Here are a few odds and ends that merit Grits readers' attention:Civilian review in Austin brings no reformSee a report that the missus prepared for the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition detailing recommendations by Austin's civilian review board which were never implemented by the local police departments. Michael Barajas at the Texas Observer covered the story of Austin activists seeking to overturn the local police labor agreement in order to abolish this toothless entity.'When cash bail violates the Constitution'This op ed included a notable quote from Judge Lee Rosenthal's opinion, “For misdemeanor defendants unable to pay secured money bail, Harris County maintains a ‘sentence first, conviction after’ system that pressures misdemeanor defendants to plead guilty … because that is the only way to secure timely release from detention.”Crappy counsel in death penalty appealsEver since the 2016 Texas…
Bashing civilian review, crappy counsel in death penalty appeals, and other stories
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Simi Valley City Council may repeal Halloween sex offender ordinance
10-15-17 California: With two weeks until Halloween, the Simi Valley City Council on Monday night may repeal a controversial law that says registered sex offenders listed on the Megan's Law website can't open their doors to trick-or-treating children. Simi Valley Police Chief Dave Livingstone says the city has never enforced the 2012 ordinance. Even so, Simi Valley City Attorney Lonnie
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Jurisdiction to search and prosecute defendants on vessel without nationality authorized
In U.S. v. Lopez Hernandez, the defendants appeal their convictions under the Maritime Drug Law Enforcement Act (MDLEA) which criminalizes individuals for possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States. In this case the defendants’ vessel fell under U.S. jurisdiction as a vessel without nationality. The U.S. Coast Guard officers stopped the four defendants in this appeal on board a go-fast boat without a flag in international waters about 120 nautical miles southwest of the El Salvador/Guatemala border in the Pacific Ocean. When the Coast Guard approached the boat, the crewmen began dumping packages overboard that were later found to contain 290 kilograms of cocaine. The four crew members were ultimately arrested. One defendant who identified himself as the captain claimed the boat was registered in Guatemala. The Coast Guard contacted the Guatemalan government which could neither…
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WaPo: When is a Facebook ‘like’ a crime?
WaPo: When is a Facebook ‘like’ a crime? by Ann E. Marimow: The U.S. attorney’s office for D.C. told a judge Friday that the government has ‘little interest’ in obtaining the names of thousands of people who ‘liked’ the Facebook … Continue reading →
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Crash on SH-55
IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer DO NOT REPLY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE District 3 Patrol 700 S. Stratford Dr., Meridian 83642 (208) 846-7550 Fax (208) 846-7520 For Immediate Release: Sunday- October 15, 2017 4:00 p.m. Please direct questions to the District Office On Sunday, October 15, 2017, at approximately 12:00 p.m., the Idaho State Police investigated a three-vehicle, injury crash on SH-55 at milepost 77, south of Banks. Lloyd Corn, 77, of Nampa, was in a 1997 Coach motorhome, stopped in the lane of travel with a turn signal on, waiting to turn into a pullout. Michael Moser, 62, of Eagle, was driving a 2015 Ford F150 pickup and struck the motorhome. The motorhome was then struck by a 1995 Chevrolet Suburban driven by Jay Waltman, 17, of Middleton. Moser was transported via air ambulance to St. Alphonsus Regional Medical Center in Boise. The lanes…
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"Why kids don’t belong on sex offender registry"
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**UPDATE** - Crash on SH-55
IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer DO NOT REPLY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE District 3 Patrol 700 S. Stratford Dr., Meridian 83642 (208) 846-7550 Fax (208) 846-7520 For Immediate Release: Sunday- October 15, 2017 5:00 p.m. Please direct questions to the District Office ** UPDATE TO CRASH DETAILS ** Michael Moser's 2015 Ford F-150 was stopped behind Corn's motorhome when it was struck first by Waltman's Chevrolet Suburban. This caused Moser's pickup to be pushed into the motorhome. ** END OF UPDATE ** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** *** On Sunday, October 15, 2017, at approximately 12:00 p.m., the Idaho State Police investigated a three-vehicle, injury crash on SH-55 at milepost 77, south of Banks. Lloyd Corn, 77, of Nampa, was in a 1997 Coach motorhome, stopped in the lane of travel with a turn signal on, waiting to turn into a…
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The “Hound Dog Handler” Comes Full Circle to Face Justice
In the heyday of his career as an “expert” for unscrupulous prosecutors around the state, Keith Pickett enjoyed a star witness status—the Hound Dog Handler, as he was called, sent many people to prison, some of whom were innocent, for many “win at all cost prosecutors.” He was the leader in the junk science known as “dog scent lineups.” In a September 2009 report titled “Dog Scent Lineups: A Junk Science Injustice,” the Texas Innocence Project (“Project”) said Pickett was a New York native who got a chemistry degree from the University of South Alabama and a master’s degree in “Sport Science” from an Alabama institution called the United States Sports Academy. Montgomery County Good Fit for Junk Science Hound Dog Handler After taking advantage of this education in Alabama, Pickett moved to Texas where he bought an old bloodhound he decided to train to be a “police…
