Paradise News

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  • ‘AI paralegal’ passes SQE

    74% score


    The creators of an AI-powered paralegal say it has successfully passed part one of the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

    The bot, dubbed ‘Lawrence’, achieved a score of 74% compared to the typical pass rate of between 55% and 65%.

    SQE1 is broken down into two Functioning Legal Knowledge (FLK) assessments and covers a broad range of legal topics including contract, tort, property, crime and trusts.

    Lawrence was able to successfully answer 67 of the 90 multiple choice sample questions which appear on the Solicitors Regulation Authority’s website. This, according to Lawhive, the lawtech firm that created the bot, demonstrates its “ability to learn, digest and offer considered responses to various legal situations”.

    As for the Lawrence’s weak points the creators say that while there were no clear themes, the bot did struggled with questions featuring “complex chains of logic and wider context”. It also struggled when two concepts shared similarities, confusing public nuisance versus private nuisance for example. Law students will sympathise.

    The 2024 Law Schools Most List

    But Lawrence didn’t just stop at the SQE. He (it?) and a human lawyer were presented with the same client’s will and probate case in order to compare tone, empathy and legal knowledge.

    On the AI paralegal’s performance, Lawhive said:

    “Whilst Lawrence managed to steer the conversation with the client to gain the necessary information about the client’s late relative’s will and assets, the conversation remained largely transactional and of half the length of the human solicitor. Feedback from the client was positive to both responses, but critiqued Lawrence for not showing as much empathy as the human counterpart. Lawrence also failed to question the client on their late relative’s spending habits and asked around a wider context that ultimately uncovered financial liabilities the solicitor would need to be aware of.”

    Don’t worry, though; Lawrence isn’t out of a job just yet. The SQE-passing paralegal is currently being used to support the companies team of solicitors and legal experts.

    The post ‘AI paralegal’ passes SQE appeared first on Legal Cheek.

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  • If law modules were Star Wars films

    May the force (majeure) be with you…


    Have you ever sat down to watch your favourite Star Wars film and had a niggling feeling that it was all a bit too familiar? A bizarre sense of recollection, a kind of Déjà vu that can’t be explained? Well, you’re not alone.

    Taking to Twitter this week, future pupil barrister Robin Harris has broken down the connections between legal modules and Star Wars films.

    The results? Check out the thread below, which with Harris’ permission we have reproduced in full.

    Light v Dark

    Contract Law = A New Hope

    The 2024 Law Schools Most List

    Criminal Law = Revenge of the Sith

    Constitutional Law = The Phantom Menace

    Tort Law = Attack of the Clones

    Land Law = The Empire Strikes Back

    EU Law = The Force Awakens

    Jurisprudence = The Star Wars Christmas Special

    May the force (majeure) be with you…

    The post If law modules were Star Wars films appeared first on Legal Cheek.



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  • Mich. husband arrested on murder charge 2 years after his wife went missing

    TIPTON TOWNSHIP, Mich. (TCD) — Michigan State Police detectives arrested a 53-year-old man they allege killed his wife after she disappeared from her home more than two years ago.

    Fifty-two-year-old Dee Warner was last seen on the evening of April 24, 2021, and the early morning hours of April 25, 2021, at her home in Franklin Township. In May 2021, Lenawee County Crime Stoppers posted on social media about her disappearance and said her family and friends became concerned after they stopped hearing from her.

    WTVG-TV reports investigators searched Warner’s home in October 2021 using drones, K-9s, and other resources, but did not find any evidence. The home reportedly caught fire shortly after Warner went missing. Detectives returned to the residence in May and dug up some of the property, according to WTVG.

    On Tuesday, Nov. 21, Michigan State Police announced they made an arrest in connection with her death but did not immediately name the suspect.

    In a news release Wednesday, Nov. 22, Michigan State Police said they took Dee Warner’s husband, Dale Warner, into custody on a charge of open murder and tampering with evidence.

    Michigan State Police’s commander of the First District Special Investigative Section, Detective 1st Lt. Michael Dillon, noted in the statement, “Working a no-body homicide brings on unique challenges. The detectives on this case have done a phenomenal job with the investigation, and working collaboratively with the Lenawee County Prosecutor.”

    He said he has the “utmost confidence in this case moving forward.”

    Capt. Steve O’Neill, commander of First District Headquarter, commended the detectives working the case, adding, “With incredible determination, they have pieced together a very difficult case culminating with an arrest. This arrest is another step in our investigation, and we will continue our efforts to bring closure to the family and to find Dee Warner’s remains so that her family can lay her to rest.”

    Dale Warner is being held on $20 million bond.

