Rep. Mike Honda: Drug Courts Are Crucial to Criminal Justice Reform
"As our country's fiscal crisis forces budget cuts across the board, we are witnessing a renewed interest in criminal justice reform and taking a closer look at the $70 billion spent annually on America's correctional system. State and national leaders are calling for immediate spending reductions and an end to America's costly overreliance on incarceration. Calls for reform intensified recently with the Supreme Court's ruling on the removal of thousands of inmates from California prisons and with this month's 40th anniversary of the War on Drugs.
While there are no quick fixes, there are proven programs that we must expand during this reform effort. One highly successful program is the drug courts -- a solution that saves money, cuts crime and serves veterans in need. Here are four reasons why these courts must be at the center of any criminal justice reform process."
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Gaddafi And Son
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Gaddafi And Son
"Many Western officials have hailed the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, his son, Saif and his intelligence chief Abdualla Al-Senussi for crimes against humanity as a breakthrough in the war against Libya's leader.
It also has been described as a great advance for international criminal justice, but while the warrants themselves contain some surprises, the move has two great dangers — for the Libyan people and for the ICC.
The discredited Gaddafi regime is threatened on three fronts — the rebels appear to be closing in on Tripoli, the NATO airstrikes continue and now legal proceedings have started over the regime's response to the rebel uprising.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/gaddafi-warrants-expose-the-limits-of-global-justice-20110629-1gpt1.html#ixzz1Qh9ZDslF
"Many Western officials have hailed the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants for Colonel Muammar Gaddafi, his son, Saif and his intelligence chief Abdualla Al-Senussi for crimes against humanity as a breakthrough in the war against Libya's leader.
It also has been described as a great advance for international criminal justice, but while the warrants themselves contain some surprises, the move has two great dangers — for the Libyan people and for the ICC.
The discredited Gaddafi regime is threatened on three fronts — the rebels appear to be closing in on Tripoli, the NATO airstrikes continue and now legal proceedings have started over the regime's response to the rebel uprising.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/gaddafi-warrants-expose-the-limits-of-global-justice-20110629-1gpt1.html#ixzz1Qh9ZDslF
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Madison360: Madison’s worst criminals will get a special invitation
Madison360: Madison’s worst criminals will get a special invitation
"As the seat of state government, site of a Big Ten university and home to a citizenry hot for the next debate, Madison has always been a mecca for meetings.
But it's never seen one quite like this.
At this meeting, the city's worst five to 10 criminals — each a chronic repeat violent offender — will be forced to show up in one room at one time to be told that, for them, the revolving door of "crime-conviction-release-repeat" is closed for good.
The tentative site is the United Way headquarters in November. On hand will be a small army of law enforcement, criminal justice and social service types. The families of the criminals "notified" (that's the verb police use) will be encouraged to attend with them.
What will they hear?
You are henceforth under a microscope from which you cannot escape. You must stop breaking laws now, with or without the personalized job counseling and other social program help we are here to offer. If you commit another serious crime, we will single you out and punish you with the focused and concerted might of the entire criminal justice system. You have become our top priority."
Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/madison_360/article_d06c3920-a10e-11e0-b190-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1QaJ6nugP
"As the seat of state government, site of a Big Ten university and home to a citizenry hot for the next debate, Madison has always been a mecca for meetings.
But it's never seen one quite like this.
At this meeting, the city's worst five to 10 criminals — each a chronic repeat violent offender — will be forced to show up in one room at one time to be told that, for them, the revolving door of "crime-conviction-release-repeat" is closed for good.
The tentative site is the United Way headquarters in November. On hand will be a small army of law enforcement, criminal justice and social service types. The families of the criminals "notified" (that's the verb police use) will be encouraged to attend with them.
What will they hear?
You are henceforth under a microscope from which you cannot escape. You must stop breaking laws now, with or without the personalized job counseling and other social program help we are here to offer. If you commit another serious crime, we will single you out and punish you with the focused and concerted might of the entire criminal justice system. You have become our top priority."
Read more: http://host.madison.com/news/local/madison_360/article_d06c3920-a10e-11e0-b190-001cc4c002e0.html#ixzz1QaJ6nugP
Friday, June 24, 2011
Oklahoma selected for intensive criminal justice study | NewsOK.com
Oklahoma selected for intensive criminal justice study NewsOK.com
"State leaders Thursday promised a detailed study of Oklahoma's criminal justice system with a goal of improving public safety and reducing prison overcrowding and costs.
