Are Ohio Prisons "About to Blow"? Reform Legislation Is Pushed ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Violent or destructive incidents involving six or more inmates in Ohio prisons have almost quadrupled in three years, says the Columbus Dispatch. Such confrontations occurred an average of once every 28 days in 2007, but by last year it was once every 7.6 days. That's keeping Gary Mohr, the new director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction, up at night. "Seven days a week, I'm watching these things show up on my Blackberry," said Mohr, a veteran of Ohio prisons picked by Gov. John Kasich to return. "This is not the same system I left eight years ago." State Sen. Bill Seitz also is concerned. "We are sitting on a tinderbox, and it's about to blow." Seitz and Mohr are pushing for a major overhaul of Ohio sentencing, parole, and probation law. Backers say the legislation would save $78 million over three years, reduce the prison population to 2007 levels and avoid the need to spend $500 million building prisons. State prisons house 51,000 offenders, 33 percent more than they were designed to hold. Budget cuts have forced staff reductions, including removing some corrections officers from cellblocks and dormitories. State Sen. Timothy Grendell, chairman of the Senate Judiciary-Criminal Justice Committee, has many questions. Yesterday, he challenged the idea of diverting low-level felony offenders from prison, or reducing the sentences of those incarcerated. "Today's low-level offender is tomorrow's violent offender," he said |
Texas Budget Woes Prompt Talk Of Freeing More Inmates ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Faced with making deep cuts to schools and human services programs, closing at least two prisons and slashing rehabilitation programs, legislative leaders are beginning to talk about what is usually unthinkable in tough-on-crime Texas: releasing more convicts to save money, reports the Austin American-Statesman. They are targeting nonviolent foreign citizens who are eligible for parole and old, infirm convicts, some of whom have been diagnosed as dying. "We don't have the resources to continue business as usual in Texas," said Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire. Police, prosecutors, and crime victims groups are urging caution in paroling any more convicts so that Texas does not face a tragic déjà vu of the late 1980s, when wholesale paroling of hundreds of convicts to ease prison crowding triggered a crime wave several cities. "If they want to get rid of the dopers, OK. The drunks, hot check artists, the thieves, OK," said William "Rusty" Hubbarth of Justice for All, a crime victims group. "What this state is finally realizing is that we've got too many people locked up who may not need to be in prisons," said Sheryl Lynn Washington, a crime victim advocate and self-proclaimed tea party activist who was at the state capitol yesterday urging more treatment and rehabilitation programs and less imprisonment. |
Texas Parolees Finding It Easy To Discard Their Electronic Monitors ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Last month, Joe Shaw of Houston snipped off an ankle monitor that had tracked his whereabouts for 18 months after he was paroled for an attempted capital murder conviction, reports the Houston Chronicle. He discarded the device Jan. 14 in an apartment where his girlfriend was found dead with a bullet to the head. He is charged with murder. A few days later, a high-risk sex offender, Timothy Rosales Jr., removed his ankle monitor and fled from a halfway house in Houston. He had been tethered to his device since being paroled on two aggravated assaults in 2007. He remains on the lam. These parolees are among a growing number of offenders forced to wear ankle bracelets. They range from the famous like domestic diva Martha Stewart to the infamous like former NASA astronaut Lisa Nowak (accused of plotting to kill her romantic rival). The number of Texas parolees being tracked with ankle monitors has mushroomed to nearly 3,000 in two years. The monitors are far from foolproof. In the last two years, arrest warrants were issued 632 times for "tamper alerts" involving parolees "after business hours." The tally does not include warrants issued during work hours, nor alerts that did not generate arrest warrants. While electronic monitors are an increasingly popular tool for law enforcement, the public may be unnerved by how easily the plastic straps can be shed. All it takes is a quick snip with some sturdy scissors. |
Prisoners in FL, GA, CA Get $19 Million In Undeserved Federal Tax Refunds ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Prisoners in Florida, Georgia, and California lead the inmate population in scamming payments from the IRS, says a federal audit reported by USA Today. Prisoners in the three states got nearly $19 million in IRS refunds during 2009 after filing false or fraudulent tax returns, said an an IRS report to Congress. It was part of $39.1 million in undeserved federal tax refunds the IRS issued to jail and prison inmates nationwide for phantom jobs on phony returns. That's nearly triple the $13.4 million in tax refunds the IRS issued to prison scammers five years earlier. The IRS said it could not immediately determine how much, if any, of the fraudulent refunds in 2009 has been recovered, because the recapture process "can take several years."J. Russell George, Treasury Department inspector general for tax administration said that if the IRS does not take action, the problem will only worsen and more taxpayer dollars will be lost." He added that "prisoners continue to find new ways to exploit weaknesses in the system in order to receive refunds to which they are not entitled. |
With U.S. Aid Level, Justice Department May Stress Anticrime Training ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ As federal funding may become more limited for state and local anticrime projects, the Justice Department may shift its emphasis to providing training and technical assistance rather than full grants to fund projects, says James Burch, acting director of the department's Bureau of Justice Assistance. Burch told criminal justice organizations meeting yesterday in Washington, D.C., that his agency may be able to respond more quickly to local problems by sending expert help than by funding entire projects. Burch said that as proposed by the Obama administration, aid to states and localities to fight crime would be provided at about the same level in the year starting October 1 as it is now. Still, House Republicans may demand further cuts across the board in federal programs in their effort to cut the huge federal deficit. Burch acknowledged modest cuts in the White House's proposed budget for his agency, including programs that help prosecutors repay educational loans, "competitive" local anticrime grants, and justice information sharing. He said that Attorney General Eric Holder is committed to providing substantial support for effective crime-fighting efforts nationwide "in a much-tighter fiscal environment." |
