Marilyn Mosby fiddles while Baltimore burns:Baltimore Reaches 31 Homicides in JulyA man was fatally shot Tuesday morning in West Baltimore, becoming the city's 31st homicide victim this month.The man, who police have been unable to identify, was killed about 10:13 a.m. in the 2100 block of Garrison Boulevard, north of Gwynns Falls Park, police said.Prior to the spike in violence last year following the death of Freddie Gray, the city had not recorded 30 homicides in a month since the 1990s. In 2015, the city had five months with more than 30 homicides. July is the first month this year that the city reached that mark.The people getting killed in this carnage are overwhelmingly, and perhaps exclusively, black. But "compassion" and "justice" dictate targeting the front line against crime.Hello! If black lives actually mattered to Black Lives Matter, I would donate $10,000 to Debbie Wasserman Schultz Stephanie Rawlings-Blake.
But At Least We're Pushing Ahead with the Freddie Gray Prosecutions
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Los viejos izquierdistas en el Perú deben retirarse de la política
Nunca he leído a Marx, lo he escrito muchas veces ni a ningún pensador, por brillante que sea su carrera y los reconocimientos obtenidos, pues no existe pensador que nos ilustre sobre los marcianos. En el enlace que compartiré -incluido mi comentario inicial- he leído un análisis de la coyuntura actual analizada de manera general pero afincada no en la ideología sino en el quehacer cotidiano, retos y futuro de la izquierda en el viejo Continente, pero podemos pensarlo en función de la realidad latinoamericana.https://marxismocritico.com/2016/04/04/la-izquierda-tiene-que-repensar-su-aparato-teorico-y-tactico/ COMENTARIO Si en el Perú existe gente de izquierda pensante no viejos que dicen ser de izquierda pero defienden el consumismo y atizan el miedo del que se sacuden cuando los eventos que demandan su participación terminó, lean este artículo. Léanlo sin apasionamiento, un tema que…
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Former state office candidate admits mortgage scam, faces 3 years in prison | NJ.com
Former state Senate and Assembly candidate Bruce Alston faces up to three years in prison and $133,500 in restitution after pleading guilty today to theft by deception stemming from a 27-count indictment alleging a sophisticated mortgage fraud scheme. Source: Former state office candidate admits mortgage scam, faces 3 years in prison | NJ.com
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Police Contact after a Los Angeles Hit and Run
If you have committed a Hit and Run, there are several ways the police department will contact you. A Hit and Run is a vehicle code violation under VC §20002 and 20003. In order to have committed a Hit and Run, you must have caused damage to property or injury to person, and fled the scene without leaving information. Just because you are contacted by the police department regarding a potential Hit and Run, it does not mean you are guilty, or have been charged. That will be determined thereafter. Officers may contact you in one of three ways. The method is unique to each county and to each department. There are no uniform code sections or authority that require one specific method be used. Letter Continue reading
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What You Say During a Plea Discussion Stays There
Because we live in a country that relies on an adversarial system of criminal justice, you can count on law enforcement to do everything it can to punish you as much as possible. To do this, police and prosecutors try to get all the evidence against you that they can find, and try to use it at trial. This is the case, even if there are rules against them using certain pieces of evidence in a trial. For example, if the police conduct an illegal search and find evidence that you committed a robbery, they'll still try to use that evidence, even though it should be thrown out – it's up to your defense attorney to stop them. One situation that is ripe for law enforcement to get evidence against you is during a plea discussion. How you react to a plea offer could be interpreted as evidence that you committed the crime. Luckily, plea negotiations are one of the situations where law enforcement is not allowed to get new evidence. This is because of Rule 410 in the Maine…
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What Are the Differences Between Jail and Prison in Arizona?
