Criminal Justice Quote: Man Lured Boys By Posing as Woman on Craigslist

     A Tustin, California man arrested for allegedly posting an ad on Craigslist in which he attempted to lure teenage boys by pretending to be a woman was released from jail on October 18, 2014…Sherwin Ngo, 34, posted bond a day after he was arrested by Irvine police…

     The mother of one of the alleged victims, a 15-year-old boy, found explicit emails on her son's computer…A 16-year-old from Mission Viejo has been identified as a second victim…

     Irvine police arrested Ngo on suspicion of committing a lewd act on one of the teens and an attempted lewd act on the other. Detectives suspect there may be additional victims based on emails seized during a search of Ngo's online accounts.

Scott Glover, "Irvine Police Say Man Posed as Woman on Craigslist to Lure Teen Boys," L.A. Now, October 18, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Rape Fugitive Caught

     Accused child rapist Gregory Lewis, the subject of a multi-state manhunt, was arrested on October 28, 2014 in upstate New York after fleeing from the police then crashing his vehicle into a river…Police said a New York Police trooper attempted to pull over Lewis' vehicle because it was missing a license plate. Lewis fled from the trooper and drove into Fort Edward Village…The trooper and Fort Edward Village police began searching for Lewis. A short time later a 911 call came in indicating that a vehicle had crashed into a river.

     Lewis was taken into custody at the scene of the crash. At that time the arresting officers recovered a handgun from the fugitive.

     Lewis had cut off a court-ordered ankle bracelet and fled Massachusetts after his September 2014 arraignment on two counts of statutory rape of a child and indecent assault and battery on a child under 14. He is accused of going on a multi-state crime spree in the weeks since that included alleged sexual assaults, kidnappings, and robberies.

"Fugitive Captured: Southbridge Man Accused of Child Rape Caught in New York," October 29, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Lewd in LA

     "Django Unchanged" actress Daniele Watts and her boyfriend have been charged with one count each of lewd conduct…If found guilty, both Watts and her boyfriend, Brian James Lucas, could face a maximum of six months in jail and a $1,000 fine.

     The charges stem from an incident that took place in September 2014 outside CBS Studio Center in Studio City, California. Officers with the Los Angeles Police Department received calls that the couple was having sex in a parked car. The African-American actress and her white boyfriend accused police of racism for questioning them in what they said was only a public display of affection.

     Watts, a native of Atlanta, made her feature film debut in 2012 as Coco in the Oscar-nominated "Django Unchained."

"Actress, Boyfriend Charged With Lewd Conduct," CNN, October 22, 2014 

Drug Bust at John Wayne Airport

     Federal agents conducted a major drug arrest at a southern California airport that netted thousands of ecstasy pills…On October 9, 2014, Krista Marieann Boseley, 30, and Gilles Lapointe, 61, were arrested upon landing at John Wayne Airport in Orange County, California. A consensual search of their aircraft led to drug dogs discovering 50,000 ecstasy pills and 90 pounds of raw MDMA, also known as "molly."

     Boseley and Lapointe also had $20,000 in cash, which they claim had been won from a Las Vegas casino. According to Orange County officials, the private plane transporting Boseley and Lapointe had previously been linked to drug trafficking allegations, and authorities had automatically marked it for search upon entering U.S. airspace from Canada.

     Boseley, an aspiring model, previously worked as a real estate agent. However, her model listing has been taken down….

Christian Datoc, "Private Plane Caught Carrying 50,000 Ecstasy Pills, 90 Pounds of MDA," The Daily Caller, October 18, 2014 

Can Police Officers Be Trusted with Seized Cellphones?

     A California Highway Patrol Officer suspected of stealing nude photos from the cellphones of women arrested on drunken driving charges sent the pictures to at least two fellow officers…Officer Sean Harrington, 35, confessed to investigators that he sent such photos at least six times over several years to colleagues…

     Harrington has worked for the CHP for five years…He is assigned to administrative duties pending the investigation. Contra County prosecutors say they expect to announce if they will file criminal charges in the coming days. Officers Robert Hazelwood and Dion Simmons are named in the October 24, 2014 search warrant affidavit, suspected of receiving the photographs and exchanging banter with Harrington…

     CHP Commissioner Joe Farrow said in a statement that his agency has launched an investigation, citing a similar case several years ago involving two officers in Los Angeles…The investigation was sparked by a 23-year-old San Ramon woman arrested August 29, 2014 on suspicion of drunken driving…She later discovered nude photographs of herself had been sent from her cellphone to an unfamiliar number. Drunken driving charges against the woman have been dismissed in light of the investigation of officer Harrington…

