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Friday, February 28, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: America's Top Law Enforcement Official Wants Ex-Felons to Vote

     Attorney General Eric Holder is calling on all states to allow felons to vote after they finish their prison terms. Right now, 11 states, mostly in the south and midwest, permanently ban felons from voting in elections. Massachusetts and New Hampshire restore voting rights to felons after they serve their sentences….

     Holder said the voting restrictions have a disproportionate impact on minorities. Nearly 38 percent of those affected are black….

"Should Convicted Felons be Allowed to Vote?" CBS News, February 12, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Cops Kill Innocent Man As His Wife Looks On

      A disturbing video of a police incident in an Oklahoma parking lot shows a man who  had committed no crime dying after being roughed up and violently restrained by four cops--all while his grief-stricken wife watched in horror. The man, 44-year-old Luis Rodriguez, died in a Moore, Oklahoma movie theater parking lot. Police were responding to a reported domestic disturbance. Rodriguez's wife admitted to slapping the couple's 19-year-old daughter in the face over a disagreement about the girl's behavior. Rodriguez, however, was not involved and had not done anything wrong….

     But when police arrived, they wanted to question Rodriguez. According to the Moore Police Department, Rodriguez was not cooperative, and cops were forced to handcuff and restrain him. [Pursuant to today's highly militarized, hair-trigger form of policing, you have to be very careful around cops. There are many ways they can kill you.]

     Cell phone video shows the immediate aftermath of the restraining process. Several cops can be seen pinning Rodriguez face-down on the ground. One officer kneels on his back while others hold his arms. He does not move or speak at this point, and it's unclear whether he is still alive. The officers seem unaware that anything is wrong, however, and continue to keep him pinned….

     The footage was shot by Mrs. Rodriquez…."You killed my husband!" she shouts, and then begins to cry….

Robby Soave, "Horror: Cops Tackle, Beat, Pepper-Spray, Pin, Suffocate, Kill Innocent Man," The Daily Caller, February 25, 2014

Whackademia Quote: Mindless in Clarksville, Tennessee

     A senior at Northeast High School in Clarksville, Tennessee has been suspended for ten days and faces a multitude of additional punishments including criminal charges because school officials found a knife belonging to his father inside his father's car. The student is David Duren-Sanner….
     Duren-Sanner has sworn he knew nothing about the knife. The boy's father noted that the knife could have easily been wedged between two seats. The incident occurred on Thursday, February 20, 2014….The car the student drove was randomly chosen for a search….The blade on the knife is no longer than three inches. Consequently, school officials consider the knife a dangerous weapon. [Perhaps, but not nearly as dangerous as brain-dead school administrators.]….
Eric Owens, "Student Suspended, Criminally Charged For Fishing Knife Left in Father's Car," The Daily Caller, February 25, 2014 

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Whackademia Quote: College Kid Charged With Knockout Game Assault

     A Massachusetts college sophomore is under arrest for a string of vicious, totally random, "knockout game"-style attacks against three fellow students. Dillon Destefano walked up to three people he didn't know and sucker-punched them in the face….Police say the incidents occurred in the early morning hours of Sunday, February 2 at or near Endicott College, a small private school in a small New England town about 25 miles north of Boston. The victims were walking home.

     Destefano, 19, is a resident of New Jersey. As a freshman he was on the roster of the men's hockey team. Two of Destefano's alleged victims suffered major injuries….The sophomore has pleaded not guilty to the aggravated assault and battery charges against him….

     Destefano, who has been diagnosed with Crohn's disease, had a previous brush with fame about a decade ago when he met hockey great Wayne Gretzky for a portion of a televised Make-a-Wish Foundation Special on ESPN….Destefano was nine-years-old at the time….

Eric Owens, "Make-A-Wish Winner Charged For Brutal "Knockout Game" Attacks," The Daily Caller, February 8, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Happy Birthday Kid

     Police in Filer, Idaho are being criticized for shooting and killing a dog during a birthday party celebration for the owner's 9-year-old son. Neighbors complained that Rick Clubb's dogs were unleashed and on the loose, and police were called to the scene. When officer Tarek Hassani arrived at the Clubb home, he found two of the dogs on the front lawn. They barked at him as he approached the property. He kicked at the dogs, drew his gun and shot one of them dead.

     Clubb was enraged when he learned what had happened. Officer Hassani claims the dog had tried to bite him and put his safety in danger--and it was Clubb's fault for not leasing them. Clubb countered that his dog never would have hurt the officer….

     A dashboard camera captured the incident on video. It's not clear the dog actually tried to bite Hassani, nor is it clear that the dogs were actually obstructing the officer's path to the house, as he claimed….

Robby Soave, "Idaho Policeman Kills Dog at Kid's Birthday Party," The Daily Caller, February 11, 2014 

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Baseball Thugs Sentenced

     Two California men were sentenced to prison on February 20, 2014 for their roles in the severe beating of a San Francisco Giants fan after a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2011. Marvin Norwood, 33, and Louie Sanchez, 31, were sentenced to four years and eight years respectively….

     Now brain-damaged as a result of the beating, the victim is disabled and unable to care for himself…Norwood pleaded guilty to felony assault by means likely to produce great bodily injury. Sanchez pleaded guilty to felony mayhem. In exchange for their guilty pleas, other felony charges were dropped against the defendants. Both men are from Rialto, California….

Michael Martinez, "Dad of Severely Beaten Giants Fan Calls Two Sentenced men 'Cretins'," CNN, February 20, 2014

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Death Penalty Moratorium in Washington State

     Washington Governor Jay Inslee on Tuesday, February 11. 2014, announced a moratorium on the death penalty in the state, saying the use of capital punishment was inconsistent and unequal. The Democrat said his decision came after months of research on current cases, discussions with prosecutors, law enforcement officials, and family members of homicide victims. He also said he toured death row and the execution chambers at Walla Walla State Penitentiary….

     The moratorium does not commute the sentences of those on death row or issue any pardons. But Inslee will grant reprieves so no one will be executed. Since the state's current capital laws were put in place in 1981, 32 defendants have been sentenced to die. Of those, 18 had their sentences converted to life in prison. One was set free. The state's last execution was in September 2010, when Cal Brown was injected for the 1991 murder of a Seattle area woman. Nine men currently reside on death row in Walla Walla….

John Bacon, "Washington Governor Suspends Death Penalty," USA Today, February 11, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: Three Red Necks Kicked Out of the University of Mississippi

     A University of Mississippi fraternity chapter was suspended on February 21, 2014 and three freshman members kicked out because of their suspected involvement in hanging a noose on the statue of James Meredith, the first black student to enroll in the all-white college. Sigma Phi Epsilon said it indefinitely suspended the Alpha Chapter, which voted to expel all three men and give their names to investigators.

     Cops on Sunday, February 26, 2014, found a noose tied around the Meredith statue's neck, along with an old Georgia flag bearing a since-eliminated Confederate battle emblem. When Meredith tried to enter Ole Miss in the fall of 1962, Mississippi's governor tried to stop him. That led to violence on the Oxford campus….

"Mississippi Fraternity Chapter Suspended Amid Statue Noose," NBC News, February 22, 2014 

Monday, February 24, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Security Officers Found Dead on the Ship Maersk Alabama

     Traces of narcotics and hypodermic needles found with bodies of two American security officers on the container ship Maersk Alabama suggested the deaths resulted from drug overdoses….Seychelles police identified the bodies found on February 18, 2014 as Jeffery Reynolds and Mark Kennedy, both 44. They worked for the Trident Group, a Virginia-based maritime security services firm. Trident Group President Tom Rothrauff said both were former Navy SEALs….

     Police said an autopsy would be carried out early next week [February 24]. But the Seychelles government official, who spoke on condition of not being identified, said the presence of drug traces and paraphernalia "would suggest that their deaths were a result of drug overdose."…

     The 500-foot Maersk Alabama was the target of an attempted hijacking in the pirate-infested waters off East Africa in 2009--an incident that inspired the 2013 film "Captain Phillips."…Police said the ship arrived on February 16, 2014 in the Seychelles, an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, with a 24-man crew….The bodies were found by a colleague who had gone to check in on one of the men in a cabin at 4:30 AM….

Khushbu Shah, "Official: Drugs, Needles Found With Dead Officers on Maersk," CNN, February 21, 2014

  

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Bruce Allen Santee's Facebook Solicitation of a Police Woman's Murder

     At two in the morning on Sunday, February 16, 2014, Bruce Allen Santee II, a small time professional wrestler who performs under the name "The Marquee," was riding in a car driven by his girlfriend in Pinellas Park, Florida, a town of 50,000 in the Tampa Bar area. After his girlfriend was pulled over by a female police officer for failure to yield, Santee and the officer exchanged angry words.

     Not long after the traffic stop, the 35-year-old wrestler wrote about this minor incident on his Facebook page. He not only insulted the police officer by name, he offered a reward of $100 for her murder.

     A police officer with another agency saw Santee's Facebook solicitation and reported it to the Pinellas Park Police Department.

