Pussy Riot Members Appeal Convictions

Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot.

A lawyer for members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot has appealed their convictions on charges of "hooliganism" for a protest against President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral earlier this year, Reuters reports, even as the musicians say they're more committed than ever to seeking the removal of Putin.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were each sentenced to two years in prison August 17th for their February "punk-prayer" demonstration in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral. Their lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, said he doubts the court will reverse the convictions. "If the court abides by the law it would throw out the verdict," Polozov said. "But being realists, understanding all the efforts the state has put into this case, we think it's unlikely the verdict will be overturned."

Musicians including Paul McCartney, Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have expressed support for Pussy Riot in a case that has drawn widespread criticism for being a politically motivated show trial intended to suppress dissent against Putin. 

Police in Russia had been seeking additional members of Pussy Riot, two of whom fled the country over the weekend. One of the jailed rockers, Samutsevich, told The Guardian that the trial strengthened their resolve to push for change.

"Our verdict shows just how scared Putin's regime is of anyone who can undermine its legitimacy," she said, in response to written questions the newspaper submitted through the band's lawyer.

Samutsevich said the future of Pussy Riot is uncertain for now, though their commitment to political reform has only grown stronger. "We, along with many citizens of our country, are burning even more with the desire to finally take from Putin his monopoly on power, since his image no longer seems so total and terrible," she said.

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Pussy Riot Members Appeal Convictions

Maria Alyokhina, Yekaterina Samutsevich and Nadezhda Tolokonnikova of Pussy Riot.

A lawyer for members of Russian punk band Pussy Riot has appealed their convictions on charges of "hooliganism" for a protest against President Vladimir Putin in a Moscow cathedral earlier this year, Reuters reports, even as the musicians say they're more committed than ever to seeking the removal of Putin.

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, 22, Maria Alyokhina, 24, and Yekaterina Samutsevich, 30, were each sentenced to two years in prison August 17th for their February "punk-prayer" demonstration in Moscow's Christ the Savior Cathedral. Their lawyer, Nikolai Polozov, said he doubts the court will reverse the convictions. "If the court abides by the law it would throw out the verdict," Polozov said. "But being realists, understanding all the efforts the state has put into this case, we think it's unlikely the verdict will be overturned."

Musicians including Paul McCartney, Madonna and the Red Hot Chili Peppers have expressed support for Pussy Riot in a case that has drawn widespread criticism for being a politically motivated show trial intended to suppress dissent against Putin. 

Police in Russia had been seeking additional members of Pussy Riot, two of whom fled the country over the weekend. One of the jailed rockers, Samutsevich, told The Guardian that the trial strengthened their resolve to push for change.

"Our verdict shows just how scared Putin's regime is of anyone who can undermine its legitimacy," she said, in response to written questions the newspaper submitted through the band's lawyer.

Samutsevich said the future of Pussy Riot is uncertain for now, though their commitment to political reform has only grown stronger. "We, along with many citizens of our country, are burning even more with the desire to finally take from Putin his monopoly on power, since his image no longer seems so total and terrible," she said.

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Michael Jackson Doctor Seeks Appeal for Manslaughter Conviction

Dr. Conrad Murray sits in court after he was sentenced for the involuntary manslaughter of singer Michael Jackson.Mario Anzuoni-Pool/Getty Images

Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, has filed legal documents seeking an appeal for his case.

According to the documents filed in Los Angeles, Murray claims that Jackson was so stressed out over his financial difficulties that he self-administered the dose of the sedative Propofol that killed him in 2009.

"[Jackson] was on the verge of losing his entire estate to foreclosure. The pressure to fight through his insomnia, to rehearse and be the entertainer he was in his earlier years was overwhelming," Murray's lawyers wrote. "His motivation and resulting desperation were relevant to show a likelihood or reason to act in a manner inconsistent with good judgment."

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Michael Jackson Doctor Seeks Appeal for Manslaughter Conviction

Dr. Conrad Murray sits in court after he was sentenced for the involuntary manslaughter of singer Michael Jackson.Mario Anzuoni-Pool/Getty Images

Dr. Conrad Murray, the physician convicted of involuntary manslaughter in the death of Michael Jackson, has filed legal documents seeking an appeal for his case.

According to the documents filed in Los Angeles, Murray claims that Jackson was so stressed out over his financial difficulties that he self-administered the dose of the sedative Propofol that killed him in 2009.

"[Jackson] was on the verge of losing his entire estate to foreclosure. The pressure to fight through his insomnia, to rehearse and be the entertainer he was in his earlier years was overwhelming," Murray's lawyers wrote. "His motivation and resulting desperation were relevant to show a likelihood or reason to act in a manner inconsistent with good judgment."

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Phil Spector Appeal Rejected by Supreme Court

Phil Spector listens to the judge during sentencing in Los Angeles Criminal Courts.

The United States Supreme Court has declined to review the murder conviction of Phil Spector. The producer's attorneys argued that his constitutional due process rights were violated when prosecutors used the trial judge's comments about an expert's testimony, effectively making the judge a witness for the prosecution.

The court upheld Spector's second-degree murder conviction for the killing of actress Lana Clarkson, who was shot dead in Spector's suburban Los Angeles home in 2003. The justices did not offer any comment on the ruling by a California appeals court.

Spector's attorneys have been working to strike down his conviction with little success over the past two years. Most recently, the California Supreme Court denied a request to review the case over the same claim of due process rights violations.

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Phil Spector Appeal Rejected by Supreme Court

Phil Spector listens to the judge during sentencing in Los Angeles Criminal Courts.

The United States Supreme Court has declined to review the murder conviction of Phil Spector. The producer's attorneys argued that his constitutional due process rights were violated when prosecutors used the trial judge's comments about an expert's testimony, effectively making the judge a witness for the prosecution.

The court upheld Spector's second-degree murder conviction for the killing of actress Lana Clarkson, who was shot dead in Spector's suburban Los Angeles home in 2003. The justices did not offer any comment on the ruling by a California appeals court.

Spector's attorneys have been working to strike down his conviction with little success over the past two years. Most recently, the California Supreme Court denied a request to review the case over the same claim of due process rights violations.

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