Whether Mira Costa has the best high school volleyball team in America is open to debate, but the Mustangs left little doubt they are No. 1 in the Southern Section on Friday night, sweeping Loyola 25-21, 25-22, 25-22 at Cerritos College to repeat as Division 1 champions.
UCLA-bound Mateo Fuerbringer was ready from the start, ending Loyola’s first three rallies with thunderous kills and the fourth with an emphatic stuff block. Ten points into the match, the 6-foot-4 junior hitter already had five kills and he ended the first set with his 12th as Mira Costa was ahead from start to finish.
“He’s always had the IQ, now you add the power on top of that?” Mira Costa coach Greg Snyder said of his star. “There are no answers. It’s a deadly combination. Mateo has no weaknesses.”
The teams traded leads throughout the second set until the Mustangs created separation late on the serving of Fuerbringer and Enzo Barker before Loyola’s Pax Stetson served into the twine to put Mira Costa up two sets to none.
The third-seeded Cubs took a 17-11 lead in the third set, but Mira Costa got in front 20-19 on Barker’s ace and Fuerbringer sent the green-and-white clad fans into delirium with his right-side smash on match point. He finished with 27 kills while Barker and UC Santa Barbara commit Wyatt Davis each added six. Mater Dei transfer Jake Newman had 38 assists and Dane Del Riego had 15 digs.
Loyola’s Brendan Maffel flings the ball past Mira Costa blocker Miles Crotty during the Southern Section Division 1 boys’ volleyball championship on Friday.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
“I always try to set the tone and Jake gave me great sets,” Fuerbringer said. “They were bombing serves in that third set and got up on us, but we stuck with it and closed it strong. We didn’t want to give them any momentum.”
Mira Costa won its 10th section title and improved to 10-8 in finals. It also won back-to-back titles for the second time in school history, the first coming in Division 2 in 2001 and 2002. Mira Costa is 2-3 in finals against Loyola, having fallen to the Cubs in four sets in 2005 and 2010, prevailing in five sets in 2012 and getting swept in 2024.
Mira Costa has won 10 straight matches (dropping only three sets) since its five-set defeat at Bay League rival Redondo Union on March 26. It avenged that loss in four sets April 20 to earn the top seed.
The teams were ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the country when they faced off in a nonleague match March 21 in Manhattan Beach, where the Mustangs rallied from a two-set deficit to win 15-11 in the fifth in a two-and-a-half-hour marathon. That time, Fuerbringer had 37 kills.
“The first time we didn’t come out as strong,” he said. “This time we were ready to play and came out hot.”
In the semifinals six days earlier, Loyola upset No. 2 Redondo Union in five sets, avenging a close loss in the Redondo Varsity Classic final on April 18. Mira Costa swept No. 4 Huntington Beach — its third victory over the Oilers this season.
Mira Costa won the inaugural Division I state championship last spring and will begin its quest for a repeat Tuesday night (regional seedings will be released Sunday afternoon). If it runs the table, Mira Costa would equal its 37-2 record in 2025.
Pepperdine commit JP Wardy had 13 kills and Rafa Milchan added 12 for the Cubs (23-4), but senior captain Blake Fahlbusch, who is headed to USC, was held to nine. Libero Matt Kelly, a Loyola Chicago commit, had 12 digs.
“We know where everyone wants to swing and we know Blake’s their catalyst,” Snyder said. “When they need a kill they usually go to him.”
The teams did not meet in the postseason last year. Mira Costa defeated Huntington Beach to win the section and regional crowns while Loyola fell to the Oilers in the section semifinals and did not play in regionals.
Snyder has guided the Mustangs into the finals in each of his three seasons, winning the last two. He was with the program for 12 years prior, seven as a varsity assistant under Avery Drost.
Loyola’s JP Wardy gets blocked by Mira Costa’s Miles Crotty and Colby Graham during the Mustangs’ win Friday night.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Loyola, making its 19th appearance in a section final, dropped to 13-6 all-time and 7-6 in 28 seasons under 1984 Cubs alum Michael Boehle.
In the preceding Division 4 final, Sunny Hills beat Royal, 24-26, 25-22, 27-25, 25-23 for its second title since coach Albert Soliguen started the program in 2020.
Owen Filadelfia had 18 kills and eight digs, Christian Lee added 17 kills and 11 digs, Jacob Sueki had 16 digs and Parker Mesnik dished out 47 assists for the Lancers (21-14), who swept Carpinteria in the Division 5 final in 2022 at Long Beach City College.
Grant Herzer had 19 kills, Donald Fleming had 18 and each added nine digs for the Highlanders (16-11), who were seeking their sixth section title in their 11th trip to the finals, having won Division 2-A in 1989 and 1990, 3-A in 1992, Division II in 1994 and Division 3 in 2022.
A soap star being probed by cops for child sex offences against five teenage boys remains on bail despite being arrested more than 18 months ago
18:49, 15 May 2026Updated 18:57, 15 May 2026
The man was arrested more than 18 months ago(Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)
A soap star previously accused of child sex offences against five teenage boys still remains under investigation 18 months after being arrested. The household name was arrested in October 2024 but has been on bail since. It is understood he has been reinterviewed since then over the claims, which date back to the 1990s when the man had major roles in some of Britain’s most popular television shows.
The police force investigating the actor, who can’t be named for legal reasons, has confirmed that inquiries are ongoing, and he remains on bail. Guidance suggests suspects can generally be on bail between three to nine months before needing to be charged or released.
The original bail period can be extended to six months by an inspector, nine months by a superintendent, with further extension needing Magistrate court approval. Detectives have spent time since his arrest analysing computers and documents which they seized upon his arrest.
The star was initially held for several hours before being released on bail. His family, including his partner, were left stunned by his arrest and he is also understood to be shocked by the historic allegations, which he denies. The five alleged victims are now all adults.
A police spokesman initially said in October 2024: “A man has been arrested on suspicion of historical child sex offences involving five victims. Officers investigating allegations relating to the 1990s detained a man. He was arrested on suspicion of several sexual offences relating to five men who were teenage boys at the time of the alleged offending. He has been conditionally bailed while enquiries continue.”
IN the weeks before we lost The Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson on June 11 last year, he had two special visitors.
