26 April 2012

April 26, 2012   Today's Stories

CT Gov. Ends Capital Punishment; 'Time for Reflection, Not Celebration' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Hartford Courant reports that Gov. Dannel P. Malloy quietly signed a bill repealing Connecticut's death penalty on Wednesday, ending a practice that has been state policy since a Native American named Napauduck was hanged for murder in 1639. "I signed legislation that will, effective today, replace the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of release as the highest form of legal punishment in Connecticut,'' Malloy said after a solemn ceremony closed to the press and public. "Although it is an historic moment - Connecticut joins 16 other states and the rest of the industrialized world by taking this action - it is a moment for sober reflection, not celebration." About 30 guests crowded into the governor's office at the state Capitol to watch him sign the bill, which had cleared both chambers of the General Assembly earlier this month. Among them were members of the clergy, legislative leaders and people who have lost family members to homicide. Capital punishment has been a part of the state's criminal code since Colonial times. In the past 52 years, only two men--Michael Ross, in 2005, and Joseph "Mad Dog" Taborsky, in 1960--have been executed by the state in Connecticut. Hartford Courant

EEOC Clarifies Rules on When Employers Can Deny Jobs to Convicts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission voted Wednesday to revise its long-standing guidance to employers on how to properly evaluate job applicants' criminal histories in pre-employment screening, reports McClatchy News Service. To pass muster, job denials based on criminal convictions must be shown to be "job-related and consistent with business necessity," according to EEOC guidelines. This means the employer must show that it considered three factors: the nature and gravity of the offense, the amount of time since the conviction and the relevance of the offense to the type of the job that's being sought. The issue became a controversy because an estimated 65 million Americans have some type of criminal record, which can make it very difficult to get a job. Researchers found in 2009 that a criminal record cut chances for a job callback or offer by nearly 50 percent. Yet employers say record checks are essential in judging job seekers' judgment, trustworthiness and reliability. The revamped guidelines clarify standards established in 1987. They also make recommendations on how employers can avoid EEOC scrutiny when they're considering job seekers with previous arrests and convictions. Denying jobs solely on the basis of criminal convictions is illegal, because it would disproportionately affect blacks and Latinos, who have higher rates of arrest and criminal conviction. McClatchy News Service

Feds Get 'Buzz-Sawed' in AZ Immigration Arguments at High Court ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ For the second time in less than a month, President Barack Obama's administration ran into a buzz saw at the Supreme Court in oral arguments Wednesday over Arizona's law cracking down on illegal immigrants, reports Politico. Both conservative and liberal justices expressed deep skepticism about the federal government's case against the core of the law: a provision requiring local law enforcement to check the immigration status of people arrested or even detained briefly for a traffic violation if they're suspected of being in the country illegally. The outcome could be felt in states nationwide that have passed similar laws or are considering them. And there could be significant consequences at the polls in November, whichever way the court rules. The justices clearly were not swayed by the Justice Department's argument. The skepticism was strongest among the conservative justices, but even a couple of liberals said they're perplexed by the federal government's claim that Arizona is violating the Constitution by requiring police to perform immigration status checks that they already can request at their own discretion. Politico

AP: 'Secretive Process' Brought Lethal Injection Drugs to Delaware ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Associated Press explains how Delaware managed to obtain a key execution drug through a "complicated and secretive procurement process" that has allowed the state to conduct executions. The process involved a state official with close ties to the pharmaceutical industry and was kept secret from all but a few Department of Correction officials as it unfolded. Even the attorney general was kept out of the loop for much of the process. The documents offer a behind-the-scenes look at how Delaware officials navigated a procurement process that can be fraught with political and legal consequences. States have been scrambling to find the sedatives needed to carry executions. When the DOC needed to replenish its supply of lethal injection drugs last spring, it turned to a man who spent years cultivating contacts in the pharmaceutical industry: Delaware Economic Development Director Alan Levin. Before Levin's involvement, DOC Commissioner Carl Danberg and his staff had tried other ways of getting execution drugs, including sodium thiopental or pentobarbital, without success. But with a single email, Levin, former head of the Happy Harry's drugstore chain, was able to get the ball rolling, allowing the DOC to get the drugs it needed. Associated Press

Quiet New Hampshire Experiences 'Unprecedented' Spate of Violence ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Boston Globe says 10 days of bloodshed in New Hampshire during April have left residents on edge in a state that prides itself on its low homicide rate. Ten violent deaths spanned the state geographically and occurred without discernible pattern. Jane Young, the senior assistant state attorney general, called the violence "unprecedented." The most prominent killing was that of Greenland Police Chief Michael Maloney, shot to death April 12 while serving a search warrant in a drug case. Four other officers serving the warrant were wounded. Inside the home, the shooter, Cullen Mutrie, apparently killed his former girlfriend, Brittany Tibbetts, before killing himself. The first violent death occurred on April 7, when one man ran over another in Claremont. Five days later, on the same day as the Greenland tragedy, a shooting in Dalton left two dead and one wounded. On April 14, a man was fatally shot on a rural road in Chesterfield and on April 17 officials opened another homicide investigation into three more deaths in Lancaster. The deaths have left residents wondering what has happened to their quiet state. Boston Globe

Innocence Coalition to Delineate Prosecutorial Misconduct in Arizona ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A coalition of innocence projects, legal experts and wrongly convicted defendants was to announce today that a study of prosecutorial misconduct in Arizona from 2004 through 2008 found prosecutors committed error in 20 cases, according to The Crime Report. The coalition is convening in Arizona in the latest stop in a national tour aimed at exposing prosecutorial misconduct and initiating reform. In 15 of the cases, the finding of error was deemed "harmless" and the convictions were upheld. In five of the cases, the errors were ruled to be "harmful" and the convictions were reversed. During that same time period, three prosecutors were publicly disciplined by the State Bar of Arizona, but none of the prosecutors in the 20 cases were disciplined. One of those three prosecutors disciplined was the late Kenneth Peasley, of Pima County, Ariz., where he won many convictions, some of which sent defendants to Death Row. Peasley was disbarred in 2004 for knowingly allowing a detective to testify falsely in two capital murder trials-improper behavior that led to the release of a man from Death Row. The Crime Report

