit 4-year low for holiday travelers nationwide

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Christmas travelers are getting a major break at the pump this year.

Gas prices have hit their lowest level in four years, leaving a little extra room in the budget for everything else that comes with the season.

Some 122.4 million Americans will travel at least 50 miles from home over the holiday period of Saturday, Dec. 20, to Thursday, Jan. 1, AAA projects. 

FLYING FOR CHRISTMAS? AVOID 3 TRAVEL MISTAKES THAT RUIN HOLIDAY TRIPS AND GET PEOPLE IN TROUBLE

Advertisement

Over 8 million travelers will take domestic flights — while 109.5 million Americans will be traveling by car for their year-end trips, the report noted.

In 2024, the national average price of gas was $3.04. This year the national average has dropped to its lowest in the past four years.

Christmas travelers are saving big as gas prices drop to their lowest level in four years, at an average of $2.855 across the nation. (iStock)

The record high prices of gas were recorded on June 14, 2022, at an average of $5.016.

Advertisement

The average price for a regular gallon of gas on Dec. 22 was recorded at $2.855 by AAA.

Eleven states are right now below the national average price for a gallon of regular gas. (Lori Van Buren/Albany Times Union via Getty Images)

Eleven states have been recorded below the national average.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE LIFESTYLE STORIES

Take a look at this list from AAA. 

Advertisement

Oklahoma $2.293

Iowa $2.430

Arkansas $2.418

Colorado $2.441

Texas $2.467

Wisconsin $2.472

Oklahoma has the lowest national price of gas at $2.293. (Chip Chipman/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Tennessee $2.474

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP

Kansas $2.487

Louisiana $2.488

TEST YOURSELF WITH OUR LATEST LIFESTYLE QUIZ

Mississippi $2.486

Missouri $2.498

Read the full article from Here

Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending