Crime

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    Bonnie's Blog of Crime

  • Breaking News: David Allen Tyner charged with 6 counts of murder for mass murder in Oklahoma City, OK

    mylifeofcrime
    20 Nov 2009 | 1:16 pm
    Brooke Phillips Victims Casey Barrientos Brooke Phillips (pregnant) Jennifer Ermey Millie Barrera (pregnant) House Fire Kills 4 In SW OKC Moonlite Ranch Bunny Killed In Fire ME: Pregnant Fire Victims Were Shot Pregnant Oklahoma City victims shot to death, officials say Final 2 Victims Positively Identified Police: Man in custody in ‘Cathouse’ star’s death Cops: Jewelry taken from man found dead after fire EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Accused HBO Cathouse Murderer Claims He’s Innocent Formal Charges Filed Against Tyner Update: 6 murder counts filed in multiple homicide case Six…

  • Zoelina and Jashon Williams murder 11/13/2009 Berkely, CA *Curtis Martin III arrested for the murders*

    mylifeofcrime
    19 Nov 2009 | 6:53 pm
    Zoelina Toney Williams                                 Jashon Williams This is such a sad situation and it should never have happened. The accused, Curtis Martin III, was previously in prison for killing a girlfriend’s baby. Now, if they had put him away for life then, this innocent child and his mother would still be alive. Now this time, HIS life is at stake, as this is a death penalty case. Body found in Berkeley Marina could be missing baby Man Arrested in Death of Woman Found at California Acquatic Park Convicted killer arrested in shooting death of…

  • John Thomas Rush murder 5/24/2000 Ogden, UT *Merlynn David Kilfoyle pleads guilty*

    mylifeofcrime
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:26 am
    Merlynn David Kilfoyle Murder charges filed in six-year-old Ogden case Accused in murder still incompetent for trial Man enters plea in shooting death of friend nine years ago

  • Update: Du Doan murder *John Haley convicted of manslaughter*

    mylifeofcrime
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:57 am
    Montrose Harbor at Lake Michigan To me, justice was not served. This verdict states that it is ok to go around pushing elderly people in the lake, no matter what happens to them. That their life and death is a joke. Even John’s friends said he thought it was funny to do this. He had even done this previously. He may have appeared to take responsibility AFTER THE FACT, but did he call 991? Did he call for any help? He only came forward after it was announced in the media. So, for this jury, it is okay to push elderly people to their death if the defendant thought it was a funny joke. But…

  • Update: Whitney Mendez and Lorena Stone murder *Juan Mendez trial has started*

    mylifeofcrime
    17 Nov 2009 | 11:43 am
    Juan Mendez in court DNA links suspect to Lehigh double murder Jury selection underway in Mendez trial Trial of Lehigh Acres man accused of killing wife and mother-in-law to begin Thursday Lehigh Acres double-murder trial opens with phone-call testimony Lehigh Acres Mendez Jr. murder trial to resume Monday Updates from the Lehigh Acres double murder trial
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    CraigsCrimeList

  • I'm 12 and I need sexual help

    Trench Reynolds
    15 Nov 2009 | 11:15 pm
    Police Investigate Craigslist Sex Post: Police in Sacramento, California are investigating the following ad they allegedly found on craigslist... Hi. "I'm 12 and I need sexual help. I wanna be experienced when I get to high school. Don't email me. Just call..." The number itself traced back to a prepaid cell phone. Police do not think that it is an actual 12-year-old girl but some kind of sexual predator. Unfortunately their hands are tied with what they can do since this isn't a life or death situation. However this goes to show you that this is just another criminal activity that is going…

  • Bronx man pimps out wife on craigslist

    Trench Reynolds
    14 Nov 2009 | 10:56 am
    Man fined for offering sex with wife: 49-year-old Florian Penev of the Bronx pleaded guilty in a Norwalk, Conn. court to pimping out his wife, 36-year-old Zdravka Zotkova, on craigslist back in June. He was fined a measly $2000. He claims that he lost his job as a graphic designer so naturally the next obvious step is to pimp your wife out on craigslist. Also I thought craigslist was monitoring their site for illegal prostitution now. It's amazing how nothing has changed since craigslist claimed they were screening their ads.