     The next day, a Pinellas County prosecutor charged Mr. Santee with the felony offense of issuing a written threat to kill. At three-thirty that afternoon, Santee turned himself in to the police. He apologized to detectives and blamed the threat on anger and alcohol intoxication. Officers booked him into the Pinellas County Jail. That night, Santee posted his $10,000 bond and went home.

     "The Marquee's" father, a professional wrestler named Bruce OG Santee, posted a message about his son's arrest on Facebook. It read: "For all the friends and fans that know my son: The best thing we can do is support him in a politically correct way. I thought we had a first amendment in this country. I guess not so much anymore. I do not condone what he wrote on Facebook but how in the hell can you take a comment like that seriously when they are intoxicated, and finally who would kill anybody for a 100 dollars? REALLY I REST MY CASE!!!"

     The First Amendment does not protect one against yelling "bomb" on an airplane (even in jest), shouting "fire" in a crowded theater, or threatening the life of a police officer. While the younger Mr. Santee didn't actually intend to have the police officer murdered, there are murderous nuts out there who wouldn't care if he meant it or not. This was reckless behavior, and a crime. Moreover, drunkenness and stupidity are not criminal defenses. And in this case, neither is the First Amendment. I rest my case. 

Criminal Justice Quote: Union Goon Squads

     Intimidation, assaults and property damage, including setting a crane on fire, were part of an alleged campaign by a Philadelphia-area ironworkers union to coerce building contractors into hiring them over non-union competition, federal prosecutors said on February 18, 2014 as they arrested ten of the union's agents and members.

     The federal charges against the men include racketeering and arson, and targeted properties included a Toys R Us store in suburban Philadelphia and a Quaker meetinghouse in the tony Chestnut Hill section of Philadelphia….

    In a 49-page grand jury indictment, prosecutors said the defendants helped create "goon" squads to carry out the assaults and property destruction against non-union contractors in an attempt to force them to hire Ironworkers Local 401's members. One goon squad referred to itself as T.H.U.Gs, short for The Helpful Union Guys….

"Ironworkers Face Racketeering, Arson Charges," The Associated Press, February 19, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Nude and Dangerous

The California Highway Patrol says a naked woman has been arrested after allegedly driving her car into her fiancee….The CHP says the 22-year-old Hesperia [California] woman, who'd been drinking, and her 30-year-old fiancee were naked in a parked Honda Civic in Phelan when for some reason he got out and she took the wheel. The man then walked in front of the car and was hit as it moved forward. The woman braked but lost control and the car hit a fence and two trees before stopping. The man was thrown from the hood and had major injuries. The woman had minor injuries and was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving….

"Naked Woman Arrested After Driving Car Into Fiancee," Associated Press, January 25, 2013 

Criminal Justice Quote: Taking Down Jaywalkers

     Members of the University of Texas-Austin community are outraged that cops arrested an unnamed jogger who ignored police orders because she was wearing earbuds and couldn't hear them. The arrest happened at an intersection near the UT campus. Cops had been camped out at the intersection, issuing dozens of citations to people for jaywalking. [The war on crime is never ending.]…

     The officers chased the woman down and grabbed her arm from behind. Not knowing what was happening, the woman pulled away from the officer. This meant she was resisting, and the woman soon found herself sitting on the ground in handcuffs. [Another criminal taken off the streets.]….

     Four cops eventually escorted the woman to a police car. When she realized she was going to be put in the car, she began screaming that she hadn't done anything wrong. [Silly woman, what does that have to do with anything?] A spokesperson for the police department said the woman was arrested for failure to identify and a traffic signal violation….

Robby Soave, "Cops Arrest Jogging Woman Because She Couldn't Hear Them," The Daily Caller, February 21, 2014


Saturday, February 22, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Mass Murder in a Native American Tribal Office

     Four people were killed and two others injured on February 20, 2014 in a gun and knife attack at a Native American tribal office in Alturas, California….Sherrie Rhoades, 44, was attending a tribal eviction meeting at the Cedarville Rancheria tribal office around 3:30 PM when she opened fire….

     When Rhoades ran out of ammunition she grabbed a butcher knife from the kitchen and attacked another person…A person at the meeting ran out of the building covered in blood and went to the Alturas police station to alert officers….Police said they found Rhoades outside the building, running with a knife in her hand. She was taken into custody.

     The deceased victims were identified as a 19-year-old woman, a 45-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man and a 50-year-old man. Rhoades, a former tribal leader, was at the hearing because she was facing eviction…The shootings happened in Modoc County, which is in northern California on the Oregon border….[The victims were the shooter's relatives.]

Dana Ford and Carma Hassan, "Suspect in Custody After 4 Killed in Gun and Knife Attack at California Tribal Office," CNN, February 21, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: The Government's Unrelenting Assault on Free Speech

     The Obama administration is planning to send what critics characterize as government spies into the newsrooms of the nation's media outlets. This unprecedented assault on Americans' First Amendment freedoms is part of the…war against the few pockets of media resistance the president has encountered at Fox News and in the world of talk radio. Sending federal bureaucrats to meddle in newsroom affairs by conducting an alleged "study" will chill news coverage and make government-licensed broadcast media think twice about airing stories that place the Obama administration in a bad light.

     To this end the Federal Communications Commission is moving forward with its "Multi-Market Study of Critical Information Needs," or CIN. Although the FCC is a regulatory body, not a research organization, it plans to send researchers to question reporters, editors, and station owners abut how they decide which stories to run.

     The FCC intends to discover "the process by which stories are selected," how often stations cover "critical information needs," the media outlets' "perceived station bias," and "perceived responsiveness to underserved populations." [Wow, this is right out of the old communist era playbook.]…

Matthew Vadum, "Obama's News Police," FrontPage Magazine, February 21, 2014  

Criminal Justice Quote: Waiting in Walmart Checkout Line Can Be Fatal

….A checkout line fight at a Walmart store in Chandler, Arizona Sunday afternoon February 9, 2014, escalated into gunfire that left one man dead….The 36-year-old man was shot just after 4 PM and died later at a hospital….The shooter fled the scene. The episode was caught on the store's surveillance cameras. Police said a 25-year-old Chandler resident was being questioned as the possible gunman….

"Checkout Line Fight Turns Deadly at Arizona Walmart," UPI, February 17, 2014 

Police Officer Mistakes Video Game Controller For Gun

     A Georgia family is in shock following the death of their 17-year-old son, who was accidentally killed by a police officer who believed the video game controller he was holding was a gun….Christopher Roupe of Euharlee, Georgia heard a knock at the door of the family's home on the night of February 14, 2014. Upon opening the door, he was immediately shot by a female police officer….The officer broke down in tears upon realizing her mistake….She had been making a probation-related visit to the home. She though Roupe was holding a gun….

     Roupe had plans to enlist in the Marines after finishing high school. He was involved in the ROTC program at the school….

Robby Soave, "Horror! Cop Instantly Shoots, Kills Teen Who Answered Door Holding Video Game Controller," The Daily Caller, February 19, 2014


Native American Activists Accused of Killing Black Civil Rights Leader at Wounded Knee in 1973

     The FBI says a black civil rights activist was killed during the 1973 occupation of Wounded Knee, and it suspects militant members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) are responsible. Documents recently released by the FBI to a Buffalo, New York lawyer shed new light on the 40-year-old case of Ray Robinson, an activist and follower of Martin Luther King, Jr.

     The father of three from Bogue Chitto, Alabama, traveled to South Dakota in 1973 to stand alongside Native Americans in their fight against social injustice. He never returned and his body was never found….

"FBI Accuses American Indian Movement of Killing Black Civil Rights Activist in 1973 South Dakota Uprising," Associated Press, February 19, 2014

Friday, February 21, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Limiting Solitary Confinement

     New York State has agreed to sweeping reforms intended to curtail the widespread use of solitary confinement, including prohibiting its use in disciplining prisoners under 18. In doing so, New York becomes the largest prison system in the United States to prohibit the use of disciplinary confinement for minors, according to the New York Civil Liberties Union, which represented the three prisoners whose lawsuit led to the agreement cited in court papers filed on February 19, 2014.

     State correction officials will also be prohibited from imposing solitary confinement as a disciplinary measure for inmates who are pregnant, and the punishment will be limited to 30 days for those who are developmentally disabled. [That's about half the prison population.]…

     The agreement imposes "sentencing guidelines" for all prisoners, specifying the length of solitary confinement allowed for different infractions and, for the first time in all cases, a maximum length that such sentences may run….

     Several states, including Colorado, Mississippi and Washington, are looking into how to reduce the use of solitary confinement….

Benjamin Weiser, "New York State in Deal to Limit Solitary Confinement," The New York Times, February 19, 2014

     

Criminal Justice Quote: Local Cops Refuse to Cooperate With Federal Employee Background Checks

     Law enforcement agencies in more than 450 jurisdictions, including D.C. police, do not cooperate with investigators conducting security-clearance probes for federal employees, according to a congressional report to be released Tuesday, February 11, 2014. The report…said the millions of records kept by non-cooperative law enforcement agencies could provide vital clues to investigators on the front lines of a system that is facing unprecedented scrutiny. It proposes legislative changes to address lapses identified in the wake of last year's mass shooting at the Washington Navy Yard by a Defense Department contract worker….