House Speaker Kris Steele, who successfully pushed last session for programs to divert more nonviolent offenders from state prisons, announced that Oklahoma was selected for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, a program funded in part through the federal Department of Justice.
“Thirty-six states have seen violent crime rate reductions in recent years, but Oklahoma's violent crime rate remains unacceptably high,” said Steele, R-Shawnee. “The Justice Reinvestment Initiative will determine why this is the case so policies can be developed to achieve better outcomes through our justice system.”
Oklahoma has in prison more women per capita than any other state, and its overall incarceration rate ranks third in the nation. Oklahoma's prison population has grown from 22,600 in 2000 to nearly 26,000 now, while the budget has increased from $366 million to about $460 million in the same time. More than half of Oklahoma's inmates are in prison for nonviolent offenses.
While most states have seen a dramatic drop in violent crime rates in the past decade, Oklahoma's violent crime rate has increased slightly and ranks as the 11th highest in the country, according to the Department of Justice."
Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-selected-for-intensive-criminal-justice-study/article/3579880#ixzz1QD9scYJb?
"State leaders Thursday promised a detailed study of Oklahoma's criminal justice system with a goal of improving public safety and reducing prison overcrowding and costs.
House Speaker Kris Steele, who successfully pushed last session for programs to divert more nonviolent offenders from state prisons, announced that Oklahoma was selected for the Justice Reinvestment Initiative, a program funded in part through the federal Department of Justice.
“Thirty-six states have seen violent crime rate reductions in recent years, but Oklahoma's violent crime rate remains unacceptably high,” said Steele, R-Shawnee. “The Justice Reinvestment Initiative will determine why this is the case so policies can be developed to achieve better outcomes through our justice system.”
Oklahoma has in prison more women per capita than any other state, and its overall incarceration rate ranks third in the nation. Oklahoma's prison population has grown from 22,600 in 2000 to nearly 26,000 now, while the budget has increased from $366 million to about $460 million in the same time. More than half of Oklahoma's inmates are in prison for nonviolent offenses.
While most states have seen a dramatic drop in violent crime rates in the past decade, Oklahoma's violent crime rate has increased slightly and ranks as the 11th highest in the country, according to the Department of Justice."
Read more: http://newsok.com/oklahoma-selected-for-intensive-criminal-justice-study/article/3579880#ixzz1QD9scYJb?
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Mayors back Webb's criminal justice reform legislation | Richmond Times-Dispatch
Mayors back Webb's criminal justice reform legislation Richmond Times-Dispatch
"The U.S. Conference of Mayors is putting its weight behind sweeping criminal justice reform legislation proposed by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.
Webb's National Criminal Justice Commission Act would create a bipartisan commission to conduct an 18-month review of each facet of the nation's criminal justice system with a goal of reshaping and reforming it completely.
The legislation was first introduced in 2009 and cleared the U.S. House last year, but was blocked in the Senate. Webb reintroduced the legislation Feb. 8."
"The U.S. Conference of Mayors is putting its weight behind sweeping criminal justice reform legislation proposed by Sen. Jim Webb, D-Va.
Webb's National Criminal Justice Commission Act would create a bipartisan commission to conduct an 18-month review of each facet of the nation's criminal justice system with a goal of reshaping and reforming it completely.
The legislation was first introduced in 2009 and cleared the U.S. House last year, but was blocked in the Senate. Webb reintroduced the legislation Feb. 8."
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Myths Of The Criminal Justice System: Part 2
Myths Of The Criminal Justice System: Part 2
"Myth 4: We have appeals courts to check and verify jury verdicts.
Appeals courts review claims that a defendant wasn't afforded his rights under the U.S. Constitution, or the constitution of a particular state. They also review claims that the prosecution or judge did not follow the proper rules of criminal procedure and decide whether those lapses resulted in in an unfair trial. But they almost never second-guess a guilty verdict by reconsidering the evidence.
In a 2008 article published in the Columbia Law Review, Brandon L. Garrett, a law professor at the University of Virginia, reviewed how appeals courts handled the first 200 cases in which DNA testing exonerated a defendant who had previously been convicted of rape or murder. Of those 200 convictions, just 18 convictions were at one point reversed by appellate courts. Another 67 defendants' appeals were denied without even a written ruling. In 63 cases the appellate court opinion described the defendant as "guilty," and in 12 cases referred to "overwhelming" evidence of guilt. In the remaining cases, the appeals courts either found the defendant’s appeal without merit or found that the errors in the case were "harmless" -- there were problems with the case, but those problems were unlikely to have affected the jury’s verdict -- due, again, to the convincing evidence of guilt."