     Harrington also sent officer Hazelwood photos of a 19-year-old woman arrested following a suspected drunken driving crash in Livermore, California on August 7, 2014. The photos show her wearing a bikini. Hazelwood responded in a text asking if there were any nude photos…

     Darryl Holcombe, a senior investigator with the Contra County District Attorney's Office said Harrington's behavior amounts to felony computer theft. Attorney Rick Madsen, who represents the 23-year-old woman, said the officers' communications were "dehumanizing" and "horribly offensive" to his client, saying, "It's going to lead to another level of mistrust and skepticism of law enforcement in general."

"California Traffic Cop Accused of Sending Nude Photos From Female Drunk Drivers' Cellphones," The Daily Mail, October 25, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Honey Boo Boo Gets TV Bye-Bye

     The Learning Channel (TLC) has given "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" the boot after a story surfaced Thursday October 23, 2014 claiming that June Shannon--aka Mama June--was dating a convicted child molester. Shannon reacted to the news in a video posted on her daughter Alana "Honey Boo Boo" Thompson's Facebook page…Shannon denied she was dating Mark McDaniel, a sex offender who was recently released from jail. "The statement of me dating a sex offender is totally untrue," she said.

     McDaniel, who is in his early 50s, was convicted on May 20, 2004 of aggravated child molestation. He registered as a sex offender in March 2014. Shannon wrote a Facebook post on Thursday October 23 that she dated and dumped McDaniel 10 years ago. "I would never put my my kids in danger," she said in the video post.

    TMZ reported that McDaniel went to prison for molesting a relative of Shannon's. The site posted a photo of Shannon and McDaniel together, but Shannon insisted that the photograph was a fake. The cancellation of the TV series, however, is real…

     "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" debuted in August 2012. The show focused on the life of Alana Thompson, who rose to fame as a child pageant winner on the TLC show "Toddlers & Tiaras." In recent seasons, ratings for "Boo Boo" had decreased significantly. An episode in June 2014 brought in just 1.7 million viewers, a big drop for a show that had seen 3.2 million viewers at its peak.

" 'Honey Boo Boo' Canceled Amid Sex Offender Scandal," Fox News, October 24, 2014

     

Criminal Justice Quote: Collateral Damage in the Hunt for a Cop Killer

     James Tully, who doesn't own a car and who walks 5 miles to work every day, has been mistaken for Eric Frein, the Pennsylvania cop killer, more than 20 times by heavily-armed law enforcement officers scouring the Pocono Mountain region. On at least one occasion, Tully, 39, claims he was forced to the ground and had a rifle pointed at his head by an officer as he walked to his job along a heavily wooded road near where Frein is believed to be hiding…

     Hundreds of law enforcement officers descended on the area to search for Frein, who they say shot and killed corporal Bryon Dickson and wounded Trooper Alex Douglas in a ambush September 12, 2014 outside the Blooming Grove state police barracks in Pike County. Frein, a 31-year-old survivalist and expert marksman, has managed to evade capture in the dense woods of the Poconos--despite multiple reported sightings of him by police and local residents…

     Tully, a father of two who lives in Frein's hometown of Canadensis, was stopped by police so many times he started carrying his driver's license and work identification around his neck…After Tully left work Friday night October 17, 2014, he was stopped by an officer dressed in camouflage and a tactical vest and holding a rifle..."He yelled at me to get down on the ground with my arms out wide and demanded my name," Tully said. Tully said the man ripped the lanyard from around his neck as he drove his knee into his back…

     Tully said he was not released until a state trooper told the other officer that Tully was telling the truth. Tully limped the rest of the way home…

     Shortly after the encounter, Tully had trouble and was taken to the hospital where doctors told him his ribs were bruised as a result of the incident…He hopes the police will pay for X-rays and the time he was absent from work. [Good luck with that, Mr. Tully.]

     The Pennsylvania state police, meanwhile, claim they have no knowledge of the incident…

"Police Repeatedly Mistake Pennsylvania Man For Suspected Cop Killer Eric Frein," Fox News, October 24, 2014



     

Whackademia Quote: Phantom Courses for College Athletes

     On October 22, 2014, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill said it will discipline nine more employees for an academic fraud that spanned 18 years and made it easier for student athletes to maintain eligibility to play. The school, which has won five national basketball championships, released the results of an independent investigation into the fraud in which 3,100 students took so-called "paper classes"--with no faculty involvement or class attendance. Almost half of the students were athletes…

     A series of probes that began in 2010 revealed the university had improperly cut corners for years to help student-athletes get better grades. The scandal has roiled the campus and drawn harsh national spotlight, shaking up the football program and leading to the resignation of former Chancellor Holden Thorp, who departed last year…

     The latest investigation is the result of information that emerged from a criminal probe by the Orange County District Attorney in North Carolina, where UNC at Chapel Hill is located. The DA last year dropped charges against Julius Nyang' oro, former chairman of the African and Afro-American Studies department that is at the center of the scandal, after he began cooperating with authorities.