     Other major agencies that do not cooperate in security-clearance probes includes the police departments in New York, Los Angeles and Baltimore….The lack of cooperation from law enforcement agencies has stymied the federal security-clearance process for years. In 2009, the Justice Department successfully sued California for failing to disclose full criminal histories to background investigators….

Ernesto Londono, "Report Says Uncooperative Local Police Stymie Federal Background Security Checks," The Washington Post, February 11, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: 15-Year-Old Girl Pimped by Mom at Super Bowl

     ….Manhattan prosecutors indicated on Monday, February 3, 2014 they will seek felony charges against Yolanda Ostoloza, who was nabbed January 29 after her daughter agreed to take $200 to have sex with an undercover cop at the New York Hilton in Midtown….Ostoloza, 39, brought her daughter…to New York with a pimp "knowing full well" that the girl would be "engaging in an escorting, prostitution situation."….

     "We came up here to work and make money with a pimp," the bad mom allegedly told cops. "I knew it was for escorting and prostitution. I thought my daughter was just going to do the fetish stuff."…

Shayna Jacobs, "Florida Mom Accused of Pimping 15-Year-Old Daughter During Super Bowl Week Faces Jail Time," New York Daily News, February 4, 2014  

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Woman Jailed For Not Returning Rented Video 9 Years Ago

     A South Carolina woman has been arrested, charged, and thrown in jail after being accused of failing to return a video….Kayla Michelle Finley, 27, of Pickens, went to the Pickens County Jail on February 13, 2014 to report an unspecified crime--but instead was charged with one.

     The suspect spent a night in jail…after being accused of renting the romantic comedy "Monster-in-Law" starring Jennifer Lopez back in 2005. [Watching that movie should have been punishment enough.] But she allegedly failed to return it to Dalton Video, which has since closed.

     The store owner, P. J. Dalton, had taken the matter to court nine years ago and gotten a judge to issue a warrant. The matter remained a cold case until…a records check performed at the jail turned up the summons….

"SC Woman Jailed After Failing to Return Video Rental," Fox8 Piedmont, February 15, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Another Case Of Taser Madness

     Bay Area Rapid Transit police in February 2014 used a Taser on a harmless, unarmed man more than once, even as he was lying face-down and restrained on the floor of a passenger train. Horrified onlookers--who repeatedly asked the officers to stop tasering the man--recorded the incident on cell phone cameras. The unnamed black man was apparently intoxicated. Police claim that they approached him because he was harassing other passengers, although some of the eyewitnesses disputed that….

     The police asked the man to get off the train. When he refused, they Tasered him. A few minutes later, as the man was held against the floor, an officer Tasered him again--this time, for five long seconds. He was eventually dragged off the train and charged with public drunkenness and resisting arrest….

Robby Soave, "Brutality? Cops Taser Unarmed Man Twice While Holding HIm Against the Floor," The Daily Caller, February 13, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Rape Scandal in Missoula County, Montana

     ….The U.S. Department of Justice found Missoula County's prosecutors routinely discriminated against female victims, refusing legitimate cases, pushing sex crimes to the lowest of priorities and belittling women who came to them for help….The department began an investigation in 2012 into the county attorney's office, Missoula Police Department and the University of Montana's Office of Public Safety. Investigators interviewed more than 30 potential victims while reviewing policies and procedures for signs of gender bias and civil rights violations.

     The mother of a 5-year-old victim wanted to know why the boy who raped her daughter was only getting a slap on the wrist. She was stunned when the prosecutor reportedly told her, "boys will be boys"….Another woman claimed a prosecutor recited Bible verses to her, and other victims said they felt "judged" when they were grilled about their sexual histories….

Doyle Murphy, "'Boys Will Be Boys,' Montana Prosecutor Tells 5-Year-Old Rape Victim's Mom," New York Daily News, February 16, 2014   

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Florida Executes Juan Carlos Chavez

The father of a 9-year-old south Florida boy raped and murdered in 1995 says he hopes the killer's execution sends a strong signal to other would-be child molesters and abductors. [The message sent is this: in the U.S., after committing an atrocious murder, you can live almost 20 years on death row while a battery of attorneys fight to save your life.] Don Ryce's son Jimmy Ryce was kidnapped at gunpoint after getting off a school bus in September 1995….Juan Carlos Chavez, 46, was executed by lethal injection on February 12, 2014 at Florida State Prison….

Tamara Lush, "Florida Man Executed in Boy's Rape, Murder," February 13, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: How Does a Deaf Person Sign "Don"t Taser Me Bro?"

     Officers from the Hawthorne Police Department in [LA County] California twice tasered a man who was trying to sign to them that he was deaf….The officers then beat the deaf man until he was unconscious then charged him with assault. A federal complaint has since been filed against the police department for violating Jonathan Meister's rights under the Americans with Disabilities Act. According to the complaint... the cops "shot taser darts into Mr. Meister, administered a number of painful electric shocks, struck him with their fists and feet, and forcibly took him to the ground….

     Meister was picking up a snowboard that a friend had loaned to him ahead of a skiing trip to Utah….The four officers questioned him outside his friend's house. He was dressed in snowboarding gear and was loading boxes into his car. Due to his disability, he did not hear their questions. One officer then grabbed his hand, and Meister attempted to signal to the officers that he was deaf. The officers, however, took his hand movements as "resistance"….

Grae Stafford, "Police Taser a Deaf Man Twice, Then Charge Him With Assault For Signing," The Daily Caller, February 17, 2014 

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: The Stupid Church Burglar

Authorities say it was a "selfie" that led detectives to a suspect in the burglary of a southern California church….Detectives found a phone at the Chula Vista crime scene, where a laptop, cash and watches were stolen. On the phone was a photo the suspect had apparently snapped of himself. Residents recognized the man in the photo, and police arrested 26-year-old Adam Howe on February 11, 2014. A search of his belongings uncovered the property believed to have been stolen from the Hilltop Tabernacle Church….

"'Selfie' Photo Leads to Arrest in California Church Burglary," Associated Press, February 14, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: America's Best and Brightest?

     Two math majors at Reed College in Portland, Oregon lost control of a massive snowball that rolled into a dormitory, knocking in part of a wall. There were no injuries…but it will cost $2,000 to $3,000 to repair the building. The incident happened February 8, 2014 after a rare trio of snowstorms in Portland.

     Students started building the giant snowball on a campus quad near the dorm. Urged by a crowd, the math majors tried to make the snowball as big as possible by rolling it down the sidewalk that goes past the dorm. But it got away….

"Snowball Slams Into College Dorm," Associated Press, February 15, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Chun Deng's Fraternity Hazing Death Ruled Homicide

     The death of a New York college student during a fraternity ritual in Pennsylvania has been ruled a homicide, the coroner's office said February 14, 2014. Baruch College freshman Chun Deng, 19, died in December 2013 of "closed head injuries..due to blunt force head trauma."…The college has said Deng died while participating in an unsanctioned fraternity pledging event and that it has a "zero tolerance policy regarding hazing."…

     More than 30 members of Pi Delta Psi were conducting a ritual outdoors for new pledges called the "glass ceiling."…The objective was for Deng, who was blindfolded and wearing a backpack filled with a 20-pound bag of sand, to navigate toward someone who was calling for him "while other fraternity brothers physically prevented that from happening."…Deng fell backward, struck his head and was unconscious and unresponsive….

Rande Laboni, "Baruch College Fraternity 'Ritual' Death Ruled a Homicide, Coroner Says," CNN, February 14, 2014 (See my blog, "Another Hazing Death," December 15, 2013) 

Monday, February 17, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Another Girl Scout Heist

     A 15-year-old boy has been arrested by Fort Lauderdale police on charges of stealing a Girl Scout's cellphone while she was selling cookies outside a grocery store. Police said Thursday, February 13, 2014 they identified the ninth-grader from previous police encounters by viewing the Winn-Dixie store's video surveillance. The Samsung Galaxy S3 phone was stolen from the girl during a cookie sale Sunday night, February 9. Police said one person distracted the group while his accomplice took the phone that was lying on a table….

     In 2008, thieves in Palm Beach County stole $168 from a Girl Scout selling cookies outside a supermarket…

"Boy, 15, Arrested in Theft of Florida Girl Scout's Phone," CBS News, February 13, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: The Valentine's Day Jail-Break

An Arizona jail inmate who escaped by climbing two walls and crawling through a razor wire fence to meet his sweetheart on Valentine's Day, is back in custody….That inmate, Joseph Andrew Dekenipp, was arrested in the town of Coolidge, Arizona a few hours after he escaped from the Penal County Detention Center….He would undergo treatment for serious cuts he got from the razor wire….The 40-year-old Dekenipp was arrested without incident after he arrived at a saloon and grill where he was to meet his girlfriend. He has been in jail since his arrest January 10, 2014 on suspicion of vehicle theft, trafficking in stolen property, unlawful flight, and driving on a suspended license….

