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Who's Under the Gun? The FBI, That's Whom (#462, 2/14/25)
Going after the FBI for going after the Capitol rioters
Point of View (#461, 1/30/25)
Do scholars really “get” the craft of policing?
All in the Family (Part II) (#460, 1/6/25)
A decade after Part I, domestic killings remain commomplace
Acting...or Re-acting? (#459, 12/8/24)
An urgent response proves tragically imprecise
Citizen Misbehavior Breeds Voter Discontent (#458, 11/20/24)
Progressive agendas face rebuke in even the "Bluest" of places
A Matter of Facts (#457, 11/3/24)
Did flawed science place an innocent man on death row?
Want Brotherly Love? Don't be Poor! (#456, 10/12/24)
Violence is down in Philly, L.A. and D.C. Have their poor noticed?
Prevention Through Preemption (#455, 9/16/24)
Expanding the scope of policing beyond making arrests
Switching Sides (#454, 8/30/24)
St. Louis’ D.A. argues that a condemned man is in fact innocent
"Distraction Strike"? Angry Punch? Both? (#453, 8/11/24)
When cops get rattled, the distinction may ring hollow
Bringing a Gun To a Knife Fight (#452, 7/30/24)
Cops carry guns. Some citizens flaunt knives. Are poor outcomes inevitable?
"Numbers" Rule – Everywhere (#451, 7/2/24)
Production pressures degrade what's "produced" – and not just in policing
Is Crime Really Down? It Depends... (#450, 6/20/24)
Even when citywide numbers improve, place really, really matters
Kids With Guns (#449, 6/3/24)
Ready access and permissive laws create a daunting problem
De-Prosecution? What's That? (#448, 4/27/24)
Philadelphia's D.A. eased up on lawbreakers. Did it increase crime?
Ideology (Still) Trumps Reason (#447, 4/9/24)
When it comes to gun laws, “Red” and “Blue” remain in the driver’s seat
Shutting the Barn Door (#446, 3/19/24)
Oregon moves to re-criminalize hard drugs
Houston, We Have (Another) Problem (#445, 2/28/24)
Fueled by assault rifles, murders plague the land
Wrong Place, Wrong Time, Wrong Cop (#444, 2/8/24)
Recent exonerees set "records" for wrongful imprisonment
America's Violence- Beset Capital City (#443, 1/20/24)
Our Nation's capital is plagued by murder
Are Civilians Too Easy on the Police? (II) (#442, 12/18/23)
Exonerated of murder, but not yet done
Warning: (Frail) Humans at Work (#441, 11/29/23)
The presence of a gun can prove lethal
See No Evil - Hear No Evil - Speak No Evil (#440, 11/14/23)
Is the violent crime problem really all in our heads?
Policing Can't Fix What Really Ails (#439, 10/18/23)
California's posturing overlooks a chronic issue
Confirmation Bias Can be Lethal (#438, 9/21/23)
Why did a "routine" stop cost a man's life?
When (Very) Hard Heads Collide (II) (#437, 9/5/23)
What should cops do when miscreants refuse to comply? Refuse to comply?
Keep going...
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2/14/25 Kashyap Patel, a former DOJ terrorism prosecutor, served as a senior terrorism official at the
National Security Council and, most recently, as Chief of Staff to to the Acting Secretary of Defense. Described by
Reuters as a “fierce Trump loyalist,” he blasted the FBI's investigations of the President as the work
of a “deep state.” As the President’s pick to head the FBI, Patel just squeaked through the U.S. Senate
Judiciary Committee on a 12-10 “party-line” vote. It’s now left to the full Senate to decide.
Related post
2/13/25 New York State’s Driver’s License Access and Privacy
Act (“Green Light Law”) prohibits sharing driver license and vehicle registration information with
immigration authorities. It also informs illegal aliens when such information is
requested. These restrictions just led DOJ to sue New York and its Governor, Kathy
Hochul. New York’s A.G. fired back. "Our state laws, including the Green Light law, protect the rights of all
New Yorkers and keep our communities safe. I am prepared to defend our laws, just as I always have."
Immigration updates
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Ten million dollars. That’s the settlement reached by Sangamon County, Illinois with the family of Sonya
Massey, a disturbed woman who was shot dead last July by then-sheriff’s deputy Sean Grayson. Deputy Grayson was hired
in 2023 despite concerns by other agencies about his skills and suitability for law enforcement. Captured on video, his
shooting of Ms. Massey, who threatened him with a pot of water, was deemed wholly unnecessary. He remains in custody
pending trial for murder.