    Nyang' oro had been charged with obtaining property under false pretenses after the university released a report in December 2012 that found the black studies department had offered courses where classes didn't meet and made unauthorized grade changes. The criminal charge was linked to payments the professor received for courses he never taught….

Michael McDonald, "UNC Academic Fraud Spanned 18 Years, Involved 3,100 Students," October 22, 2014

     

Criminal Justice Quote: Another White House Fence Jumper

     A man who jumped the White House fence Wednesday night October 22, 2014 suffers from mental problems. According to his father, he has been arrested there before. Dominic Adesanya of Bel Air, Maryland, barely made it onto the lawn before he was subdued as he fought two police dogs…"Dogs got him," a Secret Service spokesman said. His father said his son is paranoid and hears voices.

     Adesanya was arrested near the White House about two months ago and charged with a misdemeanor…

     In the latest incident, before officers moved in, Adesanya kicked a K-9 unit dog and punched another one. The two dogs were treated by a vet for injuries suffered in the incident. Charges against the White House intruder are pending….

"Latest White House Fence Jumper Has Mental Problems, Father Says," CNN, October 23, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Child Porn Producer Gets 20 Years

     A man will spend 20 years in federal prison for taking pictures of himself molesting a sleeping 11-year-old boy…Todd Lapping, 40, of Millcreek Township, was sentenced on October 20, 2014 by a federal judge in Erie, Pennsylvania. He had pleaded guilty in June to producing and possession child pornography and faced a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison…

     Lapping had befriended the boy's family before molesting the youth, saying, "There isn't anything much worse than taking advantage of an 11-year-old boy who loves you."

     Authorities were alerted when the victim's sister found the pornographic photos on Lapping's computer last year. The boy's mother contacted police in the Erie suburb before federal authorities took over the case.

"Man Gets 20 Years for Porn With Sleeping Boy," Associated Press, October 22, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Random Attacks on College Students by Roving Gangs

     Over the first two weekends in October 2014, groups of young men have been roving the streets and beating people completely at random near the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Police say the beat downs are consistent with initiations by big city street gangs--a phenomenon not typically seen on most Big 10 campuses…

     The attackers--described as black, perhaps 25 years old, wearing dark clothes--prowled aound an area in Champaign, tackling various innocent and unsuspecting victims to the ground and kicking them in the head. Police say five students suffered injuries in four different attacks. Three of the students received treatment for bruises, cuts and facial wounds…One student also had a cell phone stolen. 

     Some victims say their attackers asked them a question or threatened them before the pummeling began. Other victims say they just got attacked. Each incident occurred on a residential street in front of witnesses. There were six to eight attackers in total. They cruised around in a blue vehicle looking for victims. There have been 45 assaults reported in the Champaign-Urbana metropolitan area since October 1, 2014….

Eric Owens, "Black Males Are Viciously Beating People at Random at the University of Illinois," The Daily Caller, October 17, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Shooter Attacks Police in Three Towns

     Police in Washington state say a man opened fire on police stations and police cars in three towns Wednesday evening October 25, 2014 before being shot and arrested. The Snohomish County Sheriff's Office said the first series of attacks took place at 9:30 PM, when an unmanned patrol car was shot at from a white pickup truck in the town of Great Falls. A few minutes later, police in Lake Stevens reported that their headquarters were being fired upon…Police cars were targeted in Lake Stevens as well.

     A short time after that, police officers located the truck and chased the suspect into the town of Marysville, where he shot at another patrol car before he was wounded and taken into custody early Thursday October 16…

     Lake Stevens Police Commander Dennis Taylor said the man was apparently armed with a "high-capacity" rifle. Taylor added that "many shots were fired and said that the police vehicles were hit several times.