Texas Legislators Question Efficacy of State Juvenile Justice Reforms ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A legislative inquiry in Texas is focusing on whether sweeping juvenile justice reforms instituted five years ago are still working, reports the Austin American-Statesman. "It would appear that the management of the (Texas Juvenile Justice Department) has not been properly managing or protecting the youth and staff," said Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire, a Houston Democrat who authored many of the reforms. "You could change the names and dates, and it would be 2007 all over again." Meanwhile, the former superintendent of the Giddings State School claimed in a lawsuit that he was fired in March for reporting violations of state law and growing safety issues at the troubled lockup. A week ago, in an inspection report that quickly triggered a legislative investigation, Ombudsman Debbie Unruh detailed allegations that youths at Giddings were being "bought and owned" by other youths for cigarettes, illicit drugs and money at a facility that was chaotic and unsafe for some youths and staff alike. The nine-page report listed an array of other issues: Youth ringleaders are "controlling the culture on this campus," staff have a lack of control over youths, youths have refused to leave security detention for fear of their safety, and bullying and extortion of food are common. Austin American-Statesman

GA Parents Wonder Why Slaying of Their Son Has Missed the Spotlight ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Why do some cases with perceived racial implications catch the national consciousness and others do not? The New York Times considers that question in a story that looks into a 2011 homicide in Lyons, Ga., in which Norman Neesmith, white and 62, shot and killed the unarmed Justin Patterson, black and 22. The shooting happened when Neesmith found Patterson and his brother in his home in the middle of the night, having been secretly invited to party with an 18-year-old relative he had raised like a daughter and her younger friend. The young people were paired up in separate bedrooms. Neesmith was arrested and is expected to plead guilty to involuntary manslaughter and reckless conduct, which might bring a year in a special detention program that requires no time behind bars. The dead man's parents, Deede and Julius Patterson, watched news of Trayvon Martin's death in Florida and--noting the similarities--began to wonder why no one was marching for their son. New York Times

Maryland Police to Continue DNA Sampling, Despite High Court Decision ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Police around Maryland said Wednesday that they would continue to collect DNA samples when suspects are arrested for violent crimes and burglaries, despite a ruling by the state's top court limiting the practice, reports the Baltimore Sun. The Court of Appeals ruled 5-2 that the 2009 law violated a suspect's Fourth Amendment right to be free from unreasonable search and seizure. The ruling did leave open the possibility that police could take DNA samples for the purpose of identifying a suspect at the time of arrest. The collection of DNA at arrest has been the subject of national debate, because opponents point out that it takes place before a suspect is tried in court. Twenty-six states have laws similar to Maryland's, and many have been upheld in state and federal court. Several law enforcement agencies, including the state Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, were awaiting a decision on whether the state will appeal before they make changes. State and local officials called for an appeal of what they see as a crucial tool that has linked suspects to other, unsolved crimes. Opponents of the practice said the decision to continue taking samples shows disregard for the Court of Appeals and the law. Baltimore Sun

Report: Billboard Firm Poisoned FL Trees That Obscured Advertisements ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FairWarning.org reports that a criminal investigation is underway into allegations that Lamar Advertising Co., a highway billboard giant, poisoned trees that obscured views of its roadside ads near Tallahassee, Fla. Robert J. Barnhart, a crew chief for the company, said he was fired because he refused to continue "hit and run" poisonings with a potent herbicide. He has filed a whistle-blower lawsuit. It is not clear if the Tallahassee tree-poisonings were isolated. The Baton Rouge, La., company has nearly 150,000 billboards, more than any other U.S. outdoor advertising firm. Barnhart he said acted under orders from Lamar's former regional manager, Myron A. "Chip" LaBorde, who ran company operations in Florida and Georgia and was past president of the Florida Outdoor Advertising Association. LaBorde died of pancreatic cancer last summer. Hal Kilshaw, a Lamar vice president and chief spokesman, declined to discuss the criminal investigation, but he said "cutting of trees or poisoning of trees without the required permits would be contrary to company policy." FairWarning.org

TSA Screeners Charged in Drug-Smuggling, Bribery Ring at LAX ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A ring of corrupt TSA screeners who were taking bribes to allow narcotics through security checkpoints at Los Angeles International Airport was broken up when a drug courier went to the wrong terminal and was arrested after another screener found 10 pounds of cocaine in his belongings, reports the Associated Press. The discovery prompted an investigation that led to the arrests of two former and two current TSA employees on federal drug trafficking and bribery charges. A 22-count indictment outlined five incidents where the TSA employees took payments of up to $2,400 to provide drug couriers unfettered access at LAX over a six-month period last year. In all, seven people are facing charges. Associated Press

Philly Bank Robbers Disguise Themselves in Female Muslim Garb ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Five recent bank holdups and a homicide committed by men dressed as Muslim women has prompted the Philadelphia-area Islamic community to offer a $20,000 reward for tips that lead to the arrest and conviction of the suspects, reports the city's Inquirer. The Majlis Ash Shura, an organization representing the membership of 71 masajids and congregations in the Philadelphia area, was joined by elected officials at a City Hall news conference. Since December, there have been at least five bank robberies in Philadelphia in which the suspects wore Muslim clothing. The most recent holdups include a robbery at the Wells Fargo Bank on Adams Avenue and the Sovereign Bank on Stenton Avenue. On April 18, a suspect dressed in Muslim garb entered an Upper Darby barber shop and fatally shot Michael Turner, 35. Sharif Wynn, 27, of Philadelphia has been arrested. The clothing, which consists of a loose dress, or abaya, and a head covering known as a niqab, is worn by some Muslim women as a sign of respect for God. Philadelphia Inquirer

