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Ex-Iowa Official Guilty in Gay Marriage Fraud Case

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A former Iowa court official pleaded guilty Monday to forgery for filing false documents to issue a marriage license to a same-sex couple. Former Grundy County deputy clerk Brigitte Van Nice received a fine and a suspended sentence after entering the guilty pleas to perjury and forgery charges. Van Nice was arrested and suspended from […]

Fortuneteller Pleads Guilty to Grand Larceny Charge

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Janet Miller was arrested in December and charged with fortune telling, a misdemeanor, and a felony grand larceny charge that could have sent her to prison for 15 years. On Friday, she pleaded guilty to a lesser grand larceny count in exchange for a promised sentence of one year in  jail. She also paid restitution […]

WB SH53 blocked at the US95 interchange

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The Idaho State Police is on the scene of a commercial vehicle crash on SH53 at the US95 interchange, south of Garwood. Due to the cleanup that is underway, westbound SH53 will be blocked for an unknown amount of time. Drivers will not be able to turn westbound on SH53 from US95. Eastbound traffic on SH53 from Rathdrum is beind diverted on to Old US95. Please use caution and plan accordingly if headed to the Garwood area. Thank you for your assistance. Idaho State Police Coeur d'Alene District 1

Kiera Wilmot, an Honors Student Who Committed No Crime

MN - Sex offender bill draws GOP opposition

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Original ArticleSo this is what congress has become? A bunch of cowards who are afraid to stick their necks out to do what is right in order to save their own careers and reputations? Boy, this country is indeed going to hell! Kind of reminds me of 2 Timothy 3 from the Bible.05/10/2013By Dan LinehanST. PAUL - A bill to begin reforms to the state’s sex offender program was passed by a House committee Friday evening on a party-line vote after about three hours of discussion. The bill’s sponsor, Rep. Tina Liebling, D-Rochester, was concerned about the on-the-record vote, which Republicans may use as political ammunition. Rep. Steve Drazkowski, R-Mazeppa, had asked for a roll call, which would require each vote to be recorded, which isn’t the case for a voice vote. “The only reason to do that is to use that vote against members of this committee,” Liebling said. The bill authorizes the creation of alternatives to the the high-security, prison-like hospitals in St. Peter and Moose Lake. With a judge’s approval, some sex offenders could be transferred into smaller facilities spread across the state. Every other year, patients’ treatment progress would be reviewed to determine if they are in the right setting. Liebling’s bill doesn’t change how people are civilly committed or how they are freed from that commitment. Those two processes are at the core of a federal lawsuit that is behind these recent reform efforts. A judge in that case appointed a panel in 2012 to examine the issue, and that body’s first round of recommendations is the basis of Liebling’s bill. Though the bill is only taking these modest first steps, she said lawmakers who vote for it could be “spun as being soft on crime and soft on sex offenders.” They’re worried that constituents will complain about sex offenders being housed near them, even in a secure setting. And a sex offender who gets released and re-offends could be wielded as a potent political weapon against anyone who voted for a reform bill. Rep. Tony Cornish, R-Good Thunder, said before the 5-3 vote that he doesn’t think the bill will make it to the House floor. He said the bill would get either one or no Republican votes, and predicted some Democrats would peel off.