"Man Opens Fire on Police Stations, Patrol Cars in Washington," Fox News, October 16, 2014

Whackademia Quote: Louisiana Biology Teacher Accused of Sex With Student

     Authorities say a private school biology teacher accused of having a sexual encounter with a 16-year-old student has been arrested…A Pointe Coupee Parish Sheriff's Office spokesperson said 27-year-old Nick Dominque, of Ventress, Louisiana was booked into jail on October 10, 2014 on counts of indecent behavior with a juvenile and oral sexual battery.

     Nick Dominque had been teaching 75 students in his second year at False River Academy when the allegations surfaced in late September 2014. The teacher has since been fired.

"Biology Teacher Allegedly Had Sexual Encounter With Student," The Associated Press, October 14, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: The Native American Casino War

     A federal judge closed a central California casino after an armed showdown between tribal factions caused many gamblers to flee with chips left on the tables. U.S. District Judge Lawrence O'Neill, acting on an emergency request by the state attorney general, set no date for the possible reopening of the Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino in Coarsegold 40 miles north of Fresno…The National Indian Gaming Commission also ordered the casino closed, declaring a threat to public safety that could result in serious injury or death.

     A faction that was forced out of the casino to a nearby tribal business center in August 2014 returned Thursday night October 9, 2014. According to the gaming commission, each faction controlled different parts of the casino…Madera County Sheriff John Anderson said about 500 people fled the casino. He said he worried for weeks about escalating tensions and had asked state and federal officials for help.

     The sheriff's department negotiated with about 20 armed tribal members after the casino cleared…There were no arrests, and no one was injured seriously enough to be hospitalized. "When they move the war into the casino, it meant we had to stop this. We have not been getting closer to a solution. If anything, we have gotten father away."

     The casino and hotel were guarded by sheriff's deputies…Vernon king, treasurer for the tribal council led by the faction that was ousted from the casino, said his group wanted to recover audit information and avoid a shutdown later this month. The casino, he said, employs 1,000 to 1,500 people and provides an average of around $450 a month to each of the 900 tribal members.

     Rob Rosette, a lawyer for the group that has controlled the casino since August 2014, said the other faction refused offers to negotiate for several months. Madera County Supervisor Tom Wheeler said the economic impact of the hotel and casino closure will be devastating. Still, he said he was more concerned about the potential for violence and that he had urged authorities to close the casino immediately.

"California Casino Is Closed After Armed Standoff," ABC News, October 10, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Knife-Wielding Degenrates Randomly Invade Home.

     Two young men broke into a randomly chosen suburban Seattle home and attacked an 18-year-old victim with knives. The assailants have been sentenced to more than 25 years each…Vincent Sisounong, 22, and 20-year-old Blessing Gainey earlier pleaded guilty to attempted first-dgree murder and first-degree burglary. They were sentenced Friday October 10, 2014.

     Prosecutors say the two were motivated by "pleasure and greed" when they attacked the teen who was staying at his family's Kirkland, Washington home on October 12, 2013. The victim, Deep Rewat, suffered severe cuts to his leg, shoulder and head and underwent surgery at Harborview Medical Center.

     Superior Court Judge Jean Rietschel called the crime "absolutely horrifying." A prosecutor told the judge the victim would have died had he not escaped and sought help from a neighbor. Outside the courtroom, Rewat said the sentencing was "definitely a big step in moving forward."

"2 Men Who Attacked Teen With Knives Gets 25 Years," chron.com, October 11, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: The Hidden Locker Room Videos Case

     A man and a woman face more than 250 felonies for allegedly putting cameras in Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin locker rooms. Melissa Wenckebach, 28, and Karl Landt, 36, were charged in the spring of 2014 with 37 counts of conspiring to capture an image of nudity without consent, and 214 counts were added against each of them Thursday October 9, 2014.

     The investigation began in April 2014 after Wenckebach was allegedly discovered with a camera in a Pleasant Prairie recreational facility locker room. She confessed to police that she had been recording people changing at Landt's request…She told police they had been in a relationship. They both worked at Uline corporate headquarters in Pleasant Prairie. Later, Wenckebach told investigators she had also placed cameras in locker rooms at work. Wenckebach placed cameras at the recreational facility 40 to 50 times over a four month period and at Uline for more than two years.

     Police seized computers and digital storage devices found at Landt's Waukegan, Illinois home, recovering dozens of videos. The 214 new charges stem from those videos. Both suspects remain out of custody on bond…

"Pair Face 250 Felonies Over Locker Room Cameras," Associated Press, October 11, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Teen Commits Execution Style Murder

     Witnesses told police that a Cheyenne, Wyoming man with a gunshot wound to his stomach was begging for his life when a 16-year-old who had opened fire into a group of teens shot him in the head at point-blank range.