Many people use the terms “jail” and “prison” synonymously. But these two types of facilities have some distinct differences, as much as they have much in common.When you are facing charges that may lead to prison time, or when you are put in jail for an offense, having the right lawyer on your side can mean the difference between staying locked up or gaining your freedom. At this critical time, you need an experienced criminal lawyer, such as the attorneys at the Law Offices of David Michael Cantor in Phoenix, Arizona.Jails of ArizonaJails are managed by local jurisdictions, cities and counties. These facilities are where people are held for the short term, usually while awaiting a hearing, sentencing, bail to be paid or other court process. When someone is suspected of committing a crime, he or she will be held in a jail as a detainee. Some occupants of city and county jails have been convicted of their crimes and serve a short sentence in the jail…
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Garrett on The Rise of Bank Prosecutions
Brandon L. Garrett (University of Virginia School of Law) has posted The Rise of Bank Prosecutions (Yale Law Journal Forum, Vol. 126, No. 33, 2016) on SSRN. Here is the abstract: Before 2008, prosecutions of banks had been quite rare...
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DRIVING UNDER THE INFLUENCE IN ANOTHER COUNTRY
It’s summer travel season and maybe you are planning a trip to another country. Don’t let your R&R be ruined by a driving under the influence arrest. You may not be aware of this but most countries have harsher DUI laws than those in the United States. Now, how strictly those laws are enforced may be another matter but here’s the low down: In Canada, the BAC threshold runs from 0.05% to 0.08% depending on the province. Same in Mexico, where the BAC limit is determined by state and can run between 0.04% and 0.08%, but the national limit is 0.08% for those states that do not impose their own law. Going to Europe? You might want to lay off the alcohol altogether if you are driving. In Scandinavia, for example, you can be arrested for a DUI with just a 0.02% BAC (Norway and Sweden). Denmark is slightly more lenient with a 0.05% BAC threshold. Elsewhere in Europe, the BAC reading at which you can be arrested for drunken driving is generally 0.05% although many…
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Pokemon Go Being Used In Attempted Robbery, Trespassing And Other Crimes In California
Pokémon Go Crime? If you haven’t heard by now, Pokémon Go, a geo-catching game played on a smart phone, has quickly become a phenomenon with over a million downloads in the United States since hit the market this month. Basically, gamers use their GPS to find and capture virtual creatures called Pokémon. So why is a criminal defense attorney writing about Pokémon Go? Well, when there’s a national craze, can crime be far behind? In Missouri, four teens were arrested and charged with first-degree armed robbery after getting caught using Pokémon Go as a way to lure unsuspecting gamers to isolated areas where they were then robbed. The robbers “pokestopped” their targets—11 in all before the robbers were caught— and the victim thinking he or she was chasing after a Pokémon ended up being robbed at gunpoint instead. Continue reading →
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"UK urges prosecutors to combat hate crimes with tougher sentences"
From Jurist: JURIST - UK urges prosecutors to combat hate crimes with tougher sentences The UK Home Office [official website] announced on Sunday that prosecutors will be encouraged to use tougher sentences against hate crimes in response to the nation's...
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The Two Sentence Answer to the Cost Argument
Sometimes the obvious stares you in the face.One of the leading arguments used by death penalty opponents is that capital punishment costs too much.Let's put to one side the fact that it costs so much mostly because those self-same opponents have spent decades larding it with manufactured procedural delays having nothing to do with either basic fairness or factual guilt.Aren't the following two sentences a complete answer to the cost argument?Expense is a reason to be selective and use the death penalty infrequently. It is no reason to make it legally unavailable, ever.
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"District Court explains reasons for disallowing penile plethysmograph and visual response testing for child pornography offender"
Doug Berman at Sentencing Law & Policy excerpts this interesting case. From the excerpt: Proponents of using the penile plethysmograph correlate arousal data to deviant sexual behavior by assuming that individuals with a history of sexual offenses who respond to...
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Does Hillary Clinton really have a "bold vision" for criminal justice reform, as claimed by former AG Holder?