"Myth 4: We have appeals courts to check and verify jury verdicts.
Appeals courts review claims that a defendant wasn't afforded his rights under the U.S. Constitution, or the constitution of a particular state. They also review claims that the prosecution or judge did not follow the proper rules of criminal procedure and decide whether those lapses resulted in in an unfair trial. But they almost never second-guess a guilty verdict by reconsidering the evidence.
In a 2008 article published in the Columbia Law Review, Brandon L. Garrett, a law professor at the University of Virginia, reviewed how appeals courts handled the first 200 cases in which DNA testing exonerated a defendant who had previously been convicted of rape or murder. Of those 200 convictions, just 18 convictions were at one point reversed by appellate courts. Another 67 defendants' appeals were denied without even a written ruling. In 63 cases the appellate court opinion described the defendant as "guilty," and in 12 cases referred to "overwhelming" evidence of guilt. In the remaining cases, the appeals courts either found the defendant’s appeal without merit or found that the errors in the case were "harmless" -- there were problems with the case, but those problems were unlikely to have affected the jury’s verdict -- due, again, to the convincing evidence of guilt."
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
New Orleans Council to question criminal justice leaders on how they're spending city dollars - New Orleans News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - FOX 8 Live WVUE-TV Channel 8
New Orleans Council to question criminal justice leaders on how they're spending city dollars - New Orleans News, Breaking News, Sports & Weather - FOX 8 Live WVUE-TV Channel 8
"Who is spending your money and how?
Crime fighting agencies in New Orleans that receive city funding will soon have to answer. Over the next two weeks, Councilwoman Susan Guidry is helping to lead a pair of hearings, never before required, in hopes of tracking your dollars.
Behind the walls of the City Hall, an unusual departure from tradition—with still more than 5 months left for the mayor and council to decide how to spend nearly half a billion of your tax dollars next year…there is already talk of the b word—budget."
"Who is spending your money and how?
Crime fighting agencies in New Orleans that receive city funding will soon have to answer. Over the next two weeks, Councilwoman Susan Guidry is helping to lead a pair of hearings, never before required, in hopes of tracking your dollars.
Behind the walls of the City Hall, an unusual departure from tradition—with still more than 5 months left for the mayor and council to decide how to spend nearly half a billion of your tax dollars next year…there is already talk of the b word—budget."
Monday, June 20, 2011
Myths Of The Criminal Justice System: Part 1
Myths Of The Criminal Justice System: Part 1
"Note: In conjunction with the launch of HuffPost's Crime vertical, senior writer and criminal justice reporter Radley Balko looks at several myths and misconceptions about the criminal justice system. In this first of three installments, Balko looks at double jeopardy, enhanced sentencing and ignorance of the law.
Myth 1: You Can't Be Tried More Than Once For The Same Crime
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that no person shall "be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb." This protection against "double jeopardy" is intended to prevent the government from retrying the same defendant over and over until prosecutors can get a conviction.
But there are some exceptions. First, the protection only comes into play once a jury has convicted or acquitted a defendant. So in trials that end with a hung jury or a mistrial, the prosecution can usually bring the same charges again. One particularly egregious example is Curtis Flowers of Mississippi, who has been tried an incredible six times for the murder of four people in 1996."
"Note: In conjunction with the launch of HuffPost's Crime vertical, senior writer and criminal justice reporter Radley Balko looks at several myths and misconceptions about the criminal justice system. In this first of three installments, Balko looks at double jeopardy, enhanced sentencing and ignorance of the law.
Myth 1: You Can't Be Tried More Than Once For The Same Crime
The Fifth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution states that no person shall "be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb." This protection against "double jeopardy" is intended to prevent the government from retrying the same defendant over and over until prosecutors can get a conviction.
But there are some exceptions. First, the protection only comes into play once a jury has convicted or acquitted a defendant. So in trials that end with a hung jury or a mistrial, the prosecution can usually bring the same charges again. One particularly egregious example is Curtis Flowers of Mississippi, who has been tried an incredible six times for the murder of four people in 1996."
Friday, June 17, 2011
House Tentatively Approves Prisoner Health Care Fee — Texas Department of Criminal Justice | The Texas Tribune
House Tentatively Approves Prisoner Health Care Fee — Texas Department of Criminal Justice The Texas Tribune
"The House today gave early approval to a bill that would require Texas prisoners to pay $100 a year for health care.
