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2/9/26 Guilty of 2nd. degree manslaughter. Rendered on February 6th. by
a New York judge, the verdict - reportedly the first such conviction in a decade - led to the
immediate firing of NYPD Sgt. Erik Duran. Two years ago Sgt. Duran threw a cooler chest at a fleeing
drug seller, causing the man to lose control of his motorbike and crash to his death. Although Sgt.
Duran testified that he was only trying to keep fellow officers from being run over, the judge
apparently concluded that his actions were really intended to prevent the flight of Eric Duprey, who
had just sold a small amount of cocaine to an undercover officer. Duran faces a term of five to
fifteen years.
Related post
Expert testimony about false confessions isn't a given. Ruling
in South Dakota v. Timothy Huante, a panel of the South Dakota Supreme Court altogether
excluded the proposed testimony of an expert about the issue of false confessions. In this case,
the evidence against the accused is substantial, and there is no indication that his confession
was coerced. Absent that, there is no "reliable methodology" that jurors can apply to determine
whether a confession is false. Reliable data about how often people falsely confess is also
lacking, so testimony about its supposed prevalence cannot be admitted.
Related post
"A public safety
crisis." According to Calif. A.G. Rob Bonta, that's what "ghost guns" have brought on in the
no-longer-so-Golden State. Using 3-D printers, readily available gun parts and computer code,
virtually anyone can skirt whatever regulations and prohibitions exist and assemble working,
unserialized guns at home. So California's suing. It accuses the Gatalog Foundation Inc., CTRLPew
LLC and several individuals with knowingly helping customers skirt State and Federal laws by
providing them online access to all the code needed to assemble 3-D printed guns in a day's time.
Complaint
Related post
Fifty-caliber ammo. manufactured in an Army plant has long been smuggled to
the Mexican cartels. Private firms produce the bullets at the Lake City Armory, and their contract
permits selling their lethal product to the civilian market. Loads wind up in the hands of
smugglers, who then make big bucks hauling the rounds across the border. Where they get used in
inter-Cartel squabbles, and against the military and police.
Related post
2/6/26 "The system sucks. This job sucks." That's
only a snippet of what Homeland Security lawyer Julie Le told the frustrated Minneapolis Federal
judge who must deal with the mass of habeas petitions and other motions filed by immigration
detainees on which the Government is yet to act. Complaining that she, too was swamped, Ms. Le
asked to be held in contempt "so that I could get 24 hours of sleep." And, yes, Ms. Le's detail
to help out in Minnesota was cut short.
Related post
Newly-installed Virginia Gov. Abigail Spanberger (she's a "Blue") worries that
immersing state and local cops in immigration enforcement damages community trust in the police. So
she's ordered an end to all 287(g) agreements between state officers and ICE. Her predecessor,
Glenn Youngkin (a "Red") championed State cooperation in immigration matters, and "Red" members of
the State legislature bemoan its passing. But the new Guv, a former Federal agent, views the
present immigration enforcement drive as "fear-based policing [or] enforcement theater."
Related post
2/5/26 "We got away from it a little bit." Newly-installed immigration czar
Tom Homan's words reflect the Administration's supposedly renewed emphasis on going after illegal
immigrants who pose a threat to public safety. That, asserts Mr. Homan, will be the focus of the
two-thousand agents who remain in the Minneapolis area after 700 are pulled back. That re-do was
made possible, he says, by the "unprecedented number of counties" that have been turning over
unauthorized residents upon their release from jail on local charges. On the other hand, the
Washington
Post reports that recent lethal missteps by ICE are leading a number of States to strip
local agencies of Federal 287(g) authority, which had enabled cops to arrest persons for immigration
violations.
Related post
2/4/26 California law requires that gun dealers make real-time audio and video
recordings of all gun transactions. Enacted in 2024, P.C. Sec.
26806 was unsuccessfully challenged in Federal Court as a breach of the Second Amendment. But
the plaintiffs, a coalition of firearms businesses and gun advocates, appealed to the Ninth Circuit.
And that's where their challenge presently sits.
Related post
Minneapolis ICE agents have shifted from staging major sweeps to targeting specific
residences and neighborhoods. That led activists to start following Government cars. And that, in
turn, just led agents to arrest, at gunpoint, the occupants of a car that was trailing them.