    MORE:

    • Arrest Made – Michigan State Police
    • Arrest Made in the Disappearance of Dee Warner – Michigan State Police
    • Missing Person, 5/4/2021 – Crime Stoppers of Lenawee County
    • Husband arrested for alleged murder of missing Lenawee County woman – WTVG
    • Authorities dig up family property in investigation into Dee Warner’s disappearance, 5/2/2023 – WTVG

    TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.



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  • Ky. parents arrested after dad allegedly injures newborn because she was crying

    FRANKFORT, Ky. (TCD) — A 29-year-old man was taken into custody this week for allegedly injuring a 4-week-old child because she was crying too much.

    According to an arrest report cited by WKYT-TV, on Sunday, Nov. 19, Frankfort Police Department officers responded to a medical distress call at an apartment building on the 800 block of Louisville Road. When they arrived, they found an infant with “blue lips, blue color around the eyes, and with a possible obstructed airway.”

    The child was reportedly unresponsive and appeared to have injuries on her neck and head.

    The Frankfort State Journal reports medics transported the little girl to Frankfort Regional Medical Center, then transferred her to University of Kentucky Children’s Hospital for additional treatment because her injuries were so serious.

    The suspect, Arien Fredrickson, allegedly “made statements to officers on scene that he had intentionally physically assaulted the baby in attempt to quiet her crying.”

    Franklin County Jail records show Fredrickson was booked on charges of first-degree criminal abuse of a child 12 years old or younger and first-degree domestic violence assault. A judge set his bond at $1 million cash.

    Fredrickson is reportedly the victim’s father.

    WKYT reports the child’s mother, Helena Herbert, was also taken into custody. Jail records indicate she was booked on charges of failure to report child neglect and first-degree criminal abuse. Her bond was also set at $1 million cash.

    MORE:

    • Kentucky man accused of assaulting newborn to get her to stop crying – WKYT
    • Frankfort man charged with injuring 4-week-old newborn – Franfort State Journal
    • Franklin County Regional Jail inmate information

    TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.



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  • Police denies alleged involvement in cult-related killings in Awka

    Police denies alleged involvement in cult-related killings in Awka

    By Ovat Abeng

    The Anambra State Police Command on Wednesday said they were not involved in the alleged  cult-related killings in Awka, the State Capital.

    The Police through the State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, made this known to journalists at the State Command’s Headquarters Amawbia while reacting to a protest stage by the people of Awka communities accusing two senior officers of the command of aiding the menace in Awka and it environ.

    The Paradise News gathered that indigenes from Ezina-ano (4 quarters), Umuoukpu (1 quarter), Ezi-Awka (7 quarters), Amikwo (5 quarters) and Agulu-Awka (7 quarters) that constitute the state capital, has stage a peaceful protest to demand the immediate removal of DC Akin Fakorode, in charge of the State Criminal Investigation Department (State-CID) and Inspector Monday Umana, who is also working in the department.

    Spokesperson of the protesters Hon. Chief Richard Onourah, who address Newsmen shortly after the protest, said they are protesting to let the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Mr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetoku, the state police Commissioner, Mr. Adeoye Aderemi and the general public to know the atrocities the above mentioned Officers have committed in Awka and it environ.

    Read Also: Court declines to vacate judgment restraining NBC from imposing fines on broadcast stations

    He said that the protest was a peaceful demonstration to appeal to the police authority to replace the two Officers with new personnel that has human sympathy with immediate effect.

    According to him, the protest concerned the constant killings and other major crime waves here in Awka. We are asking the IGP and Police Service Commission (PSC) to please removed DC Akin Fakorode and Inspector Umana, because, we, the elders and leaders of this protesting quarters, housing 20 villages that form Awka capital, observed that most of the unholy activities in this town is been aided by the two Officers. They are they ones masterminding the acts.

    They also destabilize our local security outfit, know as “Blue Shed” established to get raid of criminalities in the city for their selfish interest.

    “We are tire of burying our children. We want peace in our town. We are helpless, the Police authority should come to our rescue,” Chief Onourah appealed.

    Reacting further, the PPRO denied the allegations, saying that the two Officers in question can not involved in such act, noting that they were part of the security operatives that return peace to Awka metropolis.

    While commending the people for the peaceful protest, he however assured them that the Command under the leadership of CP Adeoye Aderemi, will investigate all the allegations and come out with a report.

    “The allegations will not demoralize our effort in protecting lives and properties of Ndi Anambra.”

    He said the Police will continue to work in partnership with other sister agencies, the State own Vigilante, Community/religion leaders and other relevant stakeholders to sustained the peaceful atmosphere the state is currently breeding.

    He noted that through the effort of the Police, stakeholders in many communities including Ogidi and Obosi communities that were known for leadership tussle and high rate of crimes has been finally harmonized.