Current law requires inmates to make a copayment of $3 per doctor visit. HB 26, by state Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Plano, seeks to offset some of the prison health care costs that taxpayers now absorb by requiring inmates in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to pay an annual fee of $100 if they use prison medical services.
For inmates who are unable to pay the fee, 50 percent of money deposited into their trust fund would be removed until the fee is covered. For indigent inmates, those with $5 or less in their trust fund, no money would be taken out."
"The House today gave early approval to a bill that would require Texas prisoners to pay $100 a year for health care.
Current law requires inmates to make a copayment of $3 per doctor visit. HB 26, by state Rep. Jerry Madden, R-Plano, seeks to offset some of the prison health care costs that taxpayers now absorb by requiring inmates in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to pay an annual fee of $100 if they use prison medical services.
For inmates who are unable to pay the fee, 50 percent of money deposited into their trust fund would be removed until the fee is covered. For indigent inmates, those with $5 or less in their trust fund, no money would be taken out."
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Casey Anthony Trial CSI: A Viewer's Guide to the Forensic Evidence - TIME
Casey Anthony Trial CSI: A Viewer's Guide to the Forensic Evidence - TIME
"Millions of viewers have been transfixed by the parade of forensic experts presented by the prosecution over the last few weeks in the trial of Casey Anthony, a 25 year-old mother who stands accused of killing her two year-old daughter Caylee and dumping the child's body near their Orange County, Florida home in 2008. The ubiquitous broadcasts of the trial are as compelling as anything that fans of the fictional forensics drama, CSI: Miami, might encounter. But the cutting-edge crime scene science is far more technical, inexact and contradictory than anything a screenwriter might gin up. And it's just those contradictions that the defense will point out as they take center stage this week.
To find out how Anthony's lawyers might rebut the most damaging prosecution evidence, TIME asked crime experts to weigh in on the viability of the seven most important aspects of the forensic testimony so far.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2077937,00.html#ixzz1PSAys68F"
"Millions of viewers have been transfixed by the parade of forensic experts presented by the prosecution over the last few weeks in the trial of Casey Anthony, a 25 year-old mother who stands accused of killing her two year-old daughter Caylee and dumping the child's body near their Orange County, Florida home in 2008. The ubiquitous broadcasts of the trial are as compelling as anything that fans of the fictional forensics drama, CSI: Miami, might encounter. But the cutting-edge crime scene science is far more technical, inexact and contradictory than anything a screenwriter might gin up. And it's just those contradictions that the defense will point out as they take center stage this week.
To find out how Anthony's lawyers might rebut the most damaging prosecution evidence, TIME asked crime experts to weigh in on the viability of the seven most important aspects of the forensic testimony so far.
Read more: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,2077937,00.html#ixzz1PSAys68F"
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Analysis of technology now key to investigations
Analysis of technology now key to investigations
"BLOOMINGTON -- Bloomington Detective Mike Fazio remembers a former police chief and his thoughts about the prospects of technology in law enforcement.
"I remember him saying that we don't need computers and computers would never be a major part of law enforcement in Bloomington," said Fazio, a 28-year department veteran.
Today, more than 300 million computers are threaded into U.S. life, available at home, work, public places and on most cell phones.
The BPD Cyber Crime Unit started in late 2004 with a single computer and a laptop. But even within the department, its use was unclear until it became key in a 2008 case that hit far too close to home.
"The interesting thing ... is that up until then, the department didn't understand what we were doing with digital forensics," Fazio said. "It's difficult to demonstrate what we do or explain the benefits. Digital forensics is basically a new frontier, and the Bloomington Police Department had no idea that technology like this was even possible."
"BLOOMINGTON -- Bloomington Detective Mike Fazio remembers a former police chief and his thoughts about the prospects of technology in law enforcement.
"I remember him saying that we don't need computers and computers would never be a major part of law enforcement in Bloomington," said Fazio, a 28-year department veteran.
Today, more than 300 million computers are threaded into U.S. life, available at home, work, public places and on most cell phones.
The BPD Cyber Crime Unit started in late 2004 with a single computer and a laptop. But even within the department, its use was unclear until it became key in a 2008 case that hit far too close to home.