  • Child raping couple used craigslist to find others

    Trench Reynolds
    12 Nov 2009 | 12:23 am
    Man, estranged wife charged with filming themselves raping girl, 4: Friend of the site Dodia Fae sent in this tip to be considered under the News of Doom section of the site. It certainly does meet the requirements for that but I did a little digging and found that the story has a craigslist connection. But I'm getting a little ahead of myself. Our story starts with 38-year-old Richard Hockaday of San Diego. He's a sex offender who posed as a single mother on craigslist looking for others to have some sort of 'fantasy' in either San Diego or the Seattle area. Hockaday is accused of sexually…

  • Child prostitution in Eugene, Oregon

    Trench Reynolds
    7 Nov 2009 | 6:08 pm
    Teenage prostitutes in Eugene: 'Our main goal ... is to rescue these girls': The article starts out with telling about James Dublin of Illinois was sentenced to 50 days plus probation for enaging in sexual acts with a 15-year-old prostitute he found on craigslist. That sentence is a joke. Granted that she advertised as being 19 but that shouldn't matter. If you really want to discourage people from enagaging in any aspect of child prostitution they really need to be sentenced to some hard time. The article goes on to state the obvious that a lot of these girls advertise on craigslist's adult…

  • Mother in mother/daughter hooker team busted again

    Trench Reynolds
    6 Nov 2009 | 12:55 am
    Police: Mother, Daughter Prostitution Team In Trouble Again: Remember when I posted ab9out the mother/daughter hooker team that were posting on craigslist and backpage? No, not the ones from Philadelphia, the ones from Frazier Park, California. Yeah those are the ones. Anyway the mother of the pair, 56-year-old Katherine Silvers, was arrested again on prostitution charges. This time it happened in Long Island.She gets around apparently. The article says that she continued to post her masseuse services online in Long Island. So I'm guessing craigslist and backpage were used once again and I…
 
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    Crime and Consequences Blog

  • News Scan

    CJLF Staff
    20 Nov 2009 | 10:17 am
    Strive For Unbiased DNA Database:  Guardian commentary writer, Gavin Phillipson, discusses the incomplete national DNA database and his solution to make solving a crime more than just chance.  DNA evidence is an essential tool to solving crimes, but if a person is not in a DNA database, the evidence will not lead authorities to them.  The British Government is now proposing to keep the the DNA of those never proven guilty for only six years.  Then they will dump it.  Phillipson does not see the government's proposal as a workable solution.  He believes instead of…

  • U. Cal. Fees

    Kent Scheidegger
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:40 am
    The University of California Regents have voted once again to increase the "fees."  The fees are really tuition, but they call them fees to maintain the facade that U.C. doesn't charge tuition to California residents. Alan Duke has this story for CNN.The regents claim this is a last resort with no alternatives left. Oh, really?  They've cut everything that isn't necessary to the core mission of operating a university?Among the things they should have axed a long time ago is the Death Penalty Clinic at Boalt Hall. The clinic states its "mission is to offer a program that helps…

  • Blog Scan

    Lauren Altdoerffer
    19 Nov 2009 | 1:42 pm
    Fact Checking, Morality and the Death Penalty:  Yesterday, Judging Crimes blogger Joel Jacobsen posted his thoughts on Sarah Palin and Stephen Reinhardt.  The connection may not be entirely obvious, but Jacobsen makes his point quickly.  First, Jacobsen takes a look at the criticism that Sarah Palin is getting for not fact-checking her new book.  He then points out that the criticism is unfair when one considers that the media has yet to attack Stephen Reinhardt "despite this weeks ritual Supreme Court per curiam slapdown" in Belmontes.  As Kent pointed out on Monday,…

  • News Scan

    CJLF Staff
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:34 am
    Texas Governor May Commute Death Sentence:  Associated Press writer Michael Graczyk reports on the fate of a man facing execution tonight for his role in a fatal robbery.  The decision is now in the hands of Texas Gov. Rick Perry after the state parole board recommended that the death sentence be commuted to life in prison.  The Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles made the rare recommendation Wednesday for Robert Lee Thompson, who was not the triggerman in the robbery.  The shooter was convicted and received life in prison.  Gov. Perry is not required to follow the…