Related post
2/12/25 In 2008 a homeless Colorado woman got probation after pleading guilty to writing a bad check. Under
Federal law, that felony prohibits her possession of firearms. Years later, the single mom wanted a gun for protection. So
she sued. But a Federal court repeatedly upheld the prohibition. As did the 10th. Circuit. But the Supreme Court ultimately
ordered it to reconsider “in light of” its Rahimi decision. It just did. And once again it affirmed the prohibition’s constitutionality. Other Circuits,
though, have disagreed. And the battle over Rahimi continues. Decision Related posts
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In Sept. 2024
Colt Gray, 14, used an AR-15 style rifle given to him by his father, Colin, to murder two fellow students and two
teachers at Apalachee High School, Winder, Georgia. Colin knew that his son was deeply troubled but nonetheless gave him
the gun as a Christmas present. That led to his being charged with 29 counts, including two of murder and two of
manslaughter. On November 21 the father pled not guilty to all charges. And although survivors objected, a judge just
released him on $500,000 bond. He will be staying at his sister’s home, 70 miles from Winder.
Related post
2/11/25
Four years ago Fairfax County, Va. Commonwealth’s Attorney Steve Descano helped free Elon Wilson, a Black
firefighter who was imprisoned for gun and drug crimes on the word of an officer who chronically lied about his traffic
stops. D.A. Descano has now partnered with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project to create Virginia’s second
“conviction integrity unit,” which will review claims by convicted persons, with preference for those still
confined, that they are in fact innocent.
Related post
A shooting at a New York City street parade last September killed one person and wounded four. NYPD promptly attributed
blame to an unnamed teen whose photo it posted on social media. But after meeting with the person it depicts, 15-year old
Camden Lee (and with his lawyer), the cops conceded he wasn’t the one. His photo, though, nonetheless resurfaced in
the media. This incident caused Lee to miss “weeks of school” and has played havoc with his life. And that of
his family. And yes, a lawsuit is in the works.
Related post
2/10/25
Issued three days ago, Presidential Executive Order “Protecting Second Amendment Rights” orders DOJ to review Federal laws
and rules enacted between 2021-2025 that “may have impinged on the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding
citizens.” That includes ATF regulations which tightened dealer oversight, banned pistol braces and addressed
“ghost guns.” Also in the bull’s-eye is the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act,” a law that, among other things, removed loopholes which
allowed some gun buyers to bypass background checks.
Related post
In March 2024 Chicago
tactical officers pulled over a car driven by Dexter Reed. He opened fire and wounded an officer who approached. Reed was
shot and killed in a hail of gunfire. But the reason for the stop is unclear. His survivors sued, and Chicago’s City
Council is mulling over a proposed $1.25 million settlement. In a formal editorial, the Chicago Tribune strongly
objects. “Surely, it’s possible to hold police accountable for wrongdoing or terrible mistakes while also
supporting them when they act reasonably in the face of mortal danger...this case strikes us as about more than money.
Sometimes a principled stand is in order.”
Related post
In a
departure from prior Administrations, which sought to insulate the Attorney General from politics, the Trump White
House insists that it’s free to bring up civil and criminal cases with the Justice Department. Candidates for top
intelligence and law enforcement positions are also being asked to answer “Yes” or “No”
to two questions: Was January 6th. “an inside job”? Was the 2020 election “stolen”? It’s
reported that two candidates who didn’t answer “yes” to both were passed over.
Immigration updates
Related post
2/7/25 Whether
imported from China or grown on illicit domestic pot farms, Black-market marijuana, much of it replete with dangerous
pesticides, is the trade in stock of unlicensed outlets. But it also often winds up on the shelves of licensed, ostensibly
legitimate pot retailers. Customers are urged to ask about the “source and potency” of marijuana they purchase.
Cities and States are moving to crack down on the illegal market; California seized $200 million of illegally grown weed
in 2024. But the problem persists.
Drug legalization updates
Related post
Just filed in Illinois Federal court, a lawsuit by the Trump administration alleges that Illinois, Cook County
and Chicago, each a self-anointed “sanctuary” jurisdiction, are using State and local laws - the Way Forward
Act, TRUST Act, Welcoming City Act, and Cook County Ord. 11-073 - to interfere with Federal immigration enforcement.
These statutes, the suit claims, prohibit local officers from providing critical information and deny access to persons
in custody, leading to “countless criminals being released into Chicago who should have been held for immigration
removal from the United States.” Lawsuit
Immigration updates
Related post
2/6/25 A Georgia judge threw out the criminal case against former D.A. Jackie Johnson, who was
on trial for having obstructed the investigation of the notorious 2020 murder of Brunswick man Ahmaud Arbery. Johnson had
allegedly told police to not investigate the killers, Greg McMichael and his son Travis McMichael, as the father was a
retired county detective. But witnesses said she never told police to back off, and the judge found that compelling
evidence to the contrary was lacking.