25 April 2012

April 25, 2012   Today's Stories

New Signs Show Growing Opposition to Death Penalty in United States ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There are new signs that America may be losing its taste for capital punishment, reports USA Today. Connecticut Gov. Dannel Malloy is poised to sign a bill repealing the death penalty in that state. A separate proposal has qualified for the November ballot in California that would shut down the largest death row in the country and convert inmates' sentences to life without parole. And the National Research concluded last week that there have been no reliable studies to show that capital punishment is a deterrent to homicide. That study, which does not take a position on capital punishment, follows a Gallup Poll last fall found support for the death penalty had slipped to 61% nationally, the lowest level in 39 years. Even in Texas, which has long projected the harshest face of the U.S. criminal justice system, there has been a marked shift. Last year, the state's 13 executions marked the lowest number in 15 years. And this year, the state - the perennial national leader in executions - is scheduled to carry out 10. Capital punishment proponents say the general decline in death sentences and executions in recent years is merely a reflection of the sustained drop in violent crime, but some lawmakers and legal analysts say the numbers underscore a growing wariness of wrongful convictions. USA Today

House Cyber-Security Bills Used to Force Dems to Take a Position ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The House is sending a message to the White House and Senate Democrats this week by passing a batch of cyber-security bills aimed at preventing the digital version of a Pearl Harbor, reports Politico. The idea is to spur Democrats to move - giving them the choice to either bring their own stalled bill to a vote or risk standing on the wrong political side of a national security issue. The bills - including the controversial Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act - are expected to pass the House without a problem by Friday, giving Republicans a partisan talking point and providing them cover should cyber-enemies execute attacks against American agencies or utilities. It's a tough spot for Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and for President Barack Obama, whose aides lean toward the Senate's comprehensive cyber-security approach but have been unwilling to box themselves in by criticizing the House bill directly. Politico

Texas Reports Increase in Anti-Government Extremists, Militias ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Texas is experiencing a considerable uptick in confrontations with anti-government extremists, mirroring a troubling nationwide phenomenon, reports the Houston Chronicle. Law enforcement agencies are witnessing the resurgence of a dangerous anti-government movement that peaked with the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. Last month, the Southern Poverty Law Center reported so-called "patriot" groups, including militias and sovereigns, skyrocketed from 149 in 2008 to 1,274 in 2011, the highest it has ever been. Texas topped the list with 76 groups, up from six in 2008. Mark Potok, who tracks extremist groups for the center, called the growth "astounding." Fueling the rise is a long list of grievances: the shoddy economy; the foreclosure crisis; Barack Obama's presidency; income inequality; concerns about the Second Amendment; fear Hispanics will overtake whites as the majority; and unease about the role of white working-class men in the U.S. Houston Chronicle

Report: Jail Population Declines Outpace Those of Fed, State Prisons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An analysis of new data on jail populations in the U.S. shows that the number of people confined in local jails is declining more rapidly than in state and federal prisons. The Sentencing Project finds that from 2007-2010 the incarceration rate in jails declined by more than three times the rate of prisons, 6.6 percent compared to 1.8 percent. The prison and jail population declines "has produced no adverse effects on public safety," said Marc Mauer, executive director of The Sentencing Project. "We now have the opportunity to free up resources for public safety initiatives that do not depend on record rates of incarceration." The analysis by the Sentencing Project, a non-profit organization engaged in research and advocacy on criminal justice policy, is based on data released by the Bureau of Justice Statistics in its annual report of individuals in jail. The report shows a decline in the number of inmates for the third consecutive year. Jails are local facilities that generally house persons awaiting trial or serving short sentences, while prisons are run by state and federal governments to confine persons sentenced to one year or more of incarceration. The BJS report also documents a sharp 23.4 percent reduction in the number of juveniles housed in adult jails between 2008-2011. The practice of housing juveniles with adults has come under broad criticism. Crime & Justice News

UN Estimates That Crime Generated $2.1 Trillion Globally in 2009 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crime generates an estimated $2.1 trillion in global annual proceeds, or 3.6 percent of the world's gross domestic product, and the problem may be growing, Reuters reports. "It makes the criminal business one of the largest economies in the world, one of the top 20 economies," Yury Fedotov, head of the U.N. Office on Drugs and Crime, said this week in Vienna. The figure was calculated recently for the first time by the UN and World Bank, based on data for 2009. Speaking on the opening day of a week-long meeting of the international Commission on Crime Prevention and Criminal Justice, he suggested the situation may be worsening "but to corroborate this feeling I need more data." He said up to $40 billion is lost through corruption in developing countries annually and illicit income from human trafficking amounts to $32 billion every year. Reuters

Texas Joins Slow National Conversion to Paperless Court Filings ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Change has come slowly, but Texas is among a number of states where courts are converting from a paper-intensive to a paperless operation, reports Stateline. The new electronic system in Texas uses a fee-based model in which private sector providers act as electronic couriers and a centralized service provider is a sort of electronic post office. Around the country, private sector companies are willing to pay many of the upfront costs of building electronic court filing systems in the hopes of eventually making their money back - and then some - through fees. Most state judiciaries are now moving toward electronic filing, although with dramatically varying degrees of speed and sophistication. Some electronic systems simply allow litigants to email files to the court. Others automate a host of judicial functions, such as sending notices to other involved parties when a document has been filed or a judge has taken action on a case. According to the National Center for State Courts, statewide electronic filing is up and running in Delaware, Colorado, Alabama, Utah and Nebraska, with a number of other state judiciaries phasing in systems that are intended to go statewide eventually. In Nebraska, the state estimates that electronic filing in 2011 saved more than 12,000 hours of administrative court staff time. Stateline