Dallas Reforms Neighborhood Policing With Community Engagement Units ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New Dallas police "community engagement units" double the number of officers at each patrol station who are permanently assigned to tackling persistent neighborhood crime problems, says the Dallas Morning News. Beginning today each new unit will be staffed with 44 officers, five sergeants and one lieutenant. "You will have your own little task force at each of the patrol stations," said Assistant Chief Vince Golbeck, who oversees the city's seven patrol stations. The new units are the next step in Police Chief David Brown's Community Policing 2.0 plan, aimed at making the department more responsive to the crime problems plaguing neighborhoods. Some of the refocused manpower comes from disbanding the department's centralized 20-member Operation Disruption task force and returning those officers to patrol stations. Brown said he is giving individual patrol commanders more manpower because he believes they are more knowledgeable - and responsive - to neighborhoods' needs. One change creates clearer lines of authority - and more important, accountability. At each station, one lieutenant will oversee neighborhood police officers, or NPOs, who work directly with crime watches and community groups; plainclothes detectives who work on crime problems such as burglaries, robberies and thefts; and crime response squads that mostly target drug houses |
Expert Panel Casts Doubt on FBI's Certainty on Anthrax Mailing Suspect ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ An independent National Research Council panel cast doubt on the FBI's certainty that it identified the only source behind the anthrax attacks a decade ago, says USA Today. The panel pointed to "genetic similarities" between anthrax sent by mail and samples from a federal biodefense lab but said it "cannot rule out" that the anthrax might have come from somewhere else. The FBI suspected federal researcher Bruce Ivins as the culprit behind anthrax mailings that left five people dead. Ivins, 62, committed suicide in 2008. The nation was on high alert in late 2001 when letters containing anthrax spores arrived in offices in Florida, New York, and Washington, D.C. The bacteria sickened 17 people and had killed five others by 2002. "We believe this independent review - done at the FBI's request - will help strengthen the law enforcement and national security community's scientific and analytical capabilities in future investigations," said panel chief Alice Gast, president of Pennsylvania's Lehigh University |
MO Black Teen Suspects 3-4 Times More Likely Than Whites To Be Tried As Adults ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Despite a state law requiring judges to consider racial disparity when deciding whether to try juveniles as adults, Missouri prosecutes a disproportionate number of black youth accused of serious crimes in regular courts, where they can be sentenced to prison alongside hardened criminals, reports Black Voice News. In recent years, African-American teens faced trials in adult courts at a rate three to four times higher than their proportion of Missouri's youth population. They were defendants in 57 percent of such prosecutions in 2008 even though they make up only 14 percent of state residents between ages 12 and 17. One possible reason for the disparity is that Missouri does not require juvenile judges to hold a probable cause hearing before transferring a case. Nor do a dozen other states, including California and Maryland, and also Washington, D.C. Juvenile courts in 13 states could be violating a Supreme Court ruling, Kent v. United States, which says judges must determine, before transferring cases to adult court, that they are strong enough to secure a grand jury indictment. That 1966 decision requires that such criminal complaints against juveniles must have "prosecutive merit" and "measure up to the essentials of due process and fair treatment." Mae Quinn, co-director of a legal clinic at Washington University in St. Louis, suspects that Missouri prosecutors have an incentive to take weak cases into adult court, where young defendants can feel pressured to accept a plea bargain. Even though probation is often the result, she says the threat of prison time represents a form of punishment in itself. |
Sheldon Whitehouse To Head Senate Judiciary's Crime-Terrorism Panel ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ U.S. Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) is slated to become chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee's subcommittee on crime and terrorism. He succeeds former Sen. Arlen Specter (PA), who was defeated in a primary election last year. Other Democratic members of the panel are Herb Kohl (WI), Dianne Feinstein (CA), Dick Durbin (IL), Amy Klobuchar (MN), a former prosecutor, and Christopher Coons (DE). A new subcommittee on privacy, technology, and the law will be headed by Al Franken (MN). Top Republican on the subcommittee will be Jon Kyl of Arizona, who is not seeking another Senate term next year. Other Republicans members are Orrin Hatch of Utah, former chairman of the full Judiciary Committee, Jeff Sessions (AL), and Lindsey Graham (SC). The slate is expected to be approved at a full committee meeting tomorrow |
Madoff: Banks, Hedge Funds Were "Complicit" in his Ponzi Scheme ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Bernard Madoff, serving a 150-year prison term for his huge Ponzi scheme, told New York Times reporter Diana Henriques that unidentified banks and hedge funds were "complicit" in his elaborate fraud, a shift from earlier claims that he was the only person involved. Henriques is writing a book about the case. Madoff pointed to the "willful blindness" of various banks and hedge funds, and their failure to examine discrepancies between his regulatory filings and other information available to them. "They had to know," Madoff said. "But the attitude was sort of, 'If you're doing something wrong, we don't want to know.' " Madoff's scheme lasted at least 16 years and consumed $20 billion in lost cash and almost $65 billion in paper wealth. |
Over Police Objections, More Mounted Units Fall in Budget Cutting ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Charleston, S.C., joined the growing number of cities that have retired their police horses and closed their stables to save money, says the New York Times. The Great Recession is proving to be the greatest threat to police mounted units since departments embraced the horseless carriage. Among cities that have eliminated their equine units are Newark, San Diego; Tulsa, Camden, N.J.; and Boston, whose police horses dated to the 19th century and were regulars at Fenway Park. New York Times |
Two Florida Sheriffs Have No Way of Pursuing 275,000 Pending Arrest Warrants ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In many South Florida cases, people officially listed as wanted by authorities aren't being pursued at all, and if they are found, might not be arrested, says the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. Broward and Palm Beach counties have a combined 275,000 active arrest warrants, an enormous number that law enforcement says far exceeds their ability to find and apprehend. Sheriff's officials prioritize who they look for, starting with new warrants for serious crimes, and move on to the next case once leads are exhausted. The Sun Sentinel searched for wanted people who have been missing the longest, and found some living openly in other states for decades, including the Rev. Joenathan Hunter Sr. Wanted for 33 years in a Broward felony larceny case, Hunter is now a well-known pastor in Delaware and national advocate for adoption. Reached at his home, he said he has made no attempt to hide. The long arm of the law has reached only to the state line. Prosecutors have made the cost-benefit calculation that it isn't worth the expense of retrieving them from another state to face charges in Florida. Aaron Kennard, executive director of the National Sheriffs' Association, said the backlog of open warrants is a problem nationwide, and includes old crimes that make little sense to prosecute now. |