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Request for witnesses and information
IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer DO NOT REPLY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE District 1 Patrol 615 West Wilbur Ave. Coeur d'Alene, ID 83815 (208) 209-8620 Fax (208) 209-8619 The Idaho State Police is requesting assistance from witnesses of an incident that occurred Saturday, October 14, 2017 at 6:40 PM, eastbound on I90 at the Spokane Street Exit in Post Falls. The incident involving a collision between a blue Mazda 6 sedan and a black Volkswagen Golf hatchback. If you have any information, please contact Tpr Ercanbrack with the Idaho State Police at (208) 209-8620. 3314 -------------
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"Attorney hopes to import the best practices of European prisons to the United States"
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Sunday Night Open Thread: This and That
I was just reading about the really high prices of Manhattan luxury condos, when I came upon this article in Curbed saying that a 90 story skyscraper is coming to Denver that will change the skyline forever. Then I saw the address: the building is... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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RNC and Trump Campaign Paid $2.4 Million So Far in Legal Fees For Russia
In September, the Washington Post reported that the RNC was paying out huge bucks for legal fees charged by lawyers for Donald Trump and Donald Trump, Jr. regarding Russia. The Republican National Committee is using a pool of money stockpiled for... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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Ahranjani on Prisonized Schools
Maryam Ahranjani (University of New Mexico - School of Law) has posted The Prisonization of America's Public Schools (Hofstra Law Review, Vol. 45, No. 4, 2017) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Over the past generation, episodes of mass school...
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What if My DWI Breath Test Results are Wrong?
Under Minnesota law (Minn. Stat. Chap. 169A), if you are stopped for suspicion of driving under the influence or otherwise impaired by drugs or alcohol and blow higher than .08 in a breathalyzer then you will be charged with DWI. Breathalyzer tests assume that the air measured is deep lung area from the alveoli; however, […] The post What if My DWI Breath Test Results are Wrong? appeared first on Minneapolis DWI Lawyer Douglas T. Kans.
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Loan Mod Scammer Sentenced to 8 Years
Mortgage Fraud Blog. Kevin Frank Rasher, 45, Orange County, California, was sentenced to 97 months in federal prison Friday for fraudulently taking $2.2 million from distressed homeowners based on false promises that he could help them avoid foreclosure by obtaining modifications to their mortgages. Rasher, who has been in custody since his arrest at his Coto de Caza residence over […] The post Loan Mod Scammer Sentenced to 8 Years appeared first on Mortgage Fraud Blog.
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Mortgage Company President Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Ginnie Mae
Mortgage Fraud Blog. Robert Pena, 68, Falmouth, Massachusetts, pled guilty in federal court in Boston in connection with defrauding the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae) out of approximately $2.5 million. Pena pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and six counts of wire fraud. U.S. Senior District Court Judge Mark L. Wolf scheduled sentencing for January 5, 2018. Pena was […] The post Mortgage Company President Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Ginnie Mae appeared first on Mortgage Fraud Blog.
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Weisselberg on Exporting and Importing Miranda
Charles D. Weisselberg (University of California, Berkeley - School of Law) has posted Exporting and Importing Miranda (Boston University Law Review, Vol. 97, No. 3, 2017) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: This article examines Miranda v. Arizona from a...
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Sheehy on Domestic Violence Death Reviews
Elizabeth A. Sheehy (University of Ottawa - Common Law Section) has posted A Feminist Reflection on Domestic Violence Death Reviews (in Myrna Dawson, ed. Domestic Homicides and Death Reviews: An International Perspective (Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan, 2017) 373-398) on SSRN. Here...
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Webb on Race and Fourth Amendment Seizures
Lindsey Webb (University of Denver Sturm College of Law) has posted Legal Consciousness As Race Consciousness: Expansion of the Fourth Amendment Seizure Analysis Through Objective Knowledge of Police Impunity (Seton Hall Law Review, Forthcoming) on SSRN. Here is the abstract:...
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Cert. granted: United States v. Microsoft Corp.
Cert. granted: United States v. Microsoft Corp., 17-2 (ScotusBlog) Issue: Whether a United States provider of email services must comply with a probable-cause-based warrant issued under 18 U.S.C. § 2703 by making disclosure in the United States of electronic communications … Continue reading →
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