    Ikenga, also commended the media in the state for always balancing their reports especially, on issues like this.

    It was also gathered that the protesters barricade old Enugu-Onitsha expressway for hours with various inscriptions such as; “DC Akin Fakorode must go”, “Anambra need honest police officers”, “remove bad eggs from our Police”, “Akin Fakorode is a corrupt officer, Inspector Monday Umana is a criminal, he takes bribe”, “DC Akin Fakorode is causing insecurity in Awka”, among others.

  • Call to the bar: Which Inn has the best boozer?

    Ranked by future pupil barrister

    Inner Temple, Middle Temple, Lincoln’s and Gray’s

    Which bar sets the bar for those looking for a drink at the bar?

    Well, future pupil barrister at Hailsham Chambers, Tomas McCabe, has taken it upon himself to rank the bars found within the four historic Inns of Court: Gray’s, Lincoln’s, Inner and Middle.

    In a recent video posted to YouTube, Birkbeck law grad McCabe explains that neither Inner (his Inn) nor Middle were able to offer any on tap options, leaving them out of the running for the top prize. Inner’s Pegasus Bar ultimately secured the bronze medal, with Middle’s The Garden Room being what “some might say [is] a little bit too casual”.

    The Legal Cheek Pupillage Fair takes place on Tuesday 12 December —  APPLY NOW

    Taking second spot in McCabe’s rankings is Gray’s Inn’s boozer, Bridge Bar, which received good feedback even though it had run out of McCabe’s preferred draught on the day.

    This left Lincoln’s Inn’s MCR to take the drinking crown, thanks in part to its great atmosphere, architecture, and availability of on tap lager.

    Do you agree with McCabe’s rankings? Let us know in the comments below…

    Check out the full video below

    The Legal Cheek Pupillage Fair takes place on Tuesday 12 December —  APPLY NOW

    The post Call to the bar: Which Inn has the best boozer? appeared first on Legal Cheek.

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  • Hogan Lovells boosts SQE maintenance grant to £20k

    18% uplift


    Hogan Lovells has upped its financial support for future trainees completing the Solicitors Qualifying Examination (SQE).

    The global law firm, which recruits around 50 trainees each year, has increased its maintenance grant from £17,000 to £20,000 — an uplift of 18%.

    Hogan Lovells is part of a band of elite firms known as the ‘City Consortium’ which send their future rookies to BPP University Law School. The other Consortium firms are: Freshfields, Herbert Smith Freehills, Linklaters, Norton Rose Fulbright and Slaughter and May.

    The 2024 Law Schools Most List

    The Legal Cheek Firms Most List 2024 shows maintenance grants typically vary between £20,000 and £12,000, although some firms offer much less.

    Once through the SQE, Hogan Lovells trainees earn a salary of £50,000 in year one, rising to £55,000 in year two. Rates for newly qualified associates currently sit at £120,000.

    The post Hogan Lovells boosts SQE maintenance grant to £20k appeared first on Legal Cheek.

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  • Mich. caregiver charged after 82-year-old woman allegedly wandered into the snow and died

    LANSING, Mich. (TCD) — A 58-year-old caregiver has been charged in connection with the death of an 82-year-old living facility resident who wandered into the freezing cold.

    Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel announced that her office charged Colleen O’Connor with second-degree vulnerable adult abuse on Monday, Nov. 21. The Lansing State Journal identified the victim as Lois Cary.

    In the early morning hours of Dec. 23, 2022, O’Connor reportedly noticed that Cary tried to go outside two different times “without appropriate attire into a blizzard with single-digit temperatures, subzero windchill, and blowing and drifting snow.” The Lansing State Journal reports that the area was under blizzard conditions at the time.

    According to the attorney general’s office, at approximately 7 a.m., a snowplow driver discovered Cary buried in the snow in the parking lot. A caregiver reportedly said that Cary had been covered by a heavy layer of drifted snow, suggesting that she had been there for “quite some time.”

    The victim was transported to a local hospital via ambulance, where she died of hypothermia.

    At the time of Cary’s death, O’Connor was working as her caregiver at Vista Springs Imperial Park at Timber Ridge, an assisted living facility. The attorney general’s office alleges that O’Connor “recklessly failed to act to prevent the victim from going outdoors into the storm, resulting in her death.”

    Nessel said in a statement, “Caregivers have a responsibility under the law to act in the face of grave danger to a vulnerable person in their care.”

    O’Connor appeared in court for her arraignment on Monday, Nov. 20, and was given a $5,000 bond. She is set to appear in court again for a probable cause conference on Nov. 30.

    MORE:

    • Caregiver Charged in Freezing Death of Elderly Woman – Michigan Attorney General’s Office
    • Caregiver charged in 2022 hypothermia death of woman, 82, in Bath Twp. – Lansing State Journal

    TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.