Meanwhile, New York Attorney General Letitia James is preparing to deploy observers clad in "purple
safety vests" to watch ICE agents and gather information that could be useful in a "legal action".
Related post
Before her 2022 election to Congress, Florida U.S. Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick helped
run her family's healthcare company. And, according to a Federal indictment, seized on the
opportunity presented by the COVID-19 pandemic to submit a copious amount of false, vaccine-related
claims for reimbursement. She allegedly used the proceeds to reimburse donors to her Congressional
campaign. And for other things, including a $100,000-plus diamond ring.
Related post
2/3/26 Police credit license-plate reader cameras with
helping to locate wanted persons and solve crimes. Their use, though, has come under fire from civil
liberties advocates, and particularly so as immigration enforcement ramps up. While agencies around
the U.S. have shared license plate data with ICE, Detroit, a major user of the cameras, insists it
doesn't. But other Michigan cities that wish to deploy the cameras are finding that they must now
contend with the "hard questions" that their citizens will inevitably pose.
Related post
Brian O'Hara took over as chief two years after the murder of George Floyd forever upended Minneapolis
policing. He just told a new set of hires about the challenges they will face gaining - and
keeping - citizen trust. That chore has become far more burdensome since ICE invaded his city. So
far, though, his agency has successfully "threaded a narrow needle," keeping its distance while
only stepping in when it must. And so far, so good.
Related post
Federal tax credits have proven a powerful tool for lifting children from poverty. According to a
new report from the National Academies, the 2021 American Rescue Plan helped free "more than 2
million children" from the clutches of poverty. It accomplished this by temporarily expanding the
Earned Income (EITC) credit and the Child Tax Credit (CTC), thus helping to ease the burden that the
devastating pandemic imposed on American families.
Related post
2/2/26 An assessment of the Federally-funded "Smart Policing Initiative" concludes that since
its inception in 2009 its "evidence-based", "data-driven" approach to policing has proven effective
across the U.S. As one example it cites Dallas, which applied "hot spots policing, place network
investigations (PNI), and focused deterrence" to effect major citywide decreases in violent crime
and a 30% reduction in targeted "hot spots" between 2021-2023. But the authors, who are affiliated
with the academic center that helped develop SPI, concede that "not every SPI initiative resulted in a
significant reduction in crime of interest." Related academic article
Related post
After crashing a carjacked car and shooting
a San Jose, Calif. police sergeant in the head, Mohamed Husein tried to get away by carjacking
yet another vehicle. That's when officers ended Husein's robbery and car theft spree by running him
over with their patrol car, then shooting him dead. Four days earlier Husein and an accomplice, Edward Macias, stole a Corvette
from a dealer, then used it to stage multiple armed robberies across Northern California. Two
shootouts with police and a carjacking later, Husein crashed his vehicle, and he was trying to
replace it when that truly "final" encounter came about. His officer victim is expected to recover.
Meanwhile in Gwinnett County, Georgia, a rookie
police officer was killed and his partner was wounded when the occupant of a hotel room unexpectedly
opened fire. Called to the hotel about a possible forgery, the officers apparently didn't know that
the man with whom they were chatting, Kevin Andrews, 35, was a violent felon with multiple
convictions. He was wounded and is in custody. Officer Officer Pradeep Tamang, 25, who was slain, is
a native of Nepal and had less than a year on the job.
Related post
Five were wounded including a six-year old when gunfire broke out during a Mardi Gras parade in a
Baton Rouge, Luisiana suburb. Police soon arrested three armed persons they found nearby. One, a 25-
year old, was charged with illegal gun possession. His two companions were accused of "attempted
murder, obstructing justice and reckless discharge." One is nineteen; the other, fifteen.
Related post
1/30/26 His shooting death wasn't the first time that Alex Pretti
physically tangled with ICE. Eleven days earlier he was videotaped spitting at agents and kicking
out their vehicle's taillight. An agent grabbed Pretti, and a brief struggle ensued. A handgun was
visible in Pretti's waistband as he walked away.
