Category Archives: Prisons and Justice and Police

Top Wisconsin Court OKs Putting Non-Sex Offenders on Sex Offender Registry

From The Legal Watchdog: For each violent rapist, a registry may contain dozens of teenagers who had consensual sex with younger teens, and dozens of other teens who were convicted of “sexting,” urinating in public, or similar behavior. But, perhaps … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Prisons and Justice and Police | 44 Comments

How The Death Penalty Makes False Convictions More Likely

Let’s suppose that Suzy and Bobby had a business together, which they’re liquidating. They have to negotiate how they’ll split the business assets, and if they can’t reach an agreement, then they’ll have to go to trial. Just one thing: … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Prisons and Justice and Police | 12 Comments

Pat Robinson Favors Legalizing Pot

Not often I agree with Pat Robinson about anything… From The Independent: “We’re locking up people that have taken a couple puffs of marijuana and next thing you know they’ve got 10 years with mandatory sentences,” Mr Robertson said on … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, In the news, Prisons and Justice and Police | 4 Comments

We Wouldn't

In late 2007, I declared that the upcoming presidential election “is about torture”. I was wrong. It wasn’t. Despite my assertion that torture should stay in the public eye until we come to terms with it and, ultimately, eradicate it, … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, In the news, Prisons and Justice and Police | 10 Comments

Oscar Grant's Life Is Worth Two Years

Johannes Mehserle, the white transit cop who accidentally drew his gun rather than his taser (completely different weight and placement on his body), and then accidentally turned off his gun’s safety, and then accidentally shot Oscar Grant, a young black … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Prisons and Justice and Police, Race, racism and related issues | 33 Comments

Q: What is a Black Man's Life Worth?

A: A black mans’ life is worth 2-4 years of a white man’s life. I heard about the verdict just after my wife and I left Mandolin’s place, where we’d met her for lunch. As we drove north on 101, … Continue reading

Posted in crossposted on TADA, Prisons and Justice and Police, Race, racism and related issues, Whatever | 37 Comments

And the best thing about it was they're guilty!

In Decca: The Letters of Jessica Mitford she tells a story of the 1960s. I can’t remember the details of the political trial – had the defendant’s been accused of . But they were found not guilty, and in the … Continue reading

Posted in Prisons and Justice and Police | 13 Comments

Open Thread: Man Convicted For Nudity In Own Home

As Radley Balko says, WTF? Williamson denied standing naked in his doorway or front window and said he had no intent to expose himself to anyone. But [Judge] O’Flaherty wasn’t buying it and likened Williamson to bank robber John Dillinger, … Continue reading

Posted in Link farms, Prisons and Justice and Police | 9 Comments

Texas Executed An Innocent Man

Strictly speaking, you can’t prove that Cameron Todd Willingham was innocent. All we can say is that there’s absolutely no plausible evidence that he set his house on fire and burned his three kids to death. But the fire investigation … Continue reading

Posted in Prisons and Justice and Police | 15 Comments

Baliksambayanan: Day 1, "You are surrounded by Victims."

Cross-posted from The Mustard Seed. Latter on when I got back to the BAYAN office, after the noise barrage (and after having lunch with the Secretary-General of Bayan, Nato Reyes, in where I had a soft drink, rice, curry chicken, … Continue reading

Posted in International issues, Prisons and Justice and Police | Comments Off on Baliksambayanan: Day 1, "You are surrounded by Victims."