"The interesting thing ... is that up until then, the department didn't understand what we were doing with digital forensics," Fazio said. "It's difficult to demonstrate what we do or explain the benefits. Digital forensics is basically a new frontier, and the Bloomington Police Department had no idea that technology like this was even possible."
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Five Years, or Five Lashes? - Brainiac
Five Years, or Five Lashes? - Brainiac
"You've committed a crime, and been convicted. The judge offers you a choice: Five years, or five lashes with a rattan cane. Which would you choose? That's the question Peter Moskos asks in In Defense of Flogging. Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer, is now a professor at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice. His book is, as promised, a well-reasoned defense of flogging. It's also an attack upon the penal system. "Faced with the choice between hard time and the lash, the lash is better," he writes. "What does that say about prison?"
Moskos puts today's prisons in historical perspective, starting in the late 18th century, when corporal punishment was the norm. Though criminals were imprisoned, imprisonment was rarely a punishment in itself; instead, you'd be held in jail while awaiting trial, punishment, or execution. Jails were informal and even co-ed. Then, around the turn of the century, religious reformers changed everything, arguing that flogging was inhumane, and that the goal of punishment should be moral rejuvenation. Over the next fifty years, corporal punishment was outlawed, and imprisonment became the justice system's primary tool. Criminals were moved to small, individual cells, in which they could meditate on their crimes and ask God for penance. The new prisons were called, appropriately, "penitentiaries."
Almost immediately, Moskos explains, the penitential system ran aground. Prisoners didn't repent; in fact, the confinement and boredom made them crazy. (Charles Dickens, on tour in America, wrote that the prison cell was deeply inhumane -- it buried criminals alive in a "stone coffin.") To save money, larger prisons were built. Fast forward two hundred years, and you have a system of punishment that is, Moskos argues, vast, inhumane, ineffectual, and incoherent. "I can't think of another institution," he writes, "that has failed as mightily as the prison has.""
"You've committed a crime, and been convicted. The judge offers you a choice: Five years, or five lashes with a rattan cane. Which would you choose? That's the question Peter Moskos asks in In Defense of Flogging. Moskos, a former Baltimore police officer, is now a professor at the John Jay School of Criminal Justice. His book is, as promised, a well-reasoned defense of flogging. It's also an attack upon the penal system. "Faced with the choice between hard time and the lash, the lash is better," he writes. "What does that say about prison?"
Moskos puts today's prisons in historical perspective, starting in the late 18th century, when corporal punishment was the norm. Though criminals were imprisoned, imprisonment was rarely a punishment in itself; instead, you'd be held in jail while awaiting trial, punishment, or execution. Jails were informal and even co-ed. Then, around the turn of the century, religious reformers changed everything, arguing that flogging was inhumane, and that the goal of punishment should be moral rejuvenation. Over the next fifty years, corporal punishment was outlawed, and imprisonment became the justice system's primary tool. Criminals were moved to small, individual cells, in which they could meditate on their crimes and ask God for penance. The new prisons were called, appropriately, "penitentiaries."
Almost immediately, Moskos explains, the penitential system ran aground. Prisoners didn't repent; in fact, the confinement and boredom made them crazy. (Charles Dickens, on tour in America, wrote that the prison cell was deeply inhumane -- it buried criminals alive in a "stone coffin.") To save money, larger prisons were built. Fast forward two hundred years, and you have a system of punishment that is, Moskos argues, vast, inhumane, ineffectual, and incoherent. "I can't think of another institution," he writes, "that has failed as mightily as the prison has.""
Monday, June 13, 2011
Conference to explore treatment of youth in Maryland's criminal justice system :: The Republic
Conference to explore treatment of youth in Maryland's criminal justice system :: The Republic
"BALTIMORE — Hundreds of people are expected in Baltimore this week for a conference on the treatment of youth in Maryland courts.
The event starts Monday morning at the Baltimore Convention Center and will explore whether minorities are disproportionately represented in the state's criminal justice system.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention and the Family League of Baltimore. Organizers say more than 350 people are expected to attend."
"BALTIMORE — Hundreds of people are expected in Baltimore this week for a conference on the treatment of youth in Maryland courts.
The event starts Monday morning at the Baltimore Convention Center and will explore whether minorities are disproportionately represented in the state's criminal justice system.
The conference is co-sponsored by the Governor's Office of Crime Control and Prevention and the Family League of Baltimore. Organizers say more than 350 people are expected to attend."