Related post
Former Illinois deputy Sean Grayson got the max. Convicted last October of second-degree
murder for the July 6, 2024 killing of Springfield woman Sonya Massey, he was just sentenced to serve
the maximum term - twenty years. Ms. Massey, a deeply troubled woman, called 9-1-1 about a prowler. But
when Grayson and his partner entered her residence the encounter turned hostile. Ms. Massey picked up a
pot of boiling water from the stove, and Grayson opened fire, killing her. Grayson apologized for his
behavior in court, but Ms. Massey's family was dismayed that the 1st. degree murder charges had been
dropped.
Related post
1/29/26 FBI employees are barred from unauthorized chats with the media. But the
New York Times reports that it found a host of current and recently-departed employees who
willingly shared their tales of grief. They complain that the FBI has lost its way and become a tool of
the Administration. Agents who helped investigate the January 6th. assault on the Capitol, and who
inquired into allegations of corruption during President Trump's first term, are particularly
distressed. New leadership has supposedly shifted the Bureau's focus away from heady topics such as
national security and espionage and redirected many agents to investigate immigration issues.
Related post
1/28/26 Not one but two Border Patrol agents fired at Alex Pretti. That
"reveal" was reportedly contained in a DHS statement furnished to Congress and reviewed by the
Washington Post. It says that Pretti resisted being arrested, and that during a "struggle" an
agent repeatedly yelled that Pretti was armed. Two agents then opened fire, inflicting multiple wounds.
In contrast with other statements by Government officials, there is no mention that Pretti had
"brandished" his gun.
Related post
Seven suburban Boston police officers are off the hook, crime-wise. Essex Co. D.A. Paul Tucker
announced that he will not criminally charge them for the death of Francis Gigliotti, a mentally-fraught
43-year old man whom they swarmed and pinned to the ground last July. The officers had sought to help
Gigliotti after he behaved erratically and walked into traffic, but he resisted their efforts and tried
to enter a restaurant. His death was attributed to “cardiac dysrhythmia in a person with acute
intoxication due to the combined effects of cocaine and ethanol while being restrained prone by police.”
Related post
1/27/26 Immigration disputes continue. A bill that just sailed
through the Indiana State Senate would authorize State law enforcement officers to enforce Federal
immigration laws and to assist ICE. It also bars businesses from "recklessly or intentionally" hiring
anyone who is illegally present in the U.S. and directs that such instances be reported to the Feds.
On the other hand, an FBI supervisor who claims that her bosses discouraged her from investigating the recent
killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Good by an ICE agent just resigned from the agency.
Related post
1/26/26 "Massacre law enforcement". That, according to the Border Patrol's
Greg Bovino, was what Alex Pretti intended to do when he muscled his way between an ICE agent and a local
woman. As the Feds pointed out, Mr. Pretti was armed. But neither videos nor witnesses saw him draw his
gun, which the 37-year old V.A. nurse was licensed to carry. Agents promptly swarmed Mr. Pretti, and one
was seen taking his gun. But another agent opened fire, and Mr. Pretti became the second Minneapolis
resident gunned down by immigration authorities within a couple of weeks. The Feds, who insist they're
investigating, are denying State and local officials access to the evidence, or to their work.
Related post
1/23/26 "I was able to brake in time." That's what a motorist told reporters after suffering a
close call when a vehicle being pursued by Anaheim, Calif. police blew a red light while going "like at
least 70 mph." Alas, the car crashed into two others, killing one innocent driver and injuring the other.
Anaheim police, who initiated the pursuit, arrested the miscreant. He, naturally, survived.
Related post
Crime rates in the U.S.
are continuing their Post-COVID downtrend. According to the authoritative Council on Criminal Justice,
which collects data from forty major cities, violent crimes are down from their 2024 levels. Percent
declines are 21% for homicide, 9% for aggravated assault, 22% for gun assault, 23% for robbery, and a
substantial 43% for carjacking. Burglary and motor vehicle theft have also declined. Excepting
non-residential burglary and motor vehicle theft, most serious crimes are now actually below their levels
in 2019, the year that preceded the pandemic.