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Three Charged in $1 Billion Medicare Fraud Scheme In Miami
Three people have been convicted of alleged Medicare and Medicaid fraud in a $1 billion scheme in Miami. “This is the largest single criminal healthcare fraud case ever brought against individuals by the Department of Justice,” said Leslie R. Caldwell, Assistant Attorney General the department’s criminal division, in a statement issued Friday. A 47-year-old man allegedly led a scheme that referred Medicare and Medicaid beneficiaries who did not qualify to skilled nursing and assisted living facilities. The man owned 30 such facilities, giving him access to thousands of beneficiaries, according to reports. Also charged in the scheme are a 49-year-old hospital administrator and a 56-year-old physician’s assistant. The three also are accused of accepting kickbacks, disguised as charitable donations or paid in cash, for directing the beneficiaries to selected health care providers, including pharmacies, health care agencies and mental health centers,…
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Tuesday Night DNC: Clinton Time
I just tuned on the TV for the first time today. I caught the last part of Madeline Albright and thought she was terrific. I purposely waited until certain mothers were finished. Now it's time for Bill Clinton. "In the spring of 1971, I... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]
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"Australia PM proposes strict anti-terror legislation"
From Jurist: JURIST - Australia PM proposes strict anti-terror legislation Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull [official website] on Monday proposed new counter-terrorism legislation [press release] that would allow for indefinite detention. Turnbull announced plans to introduce Counter-Terrorism Legislation Amendment Bill...
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Pittsburgh Man Sues Over Pacemaker
A man is suing the City of Pittsburgh for using a hand-held magnetic security wand too close to his pacemaker, causing it to fail. Vince Kelly says that when he arrived at Pittsburgh Municipal Court in June of 2014 2014 he cautioned the guard that the metal detector could interfere with his pacemaker. The guard allowed Kelly to go around the detector, but then waived a hand-held metal detector device too close to his heart, causing Kelly to fall and briefly loose consciousness. The security guard worked for a private company that was contracted by the city and county. Kelly is suing the City of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, and Victory Security. A previous study by researchers in Europe found that airport metal detectors have no effect on pacemakers. Researchers used two different detectors set to the highest settings on almost 400 patients with pacemakers or defibrillators. The patients had devices from 11 different companies, representing about 75% of the pacemaker and…
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Grand Juries in Maine
If you're being investigated for a crime, or even after you've been arrested for one, there are a lot of moving parts in the criminal justice system that you'll never see, but that still seriously impact your future. One of these moving parts is the grand jury process. What is a Grand Jury? A grand jury is a group of citizens whose job it is to review the evidence gathered by the prosecution, and determine whether there is sufficient evidence to justify going to trial. They typically go into action after someone gets arrested for a felony charge. During a meeting of a grand jury, the prosecutor will present evidence that someone committed a crime. Because all that is at issue in the grand jury proceeding is whether there's probable cause to believe that the suspect did the deed, there is no defending against the evidence that the prosecutor brings. In fact, neither you nor your defense attorney even have the right to be present at the grand jury proceeding,…
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Federal Prosecutor Powers: Is the FBI Recording Your Conversation Down at the Courthouse?
There are more criminal cases filed in state courts here in Dallas and North Texas than in the federal system, and there are a number of reasons for this. However, the power of the federal system and the impact of federal practices and federal court cases upon state and local criminal systems cannot be underestimated. It’s big. And there were several stories in the news this past week dealing with increasing federal power in serious criminal matters that everyone in North Texas and the Dallas – Fort Worth area should be aware and concerned about, including: 1. Privacy at the Courthouse: FBI Agents Okayed to Record Conversations on County Courthouse Premises Secretly and Without a Warrant This week, a federal judge ruled it is okay for FBI agents to secretly listen to conversations at or near county courthouses and to record those conversation, too WITHOUT ANY NEED FOR A SEARCH WARRANT. Granted, this was a California federal district court judge and things might not…
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Podcast: New Texas death-in-custody data online
Grits contributing writer Amanda Woog, who is a postdoctoral fellow at the UT-Austin Institute for Urban Policy Research and Analysis, has made a curated version of Texas' death-in-custody database available for the first time online. See her fancy new website, somewhat blandly dubbed the Texas Justice Initiative. There's nothing dull about its contents, however.Last year, the Texas Legislature mandated that police departments report all police shootings to the Attorney General, whether or not the victim dies. But for years, police, jails and prisons in Texas already had to report deaths in custody, though scarce few people were aware of it and the information wasn't widely available. The AG publishes a master list of names, but nearly all of the voluminous detail until now was kept offline, available only to those who knew enough to file an open records request. Since just a few reporters even knew the database existed (besides Grits, Brandi Grissom of the…
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