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Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Articles for 16 Feb 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Articles for 14 Feb 2011
Obama: Cut State, Local Anticrime Aid, Change Juvenile Justice Funding ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ President Obama's proposed federal budget for the year starting Oct. 1, issued today, calls for a 2 percent increase in the Justice Department's spending but a major cut in the Office of Justice Programs and Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) office, both of which provide state and local anticrime aid. Describing the reductions as "tough choices," the White House still seeks $600 million to hire "first responders," including police officers and sheriff's deputies. The proposed budget includes a solid increase for the FBI but a reduction for the Drug Enforcement Administration. It would cut funding for juvenile justice and child safety programs. The proposed budget calls for $50 million in cuts, "refocusing many formula and other grants into a new $120 million Race to the Top style grant that rewards states for tangible improvements in juvenile justice systems." For many programs the Obama budget may signify a maximum potential allocation, because Republicans in Congress will seek further cuts in many federal programs. |
House Republicans Seek Deeper Criminal Justice Spending Cuts ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After some House Republicans demanded further cuts in the current appropriations funding the federal government's operation, the House Appropriations Committee issued a proposal calling for even deeper cuts in criminal justice programs and federal agencies across the board. Among the new proposals are a $581.3 million reduction in state and local law enforcement grant programs, $191 million from juvenile justice aid, and elimination of the COPS hiring program and the Weed and Seed program. The proposal apparently will be sent to the House floor early in the week of February 14, just when the Obama administration is issuing its budget proposal for the fiscal year starting Oct. 1. The House committee proposal is subject to amendment on the House floor and consideration by the Senate, so it is far from clear that any of the cuts sought by House Republicans will occur. The current "continuing resolution" keeping the federal government in operation expires in early March, but it is not certain that the new proposal can make its way through the congressional process by then. |
Money Short, Sacramento Tries to Get More Efficient with "Hot-Spot" Policing Experiment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Sacramento Police Department has begun an ambitious experiment to drive down crime on some of the city's most problematic blocks - without adding any officers or dollars to the force, says the Sacramento Bee. Embracing the national trend of evidence-based policing, the agency is borrowing from several research studies that have found that the presence of a police fficer in a "hot spot" - for as little as 20 minutes every day - can dramatically drive down crimes like prostitution, drug-dealing, fights, and car break-ins. It's all done in the course of an officer's regular patrol duties. When the less-violent crimes are stifled, the theory goes, police can then focus on bigger issues. "You're going to reduce those calls for service that get generated and waste an officer's time," said Sgt. Renee Mitchell, who is overseeing the 90-day pilot project. "You're basically making (police) more efficient." The project is an example of the department trying to attack crime creatively - and practically, given tough economic times, said Chief Rick Braziel. The "hot-spot policing" model gained attention after a 1995 study in Minneapolis by researchers Lawrence W. Sherman and David Weisburd. That yearlong study found that targeting a city's worst blocks with a concentrated - but brief - police presence can drive down "soft crimes." In that study, total calls for service dropped 13 percent, and soft crimes dropped 16 percent. |
No-Knock Police Raids Rise Dramatically, Draw Critics ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The number of no-knock police raids has grown from 2,000 to 3,000 raids a year in the mid-1980s, to 70,000 to 80,000 annually, criminologist Peter Kraska of Eastern Kentucky University tells USA Today. Questions have been raised about the tactic, including whether the surprise element poses an unnecessary threat to people whose residences are invaded. Judges can issue no-knock warrants when they believe the element of surprise could help officers avoid danger or keep people from destroying evidence. Critics say the tactic gives residents - some innocent - seconds to decide if they face a police raid or a home invasion. At times, particularly in drug cases, police make their case for no-knock search warrants based on faulty information from unreliable informants, says Ezekiel Edwards of the American Civil Liberties Union. "That's just going to increase invasions of privacy and tragic harm to both residents and officers," he says. |
NYC Reporter Tests Police Scanner App; Traffic, Jargon Are Problems ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New York Times reporter Corey Kilgannon tested a police scanner apps for a smart phones. (One, Police Scanner 2, has been downloaded nearly a million times for $4.99, its creator says). His conclusion: "it was easy to tap into an audio overview of the city's emergency activity, but much more difficult to follow in real time, because of traffic, distance, and the challenge of catching addresses and sifting through jargon." On police scanners, says Kilgannon, there is never a slow news day. It is a nonstop litany of fires, missing persons, gas leaks, car crashes, building collapses, shots fired, bridge jumpers, and purse snatchings. Only a small fraction of these end up in media news reports. He tried to check out the others. |
Female Incarceration In Oklahoma: Some Women Saved By Drug Courts, Others Fail ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Oklahoma Watch, The Oklahoman, and the Tulsa World are examining the issue of Oklahoma's high female incarceration rate. In one story in a series, the Tulsa World reports that drug-related offenses account for about 12 percent of females arrested in Oklahoma and about 50 percent of women incarcerated. The average state sentence for women with drug-related convictions is 5½ years, found a Tulsa World analysis of prison sentences since 2000. Drug court participation in Oklahoma has increased from about 1,500 in 2005 to about 4,200 currently, as more counties add programs. The World tells the story of a mother and two daughters who ended up in drug court. Only one of the sisters graduated. "Drug Court not only saved me, they didn't give up on me," she said |