Californians Will Vote on Death Penalty Abolishment in November ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A proposal to abolish capital punishment and replace it with a maximum sentence of life without parole qualified for the Nov. 6 ballot this week, so Californians voters going to the polls in November will again decide the fate of the death penalty, reports the Sacramento Bee. Supporters of the repeal say that capital punishment, which voters added to the state's books in 1978, costs California more than $130 million a year while leading to very few executions because of the time it takes to go through the appeals process. The measure would apply to the more than 700 inmates currently on death row. The coalition created to oppose the measure, including the California District Attorneys Association, argues that repealing the death penalty would harm public safety. It said in a statement that the problem is "frivolous appeals, endless delays and the ongoing re-victimization of California," not the death penalty itself. Proponents collected 800,000 petition signatures in support of the measure earlier this year. It officially made the cut after a random signature check conducted by counties projected that at least 555,236 of those signatures were valid. Sacramento Bee

NJ Troopers Suspended for Leading High-Speed Escort to Atlantic City ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Two New Jersey troopers have been suspended and a commander reassigned after the law enforcers led a high-speed escort of sports cars to Atlantic City on March 30. The Newark Star-Ledger said two troopers led a caravan of dozens of Porsches, Lamborghinis and Ferraris--all with their license plates covered with tape--in excess of 100 mph down the busy Garden State Parkway, New Jersey Turnpike and Atlantic City Expressway. The paper said the escort was requested by former New York Giants football star Brandon Jacobs. The Star-Ledger also posted video of a similar, trooper-led caravan in 2010. "We will not tolerate any conduct by a member of the State Police that puts the public in jeopardy, as this unauthorized caravan had the potential to do," Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa said in a statement. He added those responsible "will face serious discipline." New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie called the escort "dumb." Newark Star-Ledger

NC Ruling on Race and Death Penalty the Start of 'Honest Discussion' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Writing for The Daily Beast, commentator David R. Dow says last week's landmark ruling on a racist application of the death penalty in North Carolina indicates "we're finally beginning to have an honest discussion about how we justify legally killing people." In the first invocation of North Carolina's Racial Justice Act, a judge ordered that a death-row inmate's sentence be reduced to life in prison, after finding that his trial had been so irreversibly tainted by racism that executing him would violate the Constitution. Twenty-one years ago, Marcus Robinson shot and killed 17-year-old Erik Tornblom. He stole Tornblom's car and took $27 from his wallet. But Superior Court Judge Gregory Weeks concluded that despite Robinson's horrendous crime, there was no doubt that racism infected the state's criminal-justice system-specifically, that prosecutors intentionally kept blacks off of capital juries-and that this same racism presumptively infected Robinson's trial too. He ruled that even abhorrent crimes do not nullify the Constitution's guarantee of racial equality. The Daily Beast

'Threateners' Declare Bomb-Threat Campaign in Pittburgh Has Ceased ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A group calling itself "The Threateners" has declared an end to what it claims is its emailed bomb-threat campaign against the University of Pittsburgh because Pitt officials have met its demand: withdrawal of the university's promised reward for any information leading to the arrest and conviction of whoever is responsible for the bomb threats, reports the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "The university authorities at Pitt have withdrawn the $50,000 reward they offered, and, as our only demand has been met, our campaign is over with immediate effect," according to an emailed statement. The series of more than 100 bomb threats since March 30 has disrupted life on the campus. A Cambria County transgender couple, Seamus Johnston, 22, and Katherine Anne McCloskey, 56, have been under investigation in connection with the threats. On Wednesday, FBI agents served the couple with a search warrant and seized a personal computer, laptop, cell phone, computer router and some CDs from their apartment. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Panelist: Verdict Still Out on Evidence-Based Crime-Fighting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Official Washington is increasingly basing anti-crime policy on evidence-based solutions, but "I'm not sure we're there yet," says Noah Bookbinder, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy's main adviser on criminal justice issues. He spoke this week at the annual Jerry Lee Crime Prevention Symposium on Capitol Hill, says The Crime Report. Bookbinder was one of seven speakers on a panel moderated by Laurie Robinson, until recently the Justice Department's assistant attorney general for justice programs. The other speakers generally agreed that tough economic times are prompting a new look at spending priorities at all government levels, and that scientific evidence of a program's success or failure may play a part in whether it survives a budget cut. One problem is that solid evidence is lacking on many anticrime programs, so there may be no good way of determining if they are worth funding. The Crime Report

Detroit Prosecutor Says $15 Million Needed to Analyze 11,000 Rape Kits ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In 2009, Detroit prosecutors discovered more than 11,000 boxes of potential evidence in rape cases left completely unprocessed. Row upon row of what are called "rape kits" remained untouched on shelves in a police evidence room for years. No DNA evidence was extracted; no DNA evidence was used to catch or prosecute the assailants, reports NPR. Since then, Wayne County prosecutor Kym Worthy has led the effort to sort through those 11,000 rape kits and to find the funding to get them processed. "I don't know if they were just forgotten, I don't know if they were ignored, I don't know if they were deliberately put there," Worthy says. She arranged for a federal grant of one million dollars, but says that didn't allow her team to do much more than sort the evidence, match them up with police reports, and begin a database. To process all of the kits, Worthy estimates, would cost about $15 million. NPR

23 April 2012

April 23, 2012   Today's Stories

Are Police Agencies Expanding the Use of Surveillance Drones? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ With little public attention, dozens of universities and law enforcement agencies have been given approval by the FAA to use unmanned aircraft known as drones, reports the Wall Street Journal. Documents obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests by an advocacy group, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, show that more than 50 institutions received approvals to operate remotely piloted aircraft. They include police agencies in places such as North Little Rock, Ark., and Ogden, Utah, as well the University of North Dakota and Nicholls State University in Louisiana. The documents don't indicate how the aircraft will be used, but federal legislators have asked the FAA to answer questions about the privacy implications of increased drone use. Among the other 23 police agencies and 24 universities on the list are the Houston Police Department; Arlington, Texas, Police Department; Queen Anne's County Sheriff in Maryland; the FBI; Gadsden, Ala., police; Georgia Tech police; Mesa County Sheriff in Colorado; Miami-Dade police; Montgomery County Sheriff in Texas; Polk County Sheriff in Florida, and the Seattle Police Department. Among the smaller agencies listed were Otter Tail County, Minn. (population 57,303), and Herington, Kan. (population 2,526), reports AllGov.com. Wall Street Journal

