Good. Judge Williams used the law. There was no case. I don’t find this surprising. But then I’ve learned to be surprised by these absurd trials. And I was speaking to a friend here in New Orleans who, naturally, assumed the officers are guilty. She hadn’t read my primer and had no idea this trial…
Read more
It’s not so much the wheeling a dead body on a metal dollythat gets me. It’s the how do you get arrested 52 times by age 31?
I’m in New Orleans, not that you asked. But if that means anything to you, let me know! (Be smart and figure out how to contact me via email, twitter, whatsapp, carrier pigeon, or comment). I’ll be here through the 29th, with a bicycle and an airbnb place in St. Roch. (Yeah, a three short…
Read more
Shoplifting has gotten a boost in California. From the AP: Shoplifting reports to the Los Angeles Police Department jumped by a quarter in the first year, according to statistics the department compiled for The Associated Press. The ballot measure also lowered penalties for forgery, fraud, petty theft and drug possession. … The increase in shoplifting…
Read more
For all ya’ll too lazy to read Illinois v. Wardlow (2000), here is the key part that relates to the constitutionality of chasing suspects who run from a drug corner. The Freddie Gray scenario is almost exactly similar to Wardlow. (I’ve selectively bolded and also removed the citations, but you can click through for the…
Read more
Why in the world are people reporting on last year’s data when we have current data at our fingertips? Does reality only happen after numbers are published on DOJ letterhead? NBC News reports: Number of Police Officer Killings Drops, Reversing 2014 Spike. Do reporters not have the wherewithal to see what the current situation is?…
Read more
This shouldn’t be news to any reader here. I’ve been harping on this since at least last October. But now reality is official real because it’s in the papers: homicides are up. Now maybe we can focus on the how and why instead of denying reality? I wonder if all those so ideologically eager to…
Read more
A lot of people still don’t know the basics about the death of Freddie Gray and the trial of six Baltimore City police officers. I understand people have other priorities, but many of those with no clue still hold very strong opinions. So here’s a selective primer on the trial of the officers in the…
Read more
The second trial has begun. If you want to know my thoughts, best to see what I’m saying on Twitter. Mostly I’m just retweeting interesting points from, you know, actual professional reporters (like Kevin Rector, Justin Fenton, Mike Hellgren, and Robert Lang) who are at the trial, doing their job. Overall, my opinion is well…
Read more
The FBI Director Comey says in the New York Times that: A “viral video effect” — with officers wary of confronting suspects for fear of ending up on a video — “could well be at the heart” of a spike in violent crime in some cities. “There’s a perception that police are less likely to…
Read more