NYC Pot-Possession Arrests Are Up Again; 69% Increase in 5 Years ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ New York City police made 50,383 arrests last year for low-level marijuana arrests, a 69 percent increase in such arrests over 5 years, says the advocacy group Drug Policy Alliance, citing data from the New York Division of Criminal Justice Services. Arrests for low-level marijuana possession offenses are the number one arrest catetory in New York City, making up 15 percent of all the total. The alliance said the dramatic rise in marijuana arrests is not the result of increased marijuana use, which peaked nationally around 1980 according to federal data. Last year was is the sixth year in a row with an increase in marijuana possession arrests. "New York has made more marijuana arrests under [Mayor Michael] Bloomberg than any mayor in New York City history," said Harry Levine, a sociology professor at Queens College and anexpert on marijuana arrests. "Bloomberg's police have arrested more people for marijuana than Mayors Koch, Dinkins, and Giuliani combined. These arrests cost tens of millions of dollars every year, and introduce tens of thousands of young people into our broken criminal justice system." |
Are Police Obliged To Act On Reports Of Suspects' Suicide Threats? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Are police departments obligated to act on reported suicide threats by suspects in custody? That is the issue in a North Carolina case reported by the Charlotte Observer. Christina Bankhead called Charlotte-Mecklenburg police from Missouri, worried about the safety of her friend, Brian Cobb, who had been involved in a contentious domestic dispute and had written a suicide note to Bankhead. The note read: "Theres a 12 (gauge) with my name on it." Bankhead said police assured her that Cobb probably was safe because he was in jail on allegations he violated a domestic violence protection order. One day later, on Jan. 29, the 39-year-old nurse and father of three was found dead in his home from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Bankhead and another friend are questioning why police did not do more to protect him. "There were people in positions of authority with the ability to stop him, and they did not stop him," Bankhead said. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police acknowledge receiving a request for officers to check on Cobb the day before he was found dead. When asked by the Observer whether police policy dictated the department inform jail officials about Bankhead's call, spokeswoman Rosalyn Harrington would not answer. |
Why Few Threats Against Federal Officials Result In Prosecutions ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Making a threat against a federal official - whether it's a worker at a Social Security office or the president, even without any intent to follow through - is a federal crime. Only a few dozen threats each year result in prosecutions, often because it's impossible to identify a suspect, Justice Department officials tell the Associated Press. A review of threat prosecutions after the shootings of Democratic Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and U.S. District Judge John Roll in Tucson shows that it typically takes much more than posting warnings on obscure Internet sites - of the kind left by the defendant in that attack, Jared Loughner - to cause action by authorities. The people actually charged with threatening federal officials have taken the time to write, call, e-mail, or appear in person to put their names behind their warnings. Each year, hundreds of threats make their way to the Justice Department, say data compiled by Transactional Records Access Clearinghouse, based at Syracuse University. Justice officials said many cases reach them before a suspect has been identified because investigators need subpoenas or other legal help in trying to trace a threat to its source. Last year, prosecutors brought fewer than 100 criminal cases involving threats. Prosecutors declined to press ahead on 600 others. |
Jury Hears How PA Judges Extorted Cash Payments In Corruption Scandal ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Attorney Jill Moran told a Pennsylvania federal jury how she watched in shock as her boss Robert Powell, cursing and muttering, stuffed wads of cash into a FedEx box that he wanted her to hand-deliver to the president judge of Luzerne County, reports the Philadelphia Inquirer. "These greedy [expletives] won't let me go," Powell said, his hands full of $100 and $50 bills. "Take this to them, and hopefully it will be over." The money was the last payment in about $2.9 million that federal prosecutors say was given to two county judges, Michael Conahan and Mark Ciavarella, in a "kids for cash" scandal that ranks as one of most serious recent acts of judicial wrongdoing in the nation. Moran and Powell delivered a graphic account of the judges' alleged original conspiracy and failed cover-up. In a brazen scheme, authorities say, two detention centers owned by Powell were filled with thousands of youngsters deemed delinquent by Ciavarella, the county's lone juvenile court judge. Providing detail that did much to fill out the bloodless accounts in indictments and guilty-plea agreements, Moran and Powell talked of lawbreaking that went on for years and of scheming that traded on the circumstances of troubled children. As the star witness in the unfolding federal trial against Ciavarella - Conahan pleaded guilty last year, Powell said the judges had extorted the millions from him and a business associate in return for making sure that $30 million in taxpayer money flowed over five years to his two juvenile-detention centers |
Milwaukee Police Early Warning System Failed To See Troubled Officer's Pattern ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A recently fired Milwaukee police officer under federal investigation after a woman said he raped her on duty has been accused of breaking the law five times before, reports the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Three of the previous allegations involved sexual misconduct - two with female prisoners and one with a 16-year-old girl. In one case, Ex-officer Ladmarald Cates was suspended for two days for domestic violence battery. In another, he was suspended for eight days for mistreating a prisoner and failing to obey a supervisor's orders. Police Chief Edward Flynn acknowledged that a computerized early-intervention system designed to identify potentially troubled officers didn't flag Cates, who was fired in December. Flynn said procedures instituted under his watch should stop officers like Cates from slipping through the cracks in the future. "It is clear to me looking at this employee's record that from a management point of view an obvious pattern was overlooked," Flynn said. "The department did not see the forest for the trees here." |
Domestic Violence Opponent Objects To Museum's "Handcuff" Tour ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Valentine's weekend promotion by the National Museum of Crime and Punishment in Washington, D.C., that involves getting handcuffed to your sweetheart is being attacked by an anti-domestic violence group, reports WTOP radio. The museum's "Crimes of Passion" exhibit is drawing complaints from Chai Shenoy of Holla Back DC. "We find [it] really reprehensible to us this exhibit is mocking the lives of people who have died due to domestic violence," Shenoy says. The museum's Janine Vaccarello says at at the "actual event itself we don't focus at all on domestic violence." There now is information about domestic violence on the museum's website, and handouts on the subject for visitors to take on the way out. Those additions aren't enough to placate Shenoy. "We want to take this one step further. We don't want this type of exhibit to come back, especially not around Valentine's Day," says Shenoy |
Friday, February 11, 2011
Articles for 11 Feb