40 Years After Creation, Title IX Is Often Applied to Campus Sex Assaults ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Forty years after the creation of Title IX, the federal gender-equity law that made headlines mostly on the sports pages, it is now transforming how colleges must respond to allegations of sexual violence, reports USA Today. The reasoning: Title IX's key language, running barely 30 words, forbids sex-based discrimination that denies access to educational opportunity. It's long established that sexual discrimination and harassment can create an atmosphere that denies women their right to education. What's newer is applying the logic to even a single episode of sexual assault. Typically, colleges enjoy wide leeway in responding to student misconduct, whether that means using a disciplinary board to enforce their own rules or simply punting the matter to law enforcement. But as Title IX is now interpreted - and would be reinforced under a new version of the Violence Against Women Act awaiting a Senate vote - colleges must respond if a sexual assault is reported, even if prosecutors refuse to get involved. Moreover, they face often precise instructions from the government for conducting their investigations and proceedings, and even the standard of proof to use. Victims' advocates welcome what they call an overdue push for colleges to take seriously a problem they've long swept under the rug. USA Today

Social Media, Technology Have Changed Search for Missing Kids ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Advances in technology have "fundamentally changed how we search for missing kids," Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, tells USA Today. When the center opened in 1984, days could pass before a child's photo was disseminated, Allen said. Now, details about a child or potential abductor can be circulated almost instantaneously through e-mail, text messages, social media and other electronic means. That's vital, because "time is the enemy" when a child vanishes, he says. Investigators need to move quickly to prevent an abducted child from being taken out of town, hurt or even killed. "In 1990, our recovery rate for the cases that we intake here at the center was 62%" - and now it's 97%, he said. "The primary reason for that change is technology." USA Today

Federal Anticrime Programs Hold Their Own in Another Tough Budget Year ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Despite the austere budget climate in Washington, many Department of Justice criminal justice agencies seem to be holding their own as Senate and House committees that fund the department allocate their money for the federal fiscal year starting October 1. The two largest Justice Department components, the FBI and Bureau of Prisons, both would get increases under funding approved by a Senate appropriations subcommittee. The FBI would get $8.2 billion, $114 million above this year's level, for such items as national security and cyberterrorism investigations and violent crime reduction. The prison bureau would get a $269 million increase to $6.8 billion, which would among other things "enable the activation of new prisons that are currently sitting empty due to lack of funds." Crime-fighting grants to states and localities would get $392 million from the Senate, higher than the $370 million in current law. The House committee approved a budget with the $370 million level. The Obama administration sought $100 for programs under the Second Chance Act, which aids prisoner re-entry into society nationwide; the House committee recommended $70 million and the Senate committee $25 million. Based on what happened last year, advocates are hopeful that the final number will be closer to the higher House total. Programs to combat violence against women would get about the current $413 million total from both House and Senate panels. Local police hiring under the COPS program, which got $166 million for the current year, may be about the same next year. The Republican-controlled House panel, which has not favored the Democrat-inspired COPS program, recommended only $40 million, but the Democrat-controlled Senate committee called for $215 million. Crime & Justice News

300,000 Concealed Gun Permits Issued in Ohio Under 8-Year-Old Law ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In the eight years since Ohio passed a concealed weapons law, county sheriffs have issued 296,588 permits to carry firearms in purses, holsters and vehicles, reports the Dayton Daily News. In Ohio, where the legislature in recent years has eased restrictions on concealed-carry, even over the objections of some law enforcement groups, a battle is being waged over just where to draw the line. Five bills currently pending in the Ohio General Assembly would allow permit holders to carry their weapons in state-owned parking garages, loosen permit renewal requirements, eliminate required gun safety training and background checks and automatically expand the system for recognizing CCW permits issued by other states. Gun advocates had been working with Ohio lawmakers to pass a "Stand Your Ground" law similar to what Florida has, said Jim Irvine, spokesman for the pro-gun Buckeye Firearms Association, though he noted that the Trayvon Martin slaying in Florida "put a chill on it." He said the gun lobby in Ohio has been successful for two reasons. "Number one is the facts are on our side," he said. "We were the last state to adopt concealed carry so we were not breaking any new ground here. The other piece is gun owners, particularly concealed carry owners, are politically active." Dayton Daily News

Sioux City Journal Editorial: 'We Are All to Blame' for Gay Teen's Suicide ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Sioux City Journal in Iowa attracted national attention Sunday when it published a front-page editorial decrying bullying, after a teenager in the area who had been subjected to harassment committed suicide. The editorial began, "Siouxland lost a young life to a senseless, shameful tragedy last week. By all accounts, Kenneth Weishuhn was a kind-hearted, fun-loving teenage boy, always looking to make others smile. But when the South O'Brien High School 14-year-old told friends he was gay, the harassment and bullying began. It didn't let up until he took his own life." The paper continued, "Sadly, Kenneth's story is far from unique. Boys and girls across Iowa and beyond are targeted every day. In this case sexual orientation appears to have played a role, but we have learned a bully needs no reason to strike. No sense can be made of these actions. Now our community and region must face this stark reality: We are all to blame. We have not done enough. Not nearly enough. This is not a failure of one group of kids, one school, one town, one county or one geographic area. Rather, it exposes a fundamental flaw in our society, one that has deep-seated roots. Until now, it has been too difficult, inconvenient -- maybe even painful -- to address. But we can't keep looking away." Sioux City Journal

