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Newsom-appointed judge who freed migrant before fatal stabbing said justice ‘sometimes means a dismissal’

Newsom-appointed judge who freed migrant before fatal stabbing said justice ‘sometimes means a dismissal’

The California judge who released a Venezuelan national arrested for burglary — and later allowed him to remain in pretrial home detention despite his violation of its terms — had previously said that justice can sometimes mean “dismissal” in an interview with her alma mater, the University of San Francisco School of Law. The day after Contra Costa Superior Court Judge Nichelle Holmes dismissed Marcos Iriarte-Valdez, a Venezuelan national, he was accused of stabbing another man to death while attempting another burglary. The killing of Todd Stewart, 68, outside his home of more than 30 years has renewed scrutiny of judges’ discretion in releasing repeat criminal offenders. It also comes as Republican leaders criticize “sanctuary” policies that they say make it difficult for federal immigration enforcement agents to do their jobs and put the public at risk. Holmes, who was appointed to Contra Costa Superior Court by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-Calif., in 2024, ordered on Aug. 5, 2024, that Iriarte-Valdez, a Venezuelan national who holds Spanish citizenship, be released on his own recognizance. The Department of Homeland Security called Iriarte-Valdez an “illegal alien” in a social media post, but later said he was “legally admitted” to the U.S. in 2007. DHS did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital’s request for comment on his immigration status. DEADLY HOSPITAL STABBING PUTS NEWSOM UNDER PRESSURE OVER ICE DETAINER FIGHT Holmes’ ruling to allow Iriarte-Valez to walk free aligns with an interview that she gave to her alma mater, the University of San Francisco School of Law, in 2017, in which she claimed that her work as then-deputy district attorney of Contra Costa County is her way of fighting against injustices and racial disparities in the justice system. “Coming to work every day and ensuring that justice is served is my way of protesting,” Holmes said. “Justice does not always mean a prison sentence. Sometimes it means a treatment program, or intensive counseling, and sometimes it means a dismissal.” Holmes shared that she decided to become a district attorney as opposed to a defense attorney because she said victims need a voice too. “Navigating through the criminal justice process can be daunting and only add to the stress and trauma of being a crime victim,” Holmes shared. “I choose to advocate for the victims and be their voice to make the process just a little easier. I choose to make my community a safer place for everyone.” “I choose to ensure that the Constitution is upheld on all sides,” Holmes continued. “I choose to be a part of the solution.” CALIFORNIA MOM RIPS NEWSOM-BACKED ‘DIVERSION PROGRAM’ THAT APPEARS TO BENEFIT HER SON’S KILLER Prior to her appointment to Contra Costa Superior Court, Holmes served as the deputy district attorney for Contra Costa County from February 2012 to April 2024. As deputy district attorney, Holmes prosecuted sensitive cases centered on sexual assault, domestic violence, child trafficking and community violence. She worked four years in the county’s Domestic Violence Unit and was in the Community Violence Reduction Unit. She graduated from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2010 and previously graduated from Spelman College in 1990. Some state lawmakers fumed over the judge’s behavior and Sacramento’s sanctuary policies, with Assemblymember David Tangipa, R-Fresno, telling Fox News Digital on Thursday that Stewart “should be alive today.” “This murder was 100% preventable if we just enforced the laws currently in place,” Tangipa said. “But Governor Newsom’s garbage sanctuary laws and activist judges are leading to the death of Americans. Californians deserve a justice system that protects innocent Americans first.” A spokesperson from Newsom’s office did not comment on Holmes’ specific decision to release Marcos Iriarte-Valdez despite violating the terms of home detention. Instead, the spokesperson said he should be held responsible for the killing of Stewart. SIGN UP TO GET THE POLITICS NEWSLETTER “This individual should face justice for his alleged crime,” the spokesperson said. “California takes public safety seriously, and nothing in California law prevents federal authorities from enforcing federal immigration law. The federal government has billions of dollars and substantial resources to enforce federal law — they should do their job instead of blaming California for ICE’s enforcement failures.” Fox News Digital reached out to Holmes for comment.