Connecticut Considers First Statewide Gun-Offender Registry ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Connecticut measure that would create the nation's first statewide registry for gun offenders went before lawmakers yesterday at a public hearing on a package of gun bills, the Hartford Courant reports. The gun-offender database, modeled after the sex-offender registry, would give police a potent new tool to combat violence, said Senate Majority Leader Martin Looney, who proposed the idea. Several cities, including New York City, Baltimore, and Washington D.C., have established such requirements for gun offenders, but no state has done so, Looney said. Just as those convicted of sex offenses must check in with local authorities, gun offenders would be required to register with local police. Unlike the sex-offender registry, the information on gun offenders would be accessible only to law enforcement officials. The requirement would apply to people who committed serious gun violations such as those who used a firearm to commit a crime, Looney said. "No law-abiding citizen or sportsman would have anything to fear from this bill,'' he said. Several lawmakers questioned why the registry was needed. They pointed out that a national crime database already contains information about gun offenders. But Looney and other supporters said the registry, unlike the national database, would give law enforcement the ability to pinpoint where the offenders live. |
Obama Formally Endorses D-Block For Public Safety Broadband Network ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ President Obama has pledged his support for the allocation of the D-Block of the 700 MHz wireless broadband spectrum to public safety for the creation of a nationwide public safety mobile broadband network, says PoliceOne.com. In a speech at Northern Michigan University, Obama threw his support behind an initiative that was originally called for by the 9/11 Commission more than seven years ago. Rep. Peter King (R-NY), chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, reintroduced a bill to devote that same and valuable swath of 700MHz wireless broadband spectrum to public safety agencies. Story County (IA) Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald - First Vice President of the National Sheriffs' Association and NSA's representative on the Public Safety Alliance, said the sheriffs applaud Obama's statement. |
Phila. Grand Jury Says Catholic Church Still Fails To Stamp Out Sex Abuse ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Philadelphia grand jury brought felony charges against a former high-ranking official of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for "purposefully" shielding sexually abusive priests and endangering children in the late 1990s, and said it was uncertain whether retired archbishop Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua was culpable as well, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. It was the second time in less than six years that a grand jury excoriated the archdiocese for its mishandling of sex-abuse cases, again bringing home the scandal that has rocked the Roman Catholic Church worldwide for more than a decade. The new grand jury report said the current leadership under Cardinal Justin Rigali has not lived up to its promise to protect children by weeding out predatory clergy, keeping as many as 41 priests "in ministry despite solid, credible allegations of abuse." The panel issued two felony charges against Msgr. William Lynn, who handled all priest personnel issues, including abuse accusations, as Bevilacqua's secretary of the Office for Clergy from 1992 to 2004. "Let this be a clarion call," said District Attorney Seth Williams, himself a Catholic. "I love my church, but I detest the criminal behavior of priests who abuse, or allow the abuse, of children." |
How New Chicago Cops Study Artwork To Sharpen Their Observation Skills ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chicago police officers in training study paintings at the Art Institute of Chicago to sharpen their observational skills when they respond to shootings, robberies, or traffic crashes, says the Chicago Tribune. Sgt. Diane Shaw, who works with the recruits at the Chicago police academy, said the exercise helps officers try to see all aspects of a potentially dangerous situation instead of relying on their tunnel vision - limiting their focus to just what's in front of them. It also teaches officers to think creatively and establish trust with their partner, she said. New York City police officers have gone through similar training for more than six years to help in their crime-fighting. An Art Institute staffer led recruits yeterday from painting to painting, mostly artwork from the 16th to the 19th centuries. The recruits gazed quizzically and intently at the paintings as they took turns saying what they saw in detail - what was the theme of a painting or a prominent feature? Eventually, the staffer would explain what the artist meant by the work. One recruit, Brent Antesberger, he sees parallels between the artworks and police work. Just like with paintings, he said, "In a crime scene, you have a bunch of people. You're going to look at their faces, and you're able to maybe see their emotions. And their emotions then in turn might help you understand what role they play. Are they a witness? Are they a perpetrator?" |
Texas Prisons Urged To Free More Feeble Inmates To Avoid Medical Costs ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Texas prisons should consider freeing more feeble inmates and quit holding them until they die, say legislative budget writers, according to the Dallas Morning News. Legislative analysts criticized current practices, saying they sock taxpayers with huge costs for gravely disabled and geriatric inmates' medical care. In 2009, only 59 of 337 inmates recommended for medical release won discharge by the parole board. That year, 74 inmates died of natural causes. A committee of mostly doctors that oversees inmate health care said inmates 55 or older last year made up 8 percent of the incarcerated population but racked up 31 percent of hospital costs. Prison director Brad Livingston called medical parole a complicated issue. While studies estimate that a 55-year-old in prison is likely to have the medical problems of a 65-year-old on the outside, Livingston said "it's hard to take that group [] and suggest there's a specific solution because of their age." A report last month 1,000 inmates each year are deemed potentially appropriate for medical release. After violent offenders are weeded out and further study, prison officials forward about 350 of them to the parole board. Fewer than one in five is granted "medically recommended intensive supervision." |
Ex-Prosecutor Urges Focus On A Few Selected "Rape Kits" For DNA Testing ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The problem of DNA evidence in "rape kits" going untested is overblown, contends former prosecutor Wendy Murphy in Women's eNews. As many as 90 percent of the kits contain evidence that is irrelevant, Murphy says. Eighty-five percent of victims know their attackers and the defense is focused on consent, not whether the act occurred. In such cases, DNA tells us nothing about the issue in dispute. Human Rights Watch found that 12,000 kits in California went untested for years. Murphy says percent of those cases involve victims and perpetrators who know each other. That means only about 1,200 kits should even be considered for testing. Of those, there's a good chance a majority will be rejected for testing because studies have long shown that many rapists do not ejaculate. If we tested only the small minority of cases where DNA might actually help elucidate the truth--or where the offender is unknown--we'd have a much smaller backlog of kits stacked up. This targeted use of resources would, in turn, free up funds for expedited processing in the stranger rape cases where DNA is critically important, says Murphy. |