Related post
Emil Bove,
Trump’s acting Deputy Attorney General, issued a memo accusing top FBI officials of “insubordination”
for resisting his attempts “to identify the core team” of agents that investigated the Capitol riot. But he
also reassured that agents “who simply followed orders and carried out their duties in an ethical manner”
would not be penalized.
Capitol updates
Related post
“More than 29 billion views.”
That’s how many times gun fanciers have turned to YouTube channels hosted by firearms experts who provide
detailed instructions for using and modifying guns so they’re as reliable and lethal as possible. Google and other
carriers, though, have faced lawsuits for helping enable would-be killers (Payton Gendron is one example), so they’ve restricted the content. Special channels have
popped up to fill the void. Say, T. Rex Arms, a major gun and accessories retailer that offers free online instruction,
including a series on “how to shoot.”
Related post
2/5/25 Highly lethal weapons produced by U.S. manufacturers have long been smuggled into Mexico,
where Cartels use them to fuel an epidemic of violence. Mexico, which has only one licensed gun dealer, tightly
regulates gun sales, but American guns have created an overwhelming problem. Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum is now
linking her cooperation with the U.S. on other matters, including migration, to its willingness to control illegal gun
exports. She has also turned to litigation; Mexico’s current lawsuit against U.S. gun makers
is before the Supreme Court.
Related post
DOJ asked the
FBI to identify all agents who participated in the Capitol investigation to help it determine whether any crossed the
line. “Thousands” of agents have also been instructed to complete a questionnaire about their roles.
That’s now led to a pair of Federal lawsuits by unnamed FBI agents who object to the probes. One of the actions, filed by
nine unnamed agents, claims that the inquiries are unlawful, violate their privacy rights, and place them and their
families at personal risk.
Capitol updates
Related post
Guantanamo. That’s where a U.S. millitary flight just landed with the first set of illegal migrants to be housed
at the facility, technically a U.S. Naval base. Three-hundred U.S. troops were on hand to welcome the new arrivals. New
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was once assigned there while in the military, calls it a “perfect place”
for its new duty, which will supplant holding a dwindled contingent of evildoers from 9/11 days. Gitmo, it’s
claimed, can house up to 30,000 immigrants. A dodgy future seems assured. Related posts
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2/4/25 Six days after a 14-year old opened fire at Georgia’s Apalachee High School, a
14-year old Florida girl posted a threat to blow up her school. That led to her prompt arrest, followed by three weeks
in detention. Like consequences quickly befell several other youths in Volusia County. “This is absolutely out of
control, and it ends now,” said its Sheriff. According to the Washington Post, “at least 477 people
— 90 percent of them students” were arrested across the U.S. for making threats during the two weeks after
Apalachee. Like spurts in threats and arrests have also followed other school shootings.
Related post
“Dozens”
of prosecutors hired by the Biden administration to prosecute January 6th. Capitol assault cases have been summarily
dismissed. According to the new Administration, their firing is justified as their “career” status was
improperly conferred. Agreeing with President Trump’s view of the January 6th. cases as a “grave national
injustice,” Acting Deputy Attorney General Emil Bove has called for their positions to be filled by “merit-
based” hires.
Capitol updates
Related post
Former L.A. County D.A. George Gascon’s progressive, go-easy approach led voters to replace him with Nathan Hochman.
Gascon had endorsed resentencing the Menendez brothers to straight life terms, which could lead to their parole. His
prosecutors on that motion, Brock Lunsford and Nancy Theberge, remained on staff. They are now suing current D.A. Hochman
for defaming them and reassigning them to lesser roles. Like retaliation claims were once made against Gascon by
prosecutors who said they were punished for opposing his progressive policies.
Related post
2/3/25 A Friday evening, Jan. 31 shooting in chronically impoverished South Los Angeles left two
men dead and wounded four men and a boy. Nine days earlier “a confrontation between rival gang members” in
L.A.’s beset MacArthur Park area wounded six, three critically. In-between these episodes, the L.A. Times reported that LAPD’s number
of cops - 8,620 - is the fewest in thirty years. But it reassured readers that “recent crime statistics indicate
the city is becoming safer even as the department shrinks.
Related post
President Trump’s January 25 Executive Order, “Ending the Weaponization of the Federal Government,”
berated the “ruthless” prosecution of the Capitol rioters. According to the Washington
Post, acting Deputy A.G. Emil Bove just issued a memo demanding that eight FBI executives resign or be fired.