  • Texas Execution

    Kent Scheidegger
    19 Nov 2009 | 9:28 am
    Just under 10 years ago in Palestine, Texas, 84-year-old retired school teacher Geraldine Davidson came home to find a burglary in progress. The leader was Danielle Simpson (a man, notwithstanding the name). Paul Stone reports for the Palestine Herald:During his trial, testimony showed that Simpson and three other Palestine youths kidnapped Davidson from her South Sycamore Street residence on Jan. 26, 2000 and paraded her around in the trunk of her vehicle before tossing her into the frigid waters of the Neches River with her hands bound behind her back and a cinder block tied to her…
 
 
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    SFGate: Crime Scene

  • UC Berkeley students take over building

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:46 pm
    A group of about 60 UC Berkeley students and supporters barricaded themselves inside Wheeler Hall early this morning in the most dramatic display of disobedience on the campus since the UC regents voted to raise student undergraduate tuition by 32 percent...

  • Knock on the door - Oakland teen shot to death

    20 Nov 2009 | 1:13 pm
    A 16-year-old boy was shot dead in his East Oakland home by an assailant who fired through the front door, police said today. Phillip Wright, a student at Oakland High School, was shot at 5:10 p.m. Thursday as he went to answer a knock at his door on the 9400...

  • Car set on fire near San Pablo hospital

    20 Nov 2009 | 10:27 am
    Another vehicle was set ablaze early today in west Contra Costa County, the latest in a spate of car fires that may be the work of a serial arsonist, authorities said. A pickup truck was found on fire at an apartment complex on the 2000 block of Vale Road in...

  • Mehserle murder trial to be moved to L.A.

    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    The former BART police officer accused of murdering an unarmed train rider early New Year's Day will be tried in downtown Los Angeles, a judge ruled Thursday. Judge Morris Jacobson's decision, after an hour and a half of arguments in Alameda County Superior...

  • OAKLAND / Man, 19, slain in West Oakland

    Henry K. Lee
    20 Nov 2009 | 12:00 am
    A man was shot and killed in West Oakland, police said Thursday. Elray Jones Jr., 19, of Oakland was shot near the corner of 14th and Peralta streets shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday, said Officer Jeff Thomason, a police spokesman. Jones staggered into a nearby...
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    msnbc.com: Crime & courts

  • Burglars steal box holding baby’s ashes

    20 Nov 2009 | 11:47 am
    An Arizona family is pleading with burglars to return a wooden music box containing the ashes of their 5-month old son. Arizona - Shopping - Sports - United States - Tickets

  • Red Tape: After data loss, ID theft risk soars

    20 Nov 2009 | 5:07 am
    Identity theft - Security - Business - Financial services - antivirus

  • Man charged with raping, killing girl, 5

    20 Nov 2009 | 4:53 am
    A man charged with raping and killing a 5-year-old North Carolina girl was expected in court, a day after authorities revealed what they believed happened to her in her final days. North Carolina - Police - United States - Search warrant - Kidnapping

  • Trial begins for Maui man accused of spying

    20 Nov 2009 | 2:17 am
    A former stealth bomber engineer accused of spying for China suffers from a narcissistic disorder, expert witnesses for the prosecution and the defense testified in federal court. People's Republic of China - Expert witness - China - United States - Law

  • Texas man executed after clemency denied

    19 Nov 2009 | 11:28 pm
    A death row inmate convicted of taking part in a fatal Houston holdup was executed after the Texas governor rejected a parole board's recommendation to spare him because he wasn't the gunman. Life imprisonment - Capital punishment - Death - Crime and Justice - Rick Perry
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    CSI Files

  • Watch ‘Lover’s Lanes’ On CSI Files

    Rachel
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:59 am
    The most recent episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, “Lover’s Lanes”, is now available online. You can watch the full episode on CBS.com or Fancast—or you can find it embedded after the jump:

  • ‘CSI’ Wins In Viewers, Takes Second In Key Demo

    Rachel
    20 Nov 2009 | 9:52 am
    The latest episode of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation split leadership with Grey’s Anatomy on Thursday, November 19. “Lover’s Lanes” was down from last week’s crossover episode, but it pulled in 14.95 million overall viewers to win the hour. Grey’s was next with 13.96 million, followed by NBC’s combination of The Office (7.43 million) and 30 Rock (5.86 million), Fringe on Fox (5.89 million) and Supernatural (2.74 million). In the 18-49 demographic prized by advertisers, Grey’s was on top with a 5.0 rating/13 share that beat CSI’s 3.6/9. NBC…