New Rodney King Book Looks Back on Infamous Beating by LAPD Cops ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twenty years after he was beaten mercilessly by Los Angeles police officers, Rodney King has become synonymous with the abuse of power by law enforcers, says NPR. When four of the officers were charged with use of excessive force, many who'd seen the video assumed they would be convicted. But a year later, a mostly white jury in the far northwest L.A. suburb of Simi Valley acquitted the officers, and mere hours later, the city combusted into the worst riot in modern American history. Five furious days later, 53 were dead, thousands had been injured, and authorities tallied damages of a billion dollars or more. On the third day, while vast parts of Los Angeles were still smoldering, King stood on the steps of city hall and asked, "People, can we all get along?" Today, King has come to grips with the night that fractured him physically and mentally. He's written about how that night affected him in his new memoir, "The Riot Within: My Journey From Rebellion to Redemption." NPR

Napolitano Sees a Dearth of Experts to Help Ward Off Cyber Attacks ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cyber attacks are the most serious economic and national security threat the United States faces, but the country has a shortage of skilled experts who could head off that threat, reports CNN. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says there is job market for cyber warriors who can protect the nation's computer networks from an attack, but many of those jobs are going unfilled, Napolitano said, due to "a lack of expertise." Homeland Security says it responded to more than 106,000 cyber attacks in 2011. Napolitano says without more experts in repelling those incursions, the U.S. economy could be the biggest casualty. A successful attack could mean another country stealing American intellectual property, like technology, research or trade secrets. Industry insiders estimate the economic loss could be in the billions of dollars. CNN

Zimmerman Released on $150,000 Bail, With GPS Monitor Attached ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ George Zimmerman was released early Monday from the Seminole County, Fla., jail after posting $150,000 bail. He is charged with second-degree murder in the Feb. 26 shooting death of Trayvon Martin, 17, near Orlando. He left the jail fitted with an electronic monitoring device that the county sheriff and probation officials will use to keep track of him. He was accompanied by his bondsman, Michael Smith of Magic Bail Bonds, who drove him away. The Orlando Sentinel said Zimmerman probably will leave the state, but officials will be able to monitor his movement no matter where he is living while he awaits trial. Zimmerman had gone into hiding in an unknown location outside of Florida before he was arrested earlier this month. Orlando Sentinel

Two Years After Law Was Passed, AZ Immigration Landscape Has Changed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As the Supreme Court prepares to hear oral arguments Wednesday on Arizona's immigration law, the Arizona Republic notes that much has changed in the two years since Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law the toughest immigration-enforcement statutes in the nation. The state's sizable illegal-immigrant population, one of the driving factors behind passage of the law, has shrunk dramatically. The state hasn't passed a single immigration bill since then, ending the passage of a string of enforcement measures leading up to the law. And the state's large but politically anemic Latino population is showing signs of gaining political muscle. There have been changes at the national level, as well. The year after the law passed, more than 20 other states introduced bills that also gave police the power to question and arrest suspected illegal immigrants encountered during police stops, the cornerstone of Arizona's law. Five bills passed. But since then, the rush to pass Arizona-style immigration laws has fizzled. None of the five states that considered similar laws this year has approved them. The high court's decision is expected this summer and will likely affect similar laws in other states. Arizona Republic

Disappearance of Etan Patz in NYC Ushered in 'New Age of Paranoia' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As authorities searched a cellar in New York City for the remains of a boy missing since 1979, the Associated Press says the case changed child-rearing in America. Before Etan Patz, 6, disappeared, the notion that a child could be abducted right off the street, in broad daylight, was not familiar. Children roamed their hometowns freely, unencumbered by fear. They could walk to school and the bus stop and just about anywhere. That all changed after Patz set off for school and did not return. A new age of paranoia had grabbed hold of the national psyche. And so many years later, that paralyzing sense of fear has yet to fully release its grip. "In many ways, it was the end of an era of innocence," said Ernie Allen, president of the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children. "And parents suddenly became much more protective and much more hovering over their children." Patz was one of the first missing children whose face would appear on a milk carton. In the coming years more faces would follow, mutely appealing for help from a public that began, for the first time, to mobilize on a grand scale in its efforts to find them. Associated Press

Consultant Finds Dangerous Conditions at Cincinnati Crime Lab ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A consultant's study concludes that Hamilton County, Ohio, should renovate or expand its crime lab and hired at least 13 additional personnel, reports the Cincinnati Enquirer. The consultant, Crime Lab Design of Detroit, says the current overcrowded lab endangers the health and safety of the staff, is not secure, and is at risk of losing accreditation. A renovation would cost about $16.5 million, and expansion would cost from $35 million to $56 million, depending upon the size. Overcrowding at the lab was "jeopardizing the integrity" of evidence, according to the $95,000 study, which the Enquirer obtained under a public records request. In stories last year, the paper revealed serious problems at the lab, which it says were confirmed by the Crime Lab Design report. Cincinnati Enquirer

17 April 2012

April 17, 2012   Today's Stories

Justice Department Stayed Mum on Tainted Evidence Work by FBI Lab ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Justice Department officials have known for years that flawed forensic work might have led to convictions of potentially innocent people nationwide, but prosecutors failed to notify defendants or their attorneys even in many cases they knew were troubled, reports the Washington Post. Officials began reviewing the cases in the 1990s after reports that sloppy work by examiners at the FBI lab was producing unreliable forensic evidence in trials. Instead of releasing those findings, they made them available only to the prosecutors in the affected cases, the Post says. In addition, the Justice Department reviewed only a limited number of cases and focused on the work of one scientist at the FBI lab, despite warnings that problems were far more widespread and could affect potentially thousands of cases in federal, state and local courts. As a result, hundreds of defendants remain in prison or on parole for crimes that might merit exoneration, a retrial or a retesting of evidence using DNA because FBI hair and fiber experts may have misidentified them as suspects. Justice Department officials said they met their legal and constitutional obligations when they learned of specific errors, that they alerted prosecutors and were not required to inform defendants directly. Washington Post