They were the group’s surviving founder members, his first cousin Mike Love, and his best friend from college, Al Jardine.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
The Beach Boys pose at San Diego Zoo in cover shoot for Pet SoundsCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBDIn the weeks before Brian Wilson’s death last year, Beach Boys founders Mike Love and Al Jardine made emotional final visits to see himCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBD
It was their chance to say goodbye to the man who, above anyone, brought “good vibrations” to the world and created their 1966 magnum opus Pet Sounds.
First to venture up the drive at Brian’s Beverly Hills mansion for one last time was Jardine.
“I last saw him at the very end,” he says. “I came up to the house and he just pointed at me.
“He said, ‘You started the band’, and I went, ‘Wait, come on, Brian, I’m sure you had a little something to do with it!’
“He was very direct at times — he could be very unfiltered — but I think our friendship meant a lot to him.
“He was always my best friend, right from when we started out.”
Despite Brian’s well-documented struggles with mental health, Jardine insists that his old buddy never lost his passion for music.
“His reputation remains solid,” he adds, before supplying an answer to his own question: “What’s the term? Legend.
Surviving founder Mike LoveCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBDAl Jardine is also surviving founder member of the Beach BoysCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBD
“His work will be appreciated for centuries to come. He had his own style. Just listen to his arrangements and his chord changes — they’re just so unusual.
“His brother Dennis actually said it first, ‘Brian is The Beach Boys’. He created our sound and, as Mike Love would say, he heard things we couldn’t hear.”
Of his last visit to Brian, Love says: “A couple of weeks before he passed away, I was able to go and see him.
“We had a great time. We sang together, actually, which was a lot of fun.”
Love leads the latest incarnation of The Beach Boys, keeping their songs alive in concert, including Pet Sounds classics God Only Knows, Wouldn’t It Be Nice and Sloop John B.
“Brian’s still with us every night in that music,” he affirms
If Brian, younger brothers Carl and Dennis, Mike and Al started out by singing about surfing, girls and open-top cars in the California sun, it was the elder Wilson sibling who took things to the next level with Pet Sounds.
A themed song cycle employing pioneering production techniques, sublime harmonies, divine melodies and darker, soul-searching lyrics, it is regarded as Brian’s masterpiece.
Dennis Wilson, the family rebel who played the drumsCredit: public domain // public domain // Date TBDCarl Wilson is credited as being the band’s ‘musical director on stage’ and the ‘most proficient musician in the group’Credit: public domain // public domain // Date TBD
He had been impressed with The Beatles’ sonic adventures on Rubber Soul — now he was pushing The Beach Boys to raise the bar higher, in turn inspiring their chart rivals to make Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.
Paul McCartney maintains that God Only Knows is his favourite song and that Pet Sounds is among his top three albums.
He once enthused: “The musical invention on that is, like, ‘Wow!’
“I just thought, ‘Oh dear me, this is THE album of all time, what the hell are we gonna do?’”
To mark its 60th anniversary, The Pet Sounds Sessions — including demos, alternate takes and outtakes — are receiving digital, CD and vinyl editions. They feature a host of a cappella tracks shining the spotlight on the breathtaking harmonies.
Which is why I’m speaking to Brian’s bandmates via video calls that seem entirely appropriate for singers who epitomise California’s sunny beach vibes.
As we’re connected, Love, 85, reports that he’s “driving down the Pacific Coast Highway outside of Malibu”.
In a separate call, Jardine, 83, is sitting in his solarium under clear blue skies in Monterey, gateway to the rugged Big Sur coastal region.
The band lays down vocals for Pet SoundsCredit: UnknownDespite Brian’s well-documented struggles with mental health, Jardine, above, insists that his old buddy never lost his passion for musicCredit: Unknown
First, Love gives me insights into his Beach Boys journey, leading up to the groundbreaking Pet Sounds.
His mother Glee was the sister of Murry Wilson, father of Brian, Carl and Dennis, “so every holiday — Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s, Fourth of July — and birthday was celebrated with music.
“When Brian and I were teens, we’d get together and sing or listen to the radio, hearing groups like The Everly Brothers.”
When they formed The Beach Boys, the clean-cut image involving surfing, sun and girls was, he says, “environmental because we lived a few miles from the sea”.
Love continues: “We would often go to the beach for family outings. There, you’d find people who dressed a certain way, talked a certain way and had a certain attitude.
“They were the surfers who inspired our first song, Surfin’ [released in 1961].”
As to whether The Beach Boys joined the craze, he adds: “Dennis, Al and I had surfboards but we weren’t the greatest athletes. We appreciated it though, and we gave it a shot.
“I’m not sure Brian ever tried it. He could only hear out of one ear and didn’t have much balance. You need all the balance you can get when you’re surfing.”
Love, above, recalls writing lyrics with Brian Wilson for Beach Boys classics including Surfin’ USA, I Get Around and Fun Fun FunCredit: UnknownBrian in the studioCredit: Unknown
Love recalls how he would “sit down at the piano with Brian while he figured out chord progressions, tempos and melodies.
“I felt it was up to me to come up with lyrics and sing lead on songs we were working on together such as Surfin’ USA, I Get Around and Fun Fun Fun.”
Jardine, who currently fronts The Pet Sounds Band of ace Brian Wilson associates, also casts his mind back to the early days but is interrupted by “actual pet sounds”.
“Hang on a second, we have a little dog outside and he’s barking — I gotta shut him up,” he reports.
When calm returns, I ask Jardine how he came to form a band with three brothers and their cousin in 1961.
He answers: “Well, Brian and I were classmates in high school but didn’t really know each other.
“We were on the football team — he was quarterback and I was full back. He would call the plays, either pitching the ball to me or somebody else.
“But we didn’t interact until we went to college. I’d heard him in concert and, in our second year, I bumped into him on campus and said, ‘We gotta start a band’.
“We walked over to the music room and started playing music for each other.
“I’d already been in a folk group and, when he heard me sing, he realised I had a gift.
“Then he said, ‘I’ve got my little brothers and my cousin, Mike. I’ll introduce you to them. I rented instruments from a local music store but we didn’t know how to express ourselves at first, so we just sang a cappella.
“Once we finally got around the piano, we were off and running.
“I soon realised that Brian was a fine-tuned instrument. He had a great voice, a great knack for composition and already had a duet thing going on with Mike.”
As for the surfer image, Jardine credits Dennis Wilson, the family rebel who played the drums. He says: “Dennis was a surfer and the rest of us were land lovers. He taught me how to surf but I sank like a stone.
“But surfing was the craze so we put lyrics to our first song and called it Surfin’.”