Louisiana Considers Selling Two Prisons to Help Ease Deficit ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The administration of Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal is asking companies to detail how much they would charge the state for inmates in two places if two state prisons are sold to ease budget problems, reports The Advocate in Baton Rouge. The Corrections Corporation of America operaes the Winn Correctional Center and Global Expertise in Outsourcing Inc. operates the Allen Correctional Center. Sale of the medium-security prisons would force the state to pay the new owners for the care of inmates. Some elected officials are nervious about how much the state would end up paying. Jindal estimates that a sale of the prisons would net the state $66n million, which would help trim a $1.6 billion state operating budget shortfall expected for the year beginning July 1. |
St. Louis Battles With MO Governor Over Control Of Local Police ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ St. Louis is battling with Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon over control of the St. Louis Police Department. St. Louis leaders blasted Jay Nixon yesterday after he said local control of the police department could lead to political meddling in law enforcement, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The governor hadn't taken a public position on a bill that would take control from a board he controls and give it to the city. At a lunch with reporters, Nixon repeated criticism of the proposal from the St. Louis Police Officers Association. He said he is "concerned" that "you would see day-to-day management of law enforcement, direct decisions made in precincts, made in arrests, made in cases [] with political overtones." Jeff Rainford, chief of staff to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, said that if Nixon were consitent, other Missouri cities should expect state control over their police. Reed went a step further and said the real political meddling is taking place under the current system, in which the governor appoints the Board of Police Commissioners. |
Arizona Sues U.S. In Effort To Force More Immigration-Law Enforcement ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Arizona took the unusual step of suing the federal government over its immigration policies, saysing it has failed to secure the border and protect the state from an "invasion" of illegal immigrants, the Arizona Republic reprots. About half a dozen other states have pursued similar efforts unsuccessfully over the last two decades. The lawsuit seeks to require the federal government to finish building 700 miles of fence along the border, provide enough federal immigration officers in Arizona to respond to local law-enforcement needs, change the way the federal government reimburses states for incarcerating criminal illegal immigrants, and allow Arizona to enforce federal immigration laws. A spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security said "a meritless court claim such as this does nothing to secure the border." The Arizona lawsuit seeks to counter the case the U.S. Justice Department filed challenging the constitutionality of Arizona's controversial immigration law; that case remains pending. |
Colorado Child Porn Cases Quadrupled in Eight Years ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In a world of digital fingerprints, code words, and intricate file-sharing schemes, Colorado law enforcers are using technology to bust traders of online child pornography in greater numbers than ever before, says the Denver Post. Denver is one of three jurisdictions in the state with a team dedicated to finding and arresting people sharing illicit images and videos of kids. A detective can track an anonymous photo floating in the cyber ether to a specific computer at a specific street address. Investigations through peer-to-peer file-sharing networks - like evolved and less-centralized offspring of the music-sharing network Napster - made up nearly two-thirds of Denver police investigations into online abuse of children in 2010. Even with advances in policing, it is a constant race to keep up with pedophiles who find new ways to spread images of children in the expanding universe of the Internet. Colorado prosecutors saw the number of cases involving possessing and trading child pornography more than quadruple from 36 filed in 2001 to 159 in 2009. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has seen complaints to its cyber tip line triple since 2005. happens somewhat frequently." |
Nevada Police Group Protests GOP Call for Cutting Federal COPS Program ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Nevada's largest police organization is protesting a Republican plan to terminate a federal grant program long popular with local law enforcement agencies, reports the Las Vegas Review-Journal. The Las Vegas Police Protective Association sought to pressure Reps. Joe Heck and Dean Heller, both Nevada Republicans, on the proposed GOP move to slash the COPS program. The cut to COPS "would be devastating for the law enforcement community in Nevada and across the country," said Chris Collins, association president. Since the program was initiated during the Clinton administration, Collins said Nevada enforcement agencies have received $69.8 million. COPS grants have funded 456 officers and sheriffs deputies, and allowed for the purchase of computers and communications equipment "that allow officers to spend more time on the streets." The House Appropriations Committee included COPS this week in a partial list of 70 spending cuts to be written into a bill funding the government for the remainder of fiscal 2011. The House will vote on that bill next week, and could cut even more under pressure from GOP members who say the rollbacks should be deeper. |
VT Legislation Would Allow Expungement Of Minor Conviction Records ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ When a constituent complained to Vermont state Sen. Dick Sears that she couldn't chaperone her granddaughter on a school trip because of a 25-year-old misdemeanor marijuana conviction, he decided to see if he could help, reports the Burlington Free Press. Sears, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has proposed a bill that would let people ask courts to approve the destruction of records of their nonviolent misdemeanor convictions after a decade if they had no convictions for felonies during that period. Court approval of requests to expunge records would mean the individuals would be treated as if they had never been arrested or convicted for purposes of employment, for example, or entering the military. "I'm all for open government. That isn't the issue here," Sears said. He argued an expungement process would give people a chance to live normal lives after "they have overcome whatever stupid thing they have done." Allen Gilbert of the American Civil Liberties Union of Vermont frequently presses for greater openness in government and also privacy protection but doesn't oppose Sears' bill. He warned that individuals who went through the process shouldn't think expungement of official criminal records would erase all traces of their convictions. "I don't think expungement can rewrite history anymore," Gilbert said. "Our electronic data world has made that impossible." |