“Why would they stick their neck out?” he said. Liebling agreed that her bill might not make it to the floor: “It cannot move forward without bipartisan support.” But it did, at least on Friday. The committee voted at about 8:30 p.m. Donna Dunn, executive director of the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault, testified in support of the bill. She said the bill doesn’t answer all of her questions about what would happen to sex offenders, but called it “a moderate step to have a deeper and longer conversation.” Cornish has a competing proposal that would give 60-year prison sentences to people in a new class he’s calling “predatory sex offenders,” a designation to punish the most heinous sex crimes. But he didn’t introduce it this year because it doesn’t have “a snowball’s chance in Hades” of being passed, he said. Cornish’s idea wouldn’t affect the people already in treatment but it would make civil commitment unnecessary for new offenders, considering how old the person would be at the time of release. Republicans suggested waiting until next year and coming back with what they believe will be a better bill. “I don’t know what the big hurry is. We can do this next year after the process has been thoughtful and we’ll have more important data to use,” said Rep. Peggy Scott, R-Andover. Liebling objected to the characterization of the bill as being written without Republican input. She said they’ve known about the bill for a month but no Republicans have approached her with a concern. “I don’t know what that would mean, if I’m supposed to go and talk to every member of the minority?” she said. If the bill doesn’t pass the House this year, a federal court could make sweeping changes to the program. It’s even possible that the sex offenders could be all released at once.Eric Magnuson, former chief justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court, testified that the courts are ready to declare the program unconstitutional (because only one person has ever been released) but can’t say what the courts will do if the Legislature does nothing this year. But he said “courts don’t sit on lawsuits waiting for states or parties in their own good time to resolve the issues ... if the Legislature doesn’t do it, the federal court will.” In addition to the every-other-year reviews of inmates conducted by the Department of Human Services, the bill also calls for the use of smaller facilities spread across the state. As it stands, a judge deciding a civil commitment case has two options: Send the person to a prison-like facility in Moose Lake or St. Peter, from which they may never leave, or set them free. It’s hard to say what these new treatment setting will look like because the department is still in the early stages of soliciting proposals, from both governments and private companies, to house sex offenders. Commissioner Lucinda Jesson said the proposals so far run the gamut: “Everything from a halfway house model to things that are more secure.” Magnuson said having more options also helps the treatment process because it allows patients’ responsibilities to be gradually increased. “You need a transition, a flow. This gives the court a chance to put people in a better location,” he said. Republicans said the fiscal costs of the bill haven’t been properly vetted, in part because the bill didn’t stop in the House finance committee. “Do you know how many of these new facilities we’re going to need?” asked Brian Johnson, R-Cambridge. Jesson said she didn’t know, and declined to guess, because it will depend on where judges decide to send civilly committed people once more options are available. Jesson said the department could pay for new treatment models with the money budgeted for the 55 or so sex offenders slated to come into the program every year. They cost the state $326 a day per person, and any new model is almost sure to cost less. That explanation seemed to satisfy Senate Republicans in that body’s finance subcommittee on April 30, but wasn’t good enough for the House Republicans. The bill’s Senate companion, sponsored by Mankato Rep. Kathy Sheran, is ready for a final vote and has moved through committees with little or no objection. Why has its Senate path been so smooth compared to the House? Liebling blamed (or credited, depending on your perspective) a few representatives for the opposition, as well as a different culture than the state Senate. The bill’s next stop in the House is the rules committee.© 2006-2013 | Sex Offender Issues