In 1964, Brian dropped the bombshell that he was stepping back from touring to concentrate on studio work.
Love provides this insight into his cousin’s state of mind: “Brian wasn’t comfortable on the road — he got nervous and unhappy. He missed home and he missed the studio.
“It was a drag to see him leave the live group but it was in his best interests.”
Afforded fewer distractions, Brian applied himself to Pet Sounds and, in tandem with it, the sophisticated sonic miracle Good Vibrations — a standalone hit deemed not a good fit for the album.
This period coincided with his experiments with LSD and marijuana.
He once stated that drugs helped him achieve a deeper level of creativity but later expressed regrets over the damage to his mental health.
Because of the complexity, Brian needed longer than usual to finish Pet Sounds so The Beach Boys released a stopgap party album, yielding one of their biggest hits, Barbara Ann.
Then, after a tour of Japan in January 1966, with Bruce Johnston taking Brian’s place, Carl, Dennis, Mike, Al and Bruce returned for the momentous sessions.
In their absence, Brian had employed lyricist Tony Asher and crack session musicians the Wrecking Crew, including, among many, Glen Campbell on guitar and banjo.
Love says: “The tracks Brian had done were completely amazing. Our main job was to finish them vocally and we worked very hard.”
One of the songs was God Only Knows, which he says was “sung so beautifully by my cousin Carl”.
“We lost him many years ago to lung cancer. For concerts these days, my son Christian sings lead.”
So what was Carl like? “He was our musical director on stage and the most proficient musician in the group,” replies Love.
Jardine adds: “Carl could knock it out of the park. He was right in the centre of our harmonies with Mike’s baritone below and me higher, with Brian higher still.”
And what about Dennis, who had a wild reputation and later befriended cult leader and killer Charles Manson?
Love says: “He lived a dangerous life because of the alcohol and drugs he got involved with. He died [from drowning] in 1983.”
Jardine adds: “Dennis was our Keith Moon. Oh boy, all he had to do was just stand up on stage and the crowd would go nuts.”
It was self-confessed folkie Jardine who brought Bahamian sea shanty Sloop John B to Brian. He says: “I was a Kingston Trio fan. They were big Capitol Records guys, same label as us, and they wore striped shirts.
“Learning all their songs was my musical training. When the time came to start The Beach Boys, I went out and bought striped shirts for us.
“Sloop John B was my idea. I said, ‘Brian, if we add one major and one minor chord, it’ll sound like us instead of The Kingston Trio’.
“He put it to good use. It became Pet Sounds’ lead single. Capitol always wanted a hit to sell an album.”
Recalling the sessions, Jardine says that Brian’s abilities had been “growing exponentially” while they’d been away.
“In spite of our jet lag, we were in the studio the day after we got home from Japan. We were extremely impressed with Brian’s arrangements.
“People forget that he was a masterful producer. He knew the language. He could go into a studio and the studio became an instrument for him.”
That said, it wasn’t all plain sailing, as Jardine explains: “Mike didn’t like the lyrics on some songs so he insisted on changing a couple around.
“He thought a song called Hang On To Your Ego was too sophisticated for our crowd so he changed it to I Know There’s An Answer.”
The story of Pet Sounds wouldn’t be complete without mention of the album title and cover shot of the boys among the goats at San Diego Zoo. Love says: “Brian didn’t know what to call the album.
“At the end [of final track Caroline, No], you hear a train going by and dogs are barking.
“Those were Brian and [first wife] Marilyn’s dogs. So I said, ‘Why don’t we call it Pet Sounds? It was a double entendre, of course — and it stuck.”
Jardine picks up the story of the photo shoot: “It was a total mystery to me.
“We had to drive to San Diego, which was 200 miles away. We had our own zoo in Los Angeles, for God’s sake!”
The resulting album cover has a quaint charm but it’s not exactly up there with Sgt Pepper’s iconic Peter Blake design.
Love smiles at the memory and says: “I was in India at the Maharishi’s place when Paul McCartney and I had a conversation one night.
“He was saying, ‘Mike, you ought to take more care with your album covers’.
“So I told him, ‘Paul, you’re absolutely right.
We should’.
“But we always felt that what went into the sleeve was more important than the cover itself.”
And speaking of goats, to many including Macca, Pet Sounds is the GOAT.
THE BEACH BOYS
The Pet Sounds Session Highlights
★★★★★
The Pet Sounds Sessions Highlights is out in the UK on 15 May
This article contains spoilers for the penultimate episode of “The Boys.”
There’s just one episode to go in the fifth and final season of Prime Video’s irreverent superhero satire, “The Boys.” The topical, darkly funny, whip-smart series from Eric Kripke follows a band of vigilante misfits who fight to expose the all-powerful, corrupt conglomerate Vought International and its stable of villainous superheroes.
Among the ragtag crew of antiheroes is Frenchie, played by Tomer Capone. Frenchie is the de facto chemist and inventor of the group, a former assassin for hire whose drug-addled brain is constantly concocting news ways to kill immortal Supes (superheroes). Yet he’s deeply connected with the feral Kimiko (Karen Fukuhara), who was nonverbal when he helped save her from human traffickers who sought to cash in on her Supe strength. Their bond — both are outsiders who suffered abuse as children — is one of the few emotional soft spots in the otherwise fast-moving series about America’s rotten power structure, manipulative media and the gullibility of the public.
Though fans of the show are already mourning the end of “The Boys,” they were dealt another major blow Wednesday, when in Episode 7 beloved Frenchie met his fate at the hands of the sociopathic head Supe, Homelander (Antony Starr). Israeli actor Capone talks about the scene, the end of the show and how to cope with the loss of Frenchie. This conversation has been edited for clarity and length.
OK, so the big question first. Do you actually speak French?
En vous? Moi? [Laughs] OK, a little bit, but it’s a different kind of French. But that wasn’t the difficult part. Frenchie, to me, is one of those characters for an actor, that’s a gift. It’s something I prayed for. It’s a full-on character. He’s an outsider. He’s a foreigner. The way he walks, the way he talks. We can also talk about the crop tops and the hairstyle …
He’s a full-on character, and the French aspect was only part of it. There was also the sign language with Kimiko, and the connection. For me, the emotion and connection was the bigger aspect of portraying Frenchie.
Are you ready for all the tears of your fans once they witness Frenchie’s demise? He sacrifices himself to lure Homelander away from Kimiko. She is saved, but he is killed in the process.