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Articles for 10 Feb 2011
| House Republican Budget Cutters Target COPS, State-Local Justice Aid ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If House Republicans have their way, major cuts in federal criminal justice programs could be in store during the current federal fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30. Among 70 proposed cuts announced yesterday by House Appropriations Committee leaders were $600 million for the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) program, $256 million in state and local law enforcement assistance, $74 million for the FBI, $69 million for the White House drug czar's office, and $52 million for law enforcement wireless communications. This is just the start of a congressional process that includes committee and floor debate in both Houses and negotiations with the White House, but it signals potentially major reductions in federal programs. Some newly elected House Republicans want to make even deeper cuts |
| Groups Present Nearly 100 "Smart On Crime" Recommendations ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A coalition of 40 organizations and individuals today issued "Smart on Crime," nearly 100 policy recommendations for the Obama administration and Congress across 16 criminal justice areas. The volume touches on a wide range of issues, including "overcriminalization," forensic science, juvenile justice, the death penalty, indigent defense, and executive clemency. Virginia Sloan of The Constitution Project said the report, which focuses on federal government issues, embodies "an ever-increasing and bipartisan consensus on how to fix the problems that have for too long plagued the system." Speaking on federal overcriminalization, Norman Reimer of the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said it "threatens every American's liberty and drains the public coffers with pointless prosecutions and unnecessary incarcerations. Among other groups supporting the project are the Innocence Project, Campaign for the Fair Sentencing of Youth, Brennan Center for Justice, and Families Against Mandatory Minimums. The groups did not necessarily agree on any particular recommendation. |
| Webb Again Presses For Criminal Justice Commission; Won't Run For 2nd Term ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ U.S. Senator Jim Webb (D-VA) has reintroduced his proposal to create a national commission to study criminal justice, the same week he announced he will not run next year for a second term. The bill got close to passage last year, clearing the House and the Senate Judiciary Committee but failing to be passed by the Senate before Congress adjourned. It was included in an appropriations bill proposed by Democrats before time expired in the last Congress. The bill would establish a bipartisan commission of experts charged with what Webb calls "an 18-month top-to-bottom review of the nation's criminal justice system and offering concrete recommendations for reform." Webb said he had discussed the idea with "ore than 100 organizations from every political and philosophical perspective, including the International Association of Chiefs of Police, Heritage Foundation, Sentencing Project, Fraternal Order of Police, NAACP, American Civil Liberties Union, and Prison Fellowship." The commission would study all areas of the criminal justice system including federal, state, local and tribal governments' criminal justice costs, practices, and policies. It is not clear yet whether Webb's plan not to seek re-election will affect the chances of his bill's passage. |
| How Justice System's Use of Technology is Expanding ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Technology is infiltrating every aspect of the criminal justice system, from the investigation to the prosecution of crimes-even to attempts to predict them, says The Crime Report. Experts discussed the trends last week at the 6th annual H.F. Guggenheim Symposium on Crime in America at New York's John Jay College of Criminal Justice. For Dan Conley, the district attorney of Suffolk County in Massachusetts, video evidence has become de rigueur in the prosecution of most serious street crimes. "In many cases, we find video surveillance helpful," he says. "It's a jumping-off point." The New York Police Department purchased facial recognition software this month, and a growing number of police departments across the country have adopted a gunshot detection system called ShotSpotter. |
| Brown's CA Realignment Plan Poses Many Criminal-Justice Challenges ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Gov. Jerry Brown's ambitious initiative to transfer more state responsibilities to local governments will bring challenges and consequences for law enforcement, from the number of cops on the street to who is locked behind bars, says the San Diego Union-Tribune. Cities and counties are scrutinizing the looming impacts - good and bad - of the governor's sweeping realignment plan that could be launched as early as this summer depending on legislative approval. Three critical elements of Brown's $420 million public safety package - police and sheriff patrols, jails, and probation - are part of his broader effort to realign state and local services. "We are approaching it from the standpoint of making it work. But making it work means public safety is not compromised," said Mack Jenkins, probation chief in San Diego County. Brown crafted the proposal as part of a broad cuts-and-taxes plan to close a $25.4 billion budget gap over the next 17 months. He insists change is inevitable given the deficit is more than 30 percent of his proposed $84.6 billion general fund. Chula Vista Police Chief David Bejarano said, "We're struggling right now just to keep up with calls for service so any additional loss in funding would be a major challenge for us." |
| Napolitano: Terror Threat at "Most Heightened State" since 9/11 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told a House committee that the terror threat facing the U.S. is perhaps at the "most heightened state" since the Sept. 11 attacks nearly a decade ago, USA Today reports. Napolitano said the threat from al-Qaeda has been augmented by al-Qaeda-inspired groups and the emergence of homegrown radicals. In the past two years, more than 120 people have been indicted in federal court on terror-related charges. About 50 of them were U.S. citizens, said committee chairman Peter King (R-NY), citing Justice Department statistics. Don Borelli, a former FBI counterterrorism official who helped oversee the 2009 inquiry into a plot to bomb the New York subway by Denver shuttle driver Najibullah Zazi, said Napolitano and others are right to be concerned. "I don't think she's overreacting here," said Borelli, of the Soufan Group, an international security firm. He said the homegrown threat will require a change in strategy to help identify people vulnerable to radicalization. |
| More Mid-Size Places Adopt Surveillance Cameras; Privacy Remains An Issue ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ More mid-size communities are installing surveillance video cameras, borrowing the idea from big metro areas, says USA Today. Saginaw, Mi., population 55,238, installed 17 video cameras at a water/skate park and plans to add more by June in other parts of the city, says Mayor Greg Branch. "Crime for us is trending downward, but we still have a lot more crime than we want," he says. Another factor: Cameras are cheaper than hiring more cops. A $300,000 federal grant will pay for the new cameras. Big cities like New York, Washington, and Chicago use cameras to monitor high-crime and busy areas, and many businesses have them inside and outside. Law Prof. Dan Kobil of Capital University in Columbus says courts have ruled that people have no expectation of privacy in public settings. As technology allows more precise and pervasive images to be collected, he says courts likely will revisit the issue. The American Civil Liberties Union this week asked the Chicago City Council to halt expansion of its camera program. |