Detransitioners reveal how doctors pushed them toward life-altering treatment as teens

Detransitioners reveal how doctors pushed them toward life-altering treatment as teens

Three detransitioners claim they were pressured by doctors and hospitals when they were young to pursue gender transition, including medical treatment in two cases while they were minors, according to a new HHS-commissioned report. The stories of Clementine Breen, Soren Aldaco and Luke Healy were featured in the Department of Health and Human Services’ “Wolves in White Coats: How Doctors and Hospitals Pushed and Profited from the Fraud of ‘Gender Medicine’” report released on Thursday. The HHS-commissioned report alleges financial incentives encouraged hospitals and doctors to provide gender transition treatments and identifies insurance billing practices that it says may be improper or warrant further investigation. Breen was only 12 years old and struggling with a changing adolescent body and unresolved trauma from earlier sexual abuse when the then-minor learned about gender transition online. Breen alleges, according to the HHS report, that doctors at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles told Breen’s parents the preteen was “100% trans” and at high risk of suicide without medical intervention. According to the report, Breen began puberty blockers at 12, testosterone at 13 and underwent a double mastectomy at 14. HHS OFFICIAL WARNS OF IRREVERSIBLE RISKS AS TRUMP ADMIN RESTRICTS FUNDING FOR YOUTH GENDER PROCEDURES Breen’s mental health later deteriorated, and the teen stopped taking testosterone at 18 after therapy led Breen to conclude that the distress surrounding gender identity was connected to earlier trauma, according to the report. Breen reported experiencing pain and irregular menstrual cycles and requiring estrogen. When Breen later sought breast reconstruction, doctors questioned the teen’s mental stability, and some stopped responding, according to the report. “She did not face this same scrutiny when seeking a mastectomy at 14,” the report states. HHS also said Breen discovered letters in the medical record claiming a lifelong history of gender dysphoria. Now studying theater at UCLA, Breen said in the report that the treatments and surgery continue to have physical consequences. “How can a child consent to losing fertility or the ability to breastfeed if no one checks whether she even understand what that means?” Breen asked. Aldaco said gender-related distress emerged during adolescence and that online communities framed gender transition as the “appropriate response” to those feelings, according to the report. After talking to a doctor, Aldaco was prescribed testosterone by several specialists treating the then-teen for gender dysphoria, and the report says Aldaco gave no indication that providers considered alternative treatment options outside what it calls a “sex rejection” model. Aldaco began taking testosterone before receiving a double mastectomy to remove breast tissue. Aldaco then began suffering severe complications after surgery, causing pain the young person said, “I don’t think I’ll ever forget.” “Despite these negative developments, providers did not initiate a structured reassessment of her treatment plan,” the report says, adding that the support received after treatments was insufficient compared to the systems that pushed the life-altering decisions. “Soren’s experience reflects the imbalance of care for cases like hers,” the report reads. “While her pathway into sex rejection medicalization involved coordinated referrals, approvals, and interventions across multiple providers, the pathway out involved no comparable system of support.” Healy was just 10 years old when he first learning of an online community where adults discussed transgender identities, according to the HHS report. Within three years, Healy says he came to identify as a girl. After discussing the issue with his parents, Healy was taken to a counselor to talk about it. “The only people who seriously asked what might have caused his distress were his parents,” the report reads. “Meanwhile, institutional figures … treated his new identity as settled and moved quickly to affirm it.” “Luke’s parents refused to consent to puberty blockers or hormones while he was still a minor,” the report added. “Luke now describes their refusal as one of the bravest things they ever did.” Still wanting to be a girl at 18, Healy began pursuing transitioning treatments. Healy started with estrogen and began receiving consultations for surgical treatments before slowly starting to realize that the treatments were not easing psychological stress. JD VANCE CALLS ON DOJ TO PROSECUTE ALLEGED FRAUD IN TEEN TRANSGENDER TREATMENT “Each intervention led to pressure for further intervention,” the report reads. “In his view, the model was built around escalation rather than resolution.” Healy eventually began to question the procedures doctors were recommending. “One doctor quoted him approximately $200,000 for facial feminization surgery. Another, he says, spoke to him like a car salesman while encouraging tracheal shave,” the report said. “Luke came to realize he was being sold procedures, not psychological help.” Rather than continuing the efforts to become a girl, Healy focused on battling the substance abuse problems developed during the process, quitting drinking and drugs. “He recognized the same obsessive, destructive pattern in gender ideology that he had seen in addiction,” the report reads.