Oh my God, I can’t watch it. I didn’t watch it. I can’t. I’m too involved.
Tomer Capone on the scene with his character’s demise: “Oh my God, I can’t watch it.”
(Jasper Savage/Prime)
So you really haven’t watched the scene yet?
No. It’s the longest character I ever had in my career, and I can’t. Something tells me not yet.
When you shot that scene, was there an intensity on set? How did that play out?
Intensity is always around the show because there’s so much to accomplish doing “The Boys.” But funnily enough, that specific scene was the most tranquil and quiet set I’ve experienced. I remember standing there with the amazing people of the cast and crew, and we’re talking about how the scene is going to play out. I felt this quietness, like everybody was like inside themselves, so I started to get nervous. I said, “Oh my God, they’re expecting something.”
But very quickly, I decided that I’m just going release all the [plans], thoughts or ideas that I had about the scene. I literally went into this mantra that said, “Frenchie, here’s the keys. Drive the car.” And you know what? It was the right way to go. It made sense. It felt very respectful and spiritual. Those kind of scenes come once in never, where you feel like you’re letting the character drive, and you’re just gliding behind it.
“The Boys” is based on the 2000s comic book series of the same name by writer Garth Ennis and artist Darick Robertson. But the show is unlike any comic book adaptation out there. In fact, it mocks superhero culture.
The biggest gift of working [with] Eric Kripke, the writers and this show is that even as things are moving fast and big things are happening, they’re emotionally backed up. And as a character and an actor, it’s like, OK, I understand what I’m doing. This is the world and what we’re playing. You get where it is going, and why it needs to happen.
Were you surprised when you first learned about Frenchie’s fate?
I wasn’t surprised when I heard from Eric that Frenchie was continuing on to the big field [in the sky]. I had this feeling. I didn’t want to say it out loud. It’s like, at this point, the fifth season, we all felt it. We knew where it was going,
But Frenchie is the empathy and compassion of this series. I actually cried when he was killed off. The empathy is gone, and now we’re left with soulless, terrifying Homelander.
But Kimiko lives.
True, but I haven’t seen the finale. How does Kimiko go on without Frenchie?
Well, let me tell you… [laughs]. I can’t tell, but I can say that I do think Episode 8 is going to blow the audience and fans’ minds with where it goes. That’s the only thing I can say. It evolves into something that resonates.
When it comes to pushing the envelope, “The Boys” is renowned for going where most shows won’t. It drove a speed boat into the side of a whale, imbued superheroes with powers such as toxic vomit and a giant killer penis. Then there was the flying killer sheep. Was there ever a moment too far for you?
Almost every episode has those moments … I remember they told us about the whale, and they said they were still figuring out how. It was a surprise. So I’m driving to set, and it was a sunny day on the shore of Toronto, then all of a sudden, my windshield, everything is covered with this [big shadow], and I’m like what’s going on? Clouds? Is going to rain? The day is ruined! Then I look up and see them [trucking] in a real-size animatronic whale. People that had nothing to do with the show were stopping their cars and looking at this whale moving on the Toronto shore. It was like, OK, here we go.
And there was the musical sequence [in Season 3, Episode 5, when a hospitalized Kimiko imagines her and Frenchie dancing to “I Got Rhythm.”]. Karen and I were on set, and there’s like 30 professional dancers stretching behind us, beautiful and fresh and clean. And we’re looking at each other like, what is this show? What are we doing here? As an actor, you pinch yourself. It’s an experience.
Frenchie (Capone) and Kimiko (Fukuhara) in Season 3’s musical number.
(Amazon Studios)
The musical number, did you actually have to practice the choreography for that?
Oh, day in and day out. I thought I knew how to dance. Apparently I needed some work. Luckily, Karen is a total badass in terms of her commitment, and we practiced it day and night, even working on it off set between other scenes, just working in the movements, trying to get it right. But I learned something very fun about myself. Usually, I don’t like to watch myself on screen, like a lot of actors don’t. From time to time, I would watch an action scene or me fighting because I want to see if I got the choreography right. And I learned that I can watch myself dance too.
With all the fighting in that show, that’s also requires quite a bit of physical acting.
We have the best stunt teams in the business. They made our life very easy compared to the crazy stuff we had to do. Saying that, I don’t miss the harnesses that they put on us. I will not miss that
Harnesses?
I remember when we shot the first episode where Frenchie, Hughie (Jack Quaid)and Mother’s Milk (Laz Alonso) are captive in the camp. And then I think Starlight flies me off out of the camp. It was like minus 40, snowing. We’re on our harnesses, and we’re just flying away. It’s an experience.
“The Boys” has brilliantly captured the political craziness in America, but told through the world of egotistical superheroes. For example, Homelander claimed he was lord and savior around the same time President Trump posted an AI image of himself as Jesus.
How they predicted some of the stuff, it beats me. You’re going to have to ask Kripke and his writers. But I love that the show tackles all that. For me, portraying Frenchie is about humanity. About how in chaos and in fear and in the craziness of “The Boys’” world, people still choose love and compassion and that’s really the heart of “The Boys.” Or maybe that’s just from Frenchie’s perspective, where it’s all about family, loyalty and protecting the ones you love.
How did you imagine the character of Frenchie when you first learned of the show?
When I got the audition, I didn’t know about the source material. I didn’t know about the novel, or the graphic comic book. So I went online, and I started researching Frenchie. And the first picture that came in was this buzz cut, crazy, goggle-wearing character. I said, what really? Frenchie specifically is illustrated and drawn so different from volume to volume. It gave me so much space to create something in between those worlds. Then picking the brain of Eric Kripke and building a whole story and backup story for the characters. We already knew, in a way, where it was going, so we had the privilege of understanding the arc of the bigger picture for “The Boys.”
Do you have a favorite Frenchie moment?
Yeah, I do, but it’s not what you might expect to hear. It’s from Season 1. There was this scene with Frenchie and Petit Hughie. Hughie comes out of his father’s house [and he’s upset]. I say that I understand because my father was bipolar too, and [he tried to smother me with a] Hello Kitty duvet. It’s just it’s one of those moments when we couldn’t get those two lines out. We kept breaking. I think it’s the longest scene Jack and I ever had in the show. It was something like 14 takes. All the cast and crew were breaking too. It was like, should we just give it up? But I was fighting for it. No, I can do this! Now it’s a [fan] favorite quote. So that means a lot. I fought for that line!
Have you thought about how you’ll console distraught fans once they’ve seen Episode 7?