     Philip Sam was in court Wednesday October 8, 2014 on a first-degree murder charge in the death of 19-year-old Tyler Burns. He is being tried as an adult. Sam was at a park the previous Sunday night for a fight. He fired his gun at a group of teens that had gathered there. One of the bullets hit Burns in the stomach. The suspect told a detective that he shot Burns in the head because he didn't want him to suffer.

"Wyoming Teen Shot Man Who Was Begging For His Life," Associated Press, October 9, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: A Pervert on the Loose in Austin, Texas

     Austin, Texas police officers are looking for someone who throws urine-filled bottles at women. Police say a group of women reported a few weeks ago that someone in a dark-colored Jeep Wrangler drove past them and hurled a bottle containing urine. One of the woman was hurt…

     Another woman the bottle-thrower targeted on Wednesday October 8, 2014 described a similar vehicle. She wasn't injured.

     The incidents have occurred about a block apart in a neighborhood west of the University of Texas campus. [Detectives should start polygraphing professors. Just kidding.]

"Austin Police Looking for Someone Tossing Bottles of Urine at Women," Associated Press, October 11, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: No More High School Football This Year in Sayresville, New Jersey

     Seven teenaged high school football players in New Jersey have been charged with sex crimes in connection with an apparent team hazing ritual…Six members of the Sayresville War Memorial High School charged were arrested on Friday night October 10, 2014. A seventh suspect surrendered to the authorities the next day…

   Three of the teens were charged with aggravated sexual assault, aggravated sexual conduct, conspiracy to commit aggravated criminal sexual conduct, criminal restraint, and hazing for engaging in an act of sexual penetration upon one of the juvenile victims. One defendant and four others were charged with various other counts including aggravated assault, conspiracy, aggravated criminal sexual contact, hazing and riot in connection with four separate incidents that took place at the school in September 2014.

     The Sayresville team is a powerhouse in New Jersey football, with three state titles in the past four years…

"Seven Teens Charged With Sex Crimes in Football Hazing Case," The Times of India, October 12, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Couple Charged With Fatal Poisoning of Disabled Child

     A woman and her boyfriend were charged with murder Tuesday October 7, 2014 after police said they put alcohol in the IV tube of the woman's disabled 13-year-old son, killing him. Melissa Robitille and Walter Richter III of Hardwick, Vermont were charged with second-degree murder in the death of Isaac Robitille. Melissa Robitille called police August 22, 2014 to report that Isaac was dead.

     Isaac Robitille was born with significant medical conditions and multiple disabilities that required caretakers, feeding tubes and IV tubes…Robitille and Richter, both 38, were charged with using the IV tube to administer alcohol to the boy, leading to his death. An autopsy by the state medical examiner's office found the victim's blood-alcohol content was 0.146 percent, nearly twice the legal limit for adults to drive.

     Isaac's health conditions included a brain abnormality that was listed as the cause of death, with the alcohol listed as a contributing factor…

"Couple Held in Boy's Alcohol Death," Associated Press, October 8, 2014 

Writing Quote: The Young Adult Literature Boom

     These days, you don't have to be a parent to be familiar with popular teen book titles like Harry Potter, The Hunger Games or Twilight. These titles have sold millions of copies of books and spawned merchandise empires, been adopted into blockbuster films, and have permeated our pop-culture lives.

     Young adult literature is a booming business and has been one of the fastest growing book categories for publishers in recent years with more than 715 million books sold in 2013…Even though this genre is aimed at audiences 12 to 18, more non-teenagers are picking up these titles. In fact, a 2014 report showed that 77 percent of young adult literature buyers were actually adults, with the largest segment of buyers--43 percent, ages 18 to 29…And given the difficult economic climate the publishing industry has faced over the last few years, more young adult buyers has been a blessing…

Tracy Wholf, "Why Adults are Buzzing About Young Adult Literature," PBS News Hour, October 4, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: Police Sting Teacher Looking For Sex With 15-year-old

     A western Pennsylvania high school choral teacher has been accused of traveling to West Virginia hoping to meet a 15-year-old girl for sex. Instead, police, after monitoring his online attempts, took Daniel McGarvey, 44, into custody.

     McGarvey is a choral teacher at the Laurel Highlands School District near Uniontown. He was arrested Friday October 3, 2014 by Bridgeport, West Virginia police when he arrived there expecting to meet a girl he thought he had contacted online. An investigator had been corresponding with McGarvey after seeing his social media posts soliciting sex…

"Teacher Held in Sex Case," Associated Press, October 7, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Militarizing the Coroner's Office

     A Defense Department giveaway program that equips local police with surplus military weapons also supplies guns to government agencies with limited law enforcement powers and a questionable need for high-powered firearms. [The coroner's office doesn't need low-powered guns.]

