Justice (courts/crime/law)
Paris Hilton: The true Hollywood CAR story
The Los Angeles Times found that, if hotel heiress Paris Hilton serves 23 days out of a 45 day sentence for her DUI-related charges, she’ll do more time than 80 percent of people convicted of similar offenses. In L.A. County, such offenders are routinely released early due to overcrowded jails. “Because of the high media…
Read MorePolice chief misrepresents crime report to city council
Will Carless of voiceofsandiego.org reports that San Diego’s Chief of Police delivered misinformation in his report to the City Council. “The chief’s statements were made at the height of contract negotiations between the police department and the city. While the chief was painting a rosy picture of crime rates before four city councilmen, the police…
Read MoreSpeeders more deadly than drunk drivers
While alcohol-related accidents and deaths may receive more attention, speed-related accidents kill more people — about 10 each week — in North Carolina, according to a The News & Observer report by Pat Stith, Mandy Locke and David Raynor.“But while state legislators and court officials have gotten tough on drunken drivers, they have eased up…
Read MoreEurasian crime syndicates set up shop in U.S.
Los Angeles Daily News staff writer Troy Anderson reports that Eurasian crime syndicates have continued to scam the government since the 1970’s. The crime syndicates, which come from a dozen republics in the former Soviet Union as well as Eastern and Central Europe, systematically exploit government funded programs for personal gain. “A recent report by…
Read MoreSex offenders dwell near St. Louis area schools
Leisa Zigman of KSDK-St. Louis reports on sex offenders living near schools in the St. Louis metro area. KSDK’s investigation found that, despite stringent laws, more than 100 sex offenders were living within 1,000 feet of schools because of failure to enforce existing laws. “According to the Missouri State Highway Patrol, from 2004 through 2006,…
Read MoreNFL arrests consistent with general population rates
Brent Schrotenboer of The San Diego Union-Tribune reports on an investigation into hundreds of news reports and public records since 2000 to compile an unofficial list of 308 arrests and citations involving NFL players for all offenses except speeding tickets. The paper “found that the league’s biggest problems with the law are in many ways…
Read MoreParole failures go unpunished
Brendan J. Lyons of the Times Union in Albany, N.Y., obtained documents from an internal investigation revealing parole managers had incorrectly allowed convicted felons to remain free and commit new crimes. Despite these findings, the state agency’s leaders took no action against those found responsible for parole errors and instead pursued charges against the people…
Read MoreArizona developer’s checkered past
Mark Flatten of the East Valley Tribune in Phoenix completed a series on Jim Rhodes who has become in the most influential developer in Arizona’s East Valley. In December of 2006, he purchased over 1,000 acres of state trust land. The $58.6 million purchase gave him the right to “master-plan 7,700 acres in the area…
Read MoreThe politics of life and death
Dan Horn of The Cincinnati Enquirer analyzed the 6th Circuit court’s death-penalty decisions since 2000 to show that 6th Circuit judges consistently voted along partisan lines, and that “a federal death-penalty appeal can be a game of chance.” A review of every 6th circuit death penalty decision since 2000 found that judges appointed by Republican…
Read MoreFBI’s terrorism mission leaves white-collar crime unpunished
A story by Paul Shukovsky, Tracy Johnson and Daniel Lathrop of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports on a profound shift in the FBI’s mission. Due to a shift in focus to national security following 9/11, the FBI has failed to pursue thousands of white-collar crimes. “Five-and-a-half years later, the White House and the Justice Department have…
Read More