Nicholas Garaufis, the federal court judge assigned to the NXIVM case which features Smallville alum, Allison Mack, has stated that he will not stand juror misconduct.
As you may know, courts usually advise jurors to base their judgment only on the evidence presented during the trial and to ignore any other information that may come to them from social media, especially. Well, Judge Nicholas Garaufis warned the incoming jurors for the NXIVM case, in which Smallville actress Allison Mack is involved, that he will not stand for juror misconduct in this sense after allegations of rampant juror misbehavior during the recent prosecution and conviction of Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzmán, the famous Mexican druglord.
Although the NXIVM trial is starting later this year in April and jurors have not yet been seated for it, Garaufis wanted to make sure that they would carry out their duties accordingly. Garaufis commented on how jurors going on social media and reading about what’s happening around the trial would cause them to base their verdict on other facts aside from the evidence being presented during the trial:
“The jurors will go on the internet, Twitter, and ignore their duties. This is a real issue and I am going to come down very hard on the jurors. I’ll even make a reference to the US Attorney. We are here to do justice, not spread gossip about the defendants on trial.”
One of the most bizarre cases in recent US legal history, the NXIVM members and Allison Mack are accused of allegedly forming and leading a sex cult ring. The trial also involves Seagram heiress Clare Bronfman and ring leader Keith Raniere, among others.
In January, Judge Garaufis stated that he was concerned about the group’s defense fund. Allegedly Bronfman was paying the NXIVM members’ lawyer fees in order to guarantee a better defense for the group. This Thursday, Allison Mack returned to the courtroom to speak about this with Judge Garaufis and, although she recognized that there might be a potential conflict of interest during the trial, the Smallville star stated that she was satisfied with her attorneys nonetheless.
Allison Mack is best known for her portrayal as Chloe Sullivan, one of young Clark Kent’s closest friends, in The CW’s Smallville some years ago. It was first discovered early last year that the former Smallville actress was involved in the NXIVM sex cult. Allison Mack was also allegedly a ring leader of the cult and headed a secret master-slave group within NXIVM called, “DOS.” In the secret group, Allison Mack reportedly branded women with her and Keith Raniere’s initials, with the women apparently being forced to comply with their assigned masters.
We’ll be sure to keep you updated on all news regarding Allison Mack and the NXIVM trial as soon as more information becomes available. What’s your opinion on the shocking trial involving the Smallville actor and this bizarre sex cult’s practices? What are some of your most notably shocking revelations regarding an actor or celebrity involved with a comic book property aside from Allison Mack? Let us know your thoughts and concerns regarding the story in the comment section below!
Source: The New York Post
Top Actors To Replace Ben Affleck In Matt Reeves’ ‘The Batman’
Ben Affleck is officially out as Batman and it’s a pretty sad day.
Words cannot describe how sad I am to see Ben Affleck announce that he’s no longer Batman. His Batman is why I do what I do. In Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice, I fell in love with his comic book-accurate interpretation of the Caped Crusader. It was a breath of fresh air and it felt like we finally had the one true Batman.
Three years have quickly sped by and we’re officially going to receive a new Batman for his next movie. Last night, Ben Affleck announced that he will not return as the Dark Knight in Matt Reeves’ The Batman and now everyone’s attention has moved towards wanting to know who the next Bruce Wayne will be. Matt Reeves is said to want an actor that’s around 20 years younger than Affleck while Warner Bros. wants someone older. My guess is that Reeves wants a fresh start while the studio wants an older actor for crossover potential.
In this list, I will discuss the actors I think can replace Ben Affleck as Batman using the parameters that Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. want. Hit Next to see our picks to play the Batman.
Michael Fassbender
Michael Fassbender is an X-Men alum and no stranger to comic book franchises. The actor has shown multiple levels of range and could definitely handle the Batman/Bruce Wayne personality. If they go with the older range for the next Dark Knight, then Fassbender is probably one of the best choices to take over the role.
Ben Barnes
Ben Barnes is out of a job after The Punisher season 2 and he’s one of the best actors in that series. The second season tied up Barnes’ arc on The Punisher and the actor has already told us that that he’d love to play the Caped Crusader. Barnes definitely has the pretty boy look going on for him and I wonder what his take on Bruce Wayne could be.
Ryan Gosling
I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: Ryan Gosling needs to star in a superhero movie. I’ve always thought Gosling would make a great Batman. Every role that he’s done has shown us his capability and he could crush it as Bruce Wayne.
Jon Hamm
Jon Hamm is my top choice for an older Batman. If Warner Bros. wants to cast an older actor for crossover potential, Jon Hamm is the studio’s best bet. He has a similar look to Ben Affleck, and c’mon, the guy’s look just screams Bruce Wayne.
Armie Hammer
Armie Hammer is 32 years old and was cast as the Caped Crusader in George Miller’s Justice League: Mortal. That film will never see the light of day, but that doesn’t mean that Hammer doesn’t deserve a second shot at being the Batman. He’s charming, broody and will probably give his all for this role. Armie Hammer is a great option because he’s young enough for Matt Reeves and Warner Bros. could work in a way for him to crossover with the rest of the DC Extended Universe.
Richard Madden
Game of Thrones alum Richard Madden is my top choice to replace Ben Affleck as Batman. The actor is young, has the look and definitely has the acting chops to play the duality of Batman and Bruce Wayne. Madden just won the Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Television series for the BBC drama Bodyguard, so Warner Bros. may want to quickly snatch him up.