#1 Taft d. #9 East Valley, 25-23, 23-25, 25-8, 25-18
#4 North Hollywood d. #5 VAAS, 3-2
#3 Cleveland d. #6 Vaughn, 25-23, 25-22, 25-23
#2 Sylmar d. #7 Larchmont Charter, 25-20, 25-18, 25-20
DIVISION II
#1 LA Hamilton d. #8 Huntington Park, 3-0
#4 Marquez d. #5 Bernstein, 3-0
#6 Narbonne d. #3 Diego Rivera, 3-0
#7 Panorama d. #2 LA University, 25-16, 24-26, 25-15, 25-20
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION III
#1 New West Charter d. #17 San Fernando, 25-14, 14-25, 26-24, 25-13
#9 Central City Value d. #8 Foshay, 25-16, 13-25, 17-25, 28-26, 16-14
#5 University Prep Value d. #12 Northridge Academy, 23-25, 29-27, 25-23, 25-22
#13 Birmingham d. #4 Sun Valley Magnet, 25-18, 25-21, 25-20
#3 South East d. #14 Fairfax, 25-15, 25-19, 25-16
#11 Monroe d. #6 Reseda, 25-22, 25-23, 18-25, 25-19
#7 Lincoln d. #10 Animo Bunche, 21-25, 25-19, 23-25, 25-22, 15-8
#2 Legacy d. #18 Granada Hills Kennedy, 25-21, 25-22, 25-15
DIVISION IV
#17 Canoga Park d. #1 Hollywood, 25-16, 25-17, 25-20
#8 Annenberg d. #9 LACES, 3-0
#12 Mendez d. #5 Animo South LA, 3-2
#4 Math & Science College d. #20 Chavez, 25-23, 25-18, 29-27
#3 Manual Arts d. #19 West Adams, 3-1
#6 King/Drew d. #11 Animo Robinson, 25-21, 21-25, 19-25, 25-15, 15-11
#7 Maywood CES d. #10 Arleta, 25-23, 24-26, 25-17, 25-16
#2 RFK Community d. #18 Community Charter, 22-25, 26-24, 25-17, 25-22
DIVISION V
#1 WISH Academy d. #17 Garfield, 25-21, 25-14, 25-22
#9 Alliance Levine d. #8 Locke, 25-19, 20-25, 25-23, 25-19
#21 LAAE d. #5 Fulton, 25-20, 24-26, 25-13, 25-20
#13 Rancho Dominguez d. #4 Animo Watts, 22-25, 22-25, 25-22, 25-16, 15-13
#14 Franklin D. #3 Jefferson, 25-16, 25-20, 25-23
#6 Gardena d. #11 Stern, 25-13, 25-17, 25-19
#10 Animo De La Hoya d. #7 Horace Mann UCLA, 25-27, 27-25, 25-20, 26-24
#15 Sotomayor d. #2 Bert Corona, 25-20, 25-20, 25-23
Note:Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
#4 Venice d. #5 LA Marshall, 25-23, 21-25, 25-23, 25-19
#3 Chatsworth d. #6 Wilmington Banning, 25-15, 25-20, 26-24
#2 Palisades d. #7 Eagle Rock, 25-16, 25-13, 25-20
SOUTHERN SECTION
QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 3
Palos Verdes d. Valencia, 26-24, 25-18, 26-24
St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday
Santa Ana Foothill d. Servite, 3-1
Windward d. Crescenta Valley, 25-18, 28-26, 23-25, 25-21
DIVISION 4
Village Christian d. Chino Hills, 3-0
Royal d. Temple City, 3-1
Sunny Hills d. Northwood, 25-22, 25-22, 19-25, 25-16
Crossroads d. San Marino, 25-16, 27-29, 25-21, 25-22
DIVISION 5
El Dorado d. Dos Pueblos, 3-0
Bishop Diego d. Brea Olinda, 23-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 15-10
Bellflower d. Flintridge Prep, 25-21, 26-24, 25-17
Western Christian d. St. Anthony, 22-25, 25-11, 25-18, 20-25, 15-8
DIVISION 6
Temecula Valley d. Beverly Hills, 3-1
Culver City d. Firebaugh, 3-1
Garden Grove d. Capistrano Valley Christian, 3-1
Pasadena Poly d. Santa Ana Calvary Chapel, 3-2
DIVISION 7
Rialto d. La Sierra Academy, 3-2
Foothill Tech d. Cerritos Valley Christian, 3-2
Oakwood d. Knight, 3-2
Tustin d. Indio, 3-2
DIVISION 8
Temescal Canyon d. Santa Rosa Academy, 25-16, 25-19, 25-23
CAMS d. Eastside, 3-0
West Valley d. Burbank Providence, 3-2
Palmdale Aerospace d. Glendale Adventist, 25-23, 27-25, 25-19
DIVISION 9
Tarbut V’Torah d. Webb, 3-1
Le Lycée d. YULA, 25-22, 14-25, 21-25, 25-20,
Vasquez d. Cantwell-Sacred Heart, 3-1
Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION
QUARTERFINALS
(Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted)
DIVISION I
#9 East Valley at #1 Taft
#5 VAAS at #4 North Hollywood
#6 Vaughn at #3 Cleveland
#7 Larchmont Charter at #2 Sylmar
DIVISION II
#8 Huntington Park at #1 LA Hamilton
#5 Bernstein at #4 Marquez
#6 Narbonne at #3 Diego Rivera
#7 Panorama at #2 LA University
SECOND ROUND
(Matches at 4 p.m. unless noted)
DIVISION III
#17 San Fernando at #1 New West Charter, 3 p.m.
#9 Central City Value at #8 Foshay
#12 Northridge Academy at #5 University Prep Value
#13 Birmingham at #4 Sun Valley Magnet
#14 Fairfax at #3 South East
#11 Monroe at #6 Reseda
#10 Animo Bunche at #7 Lincoln
#18 Granada Hills Kennedy at #2 Legacy
DIVISION IV
#17 Canoga Park at #1 Hollywood
#9 LACES at #8 Annenberg
#12 Mendez at #5 Animo South LA
#20 Chavez at #4 Math & Science College
#19 West Adams at #3 Manual Arts
#11 Animo Robinson at #6 King/Drew
#10 Arleta at #7 Maywood CES
#18 Community Charter at #2 RFK Community
DIVISION V
#17 Garfield at #1 WISH Academy
#9 Alliance Levine at #8 Locke
#21 LAAE at #5 Fulton
#13 Rancho Dominguez vs. #4 Animo Watts at LA Adventist, 5:30 p.m.