TX Constitution Shields Judges From Scrutiny After Official Reprimands ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Strict rules written into the Texas constitution severely limit the release of information when judges in the state are disciplined, reports the Austin American-Statesman. Most reprimands meted out by the state's Commission on Judicial Conduct, the agency charged with disciplining Texas' approximately 3,900 judges, are kept private, with only the rough outlines of the case made public. No identifying information about the judge or his or her jurisdiction is released, and the penalty has no real impact beyond a notation in the commission's records and the judge's conscience. An American-Statesman review of a decade's worth of publicly available disciplinary records - several hundred case summaries - suggests that in some instances there is at least the appearance of uneven sanctions - cases in which judges found to have committed relatively minor infractions were punished more severely than those who committed more serious violations - or differing punishments for similar violations. "They're very arbitrary and capricious; they just do what they want to do," said attorney Henry Ackels. The commission says the protections are necessary to shield judges from spurious and political attacks and to protect complainants from judicial retribution. Defense lawyers, those who have filed complaints and even some judges counter that such secrecy raises questions about how the agency is policing some of the state's most powerful public officials. Austin American-Statesman

Communications Firm to Install Cell Phone-Blocking Devices in CA Prisons ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Global Tel Link will pay millions to install technology in California prisons to block Web searches, text messages and phone calls by inmates using smuggled phones, reports the Los Angeles Times. The company will do the work for free because it owns the traditional pay phones prisoners can legally use. Company officials are betting that once the contraband cell devices are disabled, demand for pay phones will skyrocket. Like other states, California is battling the problem of phones smuggled to inmates, some of whom use them to run criminal enterprises on the streets, organize assaults on guards and intimidate witnesses, prison officials say. Last year, California prison guards confiscated more than 15,000 contraband phones, nearly one for every 11 inmates. A prison officials called it "groundbreaking and momentous technology." Others have called for searches of prison employees - a main source of contraband cellphones, officials say - on their way into work, but the politically powerful California prison guards' union has fought that, arguing it would be an insult to members and would cost the state millions. Los Angeles Times

Spate of Officer-Involved Shootings Highlights Trouble for Albuquerque PD ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Los Angeles Times reports on troubling times for Albuquerque police. The department has had 23 officer-involved shootings, 17 of them fatal, since January 2010, a string that has given Albuquerque one of the highest police shooting rates in the country. Critics charge the Police Department is out of control and are calling for the police chief to step down. Wrongful-death lawsuits have mounted. In July 2011, the city agreed to pay $950,000 to the family of Roderick Jones, an unarmed security guard who in 2009 was shot in the back by an officer. That officer was later fired. In March, officers fatally shot two suspects, and the Albuquerque Journal disclosed that the police union had been giving officers involved in shootings up to $500 so they could leave town amid the intense media coverage that typically follows an incident. Relatives of police shooting victims called the payments a "bounty" for killing civilians. Mayor Richard Berry and Police Chief Ray Schultz disavowed the practice, which made national headlines, and two union leaders resigned. The department's reputation took another hit last year when it was found that a detective who had shot a man during a traffic stop had listed his occupation on his Facebook page as "human waste disposal," while another detective had posted politically and racially charged remarks on his Twitter and MySpace pages. Los Angeles Times

Microsoft Researchers: Cybercrime Loss Estimates 'Wholly Unreliable' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Writing in the New York Times, Microsoft researchers Dinei Florêncio and Cormac Herley say estimates of cybercrime losses are mostly mythology. They write, "We have examined cybercrime from an economics standpoint and found a story at odds with the conventional wisdom. A few criminals do well, but cybercrime is a relentless, low-profit struggle for the majority." They say that estimated annual direct consumer losses from cybercrime--$114 billion worldwide in one recent example--"are generated using absurdly bad statistical methods, making them wholly unreliable." The estimates typically are based on narrow surveys of consumers and businesses which are then extrapolated for the broader population, even though big losses by one or two respondents account for the majority of losses. They write, "It is the rule, rather than the exception. Among dozens of surveys, from security vendors, industry analysts and government agencies, we have not found one that appears free of this upward bias. As a result, we have very little idea of the size of cybercrime losses." They conclude, "Surveys that perpetuate the myth that cybercrime makes for easy money are harmful because they encourage hopeful, if misinformed, new entrants, who generate more harm for users than profit for themselves." New York Times

LAPD Chief Reluctant to Punish Cops in Shootings; Police Commission Nettled ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck is under fire from the city's five-member civilian Police Commission, which is troubled by his reluctance to punish officers who are found to have killed or wounded people unjustifiably, reports the L.A. Times. A lack of punishment "could undermine the entire discipline system and undermine the authority of the commission," said member Robert Saltzman, associate dean at USC law school. Since he became chief in 2009, Beck has concluded that officers used force appropriately in almost all of the 90 incidents involving officers who fired weapons or used other deadly force. In four shootings, the commission went against the chief's recommendations and ruled the officers' use of lethal force was inappropriate. But Beck either refused to impose any punishment on the officers or gave them only a written reprimand. The chief's apparent unwillingness to suspend or demote officers, or to initiate the process to fire them, in these types of cases has worried a majority of the commission. "Sometimes the chief just needs to set a tone and, through his actions, send a message about what kind of conduct is acceptable," said commission President Richard Drooyan, an attorney. Los Angeles Times

