UNITED STATES NEWS

Charges dismissed against white woman who spat on Black woman during protests in Connecticut

Jul 22, 2023, 9:09 AM

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) —

A judge Friday dismissed hate crime and other charges against a white woman who spat on a Black woman during competing protests at the Connecticut state Capitol, then was allowed to resolve the case through probation. The victim called the outcome “being spit on once again.”

“The justice system has failed me,” Keren Prescott told the court.

Yuliya Gilshteyn had faced charges including deprivation of rights, which is a hate crime, in the 2021 encounter. Then she was granted a special probation program that lets first-time offenders avoid a criminal record if they complete certain requirements. Hers included 100 hours of anti-hate instruction.

The two women, both in their 40s, crossed paths as people rallied at the Capitol for various causes on Jan. 6, 2021, the start of a new state legislative session. It was also, as it turned out, the date of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, and it was in the thick of the coronavirus pandemic.

Prescott was taking part in a Black Lives Matter demonstration. Gilshteyn was protesting mandatory childhood vaccinations and COVID-19 masking requirements.

Prescott said she and others were shouting “Black Lives Matter” and other slogans when Gilshteyn countered with remarks including “all lives matter” and “Black lives don’t matter.”

Prescott, who was wearing a face mask, said she also told Gilshteyn to back up because she wasn’t masked. Gilshteyn then spat in her face and left, video shot by WTNH-TV showed.

Gilshteyn’s attorney, Ioannis Kaloidis, has said his client’s actions were wrong but not racially motivated. He characterized the encounter as a reaction in “a heated environment.”

Hartford Superior Court Judge Sheila Prats has called the incident “despicable” but said Gilshteyn still qualified for the special probation program, known as “accelerated rehabilitation.”

Prescott, on Friday, said she was disgusted by the outcome. She called the program “one of the worst things that could happen to a victim of a hate crime.”

“The justice system is failing Black and brown people,” she told the judge, adding: “This is being spit on once again.”

United States News

Associated Press

Treasury creates new strike force as US and China pursue crackdown on illicit fentanyl trafficking

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Treasury Department on Monday announced a new strike force to help combat illicit fentanyl trafficking as the U.S. and China step up efforts to stop the movement of the powerful opioid and drug-making materials into the U.S. The Counter-Fentanyl Strike Force will bring together personnel and intelligence from throughout the Treasury […]

33 minutes ago

Associated Press

4 killed, including a 1-year-old boy, in a shooting at a Dallas home

DALLAS (AP) — Four people, including a 1-year-old boy, were killed and a 15-year-old girl was injured in a shooting at a Dallas home, police said. Officers responding to the home Sunday afternoon in the far southeast area of the city found that five people had been shot. Three adults died at the scene; the […]

44 minutes ago

In this image provided by the U.S. Air Force, Airman 1st Class Jackson Ligon, 341st Missile Mainten...

Associated Press

The Air Force is expanding a review of cancers for service members who worked with nuclear missiles

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Air Force is expanding its study of whether service members who worked with nuclear missiles have had unusually high rates of cancer after a preliminary review determined that a deeper examination is needed. The initial study was launched in response to reports that many who served are now ill. The Air […]

49 minutes ago

Associated Press

Former top Ohio utility regulator surrenders in $60 million bribery scheme linked to energy bill

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio’s former top utility regulator surrendered Monday in connection with a $60 million bribery scheme related to a legislative bailout for two Ohio nuclear power plants that has already resulted in a 20-year prison sentence for a former state House speaker. Sam Randazzo, former chair of the Public Utilities Commission of […]

2 hours ago

Associated Press

Fire blamed on e-bike battery kills 1, injures 6 in Bronx apartment building

NEW YORK (AP) — One person was killed and six others were injured when a fire blamed on an electric bicycle battery tore through a New York City apartment, officials said Monday. The fire started at around 7 p.m. Sunday in a 10th-floor apartment in a public housing complex in the Bronx, a Fire Department […]

3 hours ago

FILE - Office of Management and Budget director Shalanda Young speaks about the possible government...

Associated Press

White House warns Congress the US is out of money, nearly out of time to avoid ‘kneecap’ to Ukraine

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration on Monday sent Congress an urgent warning about the need to approve tens of billions of dollars in military and economic assistance to Ukraine, saying Kyiv’s war effort to defend itself from Russia’s invasion may grind to a halt without it. In a letter to House and Senate leaders […]

8 hours ago

Sponsored Articles

Follow @KTAR923...

Valley residents should be mindful of plumbing ahead of holidays

With Halloween in the rear-view and more holidays coming up, Day & Night recommends that Valley residents prepare accordingly.

...

Dierdre Woodruff

Interest rates may have peaked. Should you buy a CD, high-yield savings account, or a fixed annuity?

Interest rates are the highest they’ve been in decades, and it looks like the Fed has paused hikes. This may be the best time to lock in rates for long-term, low-risk financial products like fixed annuities.

Follow @KTAR923...

The 2023 Diamondbacks are a good example to count on the underdog

The Arizona Diamondbacks made the World Series as a surprise. That they made the playoffs at all, got past the Milwaukee Brewers in the NL Wild Card round, swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLDS and won two road games in Philadelphia to close out a full seven-game NLCS went against every expectation. Now, […]

Charges dismissed against white woman who spat on Black woman during protests in Connecticut