Gangsters in Blue

Morning Links

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Maiz Szalavitz takes questions from Reddit about “tough love” anti-drug boot camps for teens.
Seems like this would be the ideal situation for the Taser. Instead, the dog-walking guy gets the Taser, and this kid gets a bullet.
San Francisco man who was wrongly convicted and spent 18 years in prison sues over the use of perjured testimony in his case.
Another TSA agent arrested for stealing from passengers.
Facebook is the new heroin.
The fruit fly chuckles at your inadequacy.
Surveillance drone industry wants to “paint a more positive picture” of government spying on its citizens.
Guy loses a bunch of weight, no longer diabetic. Starts a website to help others do the same. He’s now under criminal investigation for providing nutritional advice without a license. This is in North Carolina, the same state that went after a guy last year for practicing engineering without a license when he did some math for a citizens’ reports requesting a couple traffic lights.

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Morning Links

Friday, January 6th, 2012

New Florida Marlins acquisition Mark Buerhle can’t live in Miami because he own an 18-month old Staffie, and Miami-Dade County has a dumb ban on “pit bulls.” I explain the numbskullery of breed-specific legislation here.
Ken at Popehat draws the line between recording police, take-down notices, and SOPA.
Alabama minister sues after his photo was posted to the local sheriff’s “most wanted” web page. It was posted after a tip from an informant.
U.K. couple cleared in the midst of a shaken baby trial after post-mortem exam reveals the child had rickets.
Veteran photographer threatened by L.A. cop for violating the cop’s “right to privacy.”
Tumblr of the moment: Ron Paul meets Ron Swanson.
The threatening letter that the FBI anonymously sent to Martin Luther King, Jr.

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Afternoon Criminal Justice Roundup

Thursday, January 5th, 2012

Seattle policy on dash cam videos: We will happily release the police dash cam videos you have requested for your lawsuit . . . just as soon as the statute of limitations expires.
The historian Newt Gingrich is apparently unaware that Washington and Jefferson grew hemp. He also seems to think we had a drug war back then. That, or he thinks Washington and Jefferson were just shooting up pot smokers, vigilante-style.
Utah cop is killed, several others are injured after a shootout during a drug raid. The suspect had no prior criminal record, save for a traffic misdemeanor. The police haven’t yet said if they found any drugs.
Citing prosecutorial misconduct, a Texas judge has vacated the conviction of man who has served 31 years for rape.
Illinois police officer writes woman a traffic ticket, then looks her up in the DMV database and asks her out on a date.
Houston man arrested, jailed for 36 hours for photographing an arrest is looking for representation for a lawsuit.

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Morning Links

Thursday, December 22nd, 2011

George Will’s new column slagging Newt Gingrich is very good, but it would have been great if he’d just stopped after the first eight words.
I wonder what makes them “Manhattan-style?”
A fantastic photo of Central Park.
Cop strikes, kills two pedestrians with his car. Witnesses say he wasn’t using flashers, sirens, or even headlights. Family of one victims shows up at the scene, gets arrested. Cop wasn’t tested for drugs or alcohol.
Write your own caption.
The year in economic charts.
Once in a great while, a holiday video comes along that blends festive images,, a good pun, and a Yuletide message of Aryan supremacy.
I’d imagine that Steven Phillips has some strong opinions about the legal system.

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Morning Links

Tuesday, December 13th, 2011

Another example of how when police know a suspect is actually armed and dangerous, they find other ways to apprehend them than to send in the SWAT team while the suspect is sleeping.
America’s is losing its faith in government. If this brings some skepticism about giving government ever-more power (though it likely won’t), it’s a good thing. But it also means government is failing at its most basic and fundamental obligations.
Mark Hemingway on how the fact-checking trend in journalism has evolved into a way for journalists to simply validate their own opinions.
The Supreme Court may be on its way to authorizing medical patents. Tim Lee explains why this is something to worry about.
Alabama: Where it’s illegal to brew your own beer, but it’s perfectly fine to drink while you’re serving on the jury in a death penalty case.
The latest in the Michael Mermel saga: An Illinois court has reversed the conviction of Juan Rivera, the subject of the New York Times piece that led to prosecutor Mermel’s resignation.

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Morning Links

Tuesday, November 29th, 2011

Innocence no defense against Virginia’s sex offender list. Once you’re on these things, it’s damn near impossible to get removed.
FDA considering mandatory salt reductions. Remember when everyone said not to worry, all this talk about reducing salt in food would be voluntary? Good times.
California police captain voids police lieutenant’s ticket for causing an accident, says doing so was “in the interest of justice.”
Headline of the day.
Nutty, Tea-Party-backed senator proposes crazy-ass amendment to limit the federal government’s power.

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Morning Links

Tuesday, October 11th, 2011

Photos of Nevada’s otherworldly-looking Fly Geyser.
Florida Innocence Commission recommends videotaping police interrogations. A similar commission in California made the same recommendation a few years ago, a long with corroborating jailhouse informant testimony and double-blind police lineups. Under pressure from the state’s prosecutors, Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed all three.
West Virginia man arrested for recording police.
DHS refuses to release the phone numbers of its public information officers, calling such a FOIA request a “clearly unwarranted invasion” of their privacy. Bask in the irony.
For Breaking Bad fans.
Drug policy vs. homicide rates.
This isn’t too far removed from how a lot of policies are actually made.
The bear is expected to hold a press conference today, in which he will publicly apologize and resign from office.

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Morning Links

Wednesday, October 5th, 2011

Police raid suspected meth lab . . . that turns out to be a guy making his own beer.
Colorado man makes last-ditch effort to overturn his 145-year sentence for a sex crime his alleged victim says never took place.
The Milky Way, taken near the North Sea.
Wisconsin judge says you have no right to drink the milk from your own cow.
The FTC goes after Four Loko again, this time for packaging the drink in cans that are apparently too large.
CBS reporter says White House “screamed” at her over Fast & Furious story.
Speaking of which, the Obama administration apparently thinks it’s fine to sell guns to murderous Mexican drug cartels, but they draw the line at pot-smoking cancer patients.

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Afternoon Links

Tuesday, October 4th, 2011

This is a good thing. Not the killing, but that it was captured on camera.
The New Professionalism, Clayton County, Georgia edition.
A brief history of branding.
Michael Bloomberg says government’s highest priority is to stop you from making bad decisions. Like, say, voting for Michael Bloomberg.
Man convicted by Texas DA and Perry forensics commission appointee John Bradley freed after 25 years in prison.
How the FDA is killing people.

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Morning Links

Thursday, September 29th, 2011

Jonathan Turley: Obama “prove the most disastrous president in our history in terms of civil liberties.”
Couple refuses entry to DEA agents who got the wrong house.
University of Wisconsin-Stout targets faculty member with “threats” for Firefly posters on his door.
Michigan police chief, five cops charged with using asset forfeiture money to purchase drugs, prostitutes.
This seems like a bad idea.
Incredible story of a false confession and wrongful conviction.
TSA/airport police in Indianapolis seize a breast cancer patient’s medical marijuana. I feel safer.
Other things that make me feel safer: That we’re about to deport a star student because she was brought to America illegally when she was 20 months old.
An interview with the great Idris Elba.

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