Friday, June 10, 2011
Cellphone data, gun at issue in trial of suspects in St. Paul triple homicide - TwinCities.com
Cellphone data, gun at issue in trial of suspects in St. Paul triple homicide - TwinCities.com
"On TV, they make the forensic crime stuff look exciting. But as a jury saw Thursday, in real life - even in a triple-murder investigation - it can be technical, complicated and mind-numbingly arcane.
And on a good day, you get to climb into a sewer and dig a revolver out of 2-1/2 years' worth of muck.
Jurors in the murder trial of Tyvarus Lindsey and Rashad Raleigh sat patiently through the dense testimony, much of which dealt with cellphones and the towers that carry their electronic signals. The nine men and five women on the jury and two alternates saw spreadsheet after spreadsheet, as well as a map-laden FBI analysis.
They heard terms such as "pilot channel" and "clutter database" and "propagation models" and "seizure times" and "antenna down-tilt."
Government prosecutors contend the cellphone records show that Lindsey, 29, and Raleigh, 33, and two other men were in the vicinity of 292 Burgess Ave. in St. Paul on the morning of March 23, 2007.
Shortly before sunrise that day, four men wearing masks and gloves kicked open the North End home's back door, rounded up the occupants, demanded drugs and money from them, and then killed three people. "
"On TV, they make the forensic crime stuff look exciting. But as a jury saw Thursday, in real life - even in a triple-murder investigation - it can be technical, complicated and mind-numbingly arcane.
And on a good day, you get to climb into a sewer and dig a revolver out of 2-1/2 years' worth of muck.
Jurors in the murder trial of Tyvarus Lindsey and Rashad Raleigh sat patiently through the dense testimony, much of which dealt with cellphones and the towers that carry their electronic signals. The nine men and five women on the jury and two alternates saw spreadsheet after spreadsheet, as well as a map-laden FBI analysis.
They heard terms such as "pilot channel" and "clutter database" and "propagation models" and "seizure times" and "antenna down-tilt."
Government prosecutors contend the cellphone records show that Lindsey, 29, and Raleigh, 33, and two other men were in the vicinity of 292 Burgess Ave. in St. Paul on the morning of March 23, 2007.
Shortly before sunrise that day, four men wearing masks and gloves kicked open the North End home's back door, rounded up the occupants, demanded drugs and money from them, and then killed three people. "
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Lee Anthony: Casey told me nanny took Caylee | FLORIDA TODAY | floridatoday.com
Lee Anthony: Casey told me nanny took Caylee FLORIDA TODAY floridatoday.com
"Casey Anthony's brother says his sister told him a nanny took her daughter in June 2008 because she didn't believe the Orlando woman was being a good mother.
Prosecutors recalled Lee Anthony to the stand Thursday morning as they continued presenting their case against the 25-year-old woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. Defense attorneys have said the child drowned.
Lee Anthony testified his sister provided this version of the toddler's disappearance while she was free on bond in August 2008. According to his testimony, Casey Anthony told him the nanny, called Zanny, met her in an Orlando park and held her down with the help of her sister."
"Casey Anthony's brother says his sister told him a nanny took her daughter in June 2008 because she didn't believe the Orlando woman was being a good mother.
Prosecutors recalled Lee Anthony to the stand Thursday morning as they continued presenting their case against the 25-year-old woman accused of killing her 2-year-old daughter, Caylee. Defense attorneys have said the child drowned.
Lee Anthony testified his sister provided this version of the toddler's disappearance while she was free on bond in August 2008. According to his testimony, Casey Anthony told him the nanny, called Zanny, met her in an Orlando park and held her down with the help of her sister."
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
State Lawmakers Look to Cut Back on Prison Health Care | WTAW
State Lawmakers Look to Cut Back on Prison Health Care WTAW
"AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ A House committee has approved legislation meant to cut down on soaring health care costs for prisoners in Texas.
The panel voted Tuesday for a bill that would require inmates who initiate a visit to the doctor to pay a $100 annual fee unless they are indigent. It also requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to house inmates with similar health conditions in the same units to reduce costs.
The legislation requires the department to provide certain over-the-counter medications and at no cost to indigent inmates."
"AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ A House committee has approved legislation meant to cut down on soaring health care costs for prisoners in Texas.
The panel voted Tuesday for a bill that would require inmates who initiate a visit to the doctor to pay a $100 annual fee unless they are indigent. It also requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to house inmates with similar health conditions in the same units to reduce costs.
The legislation requires the department to provide certain over-the-counter medications and at no cost to indigent inmates."