Related post
1/22/26 "If you are injured or killed, you're no good to people
that you're trying to help." That's what former Uvalde school cop Adrian Gonzales' defense lawyer told
the jury. After all, his client was only packing a handgun, while the shooter - he gunned down 21 at Robb
Elementary - was slinging an assault rifle and had a bucketful of ammunition. While the prosecutor
insisted that Gonzales had a special duty to act - "Stop the killing. Stop the dying, even if you are the
only one there” - jurors took less than a day to acquit Gonzales on multiple counts of child abandonment
and endangerment. Still to be tried is the only other cop charged in the affair, his then-chief,
Pete Arredondo.
Related post
When confronted by the Parkland school massacre,
then-Florida A.G. Pam Bondi supported tightening up her state's state gun laws. But in her present
position as U.S. Attorney General, she's all for loosening things up. Easing laws that regulate private
gun sales and those that constrain the shipment of firearms are among the pro-gun measures on her agenda.
Ditto, slashing ATF's workforce, and in particular reducing the number of officers who oversee gun
dealers. On the immediate horizon looms a likely battle over installing veteran ATF agent Robert Cekada
as the agency's new boss. Whether his bonafides will meet with approval from the "Reds" seems most
uncertain.
Related post
1/21/26
Can persons convicted of non-violent felonies lose their gun rights? Yes, says the Second Circuit.
Ruling in Selim Zherka v. A.G. Pam Bondi, it held that "the Second Amendment does not
prohibit Congress from disarming convicted felons," and that holds true even for nonviolent white-collar
crime. And in a perhaps surprising move, the Supreme Court just denied review. Meanwhile the Fourth Circuit just
issued a split decision about where gun carry can be banned. Laws can ban gun possession at schools,
healthcare facilities, racetracks, amusement parks, state parks and "places that sell alcohol." But
banning them on private property that's "held open to the public" is a no-no.
Related post
1/20/26 Potential cases for the University of Notre Dame's famed Exoneration Justice
Clinic usually come from the victims of wrongful conviction - "the inmates themselves." Those
referrals are reviewed by the clinic's leader, former prosecutor Jimmy Gurule, and the ones that seem
promising are farmed out to law students for review. And if they still seem promising, an
investigator steps in for a deeper look. Their work has scored numerous victories, including three in
the last fifteen months. According to Gurule, many wrongful convictions are produced by shoddy
investigation and the failure of prosecutors to pass on information that may point in another direction.
Related post
Enacted in
1927, America's supposedly first Federal gun-control law prohibits sending handguns in the U.S. mail.
And that law is in the bull's eye of the Gun Owners of America, who recently filed a lawsuit
that claims the law conflicts with the Second Amendment. And only four days ago, the Department of
Justice issued a legal opinion that agrees.
According to Federal lawyers, the law "makes it difficult to travel with arms for lawful purposes" and
"imposes significant barriers to shipping constitutionally protected firearms." So it cannot stand.
Related post
1/19/26 A father repeatedly fired at his 19-year old daughter.
Thankfully, he missed. But her 17-year old sister was struck and killed. As was the man's wife. Hector
Lionel Alfaro, 52, then shot himself dead. That's the grisly scene that L.A. County deputies encountered
at a private residence in Lakewood, a peaceable, middle-class suburb of Los Angeles. They were summoned
by the "extremely distraught" survivor. Awakened by gunfire, she had bolted from the home.
Related post
Four years ago a Federal judge severely restricted LAPD's use of
projectile launchers over complaints of their misuse during George Floyd-inspired protests. And just
now, LAPD officers' allegedly inappropriate use of these devices at recent immigration protests led
another Federal judge to bar their use altogether. Meanwhile ICE
is facing severe criticism over its deployment of these weapons.
According to two demonstrators, their projectiles struck them in the head, causing both to lose
an eye.
Related post
1/19/26 A
father repeatedly fired at his 19-year old daughter. Thankfully, he missed.
But her 17-year old sister was struck and killed. As was the man's wife. Hector
Lionel Alfaro, 52, then shot himself dead. That's the grisly scene that L.A.
County deputies encountered at a private residence in Lakewood, a peaceable,
middle-class suburb of Los Angeles. They were summoned by the "extremely
distraught" survivor. Awakened by gunfire, she had bolted from the home.
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