  • Review: CSI: New York–’Cuckoo’s Nest’

    Kristine Huntley
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:51 am
    The Compass Killer takes another victim, but Mac has another problem on his hands–Flack has gone AWOL. Synopsis: A disgruntled ex-employee shoots his former boss on a boat party for the company and is about to shoot another partner in the company when the body of a man falls from the bridge above. When Mac joins Stella at the scene later, he notices that Flack isn’t there and Stella admits the detective simply didn’t show up. Hawkes finds the ID of the jumper, Richard Caldrone, on the bridge above, along with several pictures and a necklace with a cross on it. Mac calls on…

  • Watch ‘Cuckoo’s Nest’ On CSI Files

    Rachel
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:35 am
    The most recent episode of CSI: New York’s sixth season, “Cuckoo’s Nest”, is now available online. You can watch it on CBS.com, Fancast or TV.com—or you can see the full episode embedded here on CSI Files after the jump:

  • ‘New York’ Wins The Hour And Retains Crossover Viewers

    Rachel
    19 Nov 2009 | 11:29 am
    The latest episode of CSI: New York, “Cuckoo’s Nest”, came out on top in the ratings for Wednesday, November 18. The show was down from the numbers it posted as part of the three-series crossover last week, but “Cuckoo’s Nest” pulled in enough viewers to make it the third-highest rated episode of the season so far for New York (behind the season premiere and last week’s crossover episode). The episode earned 13.68 million viewers in the 10:00pm hour, putting it ahead of In the Spotlight With Robin Roberts on ABC (6.64 million) and The Jay Leno Show…
 
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    Havocscope Black Markets

  • 1,000 men pay for sex daily in Ireland

    havocscope
    17 Nov 2009 | 10:47 pm
    According to the United Ireland Party, over 1,000 men in Ireland pay for sex in the country every day. Source: “1,000 men pay for sex daily – Fine Gae,” RTE News, November 17, 2009.

  • One in Three Cigarettes smoked in UK and Ireland are smuggled

    havocscope
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:27 pm
    Custom Officials in the United Kingdom and Ireland state that one in three cigarettes smoked in each country was smuggled into the country. Source:  Associated Press, “Irish seize 12 million cigarettes, arrest smuggler,” BusinessWeek, November 17, 2009.

  • $100 million of forest cut down in Madagascar in 2009

    havocscope
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:15 pm
    An estimated $100 Million of Madagascar’s forest was cut down in 2009 and mostly shipped to China to make furniture. Source:  David Smith, “Madagascar’s lemurs in danger from political turmoil and ‘timber mafia’,” Guardian, November 17, 2009.

  • Top Ivory Trade Countries in 2009

    havocscope
    17 Nov 2009 | 8:10 pm
    According to the WWF, Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Thailand are the three top countries in 2009 that were involved in the selling of elephant ivory. Source: “Worry over ivory trade increase,” WWF, November 17, 2009.

  • $7 Billion worth of cocaine passed through West Africa

    havocscope
    16 Nov 2009 | 12:33 pm
    Between 2005 and 2009, $7 Billion worth of cocaine from South America passed through West Africa on its way to Europe. Source: Scott Kraft, “Guinea-Bissau: Cocaine’s traffic hub,” Los Angles Times, November 16, 2009.
 
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    Criminal Defense

  • Terrorist Aiding Criminal Defense Lawyers, Michelle Malkin Is Looking For You

    19 Nov 2009 | 7:44 am
    This week, a federal appeals court ordered attorney Lynne Stewart to prison and asked the trial judge to review her sentence. It may have been too low based on his lack of consideration of whether she committed perjury.Conservative blogger Michelle Malkin was relieved:If there is a shining example of just how dangerous it is for America to give foreign-born jihadists the full panoply of American constitutional rights and all the attendant benefits of a civilian trial, it is Lynne Stewart.Lynne Stewart was convicted of passing notes for her suspected terrorist client that prosecutors said…

  • Will Scott Rothstein Get A Voluntary Surrender?