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Keep pushing reforms to reduce arrests for minor offenses in New Orleans: An editorial | NOLA.com
Keep pushing reforms to reduce arrests for minor offenses in New Orleans: An editorial NOLA.com
"Advocates for more effective policing in New Orleans have for years been pushing to reduce the number of arrests for traffic violations and other minor, nonviolent offenses -- so that more resources can be focused on violent crime.
New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux is joining that effort with a report that makes important recommendations for the city's criminal justice system. City officials said some of those reforms are already being implemented. But they need to make sure they are effective, and Mr. Quatrevaux should evaluate the results.
Mr. Quatrevaux's office examined arrests patterns for the second half of 2009, the year after the City Council changed the law to give police officers more discretion to use summonses where appropriate.
But Mr. Quatrevaux found that even after those changes, the city's arrest rate was three times the national average for cities of similar size or larger. In addition, a third of arrests were for minor municipal violations or traffic offenses. And more than 14 percent of arrests were on warrants issued by other parishes for minor offenses, including unpaid traffic fines.
That's wasteful. The city spent about $3.2 million housing municipal detainees at the jail in 2009, according to the report. Clearly, there are better crime-fighting uses for that money."
"Advocates for more effective policing in New Orleans have for years been pushing to reduce the number of arrests for traffic violations and other minor, nonviolent offenses -- so that more resources can be focused on violent crime.
New Orleans Inspector General Ed Quatrevaux is joining that effort with a report that makes important recommendations for the city's criminal justice system. City officials said some of those reforms are already being implemented. But they need to make sure they are effective, and Mr. Quatrevaux should evaluate the results.
Mr. Quatrevaux's office examined arrests patterns for the second half of 2009, the year after the City Council changed the law to give police officers more discretion to use summonses where appropriate.
But Mr. Quatrevaux found that even after those changes, the city's arrest rate was three times the national average for cities of similar size or larger. In addition, a third of arrests were for minor municipal violations or traffic offenses. And more than 14 percent of arrests were on warrants issued by other parishes for minor offenses, including unpaid traffic fines.
That's wasteful. The city spent about $3.2 million housing municipal detainees at the jail in 2009, according to the report. Clearly, there are better crime-fighting uses for that money."
Monday, June 6, 2011
Should TV cameras be allowed inside UK law courts? | Media | The Guardian
Should TV cameras be allowed inside UK law courts? Media The Guardian
"Live coverage of the trial of alleged Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic at the Hague makes compelling viewing, but it also serves as a reminder to British broadcasters that they are, for the most, barred from pointing a camera at court proceedings in their own country.
That has not always been the case. Dr Crippen was photographed at Bow Street magistrates court while he was facing trial for murdering his wife in 1910. But more than a century later, the only visual representation the public can see of what happens in open court are sketches drawn by artists using pencils and crayons.
However, that is something that could soon change following intensive lobbying from broadcasters in recent months. The Ministry of Justice is currently considering proposals put forward by Sky News and ITN which would allow broadcasters to film some parts of proceedings, including judges delivering their rulings in civil and criminal cases."
"Live coverage of the trial of alleged Serbian war criminal Ratko Mladic at the Hague makes compelling viewing, but it also serves as a reminder to British broadcasters that they are, for the most, barred from pointing a camera at court proceedings in their own country.
That has not always been the case. Dr Crippen was photographed at Bow Street magistrates court while he was facing trial for murdering his wife in 1910. But more than a century later, the only visual representation the public can see of what happens in open court are sketches drawn by artists using pencils and crayons.
However, that is something that could soon change following intensive lobbying from broadcasters in recent months. The Ministry of Justice is currently considering proposals put forward by Sky News and ITN which would allow broadcasters to film some parts of proceedings, including judges delivering their rulings in civil and criminal cases."
Friday, June 3, 2011
Gun bill shot down again | The News Star | thenewsstar.com
Gun bill shot down again The News Star thenewsstar.com
"Legislation allowing concealed weapons on public university campuses thankfully was shot down again this week.
Rep Ernest Wooton, I-Belle Chasse and chairman of the Louisiana House's Criminal Justice Committee, has repeatedly attempted to pass this legislation, maintaining that it would improve an individual's chances for safety in a threatening environment.
That thought is well-intentioned, but the logic is faulty. No college campus needs students, faculty and staff wandering around packing guns, waiting for the next opportunity for a shoot-out.