     An Arkansas Coroner got a rifle, a handgun and a Humvee. Military-grade weapons also have gone to agencies that enforce gaming laws at Kansas tribal casinos, weigh 18-wheelers in Mississippi, and investigate livestock thefts in Wyoming. While most of the weapons go to municipal police departments and county sheriffs [they don't need this stuff either], an Associated Press review of the Pentagon's 1033 Program shows that a diverse array of other state and local agencies have scooped up guns and other military surplus equipment.

"Even a Coroner Gets Surplus Military Guns," Associated Press, October 7, 2014 

The First Law School Casualty of the Lawyer Glut

     The Western Michigan University Thomas M. Cooley School of Law publicly announced that it intends to shut down its campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan at the end of 2014…The announcement makes it the first law school to close amid a severe downturn in applications and enrollment at the nations's approximately 200 law schools…

     Long a major avenue for young Americans aspiring to the upper middle class or seasoned adults seeking a career change, law school has been hit by a crisis that has sent application and matriculation numbers into free fall. The largest factor is a saturation of the legal field, as the country's 204 ABA-accredited law schools produce far more JDs than there are legal jobs open to accept them. Rapidly rising tuition rates and relatively stagnant earnings for lawyers have played a role as well.

     Law school matriculations have declined nationwide (falling from over 50,000 to under 40,000), but Cooley's fall has been exceptionally dramatic. In 2010 the school enrolled 1583 first-year students at its three campuses; by the fall of 2013 that number cratered all the way to 582. Since Cooley relies primarily on tuition dollars to stay open, its shrinking body has wreaked havoc on school finances….

Blake Neff, "Cooley Becomes First Casualty of Law School Crisis," The Daily Caller, October 7, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: Bad Timing in Teacher-Student Sex Case

     A Pennsylvania high school substitute English teacher will strand trial on charges she had sex with two 18-yeasr-old students days before they graduated in the Spring of 2014. But defense attorney Michael DeRiso said Tiffany Leiseth, 26, didn't commit a crime because the students were also "adults" under the law and therefore old enough to consent.

     Moon Township police and Allegheny County prosecutors disagree with the defense attorney's interpretation of the law. They argue that the young men, at the time of the alleged offenses, were still students even though classes at New Brighton High School had ended.

     In Pennsylvania, sex between a student and a teacher is a third-degree felony, regardless of the student's age. [The crime carries a sentence of up to 7 years in prison.]

     Tiffany Leiseth no longer works for the school district and will surrender her state teaching license.

"Substitute Teacher Heads to Trial in Student Sex Case," Associated Press, October 2, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: The Big Party at Colorado State University

      Authorities say some people threw bottles and tore down street signs after police encountered a crowd of 300 or 400 students at the scene of a house party near the campus of Colorado State University. No injuries or arrests were reported in the confrontation. Fort Collins police officers responded to the party at eleven at night on Saturday October 4, 2004.

     Police say the officers called for backup, but by the time the other officers arrived most of the crowd had dispersed.

     Fort Collins police were called to the same area in April 2014 when a party of 20 or so people swelled into an unruly crowd of 200.

"Police Find Big Crowd at House Party Near Campus," Associated Press, October 5, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Congressional Impostor Gets Access to the President

     In the midst of several Secret Service scandals, including the ability of an intruder to make it past the front doors of the White House, a new incident has surfaced. A man pretending to be Congressman Donald Payne Jr. (D-NJ) was able to pass through security and mingle with other lawmakers at an event where the president was speaking.

     The fake congressman was screened for weapons, but it was a White House aide who recognized the man was an impostor. He was forced to leave the premises. Interestingly, the man wasn't stopped by the Secret Service during his exit for further questioning about the incident…

     Following a September 30, 2014 hearing on Capitol Hill, Secret Service Director Julia Pierson resigned. She has been replaced by retired Secret Service agent Joseph Clancy.