    16 Nov 2009 | 5:22 am
    The public takes for granted when they hear that someone "surrendered to authorities."Surrendering to authorities means that either there is a mature, experienced agent or police officer on the case, or that heavy negotiations took place, or that there's some pissed off cop who didn'tget a chance to have his "fun."I say "fun" because recently I asked for a voluntary surrender for a client and was told by the officer: "well, making those 6:30 a.m. arrests are really the only fun we have anymore."There is no policy for voluntary surrenders, a topic about which I previously wrote.Recently I…

  • David Letterman Wasn't Extorted

    11 Nov 2009 | 4:58 am
    As a defense lawyer, the job is to defend. Defending means determining the appropriate defense to the charge. There are simple defenses: didn't do it, that guy did it, insanity, statute of limitations has run, charge is not appropriate, and of course the old "I wasn't stealing his car, I was just borrowing it for a while. I was going to bring it back."While it appears that David Letterman was asked to pay $2 million dollars for silence on some scandalous allegations, we are learning now that, well, it was really nothing more than an everyday "commercial transaction."Let's begin.The relevant…

  • Why Life Without Parole For Juveniles Makes Sense

    10 Nov 2009 | 1:48 pm
    No, it doesn't make sense to me. But it makes sense that they remain in effect based on the fabric of our society, based on "what the public wants," says the government.Yesterday, as every lawyer in the world knows, the United States Supreme Court heard argument on the issue of whether life sentences without parole for juveniles convicted of non-homicide offenses is a violation of the Eighth Amendment prohibiting cruel and unusual punishment.There is no question but that we have lost any desire to reform children that have gone astray. Trying juveniles as adults, once a rarity, is now the…

  • VIDEO: Judge Calls Cop Stealing From Defense Lawyer's File "Leeway"

    5 Nov 2009 | 5:06 am
    Required watching for every defense lawyer, prosecutor, judge, bailiff, defendant, voter, garbage man, teacher, citizen of the world, is this video where an in-court deputy is seen stealing a document from the file of a criminal defense lawyer.There's almost nothing that needs to be said about this video.Well, almost.As usual, Scott Greenfield covered all the bases in this embarrassment of a scene in Maricopa County, Arizona. Scott calls it "blatant, outrageous and yes, illegal." He analyzes it this way: "First, this happened in full view of the judge, Lisa Flores, who appears not to have…
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    Change.org's Criminal Justice Blog

  • Death and Texas

    Matt Kelley
    20 Nov 2009 | 8:06 am
    Another week, another refusal by Texas to reconsider a death row case. Actually, make that two refusals. Robert Lee Thompson, 34, was executed last night in Huntsville, just an hour after Gov. Rick Perry had declined to commute his sentence to life. Perry was presented a rare commutation recommendation from the state's Board of Pardons and Parole, which had voted 5-2 in favor of a life sentence for Thompson, who was convicted under the "law of parties" -- meaning he participated in the crime but didn't pull the trigger. Perry decided to ignore the board and authorize the execution. In another…

  • Crowdfunded Court Reporting

    Matt Kelley
    20 Nov 2009 | 6:15 am
    This week, a reporter from San Francisco public radio station KALW is spending her days in Oakland courtrooms, taking in all of the action (and inaction). She's reporting for a story funded by individuals through the website Spot.us, on the daily activity in a criminal court -- and she's blogging about what she sees, letting us in on both the process of reporting a story like this and the day-to-day workings of a court that the media usually misses in its 800-word story about a murder conviction. So far, reporter Rina Palta has seen some high-level cases, more than one might expect from the…

  • Massachusetts Steps Away from Mandatory Minimums

    Matt Kelley
    19 Nov 2009 | 8:57 am
    The Massachusetts Senate yesterday passed a bill that would open the possibility of parole for prisoners convicted of nonviolent drug crimes. Many were sentenced under mandatory minimum laws and aren't currently eligible for parole. Finally, amidst budget difficulties, another state is seeing the light. On its website, Families Against Mandatory Minimums profiles Robert Anger, a Massachusetts prisoner who could potentially be eligible for parole if the bill becomes law. Anger, from Vermont, became addicted to OxyContin as a teenager and soon transitioned to heroin. He began selling cocaine to…

  • A Somali Judge’s Assassination and the Struggles of a Tattered System

    Matt Kelley
    19 Nov 2009 | 5:39 am
    An excellent post yesterday from Daniel J Gerstle on the War and Peace blog offers important -- and highly personal -- background on the tragic story of a Somali judge’s recent assassination. Judge Sheikh Mohamad Abdi Aware was shot and killed outside his mosque last week, allegedly by separatist leaders or pirates angry with him for handing down harsh sentences to pirates and criminal kingpins. Daniel writes about the time he spent in Somalia conducting the first review of juvenile justice in the country got the UN. He writes that he struggled to come to grips with a weak, fledgling court…

  • Could Hate Crime Laws Backfire?

