Justice (courts/crime/law)
ABC 15 investigators take a fresh look at the Bolles murder
ABC 15 investigator Abbie Boudreau looks at the murder of Don Bolles murder 30 years after his car was bombed. Bolles died 11 days later. With new evidence and questions about the killing of Don Bolles, ABC 15 calls into question whether an innocent man, Max Dunlap, was framed for one of Arizona’s most infamous…
Read MoreSexual misconduct rampant with Utah peace officers
Nate Carlisle and Lisa Rosetta of The Salt Lake Tribune report on sexual misconduct by peace officers in the state of Utah. “It is the most common reason – more than excessive force, falsifying reports or driving under the influence – that Utah officers lose their certifications or are suspended from their jobs, according to…
Read MoreFreedom for sale in Florida
Carl Jones of Miami New Times reports on corruption in the justice system in southern Florida. The series [See:Part 1 and Part 2] explores the story behind a now disbarred defense attorney, Isreal Perez, Jr., who promised to get the prison sentences of convicted felons reduced – for a price. “If there’s any truth to…
Read MoreBALCO saga continues: The SF Chronicle held in contempt
Bob Egelko of The San Francisco Chronicle reports that the paper has agreed to be held in contempt of court for refusing to disclose its reporters’ [Mark Fainaru-Wada and Lance Williams] sources of grand jury testimony in the BALCO case. This could result in fines of over $500,000. “The Chronicle’s editor, Phil Bronstein, said, ‘While…
Read MoreTexas sex-offender registry plagued with problems
In a two-part series Emily Ramshaw of The Dallas Morning News reports on the state of Texas’ sex offender registry, which is ladden with inaccuracy. Some experts blame an ever-increasing database without the manpower to maintain the information. “ The result? Vigilant parents and community groups are relying on faulty or incomplete data to protect…
Read MoreSF Police spied on jounalists to find source of internal leak
A.C. Thompson of SF Weekly reports on a scandal within the San Franciso Police Department, “a cloak-and-dagger investigation that may have transgressed the department’s own rules - and definitely torched the careers of a pair of ethical police officers who dared to air their criticisms of the SFPD.” Following the 2003 leak of an internal…
Read MoreAbuse of law rampant in NY’s village and town courts
A series by William Glaberson of The New York Times exposes the gross abuse of power by “part-times justices” across the state of New York. The New York Times did a one-year investigation of these town and village courts presided over by judges who have no legal pedigree – including some with no more than…
Read MorePrison conditions deplorable for mentally ill
Michele Gillen of Miami’s CBS4 exposes the inhumane conditions of mentally-ill accused criminals being held in the Miami-Dade pre-trial detention center. The conditions are “morally incomprehensible” – multiple inmates share cells intended for a single prisoner; people sleep on floors covered in urine and feces; inmates are allowed out of their cells for only 30…
Read MoreRecords reveal extensive White House access to some of Abramoff’s cronies
Sharon Theimer of the Associated Press reports that recently released Secret Service visitor logs reveal extensive “inside access” to presidential aides by Grover Norquist and Ralph Reed, both of whom are linked to Jack Abramoff. The records indicate at least 115 appointments since 2001, some lasting upwards of 12 hours. The release of the records…
Read More“Capitol Crime”
Chitra Ragavan, Chief Legal Correspondent for U.S.News & World Report, has written “Capitol Crime,” a detailed piece about MZM, a defense contractor implicated in the Rep. “Duke” Cunningham briberies. “Based on a review of hundreds of pages of court documents, private internal MZM records, and detailed interviews with a dozen key officials, shows how [Mitchell]…
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