Warning that “additional personnel action” is anticipated, he calls for “a sweeping examination”
of all FBI agents who helped investigate the Jan. 6th. affair, President Trump’s possible role, and his alleged
hoarding of classified documents. James Dennehey, New York City's top FBI agent, reacted with an e-mail that urged his staff to "dig in": “Today, we
find ourselves in the middle of a battle of our own, as good people are being walked out of the F.B.I. and others are
being targeted because they did their jobs in accordance with the law and F.B.I. policy.”
Capitol updates
Related post
Four months before MPD cop Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd he allegedly used his knee to pin a drunk female
motorist to the ground after she stuck her car in the snow. Minneapolis is paying $600,000 to settle Patty Day’s
lawsuit. In 2023 the city paid out $9 million to settle lawsuits over Chauvin’s misuse of his knee against two
persons other than Floyd.
Related post
1/31/25 Three days ago the sheriff’s office serving Ithaca, N.Y., “a self-described
sanctuary city,” refused to honor a Federal warrant for the arrest of Jesus Romero-Hernandez, who illegally re-
entered the U.S. after a removal. Romero-Hernandez, whom local authorities had jailed for 3rd. degree assault, was
released after pleading guilty and drawing a sentence of “time served.” Federal immigration agents tracked
Romero-Hernandez down. He is now in custody and will be arraigned in Federal court.
Immigration updates
Related post
Located near Fresno, Sanger is a small Northern Calif. city of about 26,000 population. Yes, it
has its own police department. And on January 29 a Federal jury convicted former Sanger police officer J. DeShawn
Torrence on eight counts of deprivation of rights for forcing four women to engage in nonconsensual sex. His acts,
which were committed while on duty during 2017-2021, included rape, kidnapping and sexual assault. He faces life
in prison. Related posts
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Located in
Louisiana, the Federal Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has invalidated a host of Federal gun control measures, from
prohibitions against “bump stocks” to laws that forbid drug users and persons under domestic violence
restraining orders from acquiring guns. And now they’ve moved against the law that prohibits selling handguns to
persons under 21. “Ultimately, the text of the Second Amendment includes eighteen-to-twenty-year-old individuals
among 'the people' whose right to keep and bear arms is protected.” And the fight is on. Related posts
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1/30/25
Georgia legislators are mulling over bills that respond to the March 2024 Apalachee High School shooting, when
14-year old Colin Gray used his father’s assault rifle to kill two fellow students and two teachers. One would
require that parents keep guns locked up and inaccessible to their kids. Another would help schools identify and
“monitor” problematic youngsters even if they change school districts, as Colin did after he and his father
were questioned by deputies over his threatening online posts.
Related post
Just signed into law by
President Trump, the Laken Riley Act requires
that Federal authorities detain illegal immigrants who are arrested for any of a variety of crimes, including burglary,
theft, shoplifting and assault on a police officer. It’s named after a Georgia nursing student who was murdered
in 2024 by an illegal alien from Venezuela who had been arrested for shoplifting but was let go. President Trump
has also
just ordered the construction of a detention center at Guantanamo Bay that could house up to 30,000 illegal
immigrants.
Immigration updates
Related post
1/29/25 CONNECT RENO allows businesses and homeowners in Reno, Nevada to register their security cameras so that
police can use the images should a crime happen nearby. Citizens can also allow their cameras to be perpetually
connected with police, thus making their feeds instantly available. The bordering city of Sparks has also joined in.
CONNECT RENO
Related post
New York City, whose
“sanctuary” policy limits police cooperation, has become another target of the new immigration enforcement
campaign. On their first sweep, ICE teams arrested twenty illegal aliens. Twelve had criminal or terrorism-related
records. They included a suspected Yemeni terrorist, a “human rights violator” from Myanmar, a Dominican
wanted by Interpol for homicide, and an Ecuadorian with a pending charge for sexual assault. He had been previously
convicted for illegal entry.
Immigration updates
Related post
A 14-year-old D.C.
youth “with a big smile” was shot dead by another 14-year old during a robbery spree by the killer and his
two 16-year old brothers. Video surveillance depicts the shooting. It also shows the three robbers holding up other
victims, then fleeing in a White Kia sedan. Their arsenal included a .40-caliber pistol, a 9mm. pistol, and
“a Kalashnikov rifle in a duffel bag.” Related posts
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1/28/25
D.C. District Judge Amit P. Mehta reversed her day-old ruling barring Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes and seven
underlings from D.C. Judge Mehta explained that according to the 11th. Circuit Court of Appeals, she had to abide by
the U.S. Attorney’s interpretation of the President’s Executive Order. And in this case, Trump’s
newly-appointed U.S. Attorney, Ed Martin, argued that the commutations had wiped out the entire sentences, including
their non-custodial aspects.
Capitol updates
Related post
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