In many states, the death penalty decision is left to the jury and not to the trial judge. Because of this, Florida’s death penalty law has now been declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court. The US Supreme Court stated that aggravating circumstances must be taken into account before reaching such a verdict and a jury […]
READ MOREZimmerman was on the ground being punched when he shot Trayvon Martin
Trayvon Martin’s Parents Give Their Account in New Book: “Rest in Power” It was dark in a violent neighborhood the night of February 26, 2012. A black teenager was shot by a Hispanic man. That is the only thing on which everyone agrees. The other details are still discussed five years later. Trayvon Martin‘s parents […]
READ MOREUnderstanding Hate Crime Laws
It is a longstanding principle that people should not be punished for bad thoughts, but only for bad actions. A person can think about breaking the law, but should only be charged with an offense when a step is taken towards violating the law as people cannot be punished for thought crimes. There is, however, […]
READ MOREConcealed Carry Weapon Permits Saves Two Lives in Detroit
It was a quiet morning along Warren Street as a 50-year-old resident pulled his black & silver Toyota into a parking spot at Detroit’s Citizen Bank. Double checking the deposit envelope, he was distracted and didn’t notice two teenagers watching him from the opposite side of the street in the parking lot of the Detroit […]
READ MOREHard Times and Drug Law: A Q&A With “Dry Manhattan” Author Michael A. Lerner
Alcohol prohibition was repealed in America in 1933, during tough economic times. Today, with our economy in shambles yet again, the discussion around drug policy reform seems to be gaining traction. Michael A. Lerner is the author of the terrific book Dry Manhattan: Prohibition in New York City. I asked him a couple questions intended to […]
READ MOREI Always Keep My Weapons In An Altoids Container
A Terry-type search of an Atloids tin, a bundle wrapped in duct tape and a brass pipe did not violate a suspect’s Fourth Amendment rights because the officer who conducted the search “testified that he thought each of these items could be, or could conceal, a weapon,” the Ninth Circuit held today in U.S. v. Hartz, […]
READ MOREHearse and Body Stolen in Atlanta; Police Arrest Suspect
Man Steals Hearse for a Joy Ride, Finds Out Later a Corpse Came Along It’s a bad weekend when a family member dies. It only gets worse when the funeral home calls you later to say their hearse was stolen — and your loved one’s body was inside. Maybe the only one having a worse […]
READ MOREAssault Weapon Ban
Even a New York Judge can’t get the Office of Governor Andrew Cuomo or the NY State Police to release what could be embarrassing numbers. Despite an order issued by New York Judge Thomas J. McNamara, and required by the SAFE Act, The state officials are dragging their feet. Release of Data Resisted Arguing that […]
READ MOREObama Restricts Police Military ear, says it can alienate
CAMDEN, N.J. (AP) — President Barack Obama ended long-running federal transfers of some combat-style gear to local law enforcement on Monday in an attempt to ease tensions between police and minority communities, saying equipment made for the battlefield should not be a tool of American criminal justice. Grenade launchers, bayonets, tracked armored vehicles, weaponized aircraft […]
READ MOREThree Strikes: A Mistake That Led to Mass Incarceration
In 1994, President Bill Clinton signed an omnibus crime bill into law. The bill included a “three strikes” provision at the federal level, which imposed a mandatory life sentence for a criminal convicted of a violent felony after having two prior convictions. These two prior convictions could be for a huge variety of different crimes, […]
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