"Man Posing as Lawmaker Cons Secret Service Backstage at Obama Speech," Daily News Digest, October 4, 2014  

Criminal Justice Quote: Fired UPS Employee Kills Two Fellow Workers Then Himself

     Fired a day earlier from UPS, 45-year-old Kerry Joe Tesney put on his work uniform, drove to an Birmingham, Alabama packaging center and evaded security by entering through a truck door in the rear of the warehouse. He shot two UPS employees dead within minutes of entering the building on Tuesday September 23, 2014. Police officers found Tesney in the warehouse lying dead on top of his gun…

     Tesney was married and had two children. The family had been active members of the NorthPark Baptist Church in the Birmingham suburb of Trussville…

     Besides working for UPS, Trasney and his wife were distributors for Advocare, a multi-level marketing company that sells health and fitness products. They have a website advertising the business that says: "Just tell us your needs, your dreams, your desires…and we'll make it happen!"

"Fired UPS Employee Kills 2 Ex-Colleagues," Associated Press, September 24, 2014  

Criminal Justice Quote: BTK Killer Working on Ghostwritten Memoir

     The BTK [Bind, Torture and Kill] serial killer says he's read A Good Marriage, the Stephen King novella inspired by his crimes, and is working on a book himself. Dennis Rader, 69, who killed ten people between 1974 and 1991…revealed that he's cooperating with an author writing a book about him…Rader's 36-year-old daughter, Kerri Rawson…said Stephen King is "exploiting my fathers's 10 victims and their families." She said that knowing that he inspired King's story will only give her father a "big head" because he's a fan of King's work…

     Rader said he's been corresponding with author Katherine Ramsland, a professor of forensic psychology at DeSales University in Pennsylvania. She's written 54 books, mostly academic, and said her project isn't like the salacious books that came out shortly after the BTK killer was apprehended. "I'm trying to make this a serious effort that will have some benefit for people who study this kind of crime," she said…

     "People like me need to be understood," Rader said, "so the criminal professional field can better understand the criminal mind. That would be my way of helping society." [What a load of crap. Serial killers like Rader are beyond understanding by normal people. Once convicted they should be disposed of and forgotten.]

Margaret Hartman, "The BTK Serial Killer is Working on a Book," New York Magazine, October 6, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Naked and Disorderly in Atlanta

     Atlanta police responded to a naked man acting erratically at an Atlanta airport gate. To subdue the man the officers had to shock him with a Taser. The naked 23-year-old man was at a Delta gate in the A Concourse of the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport Thursday morning October 2, 2014. When the officers tried to calm this man down he kept yelling and resisting their attempts to take him into custody.

     The disturbed man was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for medical observation. The authorities charged him with disorderly conduct. [Naked men in public behaving badly are usually schizophrenic or on bath salts or meth.]

Naked Man Shot with Taser at Airport, Fox News, October 2, 2014 

CJ Quote: Meth on Wheels

     Seventeen people in Denver have been indicted for their involvement in a drug ring where the defendants are accused of selling and distributing methamphetamine. One of the subjects is accused of selling meth out of a taco trailer. "The brazenness of this ring was astounding," Attorney General John Suthers said. "For example, customers could literally walk up to a food trailer and order a side of meth with their taco."

     Juan Carlos Gonzales, 37, is accused of leading the Gonzales Drug Trafficking Organization. According to the indictment, Gonzales coordinated with others to import meth and cocaine from Mexico into California for delivery in Colorado. Oscar Ruvalcaba, 28, is accused of being the "load car" driver who brought the drugs into Colorado and delivered them to Gonzales. In August 2014 the authorities seized 55 pounds of meth from Ruvalcaba's car--some of which was hidden in the floor of a red Mini Cooper…

     When Gonzales received the drugs…he would distribute them to his aunts--as well as others in the ring--for sale. One member of the ring, identified as Maria Areliano, 39, is accused of selling meth out of  her taco trailer in the area of 8th Avenue and Federal Boulevard. The taco trailer transactions involved code words indicating what amount of meth would be needed. "In this case, we heard language like, 'six pack' and 'yellow cups' to set up their transactions," Deputy Attorney General Matthew Durkin said….

"Attorney General: Food Truck Sells Tacos With 'A Side of Meth'", KUSA News, September 23, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: Are Students Wasting Their Time Dissecting Cats?

     A former English teacher at Newport Harbor [California] High School is suing Newport-Mesa Unified School District alleging that district administrators retaliated against her after she publicly questioned the need for students to dissect cat carcasses.

     Karen Coyne claims in her Orange County Superior Court lawsuit that the district and several employees created a hostile work environment, violated her free speech and assigned her another job without her consent. Coyne is seeking a year's salary and benefits, which amounts to about $84,000, plus unspecified damages for emotional distress and pain and suffering…

     Coyne, a vegan and animal rights activist, was the advisor for the school's Compassion in Action Club, an animal advocacy organization, during her decade at Newport Harbor High School. The lawsuit, filed on September 9, 2014, claims that students had complained to Coyne for years about animal dissection in science and anatomy classes.