    Colin Starger
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:46 am
    President Obama recently signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act into law -- expanding existing federal hate crimes laws to protect against assault based on sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, and disability. So why would the Sylvia Rivera Law Project, a pioneering group that works on behalf of transgender, transsexual, intersex and other gender non-conforming people, oppose it? Sometimes friends and allies disagree. This is as it should be. In progressive circles, we can and should dispute strategy and tactics while still affirming our commitment to…
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    Cancrime

  • Clifford Olson re-victimizes murdered woman's family

    17 Nov 2009 | 9:44 pm
    John Allore wants to know who killed his sister more than three decades ago. But he isn't prepared to grasp at straws, particularly when proffered by a psychopathic serial killer.Child sex murderer Clifford Olson claims knowledge of the unsolved 31-year-old year murder of Theresa Allore. John Allore told me, in the interview you'll hear in the video above, that he does not believe Olson (called the quintessential psychopath by the parole board) has information about Theresa's case. Allore told me he has rejected Olson's barter offer from behind bars.I'd be more inclined to warn people about…

  • Father threatens daughter 'in the name of honour'

    11 Nov 2009 | 6:30 am
    In a rare decision that will resonate in Kingston, an Ottawa judge labelled a man's threats to kill his daughter an 'honour crime.' Three Montrealers remain behind bars, facing charges of first-degree murder in Kingston. They are accused of murdering four family members in a diabolical plot that siblings of one victim say was an 'honour crime.' The Ottawa case is notable because the judge spelled out clearly her belief that the crime was motivated by a desire to restore honour to the family. She noted the father's threats reflected "a seriously dangerous belief system that can and has led to…

  • How every cop can stop a Fort Hood gunman

    8 Nov 2009 | 9:47 pm
    Sgt. Kimberly Munley (above), the civilian police officer hailed as a hero for stopping a rampaging gunman at a U.S. military base, could quickly become a poster child for an innovative police training technique, one that isn't well known outside police circles, and, sadly, isn't universally adopted by police departments.Look for commentators, analysts and people in law enforcement to start a conversation about Immediate Action Rapid Deployment (IARD), in the wake of the Fort Hood massacre that left 13 dead and 38 wounded. In Canada, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police trains in this tactic as…

  • Convict mental health - pay now, or later

    4 Nov 2009 | 8:02 pm
    Why should we provide decent mental health care for imprisoned federal convicts? For protection of course. Because most of these guys get out, and if they haven't been treated – or even assessed – it's unlikely they'll go straight. It's more likely they commit new crimes and, in some cases, hurt more people.Need some examples? Read the parole records of just a few of the hundreds of cases I've followed over the years:Bank robber James FreemanKiller Stephen SinclairRapist Rene BourdonYou'll see references to ongoing mental health problems, and these are violent crooks who keep getting out.

  • Where have all Toronto's killers gone?

    2 Nov 2009 | 5:15 pm
    The numbers above tell a story: Something remarkable appears to be happening in Toronto. Canada's largest city is on pace for the fewest number of murders in a decade.If the current trend continues, there should be roughly 54 homicides on the books by the end of 2009 (45 killings after 10 months). The body count hasn't been that low since 1999, when there were 49 killings. The death toll has never been below 60 in the last decade.In 2005, Toronto's so-called 'Year of the Gun,' when there was a spate of gun killings, including the slaying of an innocent girl, 15-year-old Jane Creba, there was…
 
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    Wallet Pop: Fraud

  • Wine scammer pleads guilty to setting California cellar fire

    Tom Barlow
    18 Nov 2009 | 11:00 am
    Filed under: Food, FraudThe largest wine scam in the history of the United States was partly resolved this week with Mark Anderson's plea of guilty to numerous counts associated with torching a wine storage facility in the San Francisco area in 2005 to cover the tracks of his wholesale theft. The blaze destroyed 6 million bottles of top-drawer wines worth an estimated quarter of a billion dollars.Continue reading Wine scammer pleads guilty to setting California cellar fireRead | Permalink | Email this | Comments

