The #CLOSErikers campaign was launched in April 2016 to close Rikers Island, the second largest jail in the country. In recent years, Rikers has received increased media attention due to harsh conditions and various abuses that have occurred behind its walls. Last April, Mayor de Blasio announced his endorsement of a plan to shut down Rikers Island within 10 years. Related: Mayor de Blasio Announces Plans to Shut Down Rikers Island Today, on the two-year anniversary of its founding, #CLOSErikers hosted a rally on the steps of New York City Hall to demand that Mayor de Blasio decrease the jail population and close Rikers as quickly as possible. “Rikers Island, a jail engulfed by human brutality, continues to signify mass incarceration, racial disparities and economic injustice—89% of detainees are black or Latino; 79% of people at Riker’s are presumed innocent, awaiting trial; and many have been victimized by a cash-for-bail system. In addition to other needed…
#CLOSErikers Holds Rally at New York City Hall to Shut Down Rikers Now
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TXDoT waived $1.3 billion in defaulted toll late fees; shouldn't old DRP surcharges also be waived?
The Texas Department of Transportation has announced it will waive $1.3 billion dollars in late fees on toll fines, The agency had sent 2.2 million accounts to collections agencies last year, alone, reported KXAN.The change comes after the Legislature capped late fees at $48 per year, so the agency waived old ones going back to 2007.Grits' first thought: The anti-toll people got a bigger win last session than I knew!My second: That's in the ballpark of the size of the unpaid surcharges in the Driver Responsibility program. If the Lege can suck up and eliminate that much bad debt on the toll side, they should be able to do the same thing for the surcharge program, which deals out a comparable amount of economic misery, plus the added legal problems arising from a revoked driver's license.A lot of legislators are now aware of problems with the surcharge program, so Grits still harbors hopes that all Texas needs to get rid of it is a session with a little…
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What Makes Me a Trespasser?
In Illinois, trespassing can occur in several ways and include trespass to vehicles, trespass to real property, and trespass through the use of electronic tracking devices. Generally, trespassing is a misdemeanor crime. However, some properties hold a felony charge. One such example is trespassing on government buildings. Trespassing on government buildings will likely result in a felony trespassing charge. The intention behind the trespassing is also considered when assessing the severity of the crime and the appropriate punishments to follow. Types of trespassing crimes in Illinois include the following: Criminal Trespass to Vehicles: Criminal trespass to vehicles is defined as a person entering any part of, or operating, any vehicle, aircraft, watercraft, or snowmobile. The individual must knowingly enter the vehicle and must not have any authority to do so. Criminal Trespass to Real Property: Criminal trespass to real property occurs when a person: (1)…
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Vernia Law Firm whistleblower clients featured on “American Greed”
On April 2, cable network CNBC aired an episode of its American Greed documentary series titled “Conn’s Job,” featuring interviews with Vernia Law Firm clients Jennifer Griffith and Sarah Carver, who filed a qui tam whistleblower suit against now-disbarred disability attorney Eric Conn and Social Security Administration Administrative Law Judge (ALJ) David Daugherty. Both men pleaded guilty in a parallel criminal case, as did former Chief ALJ Charlie Andrus, to a crime related to a scheme between Andrus and Conn to performance covert surveillance on, and fabricate evidence against Ms. Carver. The Vernia Law Firm brought the case in 2011 along with Lexington, Kentucky based Wallingford Law and Wohlander Law (whose principal attorney, Mark Wohlander, is also featured on the CNBC show). The case exposed fraud in connection with nearly 4000 determinations of Social Security disability benefits, which resulted in hundreds of millions in damages to the United…
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Business Insider: Three pleadings from Special Counsel in U.S. v. Manafort, two on motions to suppress
Business Insider: We read all 67 pages of Mueller’s latest court filings on Paul Manafort — here are the main takeaways by Sonam Sheth
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Maintenance
C&C Blog may be down for brief intervals this week as we upgrade our system.
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Dallas County’s Lawless Bail System Sued
As we pointed out last month, the bail system in the State of Texas is riddled with inequities. The bail system, with the acquiescence of county magistrates and judges, has become so corrupted that the constitutionally guaranteed right to bail has been practically abolished when a defendant is poor. In an excellent April 4, 2018 piece in the Texas Observer, Michael Barajas exposed the Dallas County bail system as one of the worst in the state. Working twenty-four hours a day, magistrates conduct secret bail hearings during which poor persons accused of crime are routinely browbeaten; even have their bail amount increased, if they dare speak without permission. Dallas County Bail Hearings Held in Secret Aa rule, secret judicial proceedings are an anathema to this nation’s accepted concept of justice dispensed in public courtrooms. Not so in Dallas County. The magistrates conduct secret hearings to conceal the injustices routinely administered to the…
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LAPD Officer Charged with DUI Murder
A Los Angeles Police Department officer was arrested last week on suspicion of three counts of murder as the result of a suspected DUI-related collision in Whittier last fall. On September 26, 2017, Edgar Verduzco, 27, was allegedly speeding in the carpool lane under the influence of alcohol on the 605 freeway in Whittier, California, when his Chevy Camaro collided into the rear of a Nissan. The Nissan burst into flames and Verduzco’s vehicle went on to hit a second vehicle. A family of three – Mario Davila, 60, Maribel Davila, 52, and their son, Oscar Davila, 19 – were the occupants of the Nissan and all three died as a result of the collision. The occupant of the second vehicle suffered minor injuries. Verduzco suffered a broken nose. Before the collision, Verduzco posted a video on Instagram from a bar and included the hastag #Dontdrinkanddrive. The video depicted a male in a police uniform with a badge with the name “Verduzco.” The video also…
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Meek Mill pledges to "shine a light" on criminal justice issues after Pennsylvania Supreme Court orders his release on bail