| MO Chief Justice: Prison-Based Punishment Strategy Not Working ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Missouri's chief justice again urged the state legislature to find solutions to the state's prison overcrowding, saying the state continues to incarcerate too many people who instead belong in diversion programs to help them kick drug and alcohol habits, says the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "We continue to over-incarcerate nonviolent offenders, while we have failed to expand drug courts and other diversionary and reentry programs to capacity," Judge William Ray Price told a joint meeting of the House and Senate. "The result is a state that is not as safe as we want it to be and a waste of tax dollars." Price pointed to the staggering growth of Missouri's prison system to make his point. In 1982, the state had 5,953 prisoners and a budget of $55 million. In 2009, there were 30,432 prisoners and a budget of $665 million. Price said he, Gov. Jay Nixon, Speaker of the House Steve Tilley and Sen. Rob Mayer, the president pro tem of the Senate, are seeking a federal grant to study alternatives to incarceration in Missouri. Last year, lawmakers worked on a plan to close one prison and divert prisoners to drug courts, though the effort ultimately failed. The Legislature did, however, add to DWI courts, in part a response to Price's speech and a Post-Dispatch series about the failure of DWI laws in the state. "This prison based strategy is not working and it is costing us an arm and a leg," Price said. This year, the words seem destined to fall on deaf ears. Nixon has already indicated he doesn't support closing a prison, and a Senate committee ignored the concept |
| Texas Urges Two Prison Closures, 400 Layoffs To Meet Budget Gap ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Texas prison officials, their initial budget-cutting plans rejected by legislative leaders, have shuffled the deck and come up with a new proposal to cut more administrative jobs and close two prisons earlier than planned as a way to save $50 million, reports the Austin American-Statesman. The revised plan, provided to Senate and House leaders yesterday, would lay off an additional 400 administrative workers at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and move up the planned closure of the 1,000-bed prison near Sugar Land to sometime before Aug. 31. In addition, 500 beds at a 2,100-bed unit, a private contract prison for convicts who are soon to be paroled, would be closed by August. "What they've proposed now will work," said Senate Criminal Justice Committee Chairman John Whitmire. "I think that's what we're going to move ahead with." On Monday, prison officials had presented to legislative leaders their draft plan to reduce their current budget by about $75 million. It was quickly rejected by legislative leaders, because it proposed deep cuts in key drug- and alcohol-treatment treatment programs, along with layoffs of 137 parole officers and staff and 110 county probation officers and employees whose salaries are paid with state money. |
| How Chicago Mayoral Candidates Would Reshape Police ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Picking a new police superintendent, getting more cops on the street and looking at where they're deployed. will be considerations for Chicago's new mayor, says the Chicago Tribune. Mayor Richard Daley's successor will have to figure out a way to deal with the Chicago police perception problem: Statistics show the city is safer than it has been in decades, yet high-profile, persistent gun violence in some neighborhoods has blunted that message. Police Superintendent Jody Weis has served as a political football during the campaign, with the four top mayoral contenders saying they won't renew his contract. Candidates Gery Chicago, Miguel del Valle, and Carol Moseley Braun say they would name someone from within the department's ranks; Rahm Emanuel hasn't said. Daley brought in former FBI agent Weis from Philadelphia to reform a department reeling from a string of misconduct cases that included a crew of officers committing home invasions and robbing people and two videotaped beatings involving off-duty officers |
| Newspaper Details Political Connections In MA Justice System ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The Massachusetts court officer system is rife with politically connected staffers who have ties to many of the power-brokers named in a scathing report on the patronage-ridden Probation Department, reports the Boston Herald. The report comes as the legislature and Gov. Deval Patrick wrestle for control of the Probation Department, which is overseen by Judge Robert Mulligan. The Herald's probe of court officers - who are also supervised by Mulligan - found dozens of successful court officer job- or promotion-seekers have a personal or political connection to the court or lawmakers who vote on the trial court's budget. Some successful candidates either gave a political contribution or sought a recommendation from the offices of ex-House Speakers Salvatore DiMasi and Thomas Finneran and Senate President Therese Murray - all of whom were named in an investigation of the Probation Department by an independent counsel. Court officers hold the key public safety function of guarding prisoners and providing security to witnesses and jurors. |
| Oxycodone Overdose Caused Death Of Woman In Busch Executive's Home ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ In another case of a celebrity-related prescription drug overdose death, the St. Louis County medical examiner said the death of Adrienne Martin, 27, who was found lifeless in December in the bedroom of former Anheuser-Busch chief executive August Busch IV, was caused by an accidental oxycodone overdose, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The case has drawn worldwide attention; police in the St. Louis suburb of Frontenac, where the death occurred, had 70 media inquiries just this week. It remains unclear where Martin got the drugs. J. Steven Beckett, a law professor at the University of Illinois, said the finding of an accidental overdose likely means the matter will end there. "The case is intriguing, but unless there is some forensic evidence indicating something was altered or destroyed, it will be hard to prosecute anyone," Beckett said. "Investi The case has drawn worldwide attention; police in the St. Louis suburb of Frontenac, where the death occurred, had 70 media inquiries just this week. It remains unclear where Martin got the drugs. J. Steven Beckett, a law professor at the University of Illinois, said the finding of an accidental overdose likely means the matter will end there. "The case is intriguing, but unless there is some forensic evidence indicating something was altered or destroyed, it will be hard to prosecute anyone," Beckett said. "Investigators would've had to do stuff like look in drain pipes to see if anything was flushed or discarded." |
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