  • Hanging up on Rachel: Robo-calls have been banned, yet the phones keep ringing

    Mitch Lipka
    17 Nov 2009 | 3:00 am
    Filed under: Technology, Fraud, Consumer Ally"Hi. This is Rachel from Cardholder Services." It's safe to say that millions of Americans have received a call from Rachel or one of her robo-calling cohorts at some point. In fact, there have been so many complaints about calls from robo-dialers with pre-recorded announcements that the government has almost entirely banned them. As of September 1, the Federal Trade Commission barred all prerecorded telemarketing calls unless a consumer givestheir written permission to receive them furst. Robo-soliciting over cell phones was already prohibited by…

  • 'Who's Who' ripoff preys on your ego

    Barbara Bartlein
    16 Nov 2009 | 10:00 am
    Filed under: Saving Money, FraudI must be really important, because two "Who's Who" publications have chosen me for inclusion in their publications. The e-mails arrived in my mailbox this week. They read, "Recently you were selected as an inductee into Who's Who. In spite of this, we have yet to receive your information in order to build your basic membership profile. In the business and professional world it isn't what you know, it's who you know...and who knows you. Social and business networking is the modern standard in developing relationships throughout the world. The potential for…

  • Steer clear of auto warranty deals: Missouri AG sues 6

    Mitch Lipka
    13 Nov 2009 | 12:30 pm
    Filed under: Transportation, Fraud, Consumer AllyExtended warranties of all sorts have always been a dicey proposition, but when it comes to extended auto warranties many don't even appear to be warranties at all. Missouri Attorney General Chris Koster took aim at the industry this week by suing six companies that market the so-called warranties and warning the public that what is being pitched isn't what you end up with. He said the industry is "rife with fraud." Koster said what consumers are actually buying into are limited "service contracts" or "automotive additives" deals rather than a…

  • Bad actors continue to prey on seniors

    Amy Pyle
    4 Nov 2009 | 2:00 pm
    Filed under: Banks, Borrowing, Home, Insurance, Real Estate, Retire, Fraud, MortgagesBad actors have solidly shifted their attention to reverse mortgages, causing a top consumer organization to warn seniors to choose such loans carefully. A new report by the National Consumer Law Center likens the aggressive lending practices in today's reverse mortgage lending to those common in the sub-prime mortgage heyday -- featuring some of the same players. "Well-funded marketing campaigns and perverse incentives to brokers are targeting seniors' home equity and using reverse mortgages as their tools,"…
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    Coptalk - Personal Safety Tips and Stories

  • Tip of the Week: Stolen Car..

    admin
    20 Nov 2009 | 11:58 am
    First call I heard this morning when I went on duty; “Reporting party stating that their car was just stolen, vehicle was warming up unattended in the driveway and when reporting party went outside the car was gone”. Duh…… We try to remind people of this every year when the weather starts turning cold. When it starts getting brisk in the mornings, people take chances warming up their cars in the morning while they tend to other things in the house. Or, they pull into a 7-11 to grab something and leave their car running in the parking lot. Everyone believes it won’t happen to them;…

  • Story of the Week: Neighborhood Watch Groups

    admin
    16 Nov 2009 | 12:32 pm
    Neighborhood Watch Groups Why does it work? To understand the value of neighborhood watch in a community, you must first understand that your local law enforcement agency is limited in their available manpower. A neighborhood watch program in your community will greatly help your local police overcome their manpower shortage. This is done by the use of alert citizens within the community who are constantly observing their neighborhoods for suspicious activities. On a national average, there is approximately ONE police officer for every 2,000 citizens. Here’s an example;a police department…

  • Ask a Cop: Wrong car on the ticket?

    admin
    7 Nov 2009 | 11:55 am
    —–Original Message—– From: tony Sent: Friday, November 06, 2009 6:30 AM To: info@coptalk.info Subject: wrong car on ticket. i just got a ticket the other day and the police officer wrote me a ticket for 5 over but he wrote on the ticket i was driving a 86 ford. but i was really driving a 99 Cadillac escalade will this help me beat the ticket in court? Our Replies: 5 over, hmmm. Must have been a slow day for the cops wherever you live. Most cops don’t bother giving tickets for 5 over unless it’s a zero tolerance special enforcement detail or if the driver…