"Arizona Inmate Makes Valentine's Escape Through Razor Wire, Caught Trying to Meet Girlfriend," February 15, 2014  

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Prostitution Raids in China

     A state television expose on prostitution in China's "sex capital" and an ensuing, much-publicized police crackdown has drawn criticism from members of the public who have expressed sympathy for the sex workers. [These critics] suggest that authorities target other kinds of wrongdoing.

     Coverage of the weekend raid [February 8 and 9, 2014] by 6,500 officers in the southern city of Dongguan--filled with images of handcuffed women with their heads bowed--spurred many people to post comments online that were more critical of China's Central Television broadcaster's reporting and the crackdown than the prostitution it uncovered….

     Some online users suggested the women ended up in the sex business because they had sick parents or siblings to support, and called for authorities to offer more care to them during the crackdown. Others said police manpower would be better used rooting out corruption among public officials and other crimes. Some voices called for China's now entrenched sex trade to be made legal and to end the discrimination against sex workers….

Louise Watt, "China Cracks Down On Its 'Sex Capital'," Associated Press, February 11, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Shakespeare on Crime Prevention

     Taking inspiration from Shakespeare, a Boulder, Colorado city councilman has suggested "banishing" chronic scofflaws creating a nuisance in parks around the city's municipal buildings. Councilman Macon Cowles said in an email to his colleagues that the idea came to him while "my mind wandered," and he wondered what The Bard had to say about crime and social misbehavior.

     Quoting extensively from Romeo and Juliet, Cowles makes the argument that banishing people from Boulder for the same amount of time they might be incarcerated for minor crimes would not only save taxpayers money, but might be more effective at preventing future crimes. [With all due respect to Mr. Shakespeare and Councilman Cowles, crime isn't prevented, it's just moved from one place to another.]…

     Boulder police have issued 646 citations in the area in the past two years for infractions ranging from urinating in the bushes and brawling to failure to appear for court and contempt of court. According to a city staff memo, 11 percent of the defendants were responsible for 34 percent of the citations and arrests….

Greg Campbell, "Colorado City Consideres 'Banishing' People Who Make Trouble," The Daily Caller, February 11, 2014

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: E-Cigarettes in Jails

     As city governments and schools across the country move to ban or restrict the use of electronic cigarettes, one place increasingly welcomes the devices: the rural county jail. Though traditional cigarettes are prohibited from most prisons and jails because of fire hazards and secondhand smoke, a growing number of sheriffs say they are selling e-cigarettes to inmates to help control the mood swings of those in need of a smoke, as well as address budget shortfalls, which in some jails have meant that guards are earning little more than fast-food workers.

     The trend stands in contrast to restrictions on e-cigarettes approved in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and other big cities. Country jails in a least seven states have permitted the sale of a limited selection of flavors of e-cigarettes to inmates They have quickly become one of the most sought-after items in jail commissaries. And although federal prisons ban e-cigarettes, the inmate market has so much potential that Chinese and American manufacturers now produce "jail-safe" versions made of plastic instead of metal.

Timothy Williams, The New York Times, January 23, 2014

Child Killer Escapee Back in U.S. Custody

     [On January 24, 2014], nearly six years after he escaped from prison, one of the U.S. Marshals Services's 15 Most Wanted fugitives has been extradited from Mexico and returned to that same prison….Convicted child killer Edward Salas was serving time for murder when he escaped from the Curry County Detention Center in Clovis, New Mexico. At the time of his escape, Salas was serving a life sentence….

     In 2005 Salas, with two of his brothers and two other people, planned to murder a teen named Ruben Perez in his home, reportedly in retaliation for an argument at Clovis High School. Instead, they killed the teen's brother, Carlos Perez, who was sleeping in the same bedroom.

Leslie Holland, "Child Killer Who Escaped Prison in 2008 Extradited to U.S.," CNN, January 25, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Another Crime Lab Scandal

      Officials are investigating a crime lab chemist based in Pensacola, Florida, saying he allegedly swapped prescription drugs pain pills seized as evidence with over-the-counter medication. A Florida Department of Law Enforcement spokesperson on February 1, 2014 said officials are now looking into 2,600 cases handled by the chemist since 2006.

     The investigation started when the State Attorney's Office and police asked for assistance into inquiries of missing prescription pills from the Escambia County Sheriff's Office. They discovered the drugs had been replaced with the over-the-counter medication.

     FDLE teams will be deployed to all agencies impacted in order to inspect evidence handled by the chemist. Members will work to confirm cases that have been potentially compromised….No charges have been filed yet, but officials said they anticipate an arrest. The suspect has been removed from his job.

"Florida Reopens Drug Cases After Chemist Allegedly Caught Swapping Evidence," ABC News Radio, February 2, 2014


Criminal Justice Quote: Cannabis Poisoning in Britain

     A young mother of three died after she was poisoned by the cannabis she smoked to help her get to sleep. Gemma Moss, 31, was killed by the level of the drug in her blood….The regular churchgoer, who was found dead in her bedroom, is thought to be the first women in Britain known to have died directly from cannabis poisoning.

     Her death was caused by cannabis toxicity, and a corner recorded a verdict of death by cannabis abuse. According to inquest testimony, Miss Moss smoked half a joint a night to help her sleep….She had been a frequent user but stopped for two years before her death in October 2013. Her family said she started using the drug again to help her sleep after becoming depressed when she split up with her boyfriend….

Luke Salkeld, "Devout Christian Mother of Three, 31, Becomes First Woman in Britain to Die From Cannabis Poisoning," MailOnline, January 30, 2014

NYC Truck Thief Crashes and Kills Bystander

     A stolen box truck collided with a NYC bus in the West Village early Wednesday morning, February 12, 2014, sending both vehicles careening onto the sidewalk where they smashed into a building….One person was killed and four others injured, one critically….

     The driver of the stolen truck survived and was being treated at Bellevue Hospital where he was in custody and being questioned by police….The site of the accident was a tangle of twisted metal, wood and concrete. Scaffolding erected outside the building collapsed around the two vehicles as they plowed onto the sidewalk at around 5:30 AM….

Marc Santora, The New York Times, February 12, 2014 

Writing Quote: Reader's Digest

[According to writer Jefferson D. Bates]: "While it's long been a popular sport among the literary intelligentsia to put down the Digest, I'll unhesitatingly take the other side. If you want to find examples of clear, tightly edited prose, you'll look a long way to hunt down anything better than you can encounter in any issue of the much maligned Reader's Digest.

In Ian Jackman, editor, The Writer's Mentor, 2004 

Friday, February 14, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Gun Control Activist Busted For Taking a Gun to an Elementary School

     A Buffalo, New York community activist who is well known locally for pushing for a highly restrictive 2013 gun control law has been arrested for--wait for it--carrying a gun illegally at a public elementary school. The arrested gun control advocate, Dwayne Ferguson, caused quite a scene at Harvey Austin Elementary School….At about 4:15 PM on Thursday, February 6, 2014, police acted on a pair of anonymous 911 tips. A battalion of cops quickly swarmed the school. The brigade included over a dozen squad cars, the SWAT team and K9 units. The Erie County Sheriff's Air One helicopter and what appears to be an armored vehicle also turned up.

     The school was immediately placed on lockdown. Parts of two streets were closed….Ferguson, 52, was at Harvey Elementary because he works as a mentor in an after-school program for disadvantaged students. He said he frequently carries a pistol. He has a license but the license does not matter under the strict law Ferguson helped pass….

Eric Owens, "Gun Stun: Gun Control Activist Swears He Forgot He Was Carrying Gun While Visiting School," The Daily Caller, February 10, 2014

Thursday, February 13, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Retired Tennessee Lawyer Killed by Home Package Bomb

….Bewildered residents in rural Tennessee are grappling with fear and confusion as they try to understand why someone would send a bomb to a neighbor. Retired lawyer John Setzer, 74, died Monday February 10, 2014 after "an unknown package exploded," the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation said. Neighbors said the Lebanon, Tennessee blast was so powerful it blew out windows and damaged several rooms of the Setzer's house….On the Setzers' quiet rural street, neighbors were terrified about whether a bomb might arrive in their mailboxes….[If I were conducting the investigation, I would look for disgruntled men whose wives this attorney represented in divorce cases.]

Holly Yan and Dave Alsup, "Package Bomb Kills Retired Lawyer in Tennessee," CNN February 12, 2014  

Criminal Justice Quote: O.J. Simpson as Victim

     To be unjustly accused of something, for people to try to convict you of something you didn't do….If that happens, if they succeed, I could never see my kids again. I will never let my kids come in here [jail] and see me….I would rather have them feel that I was with their mother.

     My kids don't deserve what is happening. I feel like they're also being punished. I've got to keep it together for my kids. I know in my heart I've been a good person. I'm not ashamed of my life….

O.J. Simpson, I Want to Tell You, 1994 [Letter to a young fan before his 1995 trial for double murder. As it turned out, people who wanted to convict him blew the case and did not succeed.] 

Criminal Justice Quote: Woman Killed by Neighbor's Dogs

     ….Klonda Richey, 57, was found naked on the sidewalk in front of her Dayton, Ohio home on Friday morning, February 7, 2014, fatally mauled by two mixed-breed neighborhood dogs. When police officers arrived, they discovered that Richey's coat had been torn off, and they were forced to kill the two male dogs who charged them….