#14 Franklin at #3 Jefferson
#11 Stern at #6 Gardena
#10 Animo De La Hoya at #7 Horace Mann UCLA Community
#15 Sotomayor at #2 Bert Corona
Note:Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
HIGH SCHOOL BOYS VOLLEYBALL PLAYOFFS TUESDAY’S RESULTS QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 1 Mira Costa d. Tesoro, 25-18, 25-19, 25-23 Huntington Beach d. Corona del Mar, 3-0 Loyola d. Newport Harbor, 25-16, 25-17, 25-22 Redondo Union d. Santa Margarita, 3-2
DIVISION 2 Orange Lutheran d. Fountain Valley, 25-20, 25-14, 25-16 St. Margaret’s d. San Clemente, 3-0 Camarillo d. Yorba Linda, 3-1 Edison d. Arcadia, 3-1
WEDNESDAY’S SCHEDULE
CITY SECTION (Matches at 7 p.m. unless noted) QUARTERFINALS
OPEN DIVISION #8 Carson at #1 Granada Hills #5 LA Marshall at #4 Venice #6 Wilmington Banning at #3 Chatsworth #7 Eagle Rock at #2 Palisades
Note:Second round Divisions I-V May 7; Quarterfinals Divisions I-II May 7; Quarterfinals Divisions III-V May 11; Semifinals Open Division-Division I May 12; Semifinals Divisions II-V May 13; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
SOUTHERN SECTION (Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted) QUARTERFINALS
DIVISION 3 Valencia at Palos Verdes St. John Bosco at Eastvale Roosevelt, Thursday Servite at Santa Ana Foothill Windward at Crescenta Valley
DIVISION 4 Chino Hills at Village Christian Royal at Temple City Northwood at Sunny Hills San Marino at Crossroads
DIVISION 5 Dos Pueblos at El Dorado Bishop Diego at Brea Olinda Bellflower at Flintridge Prep Western Christian at St. Anthony
DIVISION 6 Beverly Hills at Temecula Valley Culver City at Firebaugh Capistrano Valley Christian at Garden Grove Pasadena Poly at Santa Ana Calvary Chapel
DIVISION 7 La Sierra Academy at Rialto Foothill Tech at Cerritos Valley Christian Oakwood at Knight Tustin at Indio
DIVISION 8 Santa Rosa Academy at Temescal Canyon Eastside vs. CAMS at Lindsey Middle School Burbank Providence at West Valley Glendale Adventist at Palmdale Aerospace
DIVISION 9 Tarbut V’Torah at Webb Le Lycée at YULA Vasquez at Cantwell-Sacred Heart Avalon at Downey Calvary Chapel, Thursday
Note:Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
OLIVIA Attwood has taken to social media to thank “all my boys” as she received thousands of pounds worth of designer gifts for her birthday amid her romance heating up with Pete Wicks.
The TV star turned 35-years-old today and was certainly “spoiled” by those close to her.
Sign up for the Showbiz newsletter
Thank you!
Olivia Attwood has been giving fans a sneak peak as she celebrates her 35th birthday todayCredit: GettyThe TV star told how ‘all my boys are spoiling me today’Credit: Instagram
Olivia and her KISS radio co-host Pete were spotted kissing in a Soho bar earlier this year just weeks after her split from footballer Bradley Dack.
The pair then jetted off on a secret holiday enjoying a three-night break at the luxury Lily of the Valley hotel in St Tropez, France.
Taking to her Instagram stories giving fans a sneak peak at her big day, Olivia gushed over her boys, who went all out – getting her lavish gifts from Hermes and Cartier.
Writing over a snap of her new silver Hermes clutch bag, Olivia said: “I can’t,” followed by a slew of crying emojis.
Olivia Attwood was gifted a string of designer presents for her birthdayCredit: InstagramOlivia and Pete Wicks were spotted snogging in a bar in Soho earlier this yearCredit: The SUNThe Loose Women panellist was given a huge bag from CartierCredit: InstagramOlivia was also gifted a bottle of champagne and a card from a mystery person named ‘Savano’Credit: Instagram
Olivia posted another picture of a Cartier bag and she penned: “Screaming throwing up.”
The Loose women panellist then shared a very cryptic snap of a bottle of champagne and an envelope, which said on the front: “Love you! Savano.”
This comes just days after she got the mystery name tattooed on her arm.
Olivia has previously referred to the name “Savano” as “my baby,” which has left fans speculating that she’s referring to former TOWIE star Pete, 37.
While away on their romantic getaway a source close to the pair told The Sun: “They’re dating and enjoying their time together.
“It was at a really quiet, private resort so they were able to properly chill out away from all the drama.”
Elsewhere on her Instagram stories, Olivia uploaded a snap of two of her pals posing with a balloon and flowers. She captioned the picture: “All my boys are spoiling me today.”
Later on, the star shared some behind the scenes of her bougie birthday bash – she could be seen smiling and sipping on a hugo spritz as she prepared to get her makeup done.
Note: Second Round in Divisions II-V, May 7 at 4 p.m. at higher seeds; Quarterfinals in Division I, May 7 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Quarterfinals in Divisions II-V, May 11 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals in Open and Division I, May 12 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Semifinals in Division DII-V, May 13 at 7 p.m. at higher seeds; Finals in all divisions May 15-16 (sites and times TBD).
That is how many boys’ tennis titles Palisades has won in a row after its 18.5 to 11 victory over Taft in the City Section Open Division championship match Wednesday afternoon at Balboa Sports Center in Encino.
Freshman Kensho Ford, who reached the CIF singles semifinals at the Ojai tournament four days earlier, swept his four sets at No. 1 as expected — dropping a total of three games in the process — but what co-coaches Robert Silvers and Bud Kling did not anticipate was Zach Cohen sweeping at No. 4 to give the top-seeded Dolphins a split of the 16 possible singles points.
Cohen played No. 1 doubles with Zach Stuffman all season but was itching to play singles for the playoffs and wound up winning all six of his sets including two before being subbed out for the last two rotations in Monday’s semifinal rout of fourth-seeded Marshall.
“I’ve been asking for two years now and when Coach Rob told me Saturday I’d be in singles I was so excited,” said Cohen, who was also the Division I individual champion while pacing the Dolphins to their fifth straight cross-country team title in November at Elysian Park.