  • Dumb Moves: Man Dressed-Up as Breathalyzer Busted for DUI

    admin
    7 Nov 2009 | 11:51 am
    Man Dressed-Up as Breathalyzer Busted for DUI James Miller was released to the custody of his girlfriend. (Police Photo) November 03, 2009 OXFORD, Ohio – An 18-year-old Ohio man decided to dress up as a breathalyzer for a Halloween party. What do you think happened next? James Miller was arrested after driving the wrong way down a one-way street. His car’s headlights weren’t on, and he had several different Ohio IDs on him. Police say he had an open can of beer with him, as well as unopened cans. At the police station, he blew a breathalyzer and was found to be nearly twice over the…

  • Ask a Cop?: Shake & Bake Meth

    admin
    6 Nov 2009 | 1:19 pm
    —–Original Message—–  Sent: Saturday, October 24, 2009 4:44 PM To: info@coptalk.info Subject: Meth Hello This is C**** I live in BA and most every night on the news I see a story about Meth shake and bake meth or labs or what ever my question is what is shake and bake meth is it shake and bake for chicken or pork and if so then why do they still make shake and bake for chicken and pork? I am clueless for the most part when it comes to drugs except Pot and I do not nor have I smoked that for 15 years however I just want to be educated on this my 17 year old keeps…
 
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    Prison News Blog

  • Bam

    Michael Santos
    18 Nov 2009 | 6:21 pm
    Last week I spoke with Bam, a prisoner and former gang member serving time at Taft Camp. Bam’s been incarcerated for six years, though his initial prison adjustment led to problems with prison officials and transfers to higher security prisons. Bam has listened to a number of my presentations at Taft Camp–I often speak to groups of at-risk youth, and I teach a class on setting goals and success strategies. He recently approached me expressing an interest in reforming, in changing his ways to become a responsible member of society. I spent several hours with Bam, mentoring him on…

  • The Executive Clemency Process

    Michael Santos
    10 Nov 2009 | 11:19 am
    I heard speculation from a lawyer about presidential commutations today. My lawyer friend has an acquaintance, who works in the Department of Justice, and the two lawyers agreed that President Obama would be unlikely to commute any prison terms this year. That’s sad news for tens of thousands of prisoners, but with two wars going on, unemployment rates that reach new records, and a focus on expanding healthcare coverage for all citizens, I suppose the dour predictions shouldn’t surprise me. I’ve learned something about how the executive clemency process works in the federal system.

  • Intelligence Trumps Force, Professor David Kennedy Suggests

    Michael Santos
    10 Nov 2009 | 6:21 am
    David Kennedy, a professor at New York’s John Jay College of Criminal Justice, uses common sense to reduce crime and keep communities safer. In the February 9, 2009 issue of Newsweek, Suzanne Smalley reported on Kennedy’s techniques and the significant drop in crime (in 2008, one Nashville community saw a 91% decrease in drug crimes and prostitution) directly linked to his approach–he uses intelligence rather than force. Rather than relying on law enforcement’s use of weapons, handcuffs, and prisons alone, Kennedy suggests that persuasion can also prove effective in stopping…

  • Prison Administrators Should Not Discourage Successful Adjustments

    Michael Santos
    10 Nov 2009 | 6:00 am
    Many years have passed since I read A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. When I read the story, I was locked inside the impenetrable walls of the United States Penitentiary in Atlanta. I was in my early 20s then, and staring down the long end of a 45-year prison sentence. A character from that Dickens novel inspired my adjustment. The character’s name was Dr. Manette, as I recall. Dr. Manette, if that is the correct spelling, had been a physician before political leaders imprisoned him in a notorious Paris prison known as the Bastille. The doctor had been locked inside the prison for…

  • Breakout: Voices from Inside

    Michael Santos
    4 Nov 2009 | 4:59 am
    WNYC Radio is partnering with PEN’s Prison Writing Program to present BREAKOUT: VOICES FROM INSIDE The event will feature luminaries from the theater and writing world, including John Turturro (Do the Right Thing), Eric Bogosian (Law and Order: Criminal Intent), Lemon Anderson (Def Jam Poetry on Broadway), and Patricia Smith, four-time winner of the National Poetry Slam. In addition, Jamal Joseph, the Chair of the Graduate Film Program at Columbia University — who himself learned to write while serving a 9-year sentence — will read as well (bio attached). This event will be held in New…
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