AZ - Former Tucson officer (Martin Ward) arrested in child porn case

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Martin WardOriginal Article05/11/2013TUCSON (AP) - A former Tucson police officer has been arrested following a months-long investigation into the online sharing of child pornography. Tucson police say agents with the U.S. Marshals Service helped track 29-year-old Martin Ward to a motel in Prescott, where he was arrested late Friday. He's being held on a charge of sexual exploitation of a minor. It's not immediately clear if Ward as an attorney. Ward was hired as a Tucson officer in April 2007. In December, he resigned rather than face termination following an unrelated internal investigation. In March, detectives began investigating online sharing of child pornography in the Tucson area. They identified a person on the eastside of the city who was sharing multiple files. A search warrant of the home turned up several child porn videos, and detectives identified Ward as the suspect.© 2006-2013 | Sex Offender Issues

OH - Former Alliance cop (Steven Fitzgerald Slimak) accused of sex crimes is bound over to grand jury

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Steven Fitzgerald SlimakOriginal Article05/11/2013By Gayle Agnew A former Alliance Police Department officer accused of sex crimes appeared before Judge Jean Madden in Alliance Municipal Court on Friday.Steven Fitzgerald Slimak, 42, of 2217 S. Arch Ave., was arrested on May 3 by members of the Ohio Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force at his home. Slimak was charged with possession of sexually oriented material involving a minor and pandering obscenity involving a minor, both third-degree felonies. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing and his case was bound over to the Stark County grand jury. Slimak had resigned from the department amid sex crime allegations more than a decade ago. According to Alliance Police Detective John Jenkins, on May 4, officers executed a search warrant at the home Slimak shares with his mother and confiscated several computers, external hard drives and thumb drives as part of a two-week investigation. Juvenile Detective Matthew Shatzer and patrolman R.H. Rummel assisted with the investigation, which also included members of the Secret Service, according to Jenkins. Slimak resigned from the Alliance Police Department in 2002 after colleagues confronted him regarding an investigation into alleged child pornography activities. He was later convicted of disseminating matter harmful to juveniles, illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material, sexual imposition and pandering sexually oriented matter involving minors, according to law enforcement. He was sentenced by Stark County Common Pleas Court Judge John Haas to serve more than two years in prison and another 10 months in Stark County Jail in conjunction with the charges, according to the online case docket. According to the Stark County Sheriff's Office sex offender website, Slimak, who is registered as a sexually oriented offender, was released on Dec. 30, 2004. Slimak remains in the Stark County Jail on a $250,000 bond. If convicted of the latest charges, which were elevated because of the prior convictions, Slimak faces up to 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.© 2006-2013 | Sex Offender Issues

Non-injury Crash SH53@ mp 13

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Idaho State Police Regional Communication Center - North 615 W Wilbur Ave Suite A Coeur d'Alene, Idaho 83815 Please direct questions to the appropriate District Offices District 1 (208) 209-8620 Fax (208) 209- 8618 District 2 (208) 799-5150 CASE #: C13000861 --------------------- PRESS RELEASE ----------------------------- DATE: 5/11/13 TIME: 11:42 AM LOCATION: SH53 at milepost 13 ASSISTING AGENCIES: Kootenai County Sheriff Office, Idaho Transportation Department ------------- VEHICLE #1 DRIVER: Derek Kikstra AGE: 57 ADDRESS: Calgary, Alberta INJURIES?: Yes HOSPITAL TAKEN?: Kootenai Medical Center VEHICLE YEAR: 2001 VEHICLE MAKE: Western Star VEHICLE MODEL: Conventional tractor and trailer WRECKER: Merwins Towing SEATBELTS WORN?: Yes ------------- INCIDENT NARRATIVE: Kikstra was eastbound on SH53 at milepost 13 when he failed to negotiate a right-hand curve. He lost control of the semi tractor and trailer which caused the vehicle to tip onto its side. The westbound lane of SH53 was blocked for approximately 4.5 hours. SH53 is now open. The crash is still under investigation. DSP INITIALS ksw -----------------------------------

ISP investigates fatal crash near Wendell

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IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer DO NOT REPLY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE District 4 Patrol 218 West Yakima, Jerome, ID 83338-5904 (208) 324-6000 Fax (208) 324-7897 For Immediate Release: 05/11/13 6:45 pm Please direct questions to the District Office At this time Idaho State Police is investgating a one-vehicle rollover fatal crash westbound I84 at milepost 154 near Wendell. The right lane is blocked in the vicinity of the crash as the investigation continues. Updates will follow as they are received. -------------

“Sanctions Placed on Eight Sinaloa Cartel Bosses Operating Along the Border”

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blogs.phoenixnewtimes.com on May 10, 2013 released the following: By Weston Phippen “The U.S. Department of Treasury placed sanctions on eight Mexican cartel bosses in the north of the country, each of whom controls smuggling routes and cities for the Sinaloa Cartel called “plazas.” The Sinaloa Cartel is the largest and oldest of the Mexican cartels. […]

“1 bank robbery suspect killed, 2 others arrested, FBI says”

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Chicago Tribune on May 11, 2013 released the following: “FBI agents shot one bank robbery suspect dead and arrested two others at a bank in the small town of Richmond on Friday, investigators said. Federal investigators had been tailing the three men on I-90 and to the bank because they were suspected of previous bank […]

Father and Son Allegedly Linked to Separate Federal Fraud Schemes Arrested at LAX as They Prepared to Leave U.S. with One-Way Plane Tickets to Russia