Five is nice, but 17 straight is a dynasty unparalleled in City Section history. No team in any sport from a City school has ever produced a longer streak and no coach has more City crowns than Kling’s 55 (33 boys, 22 girls). Palisades has also appeared in 21 straight finals. The last time two other schools met for the City’s upper division title was 2004 when El Camino Real defeated West Valley League rival Granada Hills.
Palisades got another surprise when the sophomore tandem of Josh Glaser and Bennett Murphy, who were bumped up to varsity a month earlier, won all three of ithebsets at No. 3 doubles, beating the Toreadors’ top two duos in tiebreakers.
Taft’s Dannes Djalilov won two sets at No. 1 singles during Wednesday’s City Section Open Division tennis final.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Danees Djalilov took two of his four sets at No. 1 singles and Brandon Celestine did the same at No. 4 for the second-seeded Toreadors, who were the last team to defeat Palisades in the finals — doing so in 2007 and 2008 led by two-time City individual singles winner Josh Tchan.
Moments after Ford finished off his 6-0 victory over Alec Volodarskiy to move his team within half a point of the championship, Stuffman and new partner Jack Plotkowski put the Dolphins over the 15-point threshold by completing a sweep at No. 1 doubles with a 6-2 ousting of Taft’s No. 2 team.
Taft was seeking its eighth City title and first since winning Division II in 2019.
FIRST ROUND DIVISION 1 Mira Costa, bye Tesoro d. Los Alamitos, 25-19, 25-23, 25-17 Corona del Mar d. Mater Dei, 3-0 Huntington Beach, bye Loyola, bye Newport Harbor d. Millikan, 25-8, 25-13, 25-19 Santa Margarita d. San Marcos, 3-0 Redondo Union, bye
DIVISION 2 Camarillo d. Anaheim Canyon, 25-21, 25-17, 25-18
DIVISION 3 Palos Verdes d. Corona Centennial, 3-1 Sage Hill d. Malibu, 3-1 Valencia d. La Palma Kennedy, 25-12, 25-20, 25-20 Claremont d. Murrieta Valley, 3-1 Corona Santiago d. Mark Keppel, 3-2 Eastvale Roosevelt d. Downey, 3-1 Bishop Montgomery d. South Torrance, 3-2 St. John Bosco d. Woodbridge, 3-1 Mission Viejo d. Paloma Valley, 25-20, 25-15, 25-18 Santa Ana Foothill d. Canyon Country Canyon, 25-20, 25-19, 25-16 Servite d. Wiseburn Da Vinci, 3-0 Santa Barbara d. Diamond Ranch, 3-1 Trabuco Hills d. Westlake, 3-0 Crescenta Valley d. North Torrance, 25-18, 25-15, 25-21 Saugus d. Newbury Park, 25-23, 25-23, 23-25, 30-28 Windward d. South Pasadena, 3-0
DIVISION 5 Dos Pueblos d. Aquinas, 21-25, 20-25, 25-15, 25-11, 15-13 Hemet d. Summit, 3-2 Oak Park d. Damien, 25-22, 26-24, 25-16 El Dorado d. San Dimas, 3-1 Westminster La Quinta d. Garden Grove Pacifica, 3-2 Bishop Diego d. Rio Hondo Prep, 25-22, 25-22, 31-29 Brea Olinda d. Aliso Niguel, 26-24, 16-25, 25-21, 29-27 Norco d. Cajon, 23-25, 25-22, 25-17, 12-25, 15-13 Bellflower d. Crespi, 25-16, 25-22, 25-15 El Rancho d. San Gabriel Academy, 3-1 Ventura d. Vista del Lago, 25-14, 25-18, 25-21 Flintridge Prep d. Castaic, 3-0 St. Anthony d. Oxford Academy, 3-0 Orange County Pacifica Christian d. Etiwanda, 25-16, 25-16, 25-19 Ontario Christian d. Monrovia, 25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 25-18 Western Christian d. Westminster, 3-2
DIVISION 7 Pasadena Marshall d. La Mirada, 3-2 Rialto d. Rosemead, 3-1 La Sierra Academy d. Sierra Vista, 3-0 Trinity Classical Academy d. Canyon Springs, 25-19, 25-19, 25-19 Hacienda Heights Wilson d. Maranatha, 3-1 Cerritos Valley Christian d. Norwalk, 25-21, 25-15, 25-23 Foothill Tech d. Anaheim, 3-0 Bell Gardens d. Ganesha, 25-17, 25-21, 25-17 Long Beach Jordan d. Jurupa Valley, 3-0 Oakwood d. Savanna, 3-1 Knight d. Santa Ana, 3-2 Godinez d. Santa Barbara Providence, 3-2 Los Amigos d. San Jacinto Valley, 3-2 Indio d. Katella, 3-1 Tustin d. Highland, 3-0 Loara d. Gabrielino, 3-2
DIVISION 9 Palm Valley d. Bassett, 25-15, 28-26, 25-17 Webb d. Inglewood, 3-2 Le Lycée d. Acaciawood Academy, 25-16, 25-20, 25-21 Edgewood 3, Rim of the World 2 Indian Springs d. Compton Early College, 25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 25-13 YULA d. Coachella Valley, 3-0 Duarte d. Southwestern Academy, 3-0 Vasquez d. Legacy College Prep, 20-25, 25-20, 25-18, 25-19 Wildwood d. Garden Grove Santiago, 3-2 Cantwell Sacred Heart d. Pilgrim, 3-1 Bethel Baptist d. Pacific Lutheran, 3-2 Avalon d. South El Monte, 3-1 Downey Calvary Chapel d. Xavier Prep, 3-1 Southlands Christian d. New Covenant, 3-0
THURSDAY’S SCHEDULE (Matches at 6 p.m. unless noted)
SECOND ROUND
DIVISION 4 Village Christian at Bolsa Grande, Friday Chino Hills vs.Long Beach Poly at Lakewood Warren at Temple City Liberty at Royal Sunny Hills at St. Monica Prep Northwood at Elsinore Crossroads at Los Altos Harvard-Westlake at San Marino
DIVISION 6 Temecula Valley at St. Francis San Gabriel at Beverly Hills Culver City at El Modena Samueli Academy at Firebaugh Ayala at Garden Grove Moorpark at Capistrano Valley Christian Pasadena Poly at Yucaipa Santa Ana Calvary Chapel at Cerritos
DIVISION 8 Temescal Canyon at West Covina Paramount at Santa Rosa Academy, 5 p.m. Miller vs. CAMS at Long Beach Cabrillo Cathedral City at Eastside Burbank Providence at Temecula Prep West Valley at Laguna Blanca Palmdale Aerospace Academy at Garey Desert Hot Springs at Glendale Adventist, 5 p.m.