     Richey's next-door neighbors, Andrew Nason and Julie Custer, were taken into custody on February 7, 2014 and are being held on a charge of reckless homicide, pending the filing of formal charges….

Meredith Moss, "Dog Attack Victim was Animal Lover, Active Volunteer," WHIO, February 8, 2014 

Long Island's Heroin Epidemic

…..Heroin use has exploded in what is being described as an epidemic on New York's Long Island, where addiction counselors are seeing users as young as 12--many from middle-class suburban families. Several factors have contributed to this "perfect storm" of addiction according to experts--among them, proximity to major airports and transportation centers, and a statewide crackdown on prescription painkillers, that has the unintended effect of pushing more kids to cheaper and more accessible heroin.

     The trend appears to be national. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says U.S. drug poisoning deaths involving heroin went up 45 percent from 2006 to 2010. And the Drug Enforcement Administration says the amount of heroin seized each year in the southwest U.S. border increased 232 percent from 2008 to 2012.

     And the trend is bad for younger users. Among four age groups, "drug poisoning deaths involving heroin" increased only for the youngest group, ages 15 to 24, from 2008 to 2010. For all the other age groups, the number of deaths was steady or went down, the CDC says….

Ronni Berke and Poppy Harlow, "One Snapshot in a Tragic National Picture: Long Island Sees Exploding Heroin Use," CNN, February 8, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Grand Jury Doesn't Indict Man for Murder in the Killing of a Drug Raid Cop

     Henry Magee, a 28-year-old Texan who accidentally shot and killed a police officer during a no-knock raid on his home, will not be indicted on murder charges, according to a grand jury. Burleson County police raided Magee's home in December 2013 after receiving a tip from an informant that he was in possession of drugs. Five pounds of marijuana were found on the premises.

     Police did not knock before entering the home, and they executed the search before sunrise…Magee's lawyer told the grand jury that his client thought the police were burglars, and he fired his gun to protect his girlfriend, who was pregnant. The bullet struck and killed Deputy Adam Sowders….

Robby Soave, "Man Who Shot Cop During Raid Thought He Was Defending Pregnant Girlfriend From Robbers," The Daily Caller, February 10, 2014 

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: A New Hampshire Cop Beats Man With Flashlight

     A Salem, New Hampshire police officer was fired for beating a suspect bloody with a flashlight and then taunting him….Officer Joseph Freda is under investigation and could face up to five years in prison for his actions on October 2, 2013.

     Freda was engaged in a high-speed chase with a suspect, Thomas Templeton. After catching Templeton, Freda took out his flashlight and beat the 39-year-old until he was injured and bleeding. According to released documents, Freda then taunted Templeton, saying, "Yeah, I [bleep] hit you." He also stepped on Templeton's cuffed hands….So far Freda has been charged with two counts of simple assault….

Robby Soave, "Cops Beat Suspect with Flashlight, says 'Yeah, I [Bleep] Hit You," The Daily Caller, January 24, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Rape as Punishment in India

     Police in India say a young woman has been ganged raped on the orders of a village council because she fell in love with a man from a different religion. On January 23, 2014, 13 men were arrested in West Bengal state.

     A series of rapes in India over the past year has sparked widespread outrage over chronic sexual violence in India and government failures to protect women. The West Bengal case is particularly troubling because the alleged rape apparently was sanctioned by a council made up of village elders. Such councils are not legally binding in India, but they are seen as the will of the local community. Those who flout the councils risk being ostracized.

     The victim told police that the village council in Subalpur village ordered her to pay a fine for having an affair with the man. When her family said they were too poor to pay, the council ordered the gang rape.

Irish Times, January 23, 2014

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Whackademia Quote: Ignore the Bright Students, Focus on the Rest

     It's no secret that when it comes to education, America gets a D-minus. In the most recent global tests--scored on a 1,000-point scale--the U.S. scored a 481 in math, 497 in science, and 498 in reading comprehension. In comparison, international averages were 494, 501, and 496, and the U.S. lags well behind the world's leaders, a list which includes some of the usual suspects like China, Japan and the Netherlands, but also has Latvia, Slovenia and Vietnam.

     Why is the world's largest economy so bad at teaching its children? One growing school of thought is the the U.S. education system, and its laudable quest to make sure the worst students reach minimal standards, is cheating its best pupils….

     For years, teachers have operated under the assumption that gifted children--the tiny group smarter than 99.99 percent of their peers--need and deserve less attention than the kids in remedial classes….Teachers more or less ignore gifted children, instead teaching to a one-size fits-all curriculum that caters to the lowest common denominator….

     A 2008 report found that the controversial No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 indeed helped low-achieving students to rise to meet a more rigorous course load, but shifted teacher's sights away from the gifted kids….

Chris Weller, "America Hates Its Gifted Kids," Newsweek, January 16, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Smash and Grab Robbers Hit Jewelry Store in Mall

[On January 18, 2014] men with sledgehammers robbed a jewelry story at a crowded Memphis, Tennessee mall….Five or six suspects entered Reed's Jewelers at 8:00 PM Saturday and began smashing display cases with hammers….The gang took 65 Rolex watches, stuffing them into pillow cases and running out nearby mall exits. [Jewelry stores should not be located near mall exits.]

Associated Press, January, 18, 2014


Monday, February 10, 2014

Gordon Lasley Jr.: Double Murder in an Indian Settlement

     In February 2012, 23-year-old Gordon Lasley Jr., a resident of the 1,400-member Meskwaki Sac and Fox tribe settlement in central Iowa, was sentenced to five years probation following an assault conviction. A year later, the Native American punched a man in the face during a Iowa City bar fight. In that case, tribal police arrested Lasley for assault causing bodily injury.

     In addition to the above offenses, Gordon Lasley Jr. has an arrest history that includes public intoxication, criminal mischief, theft, trespassing, and various motor vehicle and driving violations. A drunkard with a mean streak, he is not your model citizen.

     Lasley's brother Tyler, at nine o'clock on the night of Wednesday, February 5, 2014, discovered the bodies of his parents in the basement of their small, rural Meskwaki settlement house. Gordon Lasley Sr, 60, and his 57-year-old wife Kim, had been hacked to death. The murder weapon, a bloody machete, lay on the living room couch. Tyler Lasley reported his gruesome discovery to the Meskwaki Nation Police Department.

     Shortly after the double-murder, Gordon Lasley Jr. told a family member that he had killed his parents. That night, police officers arrested the suspect in his mother's car. Lasley's clothes were blood-soaked, and he had cuts on his hands which had left bloodstains inside the vehicle.

     Meskawaki tribal police officers booked Lasley into the Tama County Jail. Charged with two counts of first-degree murder, a judge set his bail at $2 million. Because all crimes on Indian reservations and settlements are federal offenses, FBI agents are assisting in the double-murder investigation.


Criminal Justice Quote: Home Insurance Fraud Ring in South Florida

     Nearly two dozen people have been arrested in February 2014 after the state went after a major home insurance fraud ring operating in South Florida….Twenty-two people were charged in Operation Flames and Floods….The group set fires and created floods in a number of homes in the Miami area over the past seven years and made millions by filing fraudulent claims.

     The alleged ring leader of the group, Jorge Fausto Espinosa Sr., a public adjuster, reportedly received 20 to 30 percent of each fraudulent claim. Espinosa and his wife are facing up to 30 years in prison if convicted. Prosecutors said the ring included crooked contractors who recruited greedy homeowners to make the fraudulent claims….

"Arrests Made in Home Insurance Fraud Ring," CBS News, February 4, 2014  

Whackademia Quote: A Nation of Idiots

     Several Charlottesville, Virginia-area schools have filed official public reports that appear to falsify students' scores. The reports claim that from 2011 to 2013, 80 percent or more of their third-graders passed the Virginia Standards of Learning (SoLs) for historical knowledge. But even graduates of America's top colleges and universities do not possess the historical knowledge that these schools are reporting four-fifths of its 8-and 9-year-olds have….

     Recent surveys demonstrate that the vast majority of American adults, and even college graduates, could not pass the Virginia SoLs for third-graders:

     Nearly half of college graduates don't know that the Constitution establishes a separation of powers among the branches of the federal government.
     Less than one in five college graduates can correctly identify the functional differences between the free market and a government-controlled economy.
     More than half of high school students believe America fought on the same side as one or more of the Axis powers in World War II.
     Fewer that one in five adults can identify two rights stated in the Declaration of Independence.

     The United States' elected U.S. politicians (at all levels) are shown to be even less knowledgeable about history and civics than the general public:

     Nearly three in 10 cannot name one right or freedom guaranteed by the First Amendment.
     Nearly 80 percent don't know that the First Amendment expressly prohibits the federal government from establishing an official religion.
     More than half are unaware that the Constitution gives only Congress the power to declare war.
     Less than one-third can correctly describe the free-market system. [This explains a lot.]…

John Ryan, "Virginia Schools: 3rd-Graders Know More History Than College Grads," The Daily Caller, February 8, 2014

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Say Goodbye to Transparent Law Enforcement

     Police are being scrutinized for a raid they conducted in Ankeny, Iowa, during which they destroyed the exterior cameras on the house they were entering, broke down several doors, and left the occupants in mortal terror--all over alleged credit card fraud….