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The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on May 10, 2013 released the following: “LOS ANGELES— A father and son were arrested yesterday afternoon as they were about to board a plane to Moscow on federal fraud charges that include allegations that the older man sent tens of thousands of bogus “invoices” to small business owners […]

Ariel Castro Arraigned for his crimes against Amanda Berry, Michelle Knight and Gina DeJesus

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Watch arraignment of Ariel Castro, charged in kidnapping and rape of 3 women (via Cleveland.com) Authorities on Wednesday charged Castro with kidnapping and rape in the decade-long nightmare of three women held hostage in his home on Seymour Avenue, but prosecutors chose not to charge his two brothers, Pedro and Onil due to lack of [...]

Epic Case of Medicare Fraud – Scooter Store May Have Overbilled Medicare and Medicaid by Nearly $90 Million!

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Many Los Angeles Medicare and Medicaid fraud cases end in disaster for all stakeholders. For a tragic “rags to riches to rags” story, take a look at the disaster that befell the Scooter Store. scooter-store-los-angeles-medicare-fraud.jpg If you’ve ever watched daytime TV, you’ve no doubt seen commercials for the Scooter Store. The vendor of power wheelchairs (based in New Braunfels, Texas) sold its products to consumers by pummeling the airwaves with advertisements. But a blockbuster CBS News investigative piece about the company led to a federal government investigation and ultimately an FBI raid. Doctors and salespeople alleged that the company followed a diabolical playbook. Salespeople would contact doctors' offices and badger physicians to prescribe power wheelchairs and scooters to patients, even if patients did not need the products. They then relied on Medicare and Medicaid errors and bureaucratic snafus to approve the bad claims. After the FBI raid, the company furloughed every employee and then laid off 1,000 workers. How much damage was done? One estimate suggests that the Scooter Store overbilled Medicaid and Medicare by up to $87.7 million. The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services alone may have lost $50 million. The city of New Braunfels also wants $2.6 million from the Scooter Store – to pay back development money that the city lent the company to convert an old grocery store into its HQ. The company has said that it will pay back nearly $20 million; it filed for bankruptcy in the wake of all the legal turmoil. Lessons for your Los Angeles Medicare fraud case As we’ve mentioned numerous times on this blog, the government under the Obama Administration is taking Southern California white-collar crime – particularly healthcare fraud – extremely seriously. Arrests and investigations have spiked over the past five years. The government has tremendous incentive – financial and political – to “crack down” on fraudulent schemes. It’s a particularly hostile environment for defendants. That means that you need to be extremely thorough and smart about how you prepare your defense and reconcile with the charges against you. Recognize that you are now at a crossroads with respect to your life, your business, and your charges. A strategically directed defense, developed and executed by a respected Southern California Medicare fraud lawyer, like Michael Kraut of the Kraut Law Group, can help you take effective next steps. However, if you don’t take your situation seriously -- e.g. if you fail to retain a creditable, responsible attorney -- you may be at risk of a longer than necessary jail sentence, the loss of your license to practice medicine, massive fines, and epic confusion and humiliation. Let Michael Kraut, a Harvard Law School educated ex-prosecutor, help you plan your defense.

Bennion on the Right to Remain Psychotic

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Elizabeth Bennion (Brigham Young University - J. Reuben Clark Law School) has posted A Right to Remain Psychotic? A New Standard for Involuntary Treatment in Light of Current Science (Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review, Forthcoming) on SSRN. Here is...

New West Virginia law pairs youth sexting ban with education efforts, diversion

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5-12-2013 West Virginia: West Virginia has new rules that outlaw sexting by youths. But the state is also trying to pair the rules to education and diversion so that young people learn why it's a... [[This,an article summary.Please visit my website for complete article, and more.]]

Double Jeopardy and the Crime of Burglary

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  In the case of Robert Gorham versus the State of Florida, Mr. Gorham was convicted of two counts of burglary of a conveyance with an assault or battery.  His convictions were based on a single entry but involved two different victims.     Gorham appealed his convictions, and the appellate court ruled that:   1.  His two convictions for burglary was a double-jeopardy violation.   2.  It is the number of entries that triggers burglary charges, not the number of victims.   3.  Because Gorham entered the conveyance only once, he could be convicted of burglary only once.  