     In September 2011, then Principal Michael Vossen sent an email to the school staff that mentioned cat dissections being "a necessary skill in preparing our future surgeons." [What an idiotic rationale for the classroom cutting up of cats.] The principal accused Coyne of rallying her students against dissection.

     In May 2012, Coyne was informed that her teaching schedule had changed for the upcoming school year and that she would not longer have time to advise the student club. She also was directed by district staff to stop discussing the dissection issue….

"Orange County Teacher Opposed to Cat Dissections Sues School," Los Angeles Times, September 19, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Pastor Traps Thief

     Tired of getting his packages stolen off his doorstep, a pastor decided to put a stop to the perpetrator's thieving ways…Benny Homes, a pastor from the Church of New Beginnings in Baytown, Texas, was reportedly at his wits end when two packages delivered to his front doorstep disappeared. According to his wife, Pat Homes, the pastor opted to take matters in his own hand rather than involve the police…

     Pastor Homes decided to concoct a plan to catch the thief who stole the packages that included the pastor's new robe. Based on surveillance footage he knew the thief was a woman…

     The pastor's plan involved placing fake boxes that appeared to be newly delivered packages on his front porch. He then hid and waited for the thief to take the bait…The moment the woman approached the porch and checked out the packages, Homes…captured the lady.

     The package thief was later identified as Laurie Ferguson, a 52-year-old grandmother. Despite having been caught in the act, Ferguson feigned innocence…She claimed to be looking for her dog…Armed with a pistol, Homes ordered the woman to lie on the ground. He then called the police…

     Two of Ferguson's grandchildren were discovered waiting for her in the backseat of her car. A search of the suspect's home revealed thirty stolen items….

"Pastor Catches Thieving Grandmother," chinatopix.com, September 22, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Baby on Board (But in the Trunk)

     One mom faces child abuse charges after police found her 5-month-old child in her vehicle's trunk during a traffic stop. Police in south Florida tried to pull over her vehicle, but 19-year-old Breona Watkins kept driving. When she stopped, the deputy heard a baby crying in the trunk.

     According to the arrest report, the child was lying on top of a pair of hedge clippers and was surrounded by dangerous objects including a gas can and other debris. Watkins told authorities that she asked her 14-year-old passenger to slide the baby into the trunk through a back seat panel because she didn't want to get ticketed for not having a car seat. Watkins remains jailed on $7,000 bond.

"Mom Drove With Baby in Trunk to Avoid Ticket," theindychannel.com, September 29, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: Female Band Teacher Accused of Sex With Student

     A former middle school band teacher has been arrested for allegedly having sex with a 14-Year-old student. Bridgett Szychulski was the band teacher for the Lenape Middle School in Doylestown, Pennsylvania. Police say the alleged sexual offenses occurred in 2012.

     The suspect was arraigned before a Bucks County district judge on September 16, 2014 on charges of deviate sexual intercourse, statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault.

"Middle School Band Teacher Accused of Sex With Student," ABC News, September 16, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Fire the Secret Service Director and Her Top Management

     An armed man who jumped the White House fence in September 2014 made it far deeper into the mansion than previously disclosed, overpowering a Secret Service agent inside the North Portico entrance and running through the ceremonial East Room before he was tackled…

     The intruder, Omar J. Gonzales, who was armed with a knife, was stopped as he tried to ener the Green Room, a parlor used for receptions and teas…Earlier, Secret Service officials indicated that Mr. Gonzales, 42, had only made it steps inside the North Portico after running through the door.

     The new development, first reported by The Washington Post, raised immediate questions about whether the Secret Service had been forthright in its initial accounts of the episode. It will set the stage for an explosive congressional hearing on Tuesday, September 30, 2014 when lawmakers say they intend to grill Julia Pierson, the director of the Secret Service, about whether an undisciplined culture inside the agency has eroded its ability to protect the president and his family.

     The hearing is to focus on a series of security embarrassments over the last several years, including a breach that occurred when a couple crashed a state dinner in 2009, a 2011 incident when bullets struck the White House, scandals involving drinking and prostitution on overseas trips in 2012 and 2013, and 16 separate cases of people scaling the White House fence in the last five years. Ms. Pierson became director in 2013.

Michael D. Shear and Michael S. Schmidt, "Armed Intruder at White House Got to East Room," The New York Times, September 29, 2014