Justice (courts/crime/law)
Colorado police departments failing to test rape kits
“A six-month investigation by KMGH-Denver found police departments across Colorado were failing to test hundreds of rape kits, critical evidence taken from a victim’s body after a sexual assault.” “While most departments said kits are rarely tested when the victim knows the suspect, one police department said these rape kits were prohibited from being tested…
Read MoreHonduran murderer equipped and vetted by US
“The Associated Press uncovered this week that a Honduran military unit charged with murdering a 15 year old boy had been trained, equipped and vetted by the United States.” “The first story told the painful narrative of the victim’s father tracking the killers. The second story dug into the U.S. response to this and other…
Read MoreBurglaries misclassified as thefts in Milwaukee despite evidence
A new Journal Sentinel investigation found more than 900 cases that should have been classified as burglaries but were marked as thefts by Milwaukee police since 2006, showing Milwaukee’s crime data problems extend to property crimes. Reporters Ben Poston and John Diedrich found had the cases been properly coded, the tally of burglaries would have been 2.4% higher than reported…
Read MoreKCRA finds California parolees cutting off GPS monitors
A KCRA Investigation following missing parolees found a serious flaw in the state’s prison realignment plan. Sexual predators are supposed to be monitored by GPS under California’s Megan’s Law. But KCRA has obtained a wanted list of parolees who either cut off or never showed up to wear their GPS monitor. More than a thousand are…
Read MoreThousands of CA parolees may be let off the hook
“A KCRA investigation found that the California Department of Corrections quietly began a “review process” that could effectively let nearly 10,000 people who ran away from parole off the hook.” “Using sourced internal memos and lists of parolees KCRA was able to determine that the 3-phase program would review everyone from minor offenders to those…
Read MoreInvestigation into court loophole leads to conviction
“Investigative reporter A.J. Lagoe, with WRIC TV8 in Richmond, Va, uncovers widespread fraud in Virginia’s court-appointed attorney system. Criminal defendants are lying about their assets in order to qualify for a free lawyer and all too often getting away with it thanks to a loophole in Virginia law.” “Now a man profiled in the 8News…
Read MoreMurder remains a stubborn crime to solve in D.C., despite drop
“Despite a stunning drop in homicides in D.C., murder remains a stubborn crime to solve and prosecute. The Washington Post has reviewed nearly 2,300 slayings in the city between 2000 and 2011 and found that less than a third have led to a conviction for murder or manslaughter, although the numbers have improved in the…
Read MoreLaw enables over-production of Oregon medical marijuana, enabling traffickers to exploit state program
The illicit trafficking of Oregon medical marijuana is widespread and highly lucrative, according to The Oregonian’s analysis of highway stops, police reports and federal and state court records. Exploitation of the 14-year-old program is made possible by lax state oversight and loose rules lead to the production of far more pot than a typical patient needs, the newspaper…
Read MoreDCS chief James Payne fought his own agency over family matter
The Indiana Department of Child Services director, James W. Payne, fought to discredit and derail his agency’s recommendations in a child neglect case involving his own grandchildren, the Indianapolis Star reported. The story is based on the newspaper’s review of hundreds of pages of documents from DCS legal filings, investigation reports, monthly status reports submitted…
Read MoreMedical examiner revises suspect’s death ruling to homicide
After a 10-month effort for records following the death of Derek Williams in Milwaukee police custody, the Journal-Sentinel alerted an assistant medical examiner with the county, who changed the ruling of the death from natural to homicide. The records include a vidoe of Williams suffocating and pleading for help from the back of a squad…
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