Court

A woman left paralyzed after a man drunkenly danced at a party while holding a gun surprised the judge and brought her shooter to tears Tuesday as she delivered a powerful message of forgiveness.

Even as many court proceedings ground to a halt in the end of March, crimes were still committed and defendants were waiting trial. All this has lead to a significant backlog in the court system.

Since March, the Alaska Court System has put all jury trials on hold in their ongoing efforts to fight to the COVID-19 pandemic, some defense attorneys are worried their clients rights are being violated.

Peter Horace-Wright was allegedly shot to death by Ryder Alan Smith at a towing business in November of last year. The 11 minutes between the gun shots and Ryder Smith calling the police, Smith can be heard calling his father. Ryder Smith faces first degree murder charges, but Peter Horace-Wright's family is calling on the justice system to make Smith's father accountable as well.

According to a 10-page motioned filed in Fairbanks Superior Court, “Due process guarantees a criminal defendant the right to prepare and present a defense, and this due process right encompasses the separate constitutional right to the effective assistance of counsel.” They claim this right is violated by the rule banning in-person visitation.

In an opinion issued Friday, the Alaska Court of Appeals ruled that law enforcement officers can not use technology such as cameras and drones to search from the air during an investigation without an arrest warrant.