     The four inhabitants of the house were captured, handcuffed and forced to sit for three hours before police showed them the warrant. They were investigating suspected credit card fraud. No evidence was found to suggest any of the inhabitants had committed that crime, through two people were arrested on suspicion of committing other crimes: probation violation and drug possession….

Robby Soave, "Police Destroy Cameras Before Conducting Scary, Military-Style Raid on House," February 6, 2014

     

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Whackademia Quote: President Obama on Art History Degrees

     In a speech in Wisconsin on January 30, 2014, President Barak Obama insulted perhaps the most fervent members of his political base: art history majors. "A lot of parents," he said, "when they saw a lot of manufacturing jobs being sent offshore, told their kids you don't want to go into the trades, you don't want to go into manufacturing because you'll lose your job. Well, the problem is that what happened--a lot of young people no longer see the trades and skilled manufacturing as a viable career."…

     "But I promise you, folks can make a lot more, potentially, with  skilled manufacturing or the trades than they might with an art history degree. Now, nothing wrong with an art history degree--I love art history."…

     Since Obama's speech, America's small and tremendously weak art history lobby has sprung into action. Linda Downs, the executive director of the College Art Association criticized Obama for "denigrating" art history and, she suggested, the humanities in general…."It's worth remembering, that many of the nation's most important innovators," she said, "in fields including high technology, business, and even military service, have degrees in the humanities."…

Eric Owens, "Cruel Heartless Obama Mocks His Most Loyal, Unquestioning Supporters," The Daily Caller, February 1, 2014  

Criminal Justice Quote: Americans Fear Terrorist Attacks at Sochi Olympics

….[According to a recent survey of U.S. citizens] 57 percent said a terrorist attack on the Sochi Games was likely. That compares with the 51 percent who believed before the 1996 Summer Games started in Atlanta that a terrorist act would occur. Sadly, the latter prediction proved true….[The poll] found that 54 percent have an unfavorable view of Russian President Vladimir Putin, making him one of the least popular foreign leaders among Americans….[Only 54 percent see Putin in an unfavorable light?]

Laura Smith-Spark, "CNN Poll: 57% of Americans Think Terror Attack Likely at Sochi Games," February 5, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Hard-Nosed Cop Cuffs Firefighter

 A southern California firefighter ended up in handcuffs on February 5, 2014 when he disagreed with a highway patrol officer on where to park a fire engine. The California Highway Patrol detained engineer Jacob Gregoire of the Chula Vista Fire Department for 30 minutes after he refused to move an engine partially blocking a lane….It was there to help protect ambulance crews treating people injured in a rollover accident on Interstate 805. The same officer asked firefighters with two other engines at the accident to leave the scene. They complied with the request….

Ed Payne, "California Highway Patrol Officer Cuffs Firefighter For Refusing to Move Engine," CNN February 6, 2014

     

Friday, February 7, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Georgia Gun Store Heist

     Local and federal investigators are searching for three people who burglarized a gun store in Newnan, Georgia on January 26, 2014. Surveillance cameras at The AR Bunker gun shop recorded the quick heist. In the video you can see a silver four-door car back into the storefront window just before 5 AM. Three people get out of the car, run around and jump over counters, shoving firearms into the backseat. The trio drove out of the store less than a minute after busting in.

     Moments later in the video, police cars pull up to the store, blue lights flashing. Three officers approach the shattered storefront, pointing their flashlights inside…The thieves got away with at least $70,000 worth in weapons. But they dumped the car nearby, leaving some guns in the woods as they ran away. They also left behind about $15,000 in damaged inventory and another $15,000 in rebuilding costs.

Rodney Harris, "Robbers Steal $70,000 Worth of Rifles From Newnan Gun Store," CBS News, January 26, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Arson Arrest in Seattle

     A 30-year-old man was arrested on February 1, 2014 on suspicion he set a fire on New Year's Eve at Seattle's Neighbours Nightclub on Capital Hill….Police say someone poured gasoline and set fire to a carpeted stairway inside the gay nightclub. The fire was quickly extinguished. Someone pulled a fire alarm triggering the evacuation of about 750 patrons. No one was injured….

     The man was arrested as he made his way to the airport….He was interviewed by detectives following his arrest, and booked into the King County Jail for investigation of arson….Police say they found an empty gas can at the top of the stairs which led to the mezzanine overlooking the dance floor.  [Why didn't the prosecutor charge this man with attempted homicide? Acts like this have led to fast-spreading fires and mass murder.]

Susan Kelleher, "Man Arrested in New Year's Eve Arson at Neighbours Nightclub," The Seattle Times, February 1, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: The Wall of Hate

     Watch out Florida residents: A giant Wall of Hate is coming to a university near you--ostensibly for the purpose of combating offensive speech on campus. [College and university administrators and their supports have succeeding in eliminating, on their campuses, free speech. Speech that does not comport with the orthodoxy of academia is simply not tolerated. When these people talk of "diversity" they don't mean diversity of thought or speech. Believe it or not, there are colleges and university that have established "free speech zones." The free speech zone should be the U.S., all of it.]

     Nova Southeastern University, a private institution's Fort Lauderdale, Florida, is hosting the wall, which was assembled by student members of the activities committee on campus. The wall consists of various curse words, racial epithets, and offensive ideas, and is a proxy for the campus's "War on Hate," according to Campus Reform. [Here's an idea. How about a war on illiteracy, shallow thinking, binge drinking, hazing, and useless college courses? How about a war against overpaid college administrators?]

     The wall will be destroyed on January 30, 2014 and replaced with a Wall of Love as part of the closing festivities on Nova's Unity Week. [Good heavens, has it come to this?]

Robby Soave, "University Protests Offensive Speech by Building a Giant Wall of Hate," The Daily Caller, January 26, 2014    

   


Thursday, February 6, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Colorado's Negligent Patrol Car Drivers

     Distracted cops have caused hundreds of accidents in Colorado, for reasons ranging from spilling drinks in their cruisers to accidentally firing weapons through the floorboards, according to an investigation by Denver's Fox31. The station found that Denver police were responsible for causing 308 preventable accidents, and state troopers caused another 219. Cops in Adams County and Aurora wrecked their cars 115 and 80 times, respectively….

     Among the 308 accidents caused by Denver cops 136 were for careless driving, 106 involved problems backing up and 21 involved driving too fast. Denver paid out about $146,000 for repairs to motorists' cars wrecked by the police since 2011….[In J. Edgar Hoover's FBI, if an agent wrecked a bureau car and it was his fault, he paid for the cost of repairs.]

Greg Campbell, "Report: Distracted Colorado Cops Responsible for Hundreds of Car Accidents," The Daily Caller, February 4, 2014 

Child Prostitutes Rescued Over Super Bowl Weekend

Sixteen children as young as 13, and some of whom who had been reported missing by their families, were rescued from the sex trade in a law enforcement sting operation that targeted alleged pimps who brought the victims to New Jersey for Super Bowl weekend….More than 45 pimps and their associates were arrested in the operation conducted by law enforcement….Some admitted traveling to New Jersey from other states for the purpose of forcing women and children to have sex with Super Bowl tourists for money….The victims rescued during the sting operation range in ages 13 to 17 years old….

"Missing Children Rescued From Super Bowl Sex Trade in FBI Sting," February 4, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Say Goodbye to Suzanne Basso

A woman is scheduled to be executed in Texas for the torture slaying of a mentally impaired man she lured to the state with the promise of marriage before siphoning his benefits and money. If 59-year-old Suzanne Basso is lethally injected as scheduled for Wednesday, February 5, 2014, she would be only the 14th woman executed in the U.S. since the Supreme Court allowed the death penalty to resume in 1976. By comparison, almost 1,400 men have been put to death. Texas has executed four women and 505 men. Basso was convicted in the 1998 slaying of 59-year-old Louis "Buddy" Musso. His beaten body was found in a ditch outside Houston….[The execution was carried out as scheduled, and without a hitch.]

Michael Graczyk, "Woman Set to be Executed in Texas for 1998 Killing," Albany Democrat-Herald, February 5, 2014 

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Teacher Decks Student for Playfully Insulting His Favorite Football Team

     On November 8, 2013, 13-year-old Reginald Wells, a seventh grade student at Willie Ray Smith Middle School in Beaumont, Texas, got the surprise of his young life. In the hallway between classes he encountered 24-year-old substitute math teacher, Michael Fisher. Reginald, in a jovial attempt to attract the teacher's attention, made an insulting remark about Fisher's favorite professional football team, the Houston Texans.

     The teacher's immediate response to the boy's innocent comment shocked everyone who witnessed it. Fisher punched the student hard in the shoulder. This act alone, at the very least, constituted grounds for dismissal. But the incident didn't end with the shoulder punch. When Reginald reacted by pushing the teacher away, Michael Fisher struck the boy twice in the face then delivered an uppercut that sent the 4-foot-eleven inch eighty-pounder sprawling across the hallway floor. The teacher's big punch also knocked the boy unconscious for a few seconds.