Police Shootings of Dogs in TX, FL Rile Owners and Rally Facebookers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Facebook memorial page for a dog shot and killed by an Austin police officer while responding to the wrong address on a domestic disturbance had more than 33,000 "likes" Tuesday morning. The city's American-Statesman said the shooting happened Saturday afternoon as Michael Paxton was playing Frisbee with his blue heeler, Cisco. Police Sgt. David Daniels said Officer Thomas Griffin received a dispatch about a disturbance involving an intoxicated couple at the address of Paxton's triplex. When he encountered Paxton, Griffin drew his weapon and "advised the subject to 'show me your hands,'" Daniels said. "As soon as he did that, a dog charged him quickly and aggressively." Daniels described Griffin as "upset" about the shooting. A supervisor later apologized to Paxton. Meanwhile, another shooting of a dog by police is prompting calls for policy changes in Florida. On Feb. 24, an officer in Pembroke Pines, Fla., fired six shots at an Australian shepherd named Baxter, reports the Orlando Sentinel. Hit by three bullets, the dog died three weeks later. Baxter's owners and hundreds of supporters are demanding change in how officers respond to animal calls. Lethal force, they say, should be used only as a last resort. Austin American-Statesman

Ohio Jail Tries New Approach With Inmates: Anger Management ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Columbus Dispatch reports that anger-management classes among jail inmates in Delaware County, Ohio, may be having an impact. The classes started in early March with just a few inmates, but enough that the number of fights, assaults on staff members and uses of force has dropped. Officials hope the lessons carry over when inmates are released. "Maybe if we can teach them some skills while they're in jail, we can have a better outcome," said jail director Joseph Lynch. Only five inmates are admitted to the class, and it's not group therapy. Clinical counselor Doug Arnold, who counsels and assesses inmates, uses an education-based approach. He has small goals, for each attendee to take part in the class discussions. Last week, they all did. "My intent is that they are interested in talking," Arnold said. "Sometimes if it's too large, they don't want to talk." Columbus Dispatch

From Behind Bars, Washington State Killer Earns Literary Reputation ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Seattle Times profiles Arthur Longworth, 47, a convicted murderer in Washington who has won two national literary awards, including a 2010 prize for the best prison memoir, from the PEN Center in New York. His stories, most nonfiction, are spare and unsentimental descriptions of prison life. He often infuses his writing with a slow boil of outrage, particularly about sentences of life without parole for young inmates. His fans, often on the political left, see Longworth as a truth-teller about the jailing of America. Longworth, a seventh-grade dropout, was convicted for the 1985 murder of Cynthia Nelson, 25, a Bellevue, Wash., woman who was to meet a young man interested in hearing more about Amway, which she sold on the side. The next morning, a jogger spotted her body in a creek, killed by a deep stab wound to the back. It was not a who-done-it. Nelson's calendar noted the meeting with "Art Longworth," who had previously worked with her as a temp. A scrap of paper in her purse noted his address in Wallingford, and Nelson's car - with Longworth's fingerprints inside - was near his apartment. Witnesses picked Longworth out of a photo lineup. Seattle Times

Texas Teen Faces 9 Murder Charges in Crash of Van Filled With Immigrants ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A 15-year-old South Texas boy has been charged with nine counts of murder after he crashed a minivan packed with illegal immigrants near McAllen, killing nine of them, reports the Associated Press. The boy, who is not being identified because he is a juvenile, cried Monday during a probable cause hearing at a juvenile detention facility. Border Patrol agents pulled over the van April 10. As it stopped, one person jumped from the vehicle and ran. When agents pursued him the van sped off. It crashed a few blocks away, scattering a parking lot with bodies. The driver escaped, but was arrested two days later at his home. A detective who attended the probable cause hearing said the teen told the judge that if he didn't drive the van they were going to kill his family. The teen didn't say who "they" were. State prosecutors can pursue the felony murder charges because the deaths occurred during the commission of a felony. A judge will eventually decide whether the boy will be tried as an adult. Associated Press

Ganim's Penn State Stories, AP Reports on Muslims, NYPD Win Pulitzers ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Crime reporter Sara Ganim and colleagues from the Harrisburg Patriot-News today were awarded the Pulitzer Prize for local reporting "for courageously revealing and adeptly covering the explosive Penn State sex scandal involving former football coach Jerry Sandusky." Two Pulitzers were awarded for investigative reporting, both in the criminal justice field. Matt Apuzzo, Adam Goldman, Eileen Sullivan, and Chris Hawley of the Associated Press won for reporting on the New York Police Department's clandestine spying program that monitored daily life in Muslim communities. Michael Berens and Ken Armstrong of the Seattle Times won for an investigation of how a little known governmental body in Washington State moved vulnerable patients from safer pain-control medication to methadone, a cheaper but more dangerous drug. The Philadelphia Inquirer won the public service Pulitzer "for its exploration of pervasive violence in the city's schools, using powerful print narratives and videos to illuminate crimes committed by children against children and to stir reforms to improve safety for teachers and students." A finalist for the same prize was the New York Times, for reporting by Danny Hakim and Russ Buettner "that revealed rapes, beatings and more than 1,200 unexplained deaths over the past decade of developmentally disabled people in New York State group homes." The Pulitzer in feature writing was awarded to Eli Sanders of The Stranger, a Seattle weekly, for what the jurors called "his haunting story of a woman who survived a brutal attack that took the life of her partner, using the woman's brave courtroom testimony and the details of the crime to construct a moving narrative." Crime & Justice News

Many Address Errors Found in Indiana Sex Offender Registry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An Indiana sex offender is listed on the state's registry as living in a day-care center. He doesn't really live there, but it is just one example of many problems the Indianapolis Star uncovered during an examination of the registry. Another offender shown as living at an Indianapolis address has been residing in Colorado since at least July 2009. It's not hard to find him -- he's in jail. More than 20 sex offenders are displayed on the registry's map by the Canal Walk downtown. They don't live there. But they, too, aren't especially hard to track down. Each of them is actually in prison. People who run places in Indianapolis that house a lot of sex offenders say the registry often lists many more offenders than actually live there. One homeless shelter, for example, keeps a maximum of 13 beds available for sex offenders. The registry regularly lists 20 or more as living there. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, as well as a major children's advocacy group, say such inaccuracies undercut a core purpose of such registries: to protect the public by providing people a way to check whether there are sex offenders near where they live, where they work, or where their children go to school. Indianapolis Star