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LOS DÍAS DE MOSCÚ II parte
Hoy asistí al segundo y último día de "Los días de Moscú", deseo darles mi punto de vista. La Federación rusa, como organizador del negocio de patear pelota y los miles de millones de Dólares que mueve durante el evento, especialmente, pero no el único, es el turismo; Los que aman este negocio NO repararán en gastos para asistir a ver a 22 hábiles pateadores de pelota sobre todo si su Nación estará presente en la cita. Por ello es que visitan nuestra patria, si algo debo destacar y por lo cual visitaría Rusia es por su maravilloso Folklore la música es sensacionalmente alegre y para mí, además de alegría me identificaba con ella, una mezcla de sentimientos me embargaban. Entiendo que el organizador fue la Municipalidad de Lima sin dejar de coordinar algunos detalles con la delegación visitante. Además de la…
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"All Bathwater, No Baby: Expressive Theories of Punishment and the Death Penalty"
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"'High' Standards: The Wave of Marijuana Legalization Sweeping America Conveniently Ignores the Hidden Risks"
The title of this post is the title of this new article authored by Steve Calandrillo and Katelyn J. Fulton recently posted to SSRN. Here is its abstract: As a tide of marijuana legalization sweeps across the United States, there is a surprising lack of scrutiny as to whether the...<img src="http://feeds.feedburner.com/~r/MarijuanaLaw/~4/fDxX64JlmSU" height="1" width="1" alt=""/>
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Proposed Illinois Law Would Strengthen Driver's License Suspension After DUI Arrest
The Illinois House of Representatives approved a bill that would create an additional requirement for rescinding a statutory summary suspension following an arrest for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs. The law would require a court to provide the Illinois Secretary of State’s office with a factual reason for the decision before the office will comply with an order to rescind the driver’s license suspension. The bill still must receive approval from the Illinois Senate and governor before it becomes a law. Statutory Summary Suspension The Secretary of State can take civil action against a DUI suspect before a criminal trial by issuing a statutory summary suspension or revocation of the suspect’s driver’s license. The suspension applies to people arrested for DUI who either refused the blood alcohol concentration test or had test results that showed that their BAC was over the legal limit. The suspension begins 46 days after the suspect…
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S.D.Fla.: SW can issue after def charged with crime and for the same crime
The fact defendant has already been charged with a crime does not prevent a search warrant issuing for DNA to link him further to it. Humbert v. United States, 2018 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 68779 (S.D. Fla. Apr. 24, 2018). Sale … Continue reading →
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Lyman on Race, Homicides, and Prosecutions
Tim Lyman (Northeastern University, Institute for Security and Public Policy at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice) has posted 15th JDC (La) Study on Race, Homicides, and Prosecutions, 1976-2014 on SSRN. Here is the abstract: This is the first...
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N.D.Iowa: SW for car was still sufficient despite the LPN being wrong
The search warrant for defendant’s vehicle properly described it and with California plates except the LPN was wrong. Even if the warrant was insufficiently particular, which the court does not admit, the good faith exception applies. United States v. Ross, … Continue reading →
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The Importance of Effective Cross-Examination of Witnesses in Arizona Criminal Defense Cases
In many Arizona criminal cases, the issue of witness credibility is key. This is because, by and large, most cases present two sides of the same story. Whichever side the judge or jury believes is generally the side that prevails at trial. Whether it be the testimony of a complaining witness, the arresting or investigating police officer, or the defendant himself, the importance of establishing that a witness is being truthful is crucial to the side calling that witness. On the flip side of the coin, the opposing side will often attempt to establish that an adverse witness is biased, untruthful, or somehow mistaken about their remembrance of the facts. This is most often done through cross-examination. When a witness testified, he or she will first be asked questions by the party calling that witness. This is called the direct-examination of a witness. After that party concludes their questioning, the opposing side will then have an opportunity to ask questions of the witness…
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"6 Months Since Trump Declared an Opioid Emergency, What's Changed?" ... other than AG Sessions "strongly" encouraging capital prosecutions?
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Injury Crash blocking lanes northbound US91 at milepost 3.8, near Preston
IDAHO STATE POLICE NEWS RELEASE - generated by our News Release ListServer DO NOT REPLY --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Idaho State Police District 5 5255 S. 5th Avenue, Suite 2 Pocatello, Idaho 83204 (208) 239-9800 FAX: (208) 239-9885 For Immediate Release: 04/25/2018 1:25 p.m. Please direct questions to the District Office The Idaho State Police is investigating a two vehicle injury crash on US91 at milepost 3.8, near Preston. Currently one southbound lane is open for traffic. One southbound lane and both northbound lanes are blocked for the crash. 3490 -------------
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21st Annual IBA Transnational Crime Conference
16-18 May 2018, Sheraton Grand, Krakow, Poland A conference presented by the IBA Criminal Law Committee and the IBA Business Crime Committee This event will cover some of the hottest criminal and anti-corruption topics facing lawyers in a digital age, including exploration of current legal disputes and new issues for the future. The conference offered you unparalleled networking opportunities with criminal defence and regulatory practitioners, prosecutors, in-house counsel, international business crime lawyers, compliance officers and law enforcement officials from around the world. TOPICS INCLUDE: Deferred Prosecution Agreements and other negotiated settlements: Protecting the rights of corporations and individuals Anti-corruption developments around the globe Double jeopardy in transnational crime A new era for attorney-client privilege How to react to cybercrime Managing compliance monitors Sanctions Asset seizure Developments in Criminal Tax Find more information and…
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