     When Reginald regained consciousness his face was numb, his lips sore and swollen, and the inside of his head pounded in pain. Someone at the scene summoned a school security police officer who escorted Fisher out of the building. The officer did not, however, take the teacher into custody. Later that day the principal fired Michael Fisher.

     Reginald Wells' mother, the moment she learned of the assault, filed a complaint with the Beaumont Independent School District Police Department. She assumed that school officials would in turn report the incident to the Beaumont Police Department.

     At some point, an officer with the Beaumont Police Department questioned the fired teacher who said he felt remorse over his actions. The county prosecutor's office, however, did not followup with criminal charges. Moreover, no one from law enforcement interviewed the victim of the assault. Reginald's mother had no recourse but to hire an attorney.

     On December 19, 2013, six weeks after the middle school assault, attorney Kevin Laine told a reporter with a Beaumont television station that the school district had still not reported the crime to the local police. According to the lawyer, a school surveillance camera had recorded the attack on video tape. Mr. Laine said he had been unable to acquire a copy of that footage.

     The lawyer also told the television correspondent that, "statutory law in Texas requires a reporting of such an act to child protective services and the local police department."

     Melody Chappell, an attorney with the Beaumont Independent School District, told a reporter that the district was not required by law to make the surveillance tape available to Wells' attorney or to the public. Chappell said the school district had acted correctly by notifying the boy's mother of the incident. Notifying the police was her responsibility.

     If a local prosecutor has charged Michael Fisher with Reginald Wells' assault, there has been no coverage of it in the media.  

Criminal Justice Quote: Public School Sexual Abuse Underreported

     Sexual abuse of children by teachers and other public school employees is likely underestimated because of a patchwork reporting system and involvement of numerous local, state and federal agencies in investigating such claims, according to a new government report….The report by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) raises numerous questions about how closely public schools are following federal requirements for mandatory reporting of child sexual abuse allegations or suspicions involving the public school employees who oversee the 50 million children enrolled in the nation's public K-12 schools. The report also raises doubts about the accuracy of the data on the scope of the problem….

     Even when state law requires reports to be made to outside agencies, sometimes the information never goes beyond a school district--whether because of uncertainty about whether a report is necessary, delays in reporting or outright failure to report allegations or suspicions of abuse….

     GAO investigators said they found that most states do not require training of educators on sexual abuse, even though experts say it's critical to preventing abuse. The report said such training might keep school officers from discounting their own suspicions or observations….

Gil Aegerter and Joel Seidman, "Reporting of School Sexual Abuse Plagued by Confusion, Spotty Data, GAO Says," NBC News, January 30, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Free Government Crack Pipes?

     Crack pipe distribution programs have been successful in Canada, said Laura Thomas, a member of the HIV Prevention Planning Council [HPPC), the group that recently suggested San Francisco consider a similar program. Why give out free crack pipes? Unlike used needles, which pierce the skin and can immediately infect someone who shares it, the sharing of crack pipes doesn't have that same likelihood of physical contamination of HIV.

     Instead, officials said, the main focus of this program would be as an outreach effort. Crack users are a population identified as a major risk to have HIV and they often become disconnected from medical services and stop taking their medicine. "It may seem counter intuitive, but it's a great program," says Thomas. "Once you can bring people into your program, make them feel respected, taken care of, then they're more likely to come back and get on HIV meds and want to be engaged and taking care of their health."… [What a load. These people are drug addicts.]

Daniel Greenfield, "San Francisco May Hand Out Free Crack Pipes," The Daily Caller, January 26, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Wrongful Convictions Exonerations

     A nationwide push by prosecutors and police to re-examine possible wrongful convictions contributed to a record number of exonerations in 2013….The National Registry of Exonerations says 87 people falsely convicted of crimes were exonerated last year, four more than in 2009, the year with the highest total. The joint effort by the Northwestern University and University of Michigan law schools documented more than 1,300 such cases in the U.S. since 1989 while also identifying another 1,100 "group exonerations" involving widespread police misconduct, primarily related to planted drug and gun evidence.

     The new report shows that nearly 40 percent of exonerations in 2013 were either initiated by law enforcement or included police and prosecutors' co-operation. One year earlier, nearly half of the exonerations involved such reviews….

    Texas topped the state-by-state breakdown with 13 exonerations in 2013, followed by Illinois, New York, Washington, California, Michigan, and Missouri….

     Fifteen of the 87 documented cases in 2013 involved convictions obtained after a defendant pleaded guilty, typically to avoid a longer prison sentence. Forty of the cases involved murder convictions, with another 18 overturned convictions for rape or sexual assault….

Alan Sacher Zagier, "U.S. Prosecutors Help Set Record Number of Exonerations in 2013," Associated Press, February 4, 2014

     

Criminal Justice Quote: Airport Peeping Toms: Confessions of a TSA Agent

     A former Transportation Security Administration Agent has stepped forward and is offering up more information about the nation's airline security agency, sure to send a shiver up a passenger's spine. "Dear  America, I saw you naked and yes, we were laughing. Confessions of an ex-TSA agent," Jason Edward Harrington, a former TSA agent turned author, titles his article in Politico Magazine. Harrington--who initially wrote about his experiences as an agent on an anonymous blog--walks readers through troubling circumstance after troubling circumstance.

     "Just as the long-suffering American public waiting on those security lines suspected, jokes about the passengers ran rampant among my TSA colleagues: Many of the images we gawked at were of overweight people, their every fold and dimple of full awful display," Harrington writes of the full-body "nude" scanners the TSA pulled in 2013. "Piercings of every kind were visible. Women who'd had mastectomies were easy to discern…. Hernias appeared as bulging, blistery growths in the crotch area."…

     "We knew the full-body scanners didn't work before they were even installed. Not long after the Underwear Bomber incident, all TSA officers at O'Hare [Chicago] were informed that training for the Rapiscan System's full-body scanners would soon begin. The machines cost about $150,000 a pop," Harrington wrote, recalling one instructor who told a class of TSA officers that the scanners were "shit."…

Caroline May, "Former TSA Agent: Your Worst Fears About Us Were True," The Daily Caller, January 31, 2014  

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

What Did Federal Judge Boyce F. Martin Do With All That Government Money?

     The former chief judge of Cincinnati's federal appeals court is under scrutiny for receiving almost $140,000 in travel expenses during four and a half years on the bench. A judicial conduct committee has found that the expenses of Judge Boyce F. Martin, a Louisville judge who for years led the U.S. 6th Court of Appeals, should be investigated by the public integrity section of the U.S. Department of Justice….

     The case is significant because complaints against federal judges are rarely made public, and most do not result in disciplinary action. Referrals to the Department of Justice, which conducts criminal investigations, are rare….According to court records, the case began when the current chief judge, Alice Batchelder, complained about "questionable travel reimbursement requests" made by Martin. The reimbursements--made between January 1, 2008 and August 2, 2012--totaled $138,500. The records do not specify the nature of the travel or which parts of the total expenses were questioned. The expenses average about $2,500 a month.

Dan Horn, The Cincinnati Inquirer, January 21, 2014  

Criminal Justice Quote: Locked Up in Indiana

     What's worse than going to jail? Being stuck there for 77 times your original sentence. That's what happened to a 34-year-old woman from Jeffersonville, Indiana who was ordered to serve two days in the Clark County Jail…in August 2013. Destiny Hoffman was released on January 31, 2014, 154 days after she got locked up.

     Judge Jerry Jacobe oversees the Clark County Drug Court Treatment Program that Hoffman was part of, and ordered the Sheriff's Office to hold Hoffman "until further order of the court." But the order was never issued….

     Hoffman eventually did get legal help, from Deputy Prosecutor Michaelia Gilbert, who was going through old case files….Hoffman got a hearing the next day. The presiding judge called the screw-up, well, "a big screw-up." What Hoffman did or didn't do about the mix-up while in jail is unclear. The judge asked her why she didn't alert officials about her situation. She didn't give an answer….

Kate Seamons, "Woman Sent to Jail for 2 Days Stuck There for 154," Newser, January 27, 2014.  

Monday, February 3, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: The Fake Cop Scam

     Police are cautioning senior citizens who live in Chicago's Streeterville neighborhood after two men posed as police officers to con residents out of large amounts of money. In the two reported incidents, a man posing as an officer called elderly persons and told them a relative of theirs was under arrest….The man claimed that, to help in the investigation, the elderly people had to withdraw a large sum of money from their banks. Then, a second phony cop met the victims outside their banks to pick up the money.

     The two con men told their victims that no one can be told about the money in order not to jeopardize their investigation….

     The two suspects were described as black men between the ages 40 and 55.

CBS News, January 19, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: Teachers in Australia Are as Powerless as U.S. Educators

Teachers [in Australia] confronted by violent students are banned from "shouting angrily" or pursuing children who try to run away unless they [the students] are in danger or likely to cause harm. A lengthy list of classroom dos and don'ts also prevents teachers from taking students' personal items, including mobile phones, from them except where there are safety concerns. The rules of "good or acceptable practice" in public classrooms require teachers to ask students to hand over their phone if it is disrupting a lesson….As in the state's 2240 government schools, Catholic schools in Sydney do not administer corporal punishment in any form and have a general "hands off kids" rule.