Note:Second Round Divisions 3, 5, 7, 9 May 1; Quarterfinals Divisions 1 & 2 May 5; Quarterfinals Divisions 3-9 May 6; Semifinals All Divisions May 9; Finals All Divisions May 15-16.
Mira Costa put it all together over the final three sets of its Bay League boys’ volleyball showdown with Redondo Union on Monday night, prevailing 26-28, 25-13, 25-18, 25-22 to avenge a five-set loss in the teams’ first meeting and stake its claim for the No. 1 seed in the Southern Section Division 1 playoffs.
“Last time we didn’t think they were as good as they were, but we’ve watched a lot of film since then and saw where they like to go,” said outside hitter Mateo Fuerbringer, who finished with a match-high 27 kills and four of his team’s nine aces. “We didn’t pass that well in the first set, but after that we started spreading the ball around more and our serving was really good tonight. We got them out of system a lot.”
Colby Graham had nine kills and three blocks and ended each of the middle sets with a kill as the Mustangs (31-2, 7-1) totaled 15 stuff blocks. Wyatt Davis added eight kills and three blocks and Enzo Barker finished with five kills and two aces.
Redondo Union’s Vaughn Flaherty, left, and JR Boice try to block a hit from Mira Costa’s Colby Graham.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Mira Costa snapped Redondo Union’s 18-match winning streak and evened up the league standings, but the Mustangs gained the tiebreaker by virtue of fewer sets lost head-to-head.
Mira Costa saved three match points in the first set before Mavrick Essert ended it with one of his eight kills for the visiting Sea Hawks (26-3, 7-1). His older brother Cash Essert had 11 kills and JR Boice added 10 but Redondo Union was unable to maintain its momentum, never leading once in the last three sets.
Redondo Union keyed on Fuerbringer to win the first encounter 27-25, 21-25, 25-22, 21-25, 15-13 on its home court March 26, but Monday’s match was a different story as Mira Costa varied its attack to keep the Sea Hawks on their heels.
“We were gassed the first time because that was right after we played Loyola,” Mustangs setter Jake Newman said. “Loyola took a lot out of us even though we won. So we weren’t prepared for Redondo, but this time around we had two weeks to practice and study their tendencies.”
Mira Costa libero Dane Del Riego returns a serve in a four-set victory over Redondo Union on April 20, 2026.
(Steve Galluzzo / For The Times)
Newman said closing the match in four sets was critical.
“At 24-22 we were telling each other we have to win, we’re not letting this go five,” he said. “We needed to beat them in four for the league championship.”
Mira Costa lost to Corona del Mar in tournament play early in the season but has since defeated the Sea Kings twice. It also has victories over Huntington Beach, Loyola and Newport Harbor — all of which will likely make the highest division.
Redondo Union won its own Varsity Invitational tournament Saturday, rallying to beat Loyola in the finals, and swept Newport Harbor at home March 21.
Coach Greg Snyder praised the Mustangs for executing the game plan to near perfection but warned it may not be the last time they have to face their archrival.
“That’s a really good team we just beat … we could very well see them again the playoffs,” he said. “I wouldn’t be surprised if that happens.”
1 of 3 | Stewart Rhodes, founder of the far-right extremist group the Oath Keepers, is among those Jan. 6, 2021-related convictions the Justice Department is seeking to dismiss. File Photo by Bonnie Cash/UPI | License Photo
April 14 (UPI) — The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal court to dismiss the convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers members who were found guilty of leading and organizing the Jan. 6, 2021, riot and attack on the U.S. Capitol.
The request includes 12 former members of the groups, all of whom prosecutors said were ringleaders of the attack. After his return to office in 2025, President Donald Trump pardoned most of those who were convicted for their parts in the riot, a move affecting more than 1,000 people. However, the sentences of some, including these 12, were commuted to time served instead, freeing them from prison though the convictions remained.
The group involved in the Justice Department request on Tuesday includes Stewart Rhodes, a leader of the Oath Keepers who was sentenced to 18 years in prison for seditious conspiracy and other charges. Prosecutors said Rhodes and other Oath Keepers “began plotting to oppose by force the lawful transfer of presidential power” after the 2020 election, CBS News reported.
Others whose sentences were commuted are Proud Boys leaders Ethan Nordean, Zachary Rehl, Dominic Pezzola and Joseph Biggs, who were also convicted of seditious conspiracy for their role.
Appeals involving this group have continued, and the Justice Department requested Tuesday that federal appeals panels vacate the earlier convictions and drop the cases in whole.
“The United States has determined in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of this criminal case is in the interests of justice,” wrote Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Lenerz in the filing, Politico reported.
Greg Rosen, former chief of the Justice Department’s Capitol Siege Section, criticized the move, CBS News reported.
“It’s a reminder of what drove the pardons in the first place-the political violence is acceptable as long as your politics align,” he told CBS News. “And it’s a continuing and sad commentary on the current state of the department.”
WASHINGTON — The Justice Department on Tuesday asked a federal appeals court to throw out the seditious conspiracy convictions of Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders who were sentenced to prison terms for leading members of the far-right extremist groups in attacking the U.S. Capitol to keep President Trump in the White House more than five years ago.
Trump commuted the prison sentences of several Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders in January 2025 in a sweeping act of clemency for all 1,500-plus defendants charged in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack.
The request by the Justice Department would go a step further and erase the convictions for the extremist group leaders, including Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes.
In court filings, prosecutors asked the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to vacate the convictions so that the government can permanently dismiss the indictments.
“The government’s motion to vacate in this case is consistent with its practice of moving the Supreme Court to vacate convictions in cases where the government has decided in its prosecutorial discretion that dismissal of a criminal case is in the interests of justice — motions that the Supreme Court routinely grants,” prosecutors wrote in a court filing signed by U.S. Atty. Jeanine Pirro.
Juries in Washington convicted the Proud Boys and Oath Keepers leaders of orchestrating violent plots to stop the peaceful transfer of power after Trump’s 2020 election loss to Democratic President Biden.
Kunzelman and Richer write for the Associated Press.
