Crime
Granting of some bonds comes through backdoor practice, with no prosecutor input
“In many instances, the decision is in direct contradiction to the recommendations of court workers who assess the defendant’s risk of fleeing or harming the public, an American-Statesman review has found.” Read the American-Statesman’s full investigation here.
Read MoreBotched ATF sting in Milwaukee ensnares brain-damaged man
“ATF agents running an undercover storefront in Milwaukee used a brain-damaged man with a low IQ to set up gun and drug deals, paying him in cigarettes, merchandise and money, according to federal documents obtained by the Journal Sentinel.” Read the Journal Sentinel’s full investigation here.
Read MorePolygraphs show border agency applicants admitted to rape, kidnapping
According to documents obtained by the Center for Investigative Reporting, applicants who have sought sensitive law enforcement jobs in recent years with the U.S. Border Patrol and its parent agency, Customs and Border Protection, admitted to a host of astonishing crimes during the application process, including rape, kidnapping. “The records – official summaries of more than…
Read MoreLeads in ATF sting gone wrong end in dead ends
In a follow up to their investigation on an ATF sting gone wrong, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel has found that all leads on the stolen, government-owned Colt M4 have ended in dead ends. “And despite a newly filed search warrant detailing a text message that may link one of the original suspects to the theft,…
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: OSHA ignores slow and silent killers, corporate influence reaches court, back-door school handouts
As OSHA Emphasizes Safety, Long-Term Health Risks Fester | The New York TimesThe Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the agency that many Americans love to hate and industry calls overzealous, has largely ignored the slow, silent killers that claim the most lives. Corporations, pro-business nonprofits foot bill for judicial seminars | Center for Public IntegrityConservative…
Read MoreParolee GPS ankle monitors: Major flaws found in vendor’s system
“The electronic ankle monitors California used for several years to monitor more than 4,000 high-risk sex offenders and gang members were so inaccurate and unreliable that corrections officials said that the public was ‘in imminent danger,’” according to the Los Angeles Times’ investigation.
Read MorePenalties and prosecution light as illegal gun market thrives in Minnesota
Over the last decade, federal prosecutors pursued only eight domestic gun-trafficking cases in Minnesota, according to court records examined by the Star Tribune. Federal law enforcement officials say their limited presence in the state and significant constraints in federal law present serious obstacles to cracking down on illegal gun trafficking. Minnesota U.S. Attorney B. Todd…
Read MoreStory of stolen semi-automatic reveals shadowy circulation of handguns
The Star Tribune tells the story of how one cheap semi-automatic handgun was stolen, and then used in three violent crimes in Minneapolis. The long and shadowy circulation of handguns like the Hi-Point often confounds police and can elude gun control laws.
Read MoreExtra Extra Monday: A ruling’s tainted legacy, a botched signature and corporate catch shares
The New York TimesRuled a Threat to Family, but Allowed to Keep Guns“Advocates for domestic violence victims have long called for stricter laws governing firearms and protective orders. Their argument is rooted in a grim statistic: when women die at the hand of an intimate partner, that hand is more often than not holding a…
Read More“Nonviolent” work release centers house murderers, other violent criminals
“A Tampa Bay Times’ investigation found 20 murderers housed at work release centers across the state, including one who lives at the facility next to where Tifft was speaking. While work release centers are often described as a way for nonviolent offenders to transition back into society, a Times’ analysis found that hundreds of inmates…
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