Justice (courts/crime/law)
Boy Scout officials often helped cover tracks of alleged child molesters
“Over two decades, the Boy Scouts of America failed to report hundreds of alleged child molesters to police and often hid the allegations from parents and the public.”“A Los Angeles Times review of 1,600 confidential files dating from 1970 to 1991 has found that Scouting officials frequently urged admitted offenders to quietly resign — and helped many…
Read MoreBronx prosecutors declined almost one quarter of all cases last year because of policy
“A months-long WNYC investigation has revealed that those accused of crimes in the Bronx have a greater chance of walking away without any charges than anywhere else in the city.” “In the Bronx, if a victim isn’t interviewed by prosecutors within 24 hours after an arrest, the DA will almost always decline to prosecute the…
Read MoreMissouri Supreme Court inconsistent with lawsuit cap
“The Springfield News-Leader reports that the Missouri Supreme Court recently threw out a $350,000 cap on losses such as pain and suffering in malpractice cases. But a wrongful death case decided just months early by the high court upheld the cap in wrongful death cases.” “Attorneys said the pair of rulings apparently means it may…
Read MoreCalifornia’s most vulnerable not receiving the protection they deserve
“As part of an ongoing investigation, California Watch has detailed how California’s state-run board-and-care institutions’ internal police force, created by the state to protect the vulnerable residents at these state homes, often fails to conduct basic police work when patients are abused and harmed.” “In case after case, detectives and officers have delayed interviews with…
Read MoreOne photo highlighted international web of child pornography network
In a report filed The Boston Globe, it has been revealed that “federal agents working out of Boston, are heading an investigation into child pornography that so far has resulted in at least 40 arrests around the world and the discovery of 140 children who were sexually exploited. And it all began with a single…
Read MoreReviews of child abuse deaths not always completed in KY
“A Herald-Leader analysis of 41 child fatalities in 2009 and 2010 found at least six cases where the Cabinet for Health and Family Services did not do an internal review even though there were previous reports involving the family before the child died.” “The reviews are supposed to examine the cabinet’s actions in a case…
Read MoreErrors found in nearly 25% of reversed cases
“The Texas Tribune analyzed 86 overturned convictions in Texas, finding that in nearly one quarter of those cases courts ruled that prosecutors made mistakes that often contributed to the wrong outcome.” “In a multi-part series Brandi Grissom explores the causes and consequences of prosecutorial errors and whether reforms might prevent future wrongful convictions.”
Read MoreCommunity college football players caught up in criminal activity
“After a sheriff’s deputy shot and killed a local community college football player during a struggle at a burglary scene Feb. 23, The Desert Sun in Palm Springs, Calif., compared recent years’ football rosters at College of the Desert to county court databases.” “Reporters Keith Matheny and Kate McGinty found far more criminal activity by…
Read MoreFormer chief deputy caught pawning department gun
“A Yancey County News investigation has led to the arrest of a former chief deputy on a charge of felony embezzlement. In a year-long series of stories the paper found that a pistol, bought for the sheriff’s department, had been pawned.” “The newspaper proved that the gun was listed on the inventory of the sheriff’s…
Read MoreGas company giants plotted to suppress land prices
“A Reuters investigation has found that under the direction of CEO Aubrey McClendon, Chesapeake Energy Corp. plotted with its top competitor to suppress land prices in one of America’s most promising oil and gas plays.” “In emails between Chesapeake and Encana Corp, Canada’s largest natural gas company, the rivals repeatedly discussed how to avoid bidding…
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