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  • Ohio man allegedly started shooting inside a Walmart before taking his own life

    BEAVERCREEK, Ohio (TCD) — Federal agents are seeking information about a 20-year-old suspect who allegedly walked into a local Walmart store and began shooting before taking his own life.

    According to the Beavercreek Police Department, on Monday, Nov. 20, shortly after 8:30 a.m., officers responded to a report of a male who walked into a local Walmart with a Hi-Point .45-caliber carbine long gun. The suspect, later identified as 20-year-old Benjamin Jones of Dayton, Ohio, entered the store and opened fire.

    Beavercreek Police Capt. Chad Lindsey said in a press conference that officers heard gunshots as they approached the scene. Officials eventually found Jones on the ground dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.

    Lindsey said four victims sustained injuries. As of Tuesday, Nov. 21, three victims were reportedly in stable condition, and one victim’s condition was listed as critical but stable. According to Lindsey, investigators believe the victims were all shoppers and not store employees.

    Lindsey said the shots seemed to be random.

    In an update, the Beavercreek Police Department said the FBI is seeking information regarding the suspect and posted his photo. The investigation is ongoing, and police are looking into possible motivations.

    Beavercreek Mayor Bob Stone commented on the shooting and said, “Tragedy struck our beloved community Monday evening. In the face of adversity, the strength of our community shines through.”

    In a statement obtained by WXIX-TV, Walmart said, “We’re heartbroken by what’s happened at our Beavercreek, Ohio, store. This remains a developing situation and we’re working closely with investigators on the scene. All questions should be directed to local law enforcement.”

    MORE:

    • Update – Beavercreek Police Department
    • Press Conference – Beavercreek Police Department
    • Suspect identified in Beavercreek Walmart shooting, investigation continues – Beavercreek Police Department
    • Police identify suspect in Dayton area Walmart shooting – WXIX

    TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.



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  • Mom sentenced for slashing her 2 young children’s throats with steak knife while they slept

    MISSOULA, Mont. (TCD) — A judge sentenced a woman to life in a hospital facility for killing her two young children by slashing their throats while they were sleeping.

    NBC Montana reports 36-year-old Leannah Gardipe received two life sentences that she will serve in the Department of Public Health and Human Services for killing her 3-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son in 2021.

    According to KPAX-TV, Gardipe pleaded guilty to two counts of deliberate homicide in August.

    Gardipe’s husband, Travis Sandberg, made a victim impact statement following the sentencing and said, “Every second of the day, all I can picture is Leannah brutally murdering my kids. I pleaded over and over that my children were in danger.”

    According to The Missoulian, Sandberg and Gardipe previously worked out a parenting plan in court with the same judge who sentenced Gardipe. He gave Gardipe primary custody of the children.

    Missoula County District Judge Robert Deschamps reportedly told Sandberg, “You agreed to this final parenting plan.”

    Sandberg said he didn’t think he had a choice in the matter.

    He added, “I begged and pleaded in this exact courtroom. I pleaded over and over again, if you give her these children, she will hurt them.”

    Gardipe reportedly spoke at her sentencing. According to NBC Montana, she said she “did not hurt my kids for any other reason other than I did not want them to get hurt by anyone else.”

    Gardipe said, “I felt like I had to protect them forever, because I felt like we were not safe. I was supposed to die with them. I loved them more every day. My life revolved around them. I wouldn’t have had it any other way. I always knew how to ask for help besides this time.”

    According to Gardipe’s probable cause affidavit, Gardipe’s mother called the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office and said Gardipe killed her children, though she claimed she “saved her babies.”

    Gardipe called the sheriff’s office minutes later because she needed to “report a murder” that occurred with a steak knife.

    She told the dispatcher she also needed paramedics because she “was hearing noises still from one of her children.”

    Gardipe said she was “supposed to die today.”

    When deputies arrived at the home, they found the two victims tucked into bed with “significant lacerations on their throats” as well as defensive wounds. Investigators located a blood-covered steak knife under the bed and blood in the girl’s room.

    MORE:

    • Missoula woman gets life for killing two children, ages 3 and 5 – The Missoulian
    • Missoula woman sentenced for killing her 2 children – NBC Montana
    • Missoula mother accused of killing her children pleads guilty, 8/29/2023 – KPAX
    • Montana mom accused of killing her 2 young kids with steak knife, 11/23/2021
    • State of Montana vs. Leannah Gardipe

    TRUE CRIME DAILY: THE PODCAST covers high-profile and under-the-radar cases every week. Subscribe to our YouTube page and don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. You can also subscribe to our True Crime Daily newsletter.



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