Is there a biological basis to crime?

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Recent advances in science may change the way we look at criminals and the underlying reasons for their behavior. Specifically, advances in neurology and brain scanning have revealed that because of brain function and chemistry, some people are far more likely to engage in criminal behavior. While researchers agree that there is still a strong [...]

AUSTRALIA - New technology to monitor sex offenders, arsonists and boozers 24/7

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Original ArticleI see the UK is following in the USA's sex offender registry hysteria.05/13/2013By Matt Johnston Victoria's worst sex fiends offenders will be tracked using cutting-edge satellite technology from July. And in an Australian-first, judges will be able to order serious offenders on booze bans to wear ankle bracelets that monitor their blood-alcohol content through sweat molecules.- Yeah right! The introduction of bracelets with GPS monitoring also gives courts the power to have arsonists tracked during bushfire seasons - a key Coalition election promise.- Of course, it's election time so bust out the registry hysteria.© 2006-2013 | Sex Offender Issues

WV - New West Virginia law pairs youth sexting ban with education efforts, diversion

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Original ArticleWe see nothing wrong with trying to educate kids and keep them off the registry, that is a move in the right direction, for once.05/12/2013By Lois M. Collins West Virginia has new rules that outlaw sexting by youths. But the state is also trying to pair the rules to education and diversion so that young people learn why it's a bad idea to sext and can fix their mistakes without having to register forever as sex offenders. The Associated Press reported that the law, signed Monday by Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin, makes it illegal for youths to make, possess or distribute photos, videos or other media that show a minor in an inappropriate sexual manner.- Not all sexting is about sending / taking underage photos of kids, so this law is geared toward a specific issue, not sexting in general, at least that is how we read this. The charge would be delinquency, but the law directs the state's Supreme Court to create an educational diversion program that, once completed, could lead to having the delinquency charge dropped. "That program would show offenders the consequences of sexting, including the potential long-term harm on relationships and school and job opportunities," the AP story said. Unlike some states, youths caught sexting would not be required to register as sex offenders. That's important to Maureen Kanka, whose 7-year-old daughter Megan was abducted, assaulted and murdered by a neighbor who had previously been convicted of assaulting young girls. Her efforts helped lead to the crafting and passage of New Jersey's Megan's Law in 1994. It forces sex offenders to register when they move into a community. It was never meant to target juveniles who sext, she said, but it does and that's one of the changes she's pushing for in amendments, including providing more support for parole officers. “We wanted to make sure that wouldn’t happen under any circumstances,” Kanka told the New Jersey Independent Press, referring to making teens register for sexting. A state senator sponsoring amendments agreed. “No one is trying to defend sexting, but the intention here is to not have them live with the lifelong designation of ‘sex offender,’” said Sen. Linda Greenstein (D-Plainsboro). “With younger people, you still have the concept of rehabilitation. You don’t want them to make a mistake and live with it for the rest of their lives.”- We are so sick and tired of hearing this!  Adults can also be rehabilitated, if you give them a chance.  Not all want to be, but most can.  So stop pretending that all adults are beyond repair. Sexting charges vary from state to state. The Washington Post carried a story about one case this week from nearby Virginia, where three local teens took videos "of drunken sex acts with fellow teens" and shared them with each other. They each will be tried on charges of child pornography. "In Virginia, Maryland and many other states, the law has not caught up with the combustible mix of teens, technology and sex that has made sexting an issue. Prosecutors must rely on a patchwork of laws created before the rise of smart­phones to handle such cases," wrote the Post's Justin Jouvenal. "Some parents and rights groups are calling for a new law that would distinguish sexting from child pornography, create lesser punishments and focus on educating teenagers, not punishing them. But they also acknowledge that young victims can be devastated when embarrassing photos or videos are spread among their peers," the article said.© 2006-2013 | Sex Offender Issues
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