Bruce McDougall and Linda Silmalis, The Telegraph, January 25, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Bad Times For The Legal Profession

     Anyone who wonders why law school applications are plunging and there's widespread malaise in many big law firms might consider the case of Gregory M. Owens.

     The silver-haired, distinguished-looking Mr. Owens would seem the embodiment of a successful Wall Street lawyer. A graduate of Denison University and Vanderbilt Law School, Mr. Owens moved to New York City and was named a partner at the then old-line firm of Dewey, Ballantine, Bushby, Palmer and Wood, and after a merger, at Dewey and LeBoeuf….

     But on New Year's Eve [1913], Mr. Owens filed for personal bankruptcy….

     The bulk of his potential liabilities stem from claims related to the collapse of Dewey and LeBoeuf, which filed for bankruptcy protection in 2012….Mr. Owen's situation is all too emblematic of pressures facing many partners at big law firms. After Dewey and LeBoeuf collapsed, Mr. Owens seemingly landed on his feet as a partner at White and Case. But he was a full equity partner at Dewey, Ballantine and Dewey and LeBoeuf. At White and Case, he was demoted to nonequity or "service" partner--a practice now so widespread it has a name, "de-equitization."

     Nonequity partners like Mr. Owens are not really partners, but employees, since they do not share the risks and rewards of the firm's practice. Service partners typically have no clients they can claim as their own and depend on rainmakers to feed them….

     "It's sad to hear about this fellow, but he's not alone in being in jeopardy," said Thomas S. Clay, an expert on law firm management…."For the past 40 years, you could just be a partner in a firm, do good work, coast, keep your nose clean, and you'd have a nice career. That's gone."

James B. Stewart, "A Lawyer and Partner, and Also Bankrupt," The New York Times, January 24, 2014 

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: Smuggling Piranhas

     Federal authorities say a tropical fish merchant has admitted smuggling more than 39,000 piranhas into New York City [from Hong Kong] and mislabeling them as common aquarium fish. The Justice Department says Joel Rakower and his Queens company, Transship Discounts, Ltd., pleaded guilty on January 29, 2014 and agreed to pay $73,000 in fines.

     Piranhas are illegal in New York City and more than two dozen states. Prosecutors say Rakower imported the piranhas in 2011 and 2012 and resold them to fish retailers in several states Only 850 were recovered. [Piranhas are a freshwater fish from South American rivers.]

"Merchant Admits Smuggling Piranhas into NYC," Associated Press, January 30, 2014

Whackademia Quote: Are Colleges and Universities Hostile to Male Students?

     It's something like 60 percent women going to college and 40 percent men….I think that actually what's happening is that not only is college much less desirable to men, I think that the environment itself is actively hostile toward men.

     So, I think you've got two things going on there: College isn't to men as important as it used to be, and there are other things that men are finding to do. And at the same time, I think that the discrimination against men in these diversity-field, women-dominated schools is also acting as a kind of barrier to men. A lot of men don't want to put up with it, and a lot of people think, "Of course that's not really happening," but people have no idea what men face in our colleges today.

     For example, they can get into college today and be charged with any type of sexual harassment or sexual abuse, and there doesn't have to be really proof shown that they've done something. There are a lot of cases across the country where men actually can be charged with a very low preponderance [of evidence] for crimes as hideous as rape. And there's campus tribunals at some of these colleges that just say, "You know what, we think you did it and you're out of school.

Dr. Helen Smith (psychologist) in  a Forbes Magazine interview January 28, 2014 

Criminal Justice Quote: Pedophilia Court Settlements Plunge Catholic Diocese into Bankruptcy

     The Roman Catholic Diocese of Helena, Montana is set to file for bankruptcy protection in advance of proposed settlements for two lawsuits that claim clergy members sexually abused 362 people over decades and the church covered it up….The settlement details are being worked out, but the U.S Bankruptcy Court in Montana would be responsible for approving and supervising the disbursement of $15 million to compensate the identified victims, plus an additional amount set aside for those who come forward later….

     The two lawsuits filed in 2011 claim clergy members groomed and abused the children from the 1940s to the 1970s. They claim the diocese shielded the offenders and knew or should have known the threat they posed to children.

Matt Votz, "Catholic Diocese to File for Bankruptcy Protection," Associated Press, January 31, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: NYC's Armored Car Heist

     The FBI is hunting three brazen armored car robbers who struck in a midday robbery in Queens on Friday, January 31, 2014. Authorities say a GardaWorld armored truck arrived at the HSBC Bank located at 82-57 Broadway. One of the armed guards entered the bank to make a regularly scheduled pick-up. As the guard was leaving with the money, he was attacked by three Asian or Hispanic males at gunpoint in the ATM lobby.

     As they fled with the cash, the robbers sprayed the guards with mace. The men were dressed in heavy winter clothes, and after leaving on foot, may have driven away in a navy blue or black Ford Explorer getaway vehicle….

     GardaWorld is offering a reward of up to $50,000 in the case. It did not disclose how much money was stolen….

Luke Funk, "3 Wanted in Brazen Armored Car Robbery," MYFOXNY, February 1, 2014 

Saturday, February 1, 2014

Criminal Justice Quote: The Poisoning Death of an Unborn Baby

     The Florida man accused of tricking his girlfriend into taking an abortion-inducing drug to cause her to miscarry…has been sentenced to nearly 14 years behind bars. U.S. District Judge Richard A. Lazzara sentenced 29-year-old John Andrew Weldon on January 27, 2014, saying that while he did not think Weldon was an evil person, his action was evil….

     Weldon accepted a plea deal last year to avoid a possible life sentence if convicted of murder under the federal Unborn Victims of Violence Act, instead pleading guilty to product tampering and mail fraud. Weldon found himself facing a possible life sentence after his girlfriend Remee Jo Lee refused to abort their baby and he tricked her into taking a Cytotec pill, resulting in the miscarriage. She was nearly seven weeks pregnant….

Caroline May, "Man Who Tricked Girlfriend Into Taking Abortion Pill Sentenced to Nearly 14 Years in Prison," The Daily Caller, January 27, 2014


Criminal Justice Quote: Headless Man Found in Wyoming

     Authorities in Wyoming are hoping that a unique belt and buckle will help them solve a murder mystery. The Park County Sheriff's Office released a photograph of the belt, which was found on the headless body of a man who died of multiple gunshot wounds. Because the man was decapitated, authorities are having a tough time trying to identify him….

     The design of the belt and buckle has been identified as similar to "piteado," a type of craftsmanship common to some parts of Mexico and Guatemala….Over the weekend, deputies and specially-trained dogs searched in and around the crime scene to locate the missing body part. They found no evidence. According to the final report from the forensic pathologist, the dismemberment occurred post-mortem….

Dena Ford, "Investigators Work to Identify Decapitated Man in Wyoming," CNN, January 28, 2014


Criminal Justice Quote: The NYC Cartier Watch Smash and Grab

     Five thieves have made off with more than $700,000 worth of watches from luxury jewelry store Cartier in Manhattan in broad daylight. Customers and staff watched in shock as the five brazen bandits used a hammer to smash open a display case near the door and scoop up 16 timepieces around 12:30 PM Thursday, January 30, 2014, fleeing the store before police could arrive. [Whose idea was it to display expensive watches near the door?]

     The robbers had pushed past an unarmed guard at the door and were out of the store before the other guards could react. [Jewelry store guards should be armed. Who is in charge of security at this place?] Investigators said two of the men had masks covering their faces and all were wearing gloves.

     The thieves were possibly emboldened by the heavy police presence around Times Square overseeing preparations for the Super Bowl festivities. [They were emboldened by the watches being so close to the door.] Men believed to be the thieves were seen by nearby construction workers before the robbery, peering into the store. When they made their move, the thieves used hammers to smash the half-inch thick glass of the display cabinet. [They make glass that can withstand hammer blows.]

Alex Greig, "Brazen Daylight Robbery in Manhattan's Fifth Avenue Cartier Store," Mail Online, January 31, 2014 

Whackademia Quote: Is it Racist for Campus Police to Describe a Black Criminal Subject as African American?

     Administrators at the University of Minnesota have been asked to stop considering race when compiling physical descriptions of crime suspects. A group of minority students and teachers representing the African American and African Studies department, Black Faculty and Staff Association, Black Graduate and Professional Student Association, Black Mens Forum, Black Student Union and Huntley House for African American Males sent a letter to UM President Eric Kaler demanding that campus crime response protocols be reconsidered.

     At issue are the campus crime alerts. When a crime is committed, university authorities release a physical description of the suspect to the campus populace. Since race is an important identifying physical detail, a suspect's ethnicity is included in the alert. The minority groups identified this as a racist practice….

     In addition to no longer including a suspect's race in the crime alerts, the letter also asked for campus police to receive more diversity training….

Robby Soave, "Physical Descriptions of Crime Suspects are Racist, Black Students Claim," The Daily Caller, January 31, 2014