This time, the legislative committee didn't even listen to testimony, silencing the bill on an 8-3 vote."
"Legislation allowing concealed weapons on public university campuses thankfully was shot down again this week.
Rep Ernest Wooton, I-Belle Chasse and chairman of the Louisiana House's Criminal Justice Committee, has repeatedly attempted to pass this legislation, maintaining that it would improve an individual's chances for safety in a threatening environment.
That thought is well-intentioned, but the logic is faulty. No college campus needs students, faculty and staff wandering around packing guns, waiting for the next opportunity for a shoot-out.
This time, the legislative committee didn't even listen to testimony, silencing the bill on an 8-3 vote."
Thursday, June 2, 2011
House panel kills bill to allow firearms on college campuses | NOLA.com
House panel kills bill to allow firearms on college campuses NOLA.com
BATON ROUGE -- Legislation that would have allowed qualified carriers of concealed handguns to take them on state college campuses died in a House committee Wednesday, dooming it for the session.
The Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice voted 8-3 to kill House Bill 413 by Rep. Ernest Wooton, I-Belle Chasse, the panel's chairman.
The vote prevents the bill from advancing to the House floor. Wooton said he probably will not try to attach the proposal as an amendment to a related gun bill because he does not want to jeopardize the other measure.
"I am disappointed but I am not surprised," Wooton said. "I'm a big boy. I'll be fine. It is an election year and that didn't help." He said some members of the panel -- he did not name names -- "couldn't allow themselves to understand what this bill does."
Wooton conceded his bill was a long shot, although he addressed concerns expressed by opponents during debate on various version of similar legislation over the past three years."
BATON ROUGE -- Legislation that would have allowed qualified carriers of concealed handguns to take them on state college campuses died in a House committee Wednesday, dooming it for the session.
The Committee on the Administration of Criminal Justice voted 8-3 to kill House Bill 413 by Rep. Ernest Wooton, I-Belle Chasse, the panel's chairman.
The vote prevents the bill from advancing to the House floor. Wooton said he probably will not try to attach the proposal as an amendment to a related gun bill because he does not want to jeopardize the other measure.
"I am disappointed but I am not surprised," Wooton said. "I'm a big boy. I'll be fine. It is an election year and that didn't help." He said some members of the panel -- he did not name names -- "couldn't allow themselves to understand what this bill does."
Wooton conceded his bill was a long shot, although he addressed concerns expressed by opponents during debate on various version of similar legislation over the past three years."
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
House Approves Controversial Criminal Justice Bill To Establish A New Sentence-Reduction System For Inmates - Capitol Watch
House Approves Controversial Criminal Justice Bill To Establish A New Sentence-Reduction System For Inmates - Capitol Watch
"Democrats in the state House of Representatives outmuscled Republicans Tuesday to give final approval to a hotly contested "budget implementation" bill that would give inmates sentence-reduction credits if they participate in self-improvement programs.
The 90-56 vote came after three hours of debate, and was along party lines except for three Democrats who voted "no" with Republicans - Reps. Steven Mikutel of Griswold, Mary Fritz of Wallingford and Kim Rose of Milford.
The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who intends to sign it, according to the governor's senior adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso. Tuesday's House vote ended a week-long drama that produced some of the 2011 legislative session's most fiery rhetoric.
Before approving the bill, the House first amended it so that it would exclude prison inmates from earning sentence-reduction credits if they have been convicted of any one of six violent crimes ranging from murder to home invasion.
It is the same amendment that Senate Democrats approved on Friday after Republicans opposed it in seven hours of debate."
"Democrats in the state House of Representatives outmuscled Republicans Tuesday to give final approval to a hotly contested "budget implementation" bill that would give inmates sentence-reduction credits if they participate in self-improvement programs.
The 90-56 vote came after three hours of debate, and was along party lines except for three Democrats who voted "no" with Republicans - Reps. Steven Mikutel of Griswold, Mary Fritz of Wallingford and Kim Rose of Milford.
The bill now goes to Democratic Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who intends to sign it, according to the governor's senior adviser, Roy Occhiogrosso. Tuesday's House vote ended a week-long drama that produced some of the 2011 legislative session's most fiery rhetoric.
Before approving the bill, the House first amended it so that it would exclude prison inmates from earning sentence-reduction credits if they have been convicted of any one of six violent crimes ranging from murder to home invasion.
It is the same amendment that Senate Democrats approved on Friday after Republicans opposed it in seven hours of debate."
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